Neptun shrugs. “Okay then. If you’re positive.” His fingers wrap around mine again, directing my motions once more.
Quite apparently, I just can’t seem to keep the edges of the pan clean, and it isso hotin this kitchen. Early Autumn was not the time to learn how to cook over a wood-burning stove. I’m about two centimeters away from Florida Hardee’s kitchen flashbacks over here.
“Do you have to touch her to teach her?” Samson mutters, suddenly out of our room and behind me.
My wide eyes hit Neptun’s.
He winks, and lets me go. “I guess not.”
“Then why are you?”
“It’s easier?”
Samson physically takes Neptun by the shoulder and applies a foot of space between us. “Doing hard things builds character.” Imposing, Samson then looks over my shoulder, murmuring, “What are you making?”
Heart pitter-pattering, I say, “Risotto.”
As though it’s the most natural thing in the world, he settles his chin atop my head. “Smells good.” His exhale fans into my hair. “You know…I could have taught you how to cook.”
Unhelpfully, Neptun mouthsso jealousfrom the corner of my eye.
Naturally, my face blisters red. “You had to go to the city.” For mysterious reasons. That resulted in a shrug when I asked what they were and a slow…nowhen I asked if I could come with you.
“And you had to learn while I was gone?”
I provide a slow, “…yes.”
His arms close around my shoulders and squeeze me tight before he leaves me with a kiss atop my head. “I’m going to check on the animals.” He jabs a finger at Neptun. “Don’ttouch her.”
Neptun’s hands lift. “Yikes. Okay, okay. IsupposeI’ll refrain. She’s just so cute, you know?”
Samson mumbles, “If he touches you again, stab him.”
I mumble, “I don’t have my sword.”
“You’re in a kitchen. Withknives. Figure something out.” Samson whistles, calling both Yami and Tsuki out of their bedroom. Yawning, my dear sweet puppies wag their tails as Samson instructs them toprotect mommybefore he marches out the door.
The second the wooden slab closes behind him, a laugh bursts from Neptun’s chest.
“S-stop it,” I say, breaking my gaze from the pan to look at my puppy guards. They’re sitting beside me, tails still wagging, as they watch Neptun’s every move.
“In some places, they count ignorance as a gift.” Neptun wipes a fake tear from his eye. “How gifted do you have to be in order to miss how Samson is screamingI love you?”
Lungs tight when I try to inhale, I mutter, “IknowSamson loves me. He’s told me. But there’s a difference between love andlove. And, look at me, I’m adorable. The compulsion to protect me, orhelpme, is strong. Case in point, I babbled to you for three minutes, and you caved. I use my cuteness for evil on the regular. And Samson is too kind to have any defenses against it. Am I stupid? Sure. But could you say that directly next time? I don’t know how to respond to anything that sounds remotely like a compliment.”
Neptun swirls a finger at me. “These are the strangest self-esteem issues I have ever seen.”
My eyes roll. “Thanks. I grew them myself.”
“For the record,that’show you respond to a compliment. Also, you can take the pan off the heat now.”
My muscles sag at the promise of relief from the stove. “Oh thank granite.”
“Hey,” Neptun murmurs once I’ve blessedly stepped away from the stove. “The proposal’s gonna go great. Try not to worry.”
Easy for him to say…
He doesn’t know Samson like I do.
