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is fine, thanks. Why don’t you get your own breakfast before you head out?” His question just stoked a fire that did not need any more heat. Elena hoped that if she fed him, he would see that she was all right and leave. She didn’t want to think too long about the way he’d kissed her the last time he left her.
    Faolan laughed easily and shook his head . “I’m not going anywhere, lass. Which bedroom would you like me in, lass? Yours?” he teased, with a raised eyebrow and lazy grin.
    “ Wh-what?” she stammered. Had he read her mind?   She felt her face burn in embarrassment and no small amount of lust.
    “I am going to be stayin’ here ‘til I make sure you’re safe, so where would you be likin’ me?”
    Okay, that was a trick question right? “Well, you’re not staying in my bedroom,” Elena said indignantly, pushing back the immediate image of tangled sheets and naked limbs.
    “Right, ‘tis the next room to it then.” He grabbed a black duffle bag near the kitchen door and stalked down the hall.
    Stupid Scott! What was his business here, anyway? She couldn’t decide if he had some ancient sense of chivalry at work, or if there was something else he wanted. She would explain to him why it was so inappropriate for him to stay at her house. The situation reminded her of that old adage: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And which one is Faolan?

Chapter Five
    After breakfast, Elena forced her bruised and battered body into jeans and a flannel shirt to keep warm so she could work in the barn. Although there was still plenty to do inside, she was anxious to put a bit of distance between herself and Faolan. Throwing on her jacket and boots, she went to look at her Rover to check for damages and get the lantern and flashlights.
    Grabbing the lights, Elena walked through the interior of the barn to the north wing. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she’d decided to go to town, but she hadn’t forgotten the reason for her errand. She was still determined to see if the metal panels ever opened. Moving gingerly, she ran her hand around the flat edges that looked fused to the surrounding stone. Heat radiated beneath her hand as soon as she touched the metal.
    Elena looked closer. There was a small seam that ran from top to bottom and looked like an opening for a door. She pressed her hands flat against the panels, one on either side of the seam, to see if she could pull them apart. They began to glow noticeably and vibrate under her touch. With a gasp, Elena pulled her hands away.
    Heart pounding uncomfortably fast, she raised a shaky hand and pressed it to the panel. It was warm, but nothing more exciting happened. Taking a big breath and holding it, she put both hands on the panels again. The light and vibration returned. Before she could chicken out, Elena pressed hard with both hands and when the panels slid easily apart, she nearly tipped ass over teakettle through the opening.
    A secret room!
    Picking herself up, she grabbed the lantern and a flashlight, and climbed inside. Not a fan of enclosed spaces, she propped the lantern in the doorway, ensuring an escape route before she went further. The room was narrow, deep, and built right into the mountain.
    A small table held what appeared to be ancient treasures, including a jewelry casket, a hand mirror, and a dagger with a stunningly large, deep red jewel embedded in the handle. A thin book that looked like a journal was splayed open on its back. Elena shone the flashlight on the open page, and although she couldn’t read the faded writing, the date showed the last entry as 1693. She would need to do some research to find out who had lived here then.
    Elena carefully opened the lid of the jewelry casket and saw two large keys nestled on top of a pile of gold and silver coins. Both keys had markings on the top, but nothing she could easily decipher. Other than that, the box was empty.
    The mirror was tarnished silver, and she