I hear him moving a few things around and before I know it, I am getting lifted off the air.

"Hey!" I protest. "What are you doing?'

He doesn't answer but he enters the kitchen and places me on the table. I scowl. Does he plan on babying me? I mean, he could have asked me to come inside instead of lifting me up like a child.

"I am not a child, Igor. I can walk." I try to tell him. He places an animal's leg on the table before he proceeds to expertly remove the meat from the bone. I shut my mouth as I am utterly fascinated. I have so many questions.

"Do you hunt yourself?" I ask. Okay, maybe that is a stupid question. Of course, he hunts for himself.

"Are there more of you?" I shoot another one. At this point I decide I am just going to keep asking him questions until he answers me.

"What kind of creature are you? You look a little human, is one of your parents human? Do you live alone here?"

He answers none of my questions, but he continues slicing the meat. He then goes to get a pot.

"Are you married? Do you have a wife? Do you have kids? How long have you lived here? And where is here? Are there any human villages nearby?"

He starts placing the meat in the pot. It's a lot of meat. I think that was a goat's leg by the size and the color of the meat. I wonder if it was goat, does he take it in the villages.

"Where did you get the goat? Do you steal them?"

To that he stops what he's doing and narrows his eyes at me. He is trying to scare me but my face breaks in a grin. I realize then, I am not terrified of this creature; because I know somehow he won't harm me.

"I don't steal, Aria, I take."

I grin even wider. "You know that's what all thieves say, right?"

He looks my way briefly, shakes his head and goes back to the food. So, he responds to slightly provocative questions. Good to know.

"So, you haven't answered any of my questions. What is your deal?" I ask, more bolder this time.

"Do you never shut up?" he doesn't even stop what he's doing or look my way as he starts cleaning the table of the meat pieces and some bone and fat remnants.

"I have no...deal. I saved your life, and you should shut up. It was much quieter when I was alone." Then he looks at me pointedly. "I like the quiet."

I fold my lips, trying to hide my amusement and frankly, excitement. I don't know why but I want to poke at him the more he pushes back, the more he resists.

"So, you live alone? It must get lonely. Aren't you alone? Where is your family?"

He grunts and goes to take the vegetables. I jump off the table, but I tumble to the floor instead because my legs have decide they don't have enough strength to sustain me. He is next to me the next moment.

"Aria." I hear the panic and concerned note in his voice and somehow it makes everything better.

'I'm...fine. I wanted to stand." I say.

He helps me up and I stand.

Well, that is a bit embarrassing.

He sighs. "You need to be careful. Your body isn't as steady as you may be used to." Then he turns to the table.

I frown a bit. This creature is really very tender for his exterior. I watch his back flex as he moves to peel the onions. I move closer and I touch his hand. He stiffens immediately and stops. He looks at me. He looks utterly terrified.

But he is warm, warmer than I've ever felt any human and his skin is smoother to the touch than I thought. I start caressing him absentmindedly, needing to soothe him, needing to feel more.

Electricity builds and I feel something I have never felt in my life as I feel like some of his warmth is seeping into me and I just want to feel more. It's like I'm in a trance.

The moment breaks when he pulls his hand from me, and my cheeks feel stiff with embarrassment.

Oh my. Did I just shamelessly caress his skin?

"Um, no. I, uh, I wanted to help with the chopping." I clear my throat and I try to swallow. "I would like to help." I say in a lower voice, hoping he doesn't think I am an imbecile.

He stares at me for a long while before he sighs and he moves, handing me the knife. He turns to the indoor iron stove, and he throws logs inside and makes a fire. I chop the veggies and we work in unison making food.

I chop the plantains and yams for the starch. It has been a while since I've had them together. Shepherd limited me from eating a lot of starch, saying he doesn't want me to be hefty. So, I stuck to meat, vegetables, fruits and bread on occasion.

I mount the pot on the stove when I have seasoned the pot and Igor places the starch next to it. We tidy up together and then we sit there waiting. The kitchen is warm, and I don't want to leave, but I start noticing sweat beads forming on Igor's still topless form.

"Are you hot?" I ask

He looks my way like he doesn't understand my meaning.

'I mean, is that why you don't wear shirts, do you not feel cold? Is the heat suffocating you?"

"My kind is hotter blooded than yours and it is colder where I'm from."

He just gave me a straight answer. I swallow as I prepare to ask more.

"Don't."

"Do you know what I was going to say?"

"What are you? Where are you from?" he mimics me with his version of a high-pitched voice, and my mouth drops on the floor. He just made a joke.

I chuckle. "So, you are funny, Sir I-Am-The-Hottest-Creature-You-Know." I try to mimic his stronger voice. And he chuckles and shakes his head.

When the food is ready, I dish our food in one plate. He must really live alone and never have guests because he really has one of everything. I dish generous servings of both the starch and the stew. I have seen him eat before. We begin eating and he eats slowly at first giving me time to eat and when I get full, he finishes everything.

He nods in approval. The food was good." He praises.

He gets up to wash the dishes, but I stop him.

"You have already done so much, at least let me do something."

"But you cooked." He frowns at me.

"Just let me do it. I want to feel useful."

"But you are not well, you should be resting."

"Stop treating me like a baby, Igor." I hiss unintentionally and I see him flinch. I clamp my mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. You have been nothing but kind to me."

He lets go of the plate and I feel worse. But I swallow my shame and I wash it. He exits the room. I hurry and finish and then I follow him.

I have a feeling this is one of those times he will disappear for hours, and I don't want to be left alone here for hours with my thoughts. So, I jump and follow him. I catch his backside disappearing into the woods and I quicken my steps and I follow him.

He looks over his shoulder I think when he hears me. Luckily, he isn't rushing so I catch up to his strides but with a pant.

"Go back and rest." He orders but doesn't stop or look my way.

"No. I have rested for 2 days already. Besides I want to help. So where are we going?"

"We are not going anywhere. I am going to get some wood for tonight." I hear the slight annoyance in his voice. But I am not going back. He will have to try harder if he wants me to go back.

I notice he doesn't have any axe with him. "You don't have any axe, do you just break the trees with your bare hands?" it's probably a stupid question to him but looking at him, I wouldn't be completely shocked even if he just gets there, and the trees just break on their own.

He doesn't answer.

"So, is that all you do around here? Just wake up and get wood for your food and...be alone all day?" I give him a second to answer. When he doesn't, I continue. "That must be lonely. Aren't you lonely?"

"I miss when I used to be alone." I strain to hear him when he says it under his breath.

"That is not very hospitable of you, Mr. Giant." I say.

He stops abruptly and turns to me with a glare. "I am not a giant."

I shrink a little when I realize he is offended. He turns and starts walking again.

Well, I feel like a mutt.

I run after him when I see him disappearing in the bushes. We are far from his house, and I don't want to get lost or have to deal with his scowling face when he comes to rescue me like the child he thinks I am.

'I'm sorry, Igor. I didn't mean any offence. I didn't mean that—"

"Let it go, Aria."

I decide to keep my silence, lest I offend him again. We get to a clearing that has cut trees. I also see a big axe. Suddenly I feel dumb for my earlier question. I sit on a small log, and I watch him work. I doubt I could be much use anyway.

I watch him work diligently and masterfully with the axe. Cutting the trees and making logs. It starts raining as he is tying up the sack with the logs. I get up ready to go before I am soaked. I don't have more clothes. I start walking to the direction we came.

I feel a hand grab me and he throws me over his shoulder. I am so shocked; all I do is gasp. He drags the sack with him and starts walking.

"Igor, put me down! I can walk."

"I am faster, and I don't want you slipping and injuring yourself further." He walks and I am left dangling there over his shoulder because he makes a valid argument, and I was already tired from the travel here. My cheeks are hot all the way. But I can't move at all, even though I want to tell him that having his face next to my derrière wasn't exactly honorable.

But maybe he's from a different culture. I feel strange things being this close to him. I try and stay as still as possible as he shamelessly carries me like a sack of vegetables.

When we make it to the house, he throws the sack on the porch, where there is shelter and the rain is beating harder by the time we get there. I am thoroughly soaked. He places me gently in the room.

"I am going to get warm water for you." He stares at me to ensure I heard him as I shiver. I just stare at him before I nod tightly.

He gives me a once over before he leaves. I walk to the basket with some clothing, and I ravage through it. I take the sheet I used the other day. I pull off my dress and just as I just dropped my dress he bursts in and both of us freeze.

We stand there, both of us frozen. Me, naked with a damp cloth in my hand and him with a basin in both his hands looking at me like...like he's hungry.

I have never had any man look at me like this. The whole room goes white the next second, as the thunder cracks and I jump. I fumble to put the wet fabric in my front to cover myself. He looks away.

"I'm sorry. I should have knocked." He says.

"I'm...Its fine. I was getting a sheet." I also fumble over my words.

Yes, the sheet. I pick it up and I wrap it around myself. Without looking my way, he comes in and sets the basin in the room and then he leaves quickly. I wait a few moments. I don't know if I think he will come back bursting or I'm actually hoping he does.

When sufficient time has passed, I peel the sheet from me, and I bath. I make quick work of it, and I wrap the slightly damp sheet around my body again. I pull the basin out when I'm finished, and I find him standing at the door like he was waiting for me. I guess that would be a reasonable assumption.

He takes my bath water and I take the heater and I get inside. I get under the blanket quickly and I cover myself. I lean on the wall again and wait for him to come in. After some time, he comes in and he takes my wet dress, and he hangs it on the chair and brings it closer to the heater to dry it.

I want to kick myself. No wonder he babies me. Why didn't I think of doing that? When he is finished, I see him standing awkwardly around.

I clear my throat. "It's your bed, Igor. You can sit on it."

He doesn't give me an answer, but he doesn't look at me either. He sits carefully and we sit in silence. In the afternoon, he warms us food and we eat again before I sleep.

Before sleeps steals me, I wonder where he sleeps and when because he is always up when I am.

____________________________________

After chapter thoughts?

Also, for those who haven't gotten my announcement:

Are you as excited as I am?!!!

Also also, thank you guys for reading my work. Your support and your votes and your time and comments mean the world to me and I appreciate you guys so much!

It is so encouraging and gets me excited to keep writing more stories for you.

All my love.

Q.