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Only a few minutes before I see him again!

Much like when I’d been stuck behind the tractor, the time it took Jules to get to the arch felt like hours.

Then, finally, I spotted him through the trees.

“Bunny?” Jules stopped dead in the middle of the forest path. His irises clouded over. It looked like a summer storm swallowed the forest in his eyes. He stalked closer, shifting with every step. Sweet twink Jules was replaced by imposing scary AF forest god.

He towered over me, the breath rasping in and out of him. It brushed over my lips as he gripped my chin and forced my face up.

Fuck, that’s so sexy. Make me kneel, daddy?

A high wind suddenly tore through the trees around us, whipping his long copper hair around his head. Jules didn’t even blink an eye.

“Who hurt you?” he thundered.

“This? It’s just a black eye, Jules.” The hold he had on my chin tightened.

“Who did this to you, Nikolai?Tell me.”

“Another hockey player. The asshole high sticked me.” I still hated Lipponen’s guts. “You should see him, though.”

No matter what Søren had said, my hot head had gotten the better of me. The penalty I got for boarding that asshole had been worth it.

“I want to hurt him for wounding you,” Jules forced out between his clenched teeth. I had never seen him like this before.

“I told you what I do, Jules. I can take care of myself.” My voice was harsher than it needed to be. “I’m not a child.”

As his gaze bored into mine, the storm clouds dissipated. His mossy green eyes softened, but his hold on me didn’t.

“I know you are not, Nikolai. What do I do when my feelings tell me to take care of you, too?” he murmured, thumb trailing over the dimple in my chin.

He kept his eyes open and leaned forward. In no universe did the peck he placed on my lips count as a real kiss.

In no universe but mine.

I was stunned.

“Jules,” I whispered, not knowing what to say. He released me, shrinking as he stepped away.

“Let me take you home, Bunny.”

I was still numb with shock. Once or twice he had to steady me when I stumbled on tree roots.

No, not shock. What’s the opposite of shock? Elation? Euphoria?

I raised two fingers to my mouth to check if there was an imprint of his lips on mine. There was nothing, only the memory of Jules kissing me.

For fuck’s sake. An actual fucking god kissed me.

Twenty-nine

Jules

Whenwearrivedatmy house, Nikolai crouched down to greet Barnabas.

Shame at my outburst burned in my chest, yet the bigger part of me was still filled with that white hot burning rage. “Do you want to see your seedlings?” I asked him. I tried to unclench my fists and took deep breaths, but the air still rasped in and out of me. I sounded like an agitated stag during rutting season.

That my lips still tingled from our kiss didn’t help calm me down, either. Why, by my forest, had I done that? Something in me had snapped at the sight of his bruise. Even now it drew my eyes. I wanted to find the other player and rip him limb from limb for hurting what was mine to protect. Bunny. My sweet, confusing, and beautiful human.