Watcher: A raven paranormal romance (Crookshollow ravens Book 1) by Steffanie Holmes Page A
Authors: Steffanie Holmes
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intend to put up a fight. I know karate.”
I didn’t, but he didn’t have to know that. People thought all Asians knew karate, and I was happy to play on the stereotype if it would save my ass.
His eyes flashed. “Of course not. I’d never touch you, unless you wanted me to.”
“Hey, you can’t get offended. You’re the one sitting naked in my apartment in the middle of the night.” Suddenly, realisation dawned. I groaned. How could I have been so stupid not to see it? “Let me guess, you’re high, right? You have the munchies and you thought you’d break in and try to steal some pastries? You needed money to pay for your next hit? Well, you’re going to be very disappointed when you open the till.”
“That’s not it.” The man held out both hands, palms up. “Please, I can explain. Just stop talking for a second so I can get the words out.”
“Fine, but you’d better start explaining.” I adjusted my grip on the umbrella. “Or I’ll start swinging.”
“And you know karate, right?” The man shot me that adorable grin. “Is that an umbrella? What were you going to do, poke me to death?”
“Look, you’re the one who broke into my house, so if you’re going to mock my choice of defensive weapon, you can bloody well pack up and leave.”’
“I didn’t break in,” he said simply. “You brought me here. And now I can’t leave, because I need your help, and also because I’m not wearing pants.”
I snorted. “Excuse me? You came in here because you want my help? You’re not making any sense.”
“You went to the park today, after you closed your shop.” He stood up, gripping the edge of the couch as if he were struggling to stand. It was then that I noticed a long, bloody gash across his thigh. The wound looked clean, as though it had been done hours ago, but ugly. No wonder he was struggling to stand up.
He winced as he touched the black ring around his index finger, then turned to face me completely, steadying himself on the kitchen bench, giving me a full view of his sculpted body. Across his chest, arms, thighs and back were stunning tattoos, the most beautiful of which was a black raven in flight across his chest, the wings unfurled and the head pointing to the heavens. I gulped, then nodded, trying not to let my gaze wander from his face. “You picked up an injured raven, and brought it back here. You talked to it, gave it food, and kept it safe from that monster,” he glared at the Chairman, who was now curled up in the corner, licking his bottom. “Am I right so far?”
“So you were stalking me?”
“No. I am that injured raven.”
I snorted. What an absurd thing to say. He was clearly a grown man. A grown, naked, tattoo, hot, delusional man. He was mentally unstable. He was dangerous.
“It’s true. I know it sounds insane, but you have to believe me. It’s how I know you love peanut butter, but your last boyfriend was allergic to nuts.”
I thought about what he’d said. The broken cage, the way he seemed to know all the things I’d said to the bird, when there was no one else close by. The raven had a damaged leg, and this man had a nasty wound on the same leg. The fact that the raven wasn’t anywhere to be seen ...
“I don’t believe you,” I said, but my words came out sounding more unsure than I’d intended.
‘What other explanation is there?” Hot Biker gave me a tentative grin. “Can we just skip past the bit where I explain everything in detail for now? I need you to put down the umbrella and listen to me.”
“Yeah right. I put this down and you ravish me.”
“For the last time, I would never.” He grinned. “Unless you like being ravished. I know I’d enjoy it very much.”
My heart hammered against my chest. Goddamn, that grin was intoxicating. I leaned the umbrella up against the wall, and took a small step away from it, making sure I could still lean over and reach it if I needed. “There,” I said. “Now, could you sit
I didn’t, but he didn’t have to know that. People thought all Asians knew karate, and I was happy to play on the stereotype if it would save my ass.
His eyes flashed. “Of course not. I’d never touch you, unless you wanted me to.”
“Hey, you can’t get offended. You’re the one sitting naked in my apartment in the middle of the night.” Suddenly, realisation dawned. I groaned. How could I have been so stupid not to see it? “Let me guess, you’re high, right? You have the munchies and you thought you’d break in and try to steal some pastries? You needed money to pay for your next hit? Well, you’re going to be very disappointed when you open the till.”
“That’s not it.” The man held out both hands, palms up. “Please, I can explain. Just stop talking for a second so I can get the words out.”
“Fine, but you’d better start explaining.” I adjusted my grip on the umbrella. “Or I’ll start swinging.”
“And you know karate, right?” The man shot me that adorable grin. “Is that an umbrella? What were you going to do, poke me to death?”
“Look, you’re the one who broke into my house, so if you’re going to mock my choice of defensive weapon, you can bloody well pack up and leave.”’
“I didn’t break in,” he said simply. “You brought me here. And now I can’t leave, because I need your help, and also because I’m not wearing pants.”
I snorted. “Excuse me? You came in here because you want my help? You’re not making any sense.”
“You went to the park today, after you closed your shop.” He stood up, gripping the edge of the couch as if he were struggling to stand. It was then that I noticed a long, bloody gash across his thigh. The wound looked clean, as though it had been done hours ago, but ugly. No wonder he was struggling to stand up.
He winced as he touched the black ring around his index finger, then turned to face me completely, steadying himself on the kitchen bench, giving me a full view of his sculpted body. Across his chest, arms, thighs and back were stunning tattoos, the most beautiful of which was a black raven in flight across his chest, the wings unfurled and the head pointing to the heavens. I gulped, then nodded, trying not to let my gaze wander from his face. “You picked up an injured raven, and brought it back here. You talked to it, gave it food, and kept it safe from that monster,” he glared at the Chairman, who was now curled up in the corner, licking his bottom. “Am I right so far?”
“So you were stalking me?”
“No. I am that injured raven.”
I snorted. What an absurd thing to say. He was clearly a grown man. A grown, naked, tattoo, hot, delusional man. He was mentally unstable. He was dangerous.
“It’s true. I know it sounds insane, but you have to believe me. It’s how I know you love peanut butter, but your last boyfriend was allergic to nuts.”
I thought about what he’d said. The broken cage, the way he seemed to know all the things I’d said to the bird, when there was no one else close by. The raven had a damaged leg, and this man had a nasty wound on the same leg. The fact that the raven wasn’t anywhere to be seen ...
“I don’t believe you,” I said, but my words came out sounding more unsure than I’d intended.
‘What other explanation is there?” Hot Biker gave me a tentative grin. “Can we just skip past the bit where I explain everything in detail for now? I need you to put down the umbrella and listen to me.”
“Yeah right. I put this down and you ravish me.”
“For the last time, I would never.” He grinned. “Unless you like being ravished. I know I’d enjoy it very much.”
My heart hammered against my chest. Goddamn, that grin was intoxicating. I leaned the umbrella up against the wall, and took a small step away from it, making sure I could still lean over and reach it if I needed. “There,” I said. “Now, could you sit
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