Free MARKED (Hunter Awakened) by Rascal Hearts Page A

done after taking
my first job after buying the house was hire a landscaper to come
in, tear down the guesthouse, and redo the entire thing. Now, the
hill that sloped down from the patio and pool turned into something
that looked like the entrance to a wild fantasy garden.
    A path wound through artfully tangled trees
and flowers. I had climbing roses that twisted up around trellis
that arched over the pathway, desert lavender that lined the edges
of the path and myriad other flowers and plants that were scattered
throughout the two acres. When everything was blooming, the scent
was intoxicating.
    We stopped at the edge of the garden and
Elias released my arm to spread the blanket on the ground. The
grass was damp, but the blanket was thick enough that I didn't feel
a thing as I sat down. Elias fussed over making sure everything was
laying just so and I watched, a smile playing at my lips as he
smoothed down the blanket and straightened the edges. I hadn't
realized he was so particular.
    It wasn't until he was sitting down that he
looked at me and realized that I was, for lack of a better term,
smirking. “Something is amusing?”
    “Not really.” I shook my head. “I was just
watching you make sure everything was perfect.” To my surprise,
Elias looked almost embarrassed, and I saw a flash of vulnerability
go across his eyes. “I thought it was adorable, by the way.”
    The smile that curved his lips was one of
relief. “That is what I wanted,” he said. “For it to be perfect.”
He ducked his head as he said the last word and a chunk of hair
fell across his forehead.
    I reached out and put my hand over his since
I didn't know how he'd respond to me pushing back that hair like I
wanted to do. His head snapped back towards me, eyes wide with more
shock than I'd have anticipated. “Thank you, Elias.”
    “For what?” he asked.
    “For all of this. For coming over yesterday
so I didn't have to spend Thanksgiving alone, again. For helping me
decorate last night.” My cheeks flamed. “For putting me to bed when
I fell asleep and staying when I asked you to. And for coming over
tonight with this wonderful idea.”
    The moment froze, my hand on his, my body
leaning towards him. I was pretty sure that my heart had stopped in
my chest. I didn't want to pull away first. I wanted him to move
closer, his lips to touch mine. Just the idea made my heart beat
again and time moved onward. He slid his hand out from under mine
and turned towards the picnic basket.
    I sat back, hoping my breathing didn't sound
as loud and harsh to him as it did to me. It was nearing midnight
and the already quiet by comparison neighborhood was virtually
silent. There was the faint sound of cars passing by, but it was
just background noise. My heart was pounding louder than that. It
was maddening how this man could have such an effect on my body
with barely a touch, and often without one at all.
    Elias opened the basket and began setting out
all of the food he'd packed. I'll admit it, I thought for sure that
his idea of packing leftovers would be to put all of the containers
from my fridge into the basket. Not that it would've been bad, but
I still hadn't been expecting what he did produce.
    A plate with turkey sandwiches made with
homemade rolls. A bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, both still
steaming. Two slices of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and a
spoonful of cranberry sauce next to each one. He had silverware for
each dish and two silver thermoses. When I gave him a questioning
look, he spoke.
    “Hot cider.”
    My stomach growled and I realized that I
hadn't eaten since I'd first woken up and nibbled at some cold
turkey. I would've been embarrassed at the sound if I hadn't been
so hungry. Without acknowledging what I knew he'd heard, Elias held
out the plate of sandwiches.
    I'd eaten half of the sandwich before I
noticed that Elias was watching me. Suddenly self-conscious, I
lowered it. “What?”
    “I apologize,” he said. “You