Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
But that didn’t feel like enough. The words balanced on the tip of his tongue.
Come to China with us. Be there to guide Erik as he grows into a young man.
Don’t leave me…
He couldn’t say any of that. They barely knew each other. Sure, Leo knew far more about him after spending months spying on him in his cat form, but that didn’t count. There was no way he could ask Leo to move away from the place he called home.
Besides, deep down, he knew his desire to have Leo accompany them wasn’t purely for Erik’s sake. He wasn’t ready to let the cat go. He wanted to show him his home and his world. There were so many things he wanted to discover about Leo. They needed more time together. Years. Decades. Centuries, if possible.
Leo sat up straight, his legs bent in front of him and his body moving a tad closer to Junjie. “I wouldn’t worry too much. You’ve got Huli with you. I’m sure shifting is shifting. I wouldn’t be surprised if seeing the fox spirit change from fox to human helps Erik along when he gets older.”
That earned a frown. He’d forgotten about the huli jing.
“While I don’t have a problem with Huli, I don’t know that he’s the best influence and teacher for a young boy,” Junjie hedged.
In return, Leo leaned in closer, the arm he was partially supporting his weight on bumping into Junjie’s and staying pressed against his. Leo tipped his face up toward Junjie, and the most wicked grin spread across those soft, plush lips. His voice dipped so very low, seeming to caress the inside of his ears in the most tantalizing manner. “Are you saying that I’m a good influence?”
“You have your moments,” Junije murmured.
“How about we make this one of those moments where I’m not a very good influence?”
A tiny voice in his head screamed that this was a bad idea. This was not the time or place, but it felt like forever since he’d last kissed Leo. His entire body moved closer without him commanding it to, as if he were magically drawn to Leo and he couldn’t stop himself.
Just one kiss.
What harm would it do?
One small, brief—
“Gege, car!” A bright-red plastic car suddenly appeared right before his eyes, stopping mere centimeters from crashing into his nose. He jerked, his heart leaping into his throat. A gasp broke from Leo as he jolted upright and away from Junjie.
It appeared his brain needed an extra couple of seconds to register that he hadn’t even heard Erik’s approach from the toy chest. He blinked, his eyes focusing on the smiling two-year-old who was dragging the large bunny by the ear in one hand and holding one of his favorite toy cars in the other.
“You little stinker!” Leo snatched up the child and cradled him in his arms while blowing raspberries against his neck and cheeks. “Did you get jealous? Are you not willing to share your precious gege with me?” With each question, he tickled Erik more, wringing wild laughter from the boy.
After nearly a full minute, Leo put Erik on his feet only to have the child collapse in Junjie’s lap. The car had been lost in the initial struggle, and the rabbit was also forgotten. It didn’t matter. Erik rested his flushed cheek on Junjie’s chest and wrapped his fingers in Junjie’s shirt.
“My gege!” he shouted at Leo, but there was a wide grin on his face as if he were expecting Leo to attack him again as “punishment.”
“Oh, really?” Leo picked up the rabbit that rested between them and wedged it into Erik’s lap, causing more giggles. He scooted closer and wrapped one arm across Junjie’s back, drawing them in close so that they were touching from shoulder to thigh. “Well, you need to learn to share, but I’ve never met a cat or kitten who could take from me what I wanted.”
Erik lifted his head from where it rested on Junjie’s chest. He pointed at Junjie and proclaimed, “My gege.” He pointed at Leo. “My kitty mao.”
Leo’s lips twitched as he looked at Junjie. “Kitty mao?”
Junjie shrugged. “Learning a language is always a work in progress.”
“Fine. I’ll be a kitty mao.” Leo dipped his head and placed a quick kiss right behind Junjie’s ear before resting his head on Junjie’s shoulder.
This. Junjie wanted this forever.
He just had to find a way to preserve it. To convince Leo to travel across the ocean with them.
Chapter 16
Zhang Junjie
Astorm was rolling in.
Junjie stepped into a small clearing and stared at the black sky. There were no moon and stars tonight. Thick, dark clouds poured across the heavens like a billowing cape, blotting out all light. A fierce wind rose and fell, causing the canopy to sway and the limbs to creak. The noise was wonderful for masking their movements, but it also hid the approach of the fae.