Page 47 of The Cursed and the Broken
All this and more, she threatened once again.
NINETEEN
The cabin was a dilapidatedsprawl of rotting wooden slats and musty thatching. It leaned so precariously I wondered what was keeping it upright. Turning to Dante, I folded my arms, frowning.
“Absolutely not. I’m not sleeping in there.”
“Would you rather sleep outside?” Dante asked, gesturing at the ominous tangle of foliage. I spied a few yellow sets of eyes blinking at me from the bushes and shivered. He pounced at my discomfort. “If you’re cold, I’m sure there are a few bodies that would happily keep you warm.”
Yanking the door open, I huffed over my shoulder, “You’re such anass!”
His chuckle followed me into the room, where I abruptly stopped in my tracks. I might have stepped foot into a faery tale cottage. The room was cosy and in perfect condition. A fireplace beckoned from the other side of the room, a couch and two wingback chairs in red velvet brocade settled around it. A small kitchen sat tucked in the corner to prepare quick meals for the weary traveller.
A shaggy white rug lined the wooden floor and, in the adjoining room, a four-poster bed lined with plush pillows and coverlets of creams and golds.
The fittings in this cabin hinted at comfort, with just the right amount of opulence. It was perfect except for one small detail.
There was only one bed.
Dante caught my gaze after staring at the bed chamber and my cheeks flushed. His lips curved in a slow smile, somehow knowing where my thoughts had gone. Making a show of surveying the room, I risked a peek at him, pleased to find his eyes lingering on my attire.
I wore black leather pants today, fitted scandalously tight over my thighs and ass. Beneath my cloak, I wore a plain, simple shirt beneath a brown corset. The cloak covered much, but a small part of me was pleased to note his gaze dropped to the exposed hint of collarbone, the slight dip where my shirt crept open.
“You’ve enchanted the cabin with a cloaking spell,” I remarked at last, turning slowly to stare at him. “Giving it the appearance of a ramshackle building to the unknowing eye. Honestly, I’m surprised there’s enough room in your brain for such cleverness, given how much your arrogance takes up.”
“Not just a handsome face,” he purred.
“No, you’re exceptional at annoying me as well,” I grumbled, heading towards the fireplace. I flicked my fingers lazily at the hearth, sending flames crackling to life before taking a seat on the couch. “I’m not sure how this cabin will fit the two of us with that pride of yours. Perhaps you should camp with the guards outside.”
He slid into the wingback chair beside me, legs dangling carelessly over the side, one hand propping his chin up. The reflection of the fire glittered in his dark eyes, causing the gold ring to gleam dangerously. “Not a chance. You’re not leaving my sight while we’re in the woods.”
“So bossy,” I said with a smirk. If I was being honest, I liked that about him. He was so sure of himself. So confident. I feigned indifference as I studied the room. “So, what would you like to do while we wait out the night?”
His lips quirked ever so slightly and I found my gaze drawn to them. “Many, many things.”
My stomach flipped at those words—the husky tone in which he said them. A small part of me entertained the road they could lead towards. Would it be so bad to let him court me? It was just another game, wasn’t it? And he did so like his games. We were to be married after all. Perhaps we could at least find some middle ground.
If I let him. If I let down my walls.
Dante padded to the kitchen while I toed off my boots, sighing in relief as I massaged the balls of my feet. The fire crackled before me and I flinched as a log snapped in the biting embers. She would call on me tonight. Fate would dig her nails deep. I only hoped what she wanted from me was in both our interests.
A warm hand curled over my shoulder, startling me from my thoughts. Dante set a platter of food down on the round table in front of us and my stomach grumbled at the sight of bread, cheeses, grapes and … chocolates?
I raised a brow. “Nora?”
“I asked your mother what your favourite foods are.” He popped a chocolate into his mouth and I couldn’t help but stare as it sank between his lips. “She told me you have quite the sweet tooth.”
“You … you brought these for me?” It was the first genuine gesture he’d shown that wasn’t centred around himself. A small act, but right now it felt monumental. Warmth bloomed in my chest at the gesture, but I didn’t thank him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
The chocolates sat nestled in one of Mama’s wooden boxes and I stroked a finger on the bright yellow lid fondly. Dante said nothing as he watched me devour the food. “Whumf?” I said, mouth full and cheeks reddening.
He shook his head, quietly amused. “You’re exactly what I’d expected.”
That caught me by surprise. “If by that you mean you’re looking for a loner with a penchant for profanity and a problem with obedience, then yeah, I’m your girl.”
“Bullshit,” he said flatly. “Bull. Shit. You want to know what I think?”
“Not really,” I mumbled.
