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"What?"

"I got stabbed," I repeated, as I remembered that I hadn’t locked the door So I turned around to do so, and when I turned back, I caught his I went red as I realized I was only wearing Ryu’s shirt

"Leht

I dug out a pair of black stretch yoga pants and a tank top before I remembered I needed a bra Then I still felt a little naked and was about to put Ryu’s shirt back on when I changed an I took a moment to compose myself and brush my hair andthat I’d left the vegetables on the burner

I raced downstairs and into the kitchen, expecting to find a conflagration of burned onion Instead, Anyan was stirring the vegetables with one hand as he stretched his long arm out toward the sink to rinse the lentils

I stared at his back, unsure of what to do, as he used the colander to flick off the tap and then dumped the lentils into the pot Then he stirred it all around a bit, just as I would have done, before adding the carton of chicken stock Then he ru that one in, too

I took a seat across fro, as he raised the heat and stirred everything He broughtnose and sniffed it before adding it to the pot He ground a bunch of pepper into the ave it one last stir before he turned to face ranite of the island and leaned over to stare into my eyes

He’d taken off his jacket, and I noticed that his black T-shirt sported an advertise at hed at that

"What in the hell are you doing here? And what do you ot stabbed?"

I eyed hi, Jane," he replied, not batting an eyelash

"Did you add the garlic?"

"Yes Tell ot hurt"

"I usually cut the stock ater"

"I don’t Nohat happened to you?"

"That’s kind of a waste of stock" I noticed that the very tip of his nose was starting to twitch

"I swear to the gods that if you change the subject oneto put you in the lentils"

"The pot’s about to boil over"

Anyan swore and wheeled about to lower the heat and stir the broth into subather hi to face me I took the opportunity to co to be difficult; it was also that I didn’t kno to act around Anyan theAnyan was no problem, but the man was a whole different kettle of fish Kettle ofWhatever

And he had usurped e up a bit of broth He turned around, blowing on it to cool it, before holding it out forfor yourself," he deet the lentils and tell lared at him, but did as he asked in as feords as possible As I told hi spot on one in

When I was finished, he stood there, staring at e hand gripped ic

I shivered at the touch of his power and pulled an to protest, but he silenced hest cradled ray eyes with my black I could smell cardamom and leather and y

"Shush, you You’re still hurting Let , daently spreadhis thumbs over my palm I didn’t knohich was hotter: Anyan’s own skin or the healing hframe as he loomed over me, his attention turned inward as he fixed whatever was still wrong withers tracing over"And it was a Crocodile Dundee ‘knoife,‘" I clarified Then I hung my head "But Ryu had already jumped clear So I saved a patch of empty air"

"It’s not what you did, Jane It’s what you intended"

I frowned But I don’t knohat I intended, I suddenly wanted to tell Anyan, even though I couldn’t for the life of ure out why it was so important he know that

I was distracted, however, as another ware of poent intopop The ache was gone finally, and I suddenly really wanted to stretch h voice dark

I blushed, stretching my hand out underneath his calloused palain," he concluded as he ran his calloused thumb one last time over my palm before he turned back to the stove to stir the lentils

Suddenly too waran off as I watched hiot the lentils to si fell into place I was such a moron