Page 79 of Winds of Ruin
He told me about the events of his day—of waking with Lark reading to him, of visiting his mother. “You were my second stop,” he said and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as we reached the door.
I smirked. “Is that so? You wake up after twenty years andIam the second person you wanted to see?”
My stomach fluttered. Letting him care for me was foolish yet enticing. If he kept talking like that, I didn’t know if I was strong enough not to give in.
“Don’t act surprised,” he mumbled, with his dark brows pulled down in a expression of mock annoyance, which didn’t last even a moment before his gaze softened.
My hand lingered on the doorknob as I turned toward him. He towered over me, altogether too close for me to not have a million horrible ideas about what his lips would taste like, or what it might feel like to claw my nails down his muscled back.
I bit my lower lip. All the flighty, impulsive ideas were running rampant.Stop that.
“What are you thinking about, Else?”
“Nothing you can handle right now,” I answered.
His eyes widened. “Why does that sound sexually charged?”
“Do you remember who you’re speaking to?” I teased.
He chuckled and nodded for me to open the door. Snowflakes had collected on his dark lashes and stubble. I wanted to lick them off.
This would be a problem.
My horrid wandering imagination could surely exhibit some self-control. He’d not been awake twenty-four hours.
I reveled in the desire—I’d thought I’d lost my ability to feel heat coursing through my veins, to feel overtaken with the urge to touch someone.
We entered the estate and kicked off our boots before stepping into the parlor.
“Come, sit and dry,” I said.
We settled by the roaring fire in chairs across from one another. The way his forehead wrinkled and posture softened as he stared at me was going to make self-control very difficult. The comfort between us extended beyond the mirror, and having him here in my space felt more natural than having him anywhere else.
“Can I stay with you?” he asked. “Just for the night. Before I get thrown back into duties in Helos. I need a day to collect my thoughts.”
“Of course, pet. You are always welcome here.” I meant it.
Lark poked her head into the parlor. “I can go collect some of your belongings,” she offered. The little troublemaker had clearly been eavesdropping.
“Thank you, I’d appreciate that,” Emmerick said. “And thank you for keeping my state of consciousness quiet for now. I wouldn’t dream of making you lie to your mother for long.”
Lark smirked. “Oh, she’ll forgive me. Aunt El, can I take the Egress?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes, I’ll walk you out. Stay put and warm up,” I told Em when I stood.
On our way down the hall of a thousand doors, Lark began quietly singing, “El and Em lying beneath a tree. K-i-s-s-i—”
“Stop it,” I burst out with a laugh. “There will be none of that.”
She pinned me with an unamused expression. “Why not? It’s sweet. He is kinder than I imagined him, and handsome, and you enjoy his company.”
We reached the fifty-fifth door, and I narrowed my gaze at my meddling niece as she entered the Egress. “The sweetest things in life stay that way when preserved, Lark. Otherwise they rot. But thank you for bringing him here. It is nice to reunite with an old friend.”
Lark rolled her eyes playfully and said, “I think you’re wrong, but you’re welcome.” Then she commanded the Egress to whisk her back to Luz.
Chapter 34
Emmerick
