I’d been so nervous to ask him for help, so unsure of how he’d react, despite Koko’s assurances. Now I was glad I had. Seeing this side of him helped me understand a lot about him.
“Here.” He abruptly pulled off his sweater, revealing a black shirt underneath. “I promised to thaw you out.”
I took it eagerly, savoring the heat rolling off of it. As he helped me work it over my sore arm, I inhaled the rich scent of moonflowers and snuggled into the soft cashmere. Pulling the sleeves over my hands and curling up on the couch, I watched him greedily as he cleaned up the supplies scattered across the coffee table.
My traitorous eyelids began to droop as I burrowed deeper into his warmth and scent, but I fought to stay awake a little longer, wanting to stay in this bubble with him.
“Will you stay with me, Casimir? Just until I fall asleep?”
“Of course. How long do you think it will be—”
“Not long,” I sighed sadly, my heart dropping to my shoes. I wished he wanted to stay in the bubble with me, too.
“—before I’m Simmy again?”
Oh.
Oh.
I hid a little smile in my sweater-covered fists. Koa had suggested that as part of my ‘Un-Terrify Casimir’ strategy, and it worked!
I wasn’t going to give in so quickly, though. A good angler knew when to set the hook and when to play the line.
“Hmm,” was all I gave him, earning a nearly soundless huff in reply.
I was almost out when a cool hand brushed my forehead.
“Sleep, my love.” Firm lips touched my cheek. “And know all of my kisses are for you alone.”
My love. His first endearment.
I wanted to open my eyes to see if he meant it, but my body refused to cooperate.
“I love you, Simmy,” I breathed, the words slipping out before I could stop them, but I was already floating in that hazy space between dreams and reality, too far gone to know if he’d heard them.
#
Zane
The crisp night air did exactly zero favors for cooling down the aura of stupid horny thoughts clinging to me like Brumous’ slobber. The pup trotted ahead, snuffling through moonlit peonies while mybrain kept replaying Casimir’s, “You require assistance. I’ll provide it,” growl from half an hour ago.
I kicked a pinecone into the bushes.
Just changing her bandages, I reminded myself.
Yeah, our resident choirboy was probably elbow-deep in antiseptic right now, but my dick didn’t give a shit about logic.
“Hey, fur butt. You ever get jealous of people with functional moral compasses?”
He snapped at a moth.
“Exactly.”
I yanked my hood over my head as the April chill warred with the furnace in my guts. Hormones helpfully supplied HD footage of Seri’s rounded shoulders and narrow back, glimpsed through the window as Casimir helped her take her shirt off.
Brumous bounded ahead, woofing at me to follow.
Right. Walkies. Priorities.
