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She winked. "We'll see."
As they finished their meal, Reika chatting most of the time about the bakery she'd worked at back in the future, Stone relaxed. At one point he laughed when she told the story of how a giant bag of flour had split open when she'd tried to move it, covering her and everyone else in white. But instead of getting mad, she'd merely said, "Boo," like a ghost.
She really was special, a light he desperately wanted to hold close, to absorb her heat and energy, and use as a constant balm on his soul.
Of course then they played cards, some game he'd never played before, and he lost.
His growly self had returned, but a few words from Reika, and he'd been smiling again.
As he said goodnight to her at her door, Stone couldn't stop grinning until he fell asleep.
Maybe he could hope for happiness, or even love, after all.
ChapterEight
The next morning, Reika hummed as she cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast and counted down the minutes until she saw Stone again.
Something had changed between them the night before, she was sure of it.
The only let down was not getting to kiss him. However, she'd wanted a night separated between revealing his past and her giving in. That way he wouldn't think her sleeping with him was out of pity or high emotions.
No, she wanted Stone for himself, and she needed him to know that.
Crazy as it was, she was already falling for him.
She'd just finished tidying up the tables when one of the kitchen maids—Ida, who'd been hired right after the old cook had stormed out—rushed in. "Oh, miss. Thank goodness I found you. There's a delivery but I can't find the housekeeper anywhere."
Reika was about to ask if the cook usually accepted deliveries here or not, but held back. It was hard enough getting some of the kitchen staff to listen to the foreigner from both a different country and a different time period.
Besides, during her time at the bakery, she'd often had to accept orders if the owner hadn't been around.
Tossing her towel aside, she took off her apron and nodded. "Show me where they are and I'll handle it."
The maid bobbed and gestured for Reika to follow.
They went down the corridor that wound through the downstairs area, further and further, until she frowned. "Isn't the main door for this floor back there?"
"Yes, miss. But some of the deliveries use the other door because it's easier to get their heavy loads closer to the building."
She wasn't sure what to make of the reasoning, especially as the hallway became even narrower.
But they reached the door before Reika could think of turning back, and the maid opened it. A man in slightly dirty clothes and a worn hat stood there, a piece of paper in his hands. "I have the gin delivery here, miss. I just need you to come inspect the cart."
Reika looked over the man's shoulder. A number of males stood near it, all of them standing in the bright sunshine without flinching. Their ears were normal, too, without points. Which meant they were either shifter, half vampire, or human.
Even if the shifters and vampires had a current truce according to Yesenia, she didn't like how they eyed her with interest. Too much interest.
She cleared her throat and did her best to put some authority into it. "This is something the butler should deal with, given how he handles all the alcohol. Let me go get him."
Reika tried to step backward, but Ida had moved there and blocked her path. Any friendliness had vanished as the maid spit out, "This is for getting my aunt sacked, you bloody, dirty foreigner."
She shoved, and unprepared, Reika stumbled.
Right into the hands of the man at the door.
She opened her mouth to scream, but a cloth was instantly pressed to it. And as her world started to fade to black, she wished she'd been more careful, just like Stone had advised.
Stone.Her last thought was maybe he could find her before it was too late. And if he did, she'd follow his orders to the letter in the future.
