Yet, wrapped in his embrace and sensing every movement of his body on mine, I had never felt so at home before.
His hands gently squeezed my cheeks as he pressed his lips against mine more firmly. It was as if he was stamping this kiss into memory before he slowly pulled away.
I sucked in a deep breath and opened my eyes to find his eyes glowing brightly as they locked onto mine.
“What was that for?” The words fell from my lips like a whisper in the wind as I struggled to catch my breath and failed to calm my racing heart.
“I… I’m not sure what came out of me. I felt compelled to kiss you.” His gaze was drawn to my lips. “It was the only thing I could think of.” All I knew was that I needed to reassure you and hoped that I could do so in the manner of your species.”
“Well, you did the exact opposite.” I let out a soft chuckle and bit my bottom lip, tasting the remnants of his sweetekilathat had been left behind. Grabbing his hand, I moved it away from my face and over my heart. “The passion you put into our kiss made my heart race.”
“Is that a common occurrence among members of your species when they kiss?”
He tilted his head, studying me, his hand pressing harder against my bare skin. The coolness of his palm helped to relieve the burning sensation that was radiating from my body.
“When at least one of the parties is attracted to the other...”
“Does that imply you think I’m attractive?” His lips curled into a sly grin. “If that’s the case, perhaps I should do it more frequently to persuade you that you belong with me.”
“I don’t think you’reunattractive.”
As I peered down at his large, muscular pectorals, unable to meet his gaze, my cheeks burned with embarrassment from my honest response to his direct question. His vines shifted along my legs, reminding me that I was now commando beneath this leafy robe, boldly straddling his lap.
If I kept letting his vines freely roam my body, one of them would notice how drenched I had become in a short amount of time, and then things could get heated very quickly.
And I would gladly welcome it without reservation.
I wriggled and writhed my entire body in an attempt to break free from his vine binds and climb off of him, but my efforts were fruitless.
His strong hands gripped my sides, halting my jerking movements as the tip of one of his vines pressed against the bottom of my chin, guiding my head to face him. The end felt like miniature corn on the cob against my skin, cushioning me with its firm warmth.
“There’s no need to be afraid of me,” he reassured, his thumbs running comforting circles as his grip softened. “I’ll keep myself well-groomed to your liking, and hopefully, my body will start producing as much vibrant color as your hair soon. Perhaps it will be then that you will consider me worthy of being with you and standing by your side, basking in your beauty.”
“You think I’m beautiful?”
Once again, I’d never heard such a claim before.
When it came to crowds, I was always ignored—looked over. Why would anyone notice me, curvy and average, when there were gorgeous cosplayers at every event? It was part of the reason I didn’t mind how wild others thought my hair was, because compared to those in costume or a fursuit, it was quite tame.
There was never any reason for me to force myself to meet society’s high beauty standards when there was no way I could. Growing up poor, I was passed from household to household by my birth mother’s family whenever I was deemed too inconvenient to be worth my government assistance.
I had only my tablet and my simulation system, which was linked to my cell phone, to keep myself entertained and allow me to escape reality. Fortunately, by the time I was sixteen, I was proficient enough in eSports simulations to join an academy gaming household.
The owner of the team assisted me in becoming self-sufficient and demonstrating to the authorities that I was capable of looking after myself. Because they believed in my gaming abilities, I was able to obtain the financial assistance I required to save for myself and pay for things.
I would not have been able to work my way through the eSports industry and become the person I am today if it hadn’t been for my natural talent and sheer luck in becoming discovered in the way that I did.
I frowned as I looked toward the balcony door, wondering if my teammates had noticed that I was missing and were looking for me. Or would someone take advantage of my absence and swoop in and take over my position?
Would I be missed? Would I be remembered?
His vine redirected me back to face him. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m just curious if anyone misses me... I’m afraid to acknowledge the possibility that no one will.”
“Why are you wasting your time thinking about such trivial matters?
“Luwaeri, don’t force yourself to remember things that will only harm you.” As he combed back my hair, his brow furrowed. “Forget those who have wronged you; they no longer matter. Your future is with me. Stay by my side, and I’ll chase away any negative emotions, protect you from those who are unworthy of your presence, and make sure you never have to waste your energy on things that will only bring you down.”
