foolish.
Instead of greeting her, the woodworker demanded, “What are you doing here?”
Swallowing nervously, she tried not to stare at the sensual cut of his mouth or the distracting perfection of his chest. Summoning her composure, she replied honestly, “I came here to see the beast.”
His expression hardened, and his eyes took on a cold detachment. “Oh really? And did you find him?”
“No,” she replied, anxiously wringing her hands together. She glanced past the trees and noticed a small cabin a few feet away from where they stood. “But maybe I’m getting closer! That has to be the beast’s cabin over there,” Natalya reasoned as his face assumed a sardonic quality.
“That’s my cabin,” he informed. “There’s no beast in this forest. But I’ve heard the rumors as well. Shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
“Oh, so it was just gossip?” Natalya wondered aloud.
“Just sleazy gossip,” the man confirmed, finally setting his axe down.
“Well, I’m sorry to bother you. I guess I should be getting back home. I live outside the forest, so I should…”
“You should come inside my cabin and have a hot cup of coffee,” the man finished for her.
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and strode towards the cabin. Natalya knew that she could either bolt and run in the other direction…or she could follow the stranger. She chose to follow the compelling stranger.
He held the door open for her as she walked inside. Her heart leapt as he slammed and dead bolted the door behind them. He looked enormous inside the one-room cabin. With the last rays of sun filtering through the window, he appeared very dangerous as well. Natalya felt her heart palpitate, but now she wasn’t sure if it was from burning desire or icy fear.
Silently, the stranger walked a few steps to a cramped nook that apparently served as his kitchen. Natalya stood by the door, debating whether she should unlock it and run free before the sun completely vanished. The man was an enigma, gorgeous but so unfriendly.
Wearing a grim expression, he brought her a steaming hot mug. She accepted it, and their fingers touched briefly. He looked into her soft brown eyes, stunned at the electricity that he felt from that light touch. She felt it too but focused her attention on the mug, pressing her lips to it and sipping the hot beverage. The coffee he brewed was aromatic and surprisingly tasty.
“Delicious coffee,” she murmured as he nodded his head curtly.
An unseasonal gale blew through the open window, and Natalya wondered why he didn’t put a shirt on. Wasn’t he getting chilly? Being shirtless seemed natural to him, and he was not the least bit self-conscious. Indeed, he was incredibly brazen as he made no effort to conceal his attraction to her. He watched her tender lips as they drank the coffee and moistened his own lips with the tip of his tongue.
“What’s your name?” She asked, desperate to crack the intense silence.
“Rex,” he replied gruffly.
“I’m Natalya,” she supplied, trying not to become too alarmed by Rex’s harsh demeanor.
He parted his lips seductively and repeated her name, “Natalya. That sounds like a song.”
“Um, thank you,” she replied, assuming he had just given her a compliment, but his voice was so rough it was hard to be sure.
“Why did you come here today, Natalya?” He asked bluntly.
“I told you why before. I was looking…”
“Yes, what were you looking for? I mean, really looking for?” Rex probed, penetrating her with his gaze.
She paused for a beat and digested the q uestion. Since breaking up with her fiancé, Natalya had been craving male attention…and not getting any inside her lonely cottage. Searching for a beast in the forest was an escape from her humdrum life.
“I was looking for adventure, I guess,” she admitted.
“And danger?” He prodded. “And the
Instead of greeting her, the woodworker demanded, “What are you doing here?”
Swallowing nervously, she tried not to stare at the sensual cut of his mouth or the distracting perfection of his chest. Summoning her composure, she replied honestly, “I came here to see the beast.”
His expression hardened, and his eyes took on a cold detachment. “Oh really? And did you find him?”
“No,” she replied, anxiously wringing her hands together. She glanced past the trees and noticed a small cabin a few feet away from where they stood. “But maybe I’m getting closer! That has to be the beast’s cabin over there,” Natalya reasoned as his face assumed a sardonic quality.
“That’s my cabin,” he informed. “There’s no beast in this forest. But I’ve heard the rumors as well. Shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
“Oh, so it was just gossip?” Natalya wondered aloud.
“Just sleazy gossip,” the man confirmed, finally setting his axe down.
“Well, I’m sorry to bother you. I guess I should be getting back home. I live outside the forest, so I should…”
“You should come inside my cabin and have a hot cup of coffee,” the man finished for her.
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and strode towards the cabin. Natalya knew that she could either bolt and run in the other direction…or she could follow the stranger. She chose to follow the compelling stranger.
He held the door open for her as she walked inside. Her heart leapt as he slammed and dead bolted the door behind them. He looked enormous inside the one-room cabin. With the last rays of sun filtering through the window, he appeared very dangerous as well. Natalya felt her heart palpitate, but now she wasn’t sure if it was from burning desire or icy fear.
Silently, the stranger walked a few steps to a cramped nook that apparently served as his kitchen. Natalya stood by the door, debating whether she should unlock it and run free before the sun completely vanished. The man was an enigma, gorgeous but so unfriendly.
Wearing a grim expression, he brought her a steaming hot mug. She accepted it, and their fingers touched briefly. He looked into her soft brown eyes, stunned at the electricity that he felt from that light touch. She felt it too but focused her attention on the mug, pressing her lips to it and sipping the hot beverage. The coffee he brewed was aromatic and surprisingly tasty.
“Delicious coffee,” she murmured as he nodded his head curtly.
An unseasonal gale blew through the open window, and Natalya wondered why he didn’t put a shirt on. Wasn’t he getting chilly? Being shirtless seemed natural to him, and he was not the least bit self-conscious. Indeed, he was incredibly brazen as he made no effort to conceal his attraction to her. He watched her tender lips as they drank the coffee and moistened his own lips with the tip of his tongue.
“What’s your name?” She asked, desperate to crack the intense silence.
“Rex,” he replied gruffly.
“I’m Natalya,” she supplied, trying not to become too alarmed by Rex’s harsh demeanor.
He parted his lips seductively and repeated her name, “Natalya. That sounds like a song.”
“Um, thank you,” she replied, assuming he had just given her a compliment, but his voice was so rough it was hard to be sure.
“Why did you come here today, Natalya?” He asked bluntly.
“I told you why before. I was looking…”
“Yes, what were you looking for? I mean, really looking for?” Rex probed, penetrating her with his gaze.
She paused for a beat and digested the q uestion. Since breaking up with her fiancé, Natalya had been craving male attention…and not getting any inside her lonely cottage. Searching for a beast in the forest was an escape from her humdrum life.
“I was looking for adventure, I guess,” she admitted.
“And danger?” He prodded. “And the
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