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He threw a glance over his shoulder. The Elemental’s luscious lips were quirked in an inviting smirk, her backside propped against the arm of the chair. Everything about her was alluring: the long ebony hair with not a strand out of place, the sharp tongue that thought nothing of berating him in front of his people, the curves that tempted him far too much.
Why was he so drawn to her? Now, when he should be resting and refueling, the only thing he could think about was crushing his lips to hers and pulling her into the security of his arms. Blood heating at the thought of her supple body against him, Isaiah swallowed.
“I’m glad you stayed, Rukia.”
“Though I’m sure Jaeda wouldn’t have minded,” Rukia replied, “Derikles and your band of merry men probably wouldn’t have appreciated being my personal taxi.”
“I’ll give you that.” A beat of silence as he glanced at the clock on the wall. “Let me make you something to eat.”
Even as he turned toward the kitchen, Rukia grabbed his forearm. “Really? You just woke up from a day-long snorefest and now you’re trying to take care of me? Sit down.”
A ghost of a smile laced his lips as they entered the adjacent space. “You’re going to cook?”
“Of course I am.”
Isaiah didn’t fail to notice the way her voice slightly trembled, nor the way her hand trembled when she put a tall glass of water in front of him.
“Drink up, sparky. Blood loss and all that.”
He did as she instructed, watching passively as she darted around his kitchen. In the party, in the cabinets, in the fridge. Whatever she was looking for, she didn’t find it.
“Can I be of assistance, Rukia?”
She froze. “Ah … do you have any macaroni and cheese?”
The urge to burst out laughing was so strong that Isaiah had to bite his lips to stop it before saying, “I do not.”
“Any poptarts?”
“All out.”
“Ramen?”
“Nope.”
“Then what the heck do you eat? Fast food? Gas station sushi? Crickets?”
“Real food, as a matter of fact.” He slid off the stool and offered it to her. “Please, allow me to enlighten you.”
Rolling her eyes, she did as he asked and crossed her arms over the cool marble. Isaiah pulled several pans from under the island and fired up the stove. Busying himself in grabbing the necessary ingredients, he relaxed into the familiar flow of food prep.
It felt so natural: Rukia here in his kitchen. The willowy Elemental studied his every move, her velvety eyes intent on watching him work.
“How often are you challenged?”
The question was a bare whisper, but he heard the hitch in her voice. “It varies. The last challenger I had was almost fifteen years ago now. Before that, it’d been a handful of decades.” He pinned her with a sober look. “Unlike Nina, I very rarely let challengers live.”
“Why would you ever?” Face twisting, Rukia shook her head angrily. “They come into your territory and challenge you with the explicit intention of taking your life. It’s savage.”
“It’s our way of life, Rukia.” Isaiah shrugged, refocused on the sizzling pan in front of him. “Savage or not, we must comply with tradition.”
Chapter Twenty
“Okay,I’mpleasantlysurprised.”Wonderment exploded over Rukia’s face as she savored another bite of the divine omelet that steamed in front of her. “I thought you’d grab a frozen burrito from your freezer and throw it in the microwave.”
A rumble of masculine laughter from the stool beside her. “Always the tone of surprise, Elemental.”
Tangy tomatoes, savory mushrooms, and three different types of cheese teased her palette as Rukia inhaled the rest of her food. “The only thing I can cook well is macaroni and cheese. From a box.”
