here.”
She started
and looked up at him. He saw the pain in her gaze, but it disappeared quickly,
and she forced a smile. “Yes. How are you?”
He ignored
the question. “So you have a fiancé, yet you slept with us.” Making it sound
like a casual question seemed like a crash and burn to him, but she didn’t
appear to notice. Her frown, complete with pursed lips, was too cute for him to
look away. At that moment, he felt more like the Big Bad Wolf than a bear. Would
she run if he told her how much he wanted to taste her? A bit of his desire
must have shown in his eyes, because he got a sudden whiff of her pungent cream
and almost lost it. He imagined her soaking her panties and himself delving for
more with his finger or his mouth while she cried out his name.
“I’m not
engaged.”
Relief
flooded Kotori’s system. “You say that, but he was pretty intense about
it—about you .”
“Believe
what you want to believe. At this point, I don’t care.” She waved a hand and
turned away, but he snaked a hand out to grab her arm. She winced in pain, and
he jerked back.
“What
happened? I didn’t grab you that hard.”
Her gaze
skittered away from his, and he sensed she was about to lie. After a beat, she
appeared to change her mind.
“My brother
visited me, acting like a butthead. He’s gone now, so it’s not a big deal.”
Kotori
pushed his hands into his pockets to keep from putting his fist through the
wall. As a human, she could not understand the seriousness of what she had just
told him. “Listen to me closely, Shiya. If he comes near you again, I will deal
with him.”
“What do
you mean ‘deal with him’?”
“He has no
right to touch you—ever again.”
She studied
his face. “You’re different from the way you were when we went on the tram.”
“I’m the
same.”
“But you’re
more intense. I don’t know how to put my finger on it.”
She sighed
and turned to walk. He fell into step beside her. How could he tell her he’d
always been this way, just short of losing control and reaching out for what he
wanted? He smiled at her, had conversation with her, but all the time, he
wanted to possess her, to fill her with himself. The night they had sex, it
took everything inside him not to do all that he’d fantasized about to her. She’s human , he reminded himself. He had
grown up with his family, a few shifters but not all. Even the ones who
couldn’t change were strong, so he came to the belief that humans were very
fragile. Still, Shiya took him and even liked the way he stretched her to fit
his cock. Seeing her face that night had sent him close to the edge. Now she
thought he was different, because his desire lurked close to the surface,
threatening to spill over.
They ended
up at the pub they visited the first night Shiya arrived. Kotori sat on the
opposite side of the table from her to keep his hands to himself. He ordered a
beer for himself and a hot cocoa for Shiya. They sipped in silence until Birk
came. His friend took the seat next to Shiya and ran the back of his hand along
her cheek. The move demonstrated possessiveness, and Kotori wished he could be
so free to touch without risking so much.
“So why are
you two talking to me after what happened?” she asked. “You know who I am, and
Joe tried to kill you—” She gasped. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask about your
arm, Kotori. Are you okay?”
“Is a cut
worse than being dead?” He didn’t know where the bitterness came from and put
it down to her mentioning the man they had left in her room with her. Kotori
didn’t smell the guy’s scent on her, so he was sure nothing had happened
between them.
At his
words, Shiya flinched, and Birk glared at him. “Cool it, Kotori. That’s not
what we’re here for.”
Kotori
drained his beer and ordered another.
Shiya took
a sip from her mug and set it down with care. Her big brown eyes focused first
on Birk and then him. “I guess we’re all here because
She started
and looked up at him. He saw the pain in her gaze, but it disappeared quickly,
and she forced a smile. “Yes. How are you?”
He ignored
the question. “So you have a fiancé, yet you slept with us.” Making it sound
like a casual question seemed like a crash and burn to him, but she didn’t
appear to notice. Her frown, complete with pursed lips, was too cute for him to
look away. At that moment, he felt more like the Big Bad Wolf than a bear. Would
she run if he told her how much he wanted to taste her? A bit of his desire
must have shown in his eyes, because he got a sudden whiff of her pungent cream
and almost lost it. He imagined her soaking her panties and himself delving for
more with his finger or his mouth while she cried out his name.
“I’m not
engaged.”
Relief
flooded Kotori’s system. “You say that, but he was pretty intense about
it—about you .”
“Believe
what you want to believe. At this point, I don’t care.” She waved a hand and
turned away, but he snaked a hand out to grab her arm. She winced in pain, and
he jerked back.
“What
happened? I didn’t grab you that hard.”
Her gaze
skittered away from his, and he sensed she was about to lie. After a beat, she
appeared to change her mind.
“My brother
visited me, acting like a butthead. He’s gone now, so it’s not a big deal.”
Kotori
pushed his hands into his pockets to keep from putting his fist through the
wall. As a human, she could not understand the seriousness of what she had just
told him. “Listen to me closely, Shiya. If he comes near you again, I will deal
with him.”
“What do
you mean ‘deal with him’?”
“He has no
right to touch you—ever again.”
She studied
his face. “You’re different from the way you were when we went on the tram.”
“I’m the
same.”
“But you’re
more intense. I don’t know how to put my finger on it.”
She sighed
and turned to walk. He fell into step beside her. How could he tell her he’d
always been this way, just short of losing control and reaching out for what he
wanted? He smiled at her, had conversation with her, but all the time, he
wanted to possess her, to fill her with himself. The night they had sex, it
took everything inside him not to do all that he’d fantasized about to her. She’s human , he reminded himself. He had
grown up with his family, a few shifters but not all. Even the ones who
couldn’t change were strong, so he came to the belief that humans were very
fragile. Still, Shiya took him and even liked the way he stretched her to fit
his cock. Seeing her face that night had sent him close to the edge. Now she
thought he was different, because his desire lurked close to the surface,
threatening to spill over.
They ended
up at the pub they visited the first night Shiya arrived. Kotori sat on the
opposite side of the table from her to keep his hands to himself. He ordered a
beer for himself and a hot cocoa for Shiya. They sipped in silence until Birk
came. His friend took the seat next to Shiya and ran the back of his hand along
her cheek. The move demonstrated possessiveness, and Kotori wished he could be
so free to touch without risking so much.
“So why are
you two talking to me after what happened?” she asked. “You know who I am, and
Joe tried to kill you—” She gasped. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask about your
arm, Kotori. Are you okay?”
“Is a cut
worse than being dead?” He didn’t know where the bitterness came from and put
it down to her mentioning the man they had left in her room with her. Kotori
didn’t smell the guy’s scent on her, so he was sure nothing had happened
between them.
At his
words, Shiya flinched, and Birk glared at him. “Cool it, Kotori. That’s not
what we’re here for.”
Kotori
drained his beer and ordered another.
Shiya took
a sip from her mug and set it down with care. Her big brown eyes focused first
on Birk and then him. “I guess we’re all here because
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