Free South of Surrender (Hearts of the Anemoi) by Laura Kaye

rest of the sentence, not wanting to push too far.
    “What do you think?”
    Emboldened by the soft challenge of his words, she said, “I think you’d like to stay, too.”
    “Do you, now?” Toward the foot of the bed, the mattress shifted. He blew out a long, weary-sounding breath.
    Had he sat down? Victory surged through her. “Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
    “Don’t thank me yet,” he said, his tone serious.
    Still, Laney smiled and a sort of giddiness rushed through her, like she was on the verge of an amazing discovery. “Okay. Since you’re here, any chance you’ll answer some questions?”
    “Depends.”
    “Fair enough. So, hold on. I want to get comfortable for this.”
    He chuckled. The sound of it was deep and rich and sent a delicious shiver over her skin.
    Slowly, Laney resituated herself until she could recline against her headboard. Trying to get a pillow under her knee made her moan in discomfort. These stitches couldn’t come out soon enough.
    “Here,” he said in a low voice. His hands brushed the side of her knee as he positioned the cushion for her. She sucked in a breath, the heat of his touch lingering on her skin. “How badly are you injured?”
    “Oh, uh…” The last thing she wanted was to make him feel bad. “It’s nothing that won’t heal.”
    “I’m glad to hear that, but are you in pain?” His tone was suddenly intense.
    It occurred to her that she should be afraid that she’d awoken to find a strange man in her bedroom, but she hadn’t once felt that particular emotion. It had been the same way that morning… “A little. It’s not as bad as it was.”
    “I’m sorry for having frightened you.”
    Man, she wished she could see his face, feel the contours of his skin with her hands. “Thanks. Um, which leads me back to those questions.”
    “Persistent thing, aren’t you?”
    She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Is that bad?”
    “No. Go ahead.”
    His light shifted, spread lengthwise across the bottom of her bed. “Did you just lay down?”
    “Do you mind?” Now the weariness was in his voice.
    Actually, she really liked the thought of it. She wished she could see the full picture of what he looked like sprawled across her bed. Maybe she should turn on the light—seeing a little of him was better than none at all. But she was half afraid of scaring him off. Instead, the image of that muscular shoulder popped into her mind’s eye. She imagined him sprawled across her bed shirtless… “No, make yourself comfortable. Here.” She tossed a pillow toward him.
    “You don’t need it?”
    “Nah. I have about eighty-two pillows. I’m kind of pillow crazy.” She cringed. The thought of seeing him half naked apparently gave her a case of verbal diarrhea. Awesome.
    He chuckled. “I’ll remember that. So, are pillows what you wanted to talk about?”
    She grimaced. “No. No, they aren’t. I want to talk about you.”
    “Hmm,” he said softly, just loud enough that she heard the low sound.
    “Are you okay?”
    Pause. “Yes.”
    She traced the edge of the small bandage wrapped around her palm and decided to just go for it. “Did you…fall through my barn roof?”
    Longer pause. “Do you want the truth or the rational answer?”
    There was a difference? Suddenly, the air in the room felt alive with some unnamed energy. The hair on her arms stood on end. “Truth.”
    “Then, yes.”
    I knew it! There was never a tree! Her scalp prickled. Laney swallowed, hard. “Okay. Okay. Um…did you fall through my roof as a man?”
    His light, his body, shifted closer. “I’m not sure. I don’t remember everything that happened that night.”
    A wondrous excitement skittered down her spine. “Because of the fight?”
    “Yes.”
    “A fight that took place…in the…” Man, she was going to sound so stupid. “In the sky?” She grimaced and awaited his laughter. It never came.
    “Do you really want these answers, Laney?”
    She shuddered out a