Page 63 of Gilded Locks
“Then what?”
“I just didn’t want them.”
“Liar.”
Giving up her search, she snapped, “What do you care anyway?”
“The lodge gets cold. You should have something on your feet. Besides, they looked sexy on you. But more than that, you liked them. I saw how excited you got when you put them on.”
She hated how much she liked knowing he thought she looked sexy. “I just don’t want them.”
“They were a gift.”
“No, thank you.”
He sighed and she swore it came from the left side of the room. She lifted a vase of flowers, but found no speaker.
“Marigold, gifts are gifts. No strings attached.”
She pulled open a drawer but it was empty. “Everything here has strings, Ash.”
“Put the boots on.”
“No.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
She glared up at the bear camera. “You just ruined them.” Walking back to the bed, she put on the boots, but without the pleasure she felt the first time she tried them on. “Anything else, Master?”
“Watch the attitude. We don’t take well to bratty behavior, as you’ve learned.”
“Well, I don’t take well to bossiness.”
“Last night you did.”
She pressed her lips into a firm line. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“Whatever you want.”
She stilled. Seriously? “Aren’t you afraid I’ll get into trouble?”
“If you do, we’ll see that you’re properly reprimanded. I’m on duty a few more hours, but Hunter and Stone are around. Go exploring.”
“Duty?”
“Work.”
“What do you do?”
“Nothing that concerns you. I want you to go right to the kitchen and eat something before you do anything else.”
Food sounded like a good idea. Her belly felt hollow, and she couldn’t remember the last thing she ate. “Okay.”
“Be good, printessa. I’ll be watching.”
She rolled her eyes and mumbled, “I bet you will.”
In the kitchen, she concocted a small plate of bread, cheese, and some fancy jam she found in the cupboard. As she sat at the table, frequently staring at the bear cam beside the clock on the wall, she wondered about her hosts.
