Wait for Love by Linda Kage

Author:Linda Kage [Kage, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linda Kage
Published: 2021-05-24T18:30:00+00:00

18

Unity

I had chewed my fingernails down to the quick and was pacing a hole through the rug in Olivander’s bedchamber by the time he returned.

“Oh, good,” he breathed, immediately spotting the empty supper tray that Dori and I had brought in from the hallway after the servants had left it outside his door. “You got your food. I was worried.”

“What happened?” I immediately demanded, pouncing before he’d even shut the door behind him. “You’re distressed.”

He looked down at his sleeve where I hadn’t even realized I’d gripped his arm. Then he curled up a brow as he met my gaze. “What gave you the impression I was distressed?”

“Because I can—”

I could feel it sluicing off him in waves. But when I took in his features, he appeared to be perfectly calm and put together.

Damn. How was I going to explain the knot in my stomach that had formed from the last two hours of sensing his heightened emotions?

And that’s when I noticed it. A physical tell.

“Your mouth,” I told him, reaching up to touch the corner of his lip. “You’re holding it all too tightly. Something is bothering you.”

His lips parted, and a surprised breath puffed from between his teeth.

I began to move my fingers, unable to stop myself, and trace them over the perfect curvature that was his bottom lip. But as soon as I started to move, he jerked back, breaking the contact. Eyes going wary, he tipped his head to the side to continue to avoid me, then he slid his gaze past me toward the bed.

“She’s sleeping?” he guessed when he spotted Dori curled beneath the covers with her long curling brown hair splayed across the pillows.

I nodded, glancing toward her as well. The tomato plant sat on the table next to the mattress, and even in sleep, she had one limp hand stretched toward it, tethering her to her home.

I had tried to grill her about whatever Olivander had wanted to discuss with her at the library without me, but she had only rolled her eyes and grumbled something about him having a brief asshole moment. Then she’d crawled into bed and basically passed out on me.

“She was exhausted. The last few days have been quite trying for her.”

“Not just for her,” Olivander agreed on a sigh. I turned back to find him pinching his forehead, as if trying to squeeze away the pressure building behind the surface.

“What did your father have to say?” I asked.

He dropped his hand and sent me a look that told me I was the last person he’d confide in and then he moved past me, mumbling, “I need a drink.”

“You seem to need a lot of them lately.”

With a sniff, he muttered, “Don’t I know it.”

I watched as he crossed to the decanter sitting on the mantle above the fireplace. As he unplugged the stopper and poured himself a liberal serving of mead, he finally said, “I can’t stay long. I just stopped by to make sure you two were settled and then let you know I’d be gone for the next few days.

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