Chapter Nine
Astrid hated the quiet.
The house was quiet.The snow had stopped falling for a couple of hours, but then had started up again, just as Lord said it would.
They had opted to keep the heat on low throughout the night, and it wasn’t even giving a delicate hum.There was no sound, and she was finding it impossible to go to sleep.It also didn’t help that she kept replaying Lord’s words through her head and feeling the tightness of his hands on her hips.Even now, she put her hands on her hips, and it wasn’t the same as when Lord held her.
“I’m going crazy.”
There was no way she was going to get to sleep, so she shoved the blanket off, climbing out of bed.She hadn’t brought up a book, and Lord had a small library of books.That was what she would do.Hot chocolate, watch the snow fall, and read a good book.That would pass the night away.
She shrugged into a robe, tying it at the front, and slid into a pair of slippers.She was as quiet as possible as she made her way downstairs, going straight to the kitchen.It didn’t matter how quiet she was, if Lord wasn’t asleep, he’d hear her.She was aware of his excellent hearing.
She still didn’t make too much noise, as she got the pot out and started to work on preparing some milk.Within minutes, the hot chocolate was made, and she poured it into a mug, forgoing the rich whipped cream.Carrying it through to the small library, she grabbed a coaster, put it on the windowsill, and went to the shelves to find a book.None of them appealed, so she grabbed a romance book, went and sat at the window.
She picked up her hot chocolate and took a sip, staring out at the snow.It looked so beautiful.Astrid was so immersed in the beauty of the snowfall and the taste of her hot chocolate, she didn’t hear Lord enter.In fact, she didn’t even know he was awake until he took a seat beside her, startling her.
“Couldn’t sleep?”he asked.
“No.”She pressed a hand to her chest.“You scared me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.Is that hot chocolate?”
She hadn’t made him a mug, so she offered him the mug to try.She watched as he took a sip, and he let out a little moan.“It tastes good.”
Astrid couldn’t help but laugh.“Why are we whispering?”
“I don’t know, it suits the mood.It’s late.”
She giggled.“And we’re the only two people here.”
“True.”
“Did I wake you?”she asked.
“I heard you come downstairs.I figured I would wait and see what you were up to.Smelled the hot chocolate, and then heard you come in here.”
“If you wanted a hot chocolate, I would have made you one,” she said.
“But then, I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to share this one with you.”He took another sip.“And yours tastes just as good as one made for me.”
She couldn’t help but smile.“Fair enough.”
“It’s beautiful out,” he said.
