Nix glared. Henever let anyone speak to him like that, least of all in his ownpub.
“What the fuckare you staring at?” the man demanded. His breath stunk oflager.
“Someone whocan’t handle his drink.” He bit down on his molars. Flamesflickered at the back of his throat. He could incinerate the loserin seconds if he wanted to.
Katarina stood,placing a restraining hand on his arm. “Leave it, Nick. He’s notworth it.”
He backed down.She was right. He couldn’t risk doing anything stupid, andespecially not in front of Katarina.
The guy lurchedtowards him. “Try saying that again. Outside, pretty boy. Who doyou think you are, strutting around like you own the bloodyplace—”
Crack!
Katarina dealtthe guy a blow to his jaw.
The guyhollered, holding his face.
“Talk to myfriend like that again, I won’t be so gentle next time,” sheyelled.
Actually, hedid own the pub, but there seemed no point in parting with thatfact.
A couple ofpeople cheered.
“Good on you,love,” someone encouraged.
She looked theloser up and down, disdain gleaming in her eyes. “And cleanyourself up; you stink of piss.”
Nix smirked. Hecould fight his own battles, of course, but he kind of liked thatshe’d defended him so venomously. His cock twitched. Was it wrongto be a tiny bit aroused right now? “Come on.” He hooked his arminto hers. “Let’s go. I’ll buy you a drink somewhere else.”
She glared athim, but he caught a ghost of a smile on her lips.
Nix led herthrough the crowd and out into the fresh air.
“We didn’t haveto leave because of him,” she said, wincing as she looked at herhand and balled her fist. “It hurt like hell, but it was so worthit to wipe that smirk off his greasy face.”
Her knuckleswere red and swollen. The urge to bring her hand to his lips andkiss her pain away almost overwhelmed him. “Thanks for defendingme, but isn’t it supposed to be the fellow who comes to therescue?”
“In medievaltimes, yeah.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry, but the guy wound me up. Iwork in a bar, and we get losers like him coming in all the time.There’s no reasoning with them. They only understand onething.”
“Hey, don’t besorry.” He winked. “I kind of liked it.”
“You did? Mostmen are intimidated by strong women.”
“Maybe youhaven’t met the right man yet.” He lowered his voice. “Or maybe youhave.”
Her lipsparted, but she didn’t speak.
Nix shuffledfrom one foot to the other. “I know this might be a bit forward,and you can say no if you want to, but—”
“But what?”
“My cottage isnot far from here. The least I can do is offer to fix your hand.I’m sure I have a first aid kit somewhere.”
Katarinaregarded him, her eyes glinting with the mischief he knew so well.“My hand is fine, thank you. I heal quickly, for some reason.”
She wasn’tgoing to make this easy for him—but did he expect anything less? “Ihave booze, the good stuff.”
She arched aneyebrow. “So I was right. You are trying to get me drunk.”
“Oh, I thinkyou can handle your drink.”
“Is that achallenge?”
No point indenying it. He grinned. “Yes.”
“You’re on,”she said without a moment’s hesitation. “Lead the way, but I’llhave you know I don’t usually do this sort of thing. It’s onlybecause I have this weird feeling about you.”
“Weird good, orweird bad?”
“I’m not sureyet.”
He grinned andled her along a lane to the side of the pub. At the end of thecountry road, they came to a stile, and he climbed over.
She stopped andplaced her hands on her hips. “You have to be kidding; in theseheels?”
“Take them offthen.” Nix held out his hand. “I’ll help you over.”
Katarina cranedher neck and looked behind him to the field. “When you said youlived nearby, I didn’t expect a cross-country hike.” She refusedhis help and climbed over the stile, with her shoes still on.“Where is it?”
He pointed tothe trees on the other side of the field. “Just through the woodsover there. And mind out for cowpats,” he said, purposely notwaiting for her as he crossed the field.
She followed ashe knew she would.
“I’m definitelynot taking off my shoes now. You better make this worth mywhile.”
“It will be.”He turned and waggled his eyebrows.
“Whoa, back offthere. Just a drink. No promises, remember?”
“I remember,and I wasn’t suggesting anything.” Liar. “It’s you whojumped to conclusions, assuming I’m taking you back to my cottageto have my wicked way with you.”
To his utmostamusement, her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink. Wow, hehadn’t seen that in a long while. The fire lit in his belly.
“I did nothingof the sort.” Her husky voice suggested the opposite. “If I breakmy ankle, or I get even a smudge of cow shit on these shoes, you’regoing to owe me more than a drink.”
They reachedthe woods and followed a dirt track that weaved through a haze ofbluebells, their strong, sweet scent hanging in the air. The warmevening sun shone low in the sky, casting its rays through thetrees, their shadowed trunks elongated, making stripes of light anddark across the carpet of blue.
After a while,she stopped.
“What’s up?” heasked.
She appraisedthe scenery. “This is a beautiful spot.”
“It is. I’vebeen to many beautiful places, but nothing beats the Englishcountryside in the spring.”
“You’vetravelled?”
“Yes.” He’dtravelled the world looking for her.
She sighed.“I’d love to travel, but I’ve never had the opportunity.” Shepaused, a frown crinkling her blonde eyebrows. “The scent of thebluebells… I think I’ve been here before.”
His breathcaught in his throat. Could she be remembering their life together?They’d loved to walk in these very woods centuries ago. He didn’tdare to hope. It took everything he had not to tell her everythingright then, but the damn curse niggled away inside his head. “Youhave, the other day when Toby got lost. Except you came in from theother direction.”
Nix stooped topick a sprig of bluebells. He straightened, then stepped towardsher and tucked the flower behind her ear, something he’d done manytimes in the past, the striking contrast of blue against herplatinum-blonde hair taking his breath away.
Her gaze methis, and she froze. “No, it’s more than that. I… I have theweirdest sense of déjà vu. You’ve put flowers in my hair before,haven’t you?”
Nix swallowed.Her scent surrounded him,
