Bloodmark by Aurora Whittet

role if it meant getting Grey out of trouble, although now I had to explain my presence in the woods to Grey. I hadn’t even consider that. He was never going to let this go. Yet there I stood, protecting him. Like a fool.
    “I’m Grey’s father, Robert Donavan,” he said. “I’m glad Grey was able to help you out. A pretty little thing like yourself, lost in the woods? You could have been eaten up by a big bad wolf. I’m glad my boy was there to save you,” he said slapping Grey on the back. He said “my boy” as if he owned Grey—it was a fatherly assumption I knew all too well. It disgusted me. I had to fight my urge to tell him what I really thought of him.
    “Oh yes, sir,” I agreed. What was I doing, I wondered. I should have just stayed hidden. Instead I had to put my little nose where it didn’t belong, and Grey was smiling at me. I wasn’t that good of an actress to have him being all cute over there, looking at me. “I’ll just go sit by the water and watch the animals until you’re done working, Grey. I promise to stay out of the way, sir,” I said. Grey had his father’s chin and strong nose but very different eyes. Robert’s were harsh and uninviting. He studied me suspiciously, and I smiled with all my charm, and he smiled back.
    “That is out of the question. We can’t have you out here in the woods alone. There are all sorts of wild animals out here. There were wolves seen just the other day. Grey, you take the rest of the day off and get her home safe.”
    “Oh no, sir, that’s not necessary. I can wait. I would hate to be a bother.” I winked at Grey. I was out of my bloody mind.
    “I will hear no more about it. Grey, you take her home, and we can pick this work up tomorrow. We’ll head back to the office. Nice to meet you, but next time let’s do it in civilization, shall we?”
    “Thank you so much. You’re too kind,” I replied.
    Robert walked away, looking over his shoulder at me, leaving me standing next to Grey with a river of lies between us. I figured I had only seconds before he’d seek the truth, which I could never tell him, but that would always separate us.
    Grey studied my face and eyes for a long time before fully and obviously taking in my whole body. It was easy to hear the appreciation he had for my body by the sound of his heartbeat. But it was only a physical attraction, not emotional. The best I could hope for was that he would be thankful for my help. Beyond that, there would never be anything between us. He could never feel for me the way I felt for him. The taste of his skin lingered still on my tongue, and I wanted desperately to touch him. I bit my lower lip, breaking the skin; the pain helped slow my raging pulse.
    “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward the south.
    I walked next to him, but neither of us spoke. I caught a glimpse of him watching me out of the corner of his eye, and I looked down at my feet, trudging along, kicking leaves with my boots. I would never be good enough for someone like him.
    He surprised me by reaching over and wrapping his fingers with mine, weaving them together. The warmth of his skin radiated against mine. I looked down at the woven tapestry of our hands, fitting perfectly together. I glanced up at his face, but he was looking ahead, allowing me a tiny bit of privacy in this intimate moment.
    I had never held the hand of a man before; never such an intimate touch as our palms together. I was sure he had done so much more. Mund would be furious if he knew. I was never allowed to be alone with a male who was not family, and yet Grey’s hand touched mine. It felt as if it had always been there, as if I had been waiting for it. I tightened my grip; I wanted this feeling to last forever. Even if I knew we could never be.
    Just for this moment, he was mine.
    “So were you out here spying on me?” he asked with a wolfish grin on his lips.
    I laughed and tried to pull my hand away, but he didn’t let go. He started