Page 21 of The Centaur
I also liked the way he took care of me. No one in my life—that I remembered anyway—had ever taken care of me like he did, like I was someone precious, someone to be treasured. Fredrick had cared for me like an object, like a battery pack he could use as long as he kept it well-fed. Rei had cared for me like a partner, but she was a dog and could only do so much. I didn't remember my parents, or how they'd taken care of me.
But Keoni? He made me feel adored, and I'd never felt that before.
Keoni smiled brightly, taking my hand from his face and linking our fingers. It was only then that I realized it was my left hand. I tried to replace it with my other hand, but he refused to let go. I couldn't feel his touch from this hand, just a soft warmth, and it wasn't enough.
"Look up," he murmured, and I blinked, then did as he asked. I sucked in a breath. Wow.
Above us, the canopy of trees framed a section of the sky, the twinkling stars bright across the expanse. I glanced back at Keoni to find him scanning the stars with a focused expression. Was he reading the stars?
I'd never watched him do this before, and it was fascinating to see the way his eyes flicked from star to star as he saw patterns only his kind could.
The spell I used to create the sky inside the Sanctuary replicated the sky of the place the front door was anchored to. It was easier than creating a whole new sky. So when Keoni read the stars here, he was seeing exactly what he would see out in the human world. I doubted he'd be able to use his powers otherwise.
"Everything's going to be okay now," he murmured after a few minutes. He turned to look at me, his blue eyes warm even in the dark. "The Sanctuary, our family, they'll all be okay. No more problems, no more accidents."
I blinked, my lips parting at the strength of his declaration. "You mean it?"
He nodded, and stress I hadn't realized I still carried dissipated, leaving me light and unburdened in a way I hadn't been in a long time.
"Thank you," I whispered fervently, the words rough and full of emotions.
Keoni smiled warmly, then leaned forward, his lips hovering over mine, a question in his eyes.
I nodded, and his eyes twinkled as they drew closer, closer, closer—The sound of footsteps and someone pushing through the foliage made me pull back, and we both turned to look as Draven stepped into the clearing, welding goggles on his head, and a mallet in his hand. His long braid was twisted up in a knot, and his clothes were greasy and singed. He looked like he usually did mid-project, though he never left his workshop when he was working on something.
"Hey, Draven," Keoni greeted cheerfully, like the grumpy dwarf hadn't just interrupted what would've been our first kiss. I glared at him, but the asshole didn't spare me a glance as he grunted at Keoni.
"Have you grown?"
"Huh?"
"Since I made your cart, have you grown?" he demanded impatiently, and Keoni blinked, then shook his head. He nodded, turned on his heels, and sped away.
"What the hell?" Keoni asked as he glanced over at me, and I shook my head. I had a feeling Draven's current project was something for Keoni, but I figured he would announce it when he was ready.
What I needed to figure out was how to get things back to where they were headed before Draven's interruption.
Ten
Keoni
Draven was a weird,weird man, even by dwarf standards.
But I didn't have time to think about him because my mate was giving me very clear 'kiss me' eyes and I'd be damned if I didn't give him what he wanted.
Putting Draven firmly out of my mind, I used my hold on Zephyr's hand to tug him closer. I couldn't turn toward him too much without my centaur side falling over and crushing his legs—I might be small, but I wasn't light—so I pulled him on top of me so his chest covered mine. He braced himself with an elbow, hovering over me with wide eyes.
Letting go of his hand so he could hold himself up easily, I cupped his face with both hands and pulled him close. His blue eyes were full of want as the distance between us closed, and I brushed my lips against his, soft and light. He groaned at the teasing, and my lips curved in a smile. I had a feeling I'd really enjoy teasing him in the future.
I kissed him again, more firmly this time, moving against his plush lips as I held his precious face between my palms. This man meant so much to me, and I would do my best to make sure he knew that.
I didn't deepen the kiss, and pulled away after a few minutes, aware of the fact that we were out in the open and Zephyr wouldn't want to be seen like this by anyone else.
Maybe it was a good thing Draven had interrupted before we kissed. Then again, I didn't think he would've made a big deal of it even if he had caught us kissing.
"Have I ever told you how handsome you are?"
"No, but you've repeatedly told me I look like shit," Zephyr replied with a smirk, and I groaned.
