He retreated, walking backward as he thrust a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m just gonna…go get a drink.”
Cole turned and hurried away, disappearing into the sea of vrix.
“Coward!” she called after him with a laugh. Turning back to Urkot, she softened her smile. “I think you are very handsome.”
Urkot trilled and stood a little taller and straighter. He eased closer and leaned into her, his rich, earthy scent flooding her senses. Its warm, spicy notes, reminding her of brandy, were intoxicating. That scent settled over her mind in a fog, obscuring her thoughts.
He caught a strand of her long hair on his finger and lifted it from her shoulder. “The dress does not make you beautiful, Callie. You are beautiful.”
Callie’s breath hitched. His interaction with Cole had been playful and teasing. This was completely different—it was evident in the intent in his eyes as they held her gaze, in the steadiness of his deep voice, and in the care with which he pronounced each word in a language he’d learned just to communicate with Callie and her friends.
He wasn’t simply being nice. He meant what he’d said, and she felt it.
The heat that had suffused her core earlier came rushing back, making it clench.
“Thank you,” she said softly, unable to look away from his glowing eyes.
Urkot’s chest swelled as he drew in a deep breath. A rumbling sound, not unlike a purr, emitted from him, and he shifted a foreleg, brushing it along her calf. Her skin tingled at the delightful contrast between his rough hide and his soft, fine hairs.
“Callie, your scent…” He grunted, and a tremor coursed through his body.
Her cheeks burned.
Ah, yes. Vrix and their super senses of smell. And this one is smelling just how much he’s turning you on.
What was there to do other than own it?
“Mmhmm.” She placed a palm on his warm chest and leaned close. “It’s because Ilikeyou, Urkot.”
Releasing her hair, Urkot flinched back, legs scuttling over the ground as his eyes flared. He stared at her, silently, and blinked, cocking his head in an oddly birdlike fashion.
He was too stunned to speak.
Callie chuckled, lowering her hand. “I guess you weren’t expecting that?”
His mouth opened, closed, and opened again, but no words emerged. Finally, he shook his head.
She crossed her arms over her chest with a smile. His reaction was adorable.
Bending forward slightly and raising her chin, she asked in a sweet voice, “Do you like me, Urkot?”
Determination and certainty sharpened the light in his eyes. “Yes.”
It would always amaze Callie how such a small, simple word could be so profound, how it could bear immense meaning and weight far beyond what should’ve been possible.
“Oh,” she said softly. This time it was her turn to be caught off guard. She’d hoped, but she hadn’t expected such an admission to come so readily, so honestly. So unwaveringly.
Urkot stepped forward again, eliminating the space he’d opened between them. He reached for the small pouch hanging from the leather belt around his waist. Untying the knot, he slipped his hand inside. “I have a gift for you.”
He produced a small, folded silk cloth, resting it on his palm. With another hand, he carefully unfolded the cloth to reveal what was inside. A cubed chunk of white, clear stone. Calcite. Cut and polished with care.
“Oh Urkot…” Callie picked up the stone and studied it. Glimmers of light from the crystals above and the nearby bonfire shone on the calcite’s surface, making it seem like it had its own glow. He’d gifted her many, many stones, but this was her favorite so far.
She closed her fingers around the calcite and drew it to her chest. “It’s beautiful.” Rising on her toes, she pressed her lips to the side of his face. “Thank you.”
Urkot’s body stiffened until she began to pull away. His hand darted up, catching her jaw and halting her, keeping her face angled up. Voice low, gravelly, and commanding, he said, “Do that again.”
Callie grinned. “As you say.”
