AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyebrows raised. That was impressive progress. But she also wasn’t wrong about Tyr’s assessment. He had a stoic and hard look about him, and he’d clearly seen some shit in his life. But when he listened with his full attention, or he spoke, there was gentleness there.
Carrie took a deep breath and pointed to the cookies. “Why don’t you bring some out for him and Raeni? I think she’s still watching him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course she is.”
Carrie laughed. “As exhausting as it is for me already, I knew to expect it. I was just as boy-crazy as her at that age.”
She then winked. “Of course, if you snag him, she’ll leave him alone.”
I shook my head. “Don’t start. He’s a resident. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Carrie snorted. “Like any of us would care. It’s not right to pass up opportunities for happiness over silly things like ‘professionalism.’ You’re not getting any younger, Astrid. And since you and Diego seem to insist you’re only friends—”
“We are only friends.”I make sure I remind myself every day until one of these days it finally sticks.
She popped her earbud back in and turned away to check on her baking cookies. “Uh huh, you keep telling yourself that.”
Why does no one believe me?Shaking the thoughts from my head, I snagged a paper towel and a few cookies before heading outside. Angel greeted me on the porch and immediately tried to check out my precious cargo.
Following the path down to the woodshed, and dodging Angel, I found our new resident and Raeni. Raeni sat on a stump while Tyr stood with his back to her, his exposed, muscular back with a prominent and intricate tattoo on display.
Tyr lifted an axe above his head with one hand and slammed down on the vertical standing log set up on a chopping stump. It split with impressive ease and the two pieces flung to the side. He then moved to the next prepared log and readied to split it as well.
His muscles flexed with his movements. I swallowed and forced myself to breathe as a sudden, overwhelming need to feel the strength of his body pulsed through me down to my core.
I want to remember what he feels like.
I blinked, my mind stalling.What the hell was that thought?
Raeni noticed me and grinned. “Enjoying the view, Astrid?”
Tyr paused for a second, glancing over his shoulder before splitting another log.
“I hope you’re not bothering him, Raeni,” I said, ignoring her question. No matter how true it was, I would not embarrass myself by admitting to a resident’s face that I found him hot.
“Course not,” she said. “I’m learning more about him.” She noticed the goodies I carried and her eyes lit up. “Did Mom make cookies?”
I smirked and held them up. “Your favorite.”
She squealed and launched off her seat. Tyr turned around in time to watch her snag one of the colossal cookies and shove it into her mouth. She moaned in delight and tried to talk with her mouth full, the words coming out in a muffled, indecipherable sound. Or, I thought it was indecipherable.
“She asked if there were more in the house,” Tyr said when he noticed my spiked eyebrow. It rose higher when I looked his way and he shrugged. “Old friend did it all the time. Forced me to become proficient in food muffle.”
Something in the back of my head twitched, like recognition or something, and then I laughed. “Well, at least one of us is. Yeah, there’s more. She’s still baking.”
Raeni took off toward the house, muffling something else out. Tyr waved in response. Angel followed Raeni, happy to race her back to the house.
I focused on Tyr. “She didn’t bother you, right?”
He shook her head. “No. She’s a curious teenager, but she wasn’t any trouble.” He held up his arm with the missing hand. “Actually, she was quitehandywith setting up the logs for me.”
I pressed my lips together.Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.
Tyr smirked, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. My hand flew up in front of my face, as if that’d help, but it didn’t; not even to hide my heated cheeks, announcing my embarrassment.
“I’m sorry.”
Tyr set his axe down and walked over. “Why? It was supposed to be stupid enough to make you laugh.”
