Their shared gaze heated until a loud growl issued from her midsection.
Idan’s eyes tracked the sound to her stomach, and his brow arched in a silent question.
She bit her lip and shrugged as he stood, his height casting a long shadow across the timber walls.
He crossed the room to the hearth and retrieved a ceramic bowl from the shelf, filling it with a thick blend from a hanging iron pot.
He plunged a spoon into the mix and returned to her side, placing an intricate carved tray with small feet over her knees.
‘Wild venison stew,’ he announced. ‘Eat.’
She blinked as its aroma hit her, carrying the pungent scent of cumin, charred pepper, and slow-simmered meat.
Her tummy growled again as she dove in with a muttered ‘Sante.’
Sheba ate with a feral intensity, the ragout of lentils, root vegetables, and tender venison warming her from the inside out.
Idan, mouth curved, eyes brimming with satisfaction, turned his attention to the fire, feeding the ravenous embers fresh cedar logs.
He prowled to her side soon after, bringing her a tin mug of water before tending to the lamb in its basket.
Beyond the clear plexiglass, the first heavy flakes of high mountain snow began to veil the valley in white.
‘Got to feed the animals,’ he growled moments later, ‘you’ll be safe, I’ve got mySsignakhton you.’
Arching a brow at his pronouncement, unsure of what it even meant, she blinked as he pulled on a thick hide cloak that flowed to his heels.
Moments later, he stepped out into the biting cold.
She was finishing her last mouthful of the food and licking the spoon when he returned, frost clinging to his dark lashes.
Without a word, he took the tray from her and placed it on the kitchen bench.
Then, hanging up his coat, he dragged a heap of heavy hides to the floorboards beside the bed.
‘Idan, wait, the bed is yours,’ Sheba said, realising his intent, her voice cutting through the crackle of the hearth.
She shifted, preparing to rise. ‘I’ll take the floor. You’ve given enough, and I’m all good and mended, thanks to you.’
He raised a hand to stay her, his gaze freezing her movement.
With a purse again of those sensuous lips, he sat on the pelts, pulled his boots off, and sprawled on them.
She stared mesmerized at his beauty.
Damn, he was a monument of corded muscle, ropey sinew, and ancient gold.
The sigils upon his skin moved with the slow, rhythmic crawl of fiery metal, tracing the map of a potency within him she could not name.
With one final molten glance at her, he lay down on his back, hitching one knee up, arms open as if he hadnadato hide.
His eyes fluttered shut, and he sighed, surrendering to a deep, heavy sleep, leaving her alone with her wonder and the hushed silence.
Cedar floorboards groaned under Sheba’s feet as she paced the interior of the hut, the walls closing in.
Other than the adorable lamb for company, she was riding solo.
Idan was away, keeping to his strict schedule, one she’d witnessed for two mornings in a row now.
