Ni Island’s beaches were picturesque, like something you’d see on a postcard for Hawaii. The crystal blue waters and rolling tides, the swaying pawm trees, and ivory sands. If you told any other girl that this would be her new life, she’d have lovely visions of honeymoons and tanning days.

But the beach wasn’t what kept my attention.

“Mattie? What’re you staring at, hm?” Raven asked. A devilish smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he stretched his arms over his head. I could wash my clothes on those abs. He knew very well what I was staring at.

“Mattie’s a perv! Mattie’s a perv! Squawwwk!” Chastity screamed from his shoulder. The blue hellkite’s name was short for Chastity Belt, might I add.

“Don’t be so mean to her, Raven.” Éclair clapped Raven’s shoulder, then ran a hand through his silver hair. “You know it makes her uncomfortable.”

Raven’s smile grew wider. His ears flicked forward, and his eyes wandered down my tummy. “I know.”

I curled my legs up to my chest and buried my face between my knees. Get a bikini, they said. It’ll look cute, they said. I’d never felt so vulnerable in my entire life.

“Your skin is turning red, my lady.” Serein’s calming voice was suddenly behind me. “Please allow me to assist you.”

“I-I don’t think it’s the sun,” I stammered, my voice muffled against my legs.

“It is always better to be safe than face the consequences,” he replied. Cool hands covered in Nyarlea’s version of sunscreen touched my back, kneading the ointment into my skin. I shivered and chewed on my lower lip.

“Ano sa! I’m the one making her uncomfortable?” Raven cackled. “Serein, you’re going to make her explode.”

That is probably true.

“That is highly unlikely, Raven. Such magic is forbidden.” Serein continued to massage my shoulders, then moved down my spine. “Besides, it is my sworn duty to protect Lady Mattie. I would never allow such harm to come to her.” His low, silky voice while he worked his hands made my heart race.

“You can just call me ‘Mattie,’ Serein,” I said for the thousandth time.

“That would not do you justice, my lady.” He rubbed the ointment into my sides, and his long fingertips brushed my hip bones.

Cold thoughts. Think cold thoughts. I looked up and forced myself to stare at the water.

Cocoa stood with his feet in the sand, his ankles submerged by the gently rolling tide. His fishing rod was cast far beyond what I could see, and his face was screwed in a concentrated stare. I’d considered giving [Fishing] more of my attention, but the truth was, I was just as bad at it as Éclair. Okay, maybe not that bad. The poor guy broke every fishing rod he laid hands on and summoned Encroachers whenever he dared cast the thing. But still.

“There we are. Now you may enjoy the sun once more,” Serein said, apparently pleased with his work. I was a little sad to feel his hands leave my skin as he returned to his side of the blanket.

“Oh! Mattie! I meant to tell you!” Éclair scooted closer to my side, coiling his tail around my back. God, it was soft. “You look great in your bikini.”

I smiled. “You really think so?”

“Mhm.” His ruby eyes shone with delight. “The orange really matches your eyes.”

I blinked, feeling a brand-new blush coming on. A few months in Nyarlea, and I still couldn’t keep my composure around my Party. Could anyone keep their composure around four gorgeous catboys? Catmen? “T-thanks!” I squeaked.

“I bet red’s more your color. It would match your hair,” Raven added.

I only had a few red streaks separating all the brown on my head. They’d somehow carried over into Nyarlea from my last world. I laughed. “You mean it would match your hair.”

“Well, obviously. Red is the best color.” Raven ran a hand over his tail. “But you knew that already.” He favored me with his violet gaze. It was hard not to drown in it.

“Hey, are you guys hungry?” Éclair to the rescue. “I made us some snacks.” He fished through the basket he’d brought and retrieved a plate of wrapped sandwiches.

“Always so thoughtful, Éclair. I thank you,” Serein said. He accepted one of the sandwiches and nibbled its edges. He was always so careful and polite. The true knight. I wondered if he ever liked to drop his manners and just let loose.

In what sense, Mattie? I choked back the thought as soon as it appeared. I grabbed a sandwich with a quick word of thanks before returning my attention to Cocoa. He caught my stare and waved. I waved back.

“Mou ii. Doesn’t he ever get tired of fishing?” Raven rolled his eyes.

“Cocoa’s a bore! Stupid fish!” Chastity squawked.

“Do you not enjoy the meals that Éclair prepares with his catch?” Serein asked. It sounded innocent enough, but I sensed a taunting undertone in his tone.

“I didn’t say that,” Raven snapped.

Éclair chuckled. “You didn’t have to.”

Raven scowled. “Of course I like the meals,” he grumbled. “I bought the fucking frying pan, didn’t I?”

“The wrigglewrots were hungry,” Éclair said softly.

I giggled. Éclair was always quick to help a cute Encroacher in need. His own little blazard, Pearl, scrambled down his arm and found herself a sandwich.

“You feed that pan to another one, and you’ll be replacing it yourself.” Raven snatched a sandwich from the plate and bit off half of it in one go.

Éclair shook his head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Glad to have Raven’s attention on his sandwich instead of me, I stretched my legs out and leaned back. The warmth of the sun on my face and the sand between my toes felt divine. It felt like it rained every day back in Washington, and to have a beach within walking distance was a dream come true. Maybe I can finally get a tan. Even with our outdoor adventures, I was still pretty pasty, and I’d noticed a light farmer’s tan developing on my arms. That could be hot on guys, but no way was I sporting that around these four.

“This is the first time we’ve really been able to relax in a while,” I noted as I closed my eyes. The sound of the waves set me at peace.

“Acquiring equipment and earning Levels takes an immense amount of time and Bells, my lady. But I believe that it is good to take time to enjoy yourself,” Serein replied.

Raven snorted. “Says the butler.”

I squinted up at Serein just in time to see his scowl. It looked comical on his typically placid features.

“Adequate service also requires one to be at ease with themselves,” Serein countered. “Many cities on Shi Island require two days of rest between work.”

“I think what you do is admirable, Serein. It must take a lot of discipline,” Éclair said. He treated Serein a lot like a revered big brother.

Serein straightened his back. “Thank you, Éclair. That it does.”

Raven sniffed, grabbed another sandwich, and fed half of it to Chastity.

“Hey! Éclair! Serein! Come here!” Cocoa called, waving his arm.

“Be right there!” Éclair jumped to his feet and jogged down to the shore. Serein was quick to follow.

Raven watched them go, then moved closer to me until our arms touched. “Should we go to the beach more often?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve had your eyes on me the whole time. Figured this was to your liking,” he murmured. “I know it’s to mine.”

My heart skipped. “R-Raven—”

He reached out and grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning my head to look up at him. “Am I wrong?”

His face was just a few inches from mine. My breath caught in my throat. “N-no…” Honestly, I wanted to rake my nails down his back and— Stop that! “I-I just—”

Raven kissed me. A brief brush of his lips that ended with a nip on my lower lip.

Oh my God.

He leaned forward and purred in my ear. “I’ll stop if you want.” His tail coiled around my waist, and a shiver ran down my spine.

“I-I—”

Before I could answer, he leaned back and looked toward the others. Cocoa, Éclair, and Serein turned toward our blanket and started on their way back. I fought to catch my breath and regain composure. There was a time when I was convinced Raven hated me, that the only reason he stayed in our Party was because he was bored. But then I’d catch him staring, or he’d make excuses to touch me, and I began to doubt my initial impression.

I never told him before, but I dreamt about him almost every night. I just thought he’d laugh at me. Another thing to tease me about. Now, though…

“Cocoa caught a ton of fish!” Éclair exclaimed, holding up a chain with six huge, dangling fish. “We’ll eat like kings tonight.”

Cocoa grinned from ear to ear, his pride shining through his golden eyes. “You picked a great day to come down here, Mattie.”

I returned his contagious smile. “You put in the work, Cocoa. But thank you. I’m glad.”

“They would like my assistance in preparing dinner, my lady,” Serein announced. “Would you like to join us?”

I caught Raven’s mischievous smile out of the corner of my eye. “I-I think I’d like to stay a little while longer. If that’s alright with you guys.”

Cocoa shrugged. “It’s a nice day out, so I can’t blame you. Raven?”

“I wanna finish my sandwich,” Raven said easily. “Besides. That’s too many damn hands in the kitchen. You go on ahead.”

“We’ll see you soon, Mattie. Dinner’s gonna be great!” Éclair pumped a fist in the air.

“I can’t wait.” I nodded. “I’ll be up soon.”

Éclair collected his basket, leaving the sandwiches and water behind, and they took the fish back to Junonia.

“Go with them, Chastity.” Raven lifted the bird from his shoulder. “I’ll be there soon.”

Chastity gave one cry of protest, then flapped away to find Éclair’s shoulder.

I couldn’t tell if the pounding in my ears was the sound of the waves or my own heartbeat. Raven’s moods were as sporadic and dangerous as the fire he wielded. I think I would have had an easier time getting a handle on an inferno.

“We don’t have to keep going,” Raven said once the others were out of earshot. His shoulder still touched mine, and his fluffy tail was still around my waist.

But I wanted to. God, did I want to. I folded my legs in, then slowly lifted one over his. He watched me without moving; his stare was just as intense as the heat rolling off of his body. I settled in his lap, straddling his thighs. What do I do with my hands? I decided to rest them on his chest and tried to hold his gaze. Had he ever looked at me like this before?

Or has he always looked at me like this?

Raven grabbed the back of my neck and claimed my mouth. He ran the length of my lips with his tongue, then burst through them without waiting. I moaned, moving my hands from his chest to his face, and cupped his jaw in my palms.

His kiss was passionate and starved; his tongue dipped into my throat and explored every inch of my mouth. One hand moved to my bikini top and tore down the cup. He kneaded my breast and teased at the nipple. I tried to gasp, and he kissed me harder, never letting me go free.

One thing was clear. My breaths belonged to him, and I’d receive whatever he permitted me to have.

I groaned as he worked, heat gathering between my legs. He dropped his hand from my neck and pushed the thin fabric between my legs to the side. His thumb met my clit as he slid two fingers inside me. I cried out into his mouth, rolling my hips forward to give him easier access.

Between his work at my chest and the deliberate strokes of his fingers, I felt like putty in his hands. I broke our kiss and rested my head on his shoulder, gasping for the salt-tinged air.

“You’re soaked,” he growled. “Were you thinking about me?”

“Ngh!” I hissed in air as his thumb made another rotation. “Y-yes!”

“Good. Because I can’t fucking stop thinking about you.” He sank his teeth into my shoulder, flawlessly blending pain with pleasure.

“Oh, God.” Yearning flooded my veins and coated Raven’s fingers.

“I want more, Mattie.”

“Me, too,” I admitted.

“Then give it to me.” His withdrew his fingers, and I whimpered with their absence. He laughed under his breath as he unbuttoned his swimming trunks and pulled his shaft free.

 “Jesus, you’re big,” I said. Out loud. Oops.

“Thanks?”

How was he hiding that thing in his shorts?! I nodded. I didn’t know what else to do. I felt like an idiot.

“Don’t get flustered on me now, Mattie.” He let go of my chest and grabbed my waist, encouraging me to raise up. “We’re not done yet.”

I carefully wrapped my fingers around his cock and guided him between my folds. Once I had him positioned, I wriggled my hips around him until the head vanished inside of me. We gasped in unison—I could feel him stretching my walls, and I could only imagine how that felt for him.

“Fuck. You’re so tight,” he moaned.

Guess I didn’t have to imagine too hard.

I lowered myself down around him, inch by inch. There was no resistance whatsoever. Just an overwhelming sensation of him filling me to bursting. By the time my abdomen met his, I was a quivering mess. His tiniest twitches vibrated through me and his face—God, his face. He was as drunk on ecstasy as I was.

Raven snaked his tail around my right wrist and held my hand at my side, just behind my back. He grabbed my left wrist and mirrored it on the opposite side. With his free hand, he tangled his fingers through my hair and found purchase on my scalp.

And then he started to move.

He had me held in place with his hands and tail, and his methodical thrusts reached depths I didn’t realize I had. I squirmed in his grip and fought hard to breathe. I was at his mercy, and the look in his eyes said he lived for it.

His pace was a slow, intoxicating rhythm that forced me to experience every inch of him leaving me, then returning. It consumed my thoughts.

“You like me fucking you?” Raven’s voice came from somewhere very far away.

“Yes,” I whispered like it were a prayer.

“Do you know how good you feel?”

I shuddered. My lips were numb, and I couldn’t feel my fingers. “N-ngh-no.”

“I never,” he sighed as he pushed up into me, “want to stop.”

“Then don’t.”

He started to move faster, his grip tightening around my wrists and in my hair. He leaned me far enough back for his teeth to latch around my nipple, and I cried out. Flat strokes of his tongue mingled with tiny nips, and his rhythmic thrusts never wavered. It was so much. Too much. The tension between my thighs made my whole body tremble.

“I-I’m getting close,” I whimpered. “Raven, if you keep doing that—”

“I’m not stopping,” he said against my skin.

My toes curled as the tension mounted. I couldn’t hold back—he wouldn’t let me. My hips moved on their own, grinding against his with a need to climax. He bucked hard and sent me over the edge. Pleasure rolled over me in a tidal wave, my release throbbing around his body and forcing groans from his throat.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come.” He let go of my hands and hair and grabbed onto my waist. His tail rested on the blanket as he dug his fingernails into my skin, and slammed his hips against mine.

I didn’t recognize the noises that escaped me. His orgasm chained me into a second climax, and I grabbed his shoulders to hang on to something—anything—as he spilled his seed inside me. I’d never felt this good before. This full before. The pulsing between my legs felt like it went on for a lifetime. Sweat trickled down my spine and caught in the string of my bikini. Raven’s bestial growls and hisses between his teeth were raw and real. I wanted to capture them in a bottle and keep them to myself.

The tension eased at last, and I steadied my breathing. Raven slowed his thrusts and relaxed his hold on my waist. I twined my hands behind his neck and kissed him. His soft lips moved in time with mine, and I teased him with tiny flicks of my tongue. He grinned and leaned back.

“I’ve wanted to do that for months,” he murmured.

“What, sex on the beach?” I laughed. “That was a drink where I’m from.”

“No, Mattie.” He reached up and stroked my hair. “You.”

I wrapped my arms around his back and rested my head on his shoulder. “Promise things won’t change between us.”

“I wouldn’t hate it if we did this more often—”

“Raven.”

He paused and kissed my cheek. “Yeah. I promise.”

“Good.” I released him and carefully separated my body from his. Then I adjusted my swimsuit bottoms and fixed the top before rolling to his side. “I just… I don’t want to lose you.”

 Raven followed me, rolling so he lay on top of me with his hands on either side of my head. “You’ll never lose me.”

I tilted my forehead so that it touched his, then kissed the tip of his nose. His lips found mine again, and I don’t know how long we stayed that way.

I could never tell him that I loved him. But this was close enough.