Damsel in Distress (Wesley)

Beautiful Blake had been rewarded. Her efforts with the Canaries along with her acclimatisation into clan life had allowed her promotion to the official rank of Mender. She couldn't be happier, she got to continue doing what she loved whilst earning her keep with these Shifters. She wanted to celebrate. There was talk of an island called Astridax, owned by Regina Eden. It was a holiday paradise, accessible by a short boat ride. Blake figured it was as good a treat as any. Spend a few days on a secluded island simply relaxing and enjoying herself. She would of course remain accessible to her clan in case her skills were needed, but she hoped they were unnecessary. She truly enjoyed being out on the boat, the salty air tangling her brown hair. Surging lazily over the low-rolling waves reminded her of her love of swimming. Contrary to popular belief, lions had no aversion to being in the water. It was the predators within that had them avoiding it. A crocodile could take down a lion just as easily as a lion could take down an impala. She wanted the first thing she did here to be a good bit of swimming. As the island drew nearer she spotted a great set of cliffs, atop which there sat a lighthouse. Time for a little exploring, She thought.

Departing the dock she offered a polite thank you to the captain, crew and dock master before heading for the mansion. Inside she found lavish furnishings and wardrobes stocked with new clothes. She hadn't bought herself a bathing suit in a long time and was glad to find a whole selection of brand new - with tags - bikinis.  At first the idea seemed a bit nerve-wracking, wearing clothes that specifically exposed her torso, her scars. But she wanted to be free to enjoy herself. So she pulled on a very enticing little number - a navy and white striped string bikini, very nautical. Over the top she wore a pair of light wash ripped denim shorts and a very thin white tee. Pulling on a pair of flip flops she left the mansion in search of the lighthouse.

At the cliffs, she took a moment to take in the beautiful view. She slid her feet from the rubber, wriggling her way out of the little denim shorts. Crossing her arms over her torso, she gripped the hem of the shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her body to the salty sea air. She walked cautiously to the cliffs edge, toes gripping the rock. Looking down the water appeared clear and calm. And very deep. The Mender bit her lip in anticipation before turning and walking away. With a running start, she threw herself off the cliff and into the water. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"She screamed with delight, grinning on the way down. The rush was wonderful. Her body plunged into the deep waters and she immediately brought her arms up to cover her breasts. It was likely the impact could have forced the knots undone. But she was safe this time.

In a perfect breast stroke she swam upwards, breaking the surface. Floating effortlessly, Blake smoothed her long hair back out of her face. There was the sudden force on her back as a random wave came flooding in, forcing her head down. The water tossed her like a rag doll, slamming her body into the cliffs. She struggled to remain afloat until the waves stopped, but one pushed her further, hitting her head against the rock.

The hours of the day passed by so slow in the office. For an hour he sat in his chair and spun himself around the office. He would have continued, but the movement he felt like throwing up, he stopped. At one point, he had grabbed the waste basket and held it close to his head. He did not heave anything from his body, but instead put it back down. The days had been so long and now it was time for him to leave. It was only lunch time, but he lied to Liara, telling her that he had a meeting with an important arms dealer. Instead, he walked to the pier and boarded a boat to Astridax for the weekend. Luckily for him, he already had a day pack on his back. He had already pre-planned this escape, but he didn't expect it to go down this easy. Piece of cake, he thought to himself as he sat in the seat. His eyes, brown and smoldering chocolate, he stared to the waves as they moved through them. He watched the birds flying over head and smiled as they could finally see the island. When the boat docked at the island, he stepped off, still dressed in his work attire. His dress shoes, slacks, button up shirt and black tie looked perfect on his body. He had enough muscle to fill out the shirt, but not too much. He tusked his hand into his pocket as his blazer was hung over his shoulder. He carried his day pack and walked towards the lighthouse. It was a known fact that the waters around it were dangerous, but Wesley enjoyed a sense of danger. He walked for the lighthouse when he heard a scream. At first he was confused if it had been a call of joy or fear. He ran towards the end of the dock, looking into the water as he saw a glimpse of a body being taken over by the waves. "Oh shit!" he shouted as he stared to the water. Her body moved quickly beneath the waves and he knew she did not have a lot of time here. Dropping his blazer to the ground, he kicked off his shoes and yanked off his tie. Lifting his arms above his head, he jumped off the formation and dove into the water. He used his arms and legs to push him through the water. He reached for her, but missed. He was forced to open his eyes to find her, but the salt water stung him so intensely he had to shut them. she was fading from his area, and so he forced his eyes open again. He saw her body, and lunged inside the water as hard as he could to grab her. With an outstretched arm, his hand caught hold of her wrist. He jerked her close to him, using his arm to wrap around her waist. He swam for the surface and finally both of their heads breached the water.

He held her close to him and swam for the shore. When he finally made it for land, he could not tell if she had been breathing or not. He had learned CPR as part of his training, and knew he would have to do it to save her life. Once he walked out onto the land, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the docks. He laid her out on the floor, palms faced up against the ground. He leaned his ear close to her nose, trying to feel if she were breathing, but nothing happened. He grabbed a had in his other, forcing his palm to his her sternum. Fifteen times he applied pressure, and once he had done so, he moved to her lips and pressed his to hers. He blew air into her lungs five times. He moved back to her chest to push the water out. When he went to blow air into her mouth once more, she awoke and spit water in his face, coughing and gasping for air. Wesley leaned back to give her space, "are you alright? You could have been killed out there."

Darkness. That was what filled her mind as her brain quickly began to fail. There was a sensation of floating too, but it was distant. The dark wasn't so bad really. Nerve-wracking as it was full of unknown horrors, but it would all go away soon. She knew that. What comprehensibility remained of her mind in these final moments found the events almost ironic. She who had been both a doctor to humans and a veterinarian to animals, now a Mender to shifters. She was the only one properly equipped to save herself. The universe had a twisted sense of humour. She'd never intended death upon herself when she jumped off that cliff. In her youth she'd been cliff-diving for a long as she could remember. The waters below were calm, with no evidence of rips or swirls. Those rogue waves had surprised her out of nowhere. But what is she was wrong? What if the waves were the norm and the quiet ocean beneath the lighthouse was a freak event. Rare, almost unheard of. But being new she could have no way of knowing. She could only act as she saw fit at the time. It was the way doctors were. They assessed the situation to the best of their ability; made a call, a diagnosis; and then they acted. If it turned out things were a little different than previously suggested, they merely corrected their previous actions and continues with a different approach. The most important thing was acting quickly to at least nullify the situation.

Pressure against her lips. A force rushing down her trachea and oesophagus, worsening the clog of salty water. But as a foreign force tried to make her body do one thing, it chose to do the opposite on reflex. Her body regurgitated the top layer of the water, spurting it past her lips and into the face of her saviour. her mind was foggy and ill-equipped to be acting as a medical professional, but she knew she needed the recovery position. Blake rolled onto her side allowing most of the water to leak out of her parched mouth. Then she began to heave. Rolling onto all fours she mostly dry retched. But painfully, her body expelled the last of the water from its system. Not the most attractive sight. She breathed heavily, chest heaving as she waited a moment before flopping onto her back. Blue eyes found brown as she tried to place a name to the face of her saviour so she could thank him. But she didn't know him. He was completely new, foreign to her. It was then she remembered hearing him ask her something. She nodded. "I'll be fine. I was going swimming. The water looked perfectly calm and okay." A pause for a moment where they just sat in silence. "Thanks. You know, for saving me.'

When she spat up the water in his face, he leaned back from her. He still knelt at her side, but gave her some space. He watched as her body rolled to her side, spitting the water out of her mouth. She coughed and heaved as it all came out of her lungs. His brown eyes watched her closely, making sure she would be alright. Since she knew to lay on her side, it seemed she knew exactly what she was doing. She must have either saved people from drowning before, drowned herself, or she knew more about the medical profession. As she looked up to him, he smiled and looked back over her. He helped her sit up from the ground. "Well what kind of man would I be if I let someone so beautiful drown so horribly?" He tried to play a small joke, but he did mean that she was beautiful. But she did not need to lose her life. "Next time, if you want to go for a swim, I would suggest the buddy system or some kind of man-made body of water." Once she had sat up, he draped his blazer over her shoulders. He hugged it close to her body, trying to keep her from being cold. The winds by the lighthouse had picked up, pushing the clouds to force their way through the open skies. They drifted without a worry or a care, just sailing through life as if they were on air. "We should get you to somewhere, like a place you won't catch a cold from." From the look of her body, he could tell that she was a foreign girl, but the question was just what kind of girl she was. He had hoped that she would be something extremely exotic, but he could not be sure. He wasn't going to press the matter and he figured he would be able to get it out of her eventually, along with a few other things. He stood up from the dock and held out his hand to help her stand up. If she decided to take it or not, would be up to her, but together they walked towards the lighthouse door. He made his way towards the door, and soon his hand was tightening around the handle, and their entrance was then allowed in. Wesley held the door open for her, lifting his hand as he asked her to go in without the use of words. After she walked in, he closed the door behind them, blocking off the wind and cold. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name back there... I'm Wesley, Wesley Harding." He held out his hand for her, hoping he would get a chance to hear what her name was.

The young Mender could only smile softly at his flirtatious plays. Of course she heard it when he called her beautiful, only she saw it as his way of making her feel better after doing something so stupid and reckless. She sat up slowly, rumbaing her hands on her upper arms that the friction might generate some heat. The winds has picked up here, the salty sea spray doing nothing but nullifying her attempts at warmth. A rather heavy weight fell on her shoulders and something dark entered her vision. The man had draped his blazer over her shoulder. Arms crossed over her chest, she pulled the jacket tighter about her thin frame. Warmth would come with time. She nodded, they did need to get somewhere dry before the storm blew in. Her feline senses could smell it. The scent of water, rain. It was an addicting scent. Difficult to catch and even harder to keep. The damp wood of the dock beneath her feet seemed feeble and flimsy, but she knew it was strong, else it would have been rebuilt long ago. Blake gratefully took the mans hand to rise, shuffling along behind him from the dock. They walked together uphill to where the lighthouse stood proud and defiant against the dark sky. When they reached the door, she remembered her clothes. Without any sort of explanation, she dashed off to where she had left them. Clutching the fabric in her arms she returned to the open door, ducking through past the brown-eyed man. Once inside she produced the clothes and smiled. "My clothes. At least I'll have something to change into." The only trouble was, her bikini was still we beneath the jacket. She needed to dry off before considering changing her clothes, otherwise everything she had to wear would be wet and she'd never get warm. Noticing the stairwell, she draped the shirt and shorts over the bannister to wait while she tried her best to dry off and get warm. He asked her name, calling himself Wesley. "Um, Blake, Blake Rowan. I suppose I should thank you properly, now that I know your name. Thank you, Wesley." She took his hand and shook it lightly. Her grip released, hand returning to her arm where she continued to try to warm herself. Her blue eyes once more found his brown ones. "You're human aren't you, Wesley? You don't seem like a Werewolf or a Vampire. You don't have a tail or ears, so you're not a Mora. And you definitely aren't a shifter."

Turning his head, his brown eyes watched as she ran from his quickly. She scurried to her clothes, clutching them up in her hands and holding them to her body as she shuffled back to him. He could not help but to smile as he watched her. She was a gorgeous creature. Yes, she was a creature. He didn't know how he could really tell at this moment, but he liked her. He watched as she hung her clothes up to dry and closed the door. The wind could be heard crashing against the building as they were protected by it. Autumn was beautiful, but the start of the most dangerous season. The temperatures dropped and things died all over the lands. As he looked to her, he got a great idea. A smile hinted over his features and he looked to the stairs. "I wish to show you something.." he said as he grabbed her hand and walked up the stairs. As he made it to the top, he spoked gently. "Close your eyes." When he made sure she did so, he opened the final door, opening into a room on top of the lighthouse, protected by the circular glass. From this point it seemed all of Astridax could be seen and even some of the lands far far away. "Alright... open your eyes." He looked to her as she did so, smiling when she could finally see the world around them. "I am a Human. I am not immortal, I can die as easy as I allow myself to be killed. I am no monster, instead I am only a man. And since you know me not to be a Shifter, then that leave me one question I am sure I know the answer to... Are you a Shifter?" He smiled to her and looked out to the ocean as the sun began to be swallowed by the water. The endless ocean was consuming the burning ball of light, allowing the moon to take its full luster among the stars. Soon they would only see the pitch black night and the flashing of the lighthouse torch. "But the answer I do not know, would be... What kind of Shifter are you?"

The wind outside roared against the walls of the lighthouse, like a pride of lions on the attack. The thought made her smile. She wondered why, in her entire 99 years, she had never though to live wild among the Lions of Africa. She would have been so far removed from her birth clan, not to mention most of the human world. She could have contributed to their society, learnt more about her primal roots. She'd heard tales of Shifters finding mates amongst their wild cousins, but she couldn't ever see herself doing such a thing. Whether it was daddy issues or an aversion to anything close to beastiality she could not say. But that was neither here nor there. It was a past that had not occurred and therefore not worth considering.

The human male took her hand, directing her towards the winding staircase. Her hand rested in his as he lead her up and up, wondering what he could possibly want to show her. At the top she softly lidded her eyes, blind to the world as he lead her onward. Cold air assaulted her damp body as the temperature dropped. Beneath his jacket her scantily clad body ran a shiver in response. Where were they? Her feet shuffled over the concrete flooring, taking her time so she wouldn't trip. Open your eyes... The world around her was revealed. The glass room showed her everything. She could see far out across the now surging ocean to where the hazy horizon depicted the shore of the mainland. Out there the storm clouds were gathering, backlit by flashes of purple lightning and the setting sun in the west. Down on the beach below the palm trees were whipping about in the wind. She could have sworn one was nearly at the point of being uprooted. Her left hand remained in his grasp but her right snapped up to cover her gasp at the wild beauty her eyes were privileged to see. Are you a shifter? Of course the question would be asked. But he asked the question like one who already knew the answer, so she only nodded. He clearly wanted to ask more. "I'm a feline. Another feline, boring as some might say." She said, unknowingly mirroring her Regina's first thoughts upon seeing the Mender. "A lion is my form. Lioness to be more correct." She sighed. "Sometimes I think things might've been easier if I was born human. Although, I wouldn't be here, having the pleasure of being saved by you." She blushed, almost ashamed for being so forward.

Standing beside her, Wesley stared to the beautiful scenery. As the day shifted to night, clouds swept over the sky like a brush dipped in paint. Even for one such as Wesley could enjoy this gorgeous site. Not many things captured his breath, but this did. The human rested his hand gently on her back, unsure if he should be doing that, after all she was a stranger who he had just saved. She may not be comfortable with such affections, but he quickly reminded himself that he did not care. As she spoke, he listened but didn't care to look at her. He didn't want to seem too interested in the female. That was never good for him. Get what he wanted and be done with it. As he poke f her animal side, he couldn't help but to be amazed by this creature. A white lion. In his head, he marked off the list of foreign girls he had shared intimate nights with and smiled. Soon he would have a white lion shifter to add to it. Wesley looked to her finally, an excited expression on his face, "wo, I've never seen a white lion before. Tigers, yes, but lion never. That is insane and sometime I would definitely like to see that.. If you wanted I mean.." he said softly as he brought down the excitement in his features, showing an innocent and caring side. Such a show he put on for the poor girl, for it was all an act to ensue his haneous actions upon her bald form. The thought alone sent a shiver up his spine and forced his pants to feel tightter. He began thinking of something to wash the arousal from the darkest chambers of his mind. "Being a human is the easiest life one could ask for. To my people, I'm a hero. I've been to many wars, saved thousands of lives single-handed, and of course, given my people their freedom. In my home land, they have a shrine just for all the great deeds I have done. So it was only natural for me to save your life. So, gorgeous shifter who finds pleasure in dangerous water... Tell me about yourself. What else does this stunning beauty like to do?" He lied so eloquently no non-human could tell if he were lying or telling facts. The perfect liar.

Watching the wind outside made her shiver out of instinct, pulling the blazer tighter around her bikini-clad body. The fury of the storm that rolled towards the island was exciting and entrancing: she could watch it for hours. The dark sky towered above like the great columns of some dark castle. As a child she used to play outside in the rain, giggling and squealing with delight each time the thunder boomed overhead, just as it did now. This storm would be big, it would be long. They were confined to the lighthouse until it eased up. The first hints of rain began to spatter the glass that protected them from the storm. Thick, heavy droplets that made a decent thump when it landed. The world was enveloped in darkness, only brief purple flashes illuminated it. His hand on the small of her back sent a shiver up her spine. She smiled and turned to him. "Perhaps someday you might see my primal form. If you are lucky," She cooed, lightly placing her hand on his forearm. She couldn't help it, he seemed like such a gentleman. Her knight in shining armour. His hand on her hip, having drifted there when she turned, somehow made her feel special. Such a simple show of affection had her melting for him. It only proved how deprived she had been of proper relationships and intimacy in her life.

She was so excited to hear of his accomplishments. Surely a military man could do her no harm. He was trained to do good and follow orders. He was a natural hero. So wonderful. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "Oh, I'm nothing special. I'm mostly dedicated to my work. Before coming here I was a veterinarian and before that a doctor. I guess you could say I'm an animal person." She looked down at the beach, appreciating the natural landscape. "I love gardening and landscape design I suppose..." She bit her lip, looking down for a moment. "But I have a secret guilty pleasure... I'm obsessed with fast cars. They're just so..." She sighed, not having the words for how it felt. To feel the power of the vehicle beneath you, to fly across the track at high speeds. The roar of the engine made her chest tighten in anticipation and gave her a rush of relief. He probably thought she was weird.

In the return of his affections, Wesley smiled. It was a brilliant display, one he had used to lure many women to his bedroom with the intent of fulfilling their every wish for pleasure. The cunning spider weaved his web of lies around her mind, placed perfectly planned hands where they should not have been, and captivated her with his false stories. Everything was going to plan. As her hand brushed against his arm, he could not help himself but to pull her in closer. With her against him, he could feel the warmth coming off her body. Foreign girls ran hot, there was another side of them which forced it to be so. She was no different. As she spoke, he pretended to listen, pretended to care. But when she spoke of her line of duty, he could not help but to think of the dirty things which could commence between the two. Roleplaying the act of a soldier who had been wounded in battle, waiting to be healed. While the sexy nurse entered the room and started dressing his wounds, and doing other tasks to keep his mind off the pain. Closing his eyes for a moment as the thoughts thrived through his body, he breathed slowly. He tried to keep his blood from rushing to his pants, but it was not an easy task. The other things she spoke of did not matter. Plants were lame, essential to life, but lame. When she spoke of fast cars, Wesley regained his devious smile. He had a fast car, well, an all terrain vehicle he could speed in. It was a fun to drive anywhere in. "Well, it just so happens Miss Nurse, that I have a very fast HMWVV to use at my disposal. I will definitely have to take you for a ride sometime." He smiled to her, turning her to face him as he gave her his award-winning smile yet again. "It seems I have a case of chapped lips. Is there anything in your vast medical knowledge which can fix this problem?" He was hoping their signals had been aligning, that she got the hint. He waited patiently for her reply. Would it be with some form of remedy or would it be their first kiss, which he planned to follow with much more? The predator planned in his mind, an alternate course to take to reach the rewards he wanted. But that was just in case his prey did not take the bate.

Their bodies moved closer at his direction, her hands raising automatically to rest on his chest. There was very little space between them, enough that a nun would pull them apart, reminding them to "leave room for the Holy Spirit". Her lips twitched in a small smile at the thought. But that was before she remembered something far more important: she had never known a man. She had been kissed before, but nothing more. She had never experienced for herself this thing they called sex. She didn't expect Wesley to want to do such things with her, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't developing some sort of crush on him. Logically it was really just some sort of Hero Worship, an after effect of being saved by the human. But her brain was in no logical state at the moment. She was consumed by Wesley and the way he'd saved her so gallantly.

He had a car. Well, not a car, a military grade all terrain vehicle. But still, he had a car. She had to bite her lip to contain her excitement to a smile, her eyes lit up and shone with the storm. "That would be... that would be so cool." Her chest heaved as she tried to calm her breathing. She was obsessed with fast cars, though she'd had little enough time to pursue the passion. He mentioned chapped lips which immediately sent her mind into Mender mode. Shrugging her arms further into the blazer, tugging it a little tighter about her scarred torso, she spoke his remedy. "Well the best remedy would be to get a chapstick or some ointment on them immediately to return the moisture to them. I know, I know, men do not typically enjoy wearing such typically feminine products but it will do you good. You might also want to start drinking more water, chapped lips are a common early sign of dehydration as well as the more commonly known wind chafing. Also-" She cut off, her mind searching for another remedy she had known. Or was it a tip? Of course, don't lick your lips.

Just as he thought, she started spouting out remedies to the one thing he was not worried about at all. She had missed his point, his hint. It had spread it's wings and fliwn right over her head. Wesley could not help but to be surprised by this fact. One possible thought came to his mind in an instant as she started rambling about hydration. Was Blake a virgin? The human was beside himself, trying to figure it out for himself. If she was, this would make it a challenge, but if she was not then it could potentially be too easy. Though he was the human, he was more suited to be a Hunter. He lured his prey with treats and bait, but she did not budge. In order to get his prey, he would have to show her what he meant. With their bodies close to one another, he have her a smile and slight shake of his head. Before she could continue to speak of more things he could do to protect his lips from the outside world, he pulled her as close as possible to him and kissed her lips. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her tight. He applied just enough pressure for her to know that Wesley liked her. There was no denying this was not a kiss among "just friends". As Wesley held the Shifter against his body, he could feel his arpusal building. Beneath the confines of his coat was the stunning body of a goddess. It was the one thing he truly wanted right now. He would take her on the floor, against the wall, and even hold her up on his own. When he finally broke the kiss, he kept his closeness to her and smiled. "You sure know a lot about how to heal something.." He gave a soft chuckle as he stayed so close to her. With the kiss already out of the way, he was curious to find out what she would be doing next.

She never got the words out of her mouth. her train of thought was brought to a screeching halt by one sudden action. The force of his lips crushing against hers. She was no virgin-kisser, she had kissed a few men before, but a very long time ago. She was still considerably inexperienced and out of practise. She was glad he did not push the action further, attempting to deepen the kiss by opening their mouths and making use of his tongue. She was certain such an event would be a catastrophe on her part, causing severe embarrassment. Instead the kiss was firm, with a hint of passion if she was correct. Tilted just so that it was obvious enough even to Blake that he was interested in her. And then it ended, almost as suddenly as it had started. He held her close, for which she was grateful. The kiss had made her light-headed and left her breathless, her chest heaved beneath his blazer as she attempted to catch her breath. Her face broke into a beautiful smile as she watched him. Her eyes found his for a moment, before dropping to the floor. Finally her breathing slowed to a more regular rate and she gained the courage to look up. Her hands fluttered softly to his chest as she attempted to speak. "Well... um, I... well..." It was no use, she could not form a coherent sentence, not even string two words together correctly. It was all so sudden and forceful... but not in a way she saw as negative. Here she only saw passion.

Standing inside the lighthouse, Wesley held Blake close. He stood in silence as she tried to speak of something, anything. But the words seemed to be jammed wihtin her throat. Her mind would not release them for anything she wished. He could not help but to smile for this fact. He had taken her breath away. With just one single kiss, Wesley was able to leave her speechless. He had always known he was good at the game he played, he moved his pawns effectively over the rough terrain which was the female species. The human held his eyes on her, not looking away for anything he was worth. She was a gem, a stone beneath the pile of pebbles who only needed a small amount of help to climb to the top. His hands gently rubbed the small of her back, as his brown eyes met her hazel hues. "Was that too much for you? Too fast?" he asked with a strong sense of concern. Though it had been false from the start. Wesley did not truly care if it bothered her at all. He merely cared that she would return his wishes and go along with his scheme he so wished her to fall into. He had planted the bait, waiting for the moment for the viper to strike. He moved his hands from her back, down the gentle skin of her arms and grabbed her hands for him to hold. As he clasped her warm hands in his own, he looked down to them. Trying to think of the mushiest thing he could possibly ponder, he spoke in a gentle whisper. "If you want my honest opinion on today, I think fate has forced a way to bring us together. I have come to Astridax very few times. Today I was supposed to go to work, and stay there for a long time. But I decided that today would be a good one to get away for a while. I honestly think the planets have aligned and allowed me to find you. It was in that moment when I saw you in the water, I knew it was going to be more than me just saving your life. But in doing so, you saved mine. You wouldn't believe how many girls I tried to make a committment with. As time passed they all decided there was better fish in the sea, but you have opened my eyes and my heart. And I want to try again. Will you jump with me, Blake?" Wesley could feel his stomach turning from the disgust of the words he spoke, but the clever fox knew what strings to pull, what lies to tell. No female could truly resist something like that. Surely it would get the lioness into bed with him. If it was not tonight, then the next date they took together. Wesley would get his prize, a checkmark on his bucket list.

Was it too much too fast? The Mender swallowed, forcing down her previous attempt at words. Swallowing her fear and her nerves. She shook her head. "No, it was just... unexpected." She allowed the moment to linger in silence, just enjoying the contact. His hands drifted from her back, forcefully holding their bodies together, to slide down her arms and hold her hand in his own. Before she came to Lunari, she had been very selective about who could come into contact with her. As a doctor, she was required in numerous medical situations to touch the bodies of other in order to examine them. But, aside from that, it was a rare thing that she held a hand, offered a hug or even nudged someone. But since coming here, she had become just a little more free and open with these little gestures. It seemed to be a good thing for her. His brown eyes captured her blue ones in their gaze, and this time she could not find the strength to look away. So she held the eye contact, lips parting slightly while he spoke. She almost felt as though she needed to hear him say it all again to make it real. Her hands gently squeezed his in reassurance and she smiled at him. "I'd love nothing more, Wesley."