Page 21 of House of Royals

“What time is it?” Ian asks.

“Clock in your room says nine-thirty,” I say as I move to the kitchen. I’m starving, and that was one of the main reasons I woke Ian. “I figured twelve and a half hours of sleep should be enough.”

“Damn,” Ian says as he shuffles off to the bathroom. “Can’t remember the last time I slept that long.” He only half shuts the door before he starts taking a leak.

It’s disgusting, that’s for sure. But I also find myself shaking my head and laughing. Ian is a man who’s used to living alone and doing his own thing.

“I was thinking of making pancakes,” I call as I hear him washing his hands.

“I don’t think I have any of the stuff,” he says as he walks out. “I don’t keep too much around here. Might find everything at Lula’s though.”

“To be honest, your grandmother kind of terrifies me,” I admit as I start pulling out the flour and sugar and all the ingredients he does in fact have. “And the only thing I see you don’t have is maple extract. Think she’d have that?”

“Not a chance in hell she doesn’t,” he chuckles. I don’t think he’s realized he’s only wearing boxers. Even when he slips his shoes on and opens the door. It’sreallydifficult not to enjoy the shirtless view. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

I smile to myself and blush as I turn back to the kitchen.

He doesn’t have a mixing bowl, but I find an empty, big sour cream container that works. No measuring cups, either, so I have to eyeball everything. But when you’ve worked at a bakery for four years, it’s not too much of a challenge. By the time Ian returns with the maple, I’ve already got them cooking in the same skillet I used as a shield to Ian’s blow this morning.

“Thank you,” I say as I take the bottle from him and start on the syrup.

“You like cooking?” he asks as he leans against the fridge and watches me.

He really should put a shirt on. Because it’s really hard not to stare at those perfectly defined abs and chest muscles.

I shrug, pretending I wasn’t looking. “Before I moved here, I supported myself by working in a bakery. Cooking paid the bills.”

“Well, I’d offer you free rent in exchange for your skills, but you’ve got a much nicer place to stay when all this settles down.”

I glance back at him over my shoulder and laugh. “I’d offer you free rent for your vampire deflecting skills, but I don’t think you’d take me up on it. You’ve got others who need you.”

He gives a little one-sided smile and a tiny nod.

Once breakfast is ready, we sink onto the couch. Me cross-legged, facing him, Ian with his legs stretched out and his feet on the wobbly coffee table.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” I ask around a mouthful of sweet goodness.

“These are so much better than Lula’s grits,” Ian actually moans in pleasure. I just smile in pride. He swallows his bite and licks at a bit of syrup on his lip. “So, I thought we could start with some basic defensive skills. We can talk more as we do that. But I do have to take Elle into town sometime today, and I have work tonight. I’ve got the graveyard shift that starts at ten.”

“To be honest, it kind of surprises me that you leave your family at all,” I say. “No offense, but you seem a little over protective. How do you ever leave?”

He gives me a little annoyed look, but it doesn’t linger. “I may always live on the edge, always ready for something, but I can’t live in fear all the time. It took me a while to realize that. We have to live our lives. And besides, Elle’s pretty damn dangerous, even if she doesn’t look it.”

“Your fluttery, soft-spoken little sister?” I challenge. “Sorry, but that’s kind of hard to believe.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” he says with a lopsided smile. Another drip of syrup clings to his lips. “You see that garden out there?”

I glance out the window. To the side of the house, on the opposite side of the driveway, is a huge garden.

“Everything in that garden is deadly poisonous. That’s my sister’s baby. She started it three years ago. Kind of a morbid fascination, but hell, I thought it was pretty cool. Elle is, as far as I know, the only person who’s made a toxin that can paralyze and all but kill a vampire.” Ian smiles, pride flowing out of him. “She’s deadly with a blow dart.”

“No way,” I say with an awed shake of my head. “That’s amazing.”

Ian raises an eyebrow and nods. “So no, I don’t feel too terrible about leaving the property. Now, if you’re finished, lets head outside and get started.”

I finish my last bite and rinse my plate off in the sink.

I slip my tennis shoes back on as Ian puts together a bag of weapons. He gets dressed, which is both a disappointment and a relief. Two minutes later, we walk outside and around back behind the cabin. I guess I should have expected all the targets that are set up on the trees, but I didn’t.

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