Page 10 of The Jorogumo (The Sanctuary #2)

Haruto

We didn't go past kissing that day, and after spending a few more hours with me where I told him everything he wanted to know about fated mates, Liam left just before dinner after he'd drawn a promise from me that I'd visit his store the next day.

After walking him to the Sanctuary door—it made more sense for him to leave on his own, even though I wanted to draw out our time together as much as I could—I headed back to the Forest area, and immediately walked into an ambush. Thankfully, it was just Dustin, Khush, and Keoni, so there was a chance I'd survive it.

"So? Did you tell him?" Dustin demanded, leaning against his mate, whose tail was wrapped around his middle, supporting him.

"Look at him. He most certainly did," Khush teased, his yellow-brown eyes roaming over my face. I reached up, blushing when I realized my hair was all over the place. Running my fingers through the short strands, I tried to get them into order.

I knew the only way to get them to stop bothering me was to tell the truth, so I sighed loudly before saying, "Yes, I told him. He reacted very well—"

"We can see that," Khush cut in, eyes twinkling, and I huffed before continuing like he hadn't said anything at all.

"—and we talked about it for a while—"

"Oh, I bet you did."

"—and I'm gonna see him again tomorrow. One minute for questions and then I'm going home to decompress."

"How was the kiss?" Keoni asked eagerly, and since he wasn't teasing, I answered honestly.

"It was amazing. Intense."

Keoni looked amazed at this answer, and considering the kid hadn't had his first kiss yet—he'd grown up in the Sanctuary surrounded by people who saw him as a little brother, and as of yet wasn't able to visit the human world—I understood his fascination.

"He really took everything well? The mates thing and your sexuality as well?" Dustin asked, and I nodded.

"He asked a lot of questions about my limits, but he didn't seem disappointed by any of them."

"That's great. I mean, I expected as much since he's your mate, but still. I'm glad you two are figuring it out."

"Yeah, man, we're really happy for you," Khush said, his teasing smirk morphing into something softer.

"Thank you."

"Now go chill out in your webs before you break out in hives." Because of course he couldn't be serious for more than a minute.

"Yeah, yeah. "

With a wave, I made my way to my house, and that was where I stayed until dinner, just lazing on my hammock with a comic as my mind churned over Liam's whole visit.

It had gone better than anything I could've imagined, and I'd loved watching Liam get along with my friends, though not as much as I'd loved kissing him.

Liam was such a sweet man, a gentle teddy bear who was misunderstood far too often, and I was glad he'd met my friends. No one here would ever be scared of him, not just because he was human, but because they could tell how fucking good he was. If there was anyone who wouldn't judge someone based on their looks, it was the residents of the Sanctuary.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and other than some gentle ribbing from Khush and Silas, it passed without incident.

That night, it took me a while to fall asleep, but when I did, it was with a smile on my face.

The next day, I had to finish my chores—both from that day and the day before—and it was after lunch by the time I managed to make it to Liam's. I'd texted him about the delay, but I still wished I could've made it sooner.

Liam smiled widely when I rolled through the doors, Touya already on his way back to the Sanctuary.

As the doors closed behind me, Liam hurried over, leaning down to press his lips to mine in a soft kiss .

"Hey," he greeted with a smile as he stepped back, his cheeks pink.

"Hey, Liam. It's so good to see you."

He seemed pleased by that, and I noticed it wasn't the first time. Liam had really liked it when I'd told him he was mine, when I'd laid a claim to him. He liked being appreciated, my mate, and I was going to make sure he never felt otherwise.

"I haven't taken my lunch break yet."

"What? Why?" It was past three already, and he should've eaten hours ago.

Liam shrugged as he walked over to change the sign, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. He'd been waiting for me. Damn, why did he have to be so sweet?

"Come on, we can sit in the back. You can stretch your legs too."

I followed after him, and when we reached shelves that hid me from the glass front completely, I stepped out of the wheelchair, then slipped into Liam's office with him.

Liam turned around, a smile on his face, and then let out a gasp when I pressed him against the wall, claiming his lips with mine.

After spending the day together yesterday, it'd felt awful to be away from him. I hadn't thought it would be that hard, and yet.

Sometimes, I thought I felt things more deeply than most people did. It was why I couldn't handle being around people for too long. Too many emotions that were far too big to name. It was as if instead of experiencing sexual desires, my feelings were ramped up double-time, so I felt everything twice as intensely in half the time.

"Fuck, Haruto," Liam gasped into my mouth, his hands fisting my shirt as he held me close .

My fingers flexed on his hips, and it was only the faint growling of his stomach, the reminder that he hadn't eaten anything, that made me pull away.

I rested my forehead against his, breathing him in as I forced my heart to calm the fuck down. My mate needed sustenance, and that took priority over my need to feel him close to me.

"You should eat."

Liam groaned as I tugged him toward his desk. "You're evil. Don't kiss me like that if you expect me to function afterward."

I snorted. "Duly noted. I'll be more mindful next time."

Liam huffed as he settled on his chair and pulled a paper bag closer. "Don't. You can kiss me anytime you want. Just give me a minute to get my head on straight afterward."

God, could he be any more adorable?

Liam

Someone needed to shut me right the fuck up.

Since there was no one around except the man I insisted on embarrassing myself in front of, I took a big bite of my sandwich to do it myself.

Haruto leaned against the desk just far enough away that we weren't touching, watching me eat with a soft smile on his face. Once I'd chewed and swallowed my bite, I nodded toward the paper bag. "Would you like some?"

He shook his head, eyes never leaving mine. "I ate at the Sanctuary."

Shrugging, I demolished the sandwich before pulling out the second one. I paused before I could start eating it, eyeing it with a conflicted feeling in my gut.

Growing up, I'd always been big for my age, and while I'd never been overweight or unhealthy, it hadn't seemed to matter to a lot of people, including my parents, who would eye every extra bite like it was the worst thing I could've ever done. I didn't want Haruto to think of me like that. I'd worked hard to reach a point where I felt comfortable in my skin, but a part of me would always be that little boy who'd been asked again and again if he really needed that second helping.

"What's wrong? Did it go bad?"

"Huh?" I blinked up at Haruto, utterly confused about what he meant.

"The sandwich. You've been staring at it for the past minute. Has it gone bad?"

"Ah, no." Not wanting to explain my insecure thoughts to Haruto, I took a bite. Once I'd swallowed, I asked, "What did you do today?"

"Nothing fun," he said with a shake of his head, then explained how he'd worked at the farm where they grew most of their food, doing extra hours since he'd skipped his chores yesterday to spend time with me.

"I really like how you all run the Sanctuary, working together and everything. I don't even know any of my neighbors except Dawn and Saxon."

Haruto smiled. "Most of it is thanks to the headmaster. He created the Sanctuary and gave us a place to call home. In return, all he asks is that we live together peacefully and do our part to keep the place running. It's more than fair, especially since for most of us, it's the only home and family we have."

I mulled over that as I finished my second sandwich, then ducked into the small bathroom to wash my hands.

Haruto was right where I'd left him, and I stopped in front of him, unsure of what to do next.

"Do you need to open soon? "

I checked my watch, then shook my head. "I have twenty minutes."

"Perfect."

Still leaning against the desk, Haruto pulled me close, wrapping one arm around my waist while the other cupped my jaw. I gazed into his eyes, unable to look away as he leaned closer and closer, his lips barely brushing mine before he pulled back, then ducked closer and repeated the gesture.

"Please," I whispered, unable to take the gentle teasing. From the moment I'd gotten home last evening to the moment I saw him come in today, I'd thought of nothing but the way he'd kissed me. The way he'd owned me. The way he'd called me his . I wanted that again. I needed it.

Groaning, Haruto slammed his lips to mine, and I made a sound of abject relief as I grabbed his hips, holding on for dear life as I kissed him back. No one had ever kissed me the way Haruto did. He knew exactly how to make my body sing, and I could feel my arousal sharpening as his tongue slid into my mouth, tangling with mine as if he wouldn't stop until he'd laid claim to every inch of my mouth.

I felt owned and worshiped all at the same time, and I wanted to give myself over to Haruto to do with as he pleased. I was surprised by how much I trusted this man already, but not enough to stop what we were doing. Hell, it made me want to continue even more.

"Haruto, please," I begged, though I had no idea what I was asking for. What did I want?

More. More of this. More of whatever Haruto was willing to give me.

Nothing existed except Haruto. The world around us could cease to exist, and I wouldn't notice as long as Haruto kept kissing me .

I was so lost in him, so lost in the things he made me feel, in the way he made my body feel like one giant live wire, that I didn't notice there was someone else in the shop. I certainly didn't remember that I'd forgotten to lock the door when I changed the signs.

All I cared about was Haruto and his body pressed against mine, until a familiar voice called from the doorway, "Liam?"