real?”
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s real.” And soon reality would become unbelievable. Eli sighed and rubbed her back. What would she think of him then?
Chapter Nine
Nikki heard voices in what she hoped was the kitchen. She had followed her nose to the enticing scents of bacon and coffee and now paused in the doorway. Eli stood at the sink, his back to her. Tieran sat in a chair at the table, engrossed in the newspaper. Or appeared that way until she spoke.
“I can’t tell you anything else, E. I felt her fear. It was dark, she was being held tightly against a wall maybe. Something solid.”
“Is it something from her past?” Eli asked. “Damn I can still smell her like she’s standing right here.” He sniffed his shirt and Nikki quirked an eyebrow at the motion.
Who could he still smell?
Tieran shrugged. “Maybe she’s awake.”
“Nah. She was zonked. She’ll probably sleep a while longer.”
Nikki felt rooted to the floor. They were talking about her? Unless he had another woman stashed away in the house. He could smell her?
“Hey. I asked if it was from her past.” Eli still hadn’t turned around.
“I said no.”
“You didn’t speak.”
“I shrugged.”
“What the hell good did that do? I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.”
Tieran snorted. “Caelan does.”
Nikki couldn’t move, watching their by-play. There was an obvious affection between them. Friendly, nothing else.
“That’s because he knows the mischief you get into.”
Tieran spluttered with indignation. “I do not.”
“Whatever, T.”
Nikki smiled and smothered a laugh, not wanting to intrude. She still felt like a stranger.
A movement caught her eye and her breath froze in her lungs. A very large dog had poked its head in the doggie door. Tongue wagging as it panted, the dog cocked its head. Her heart pounded. It did not look like a nice doggie. It looked wild, like it belonged in the woods.
She didn’t remember ever hearing Eli say he had a dog. Was this a stray then? Had it wandered in following the scent of food?
Damned ballsy dog if it had.
“Eli,” she whispered. No response.
“Eli,” she said a tad louder.
Tieran swung around. The smile on her face was replaced by a look of worry.
“What’s wrong, Nikki?” Her head cocked the same way the dog’s was.
Eli turned. “Hey, sweetheart, I’ve made… What’s up?”
Why the hell did everybody in this house cock their head the same way? Couldn’t they see what she saw? The enormous dog getting ready to devour them all.
She indicated the door with a slight nod. “Don’t move.”
“Shit.” Eli sprang toward the door at the same time Tieran stood.
“Don’t move,” Nikki yelled. She could see it now. The dog would leap in and attack the first available body, which was Tieran.
“It’s okay, Nikki, it’s just Cae—”
“Out.” Eli’s shout drowned out Tieran’s words but Nikki could swear she’d heard the other woman say it was Caelan. Eli pointed out the door and the dog disappeared with a pathetic whine.
Why would Tieran say the dog was Caelan unless… Oh God. The blood drained from her face.
“She doesn’t know yet, Eli?” Tieran’s shrill voice interrupted.
“No, damn it.”
“What is it with the men in this house?” Tieran slapped her thighs and marched out of the kitchen. She stopped beside Nikki. “When he’s done explaining things to you, come to me and I’ll explain them again. Better yet”—she smiled—“we’ll go to his mom’s. She’s fabulous. You’ll love her.” Tieran’s hand squeezed Nikki’s in a comforting gesture, leaving Nikki more confused than ever.
Across the room, Eli heaved a sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. The outside door opened and Caelan strode in.
“Good morning, guys.” He grinned. Fully clothed, not a hair out of place. No way had he just been a dog.
“She knows, you idiot, the gig is up.” Hands on hips, Eli faced his brother.
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s real.” And soon reality would become unbelievable. Eli sighed and rubbed her back. What would she think of him then?
Chapter Nine
Nikki heard voices in what she hoped was the kitchen. She had followed her nose to the enticing scents of bacon and coffee and now paused in the doorway. Eli stood at the sink, his back to her. Tieran sat in a chair at the table, engrossed in the newspaper. Or appeared that way until she spoke.
“I can’t tell you anything else, E. I felt her fear. It was dark, she was being held tightly against a wall maybe. Something solid.”
“Is it something from her past?” Eli asked. “Damn I can still smell her like she’s standing right here.” He sniffed his shirt and Nikki quirked an eyebrow at the motion.
Who could he still smell?
Tieran shrugged. “Maybe she’s awake.”
“Nah. She was zonked. She’ll probably sleep a while longer.”
Nikki felt rooted to the floor. They were talking about her? Unless he had another woman stashed away in the house. He could smell her?
“Hey. I asked if it was from her past.” Eli still hadn’t turned around.
“I said no.”
“You didn’t speak.”
“I shrugged.”
“What the hell good did that do? I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.”
Tieran snorted. “Caelan does.”
Nikki couldn’t move, watching their by-play. There was an obvious affection between them. Friendly, nothing else.
“That’s because he knows the mischief you get into.”
Tieran spluttered with indignation. “I do not.”
“Whatever, T.”
Nikki smiled and smothered a laugh, not wanting to intrude. She still felt like a stranger.
A movement caught her eye and her breath froze in her lungs. A very large dog had poked its head in the doggie door. Tongue wagging as it panted, the dog cocked its head. Her heart pounded. It did not look like a nice doggie. It looked wild, like it belonged in the woods.
She didn’t remember ever hearing Eli say he had a dog. Was this a stray then? Had it wandered in following the scent of food?
Damned ballsy dog if it had.
“Eli,” she whispered. No response.
“Eli,” she said a tad louder.
Tieran swung around. The smile on her face was replaced by a look of worry.
“What’s wrong, Nikki?” Her head cocked the same way the dog’s was.
Eli turned. “Hey, sweetheart, I’ve made… What’s up?”
Why the hell did everybody in this house cock their head the same way? Couldn’t they see what she saw? The enormous dog getting ready to devour them all.
She indicated the door with a slight nod. “Don’t move.”
“Shit.” Eli sprang toward the door at the same time Tieran stood.
“Don’t move,” Nikki yelled. She could see it now. The dog would leap in and attack the first available body, which was Tieran.
“It’s okay, Nikki, it’s just Cae—”
“Out.” Eli’s shout drowned out Tieran’s words but Nikki could swear she’d heard the other woman say it was Caelan. Eli pointed out the door and the dog disappeared with a pathetic whine.
Why would Tieran say the dog was Caelan unless… Oh God. The blood drained from her face.
“She doesn’t know yet, Eli?” Tieran’s shrill voice interrupted.
“No, damn it.”
“What is it with the men in this house?” Tieran slapped her thighs and marched out of the kitchen. She stopped beside Nikki. “When he’s done explaining things to you, come to me and I’ll explain them again. Better yet”—she smiled—“we’ll go to his mom’s. She’s fabulous. You’ll love her.” Tieran’s hand squeezed Nikki’s in a comforting gesture, leaving Nikki more confused than ever.
Across the room, Eli heaved a sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. The outside door opened and Caelan strode in.
“Good morning, guys.” He grinned. Fully clothed, not a hair out of place. No way had he just been a dog.
“She knows, you idiot, the gig is up.” Hands on hips, Eli faced his brother.
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