“Human females don’t wear dresses in your realm?” he asked.
I wet the tip of the thread between my lips so I could slip it through the eye of the needle. Then, I used the knife to cut off the length of thread long enough to sew one end of the knit sleeves closed.
Once that was done, I glanced up to find that his intent gaze was fixed on my hands. “Some women do. But many prefer pants. They’re warmer, more comfortable, and easier to move in.”
He nodded. “Then, I’ll go to one of the children’s stores here and buy you some trousers. The ones that will fit your waist will likely be too long, but I know Masu will insist on hemming them for you.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, bending my head back to the garment in my hand.
I focused on the task at hand, sewing a seam across one end. The fold of fabric left inside the sock would probably drive me nuts, but it was better than walking around barefoot. Internally, I lamented that I hadn’t learned to knit or crochet when my grandmother tried to teach me. If I had, I probably could make myself a pair of socks relatively quickly.
Still, this would do for now.
The second “sock” was much faster than the first. I tucked the needle back into the thread, the same way it had been when Bokkan handed it to me, and held it out to him.
“Thank you,” I said. “For your kindness.”
His jaw flexed, and he pressed his lips together as he took the items from me. “Don’t thank me for doing my duty as your host,” he finally rumbled, his voice deeper than before.
I shrugged. “It’s a human thing. We thank each other if someone is considerate or does something kind for us. It’s how we show appreciation.”
I turned my back to him and flipped the makeshift socks inside out. As I slipped my feet into them, I realized I was correct about the extra material rubbing my toes, but I didn’t care because my feet and calves were blissfully warm within a few seconds. The soft knit material held the heat in better than anything I’d ever worn before.
“Better?” Bokkan asked.
“Much. Than?—”
He grunted, interrupting my words.
I sighed and leaned back on the couch, wrapping myself in the blanket and trying to ignore the fact that I wasn’t wearing underwear. Yeah, I really wish I’d learned how to sew when I’d had the chance.
Silence fell between us, at least until my stomach growled loudly enough for Bokkan to hear. Idly, I wondered what had become of my pajamas and panties while I was unconscious.
“You’re hungry,” he said.
“Yes. I’m not sure what kind of meal schedule daemons keep, but humans usually eat three meals a day. One in the morning, one at midday, and one in the evening a few hours before bed. Sometimes, we also require snacks if we’re active. I tend to need to eat between meals.”
“Daemons have a similar schedule. But we have morning tea between breaking our fast and midday. And afternoon tea between midday and supper.”
That made sense. Daemons and imps were both larger than humans. It was likely they required a lot of fuel to maintain so much body mass.
“Masu should be here in a few moments with a meal for us.”
“We’re eating in your chamber?” I asked.
“For tonight. Once you have clothing, we will eat in the dining room.”
I glanced down at the shirt I wore. It covered me entirely from shoulder to knee. The neckline was wide and revealed my collarbones. It was nearly wide enough to be completely off-the-shoulder. I’d tied a strip of fabric around my waist to keep the yards of fabric from tangling up in my arms and legs as I moved.
While it wasn’t ideal, it was certainly clothing and it kept me covered.
When I looked back up at him, Bokkan shrugged. “It is cold here at night and the fireplace in the dining room doesn’t work right now.”
Shit. Yet another way he was showing me consideration. The small part of me that wanted to trust him grew a bit larger.
Before I could formulate a reply, there was a sharp knock at the door to his bedchamber. The heavy door was thrown open before he even had a chance to move and Masu entered, carrying a large tray in her hands. She was already halfway to the table near the fire before Bokkan got to her and took the wooden tray. She shot him a harsh glare but didn’t say anything to him as he carried it to the table.
Instead, she came over to where I was wrapped up in the blanket. She slipped a thick length of knitted material from where it was draped over her shoulder and held it out to me.
