Total pages in book: 254
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
The only warning I got was when we were halfway to the kitchen and I finally picked up on the strong presence of magic coming from it again.
Except this time there were eight or nine tall men, with Franklin in the middle of them looking baffled.
“Good morning….” I trailed off as Duncan leaned against my leg. His tail had slowed, and he didn’t look defensive or worried, but his little head was swinging from side to side, taking everyone in. He stepped on my foot.
A round of different versions of “good morning” answered.
Meanwhile, Franklin’s eyebrows were knitted together behind his glasses. He looked well for someone who had been missing for over a month. I’d never gotten around to asking where he’d gone.
“Hi, Franklin,” I greeted the elder specifically, taking in the half-zip baby blue sweater layered over a striped button-up shirt and dark brown slacks. “Welcome back.”
His answering expression was a little too bright, I suspected. “Good morning, Nina,” he replied in a tight, contradictory voice. His gaze swept the kitchen, and his bushy eyebrows pinched together even closer. He gestured generally around him. “How long has this been going on for?”
I made eye contact with a handsome man with green eyes for a second and then forced myself to focus back on the elder. “Them? Since last night.”
He peered at the group some more, his hands going to the pockets of his pressed pants. “Is there a reason they’re here?”
I hadn’t forgotten about his bracelet.
A man with medium brown skin and hazel eyes loudly cleared his throat. “Can we introduce ourselves now?”
Franklin glared at him.
And me? I stood there, not sure what to do. Was this my time to shine? Should I be friendly and talk to them? I wasn’t unfriendly by nature… but that guilt came back with a vengeance for some reason.
I’m not doing anything wrong.
But time wasn’t on my side, and there were only so many single men in the community for me to choose from to begin with—even less who might be interested. As much as I might want to, I couldn’t back out and disappear into my room. Dominic had made it clear there were rumors going around about me.
People liking me wasn’t something I would have normally wanted, but….
“Again?” a deep voice growled.
I didn’t even have a chance to turn around before a warm, dry palm cupped the nape of my neck, a thumb and index finger landing on the tendons on either side of my throat. I’d been so distracted, I hadn’t been paying enough attention to sense him.
For one brief moment, I thought about stepping back into him, into his side. Into the familiarity and comfort that was Henri… and then Duncan started nibbling on my shoelace, and I stopped myself from moving an inch.
Henri had made a promise to keep an eye on me, not to marry me.
It was what it was.
So all I allowed myself to do was smile at him weakly over my shoulder—he was in sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt—and say, “Morning.”
Some of the men started muttering curse words.
“No, no, no,” Franklin spoke up. He was shaking his head. “I don’t like this. If there’s going to be any courting, we’re going to do it the way we’ve done it in the past.” I didn’t miss the way his eyes sliced in my direction.
The fingers on my neck skimmed up to my hairline, the warm palm flat against my skin.
“This is much too soon,” Franklin continued as I forced myself to stay exactly where I was. “I will set up a schedule, and if you want to spend some time with our potential resident, you can sign up for a slot.” The older man hesitated before sharing a smile that seemed borderline grim to me. “If that’s acceptable to you, Nina. We’re accustomed to starting this process after the three-month mark.”
These people and their schedules.
I almost blew out a relieved breath, and my nod could have been more enthusiastic, but... I didn’t know these people, and all their attention was on me… and Henri was here, witnessing it….
It was too much.
Or maybe I was being a chicken. There was that.
I had to meet them—eventually—and get to know them, but I didn’t want to do it like this. This was worse than a job interview.
I nodded as the rough pad of Henri’s thumb grazed the underside of my jaw, and my chin instinctually went up in reaction. There was no reason that should have felt that nice. And I needed to pretend it wasn’t happening.
Franklin pushed his glasses up his nose and clapped once. “It’s settled. Everyone out. You can make your proper introductions another time, not when you’re crowding the kitchen and some of us have things to do.” He gestured to the door. “Out with you all.”