Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“I think the agent I dealt with said they would stock a few things for us, but I don’t know much about your cuisine,” Bear said, enfolding her small hand in his again.
He found that he liked holding her hand. He had always been a tactile male—he enjoyed touching his partner, holding and caressing her. The past five years since Zelia’s passing, it was as though that part of himself had gone through a drought. Now, just feeling Aleena’s small fingers entwining with his was like rain on a field of thirsty crops.
Stop thinking like that, he warned himself. She’s not yours to keep and you know it!
But he didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he pulled her gently with him as they left the lovely Sun Room and headed for the food prep area.
8
ALEENA
The cooking area was bigger than any kitchen Aleena had ever been in. It was a vast room with many different appliances lined up along the walls—some of which she barely even recognized. Clearly the former owner of the house had insisted on gourmet meals every night. She hoped apprehensively that Bear—it seemed so odd to call him that!—wouldn’t demand fine dining all the time. All the cooking she’d learned to do on the little stove in her mother’s house was simple fare.
“Wow—this is big,” her new husband rumbled, as they looked around. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen a food prep area this large.”
“Neither have I,” Aleena admitted. She went over to the shiny silver range and oven combo. Sliding open the drawer where the food was put for cooking, she examined the heat jets—there were so many of them! Unlike her mother’s oven at home which had only two, this oven had eight nozzles for heat—two on the top, two on the bottom, and two on either side. Aleena supposed that must be for even roasting.
“Can you manage in here?” Bear asked, looking over her shoulder. “It looks complicated.”
“Oh, yes—of course I can!” Aleena said at once, though to be honest, she wasn’t sure.
But she couldn’t let her new husband think she couldn’t perform in the kitchen! The only place more important when it came to keeping a husband happy was the bedchamber and of course, she had no experience there at all. The kitchen would have to be her forte until he changed the color of her eyes and she learned what he liked best in bed.
“All right then. Let’s look in the cold storage unit and see what they left us,” Bear rumbled.
He strolled to the other side of the kitchen and opened the biggest refrigeration unit that Aleena had ever seen—and it was full of food! Going over, she ducked easily under his arm to examine its contents.
“Ohhhh!” she breathed when she saw what the fridge held. There were prandle tongues in creamy mousse and pickled pilipig eggs, jellied cloven clodder hooves, pring tails in brine, and many other gourmet ingredients she had never even heard of.
“Well, it looks like they left us plenty to eat,” Bear remarked from behind her. “Uh, do you know how to make this kind of food?” he asked Aleena. “I’m new here so I don’t know anything about Karpsian cuisine.”
“Oh yes, I can cook it! I know all about it,” Aleena said quickly.
Though to be honest, she wasn’t quite sure how to use the exotic ingredients. She was certain if she’d had more time in her father’s house growing up, she would have a better idea. Her stepmother and half-sister ate delicacies like pickled pilipig tails every day. But she felt she couldn’t let her new husband find out that she didn’t know much about fancy cooking—he might disavow her on the spot if he thought she couldn’t manage a woman’s most basic task!
I’ll figure it out, she told herself. I’m sure I can manage. Such fine ingredients probably don’t need much done to them because they’re already so good.
At least, that was what she hoped.
“Well,” Bear said, shutting the refrigeration unit door. “I think we’ve seen most of the bottom part of the house. Should we go look upstairs?”
Aleena’s heart was suddenly in her mouth. Oh Goddess of Mercy, was he going to change the color of her eyes now? She was getting more comfortable with her new husband—she was even cautiously beginning to like him—but she still didn’t feel ready for that yet.
It doesn’t matter if you’re ready or not, she told herself sternly. He is your husband—he’ll take you when he wants you and you’ll just have to submit.
Feeling nervous, she nodded up at him.
“Of course, my Lord Husband—I mean, Bear. I would love to tour the upstairs with you.”
“All right. Come on then.” And he held out his massive hand for her again.
Aleena took it and he entwined their fingers and pulled her back to the enormous spiral staircase in the center of the house. Before they started climbing, though, she had a thought.