the bedroom and keep the fire going.” Kendall paused mid step. He quickly retraced his words and grimaced. “I mean...without power-- you cold?”
She nodded. “A little.”
Damn, she'd probably thought he was coming on to her. He honestly wished he could say he wasn't. But his subconscious probably was. Or his wolf, rather.
She followed him from the kitchen. “You must think I'm the stupidest woman alive,” she said a few moments later. He looked up from where he was putting another log on the fire and met her gaze. She sank onto the bed, the fluffy red blanket wrapped around her like a coat, and stared out the window.
If she'd been Annabelle she would have been fishing for a compliment, or comfort. But as he watched Kendall, he could see the only thing she was searching for was a way out of here, and a way out of the predicament she was in. She seemed to be mentally tabulating something and then she glanced over at the chair where her purse sat.
He followed her gaze. It was all she had left he supposed. Everything was starting to make sense to him: her lack of warm clothes, her rampage up the mountain, her breathless plea when they’d first met... She must’ve felt she was out of options and decided to make a run for it with the clothes on her back and whatever had been in her purse at the time.
Brave, that.
Perhaps a little foolish, but sometimes you had to do what you had to do.
“You know, there are places you could go where he'd never find you.” Why the hell had he said that? Why was he getting in the middle of it? It was none of his business.
She gave a bitter laugh. He didn't like the sound of it. She should be smiling, laughing happily, sharing herself with someone, not running scared. Not that any of it should matter to him.
It didn't. Not one little bit.
When'd you become a liar, Deveraux? The little voice asked.
“Oh yeah? Where's that?”
He shrugged. “A big city. Blend in with the masses. New Orleans is as good a place as any.” “Ever been there?”
He gave a quick, jerky nod. He'd practically lived there for the last...no, he didn't want to count how many years. That would inevitably lead to counting the years since Annabelle's betrayal and fuck, if that wasn't a bitter pill to swallow.
Vacation, he had to remember he was on vacation.
When aren't you on vacation? Okay...that was enough. He had to turn that voice off.
Annoying little son-of-a...
“I haven't. Never been outside of Florida. At least not until this past month. Momma always said there was a great big world out there.” She sounded wistful.
“Why didn’t you travel?”
“My father would never have allowed it.” She got up and went to her purse. Opening it wide she gazed inside and he could have sworn he saw the tiniest of smiles. One of those little smiles that made him happy, one he’d like to see again and again.
Time to get out, while the getting' was good. He poked the fire again, shoved the logs to the back and added two more. When he stood up Kendall was slathering gloss across her lips.
He could smell the fruity scent from here.
“I should go. You need to rest. Fire should keep you warm. When it burns down, come find me and I'll stoke it again.” She lifted those aqua eyes to his.
“You don't have to--”
“It's okay. I should...”
He headed for the door and as his hand closed over the knob he halted. He didn't turn around. “For the record, I don't think you're stupid. A stupid woman would have stayed in a bad situation telling herself it was her fault that her spouse was an abusive asshole.” He glanced over his shoulder. “A smart woman knows when to run. Sometimes that's your only option. The best option.”
Kendall’s eyes misted as she watched the door close behind Burke. It took considerable willpower to watch Burke walk out the door and not tackle him with a bear hug. Though she'd be willing to bet her favorite Berry Cherry ultra gloss that Burke Deveraux had never run from
She nodded. “A little.”
Damn, she'd probably thought he was coming on to her. He honestly wished he could say he wasn't. But his subconscious probably was. Or his wolf, rather.
She followed him from the kitchen. “You must think I'm the stupidest woman alive,” she said a few moments later. He looked up from where he was putting another log on the fire and met her gaze. She sank onto the bed, the fluffy red blanket wrapped around her like a coat, and stared out the window.
If she'd been Annabelle she would have been fishing for a compliment, or comfort. But as he watched Kendall, he could see the only thing she was searching for was a way out of here, and a way out of the predicament she was in. She seemed to be mentally tabulating something and then she glanced over at the chair where her purse sat.
He followed her gaze. It was all she had left he supposed. Everything was starting to make sense to him: her lack of warm clothes, her rampage up the mountain, her breathless plea when they’d first met... She must’ve felt she was out of options and decided to make a run for it with the clothes on her back and whatever had been in her purse at the time.
Brave, that.
Perhaps a little foolish, but sometimes you had to do what you had to do.
“You know, there are places you could go where he'd never find you.” Why the hell had he said that? Why was he getting in the middle of it? It was none of his business.
She gave a bitter laugh. He didn't like the sound of it. She should be smiling, laughing happily, sharing herself with someone, not running scared. Not that any of it should matter to him.
It didn't. Not one little bit.
When'd you become a liar, Deveraux? The little voice asked.
“Oh yeah? Where's that?”
He shrugged. “A big city. Blend in with the masses. New Orleans is as good a place as any.” “Ever been there?”
He gave a quick, jerky nod. He'd practically lived there for the last...no, he didn't want to count how many years. That would inevitably lead to counting the years since Annabelle's betrayal and fuck, if that wasn't a bitter pill to swallow.
Vacation, he had to remember he was on vacation.
When aren't you on vacation? Okay...that was enough. He had to turn that voice off.
Annoying little son-of-a...
“I haven't. Never been outside of Florida. At least not until this past month. Momma always said there was a great big world out there.” She sounded wistful.
“Why didn’t you travel?”
“My father would never have allowed it.” She got up and went to her purse. Opening it wide she gazed inside and he could have sworn he saw the tiniest of smiles. One of those little smiles that made him happy, one he’d like to see again and again.
Time to get out, while the getting' was good. He poked the fire again, shoved the logs to the back and added two more. When he stood up Kendall was slathering gloss across her lips.
He could smell the fruity scent from here.
“I should go. You need to rest. Fire should keep you warm. When it burns down, come find me and I'll stoke it again.” She lifted those aqua eyes to his.
“You don't have to--”
“It's okay. I should...”
He headed for the door and as his hand closed over the knob he halted. He didn't turn around. “For the record, I don't think you're stupid. A stupid woman would have stayed in a bad situation telling herself it was her fault that her spouse was an abusive asshole.” He glanced over his shoulder. “A smart woman knows when to run. Sometimes that's your only option. The best option.”
Kendall’s eyes misted as she watched the door close behind Burke. It took considerable willpower to watch Burke walk out the door and not tackle him with a bear hug. Though she'd be willing to bet her favorite Berry Cherry ultra gloss that Burke Deveraux had never run from
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