Page 43 of Kiss of Embers
As I scanned the camp for the hundredth time, a hand clamped on my shoulder. I yelped as I spun to find Finn behind me.
He searched my face, his gray eyes soft with concern. “Zara, lass. What’s wrong?”
My heart thumped hard against my ribs. The first rays of sunlight haloed Finn’s head, putting reddish highlights in his thick, chocolate-brown hair. His eyelashes were criminally long, the dark color making his unusual eyes appear even brighter in his olive complexion.
Abruptly, I realized I was staring. So I said the first thing that popped into my head. “The sun doesn’t bother you.”
A faint smile touched his mouth. “No. I’m a daywalker.” He glanced at the ongoing commotion behind me. “Are you looking for someone?”
Damn. He was far too perceptive. “I, uh… I can’t find Drute.”
Finn’s gaze turned assessing. “Hmm. Well, a bloke that big is bound to turn up eventually.” He brushed a lock of hair from my cheek with gentle fingers. “Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll make you a cup of tea.”
“Tea?”
“Or coffee.” Finn’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’m partial to it myself.”
I shouldn’t.I needed to find Drute. But even as a politeno, thanksformed in my head, the dark, spicy scent of incense washed over me. Finn’s gaze was steady. My skin tingled where he’d touched my cheek.
I nodded. “Coffee sounds great.”
Chapter
Twelve
FINN
“Cream and sugar, lass?” I asked, looking up from the sugar bowl to meet Zara’s gaze.
She sat at the table, her hair loose around her shoulders and the faintest blush in her cheeks. The scent of apple blossoms hung heavy in the air.
Struan sat to her right, and his tongue was in serious danger of falling from his mouth and rolling across the table like a cartoon character’s. Any second now, little hearts were going to pulse from his eyes.
Zara straightened in her chair. “You have cream and sugar?”
“I have everything.” I pointed to the wooden box next to the coffee maker. “Heavy cream. Vanilla. Whiskey”—I winked at her—“Scotch, of course. And milk, both regular and almond.”
“Um. Two sugars, please.”
“You’ve got it.” I dumped two spoonfuls into Zara’s coffee, then carried our mugs to the table. En route to my chair, I stopped beside Struan and spoke under my breath. “I know she’s gorgeous, love, but you’ll catch flies if you don’t close your mouth.”
He swiped at me. “Piss off, Finn.”
Laughing, I danced out of his reach, my mug lifted high. “Och, you’ll make me spill this.”
“Good.”
I let my grin have its way as I sat and toasted him with my mug. “Slàinte.”
He gave me a dark look as he sipped his own coffee.
Zara looked between us, then cleared her throat. “You two haven’t started packing yet?”
“No need,” I said. “Everything in this tent is spelled to stay in place when we travel.”
“Really?” Zara gazed around, her brown eyes widening as she took in the overstuffed sofas and scattered furniture. “A spell like that must have cost a fortune.” As soon as she said it, the color in her cheeks deepened.
My heart turned over. She was obviously embarrassed. But she had no reason to be. “It did,” I said. “But I was happy to spend it.”