Stepping out into the entranceway that’s thankfully empty at the moment, I’m hit with the full musty smell of this place. Ican still taste the dust in the air that’s been impossible to shift despite countless attempts to clean it up.
Since we don’t know how long we’ll be staying here, the crew have been busily turning their overexuberant attentions to fixing up the million things wrong with the house. Honestly, you’ve seen nothing quite like a pirate crew turning domestic as they tried to make this place habitable. Mostly, they worked together well until someone thought it would be a bright idea to use another crewmate as a mop, dragging him around on his arse while both roared with laughter.
Someone’s clearly made a start on replacing the rotted floorboards on the staircase today. But they must have got distracted midway through, since I nearly lose my foot, pressing down too hard on one of the particularly rotten boards. A jolt of nerve pain goes through my leg, and I stifle a groan, not trusting the rickety bannister to take my weight as I make my way up the deathtrap staircase.
The house is big enough that the quarters where my best friend, Frannie, and I have adjoining bedrooms. I’m not expecting to see anyone as I make my way to my room, hoping that Frannie has warmed up some water for a long soak in the stained bathtub that we share. But a familiar figure is crouching by my door, carefully placing a tray of food onto the floor outside.
If I’m not mistaken, he’s trying to drop by and sneak off without having to speak to me.
Slightly tricky when you’re over six feet tall and built like a legendary warrior.
Torin.
My scarred, sort of ex-mate. Who has been avoiding me since we got here, for reasons that are mostly a mystery to me.
“Snugglebum,” I call out in greeting as soon as I’m in earshot. The soaked material of my trousers is sticking to my body like asecond skin, and I don’t miss the way Torin’s eyes flick over me from head to toe, flaring with barely banked heat.
I shoot a tired smile at him. “Have you come for Thursday night bingo?” I might be cold and tired, but it seems like I’ve got just enough energy to tease him.
He clenches his hands into fists, bracing himself against the wall. There’s a tic going in his jaw, like he’s clenching his jaw, which I watch with interest.
“It’s Tuesday,” he grunts.
“Oh, right, Tuesdays are for crochet club. Did you bring your own hook thingy? I can share so long as you don’t mind that all I’ve got is this pretty lilac yarn. Did you bring your readers with you?”
He lets out a low, displeased warning growl. “Reva.”
It might be a warning, but it’s one I don’t heed. His rasping voice goes right through me, leaving a hot shiver in its wake. The man is pure fire. Not quite enough to thaw the newly developed shell of ice around my heart, but enough to leave a pulse between my thighs.
“Yes, sweetpea?”
I push aside the ugly painting that’s hanging beside my door and unhook the key that’s hidden behind. Then, jimmying the key into the sticky lock and wiggling vigorously, I glance over my shoulder as I step inside. I catch Torin’s eyes locked on the sealskin tossed over my shoulders before he notices my attention. A slight blush covers the tops of his cheeks.
“Why bother with a key at all if you’re just going to leave it out in the open?”
“I was out in the water. I’m more likely to lose it out there.”
He blinks at me, shifting from foot to foot. “You went swimming again?”
Another shrug. “I thought it couldn’t do any harm.” Apart from causing me to freeze my imaginary nuts off, that is.
Torin grunts, but doesn’t say another word.
“Are you coming inside, or are you just going to loiter outside my door?” I ask him.
He shifts from foot to foot, then bends to pick something up from the other end of the porch. “Cookie made extra food for dinner. Thought I’d drop it off while it was still warm.”
Uh huh, a likely story. Cookie doesn’t make ‘extra’ food as a rule. If you’re not around for dinnertime, he says that you can fend for yourself or go hungry.
Seems Torin is doing yet another nice thing for me. My gut twists at the unhappy expression on his face as it hits me he’d far rather I’d never seen him. If I’d spent an extra minute in the water, no doubt he would have come and gone without a word. Just like he did yesterday and the day before.
I stifle a sigh as he thrusts the tray of steaming... something into my hands and makes sure I’ve got a firm grip on it before he turns and strides away, causing the rickety floorboards to give an ominous creak.
“Eat it while it’s warm. You look half frozen,” he grumbles over his shoulder.
“See you tomorrow, sweetcheeks,” I call after him, even as my heart ducks and rolls inside my chest.
And then he’s gone.
