Page 136 of Kane's Awakening
That horrible day had some good come from it. Michael and his husband, Gabriel, had begun coming over, and on some days, Kane and I’d go to their house. The previous acquaintanceship had progressed to friendship, and as the days passed, I started looking at my life with fresh eyes.
How had I gotten so lucky?
Kane realized he’d been trying to push Nemesis too far, too fast. So instead of attempting to ride him, he fed him instead. He tucked some carrots into his back pocket—which of course resulted in perverted jokes—before walking outside.
The cold morning caused his breath to fan out in front of him, like he was a chain smoker.
That routine had been going on for a while, but it had worked so far. Nemesis didn’t spook around Kane anymore, and when Kane approached the fence, so did Nem, reaching his head out to be pet.
“Good luck,” I called out to him from my place on the porch, sitting in a chair and drinking my coffee—one he wouldnotsteal that time.
Kane threw me a mocking look over his shoulder before taking a carrot from his pocket and breaking it in two.
By the end of the day, Kane had managed to get a saddle on Nem and lead him around the corral. He didn’t attempt to ride Nemesis, but the pride on his face when he looked over at me made my heart swell.
After he came back in the house and showered, we made love: passionate, teeth clanking together, skin slick with sweat, and muscles aching because it was so good love.
As he rolled off me, he slipped his arm under my head and tugged me to his chest. I traced the scar near his heart that had been left from the bullet, my gut knotting with the memory.
“Hey, don’t think about that,” he said, tilting my face up to meet his eyes. “Can’t get rid of me that easy.”
“I never want to be rid of you.”
“Good,” he replied with a light laugh. “Because I like you… a little.”
After rolling my eyes, I kissed him.
The way his soft lips met mine unwound the anxiety in my stomach that had formed when picturing what my life would’ve been like if that bullet had been just an inch to the right.
