she’d told him she would respect that. She just couldn’t shake
the image of him slumped wearily in that chair, crying and hurt. It
haunted her.
Curiosity nagged at her. Who had been on the
phone, and why had they called? What had they said to hurt Traevyn
so badly? She sighed and folded her arms as tendrils of fog curled
around her, misting her face. The waves lapped their rhythm up onto
the shore below and crashed against the cliffs. Everything else,
aside from the pounding sea, was quiet and serene. She couldn’t
decide if the thundering waves and the cries from the gulls
wheeling above in the sky were tranquil, or mournful. She imagined
it must be either very therapeutic, or very dangerous, to be all
alone with only your thoughts.
Feeling like someone was watching her, Evie
turned to look up toward the house. She spotted Traevyn standing on
his terrace like a lonely sentinel. His long, flowing hair blew
gently in the breeze. A shiver went through her. He always stood so
tall and proud, even though his shoulders carried such a heavy
burden. She raised her hand in a tentative greeting, wondering if
he could see her. Slowly, he raised his hand in return and she
shivered again.
What was it about him? What made her react
that way to him? She turned back to the scenery and frowned. There
was something about him she found so… Unnerving? Fascinating?
Alluring? Unimaginably sexy? She shook her head. What was the
matter with her? He was almost ten years older than her. And he was
issue-ridden. She snorted and turned to head back. She had serious
problems.
Evie started dinner as soon as she returned
to the house. She was running a little short on food so she cooked
steaks for Seth and Traevyn and used what was left of some chicken
for her meal. As she was setting the table, Seth came wandering in
and plopped into a chair with a yawn. “What’s for dinner?” he
asked.
“Steak and baked potato for you and Traevyn.
Fried chicken for me.”
He frowned. “Why are you eating something
different?”
“Just wanted to use it before it went
bad.”
Traevyn came in suddenly and made his way
toward the table. He was silent, as usual. Evie sat down and dished
up her food, trying not to pay too much attention to him. She
blinked in surprise when he sat down across from her. She and Seth
exchanged a confused look before she glanced up at Traevyn.
“May I join you two at the table tonight?” he
asked, his voice quiet.
“O—Of course,” Evie stammered. She met his
eyes and flashed him a warm smile.
“Good to have you, dude,” Seth put in.
Traevyn looked down and gave them his
trademark half-smile.
Dinner was quiet. There was no way around
that, but it made Evie feel good to know he was there. He had never
eaten with them before. It was customary for him to just heap his
plate and leave. It made her happy to think that maybe he was
beginning to enjoy their company. Maybe she had actually managed to
say something right the night before. That would be a first.
She was cleaning up when Traevyn came up
behind her and placed his hand gently on the small of her back.
“I’ve never told you how good of a cook you are,” he said. “Your
food is fabulous. I always look forward to dinner.”
Evie turned and looked up at him with a grin.
“Thanks, Traevyn.”
“I’ll clean up,” he offered. “You are not my
servant.”
She frowned. “It’s all right. You pay
me—”
“I pay you to clean once a week and cook one
meal a day. I do not pay you to wait on me like a common slave
while I sit on my throne. Not to mention the support you gave me
yesterday was going above and beyond the call of duty.”
She blushed and looked down, surprised he had
brought it up. “Oh, I—”
“Evie, go work on your drawings or something.
Please, just let me clean up. All right?”
She gazed up into his eyes and nodded.
He flashed a gentle smile and finished
clearing the table for her. It really was the least he could do
after
the image of him slumped wearily in that chair, crying and hurt. It
haunted her.
Curiosity nagged at her. Who had been on the
phone, and why had they called? What had they said to hurt Traevyn
so badly? She sighed and folded her arms as tendrils of fog curled
around her, misting her face. The waves lapped their rhythm up onto
the shore below and crashed against the cliffs. Everything else,
aside from the pounding sea, was quiet and serene. She couldn’t
decide if the thundering waves and the cries from the gulls
wheeling above in the sky were tranquil, or mournful. She imagined
it must be either very therapeutic, or very dangerous, to be all
alone with only your thoughts.
Feeling like someone was watching her, Evie
turned to look up toward the house. She spotted Traevyn standing on
his terrace like a lonely sentinel. His long, flowing hair blew
gently in the breeze. A shiver went through her. He always stood so
tall and proud, even though his shoulders carried such a heavy
burden. She raised her hand in a tentative greeting, wondering if
he could see her. Slowly, he raised his hand in return and she
shivered again.
What was it about him? What made her react
that way to him? She turned back to the scenery and frowned. There
was something about him she found so… Unnerving? Fascinating?
Alluring? Unimaginably sexy? She shook her head. What was the
matter with her? He was almost ten years older than her. And he was
issue-ridden. She snorted and turned to head back. She had serious
problems.
Evie started dinner as soon as she returned
to the house. She was running a little short on food so she cooked
steaks for Seth and Traevyn and used what was left of some chicken
for her meal. As she was setting the table, Seth came wandering in
and plopped into a chair with a yawn. “What’s for dinner?” he
asked.
“Steak and baked potato for you and Traevyn.
Fried chicken for me.”
He frowned. “Why are you eating something
different?”
“Just wanted to use it before it went
bad.”
Traevyn came in suddenly and made his way
toward the table. He was silent, as usual. Evie sat down and dished
up her food, trying not to pay too much attention to him. She
blinked in surprise when he sat down across from her. She and Seth
exchanged a confused look before she glanced up at Traevyn.
“May I join you two at the table tonight?” he
asked, his voice quiet.
“O—Of course,” Evie stammered. She met his
eyes and flashed him a warm smile.
“Good to have you, dude,” Seth put in.
Traevyn looked down and gave them his
trademark half-smile.
Dinner was quiet. There was no way around
that, but it made Evie feel good to know he was there. He had never
eaten with them before. It was customary for him to just heap his
plate and leave. It made her happy to think that maybe he was
beginning to enjoy their company. Maybe she had actually managed to
say something right the night before. That would be a first.
She was cleaning up when Traevyn came up
behind her and placed his hand gently on the small of her back.
“I’ve never told you how good of a cook you are,” he said. “Your
food is fabulous. I always look forward to dinner.”
Evie turned and looked up at him with a grin.
“Thanks, Traevyn.”
“I’ll clean up,” he offered. “You are not my
servant.”
She frowned. “It’s all right. You pay
me—”
“I pay you to clean once a week and cook one
meal a day. I do not pay you to wait on me like a common slave
while I sit on my throne. Not to mention the support you gave me
yesterday was going above and beyond the call of duty.”
She blushed and looked down, surprised he had
brought it up. “Oh, I—”
“Evie, go work on your drawings or something.
Please, just let me clean up. All right?”
She gazed up into his eyes and nodded.
He flashed a gentle smile and finished
clearing the table for her. It really was the least he could do
after
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