He stood and reached toward the chair that held our capes.
I stood as well, starting, “Maybe we should—”
His eyes came to mine as he moved around the table holding my cape. “I’ll escort you to the hotel and give you time to prepare for bed. I’ll join you after you’ve had time to settle.”
All right then.
That sounded like a plan.
“Okeydokey,” I whispered and again watched his eyes flash, this one I’d not seen before.
I didn’t get a chance to get a lock on it before he was behind me and settling my cape on my shoulders.
I pushed my hands through the slits as he buckled on his cloak and I waited as he threw some coins on the table.
He then offered his arm and I took it. Like Derrik, he didn’t hesitate to pull me closer, tucking his arm with my hand to his side. Unlike Derrik, he did this in a perfunctory way, even if he did curl his warm fingers over mine.
Then we were “away” into the night on the swept-of-snow wooden walkways that served as sidewalks in this village.
That would be, away to bed.
Again.
Crap.
Chapter Eight
No Recriminations
“I’ll…uh, see you in a bit,” I said at the door to Apollo, who had unlocked it and threw it open, sticking his head in to take a cursory look around, but he did this and was now standing at its side.
“You will,” he replied, pocketing the key. “Lock up behind you.”
I nodded then watched as he turned and strode away.
He was out of sight down the stairs before I went into the room, closed the door and locked it behind me.
“Okay, what the f**k is the matter with me?” I asked the empty room.
Of course, I received no answer.
What I did was notice that the fire was dancing merrily in its grate, a large iron grid sitting in front of it with lips that curled into the stone so no sparks would fly out. There were big stacks of split logs, plenty of fuel for his lordship to keep the fire burning all night and not bother calling a servant to do it for him.
I also noticed that our trunks had been hauled up which meant I had my nightgown.
I didn’t go to the nightgown.
I went to the nightstand closest to me, opened the drawer and found what I always found when at an inn in Lunwyn or Hawkvale. A supply of rudimentary matches.
I lit the lamp by the bed then moved to the opposite side and lit that one as well.
I moved to the fire, carefully removed the grid, tossed the used matchsticks in, fed it more logs and returned the grid.
I stood back and stared at it.
I had no idea how long Apollo would give me to get changed so I knew I should get a move on.
But as I stared into the flames, I didn’t get a move on.