“You’re a rare man to worry about the floors. Hang on while I get some towels.”
As she disappeared into another room, Otto leapt up onto the couch and glared at him. The dog didn’t growl, so there was that, but Calia’s ally was still none too sure about him. The canine knew Mathison and the black wolf were one and the same.
“I mean her no harm,” he quietly told the dog. “I swear it.”
Otto softly woofed.
She rushed back into the room with an armload of towels. “Here. Dry off with this one, and I’ll spread this other one on the floor for you to stand on.”
He almost groaned as she knelt at his feet, but caught himself just in time. “Forgive me for the mess.”
“You couldn’t help it. That storm blew up out of nowhere.”
Lightning split the sky, and thunder crashed again, making her jump up and peer out the glass door streaked with water. She seemed worried.
“What troubles ye, mistre…Calia?”
“I’m worried about Wolf—the black dog I told you about. What if he’s caught somewhere without shelter?”
Touched by her concern, he moved closer and tapped on the glass. “I know yer Wolf. I have seen him roaming about. He’s a canny beast. Dinna worry after him.”
“I hope you’re right.” She hugged herself, still frowning at the storm that was growing fiercer. “It’s really getting bad out there. I don’t think it would be safe for you to drive in this.”
“Drive?”
She looked up at him. “You drove here. Right?”
“I walked.” He’d left his mount safe in the village stables. Mairwen and the other Weavers would see that Horse was taken care of, no matter how much of a fuss the foul-tempered beastie stirred. “’Tis but a wee stretch of the legs from here to Seven Cairns.”
The way she caught her bottom lip between her teeth made him hunger to nibble endless kisses across her mouth. “Well…” She unleashed a soft, huffing groan. “You definitely can’t walk back to Seven Cairns in this. I guess you’re stuck here until the storm lets up.”
“I can walk in the rain, lass.” He’d survived worse than this after being ousted from his keep by the curse.
She barely shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t feel right about that.” She took the towel from him, then reached for his dripping shirt, which he still clutched in one hand. “Here. I’ll put that in the dryer for you.”
While he wasn’t quite certain what a dryer was, thankfully, the name was self-explanatory—unlike several of the strange things from this realm that Mairwen and her assistant had shown him. “Ye’re verra kind.”
“It’s nothing. Really.” She hurried away again as if fleeing from him.
“This is ridiculous,” Dubh said. “Stop being such a feckin’ coward. Speak to the woman from yer heart. Let her know ye want her.”
“I must not frighten her.” But Mathison agreed; his wolf made a valid point. At this rate, it would take another century to win Calia over.
“Well, ye need to do something, or let me take over.”
“She is already fond of ye. I need her to be fond of me.” A whirring sound, like the grumbling of a large beast, came from the part of the cottage Calia had gone to. “What the devil is that?” He bolted in that direction, charged through the door, and nearly knocked her to the floor. He caught her just in time. “Lore a’mighty, lass. Forgive me. I nay meant to plow ye over.”
Still in his arms with her hands resting on his chest, she looked up at him, obviously alarmed. “Did something happen? Is Otto all right?”
“Otto is fine. Still on the couch. I heard that unholy noise.” He nodded at the strange, gleaming white box emitting the sound and placed himself between her and the oddity. “Is there a creature trapped inside it?”
Her worried look shifted to one of bewilderment. “I think it needs oiling or something. It’s a little noisier than my last one, but I didn’t realize it was that bad.” Gently pulling herself free of his hold, she eased back a few steps. “You must have a quieter model.”
“My things dry on the back of a chair beside the fire.”
“Well…that would be quieter.” She rubbed her arms where he’d caught hold of her. “How about we go back into the living room?”
He’d made a damn fool of himself. That was obvious. With a sweep of his hand, he motioned for her to lead the way. “Aye. The living room. Till the storm passes.”
