Nine

Now that both his knees were wrapped, the pain had finally diminished to a dull ache that was slowly disappearing. Gaius finally had the presence of mind to do more than just sit and be waited on, so he shifted forward, grabbed the extra poker by the edge of the fire pit, and jabbed at the burning logs until they settled into a nice bed of glowing coals.

While he set up the grill, Nessa pulled the buns from the oven and set them out to cool. She bent into the fridge again and retrieved the pair of patties he’d made that morning, then grabbed the bowl of ground meat he’d planned to freeze for later. She made happy little humming sounds while she put together another pair of patties and carried them over.

“These smell delicious. Not a combination of spices I’d have chosen, but I can see why they’d work. How did you come up with this recipe? And more importantly, will you share it?”

He sat back and crossed his arms, grinning at her. “Hey, now. A man’s got to have some secrets.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can work it out easily enough on my own. Magic tongue.” She stuck out her tongue and pointed at it as she handed him the plate and spatula. “You could blindfold me and I’d be able to tell you what’s in a recipe. Like that swill you drink is bottom-shelf dreck. You need to talk to Ig about getting some better booze. He has the best sources.”

He made a noncommittal noise. “It’s medical. Medicine’s not supposed to taste good or you’d never want to heal.”

Nessa’s mouth dropped open and her hand went to her chest as she gasped in mock offense. “My cooking has been proven to heal all ills. Why do you think Ig hired me? Pretty much every growing thing on Nova Aurora has some kind of medicinal property, if you know how to unlock it.”

Gaius had heard about the new diet trend that had become popular among the Arena Champions over the past couple years. He hadn’t realized his friends had fallen for it, though. He grunted at her, shaking his head.

“You don’t believe me? Give me two weeks. Eat what I cook for you every day and I guarantee your old injuries will never bother you again.”

“Not sure I want to agree to you bossing me around any more than necessary,” he said.

“I’m not bossy!” she said with a hurt look. “I’m just usually right. There’s a difference. I also don’t enjoy seeing my friends hurting. Give it a shot . . . best case, you wind up more mobile than you’ve been, without pain. Worst case, you get fed. How can you go wrong?” She smiled sunnily at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Fair enough. Now move your sweet behind so I can get this meat grilling.” He shooed her out of his way and bent to put the burgers on the grill. Nessa trotted around the fire pit and planted herself in the other chair, sighing in relaxation as she stared around at his little sanctuary, such as it was.

They sat in silence, nothing but the occasional pop of the coals, the sizzle of the meat, and the steady drone of the falls filling the space between.

Every so often he’d glance up at her, expecting her to ask more uninvited questions or offer some unsolicited opinion, yet she seemed perfectly content to just watch him cook or gaze off down the valley.

The pair of Nova Aurora suns had finally begun to descend, so the air was at least comfortable as opposed to blazing. It was easily the most peaceful time of day up here, and without the nagging pain in his knees, Gaius felt about as content as Nessa looked. The feeling was so foreign, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

In that moment, nothing much mattered. Not his aged, beat-up Champion’s body, not his half-finished, half-baked skeleton of a house, not his failure at finding a mate despite hiring a matchmaker with a flawless record. All that mattered was the peace and quiet and the prospect of a delicious supper. Having a beautiful woman to share it with, who he decided was probably better company than he’d originally thought, was just a bonus.

When the burgers finished cooking, Nessa rose without speaking to build them, then returned with two plates. Gaius waited for a moment before taking a bite, curious to see her reaction first.

Nessa opened her mouth and sank her teeth in, crunching through the pile of greens and condiments she’d added before topping the thing with a fresh-baked bun. Her pretty brown eyes fluttered closed, and she let out such a moan of pure pleasure his cock hardened fully for the first time since he’d watched her naked body floating past him in the water.

His mouth went completely dry, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from watching her eat for several seconds. Finally, she licked her lips and exclaimed, “My god, this is amazing. Everything about it. Where did you learn to cook like this?”

Shaking himself back to awareness, Gaius held his plate solidly over his hard-on and shrugged. “Always believed it’s best to specialize. Focus on that one thing you want to perfect. In the arena, I was the best grappling fighter there was. With building, kitchens are my specialty, though I’m damn good at everything else when it comes to wood. And I’ve cooked for myself for a long time . . . long enough to perfect at least one meal. And this is it.”

“Mmm, good philosophy,” she said. “Where’d you pick up this recipe? It’s not that common on Nova Aurora. You spend much time on Earth?”

“Only about a month every summer. Spent a little longer there after I retired. Had to get away to gather my thoughts. Make a plan. You know.” He nodded at Nessa as if she’d have any idea what he meant. She was barely out of the cradle, and while his career as a Champion had been cut short due to his injuries, he’d still been part of that scene for two decades.

“How many summers, exactly?” she asked, idly glancing at him as she sopped up the last juices from her second burger with the remainder of her bun. He sensed she was digging for his age and decided to settle that debate.

“I’m a lot older than you, Ness. Maybe not as old as your dad, but old enough.”

“Old enough to be a cranky old bear? Old enough to hide from the world in a half-finished cabin? Old enough . . .”

“Old enough to value my peace and quiet,” he grumbled, cutting her off.

Nessa snorted and stood up, retrieved his plate, and carried their dishes to the sink, where she washed them both and set them in the rack to dry. She really had made herself at home, and he abstractly wondered if she’d be at home in any kitchen. Then he thought probably not as at home as she’d seemed in the old kitchen at Ig’s. Something about that particular kitchen fit her in a way he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Sounds like a recipe for loneliness,” she quipped. “Was that part of the plan you made when you retired? Because you seem intent on hiding from the world up here.” She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, then tilted her chin at the house. “And as nice as your place is, it sure seems like an empty life you’re living.”

His shoulders fell and he scrubbed his hands through his hair, then tugged on his beard. “No, that wasn’t the plan. I met with the matchmaker when I visited Earth right after I retired. It’s been two years since. But it wasn’t like I didn’t try. Figure she must know something I don’t.”

“That you’re a pain in the ass? Gerri Wilder’s no doubt got your number on that count,” she said, grinning at him. “But that’d make two of us. My mom met with her when I was a baby . . . a fucking baby . . . hoping that if she got ahead of things, she could land me a clan leader’s son for a mate. If the woman can’t find me a guy in all that time, either she’s not as sharp as we think, or you and I really are both lost causes.”

“Thought you said you didn’t want to be a clan leader’s mate,” Gaius said.

“I don’t! But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the idea of knowing there’s a match out there for me. That someone—even if it’s a little old lady who’s maybe too manipulative for her own good—believes I’m good enough to be matched with someone like that.”

“Ever think maybe you’re too good?” Gaius asked, then mentally kicked himself. She already had a big enough ego.

Nessa laughed, the sound ringing clear and bright over the rush of the waterfall. The suns were lower in the sky, their light streaming through beneath the outdoor kitchen’s overhang and glinting off Nessa’s silky black hair. It had dried in soft waves that looked every bit as decadent to touch as the rest of her.

“All right. That earns you a few points of forgiveness for all the grouchy things you usually spit at me. Why don’t you give me a tour of your house? I want to hear about this plan of yours.”

She started for the door without waiting and Gaius got up to follow, somehow drawn to her demand despite having little to nothing to actually say. She wandered through the rear of the house first, then paused in one corner of the empty space, looking at him expectantly. “Well?”

“My plan was to use my Arena winnings to buy this land and build a house. That’s kind of the whole story.”

“So . . . how long has it been since you started this? That garden out there’s got perennials that are at least a year old.”

“Two years ago, the summer before I retired. I laid the foundation and built the fireplace that summer. Planted the garden and built the deck, too. Put up the frame and . . . well, most of what you see now I did last year.”

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look. “A year. You’ve been living in this empty shell for a year.”

Gaius pressed his lips together and glanced out at the deck where the flames flickered in the fire pit.

Nessa rolled her eyes when he returned his gaze to her. “Yeah, okay, you live on your porch, but why haven’t you finished this place? You must have had a plan for it when you started.”

He swallowed and gave her a helpless look. “I didn’t expect to have to finish it alone,” he muttered, unwilling to share more of his original pipe dream. He’d hoped the matchmaker would come through and that he and his future mate would merge their dreams into the house. The longer he waited, the harder it became to envision anything but the bare necessities—which he already had outside.

Nessa dropped her hands and stepped toward him. She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Well, you aren’t alone now. Let’s see what we can do to inspire you to finish.”

She trotted off to another corner of the empty space, near what was supposed to be the front door. He hadn’t even gotten around to framing out interior walls yet. So far he’d only built a frame for the front door and a few windows—the ones that he thought had the best views. Neither of those were about the interior of the house so much as the place where it was built. The windows were situated to capture the spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the Nova Aurora mountains. At the moment, the interior was as empty of inspiration as his cold, dead heart.

He heard Nessa let out a soft exclamation somewhere beyond the massive stone fireplace he’d built in the very center of the house. He followed with a few cautious steps, tightening his towel around his hips and kicking himself for not putting on actual pants.

He found her at the western corner, staring out at the sunset. “This is the living room,” she said, with utter certainty. “You’re keeping an open floor plan, right? So you don’t really need any walls, just to finish it. But this is definitely the living room. It gets the best afternoon light, and you’ve already got a dual fireplace, so one side’s got to be the living room anyway. This is it.”

She went on to describe in more detail why it was perfect, and by the time she was finished, Gaius could easily envision the space that way, with a huge, comfortable sofa facing the fireplace on one side and the windows on the other.

“Dining room here,” she said, returning the way she’d come. She gazed up at the high, vaulted ceiling. He’d built the second floor in a loft style, intending to leave half the upper story open, with high windows across the front of the house facing the mountain view where Nova Aurora’s twin suns rose in the mornings.

She navigated around the piles of lumber he’d stacked against the dormant fireplace, along with his tools and other sundries, then went for the stairwell in the corner.

“I’ve got to see that view from upstairs,” she said.

Gaius started up behind her and stopped with his foot on the first step as he caught a perfect view of her bare backside peeking out from under the hem of his shirt. He stood mesmerized for a moment before shaking himself and raking a hand through his hair. She was far too much of a temptation for an old bear like him.

But as he ascended the first few steps without a single twinge of pain in his knees, he started to wonder if maybe he’d been wrong about her. Bossy, she may be . . . but she sure knew her shit when it came to herbs. Not even his own concoction of salves had given him this much relief, despite following the recipe his Arena League doctor had given him. Unless it really was just the sight of her naked backside that obliterated all his senses.

He chuckled to himself. There could be worse ways to feel no pain.

The sight of Nessa’s pretty face bathed in the warm glow of the brilliant Nova Aurora sunset was another way to forget the pain. She stood at the far edge of the second floor, leaning on the railing of the deck and staring out at the view, completely enraptured. When he ascended the last few steps, her focus shifted to him, yet somehow that look of awestruck amazement remained, making him feel for all the world like it was him she was amazed by.

“You really are a master,” she said. “This place is perfect. Every single inch.”

For the briefest moment, her gaze skittered down his big frame and back up before she let out a little sigh and redirected her focus to the view outside.

He came up beside her and leaned on the rail, propping both his forearms across it. His shoulder brushed hers, and she seemed to lean into him the slightest bit. She smelled like woodsmoke from the fire, but underneath was the softest hint of nutmeg.

“How could you not be inspired by this view? I mean, look at that!” She waved her arm at the expanse of gilded sky, her face practically glowing with awe.

Gaius shot a cursory glance at the vista he’d chosen this land for, then looked back at her. “Maybe I just needed someone to share it with,” he said, giving her a bump with his shoulder.

“Well, it would be a shame for you to hoard it all to yourself. Anytime you want to share, you let me know.” She turned around, surveying the open space behind them. It was almost too dim to see much, but there wasn’t much to see anyway.

“This one’s a no-brainer. Bedroom. But you’ve got to leave it open to the view from the east, too. Morning sun, and all. Do you plan on having kids if the matchmaker ever hooks you up?”

She shot him a quick glance as she passed by toward the stairs again. Surprised by her question, he followed without answering at first. Nessa stopped at the top step and looked back at him. “Not part of your plan?”

“No . . . I mean, yeah. That was always the hope. There’s more than enough room on the first floor for a couple more bedrooms.”

“Good,” she said, trotting back down with an eager, skipping, stride. She stopped at the very center of the first floor in front of the cathedral-style window he’d framed out. This one faced east. She grinned as he strolled in.

“So, what’s your vision here? Den? Torture chamber?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not even close. This is the heart of the house. Don’t tell me you don’t already know what belongs here. With that view to the east, there’s only one thing . . .”

“Kitchen,” he said, then laughed. “You are one amazing woman, Nessa. One-track mind, too.”

“Aw, I wouldn’t say that.” Her eyes darted to his hips and she gave him a coy smile before launching into the most intricate description of the perfect kitchen. By the end of it, he had yet another image in his head that even outdid the living room in its elaborate detail. But what he saw in his mind’s eye was almost a perfect recreation of the old kitchen in Ig’s house, minus the cave-like quality.

“Instead of a wall, you’d build a bar counter between the kitchen and the dining room so the morning light reaches all the way through. Or better yet, just keep the dining room in that corner and add sliding doors that open completely for an outdoor dining room in the summer. Then this view won’t go to waste no matter what time of day you’re in here.”

She continued walking in a circle to trace out the boundaries of the room. For a split-second, Gaius had the most vivid image of not only the kitchen she’d just described to him, but her cooking in it. Along with that image came the memory of all the scents he’d endured over the past week, wafting up the dumbwaiter shaft he’d neglected to cover up after that first day.

He’d halfway hoped she’d make him another peace offering, but she hadn’t, which had lent to his grouchiness, though nowhere near as much as the increasing ache in his damaged knees.

An unbearable ache of a different sort took up residence in his chest, a craving to make that vision real. But that was as ridiculous an idea as Nessa’s mom’s insistence on getting her hitched to a clan leader, sight unseen.

Still, as she grew quiet and thoughtful, the ache persisted. She wandered over to the framed out window and leaned against the open windowsill. It had grown dark while they made their tour, but the space was well-illuminated from the rising moon peeking over the tops of the trees to the east.

Nessa stared out at it with another wistful sigh that made Gaius’ chest tighten with the need to ease whatever sadness had overtaken her. He moved up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

“There’s nothin’ to be sad about with a view like that,” he said, giving her a little squeeze. To his surprise, she rested her hand atop his and squeezed back, then leaned back against him. She let out a soft hum as though drawing strength from his sturdy presence. He reflexively dropped his hands to her hips and rested his chin on top of her head.

“No. That view is probably the second-best thing about this place.”

He nodded, though she couldn’t see. “You’re right, the falls are what caught my eye first.” He squeezed her a little tighter, enjoying the way her small, soft body fit against him and hoping to offer whatever comfort she seemed to be asking for with that lean into him.

Nessa shook her head. “The falls are just part of the view.” She twisted her head around against his shoulder and peered up at him. “The best part is you.”

Gaius’ heart stopped beating.