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F inished .

Done dumping the clothes out on the bed was as far as Avalore got once she returned from the overwhelming textile building with Chumana. Avalore couldn’t bring herself to hang the items up in the closet; it was a permanent act, signaling she was staying, but she couldn’t stay.

After changing out of her snug, borrowed clothes and into the light-weight style of wide-legged pants, many of the women she saw seemed to wear in the territory, and a loose shirt that tied a few inches below her breasts, Avalore felt more comfortable.

Anything beat the stiff, unforgiving fabric most Dispatch wore or the useless hospital apparel.

Staring down at all the clothing, she sighed because there were more things than she’d ever had, and it was too much to pack.

She didn’t want to get so many things, but Chumana and Anala, the textiles leader, wouldn't take no for an answer. And Avalore struggled with telling them she didn’t need all the clothes without admitting her plans to leave.

Shaking her head, she decided to go down and get herself something to drink and perhaps see if she could find a snack in the big, grumpy dragon-shifter’s kitchen. She had eaten at the hall, but expending so much energy walking miles back and forth made her hungry again.

Avalore was unsure of the mealtimes at the hall, but if she couldn’t find anything in the beastly man’s pantry, she wasn’t necessarily looking forward to taking that long stroll again.

However, she tried to put the unsolicited exercise in perspective; it got her in condition for when she decided it was time to go.

Which needs to be soon , she told herself.

“When? Why are you still here, girl?” She struggled with answering that repeated question.

She was halfway down the god-awful big steps when Liekki entered the house. The heel of her foot hit the edge of the step and she stumbled but caught herself quickly.

When she shot her gaze to the man still standing by the door, she didn’t miss the bunching of his gloriously thick biceps as if he were prepared to catch her if she fell.

Don’t think about the man’s biceps or the ease in which he is always picking you up and moving you around as if your short, heavy-bottom stature weighed nothing , she chided herself.

She shifted her gaze away from his arms but when they landed on the view of his vast muscled chest, revealed in the opening of his dark vest, appearing as if it were carved out of the same stone as the stairs and walls, she couldn’t fight the memory of his chest above her as he held her down.

It had been inches from pressing into the softness of her breasts, and in that moment, she had wanted his weight, wanted to feel his solid, hot form heavy on her.

Don’t follow that train of thought, girl. Avalore swallowed and squeezed the railing.

Forcing her gaze to the stone stairs to ensure she kept her footing, she was relieved to make it down to the landing.

The stoic giant hadn’t moved. He was still dressed in his dark vest, pants, and boots, but earlier she hadn’t noticed he had a radio on one hip and a knife latched in a case behind it.

Liekki had his back pressed against the door watching her, but he hadn’t spoken.

However, the way his gaze was locked on her stomach's hand-width of bare skin, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to rush back up the stairs and change into something that covered her from nose to toes or...

Avalore didn’t finish her thought. It would mean she recognized the heat sizzling in her and tightening her nipples. She was grateful enough for the loose top hiding her response to him.

Even though he was staring hard at her, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking because unlike her body that was maddeningly responding to her thoughts, Liekki masked his well, no illumination of his markings and no blaze in his gaze when he met her eyes.

“You know, it’s rude to stare.” She licked her lips as she stepped off the bottom step.

The frustrating man arched a brow as he tracked the movement of her tongue.

She darted her tongue back into her mouth.

Refusing to let the broad-shouldered grump intimidate her, she turned away from him and entered the kitchen. The kitchen was a decent size, and bigger than the one she had in her family's dwelling. That one always seemed like it was not enough room for the number of people in the house.

Where would she be if she had given into her family’s direct suggestion that she find a man to get pregnant with to get the money and pay for a place and move out? When people have little space, everybody in that space is an issue.

Avalore didn’t doubt that her father loved her; she believed his pressure on her to take the breeding stipend ensured she would be alright, the only way he knew how.

Now standing in Liekki’s expansive kitchen, larger than a single man needed in her opinion, she was stunned for a moment thinking about how different her life was now. How very different it would be if she stayed.

Liekki didn’t stop her from moving around his space, so she peered in the fridge first and then his pantry, where between the two spaces, there was only a pitcher with a bit of orange-colored juice and a clear container with trail mix.

Whipping around to face him, she was surprised to see he was only a few steps away where he balanced a hip against the island.

“Eeh!” she screeched startled. Damn this man moved too silent. “This is a travesty.”

A vee appeared between the pinch of his brows.

“You don’t have any food here.”

He shrugged one shoulder.

The silent movement annoyed her. Smacking her hands on her waist, she popped a hip out. “What do you do when you want something to eat, just radio a gorgeous Drahkelle like Chumana to come feed you?”

“Jealous.”

“Ah! What?...No.” Her fingers dug deep into her waist trying to keep her heart from pumping the green-eyed monster poison through her veins.

He pushed away from the counter and walked toward her. “It's okay to be possessive. But however I got food and whoever fed me is in my past, little lure.”

There was again the varied inflection of her nickname, like Liekki purposely saying she was tempting or enticing him in some way.

The last thing she believed was that she had any level of allure to a man who could have his pick of any of the attractive available women in a stone's throw of any direction around him.

“I don’t know you well enough to be jealous.” She went to the refrigerator and removed the juice pitcher to get out of his space. Then she opened up one cabinet after another, all surprisingly fully stocked with dishes, until she located a glass.

She poured herself something to drink, purposely taking the last of the juice and taking it to the brim. Setting down the pitcher on the counter, she turned to face Liekki as she raised the glass to her mouth and drank deeply until over half the juice was gone.

The juice was sweet and refreshing, a complex flavor she couldn’t place with her limited knowledge of fruit. She’d had canned fruit cocktail when she was younger and was introduced to a few fresh fruits since she’d been here, but she was still too much of a novice to decipher what she was drinking.

His sexy, perfectly shaped mouth tilted in a cocky smile. “There is one quick way to know me.”

Avalore may have been a neophyte regarding food, but she wasn’t stupid. She comprehended his wicked suggestion.

Hell, she wasn’t even sure if he was teasing or serious, but wouldn’t entertain the idea. Well, she couldn’t control what her beguiled mind would do. But she could control her actions.

She slammed the glass onto the marble top of the island, wincing when she realized she could have broken it. “Oh, no, my dragon-man friend, I’m not having sex with you.”

“I was talking about spending time with me.” Violet flames danced in his eyes, just a hint darker than the color of his irises.

Avalore raised both her brows at him, folding her arms. No damn way was he going to try and make it appear that she had gotten the wrong impression like some sex-starved woman.

Well... No!

“Sorry, Liekki. I don’t seem to have time on my tight schedule to make new overbearing, sexy, male friends.” She tossed him a smile and started to blow past him.

He took a sidestep and he blocked her path. “We'll get back to you finding me irresistibly sexy later.”

“I didn’t say sexy—” She huffed as her slip came back to her mind. “Irresistible.”

Instead of contradicting her, he asked, “Why not?”

She made to go around his bulk again. “Because it’s in my DNA not to find cocky, arrogant men attractive—”

Avalore barely stopped herself from running into the wall of his chest when he blocked her again.

“Doubtful,” he grunted. “But I was referring to time?”

Grumbling in frustration at the actions of the insufferable man, she yelled, “Simple. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“The fuck you are,” he growled low and textured.

“Yes I am.” She stamped her foot. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Yes. I. can.” He punctuated his words with each one of his gigantic steps as he moved forward.

She had to scuttle back or be knocked down.

Even with her back pressed to the pantry door, Avalore refused to back down before the brute. “For your information, Liekki, I left my father on the other side of the wall.... I’m not looking for another.”

He set his palms against the door, caging her in. Dark, cinnamon-whiskey aged in a honey-coated barrel filled her nose to the point she could taste it. Taste him.

Her mind recalled the kiss they shared, an ignited blaze filled her mouth, coating her tongue in a mysterious sweet heat. That taste of him stayed with her all day.

And now.

She may not know many things when it came to foods, but one beverage ingrained in her was her father’s favorite cinnamon whiskey. It held an honored spot on the top shelf in their tiny kitchen all her life.