Page 15 of Kiss of Steel

“Herb cake is the euphemism.”

“What are they really?” Jason asked. He’d become a regular chatterbox.

“A mix of wood dust, grass, and horniger dung.”

“Ew!” She dropped it like a hot potato.

Jason smirked.

“It’s used for heating, which I’ll explain inside.” Phibious walked right into the cabin.There’s no lock on the door?Alarm shot through her. Her apartment had been quadruple-bolted.

But Blane can’t get to me here, and anyone who breaks in will have to go through Jason.Her new husband wasn’t big on conversation or courtesy, but he would be a formidable force. Reassured, she surveyed her new digs.

The foreman hadn’t exaggerated the sparseness of the amenities. If anything, he’d underplayed the ascetism. Their domicile was a white box, the front comprising a single multipurpose room, the functions defined by the scant furnishings. To the right side was the “living room,” delineated by a single piece of furniture—a stiff, boxy sofa barely big enough for three persons. Or two. She glanced at Jason. A big man, he’d take up half of it.

Pushed against the living room wall was an ugly, massive metal contraption.What the heck is that?She eyed it then turned her attention to the left. They had a small square table and two chairs. Against the side wall, the kitchenette contained a sink, a fridge, and a flash cooker.

Floors, windows, and walls were bare.

“Two bedrooms and a bath are through there.” Phibious gestured to an arched entry next to the mystery contraption. He patted the solid-black monstrosity. “This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Refuge is powered by solar energy stored in batteries.” He pointed to an electronic panel recessed in the wall. “That panel works the lights and the heat.However”—he paused—“you may have noticed how overcast Refuge is. Bright days are rare even in the warmer season, which we’re in now.”

This is the warm season?She’d hoped Jason had been kidding. She should have known better.

“Solar energy is still captured and stored on cloudy days, but at a low rate. Heating consumes a lot of power. If you heat your cabin with solar, youwilldrain the battery, and you will not have power to run anything else. Hence, this baby.”

He opened a door on the front. “Insert an herb cake or two in here.” He pulled open a drawer and extracted a striker and waved it. “Light them with this.” He closed the door and turned a knob. “Adjust the airflow here. More air, the herb cake burns faster. Less air, it burns slower. Two bricks on low heat should get you through the night. Questions?”

The wagon, using dung to heat…we’re pioneers.“Maybe we should light the stove before you leave us,” she suggested. What if he left, and they couldn’t get it to work?

“Good idea,” he agreed.

That would be me, then. Step up and pull my weight.Jason wasn’t going to do it; she’d freeze to death before he noticed a chill.

With a grimace of disgust, she retrieved a couple of noxious herb cakes and shoved them in the firebox. The bricks ignited with awhooshwhen she lit them with the striker. She slammed the door shut and turned the little knob to medium. The cabin was so cold she could see her breath.

“Herb cakes are coated with a flammable starter. When that burns off, they’ll burn slower,” the foreman said.

She held her icky hands away from her body to avoid touching anything. “We have running water, right? Hot and cold?” she asked hopefully.

“In the bath and in the kitchen. The area sits over an underground hot spring, so we’re able to pipe up steaming-hot water. We don’t have to use solar or herb cakes to heat water.” Phibious strode to the door. “I’ll leave you two newlyweds to your own devices. You know where to find me if you need me. Again, welcome to Haven Ranch.” He let himself out.

Honoria entered the hall. In the bath, she washed her hands with a small bar of soap. The water was blissfully hot. Then she used the toilet and then washed her hands again.

Reentering the hall, she opened a bedroom door. To her shocked dismay, it was empty. “Uh-oh.” She ran to the other bedroom and flung open the door.

A bed. Thank goodness.No headboard, just a queen-sized mattress on a frame.

One bed.Not so good.

She startled as Jason came up beside her and peered over her shoulder. All her senses went on high alert. Her mouth dried. This was the moment of truth. The talk. She hated to hurt him. She disliked upsetting people. He acted like an emotionless automaton, but beneath the stony shell, he had to have some feelings. But she couldn’t think of how to let him down easily, and maybe in the long run, it was kinder to be cruel.

Be like Phibious. Spit it out. The longer I wait, the harder it will be.

“We’re married, and marriage carries certain expectations, but…we’re strangers. We’re not comfortable with each other yet. We’re going to have to share a bed, but we can’t…what I’m trying to say is…I can’t have sex with you—” she’d started to sayyetto soften the blow but caught herself. Maybe after they got to know each other, feelings would change, but right now, she doubted she could ever warm up to him enough to sleep with him, and it wouldn’t be right to leave him with false hopes. Men—and some women—could have sex to scratch an itch, but she didn’t get itchy for men she didn’t like or trust.

“We’re in agreement, then, because I have no desire to have sex with you.” He pivoted and walked away.

Chapter Seven

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