Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
A whoosh drew my gaze to the balcony. Nugget came trotting into the room as if he owned the place, and I nearly ruptured at the seams with joy.
“Told you.” Jasher discarded the pack and his weapons near a recliner and goodness gracious there were a lot of blades. He strode to a built-in dresser with wide cabinet doors on each side and turned the glass knob on one, revealing a shelf containing everything we’d ordered. Two plates of food. A large mug of milk. A bowl of raw meat. Folded clothing. A basket of toiletries. Two towels. The pad and pencil.
“How did these items get there so quickly?” I asked, awed. “Magic?”
“A pulley system, an organized buffet with every amenity the inn offers at the ready, and workers who started gathering the moment I paid.”
Oh. Well. However disappointing the method, wondrous scents made my mouth water.
Jasher placed the bowl of meat on the floor. My pet prowled closer, leery of the executioner, but too hungry to resist.
Once Nugget cleaned the bowl, Jasher poured in the milk. The rabdog lapped up every drop, returned to me to rub against my leg, then bounded to the bed, where he curled up and drifted to sleep.
Jasher passed me a plate and claimed the other, and we relocated to the table, sitting across from each other. “We will converse after we’ve eaten and cleaned up.” Head down, avoiding my gaze, he dug into his meal.
Too hungry to care about his avoidance of me and the delay, I shoveled in a bite of food. My taste buds exploded with the first bite of creamy, cheesy chicken. Or what tasted like chicken. Other explosions occurred with the honeyed carrots, mashed potatoes, and buttery wilted greens. Like Nugget, I left nothing behind. My stomach protested the volume after going days with so little, but my willpower was shot. Besides, I couldn’t bring myself to regret a single bite.
Leaning back in my chair with a satisfied grin, I realized Jasher had finished as well—and his attention remained fixed upon me. My grin slowly faded. Such intensity, his smolder in full force. If my dad was right and I glimpsed a little too deep into people, making them uncomfortable, Jasher’s consideration bore holes into my soul. What thoughts rolled through his head?
I squirmed in my seat, my blood heating as if I’d cranked my internal thermostat to inferno. Look away. Yes! I managed it.
“Take your bath,” he rasped, standing. He stalked to a recliner, plopped down, and dug into his pack, removing tools to clean and sharpen his weapons. The chair back blocked his view of the tub. Another chivalrous gesture on his part.
I didn’t know what to make of this boy.
Trusting him not to look, I collected the basket of toiletries, the pile of clean clothing, and a towel, then approached the tub, grateful for the opportunity to remove layers of dirt, grime and filth in front of crackling logs. Except, there were no knobs on the tub. No hoses.
I organized my stuff and ran my hand along the tub’s upper edge, searching for a hidden button. “How am I supposed to turn on the—” Hot, steaming water rose from the bottom, filling the container in record time. Oooh.
“Like that,” Jasher replied. “Words are power.”
I glanced at the chair as I unwound the length of my braid. My companion kept his back to me, remaining busy with his task. Trembling a little, I shed garments I only wished to burn and climbed into the decadent liquid. Oh, goodness gracious. My muscles sang with delight.
Though I yearned to soak and enjoy, I didn’t want to be rude and make Jasher wait longer than necessary. At a swift pace, I used the jars of scrubs and soaps to wash from head to toe. Again and again, my focus returned to my companion. Each time, I stroked the compass. His compass. Not once did he turn to steal a peek. He had his faults, many faults, but he was a gentleman, and I liked that.
When I emerged, the water drained without any prompting. I dried off and hurriedly dressed in the new clothes. An outfit much like the blonde’s. A white shirt and soft, loose pants, with beige undergarments. Each item was a perfect fit.
“Your turn,” I said, brushing my hair. Though the heat from the fire was nice, the waves dried in a matter of seconds, as they’d done at West’s. Man, a girl could get used to these kinds of luxuries.
He stood and pivoted. We locked stares again, and my breath hitched. He double blinked.
“What?” I demanded.
“Your hair.” His pupils expanded, eclipsing those sunset irises. Tension tightened the skin around his eyes and mouth.
Flutters dominated my stomach, and I reached up to finger a lock. “I don’t know how it dries so fast sometimes but not others.”