“Well, if we are going to make porridge for our dekes tomorrow, then we need to gather some more grains. Would you care to join me?”
“Julie!” Gabby called out to her friend. “Drovo isteaching us how to make candles, come on!”
“Oh, that sounds useful.” She looked thoughtful as she contemplated her choices. “Maybe I can join you tomorrow.” Julie gave me one last smile as she grazed my arm and turned to follow Gabby out of the main cavern. The touch of her delicate fingers lingered on my skin and I wanted to call out to her. I wanted to make up any excuse to keep her near me, but I knew learning new skills would make Julie feel more at ease.
I could be patient. I could wait until tomorrow to spend time with her again.
I returned to the cookfire and gathered all my dishes and brought them outside to the small stream beside the mountain. After washing each dish, I put them away so they’d be ready for tomorrow.
I had many things to do, such as gathering berries to dry out in the sun, or seasoning meat to prepare for dinner, but instead, my feet led me to the storage cavern where Drovo was giving a demonstration on how to make candles.
“Yep, weave the fibers together and make the string as long as you’d like, we can always cut it into smaller pieces later once it’s dried out,”the tree shifter instructed as the females braided small strands of fibers together that would go inside the oil to later be lit by the fire.
Julie sat next to Gabby. They compared their work and laughed over a joke I could not hear. Julie tucked her hair behind her ear, and I wished it was my hand touching her instead.
She was so beautiful with her shoulder lengthblack hair, her tan skin, and her smile that warmed my very soul. My gaze drifted to her soft skin and my fingers ached to touch her and my cock stiffened at the idea of her laying on my body again.
Who needed a cook fire when I had Julie bringing such heat to my body?
“Do you have anything to add, Orsu?” Drovo called out.
I straightened and coughed to hide my surprise at his question. “No, I was just observing your lesson.”
“Were you, now?” Drovo gave me a knowing smirk.
“You’re all doing fine work.” I commented, but I was really only looking at Julie and my heart sang when our eyes met.
“But I need to be going. I’ll see everyone at the evening meal.” I smiled at Julie and left the cavern.
Julie
“Thank you for the lesson, Drovo,” Gabby complimented the tall male.
“I was happy to teach you all.” He smiled at everyone but his eyes lingered on Kayla before he left.
“I think Drovo has a crush on someone.” Ashleyeyed Kayla as did the rest of us. It was obvious he liked her. He may have been teaching eleven of us, but his eyes rarely strayed from Kayla. He might as well have been giving her a private lesson.
“Whatever,” Kayla waved a dismissive hand in the air.
“What, you don’t like the dryad shifter?” Taylor asked.
“No comment,” was Kayla’s only reply.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ashley asked.
“He’s pushy, and annoying, and he claims to be good at inventing things, but he’s already measured me twice for a mobility device he’s working on, and both times he’s come back with something that doesn’t fit me at all.”
“Maybe next time, you should help him be more thorough with his measurements,” Hai added with a smirk.
“No thank you,” Kayla shot down Hai’s suggestive remark.
“You’re no fun,” Hai pouted.
“I’m very fun,” Kayla protested. “I’m just ready for this mobility device Drovo promised me.”
“What about you, Julie? I think Orsu might have a crush on you. Are you sure nothing happened in that cave between you two?” Taylor’s eyes gleamed with a wicked delight.
“Nothing happened,” I assured her, but I doubted anyone believed me. I could feel my cheeks heating at the memory of lying atop Orsu two nights in a row.
