her, and she quickly sat up.
“You’re awake.”
The low, rough timbre of the voice sent warmth through her. Her head snapped toward the source—it was him, of course. He stood by the stove, bare-chested, arms crossed over his chest. His jeans hung low on his hips; top buttons opened. Blue eyes peered right at her, pinning her until a hot, furious blush crept up her neck.
“Um, yeah.” Realizing she was still wearing his shirt—which was parted and showed a generous amount of her breasts—she grabbed the lapels and pulled them shut. “Sorry. I didn’t have anything else to wear.” They’d already had sex twice at this point, why the heck was she so embarrassed?
He gave a noncommittal grunt. “I have food. And coffee.” He cocked his head at the table in front of him.
Now that intrigued her. And her hungry stomach. Scrambling off the bed, she padded toward the kitchen–dining area. As she drew nearer, her fox came to life, sparked by his presence. The animal yipped excitedly, as if reminding her who this man was to them.
Not that she was likely to forget.
“Thanks,” she murmured as she sat on the lone chair. The coffee smelled great, and there was toast and a heap of eggs and bacon. “Have you—”
The light flickered overhead.
“I should check on the panels.” Without another word, he brushed past her and headed out the door, into the cold and snow.
Reaching for a piece of toast, she nibbled at the end. Did he regret sleeping with her? But they were mates. Okay, so maybe they should have gotten a few things out of the way first—like each other’s names—but the instinct was too strong. It was difficult to deny she wanted him as much as he did. Initially anyway. His gruff manner unnerved her, but maybe that’s just the way he was.
Her fox wagged its bushy tail, agreeing with her.
Yeah, that’s it. It was obvious the sassy little creature was infatuated with their mate.
What was he anyway? Something large, for sure. She had sensed his animal, of course, but only fleetingly.
Minutes ticked by, and he didn’t come back. So, she ate some more toast, eggs, and a couple of pieces of bacon and washed it down with the cooling coffee. When she was full, she put the food away and brought the dirty dishes to the sink.
A quick glance out the window as she cleaned up the dishes told her the worst of the storm had passed, but everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. How bad was the storm? And where the heck was she, anyway? How would she get back home, and what was going to happen now?
The door slamming against the wall shook her out of her thoughts. He stood in the doorway, completely naked, jeans in one hand, shaking the flakes that had clung to his beard and hair. It was obvious he had shifted to his animal form while outside.
A thrill ran down her spine, and her fox scritched with excitement. There it was, his animal. Fierce and strong and wild. It called to her. Tugged at her, and her instincts told her to reach out and—
The animal pulled back, as if he had reined it in and locked it away. The move made her start, as did the flash of anger in his eyes.
Turning away, she attempted to concentrate on washing the dishes, though she could hear every move he made, from the moment he closed the door to when he shucked on his jeans and walked up behind her. She tensed, sensing him inches away.
“My name is Duchess Forrester, by the way,” she began as she dried her plate. Maybe it was better not to look at him, because those indescribable blue eyes had only one effect on her. “But most people call me Dutchy.”
A heartbeat passed. “John. I’m John Krieger.”
John Krieger. My mate’s name is John Krieger. “Um, nice to meet you, John.” She remained with her back to him, and she told herself it was because she still had to dry the rest of the dishes.
“I’m sorry. About …”
Her hands stilled as his palms hovered over her shoulders. When they landed lightly, she said, “Don’t.”
He pulled them away as if he’d been burned.
Sensing his recoil, she quickly placed the plate back into the sink and whirled around. “No.” She placed her hands on his chest. Muscles jumped under her touch, and he sucked in a breath. “I mean, don’t be sorry. About what happened between us.