Page 25 of Compass Points
“No. Stay there. I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t leave without this dog. He’s not mine.” The woman closed the door on them and went in after Arie.
“Arie’s looking for anyone else in the house,” Rose whispered to Luc now that they were alone.
“He’s not very good at following directions, is he?” Luc commented.
“Definitely not.”
The woman reappeared moments later with Arie in her arms. This time she set him down outside the door instead of trying to hand him back to Luc. “There you go, out where you belong.” She spoke primarily to Arie at this point.
Luc must have realized as much as he said, “Well, thanks anyway. Sorry to disturb your evening.”
They turned and headed back down the road, Arie trotting along behind them, still committed to his role, sniffing out other houses as they went.
“There was no one else there and only one place setting at the dinner table. I think we’re safe,”Arie said to Rose.
“Luc thanks you for your dedication. However, he didn’t appreciate your improvisation. He seems like a planner.”
Luc turned to glare at her as they continued to walk down the street. “I’m just saying I had it covered. When I touched her, I could tell she hadn’t told anyone else.”
“Ahh, I must have forgotten to share that part of the explanation on how your powers work with Arie.” Rose laughed a little. She wondered if she was having some kind of stress reaction to her secret being out.
Luc’s lips pursed. “Hmph.” He sighed, his hand rubbing his temple. He stopped walking and fixed his gaze on Rose, seeming to come to a conclusion; the preceding deciding points she was unaware of. “I can take memories, and I can also show memories. As you noted, it’s a very rare gift in the Suden people. I haven’t met any others that have it.”
Rose let out a breath. “And why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to know.” He leaned forward a little, his intense focus making their prolonged eye contact feel intimate. “I thought I finished underestimating you back in Bury, but then you surprised me again tonight.”
She mentally cringed at her inexcusable slip-up. She’d just have to wait and see what it would cost her.
“You obviously carry a great deal of past pain with you. So much so that you hide your very nature. And yet you still have this unbelievable determination to take care of people. I’ve never met anyone like you. I want to know more about you, Rose, and the only way I can think to earn that is by giving a little of myself.”
Rose felt her cheeks warm.
What was this? Was this more of the Suden-perfected charm? Or was he being serious? Her traitorous body seemed to hope for the latter as she relished someone seeing her, even if they also saw her pain.
“Can you show me a memory?” she asked.
“Hmmm,” he hummed, tapping his finger to his chin. “Not tonight,” he said as he looked around. “Tonight, I can give you a quick taste of some emotions.” He extended his hand toward her, and she took it unquestioningly. “Feelings and emotions are an inseparable part of memories. When I show someone my memories, they feel them with me. For this, I will let you experience the feelings without the visual memory.”
She nodded. She had asked for this, after all. He interlaced their fingers, a chill traveling up Rose’s spine at the contact.
“Ready?” he asked.
Rose nodded as she fell into a dizzying mix of emotions: determination, attraction, amusement, and admiration flashed through their connection.
As he went to untwine their hands, she caught a single image before he pulled away—her standing at the door to her island workshop.
Her cheeks heated further, but thankfully it was dark enough now that she hoped Luc wouldn’t notice. She stepped back from him, her heart pounding faster than she’d like, and said, “Thanks for that.”
He surveyed her face; she wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for. He looked like he might ask something as pup Arie burst into the space between them.
“Come on. Let’s get back to the inn.”
Rose looked down at Arie as he wandered ahead, nose to the ground, sniffing everything in sight. The only thing that Rose could smell was the perfect mix of pine and cinnamon permeating the air around them.
Chapter Fifteen
Rose was in a room with two people she didn’t trust.
