Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,22
naked state. Things would have frozen and fallen off.” I rose on my toes and dropped a kiss on his luscious lips. “What did you bring for dinner?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You can’t smell it?”
“All I can smell is you. You smell good, by the way.”
He chuckled softly. “I decided on Chinese, so we have beef in black bean sauce, lemon chicken, Mongolian lamb, and special fried rice.”
“And dessert?”
“Was an extremely difficult decision, given you and Belle make the best cakes ever. I settled on burned fig and chunky caramel ice cream, with caramel and almond dark chocolate crisps as backup if you decided it was too cold for ice cream.”
“A very good selection all round—especially since the chocolate can be added to the ice cream.”
The smile that twitched his lips was decidedly cheeky. “I do aim to please—and in more ways than just in the bedroom.”
“To which I will say, some of your best work is actually done out of the bedroom. In the shower, for instance. Or the balcony, or the rug in front of the fire, etcetera, etcetera.”
He chuckled. “Can’t have you getting bored on me now, can I?”
“No danger of that, Ranger.”
I followed him across to the kitchen and got out the plates and cutlery while he opened all the containers. “Did Monty find anything helpful down in the ravine?”
“Nothing to suggest there was a supernatural entity involved.” He picked up a plate and began to fill it. “But as you said, that was to be expected given the time that had passed. What’s the book on the table?”
“It’s one of Nell’s—according to the index, it has some mentions of a supernatural being that uses crying as a lure.” I shrugged. “Worth a shot, even if it comes to nothing.”
He grunted and began filling his plate. “So when, exactly, did you learn Monty had received permission for you to become his deputy?”
“About ten minutes before you did.” I regarded him steadily. “I wouldn’t keep something like that secret, Aiden.”
His gaze rose to mine and, after a second or two, he nodded. Annoyance stirred. “You keep saying that I need to trust you more, but that is a two-way street, you know.”
“Yes. Old habits—”
“Are no excuse.”
“Indeed. I vow to try harder.”
“Good.”
It was primly said, and his smile broke loose again. “Shall we retreat to the fire? You’re in danger of being overrun by goose bumps if we stand here much longer.”
“If you had gas heating in this place, it wouldn’t be so much of a problem.”
“Winter only lasts three months, and the fire is on twenty-four seven during that period. You won’t freeze, trust me.”
“Winter may only last three months,” I said, voice dry, “but the wintery conditions certainly don’t. Remember, Castle Rock isn’t all that far away from Ballarat, one of the coldest spots in Victoria outside the Alps.”
He grinned. “Then I shall endeavor to keep you toasty warm at all times.”
I rolled my eyes, then sat next to him on the well-padded sofa, one leg tucked underneath me. It was a position that had the towel riding up my thigh, but I didn’t really care given the heat now coming from the fire. And he certainly didn’t, if his appreciative expression was anything to go by.
We ate our meal and chatted easily about our day—he updated me on the various investigations, and I made him chuckle with the many weird snippets of conversation I’d overheard in the café. Dessert had been consumed and we’d moved on to coffee when I finally asked the question that had been niggling all day.
“So, this important bit of news you needed to impart yesterday and have been avoiding ever since. Give, Ranger.”
He sighed, placed his coffee on the table, and then shifted position to fully face me. His expression was serious, and my stomach did its usual acrobatic dance.
“Oh, this is looking ominous,” I added. “Hang on while I put my coffee down in preparation.”
“It’s not that bad. Really.”
A wry smile tugged at my lips. “Your expression and body language say otherwise, Ranger.”
“Maybe I should have said, it’s not that bad for you. Or me, really, for that matter.”
A statement that only had my stomach churning harder, because the only reason he’d have any sort of problem with his pack would be because of me.
“Quit avoiding the issue and tell me.”
“Fine.” His voice was flat, but a fuse of anger and determination flared in his eyes. “I finally gave my mother an ultimatum a few days ago—either you’re included