a little too fast.
Samantha waited, watching him flounder. The look on his face told wonders about how he felt at the moment, so she didn’t push it.
At least I’m not the only one completely freaked out about what just happened.
“Can… can you help me sit?” Rikist did not look her way. “I’ll wait for Krissik before going to bed. I don’t trust making it all the way to the room.”
Samantha swallowed her heart back down, and nodded. Silently, she helped him to the couch and pulled the coffee table closer and helped him prop up his leg.
Rikist closed his eyes, pain etched on his face, and he pressed down on his upper thigh though the brace, just above his knee.
Samantha retreated to the kitchen and pulled out the ice bags and a bottle from the refrigerator, popped the top, and sat on the couch beside Rikist. She set the ice packs on his leg, and then handed him the beer.
Rikist peered at her with one eye as his fingers brushed hers around the bottle’s neck. “I thought you’d said—”
“You seem to need it.”
He smirked. “That obvious, huh?”
Silence stretched between them, and Samantha played with the edge of her dress. She cast sideways glances toward Rikist, dipping her head lower when she caught him doing the same to her. After a few moments, Rikist sighed and leaned back on the couch, head turned toward Samantha.
“I’m sorry.”
Samantha started, and she twisted on the couch to fully face him. “You don’t have—”
“That… I was inappropriate.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home.”
Samantha stared at Rikist, suddenly calm and at ease as an idea sprang into her head. She scooted closer on the couch and put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled.
“Funny thing is,” she said. “I haven’t felt this comfortable since I’ve been here.”
Rikist stared as the red flush began to recede. His left hand slid across the couch, hesitated, and the slid up onto her knee.
The front door panel beeped, and they both looked over as the door opened and Krissik stepped through, his arms loaded with rolled drawings and several packages. Samantha quickly pulled her arm back and stood to help Krissik. She took several of the packages away and set them on the counter as he shut and locked the door.
Krissik emptied his load on the counter and sighed, rolling his neck. He stepped up to Samantha and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. He hesitated, and then took a deeper sniff toward her skin. He frowned, and his eyes shot toward Rikist.
“Has he been giving you trouble?”
She hesitated. “No. He’s been a gentleman. I’ve been helping him move around the apartment.”
Jealousy seeped out of Krissik’s pores . “What were…”
“He can barely walk, Krissik,” Samantha cut him off. She hesitated, and then brushed his hair back and cradled his cheek with one hand. “I’m just trying to help out.”
Krissik stared down at her, surprised, and then smiled. He sat at the table and began unlacing his boots as Samantha stepped into the kitchen. He glanced again at Rikist.
“You are looking better,” he said. “Should you be drinking?”
Rikist took a long pull on the bottle and glared at his brother. “Piss off.”
Krissik raised an eyebrow and looked up as Samantha appeared with a plate.
“I am sorry,” he said, taking her hand and kissing her wrist. “I was not expecting to be home so late. You cooked?”
“Yes. Are you hungry?”
Krissik used a fork to spear the sautéed veggies and meat and stuffed it in his mouth. His looked at her sideways. “This is very good. Thank you.”
Samantha sat at the table while Krissik ate, mildly fascinated by his fangs as he ate. Samantha glanced over at Rikist, who sat watching the news and flipping through his glass phone. She tapped her fingers on the table, waiting until Krissik had cleared half his plate before speaking.
“ Do you think you could
Samantha waited, watching him flounder. The look on his face told wonders about how he felt at the moment, so she didn’t push it.
At least I’m not the only one completely freaked out about what just happened.
“Can… can you help me sit?” Rikist did not look her way. “I’ll wait for Krissik before going to bed. I don’t trust making it all the way to the room.”
Samantha swallowed her heart back down, and nodded. Silently, she helped him to the couch and pulled the coffee table closer and helped him prop up his leg.
Rikist closed his eyes, pain etched on his face, and he pressed down on his upper thigh though the brace, just above his knee.
Samantha retreated to the kitchen and pulled out the ice bags and a bottle from the refrigerator, popped the top, and sat on the couch beside Rikist. She set the ice packs on his leg, and then handed him the beer.
Rikist peered at her with one eye as his fingers brushed hers around the bottle’s neck. “I thought you’d said—”
“You seem to need it.”
He smirked. “That obvious, huh?”
Silence stretched between them, and Samantha played with the edge of her dress. She cast sideways glances toward Rikist, dipping her head lower when she caught him doing the same to her. After a few moments, Rikist sighed and leaned back on the couch, head turned toward Samantha.
“I’m sorry.”
Samantha started, and she twisted on the couch to fully face him. “You don’t have—”
“That… I was inappropriate.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home.”
Samantha stared at Rikist, suddenly calm and at ease as an idea sprang into her head. She scooted closer on the couch and put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled.
“Funny thing is,” she said. “I haven’t felt this comfortable since I’ve been here.”
Rikist stared as the red flush began to recede. His left hand slid across the couch, hesitated, and the slid up onto her knee.
The front door panel beeped, and they both looked over as the door opened and Krissik stepped through, his arms loaded with rolled drawings and several packages. Samantha quickly pulled her arm back and stood to help Krissik. She took several of the packages away and set them on the counter as he shut and locked the door.
Krissik emptied his load on the counter and sighed, rolling his neck. He stepped up to Samantha and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. He hesitated, and then took a deeper sniff toward her skin. He frowned, and his eyes shot toward Rikist.
“Has he been giving you trouble?”
She hesitated. “No. He’s been a gentleman. I’ve been helping him move around the apartment.”
Jealousy seeped out of Krissik’s pores . “What were…”
“He can barely walk, Krissik,” Samantha cut him off. She hesitated, and then brushed his hair back and cradled his cheek with one hand. “I’m just trying to help out.”
Krissik stared down at her, surprised, and then smiled. He sat at the table and began unlacing his boots as Samantha stepped into the kitchen. He glanced again at Rikist.
“You are looking better,” he said. “Should you be drinking?”
Rikist took a long pull on the bottle and glared at his brother. “Piss off.”
Krissik raised an eyebrow and looked up as Samantha appeared with a plate.
“I am sorry,” he said, taking her hand and kissing her wrist. “I was not expecting to be home so late. You cooked?”
“Yes. Are you hungry?”
Krissik used a fork to spear the sautéed veggies and meat and stuffed it in his mouth. His looked at her sideways. “This is very good. Thank you.”
Samantha sat at the table while Krissik ate, mildly fascinated by his fangs as he ate. Samantha glanced over at Rikist, who sat watching the news and flipping through his glass phone. She tapped her fingers on the table, waiting until Krissik had cleared half his plate before speaking.
“ Do you think you could
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