This is Book 1 of the Arcelia Series.* Book 2 is in the works!
*Can be read as a stand-alone
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Malik Jackson needed help. After being exiled from the ocean, he washed up on the beach covered in injuries and missi...
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~ ~ Xander ~ ~
I ended up staying up all night, too overwhelmed with stress and worry to sleep. Come four in the morning with no rest in sight, I left Malik alone in favor of working on my painting of him. I did this often when manic, spending hours painting until my eyes burned and my hand cramped.
I did feel bad for leaving Malik alone like that, but I was just down the hall and I would come running if I sensed anything wrong. I needed to let out some pent up stress, that's all.
I hardly noticed when the sun rose, my focus only breaking when Malik called my name. I set my paintbrush down and took a moment to examine what I had done. Since the last time I visited the painting, I had a lot more time to stare at Malik and memorize his features. I worked hard to be sure the painting looked just like him, and the result was something I could be proud of. I nodded in satisfaction, and strode out of the room.
Malik had his head poking out the door of our room when I rounded the corner. He peered down the hallway, facing away from me, so when I approached, I cupped his cheek and turned his head, watching his eyes light up as he saw me.
"Oh! There you are," he smiled, stepping the rest of the way out of the room. I stepped even closer to him and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Here I am," I mumbled, my touches combined with my kiss sending shivers through my soulmate. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I was just painting."
"I see," Malik inspected my colorful hands. "You got it on your face, too," he smiled. "Why don't we go wash up?"
"We?" I raised an eyebrow. Was he seriously asking...?
"Yeah, let's go get in the shower."
Oh.
Oh.
"Okay," I stared into his eyes for a moment, looking for any trace of uncertainty or discomfort. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," he took my hand and led me into the bedroom. I tried to ignore my racing heart and sweaty palms, but had to remind myself that it was a natural reaction to be nervous the first time.
Now face to face with each other in the bathroom, neither of us quite knew what to do next. Malik's emotions swirled with excitement, and I nearly proceeded with undressing, until I noticed the fear. I observed him for a long moment before stepping closer and cupping his face. We stared into each other's eyes as he leaned into my touch. My fingers inched down his face, feeling his pulse. "Your heart is racing, darling," I mumbled.
Malik shivered, inhaling as if he forgot how to breathe. "I'm scared," he whispered.
Such simple words, though they held so much weight. I knew how hard it was to admit fear, but Malik stood before me, laying his soul bare even though I could feel every bit of his fear. He didn't have to admit it, but he did, and the trust we had in each other deepened. "We don't need to rush this," I assured him. "We have all the time in the world."
