Read Online Colters' Lady: Colters’ Legacy, Book 2 by Maya Banks - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maya Banks
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Eight
Lily dozed most of the way to Clyde. Michael had arranged a few pillows in the backseat of his Jeep and covered her in a blanket so she’d be comfortable. Seth followed in his truck.
The trip took an hour longer due to the weather and the fact that Michael didn’t want to jostle Lily once they got off the interstate and onto the county roads.
By the time he pulled up to his cabin, it was already dark. Lily stirred and raised her head, the blanket sliding from her shoulders to her waist.
The rear door opened and Seth stuck his head in. “You okay, honey?” Lily nodded, but Michael could see the wariness in her eyes. He got out and waited as Seth helped Lily from the backseat. After wrapping the blanket tightly around her, Seth hurried her toward the door, but she stopped and turned her face upward to catch the fluffy snowflakes that spiraled downward.
She closed her eyes when one stuck to her lashes, and then her entire face lit up with her smile.
Michael was enchanted. He stared dumbstruck at how beautiful she looked bathed in soft moonlight as snowflakes danced around her.
Then she opened her eyes and started forward again at Seth’s urging. When she reached the porch, she paused again, her gaze sweeping over the entrance.
“This is yours?” she asked Michael.
He was discomfited by her scrutiny. It irritated him that he was suddenly self-conscious about a home he was intensely proud of. It was nestled at the base of the mountain his parents lived on, purposely rural and surrounded by huge ponderosa pines. It was just minutes to town but far enough away to afford him the privacy he craved and the isolation he thrived on. But now he worried it would be off-putting to Lily. What if she didn’t want to stay?
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s mine.”
Her smiled was brilliant. “I like it. It’s exactly like something I would have chosen.” The yearning in her voice made him ache. The approval relieved him.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said huskily.
“It’s cold. We need to get you inside,” Seth said to Lily. They trekked into the house, and Michael turned up the heater. He kept the house pretty chilly when it was just him, but he didn’t want Lily freezing to death.
Maya Banks
As Lily looked around the living room, it occurred to Michael that she hadn’t eaten a damn thing today. Hell, neither had he, but it was likely Lily had missed a hell of a lot more meals than he had.
“I have leftover chili in the fridge. You guys interested?” Seth rubbed his stomach and grimaced. “Yeah, I’m starving.” Lily frowned a moment as if it hadn’t occurred to her that she’d missed any meals. It bothered Michael immensely that it was normal in her world.
“Yeah, I’m hungry too. Chili sounds wonderful. Did you make it yourself?” Michael nodded.
She smiled. “You and Seth both cook? Your mother must be so proud that you picked up the skills.” Laughter rumbled out of Michael’s chest and Seth hooted as well. Lily looked at them in confusion.
“Sorry,” Michael said. “Our mother can’t cook to save her life. Our fathers would hurt themselves laughing at the idea we learned to cook from her.”
“Oh, so they do the cooking?”
Seth nodded.
“That’s cool,” Lily said. “They don’t mind?”
Michael smiled. “Not at all. For the most part our mother doesn’t have to lift a finger. She’s hopelessly spoiled and that’s the way our fathers like it.”
“They love her a lot,” Lily said in a wistful tone.
“Yeah, they do,” Seth replied.
“Have a seat and get comfortable,” Michael urged. “Seth can start a fire and we’ll eat in the living room. Then I’m going to check your arm. I want to keep a close watch on it to make sure infection doesn’t set in.”
“Anything to keep me out of the hospital,” Lily said lightly.
She had lost some of the cautious reserve around them. Michael was encouraged by her ability to joke with them and indulge in casual
Lily dozed most of the way to Clyde. Michael had arranged a few pillows in the backseat of his Jeep and covered her in a blanket so she’d be comfortable. Seth followed in his truck.
The trip took an hour longer due to the weather and the fact that Michael didn’t want to jostle Lily once they got off the interstate and onto the county roads.
By the time he pulled up to his cabin, it was already dark. Lily stirred and raised her head, the blanket sliding from her shoulders to her waist.
The rear door opened and Seth stuck his head in. “You okay, honey?” Lily nodded, but Michael could see the wariness in her eyes. He got out and waited as Seth helped Lily from the backseat. After wrapping the blanket tightly around her, Seth hurried her toward the door, but she stopped and turned her face upward to catch the fluffy snowflakes that spiraled downward.
She closed her eyes when one stuck to her lashes, and then her entire face lit up with her smile.
Michael was enchanted. He stared dumbstruck at how beautiful she looked bathed in soft moonlight as snowflakes danced around her.
Then she opened her eyes and started forward again at Seth’s urging. When she reached the porch, she paused again, her gaze sweeping over the entrance.
“This is yours?” she asked Michael.
He was discomfited by her scrutiny. It irritated him that he was suddenly self-conscious about a home he was intensely proud of. It was nestled at the base of the mountain his parents lived on, purposely rural and surrounded by huge ponderosa pines. It was just minutes to town but far enough away to afford him the privacy he craved and the isolation he thrived on. But now he worried it would be off-putting to Lily. What if she didn’t want to stay?
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s mine.”
Her smiled was brilliant. “I like it. It’s exactly like something I would have chosen.” The yearning in her voice made him ache. The approval relieved him.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said huskily.
“It’s cold. We need to get you inside,” Seth said to Lily. They trekked into the house, and Michael turned up the heater. He kept the house pretty chilly when it was just him, but he didn’t want Lily freezing to death.
Maya Banks
As Lily looked around the living room, it occurred to Michael that she hadn’t eaten a damn thing today. Hell, neither had he, but it was likely Lily had missed a hell of a lot more meals than he had.
“I have leftover chili in the fridge. You guys interested?” Seth rubbed his stomach and grimaced. “Yeah, I’m starving.” Lily frowned a moment as if it hadn’t occurred to her that she’d missed any meals. It bothered Michael immensely that it was normal in her world.
“Yeah, I’m hungry too. Chili sounds wonderful. Did you make it yourself?” Michael nodded.
She smiled. “You and Seth both cook? Your mother must be so proud that you picked up the skills.” Laughter rumbled out of Michael’s chest and Seth hooted as well. Lily looked at them in confusion.
“Sorry,” Michael said. “Our mother can’t cook to save her life. Our fathers would hurt themselves laughing at the idea we learned to cook from her.”
“Oh, so they do the cooking?”
Seth nodded.
“That’s cool,” Lily said. “They don’t mind?”
Michael smiled. “Not at all. For the most part our mother doesn’t have to lift a finger. She’s hopelessly spoiled and that’s the way our fathers like it.”
“They love her a lot,” Lily said in a wistful tone.
“Yeah, they do,” Seth replied.
“Have a seat and get comfortable,” Michael urged. “Seth can start a fire and we’ll eat in the living room. Then I’m going to check your arm. I want to keep a close watch on it to make sure infection doesn’t set in.”
“Anything to keep me out of the hospital,” Lily said lightly.
She had lost some of the cautious reserve around them. Michael was encouraged by her ability to joke with them and indulge in casual
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