Free Darkest Fire by Tawny Taylor Page A

the mood to experiment today.” Reaching around him, she grabbed a bottle of water. “Lei, what about you?” She handed her sister the bottle, then reached in for another one.
    Lei twisted off the bottle’s cap. “A sandwich sounds good to me.”
    “I’ll get some sandwiches then.” Drako closed the refrigerator, stepped aside, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. While he placed the order, he handed Rin the remote that had been sitting on the counter and pointed toward the enormous wide-screen television in the media room, set off from the kitchen. By the time he had ended the call, she’d settled down with her sister on a comfortable couch, an episode of CSI playing. But even with her favorite show playing bigger than life, her gaze continued to wander back to him again and again.
    That was her husband. Husband. A week ago, she couldn’t have imagined herself married. Nor had she dared to hope she’d have her sister back, safe, at her side.
    He was staring out the window, his jaw set, gaze locked on something in the darkness beyond the walls of glass. She had to wonder, was this him, his true personality? Brooding and quiet. Mysterious and inscrutable. Or was he as uneasy and nervous as she was about what would happen next?
    Even though she knew logically the worst was over, her sister was safe, Rin couldn’t help feeling squirmy and on edge. It felt as if every nerve in her body prickled. Every muscle was pulled just a tiny bit tighter than normal. The sensation was making her warm and twitchy.
    Unable to focus, she positioned herself in front of him, closer to the window. She peered through the ceiling-to-floor glass, into a still world full of thick shadows. The sky was cloaked in heavy clouds, masking any starlight or moonlight that might have lent a little illumination to the nightscape. She could see the smudgy outline of the treetops against the sky. Nothing more.
    “The house has one of the best views in town.” Drako had moved closer; she could tell by the proximity of his voice. A slight quiver of awareness shimmied up her spine. “We’re on riverfront property here. The water’s down the hill about a hundred yards. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
    Without turning around, she nodded. “I’m sure I will.” She pressed her fingertips to the glass pane, thankful for the chill as it seeped into her skin. The man behind her was her husband, and he would exercise his marital rights. Tonight? Tomorrow night? Every night? A low vibration hummed in her center. “I just love sitting and watching wildlife. Birds. Animals. . . .”
    “Very good, then.” Drako’s voice sounded far away. The change in his location inspired her to turn around. When she did, she found he’d walked all the way to the opposite end of the kitchen. “I have some work to do. And unfortunately, it can’t wait. Today’s road trip wasn’t planned, so I had to set aside some important obligations. You won’t be upset if I don’t keep you company while you eat, I hope? I’m guessing you and your sister have a lot to talk about.”
    She leaned back against the window. The glass was cool against her shoulder blades, her buttocks. “Oh. No, not upset at all.”
    “Okay.” He looked uncertain, eyebrows pulled, mouth tight. “You’ll listen for the door?”
    She nodded and forced a smile she didn’t feel. “Sure.”
    “The bill’s been paid.”
    “Okay.”
    He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “And . . . you can find your bedrooms on your own?”
    On her own? Was he going to avoid the obvious tonight? The wedding night?
    She felt a little relieved but also let down. Maybe she wasn’t ready to be intimate with Drako. They were, after all, strangers. But wouldn’t he give her some time alone with him tonight? To get to know him? She blinked, hoping he couldn’t see the emotions playing through her at the moment. “Not a problem. I have internal GPS.”
    “Okay. Then, good night.”
    Lei barely waited