Chapter 5 - Hospitality

After she showered, she put on his oversized T-shirt and his baggy sweatpants. She sniffed the shirt. The smell was oddly comforting, that of musk and pine trees. Then she walk out of the bathroom and found the man feeding wood to the hungry blazing fire.

"Er," she mumbled awkwardly. "Nice place."

Prisana you idiot, that's all you can think of? Nice place?

He regarded her with a guarded expression so she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She didn't think she would ever be able to read his mind. But of course, she won't have to after tonight.

"You can stay for the night but you have to leave tomorrow," came his placid tone.

"Don't worry, I won't impose on you for long. I'll leave once the sun rises."

When the sun kisses the sky, she'll be gone. She had no clue where she would go but she couldn't go back to living a lie. First, she would contact Aunt Florence. Hopefully Aunt Florence would take her in until she could find a job, finally go to college, and support herself like she's always dreamed of.

Then Prisana would never have see this man again or think about all the mysterious questions plaguing her mind.

She peeked at him sideways like a child trying not to get caught, at his mask.

"Why do you have to wear a mask?" she asked, eyes roaming over the black ski mask.

There was a moment of silence before he answered.

"To hide my scars."

Prisana knew that part as the scar was the first thing she noticed about him.

What she wondered was why he felt the need to wear a mask. Even with the scar he wasn't terribly handsome but then he wasn't terribly bad looking either. Striking, that is to say from the way his rugged unshaven features inhibit this raw masculine hardness. He intrigued her. He implored her to unravel what layers she could before the morning light arrived.

She'd never met anyone like him. Her inquisitiveness continued. A bad habit of hers since she did enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes novel.

"What's your name?"

"Why do you ask so many questions? I prefer it that we don't ask personal questions."

"Since when did asking for one's name become a personal question?"

"Just now," he somberly stated. "Because I said so. Listen. I don't care about your story. You shouldn't give a damn about mines either."

That will be be as much as she could pry out of him. The beastly feral man had his limits. Limits she was not willing to push. The crackling blazing fire cut into the silence filled air. Both sat in silence, soaking in the fire's crackling warmth. Prisana fiddled with her cold toes and twirled the lock of strand foolishly covering her mouth.

"Dane."

Her ears immediately perked up.

"What?"

"My name is Dane."

So, he wasn't completely shut off to the world. Prisana was beginning to think he would never open up to her if even his name were off limits. She rolled his name quietly on her lips.

Dane. Dane was a fitting name for him. It matched his beastly like features that resembled the great white Dane.

"Prisana. Why do you live here alone?"

Dane finally looked at her in the eye after avoiding them this whole time. He motioned over to his shotgun positioned near the door.

"If I tell you then I'd have to kill you."

An uneasiness gnawed at her bones.

"Surely you jest. Seeing as I already died the moment I ran away from my vows, try me."

"So you're a runaway bride. I'm housing a fugitive," came his sardonic reply.

That wasn't too far off the mark. By now her father probably had his men scouring the depths of these woods in search of her. She wouldn't tell him that. It seemed like he didn't like bothersome things. Prisana was one of them. Her reasons could not be blown away. She still needed a place to stay for the night.

"Yes," she proceeded cautiously, not surprised as her wedding dress probably pointed that out as such. "I'm all yours to deal with for the night. Rest assured, I don't snore nor do I make an awful lot of noise. You'll find that I am a good roommate."

The corners of Dane's lips almost broke out into a smile. Almost, but not quite. The man was made of impenetrable ice. What really, could get under his skin?

"That's reassuring to hear. It's getting late. You can sleep on my bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

"Oh. I really don't want to impose on you! You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

"No. My cabin. My rules. You are to sleep on the bed."

"But—"

Dane stepped forward and suddenly she was aware of how condescendingly large he was again compared to her. He made her feel utterly small and vulnerable standing next to him.

"If you keep arguing with me, we will both sleep on the bed."

She licked her lower lip. His eyes followed the subtle action. What would it feel like? Dane's muscular arms enclosing around her body, his large feral body entwined above hers as they meld into deep passionate kisses?

Their lips would foreplay a never ending battle. Prisana's insides quivered just thinking about the caveman in front of her, his eyes dancing with a playful fire. He probably knew she was attracted to him. Maybe he already knew that women in general were attracted to him.

It was hard not to be.

"If that's what you want...I can warm the bed and various other places on your body. Take it as my being hospitable."

"No thank you! I'll take the bed."

Prisana leapt off toward the bedroom, far away from the beast and his hospitable offer.