“He doesn’t look like any kind of man I’ve seen before,” Bri said as she bit her bottom lip, ogling the peculiar newcomer with the face of a woman locking sight on her prey.Gods help him.
As if on cue, Bri stood from the table—rather gracefully for someone who was multiple drinks in—and sauntered over to the front door, where the man was hanging his cloak. Islatskedin amusement and watched Bri try to strike up a conversation, excitement for a new challenge showing on her friend’s face.
“What do you think they’re saying?” she whispered to Hamil, not taking her eyes off her best friend and the new man.
“Oh, strange and handsome traveler, do you need a place to rest your silky white hair tonight?” Hamil joked in a high-pitched feminine voice right behind her ear.
Isla giggled. “You’re terrible,” she said, leaning back and turning her head toward him.
She froze when she met his eyes. They were much closer than she’d thought, barely a hand’s width apart, breathing the same air. His scruffy beard brushed like a whisper against her skin, every speck of green in his hazel eyes glistening. He wasn’t moving away.
Why was he looking at her like that?
Isla didn’t know what to think. Was Bri right? Had one of her oldest, dearest friends been harboring feelings for her this whole time? She’d always wondered why none of his flings lasted long. She used to think it was because he was much too picky, or maybe those he’d been with didn’t want to marry a man who was gone on hunting trips so often. Now, she wondered if something else stood in the way. Something likeher.
She’d always seen him as a brother, but was that simply because she’d never allowed herself to feel more? Bri’s voice echoed in her head. “It’s been two years since Waylan. Why not give him a chance?”
Perhaps Bri was right. Maybe she was too guarded. Maybe she needed to put the past behind her and put herself out there again.
These thoughts quickly flew through her mind as Hamil shifted beside her. Slowly, he grazed a finger under her chin, guiding her to meet his hopeful, questioning eyes, which quickly flitted to her lips.
The look made her stomach flip with guilt and discomfort. She was nervous, but not out of giddiness—being so close to him felt wrong. This was the boy who used to put bugs in her food and scare her with ghost stories, her twin’s best friend, the man she loved like a brother. This was not what she wanted.
Hamil leaned in, eyes still fixed on her lips.
She jumped. “I’m sorry, Ham. I have to go,” she said as she stumbled away from the table, avoiding his confused stare. Isla walked swiftly to the door and passed Bri, who was conversing with Taryn at the bar—the strange man was nowhere to be found.
Isla pulled on the brass handle and shouts of complaint rose at the icy breeze she let in. Closing the door behind her, she walked a few feet to the side of the pub and leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch her breath.
Had she really almost let himkissher? There was no way that would’ve ended well, and she couldn’t ruin their friendship over something as silly as a drunken kiss in a bar. Closing her eyes, she could still see the hurt on his face—hurtshehad caused.
Isla let out a frustrated grunt and buried her head in her hands.
Only then did she realize she had left her cloak and gloves inside in her rush out the door. Without them, she would certainly freeze to death before making it home. Groaning, she exhaled a shaky breath and prepared herself to go back. She simply needed to grab her cloak off the rack without Hamil seeing her again.
I can do this.
As Isla turned to the door, she gasped and stopped in her tracks. The handsome stranger with black clothes and pale skin stood in front of her, a mere step away from her face.
He smiled.
“Oh, I—I’m sorry, sir. I just needed some air. I’m about to go back inside,” Isla said, unable to hide her surprise.Where had he come from?She hadn’t even heard him open the tavern door.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, cocking his head. “You looked upset when you left.” He didn’t sound Evonlean—his accent was too clipped, too proper, his tone made of crushed velvet that sent a tingle down her spine.
“I’m fine, thank you. If you’ll excuse me,” she said around a tight smile as she moved to pass him.
He stealthily stepped to the side, blocking her. Like starlight and silk, he glided through the darkness as if it was a part of him. She held her breath, unsure what this man wanted but beginning to think it was nothing good.
“I should get inside to my friends. I told them I’d be back in a minute. Wouldn’t want them to worry,” she said pointedly and eyed the front door.
“Ahh,” he murmured, somehow even closer than before. “I did not take you for a liar, Isla.”
She stilled. She hadn’t given him her name.
“What do you want?” she asked, dropping any pretense of politeness. He was still far too close. She could feel his breath on her skin as a pale finger came up and lightly traced her collarbone, leaving a searing trail of heat in its wake. She sucked in a breath and her spine stiffened. Something stopped her from pulling away, like her body was playing tricks on her, messing with her senses.
When he shifted even closer, the scent of cypress and sweet wine washed over her. “I want many things, love,” he whispered, his hands coming up to run another finger down the side of her face, tucking a strand of copper hair behind her ear. Her eyes tracked his fingers. Why couldn’t she seem to move? “I needed to see for myself. See if you were really worth all of this trouble,” he hummed. “I’m quite curious.”
