Read Online Lesser of Two Evils by K. S. Martin - Free Book Online Page B

“No wonder.”
    “No wonder? What?” she asked,
letting him lead her back to the bed.
    “No wonder you’re so tired. There
are dark smudges here.” He gently pulled his thumbs under her eyes. “We’ll
sleep for a few hours, then I’ll fix us some lunch. Okay?” Kerry crawled into
the bed and lay down without answering him. Ethan cuddled up behind her, and
her eyes widened when she felt his hardness. She stiffened. “Sleep.” He pulled
her to him and kissed her damp hair. “Did you wash while you were in the
shower? You still smell like the forest.”
    “Not my hair. I got too tired.”
    “Later then.” His arms were wrapped
around her like steel bands, and he had her facing the bathroom door instead of
the window. She had the feeling that the window would stay frosted for a while.
    ***
    Kerry woke to the most amazing
smell. There was bacon and steak. She got up to find her clothes. Tugging them
on as she went, Kerry hurried to the kitchen. Ethan was behind the counter in
just jeans. He stirred something in a pot, then turned steak over in a frying
pan. Kerry licked her lips. She heard his growl and popped her gaze up to meet
his. “I’d like to pretend that look of lust was for me, but you’re hungry,
aren’t you?” She nodded, answering his question. He reached into a cabinet and
put two glasses on the counter. “Can you make us drinks?”
    Kerry took the glasses and filled
them with water at the sink. He watched. “There’s soda in the refrigerator if
you want it.”
    She’d had that once at Eric’s
house. It was fizzy and burned her nose. They only drank water at her house,
and not the bottled kind. Her water came straight from the tap usually, but if
they couldn’t pay the bill, she had to go to the creek. She shook her head and
carried the glasses to the table. Ethan moved the steak to the oven and went
back to stirring the pot. She wondered what was in there.
    Kerry perched on a stool at the
counter, and he got silverware from a drawer, then handed it to her. She
carried it to the table as well, placing it on paper napkins from the holder in
the center of the table. Ethan opened the oven and filled two plates with steak
and potato. He dipped his spoon into the pot and drizzled brown sauce over
everything.
    “Homemade steak sauce.” He answered
her silent question. That wasn’t something they had at her house either. Her
mother considered herself fortunate to have salt and pepper to put on meat. Ethan
carried the plates to the table and waited for her to sit. Kerry looked at the
round steak with the bacon wrapped around it, then sliced into it. It was
perfect. Starving, she demolished it. Ethan had a satisfied look on his face
but said nothing. He finished while she poked around at the potato. “You don’t
like potatoes?” She tried some of it. It wasn’t like anything she’d had before.
“It’smashed try it at least.” He asked.
    Kerry took a small forkful. It was
crispy on the outside and soft inside. She ate more, and finished it.
    “It’s good,” she decided. He took
her plate and carried it to the sink.
    “Did my delivery come before the
turkey incident?” She shook her head. “I was hoping that it had.” Kerry went to
the sink and washed the dishes by hand. “Here, you just put them in here and
the machine does it.” Kerry got out of his way and went back to the bedroom to
sketch. She tapped the remote to turn the window clear and curled up in the
wing chair with her pad. She opened the book and took out her pencil nub to
draw. A buck stood out under a tree, nibbling on something behind it  Kerry
began to draw him, but soon found herself at the window watching him. Her wolf
urged her. The glass went white then, and she spun around.
    “This window stays frosted until
further notice,” Ethan said with a raised eyebrow. “And you are not to go out
into the woods alone. Ever. Do you understand?”
    Her chin wobbled, but she agreed
    “Look at your computer, okay?