9. River

Ican almost feel the excitement radiating off of Akira every time Seven walked on stage. Not to mention how transfixed he was on Coal's flame. Akira was impressed. It was like watching someone have an epiphany. I get the feeling that, despite growing up with magic, Akira never saw a show like this. But what I don't think he realizes is that Akira can put together an act that's just as impressive.

Why did I ever question my attraction to Akira? Something is definitely happening between us. I might not know how to tell him, but I love how he makes me feel. I haven't been this relaxed in front of anyone in a long time. Or this happy. Once we started talking, we just… clicked. It was so easy to open up to him.

Tonight has been better than any date I've ever been on. Wait, is this a date? I glance over at Akira. He quickly looks away as if caught doing something wrong. He's been doing that all night; stealing glances my way.

My gaze returns to the stage as Brighton finishes his act. The kid really knew how to put on a damn good show. A vibration starts under my hand, and I realize it's Peanut purring. Referring to my brother as Peanut when he's in his cat form makes it a little easier for me to comprehend.

Plus, if I thought of him as Indy, it would just be weird to be scratching behind Indy's cat ears. Peanut continues to purr, and a moment later I realize why. Seven is back on stage and introducing the crowd to the Balance Brothers. "Jeez, you have it bad. You just saw him, kitty cat."

Akira chuckles next to me and I grin over at him. We must have been staring a little too long because the next thing I know, I'm getting a paw bop on my cheek.

My brother doesn't even need to be in human form for me to get the message. Yeah, Peanut, I got it bad too.

Alyx and August walk onto the stage, and soon enough I'm wrapped up in the Balance Brothers' act. Their moves are incredible. The way August wraps his fingers around Alyx"s forearm, and Alyx does the same, all while simultaneously bending backward in a fluid, graceful motion. The way they use each other"s strength to hold the other up, then seamlessly transition into the next move, seems impossible. I can"t imagine the amount of core strength it takes to make the moves look so effortless.

"Is that the friend you usually go running with?" Akira asks, leaning in close.

I shake my head. "No, that's Alyx. I run with his brother, Aaron."

"What does Aaron do around here? Does he have his own act?"

"Actually, this is his act. He's usually up on stage with August. But he recently broke his leg and asked his brother to fill in. I guess in the process of training together, August and Alyx fell in love. So now he's here to stay."

"That's actually really romantic," Akira says with a soft smile, and I find myself studying the kitsune shifter again. Is Akira a secret romantic under all those flirty smiles?

"It is," I agree. "Did you know it only took them about a week to get their act together? Given August lives and breathes the circus—according to Aaron—and Alyx grew up practicing these moves."

"Damn, a week?" Akira snaps his head back to the stage. "They move like they"ve known each other for years."

I focus on the couple again, admiring the level of trust they have to have with each other. Not to mention, the moves are very intimate, almost sensual.

At one point during the act, Peanut hops off my lap and disappears into the crowd, probably to sneak backstage with Seven.

The entire circus show is whimsical and fun, but if I'm being honest, my whole night with Akira has been magical.

***

The next morning, I wake up to see Akira has already left our trailer for the day. Disappointed that I didn"t get to see him, I decide to pack my bag and go for a morning run. I grab a picnic blanket, a bag of trail mix, and my paperback. I fill up my water bottle and head out the front door. Maybe I can enjoy the cool morning weather by going for a run and reading outside before the weather gets too hot.

After about twenty minutes, curiosity gets the best of me and I jog down the path Akira took the other day. I spot him throwing his faerie daggers at the same fallen tree in the middle of the meadow. Gone is his pirate shirt, and the only thing he's wearing are his skintight leather pants and a few bracelets that jingle as he throws. He's gorgeous, with an intense look on his face as he concentrates on his target.

I figure here is a better spot than any to settle in and read my pirate book. Hell, maybe Akira can help me picture Captain Vex Silver-Tongue sailing the seven seas.

Pulling my blanket out of my backpack, I spread it out on the grass and sit down. I watch him practice his throwing for about ten more minutes before finally pulling out my book to read. It doesn't take long for me to get lost in the adventure between the pages.

"What are you doing here, little fox?" Akira says, lying on my blanket next to me.

I blink, so absorbed in my book, that I don't even hear him approach. A blush heats my cheeks. Just because we've been friendly and opening up to each other doesn't mean I can stalk the poor guy. I purse my lips as I realize what I did. He probably wanted his privacy.

Akira just ignores my embarrassed state and spreads himself out on my blanket before me, like a feast. He crosses his ankles and tucks his hands under his head like a pillow. I find my gaze roaming his body, the expanse of tan skin, cut abs, and those strong arms. I notice the fine dark hair on his forearms and the coarse hair in his armpits. Instead of turning me off, I like the way his hair looks. It's masculine and sensual.

I expect him to tease me when my eyes meet his stormy gaze, but instead, he looks troubled. Placing my book down, I lie next to him and stare at the white clouds against the blue backdrop of the sky. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"I've been practicing with my daggers all morning." Akira lets out a long sigh. "Won"t people find this boring?"

"No, not at all." I shake my head. "The way you throw your blades is mesmerizing."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him turn his head to look over at me.

"And the blue flame? It's beautiful. It adds an extra layer of danger to the act," I continue.

"But I've been throwing my daggers for decades. I just can't imagine someone being entertained by it."

"But that"s the thing. You're used to it. Here, let me show you," I say, fishing my phone out of my pocket and searching the internet for knife throwers in the circus. I find a man who wraps the handles of his knives with cloth and lights them on fire before throwing them at his target.

Akira presses in close. We watch several videos together for about half an hour. The whole time he adds his own commentary and input on how he can do this or that and how he can make it better. I can hear the excitement growing the more he talks.

At one point, I click on a video where the knife thrower has a female assistant who looks rather sexy as she shows off the blades. After she passes the blades to the knife thrower, she does a cartwheel into a handstand and holds her pose as she does the splits. The knife thrower throws his blades into the board behind her, just above her legs.

My mind wanders back to Alyx and August's balancing act and the amount of trust they have in each other. A ridiculous image of me being Akira's assistant pops into my mind. Too bad I can't do the splits or hold any crazy poses. Wait, would I really be willing to do that with Akira if I could do those moves?

"Thank you, River. I think I can do this!" Akira's stormy blue eyes sparkle. "If I can ask Seven to find some kind of thrilling soundtrack to play, something with heavy drums that makes the heart pound, I think it would make things more exciting. I can also play with my flame and add a little extra glamour to it."

Akira pops up from his spot on the blanket and jogs over to his fallen tree. I stand up and follow. Pulling his dagger from his hidden pocket, he tosses it into the air, causing it to flip. Blue fire lights the handle, causing my heart to pound. Being this close, I can feel the heat of the flame.

He catches his blade easily and throws it at the target, the magical flame trailing behind, just like before. Only this time, blue embers drip from the flame, like liquid fire.

My mouth falls open, and I clap. "That was stunning. Do it again!"

And he does.

The heat of the fire is exhilarating and dangerous. But I notice it doesn't burn the tree as the blade hits the target. "Is the fire real? Or is it an illusion?"

"A little bit of both." He beams at me. "The magic in my faerie dagger does my bidding. It will contain the fire, which is real, and only burn what I want it to burn. If I was in battle and trying to light something on fire, I would only need to ask the dagger to let go of the flame as I threw it."

"Fascinating. And the illusion part?" I ask, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"The brilliance of the blue and the sparks that fall to the ground are an illusion."

Fully facing him, I press in closer to the front of his body. "Do it again," I say, suddenly breathless, wanting to get closer to his flame.

The tension between us is thick. His stormy blue eyes bore into mine before he pulls a blade out of nowhere. Without breaking eye contact, he wraps his free arm around me and pulls the front of our bodies flush together.

Then I feel him pull his other arm back and he throws. His whole body jolts as he lets go of the dagger. The combination of the heat from the fire and the thrust of his body against mine sucks the breath out of me.

Holy shit. That was hot. If I turn around, I know I'll see that his dagger hit the target. Instead, I wait, savoring the feel of Akira against me.

I peer down at him, not pulling away. Oh, god. I'm not pulling away. From this angle, I can see two different shades of blue swirled together with that stormy gray in his irises. Akira's pretty eyes drop to my lips.

His pupils turn into vertical slits, and I know his kitsune is rising to the surface.

He freezes.

I tilt my head down, and his breath ghosts across my lips.

Damn, I want to feel the real thing. I want his lips on mine. "Akira?"

"Yeah, little fox?"

"Kiss me."

A deliciously wicked look crosses Akira's face. His long fingers grip my chin, and he pulls my mouth down to his. Despite the heat in his eyes, Akira is surprisingly gentle, claiming, but still gentle.

He nips lightly at my bottom lip before crushing our lips together. The kiss is a hot press that's both exhilarating and comforting. It shoots a zap of lust through me that makes me feel alive. It's unlike anything I"ve ever experienced before. How is that possible? A kiss shouldn"t feel so… electric.

If I ever thought kissing a man might not be my thing, Akira has squashed that notion tenfold. In fact, I"m pretty sure doing this with anyone else will never feel half as good. I expected our first kiss to be carnal lust and a clash of teeth, and I still want that, but this is… perfect.

"Oh, wow," I breathe against his lips. Then I firmly press my lips back to his and close my eyes. I can't help myself. He feels so good. Tastes so good. But before either of us can take things further, Akira pulls away. I'm ashamed to admit that my lips chase his.

I glance down at him, and there's a tender look in his eyes that shocks me. "Why did you stop?" I practically pout.

"Oh, sweet fox, I plan on giving you everything you crave. I just didn't think you wanted an audience for our first time."

Our first time.

Then the rest of his words register. When I see movement just behind a tree, I snap my head to the left. To my shock, I see a blushing Farren with one large hand covering his eyes as he walks backward. "Don't mind me. I didn't see a thing." He waves his hand in a ‘continue' motion.

As soon as he's out of sight, I look over at Akira, stunned. His lips are swollen and his hair is tumbling out of his bun. We stare at each other for a moment before we burst into laughter.