Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I set the pet carrier with a still sleeping Tobias down on the floor. I’ll wake him up and let him explore his new temporary home just as soon as I get settled.
I head into the kitchen that despite the cabin’s rustic charm is modernized with all stainless steel appliances a chef could dream of. There are no dishes in the sink, but the fridge is already stocked with a few basics like cheese and milk. All are fresh and in date.
“So thoughtful,” I murmur under my breath. I should send him an email later today and thank Whiskey for the kindness.
I add my groceries to the fridge and start to go for the coffee machine. It’s the old kind that brews a whole pot at once, not like the fancy one-cup machine that’s in my apartment. At the last second, I talk myself out of it. I definitely don’t need the caffeine. I barely get restful sleep as it is.
Instead, I go into the living room and give Tobias gentle cuddles until he’s blinking awake and making those adorable noises that baby kittens do.
His soft, black fur and sweet smell have some of the tension that’s like a band around my chest easing. The way he looks up at me with so much trust and faith in his green eyes has me melting. He’s my little reminder that there’s still good in the world. Day by day, I’m rediscovering that good.
I carry him into the kitchen with me, so I can feed him. “Alright, Tobias, you just relax. I’m going to make you a good dinner then we’re going to cuddle by the fire tonight. How does that sound?”
“Sounds just about perfect to me,” a masculine voice says.
I whirl around and clutch Tobias closer to me. The band is definitely back. My heart beats an erratic rhythm as I blurt out. “Who are you?”
Without taking my eyes from the stranger, I reach into the open kitchen drawer. I grab the first weapon I can find and hold out…a wooden spoon. Still, I do my best to look menacing as I brandish it.
We both know this would be useless against his brute strength. He’s easily over six-feet tall with forearms that are as thick as my thighs. They’re marked with scars and tattoos and lead up to a very broad set of shoulders.
He’s got a thick, bushy beard that’s nearly trimmed and a crew cut, short on the sides and long on top. His strawberry blonde hair and neat appearance make him look young, but his clear blue eyes are haunted. This is a man who has seen evil and horror. Not the kind you film on TV, the real thing.
He crosses his arms, drawing attention to where his dirty, sleeveless flannel shirt pulls tight at the seams. How much protein is this man eating to maintain a physique like this?
He looks like he would be featured on one of those men’s magazines, revealing the secrets of his fitness routine. Is the routine really a secret if you have a personal chef that’s also a nutritionist and a personal trainer who obsesses over helping you stay in shape?
He arches a brow. “What are you planning to do with that? Bake me a cake?”
“Who are you?” I repeat, trying to make my voice sound authoritative and not like I’m turned on by his whiskey-over-the-rocks voice. Seriously, how does he get it so gritty and so deep?
“You already know that,” he answers, a muscle moving in his jaw. He keeps looking me up and down, assessing me. His gaze always lingers on my hips just a beat too long. He likes them. He likes my curves. Wait, wrong thing to be excited about right now.
“How could I possibly know who you are? I’ve never met you!” I exclaim, cuddling Tobias closer as he lets out a soft sound. I lower my voice, not wanting to scare my fur baby. “Look, if you have an issue with me, take it up with the owner. He rented me this cabin.”
He frowns, irritation replacing the attraction in his gaze. “That’s impossible. This is my cabin, and I didn’t rent it to a curvy witch with a cat.”
Chapter 2
Sophie
“I’m not a witch,” I scowl at him, feeling my cheeks heat. It’s nothing new to hear. All those years in high school as the weird goth girl taught me not to show weakness. I don’t know why I thought there was something different about this mountain of a man.
“Look, I don’t care where you hang your broom tonight, but it’s not going to be here. Now, take your kitty and your caldron and get gone.”
“I have a legal right to be here. I can prove it,” I answer, remembering that my mom made me print everything for this trip.