we really picking her up?”
“Six.”
“Okay, see
you at five thirty.”
“Later.”
Chapter Eight
Shiya woke
in the lap of luxury, or that’s how it felt buried beneath mounds of warm
blankets. Still half asleep, she stretched and yawned with her eyes closed.
Rolling to her side, she became aware of something crackling, and her sluggish
mind identified it as a fire in a fireplace. The thought of that lulled her,
and she smiled, blinking. The room she lay in wasn’t familiar in the least.
Where the hell was she, and when did she come here? She sat up and then gasped.
The heavy blankets slid down to reveal that she had not a stitch of clothing
on.
“What in
the hell is going on?”
As she
climbed from the bed, she scanned the place—rustic decor, including wooden
walls, a slanted roof, and sturdy furniture only a man would choose. There were
no pictures, and the curtains hanging from the window did nothing for her in
their boring forest-green color. Was this a hunting lodge? She wrapped a sheet
around herself and ventured farther on bare feet. The bedroom she left led into
a larger room, a combo living room / dining room / kitchen. Off the main area,
she spotted another bedroom and a bathroom.
She stood
in the center of the floor, trying to remember what happened when she met with
Birk and Kotori. They arrived at six rather than nine like they’d said, and she
hadn’t done more than shower. Once again, they caught her undressed, and she’d
made them wait. While she pulled a comb through her hair and pinned it up, Birk
had brought her a glass of wine and told her they’d sip it while they waited.
She did and . . .
Shiya
frowned. “Those bastards!”
She reached
up to her hair and found every pin she’d put into it gone. That dang Birk hated
her hair being pinned up. She stomped over to the front door, expecting to see
a quiet street in Juneau with Roberts Mountain as a backdrop. When she stood in
the entry, the sweep of arctic air took her breath away and almost froze her to
death with nothing but the sheet as a barrier. Oh, there were mountains, all
right, but they were farther away than what she was used to and in several
directions. No street appeared anywhere, and snow covered every inch of ground.
Shiya
slammed the door and scooted back to the fireside. She slid her feet as close
to the heat as possible without burning her toes and hugged her arms around
herself. Soon she warmed up, but her temper soared.
A good hour
passed before sounds outside the cabin alerted her the men had returned. She’d
searched every corner of the small cabin for her clothing and found none, so
she’d put on one of the guy’s shirts. Her bare legs stuck out of the bottom
since no amount of finagling would help their pants to stay up on her.
Birk was
the first to walk in, stomping snow from his boots. She stalked over to him and
blocked his path. “Where the hell am I, and what did you put in my wine?”
He smiled.
“Hello.”
“Don’t
hello me. I want to know what you did. And it looks like we’re in the middle of
nowhere. How did I even get here?”
“I carried
you.” Kotori came into the cabin and shut the door behind him. She shifted her
glare to him, taking in his words.
“What do
you mean you carried me? Are we close to Juneau?”
“No.”
Kotori pulled the hat off his head, and she noted his wet hair. The man must
have wanted to catch his death of cold. He sat down to shed his boots and
socks. When he tugged the shirt over his head, she lost track of her thoughts,
taking in his bare chest.
“Is that
all you have to say?” she demanded when she pulled herself together.
“And where
are my clothes?”
Birk
scooted up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Butterflies
fluttered in her tummy. He teased her earlobe with the tip of his tongue and
sucked it between his lips. She suppressed a moan and forced her eyes to stay
open rather than drift closed like they wanted
“Six.”
“Okay, see
you at five thirty.”
“Later.”
Chapter Eight
Shiya woke
in the lap of luxury, or that’s how it felt buried beneath mounds of warm
blankets. Still half asleep, she stretched and yawned with her eyes closed.
Rolling to her side, she became aware of something crackling, and her sluggish
mind identified it as a fire in a fireplace. The thought of that lulled her,
and she smiled, blinking. The room she lay in wasn’t familiar in the least.
Where the hell was she, and when did she come here? She sat up and then gasped.
The heavy blankets slid down to reveal that she had not a stitch of clothing
on.
“What in
the hell is going on?”
As she
climbed from the bed, she scanned the place—rustic decor, including wooden
walls, a slanted roof, and sturdy furniture only a man would choose. There were
no pictures, and the curtains hanging from the window did nothing for her in
their boring forest-green color. Was this a hunting lodge? She wrapped a sheet
around herself and ventured farther on bare feet. The bedroom she left led into
a larger room, a combo living room / dining room / kitchen. Off the main area,
she spotted another bedroom and a bathroom.
She stood
in the center of the floor, trying to remember what happened when she met with
Birk and Kotori. They arrived at six rather than nine like they’d said, and she
hadn’t done more than shower. Once again, they caught her undressed, and she’d
made them wait. While she pulled a comb through her hair and pinned it up, Birk
had brought her a glass of wine and told her they’d sip it while they waited.
She did and . . .
Shiya
frowned. “Those bastards!”
She reached
up to her hair and found every pin she’d put into it gone. That dang Birk hated
her hair being pinned up. She stomped over to the front door, expecting to see
a quiet street in Juneau with Roberts Mountain as a backdrop. When she stood in
the entry, the sweep of arctic air took her breath away and almost froze her to
death with nothing but the sheet as a barrier. Oh, there were mountains, all
right, but they were farther away than what she was used to and in several
directions. No street appeared anywhere, and snow covered every inch of ground.
Shiya
slammed the door and scooted back to the fireside. She slid her feet as close
to the heat as possible without burning her toes and hugged her arms around
herself. Soon she warmed up, but her temper soared.
A good hour
passed before sounds outside the cabin alerted her the men had returned. She’d
searched every corner of the small cabin for her clothing and found none, so
she’d put on one of the guy’s shirts. Her bare legs stuck out of the bottom
since no amount of finagling would help their pants to stay up on her.
Birk was
the first to walk in, stomping snow from his boots. She stalked over to him and
blocked his path. “Where the hell am I, and what did you put in my wine?”
He smiled.
“Hello.”
“Don’t
hello me. I want to know what you did. And it looks like we’re in the middle of
nowhere. How did I even get here?”
“I carried
you.” Kotori came into the cabin and shut the door behind him. She shifted her
glare to him, taking in his words.
“What do
you mean you carried me? Are we close to Juneau?”
“No.”
Kotori pulled the hat off his head, and she noted his wet hair. The man must
have wanted to catch his death of cold. He sat down to shed his boots and
socks. When he tugged the shirt over his head, she lost track of her thoughts,
taking in his bare chest.
“Is that
all you have to say?” she demanded when she pulled herself together.
“And where
are my clothes?”
Birk
scooted up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Butterflies
fluttered in her tummy. He teased her earlobe with the tip of his tongue and
sucked it between his lips. She suppressed a moan and forced her eyes to stay
open rather than drift closed like they wanted
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