7. River

"Hey, River!" Indy cheers into the phone. "Did you know the future queen of the sperm whale kingdom has two pet sharks? Anyway, what's up?"

With the way my body keeps reacting to Akira, I figure a little advice might be best. "Are you busy? I think I need to talk to you about something." Some muffling can be heard over the line. I wince as I hear someone say goodbye. "You know what? It's fine. We can catch up later."

"No, no. Talk to me. I was just finishing up with Conall and Seven. What's going on? I'm always here for you."

Sitting on the tiny sofa in my trailer, I take a deep breath and decide to let it all out. "I, uh—I um, might have a thing for my roommate."

The line is so quiet I have to check the screen to make sure we weren't disconnected.

"A thing, huh?" I can practically hear Indy's smile over the phone, and it causes me to relax. Damn, why was I so nervous?

Thank god I called Indy and didn't talk to anyone else about this. I feel so… vulnerable. Almost like I'll be judged. But I'm safe with my older brother.

"Yeah." I let out a shaky laugh. "A thing."

"Okay, you know what? I'm by the Ferris wheel. Give me five minutes and I'll head to your trailer."

"No!" I exclaim. I might feel comfortable with Indy, but I wasn't ready to say anything face-to-face. "I think it might be easier to say this over the phone."

"Okay. That's fine," he says slowly. "Do you have feelings for Akira?"

I balk. "What? No, no. Just a thing."

Indy chuckles. "Okay, Riv, break it down for me. What exactly is this thing you speak of? And just remember, your feelings are valid, so you don't need to be ashamed of anything. It can be our secret."

Shaking out the tension in my shoulders, I move my neck from side to side. "I don't really know how to explain it," I sigh. "But I think I'm attracted to Akira. He's very distracting."

"Ah yes, go on," Indy encourages, the smile evident in his voice.

"My body always seems to react when he's nearby." I let out another long breath. "I–fuck." Why is this so hard? I rake a hand through my blond hair and try again. "I think he's pretty," I whisper the last part, just happy I actually blurted it out.

"He is," Indy says in a tone so light, I wonder how it"s so easy for him.

"Wait. You're mated! You aren't supposed to be checking out other men." I grumble, falling back against the sofa and rubbing my chest. There's no way that"s a twinge of jealousy.

"Jeez, River. I'm in love, yes. Not dead. You'd have to be blind not to notice how gorgeous Akira is."

I nod my head in agreement, even though my brother can't see me. "Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. So it"s normal, and clearly, I'm not blind. It doesn't mean I'm suddenly gay or bi or anything. Right?"

"River, listen to me." Indy's teasing, happy tone is gone. In its place is something stern and serious. "Those are thoughts that Uncle Harris tried to drill into us. There is nothing wrong with being gay or bi."

"No, of course not." Damn, I'm fucking this up. Sure, our uncle is an asshole, but I never bought his bullshit. Especially when it came to Indy. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay, I know you didn't. That being said, you are allowed to have feelings for another man. Or for one man. Or for only Akira, specifically. Just because you like him, or want to get to know him, doesn't mean you have to put a label on anything. Explore what you feel. Open that mental door and let your brain turn over the possibility."

I'm probably too quiet for longer than I realize because I startle when Indy says my name softly. "I wasn't going to say anything about this, but do you remember how I told you I can see auras? It's one of the magical abilities I've gained, thanks to the faerie magic from the curse."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, your whole aura lights up when Akira is near you."

My mouth falls open, and my face flames with embarrassment. "Oh my god, can everyone here see it?"

"No. As far as I know, it's just me. And Seven. Well, and Rhea. And probably Brighton."

"Oh," I say, in a dry tone. "Is that all? And what about Akira? What does his aura look like?"

What do I want his aura to look like when he's around me?

"Nope. I'm not saying a word. It isn't a secret for me to tell. You need to explore this. Not let me tell you how to feel."

"Great." I scrub my hand over my face. "It's just that Akira is—"

My words slam to a halt when Akira walks through our front door with a knowing smirk. Did he hear me say his name? There"s no way.

Akira looks like a sweaty sex god. My mouth hangs open and my gaze goes a little hazy before focusing on his sweat-drenched pirate shirt. The shirt that is now, honest to god, see-through. Did he sprint all the way here after his blade-throwing session? Is that why he's soaked?

Akira is toned. Everywhere. I can see the way his shirt clings to his defined muscles, and I swear I've never been more jealous of a shirt than I am at this moment. All of Akira's shirts have been loose when he wears them. And I haven't really seen him shirtless, so I had no idea he was so ripped.

"Earth to River?" Indy says somewhere off in the distance. "Are you there?"

My eyes snap up to Akira's when he chuckles, his earlier frustration clearly gone.

Oh shit. Busted.

He just caught me practically drooling over his abs.

I press my phone back against my ear in a daze. "Yeah, uh-huh. Gonna explore," I mumble, still distracted. "All the exploring. Kay? Bye." I hang up the phone knowing I'm going to have to explain to my brother how my brain cells fried to a crisp at the heated gaze Akira is shooting my way.

He pulls his daggers from his hidden pockets, which, in all honesty, I'm surprised he's letting me watch. Not that I could even tell anyone where the pockets are because I'm too focused on how the black leather pants hug his thighs.

Those damn pockets must have some type of magic on them, because as far as I can tell, they're so tight that there shouldn't be room to store a single dagger, let alone three. Jeez, how the hell does he have any blood circulation with those things on?

Akira chuckles again, but this time it sounds low and husky. My instinct is to pull away, but instead, I let my eyes leisurely travel back up his body, making it clear I was actively checking him out. Akira"s whole face lights up under my inspection.

Letting myself check out this man so freely, and with purpose, sends a rush of excitement through my body.

"Do you see something you like, little human?"

Another thrill zings through me like an electric shock. I love the way he called me little, despite us both knowing I have a solid six inches on him. When my eyes finally meet his again, I expect to see his usual teasing demeanor. Instead, I'm met with his stormy blue-gray eyes that seem to swirl with heat.

"Wait." I snap my fingers and lean forward. "Your eyes. They're blue."

He arches a dark brow in question.

"When we met," I explain. "Your eyes were brown that night we danced." It's been driving me crazy trying to figure out why his eyes look so different.

His wicked grin spreads wide. "It was glamour. The night we met, both Sorren and I used glamour to appear more human. Just in case. Were you studying my face that night, River?" And there's the cocky tone I've grown used to. But despite his playful smile, his gaze is still smoldering.

I pretend his stare isn't setting me on fire and quickly type out an apology to Indy on my phone before hitting send. Immediately, I get a text back with a winking face emoji. Damn, there is no way I'm going to get away without my brother teasing me.

"You never answered my question, River. Do you see something you like?"

"I don't think so," I say, squirming in my seat and hearing the lie in my voice.

God, I don't even sound convincing. I was definitely checking Akira out and he knows it.

"Huh. Interesting." He gives me another smoldering look before turning his back to me and pulling out the box he stores his daggers in. Akira's ass looks so fucking good in tight pants. How on earth have I never noticed how round and muscular it is?

Did I mention that I'm an ass man? I hold back a groan and reach for the pillow on the sofa, smashing it against my lap and praying it's not obviously out of place there.

"Why are you so sweaty?" I grumble. "Did you work out or something?" Damn. Now I just sounded like an asshole. Talk about inserting my foot into my mouth.

"Or something." He glances over his shoulder with a teasing grin. "And why are you so sweaty, River?"

"I went running with Aaron," I reply in a dry tone. "I sweat when I run."

Another chuckle.

As soon as he turns his head back to the closet, I jump up from my spot on the sofa and practically run to our tiny kitchen. Yanking open the fridge, I grab a cold water bottle and chug half the contents in three swallows. Why is it so damn hot in here?

I'm still half hard, so I turn my body toward the kitchen counter and hide the evidence. Akira would get a kick out of me being turned on right now. Damn, stupid body.

He closes the closet door and makes his way toward me. I press my body harder against the counter and bite my lip. But as soon as his tantalizing scent of bergamot surrounds me, I know I'm a goner.

Akira presses his body against my side as he reaches for the Keurig. His arm brushes against mine, the soft hair teasing me.

"What are you doing?" I whisper.

"Making some coffee," he teases. "It's your fault I'm addicted to this stuff."

"You don't have any coffee in Faerie?" I slowly turn my head his way, almost afraid that making eye contact with him right now will make my downstairs situation even harder.

Akira tugs the basket of various coffee pods toward him and sorts through his options. "We do, but I'm not used to so many flavors. And being on the go, we never really had time to doll up a cup to make it taste so damn good." He pauses, his fingers lightly dancing over my arm and leaving goosebumps in its wake. "Have you tried this one?"

"Caramel white mocha? Yeah. That's my favorite."

Akira shifts his body intentionally and presses his hips against me. I know he's pretending to reach for the sugar, or maybe I hope he's using sugar as an excuse to touch me. He feels so damn good, and his bergamot scent? So addicting.

Fuck.

My half-chub is a full erection now. Holy shit. There's no denying it. My body wants Akira. I. Want. Akira. Swallowing hard, I trace my eyes up to his. The stormy blue is swirling, and his pupils change shape, resembling a fox more than a human.

His eyes are striking and mesmerizing. Did this mean his kitsune side is stronger at the moment? Because he looks more animalistic, and it"s ticking all my boxes. He pulls his eyes away from mine and focuses on his task, but I don't miss the way his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. And I don't miss the way he hasn't pulled his body away from mine.

Or that I haven't pulled away from him. I mean, I was here first.

That"s when I feel it. There's a thick bulge in his pants and it's pushing against my hip. He's hard too. Testing things, I shift my hip, creating friction against his cock. He groans. Oh fuck, ohfuck. I just did that. I made another man groan with pleasure.

Akira snaps the Keurig lid into place and presses start. "River," he whispers, his soft breath caressing the shell of my ear.

I'm about to do something, who knows what, when the coffee machine makes a horrible burbling sound, and we both jerk our heads toward it. With a final pop, grounds fly everywhere. I gasp as soon as I register the hot grounds hitting my skin, my arms, my chest, and my face.

To my horror, the slight bite of pain only adds to my arousal, and a moan escapes my lips.

Akira yanks away. "Oh shit. I'm so sorry, River. Are you okay?" He reaches for the mess on my shirt. For fuck's sake, if he touches my chest, I'm going to come in my pants. I whip around and bolt into our bathroom.

I shove the door closed behind me, panting hard.

"River?" Akira sounds concerned, but I don't reply.

As soon as I catch my breath, I glance in the mirror and burst into laughter. I have coffee grounds all over my face and chest. I look ridiculous. "I'm fine, Akira. Just gonna take a shower."

"Are you sure you"re okay?" he asks, just behind the thin door. "The coffee was hot. You sounded like you moaned in pain. Did it burn you?"

Damn, how the hell do I explain that, yes it did hurt, but I fucking liked it? I've been so sex deprived lately, but not only that, I've always had a thing for that sharp edge between pleasure and pain.

"River?" Akira tries again.

"I'm fine, Akira. It didn't burn, it just shocked me." And wasn't that the fucking truth?

"Okay, let me know when you're done. I'll shower after you."

I glance back at the mirror, but this time I take in my whole appearance. My shirt is wet, yes, but my nipples are pebbled, and my shorts are still tented under my rock-hard cock. But, not only that, my eyes look wild, and my bottom lip is swollen from biting it. I'm keyed up.

And the flush on my cheeks? It makes me appear… sensual.

It"s a look I never associated with myself before, but then again, maybe I've never been this wild with lust. Akira did this to me. And I like it.

After flipping on the hot water, I strip out of my clothes, folding my shirt and workout shorts before placing them on the sink. Glancing in the mirror, I look at my body again. My hand trails across my chest. With my dominant hand, I wrap my fingers around my cock and tug. There's no way I can leave this bathroom without jerking off.

I reach into the cabinet, pull out my secret stash of lube, and then step into the shower. The pressure and heat of the water feel delicious against my skin. This has to be magic, right? A small trailer shower shouldn't feel this good.

Taking my time, I explore my body as if I'm feeling aroused for the first time. I spot Akira's body wash and pop the lid open. I inhale. It smells good, really good. But somehow I can tell that the clean scent that usually follows his body is mostly him.

As I soap my washcloth with his body wash and clean off today's events, I think about the kitsune shifter just on the other side of the wall. I slowly tease myself, running my soapy hands over my body, pausing over my erogenous zones.

The idea of jerking off to Akira isn't a new one, but this is the first time I've decided to do it on purpose. I should be embarrassed, as he's only several feet away. Yet, I find myself reaching for my bottle of lube and pouring a generous amount into my palm.

I'm needy as hell.

I deserve this and owe it to myself. I might not be ready to get physical with him just yet, but I'm allowed to entertain the idea.

My eyes fall closed, and I pull up the image of us in the kitchen only minutes ago. I'm sad I didn't take a peek at his erection outlining his pants, because I'm pretty sure he was hard when he pressed against my hip.

I remember the heated look in his eyes, those full lips. Fuck. What would it feel like to have his plush lips wrapped around my cock? Making a tight fist with my lubed-up hand, I make sure my hand isn't near the spray of water, and push my cock into the small opening of my fist.

Is Akira a top or bottom? I might be used to being the submissive one in a relationship, always being with dominant women, but I never really had to worry too much about that dynamic before. Would Akira let me slide inside of him?

I groan.

I remember how gorgeous and round his ass was in those damn leather pants. Instead of moving my hand, I hold it still and I thrust my hips and begin fucking my palm. I picture Akira laying on his back, while I push inside of his tight hole. His hand wraps around my throat, showing me that even though I'm the one topping him, he's definitely the one in control.

Akira's palm slides around to the back of my neck, yanking me into a filthy kiss. My hips thrust faster. Harder. With my free hand, I rub my wet stomach and glide my fingers up to my pebbled nipple. The whole time I work myself over, I picture Akira's hands on me and moan. Twisting my nipple with just the right amount of pain, I come hard, spilling into my palm.

My eyes flutter open as the realization of what I just did hits me. Stepping back under the spray of the hot water, I wash myself off. I should be freaking out, but I'm surprisingly relaxed.

It"s not like he needs to know what I did in here, or that I did it to the image of his fingers wrapped around my throat.

I open the bathroom door and peer out into our shared space. Akira is back at his closet, pulling out a new outfit. His raven black hair looks a little rumpled for some reason, falling out of its bun more than usual. I chuckle softly when I notice it looks exactly like the other outfit he was wearing earlier. "We really do need to get you new clothes. You can't keep walking around like a pirate, or people might start demanding some type of pirate act."

Akira studies my face as he brushes past me. "You know, you're really handsome when you smile, River."

My smile widens at his compliment as soon as the bathroom door is closed.

It's not until I hear the shower water running, do I notice his balled-up sheets sitting on his tiny bed. A blush heats my cheeks. I remember the way his hair looked wild, falling in loose strands, tumbling out of his bun and framing his face.

Did Akira touch himself when I was in the shower? And why does that image make me smile even more?