Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Complete Collection by Selena Kitt Read Free Book Online

in satisfaction. “Now I feel like
I’m being held captive by a crazed skier instead of a crazed
hunter. That’s an improvement, right?”
    He grinned and she loved how she could
really see him smile. “They say variety is the spice of life.”
    “It’s made from very breathable yarn. How
does it feel?”
    “Pretty good.” He rubbed his cheek through
the black material, thoughtful. Then his eyes lit up and he stood.
“I have something else for you. A big surprise.”
    She watched him heading toward the back of
the cabin, still in his long underwear, always covered that way.
She wished he would tell her, show her, whatever it was he kept
hidden, but they had tacitly agreed not to talk about any of it,
especially Carlos. They both had a history with the man that
neither wanted to share.
    “Are you coming?” He looked over his
shoulder at her, waiting, and she hopped up, following him. He led
her down the hall, past her room, past his, to a locked door at the
end of the hall. There’d been a lot of hammering and pounding in
there the past month or so, and whenever she asked him about it,
Silas said he was making a “workroom.”
    “Did you make me something?” she asked, her
eyes bright as he used a key hanging around a string on his neck to
unlock the door.
    “You could say that,” he agreed.
    Jolee peeked into the room expecting maybe
something decorative made of wood, perhaps a rocking chair to sit
in by the fire—he was quite an accomplished carpenter, she’d
discovered—but the sight that greeted her left her stunned still
and speechless.
    “It’s indoor plumbing,” Silas explained,
stepping into their new bathroom and turning on the water for the
tub. “No more boiling water for sponge baths.”
    “How in the world did you do all this?” She
stepped into the room, staring around in wonder. The tub alone was
huge. How had he gotten it in by himself without her noticing? He
knew how much she hated not having a warm shower, a real bathtub,
and so he’d installed both, just for her.
    “I managed.” He shrugged one shoulder,
half-smiling as he adjusted the water temperature. “Do you want to
take a bath?”
    “Do I?” Jolee laughed and clapped her hands.
“I can’t believe this! Silas, it’s incredible.”
    “Merry Christmas,” he said, standing up and
nodding toward the towel rack where a big pink fluffy towel and a
brand new pink robe were hung.
    She moved toward him, putting her arms
around his waist and resting her head against his chest. He was
warm and solid and he hesitated just a moment before putting his
arms around her too.
    “Merry Christmas,” she whispered, squeezing
him tight. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek through the
mask, the yarn soft against her lips.
    “I’ll give you some privacy,” he said,
taking a step toward the door.
    “Silas.” She called for him and he turned,
his eyes bright through the holes in his mask. “This is almost the
best gift ever.”
    He laughed. “Almost?”
    “The best gift would be if you would take
off your mask.” She said it hopefully, breath held.
    “You know I can’t do that.” Silas smiled
sadly, taking a step toward her and kissing her forehead. Her
bandage was gone, the wound healing. He’d removed each stitch
carefully, tenderly. “Have a good bath. I’ll make us a great big
breakfast. Eggs and bacon?”
    She nodded, smiling up at him.
“Scrambled.”
    “Of course.” He knew her well enough by now.
He even made and canned his own version of ketchup and it was
better than Heinz or Hunts ever thought about being.
    Jolee waited for him to go and then stripped
down and stepped into the tub, letting the warmth and steam envelop
her, trying not to think about anything. It wasn’t always easy, but
she found it less difficult here, squirreled away with Silas in his
cabin, than she had anywhere or any other time in her life. At
first, she’d been afraid, always looking over her shoulder, worried
that Carlos or one