B+Bs: To Stand In A Beast's World

6. New Home

Hi, readers.  Quick question for you.  I found that I've been calling the city in the desert both the City of Flame and Flame City.  Which do you like more? I'd like to pick one and stick with it and figured I ask for opinions.

Happy reading. ^_^

I helped unpack all the goods as we lost the rest of the sunlight. Roof repairs would happen in the morning, courtesy of Shuu, while Winston hunts. I talked with both males the while we kept busy.

I mainly ran ideas for projects and decorations by them while also probing their preferences. Both Shuu and Winston were currently yes men so I didn't learn much about them.

I tried to get to know them and gave them some insight with what to expect. But as I predicted, neither suddenly changed their minds. I heaved a relieved sigh and hoped the bonding would be as painless as possible.

I braced myself for the night to be a long one, but neither male insisted on getting to it tonight. For that, I was very grateful. I left my scarf on, planning to tell them about the stripe tomorrow. I didn't have it in me to answer any questions it would bring up about my stay in the City of Flame.

As tired as I was, my heart rate still picked up speed as I crawled into a bed that had someone who wasn't Mitchell in it. It hit me that I was genuinely embracing this culture now. I secured two fiancés and my husband was off ruling his city.

The last bit put a damper on my emotions and I let it. I was tired and I needed the sleep. Despite laying within arm's length of two men I met today, I fell asleep fast and hard. I didn't wake up until Shuu started pounding on the roof the next morning.

I hadn't felt either one get up and leave. I was not a heavy sleeper usually so this was pretty shocking. I got up quickly and found Winston organizing the cooking pit.

"There are fruits if you are hungry," Winston said softly.

I gratefully accepted the fruit and ate what I could. I offered some to Winston, who refused until I offered to feed a berry to him directly. I won't say I lived for this moment, bit it was something I looked forward to.

Winston flushed red, but took the berry with joy in his heart. Grace's finger brushed against his lips and he could not help but lick it.

Well, that was as sexy as I thought it would be. I can scratch that off my bucket list goals; although, I might throw it back on there so I can do it again. But I refrained for now. I didn't want either one of us to get into that mood unless we could see it to the end. I was happy to know that we did have some chemistry.

With that in mind, I kept Winston from leaving so I can get the big thing out of the way. I undid my scarf as Winston watched on in confusion. I could see the moment it clicked for him, because his silvery-grey eyes widened comically.

I placed my fingers on the blue-green stripe that was half-hidden by my hair.Winston had come back to life and cleared the distance in an instant. His hand hovered right above my own as I felt his body heat envelope me.

"This?" his voice sounded so pained that I had to look at him. His face was equally devastated making me wonder exactly what scenarios he was running through that head of his. I grabbed his hand and brought it down to touch it. I felt my skin tingle at the contact, but didn't let that get to me.

"I swallowed a bunch of transparent crystals for this." His thumb rubbed back and forth across the length of it. It made it a little hard to concentrate, but Winston's expression was helping. "It was my choice." My words didn't seem to make him feel better.