COLD - BWWM

*NINETEEN*

Lucien followed Olive without another word spoken, but he wasn't at all shy enacting out his thoughts. From grabbing her hand, to drawing her to his side as the two of them navigated their way through the thick jungle towards the white stone washed buildings up ahead

The path was clear, and easily traversed as many Capricorns used it when they wished for a more rustic walk to the main temple. No one outside of a Capricorn would know of it, so it wasn't as watched as the main path that started as set of stairs that descended down from the main gate to the cobbled walkway that lead one into the village.

Olive couldn't believe Lucian had managed to follow her. If he had stayed behind, she would have been able to push their debacle to the back of her mind. But she couldn't as he was with her, and wouldn't release her hand. She glanced at him, only to come to an abrupt halt.

"Where are your clothes?!"

Her mouth was slightly agape; how long had they been walking? Why hadn't she realized his was still nude? It wasn't something someone could forget, he was a very large man.

Chuckling, Lucian lifted a hand, brushing away a tendril of hair that had fallen on her nose. Finishing, he brushed a thumb against her smooth cheek, "Nudity doesn't bother me, and I assumed you enjoyed the view."

Olive blinked at that, lifting her gaze to his roguish smile. The man was too cocky for his own good. Sucking her teeth, she snapped her fingers and the trees around them bent down. Releasing his hand, Olive reached up and grabbed five of the leaves that were still filled with its life forces. Muttering under her breathe about cocksure lycans, she bent her will upon the leaves forcing them into the shape of shorts.

Shoving them against his chest, she averted her gaze trying to hide the flushed quality to her skin. It wasn't easy to see, but she still felt embarrassed. "Put them on you—you, idiot."

He frowned at her name calling, but none the less took the shorts and pulled them on. They immediately tightened to fit, and soon the two were on their way again, Olive's face burning but her hand firmly in his.

***

They finally reached the peak, where a stone path lead from the dirt path towards the highest building where golden leaves had been painted on the stone wall, their shine flickering with the sway of branches of the trees that stood like sentinel guards in the front.

Olive stopped, her eyes narrowed when she noticed the amount of priestesses and priests who were standing out front. Their people didn't live here, but came to renew themselves when they felt the other world overwhelmed them. So to see nearly a hundred of their devout standing in front of the main temple sent alarms off in her head.

"Stay here." She said to Lucien, she turned to face him just as he went to protest, "Please! Please, you have to so I can get Krishna."

Seeming to see how important it was to her, Lucien gave her a short nod. "Okay, but if I feel you are in danger, I will enter."

They silently stared at each other before Olive sighed, and nodded her brown eyes filled with shy amusement as her lips lifted in a small smile. "I don't have a choice do I?"

"No," Lucien said, he leaned forward and smiled, his midnight eyes brightening with mischief, "But you can kiss me."

He sounded hopeful, and since he'd agreed to stay put, Olive obliged, letting him draw her close and throwing her shyness to the wind, she lifted herself to her toes to allow their lips to meet.

It was slow. It was torturous...and it was wonderful.

The feel of Lucien against her was a little too earth shifting, Olive placed her hands against his chest and slowly pushed away from him, and avoiding his gaze she turned away and took determined steps from under the heavy hanging of the foliage that hid the entrance to the dirt path.