Page 41 of In Love With the Leshy

The bird hops off Em’s shoulder and onto my hand. I don’t mean to scare it, but I didn’t expect it to land on me. I flinch, and the bird flies away.

“Aww. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

How appropriate that the bird demonstrates how I reacted to Em, humbling me, because in this situation, I’m the big scary monster. I’m disappointed and angry at myself that I squandered the opportunity to make a new friend. What surprises me more is the bird’s return. Landing on my forearm, the blue jay’s claws grip my skin.

Em stands still, allowing me to have this moment with the bird. It takes a few small steps up my arm, tilts its head, and stares at me. The bird doesn’t make a sound, but I feel like we’re communicating in the calming silence between us. It looks from me to Em, and then, just as suddenly as the bird came, it spreads its wings and flies away.

“She likes you,” Em whispers. “She thinks you may be worthy.”

“May be?” I ask, acting offended. “What do I have to do to prove myself?”

A deep rumble rolls in his throat. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

*

Once we are inside the entrance of the cave, Em sets me on my feet so that I’m facing him, with my back to the interior. His hands grip my hips. He yanks my body against his, causing me to slam into his chest. Surprised by the action, I gasp. My heart races as need for the big, strong body against mine surges through my veins.

“I’ve been waiting for this from the moment I saw you.” His eyes crawl over me like fingers, burning with raw, needful lust.

Wrapping his arm around my waist, his mouth crushes mine as he backs me into the heart of the cave. My fingers thread through his hair, holding his head close to me. His cool, smooth fingers work between the vines covering my breast just enough to expose my nipple. He pinches the tip, and a yearning I’ve never felt before shoots through my body and settles between my legs.

Em lifts me by the back of my thighs. I wrap my legs around his waist. With a hand protecting the back of my head, he slams my back against the wall. I shift my hips, seeking his hardness. He grinds against me, teasing me, leaving me dripping with want.

“Easy, My Flower. I want to drink your sweet nectar, but I want to lay you down so I don’t hurt you.”

“Please, Em. I can’t take anymore.”

He pulls me against his chest, holding my head close. I pepper kisses down his neck and along his collarbone. My hands slide up the taut muscles along the column of his neck. A lump along the side of his neck that I’m neglecting stops me.

“What’s wrong?” Em asks as he sets me down.

“What is this?” I ask, moving my head to get a glimpse.

He shakes his head and pulls away. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

Grabbing his shoulders, I draw him back. “I thought you were done hiding.”

“I am,” his eyes pierce mine and cut right to my heart. “It’s . . . let me get a knife and cut it off.”

“No!” I reach for his hand and yank him back before he can get away. “What is it? It looks like some sort of cherry.”

“I’m a healing Leshy,” he says with his eyes downcast, as if he’s ashamed. “In order to heal,” his voice drops with every word, “I grow brimberries.”

My mouth hangs open, unable to hide the shock of his words.

“Let me cut it off, and it’ll be like it was never there.”

“Except that it is there. Why do you need a knife? Can’t you just pick it off?”

He shakes his head. I see the bump in his throat move with an exaggerated movement.

“It won’t come off if you pick it. There are only two ways for it to come off. One is if I cut the root out from beneath my skin.”

“Which is why the skin on your forearm looked different my first morning here. One grew, and you cut it out.”

He nods, looking embarrassed.

“What’s the second way to remove it?”

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