I shivered again. “Okay, I’m a little cold.”
“We could suspend the no-touching rule if you need to be held,” he suggested.
Did I want him to hold me? I had barely handled being kissed, and that had only lasted a few seconds. I didn’t like people touching me…but I was willing to make an exception for Lochlan.
“Just until we’re warm,” I said calmly, despite the fact that my nerves were screaming inside me.
He shifted closer and pulled me into his arms. “That sounds like an excellent plan.”
I melted against him and the delicious heat from his body. That was one thing I’d always been envious of—men put off so much more natural heat than women, and I greedily soaked it in.
Lochlan likes me, I repeated to myself, over and over. The sentence felt more magical each time I thought it.
“Sorry, this is probably the least romantic bed in the world,” Lochlan mumbled.
“I disagree,” I said, snuggling in closer to rest on Lochlan’s shoulder. He wrapped his other arm around me and I closed my eyes. “I think this bed is just right.”
CHAPTER 28
Sunlight streamed onto my face and I blearily put a hand up to my eyes, rubbing them a few times before I cracked my eyelids open. The storm had blown itself out, and judging by what I could see from the sun’s position in the sky, it had to be close to midday.
“Lochlan?” I rolled over to find the bed beside me empty.
Had he gone for a walk? I sat up. His side of the bed was cold, like he hadn’t been there for quite some time. I swung my feet out of bed and went looking for him, but the cabin was small enough that it didn’t take long for me to confirm that there was no one else here, and he hadn’t left a note either.
Lochlan and I had kissed the night before and I’d fallen asleep in his arms, so why had he abandoned me at the first opportunity?
Rather hurt that he’d just left so abruptly but still trying to trust that he must’ve had a good reason, I set about looking for the records. A few well-placed knocks on the walls helped me find the secret compartment in the wall, but it took more than half an hour to figure out how to open the panel and drag out a heavy trunk.
The lock on the trunk wasn’t overly difficult, and I set about picking it, slowly working my way past each set of tumblers.
I heard footsteps approaching the cabin and jumped up to see who it was, then relaxed when I saw Lochlan. At least he hadn’t abandoned me forever. Making sure my face was arranged so I didn’t look as upset as I felt that he’d left me without saying anything, I went back to focus on the trunk. I wasn’t going to be the nag who demanded to know where a man was every second of every day and felt forgotten every time she was left alone for a few minutes. I might be a girl, but I wasn’t going to be that type of girl.
The door opened and Lochlan stepped inside. “I knew you wouldn’t waste any time finding that,” he said.
“You’re right. I don’t like wasting time.” My voice came out a little snippier than I meant it to. I paused, then couldn’t resist adding, “You left.”
“Did you know you hit in your sleep?” he said with an amused smile. “It was sort of hard to sleep next to that. Apparently, you don’t like being touched when awake or asleep.”
A blush crept up to stain my cheeks. “Oh. Sorry.”
“No matter. Can I tempt you with a cinnamon roll?” He dramatically brought out a basket from behind his back. In it were several cinnamon rolls, a small jar of jam, and some fruit, and the handle was tied with a ribbon. “I wanted to get back in time to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but the path was soaked and it slowed me down.”
My frostiness immediately melted. Of course he would be sweet and want to get me breakfast. I had been silly to be hurt that Lochlan was gone when I woke up. There he was, trying to surprise me by trekking all the way back to town for food because we didn’t have anything here, after I’d hit him the night before in my sleep, and I had been resentful that he didn’t sleep in as long as I had.
“I’d love one. Just let me finish here. I almost have the lock undone.” With a small click, the lock popped open. I threw it to the side and took the roll he offered me. If this was what it was like to have a man in my life, I was highly in favor of the idea.
“Let’s see what we’ve got,” Lochlan said, eagerly opening the trunk. I leaned in, prepared to dig my hands into sheafs of papers and spend hours going through to uncover my sister’s record, and found…nothing.
Apart from a single piece of paper, the trunk was completely empty. With shaking hands, I pulled it out.
To those seeking what was already stolen:
I have taken these records, and with them, the names of every life you sold. I will find them all, and when I do, I will remember who was responsible for their suffering.
Your days are numbered. Revenge is coming.
The Employer
