someone started on getting your room ready. We’ll take you on the full tour later.”
She looked at his hand and looked up at him. Dressed in black from his scuffed boots to the slightly dusty shirt, he looked hard and a little weary. She had the insane urge to hold him and coddle him. She shook her head and glanced at Linc. He looked a little livelier and definitely more approachable in his white shirt, brown pants and boots.
Returning her attention to Colm, she eyed the outstretched hand. She’d love to slip her palm in his and walk along with him as if she didn’t have a worry, but she couldn’t stop thinking. He was the one who would be most resistant to the idea of a true mate. He wanted someone who wouldn’t have any hold over them.
“You don’t want to show me around.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
His head cocked to one side as he looked at her. His jaw tensed and she thought for a moment he was going to get angry, but then one eyebrow rose in imperious demand. “I don’t know where you get your information from, sweet Cami, but you’re going to have to stop believing that crap. It’s wrong. We’ve already told you that we want you and we don’t play that kind of game. If you want to know what we think, you come to us.”
She took a deep breath. It wasn’t crap. He didn’t want a female mate who’d have a hold on him, but she couldn’t shout that out no matter how much she wanted to do it. She just wished she could have controlled her tongue before.
He might want to get her alone, but only because he was attracted to her right now. Not because he actually wanted to be with her as a mate. That still hurt. Even now, she didn’t know the full answer of why he was so resistant to the idea. She had to stop thinking about things such as that, because they were going to keep tripping her up around them.
“All right, let’s go inside and you can show me some of your home.” Cami slipped her hand into his.
She wasn’t going to comment on going to them when she wanted to know what they thought or felt. It wasn’t that she thought they wouldn’t tell the truth. Both men sometimes were amazingly oblivious about how little they revealed about themselves and how unapproachable they seemed.
“I’m serious about the talking to us part, Cami. I’m getting tired of having you making these assumptions when you don’t know much about us.” Colm’s fingers tightened around hers and he stared down at her intently.
“Two assumptions. I was right the first time.” She glared up at him. It sounded as if he thought she’d been wrong or had no basis in her beliefs both times. She wasn’t so sure that she was completely wrong about him wanting to be with her either, but he did seem determined to take her on a tour.
“I’m not going to start an argument with you about that now.” He shook his head and scowled. “Come on. If we take much longer, we won’t even get to the door before Linc’s caught up with us.”
She nodded and went along with him when he tugged her hand. She didn’t know if that was supposed to be some kind of prod to get her moving or a statement of fact. Given the fact that he seemed to be the one who was more controlled and unemotional, she thought it was probably what he believed to be fact. He might want her to go with him, but provoking barbs didn’t seem to be his style.
The main building was made of the same stone as the wall. The blue was even more startling up close. While he opened the large black door, she reached out and ran her hand over the wall. It was smooth and cool to the touch. He stepped back as the door swung open.
She stepped into the building. Lamps hung on hooks on the wall, giving off a soft glow in the entry hallway. She knew that this relatively narrow entryway was meant to funnel any intruders to the men who’d be waiting to meet them, but it made her feel a little caged.
The hallway opened into a rectangular room. Golden stands holding pretty lamps sat in the corners. Long, padded benches flanked a set of double doors.