Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
I’m standing in the doorway, leaning a shoulder against the jamb as I watch her. “How’s it going?”
“Fantastic!” Her voice is light and airy and fucking weird as shit. I already know she’s messing with us, but it feels like a performance she’s done before. She’s too good at it. I almost believe she likes taking care of us.
“I see you finally decided to do the laundry.”
“It’s good exercise.” Aurelia grips the washing stick with both hands and makes circling motions while moving her hips. “Chugga-chugga! Chugga-chugga! Chugga-chugga! Chugga-chugga! Chugga-chugga! And whoosh!” She spins around once with her hands in the air.
Unfortunately, I get the Stepford Wives reference, so I know she’s being sarcastic.
“Then I’m almost sorry for ruining your fun.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She shrugs and bends to grab what looks like a pair of Seth’s boxers from the metal bin. My eyes automatically travel to her round ass. “Just go away.”
The hem of that obscenely pornographic peasant dress rises up her thigh just shy of showing us the bottom curve of her ass. Thorin and Seth hover silently behind me, but she doesn’t see them because she’s too busy trying to piss me off.
It’s not going to work. I’m too hungry for her.
“Or I can stay and watch you bend over like that a few more times.”
“How was dinner?” she shoots back. Straightening, Aurelia wrings out the excess water and then hangs the wet boxers on the line.
“You’re quick. I’ll give you that, but I can’t promise we’ll be the same.”
She freezes, a hint of dread in her voice when she speaks. “What are you talking about?”
“You defied us again, Aurelia.”
Scoffing, she grabs one of my shirts from the bin and wrings it out. “And let me guess. You’re here to punish me?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Cooking isn’t your talent. We decided to hear you and let you off the hook.”
“Oh, good. I was beginning to worry about that.”
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
She still doesn’t look at us as she clips my shirt on the line to dry. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s why you fought so hard when Thorin tried to feed you last night. You gave us food poisoning on purpose.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Cut the shit, Aurelia. No one is that bad at cooking unless it’s calculated.”
“I told you I didn’t know how!”
Straightening to my full height, I cross my arms. “And the mice?”
Having no excuse for that, Aurelia shrugs petulantly. “No, wait,” she pleads when I step inside the laundry room. She’s backing away to give herself time, but we can’t be reasoned with. Neither can she, apparently. “I…okay, I’m sorry I tried to feed you mice. That was mean. Truce?”
My only response is to bend at the knees and lift her over my shoulder. She starts kicking and screaming the moment I turn to leave the laundry room with her tow. Thorin leads the way as we climb the stairs, but Seth’s already disappeared. He’s not on board with this plan but tough shit.
Aurelia’s panic only grows when we reach the first floor, and I start toward the front door. Thorin beats me there since I’m fighting to keep a hold on her worrisome ass. He opens it, and the cold air gusts in. It’s pitch-black out, making the sounds of the wild even more terrifying to those who haven’t learned how to draw comfort from it.
It’s on the threshold that I set Aurelia down.
She immediately starts shivering as she stares back at the two of us, watching her from the warmth of our cabin. It’s not until Seth appears and hands her the boots, scarf, and heavy coat she came with that she realizes we’re not fucking around this time. He probably thinks we won’t notice the hat, goggles, and gloves he slipped her, too, but I do.
It doesn’t matter anyway. The extra protection will only prolong her inevitable death—one slip, one wrong turn, one chance encounter with any of the predators that live on this mountain, and she’s done for.
“Guys, please.” Aurelia looks over her shoulder—to the fate that awaits her. Her shoulders slump because she thinks she doesn’t stand a chance.
The memories of what it took to get here are too fresh. Nearly crippling, I bet.
Whatever fight got her this far is long gone. Aurelia’s forgetting just how strong she is. Who she is. Maybe the reason she’s stuck taking our shit is because she never really knew. Why the fuck does that bother me when it’s what we wanted?
“I’m sorry, okay?” She swallows. “I’ll be good.”
My dick twitches hearing that. I’ll be hard if she keeps talking like that, so I force myself to forge ahead and not get caught up in empty promises.
“We told you, Goldilocks. Staying means earning your keep. You haven’t been holding up your end of the deal.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
I’m still not convinced, and neither are Thorin and Seth. “Are you going to try harder?”