Bastial Steel by B. T. Narro Page A

was enough to make him slip. He felt his back and head slam into the rug, and a groan of pain sputtered out of him.
    Jessend gasped. “I’m sorry!”
    It just took a moment for him to realize he wasn’t injured. A small laugh escaped from his lips. “Don’t be.”
    As Jessend climbed off him, he felt her hands on his bare legs. Only then did he realize he didn’t have his pants on anymore. He vaguely remembered removing them during some ridiculous scheme to distract her so he could cheat.
    His weariness had caught up with him by the time he was back on his feet. He looked at the bed eagerly.
    “It’s definitely time for me to rest,” he said.
    “Just stay here.” She spoke indifferently, even giving a shrug. “There’s plenty of room in my bed.”
    She guided him onto it before he could think of an excuse, not that he really wanted to come up with one. He lay down on his back, hoping if he closed his eyes he and Jessend might fall asleep without anything happening.
    It was hard to ignore the rustles of the bed as she made herself comfortable beside him. Flipping onto her side, she let her arm drape over his stomach. He felt the urge to touch her as well but stopped himself from reaching for her arm.
    It’s possible to find comfort in a woman’s touch without being attracted to her, isn’t it? Or does this mean I’m starting to like her? He forced himself to think about what it would be like to kiss her, as a test.
    Luckily, he felt no flutter in his heart, no tingle down his back. Then his mind went to Reela, the way she’d pushed her lips against his in the dungeons beneath Welson Kimard’s castle.
    That brought him out of his numb state. He could feel his blood pumping through his body. With it, his worry was relieved, so he put his arm around Jessend, knowing she couldn’t make him feel the way Reela did.
    She snuggled closer, propping her head on his shoulder. He was blanketed in comfort and slowly began slipping into sleep.
    A kiss to his cheek brought him back. “Don’t sleep just yet,” she uttered into his ear.
    He looked to his side to find her eyes wide and staring.
    “Were you planning on never kissing me?” She spoke in an overly cute voice.
    “Yes,” he dumbly admitted.
    Her eyes squinted in concern. She sat up. “My Bastial stars, Cleve. What’s so wrong with me?” All the sweetness was gone from her tone.
    He sat up as well. Feeling dizzy, it took a breath for him to gather his thoughts. The first thing that came to mind were excuses. You’re too short. You’re too thin. You’re too rich. Your hands feel like a child’s. They flew by like arrows, there and gone in an instant. He knew they weren’t reasons why he wouldn’t kiss her. There was really only one answer to that.
    “I want someone else…someone back in Kyrro. Nothing is wrong with you. I like you.” He was surprised to find it was the truth. “But I can’t give up on this other woman.”
    Jessend folded her arms as if she’d abruptly gotten cold. “And she feels this way about you?”
    “Yes.”
    “You realize that even if you go back, you’ll only see her when she visits your prison cell.”
    Cleve didn’t see that as the truth. He would find a way to prove his loyalty to Kyrro. He just needed another chance. But he wasn’t about to argue against Jessend. There was no point.
    “So, it’s this girl who has caused you to be so distant?”
    Cleve found it strange how sometimes he’d notice her accent more pronounced than usual. With her hands now on her hips as she spoke of Reela, her low voice and noble inflections were extremely prominent.
    “It is.” He reached out to touch her knee. “I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I feel I owe a debt to you. But I must go back to Kyrro. Rek and I must both go back.”
    She bit her lip, looking as if she wanted to cry as she took in a breath through her nose. “I can’t just help you back to Kyrro. Even if I wanted to, that’s not something I