Page 13 of Sweet Giant

But then I supposed he’d lived off the land his entire life. Still, his competence was sexy. Who knew watching a Sasquatch build a fire and cook a fish over it would kind of turn me on?

He lined the fish up on the makeshift grill, and the appetizing scent soon caused my stomach to rumble. He glanced up from his work and scowled at me. A gentle scowl, ever so lightly scolding. His chiding expression caused my face to heat.

“Go back inside, Liv. Please. I don’t want you getting too cold. I know humans cannot withstand severe weather. You don’t have fur to keep you warm.” He made a shooing motion, then winced and pressed a hand to his chest, over one of the scorched areas where he’d been shot.

My palms tingled with the urge to heal him. The magic gathered before I could stop it, and when his eyes widened and he gasped, I knew my hands had started glowing. I glanced down in shock.

Well, this was a first. Until now, I’d had to touch someone and concentrate to summon my healing powers.

“Liv?” He approached me with cautious movements, his gaze on my hands, which were still glowing. “Are you all right? What is happening to you?”

I stared at him, completely at a loss. What should I say? I hadn’t intended to reveal my healing abilities to anyone ever again.

What if Mastorr decided I had a skill his people could use, and he dragged me back to his tribe against my will? What if he forced me to heal person after person until I collapsed from exhaustion?

I shoved my hands behind my back. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

His eyes narrowed. “How can it be nothing? I saw your hands glowing with beautiful golden light. It looked as though you were holding a ball of sunshine.” He left the cover of the carport and strode to the front steps. Snow swirled around his huge body as he approached, and once he reached the top step, he brushed the white stuff off his fur and came closer, eyeing me with wonder.

My stomach flipped, and I backed up until I hit the side of the house. Trapped. I felt trapped, and panic started to set in. My vision blurred, my heart raced, and my hands trembled behind my back.

“Please,” I said in a beseeching tone, feeling like the biggest fucking coward. “Please don’t make me tell you. I-I don’t want to talk about it, but I promise I’m not hurt. What you saw is nothing bad. Not really. But as I said, I don’t want to discuss it, and I hope you will respect my wishes.” How was that for vague? I shuddered as a chill descended, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

“Your words and your behavior are confusing me, sweet one.” He sighed and ran a hand through the fur atop his head, which was a tad longer than the hair that covered the rest of his body. “But,” he continued, “I will not force you to speak of a subject that pains you or makes you uncomfortable.” He gave me a reassuring smile that helped settle my nerves, and a pleasing warmth that chased away the chill traveled through my insides, a rush of calming heat that I didn’t understand.

His nearness frightened me sometimes, but other times, especially when he talked so sweetly, his proximity had a calming effect, evoking tender warmth that made my stupid heart brim with hope and longing. But I needed to take control of that weakness in myself. The last thing I needed was to catch feelings for Mastorr.

“Thank you,” I finally said. “Um, I think I’ll take your advice and head back inside now.” Before he could reply, I made haste for the front door.

Chapter10

LIV

While Mastorr finished up outside,I made instant rice and roasted vegetables to accompany the fish. I started setting the table, only to realize he wouldn’t fit in any of the chairs. He was also too large to sit on the couch. Hm. Maybe a picnic on the living room floor?

I grabbed a top sheet from a closet and spread it out in front of the couch. Then I added plates, napkins, utensils, and glasses of lemonade. Did Sasquatches—Montikaans—like lemonade? I supposed I would soon find out.

My pulse quickened when the front door opened. Warmth flowed through me all over again when I considered how he’d respected my wishes outside. He’d witnessed a sight that would’ve confused the hell out of anyone—my glowing hands—but he hadn’t forced me to explain.

When I spotted Mastorr carrying the five cooked fish using the bark-stripped branches as a plate, I scrambled into the kitchen for an oval platter to put them on. I rushed back to him and held it out, and he tilted the branches, allowing the trout to slide onto the large dish.

Mastorr gasped when he noticed the picnic I’d set up. His gaze jerked back to mine, and he suddenly looked… emotional. I tried to understand his reaction to the indoor picnic but came up empty. Unless maybe he thought the human food I’d cooked was repulsive or something. My spirits started to sink at this possibility, but his next words calmed this particular worry of mine.

“Beautiful Liv, I am deeply honored that you cooked for me.Thank you. I cannot wait to try the items you prepared.”

“Uh, don’t get too excited,” I said. “It’s just instant rice and roasted vegetables, and the veggies came from the freezer so they aren’t even fresh. Took less than ten minutes to make.” I carried the plate of fish to the picnic area and set it down. Then I gestured for Mastorr to have a seat.

To my shock, he sat right next to me rather than across from me at the other place setting. He also wouldn’t stop staring at me with a look of wonder. Was he really that surprised I’d cooked something to go with the fish? Did Montikaan women not do a lot of cooking?

“Does this mean you are willing to mate with me?” He pointed at the rice and roasted vegetables. “Is this your way of telling me that you want me to claim you soon? Perhaps tonight?”

“What?” I scooted away from his warmth and turned my body to face him. “How would me cooking rice and veggies make you think I wanted to mate with you?”

He glanced at the food I’d prepared, then stared at me with an increasingly confused look. “Among my people, it is rare for a female to cook for a male who isn’t her mate. Usually, if an available female cooks for a male, it means she will soon invite him to claim her. It means she is ready to becomehis.”

Oh.Ohhh. I took a deep breath and wondered how many more culture clashes we would encounter before the night was over.

“Well, among humans, that’s not what it means when a woman cooks for a man,” I said, praying he would understand. “I just thought it would be nice to have some side dishes, and since you were going to the trouble of catching and cooking the fish—outside over a real fire you built, no less—I felt I should be the one to prepare the extra food.”

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