4. Viggo
Viggo
W ould it be too much to hold Juniper’s hand now? Should I wait until later? I don’t want to scare her off, but I do want to be transparent with my pure desire for her.
Thankfully, she takes the decision away from me when I help her out of the boat.
Juniper’s hand kind of lingers in mine for a second before she moves it up and hooks it into the crook of my arm.
My whole body buzzes at the contact and I feel so proud of myself for having the foresight to jerk off twice this morning, otherwise I’d be leaking all the way into town.
Bodin gives me a knowing smirk when we get to his cart, his eyes falling to Juniper’s hand before meeting my eyes. “Morning.”
If I remember correctly, things moved quite fast between him and Tilly, despite the bad first impression he made. Maybe that smirk on his face is him recognizing himself in how taken I am with Juniper. I can only hope my courtship will be as successful as his.
That’s what I’m doing. I’m courting Juniper. Gifts! I need to give her some of my treasures. No, she deserves new treasures. I have to go diving for something before she leaves the island again. Or maybe I can get her to stay?
Bodin dips his head in approval but his eyes narrow momentarily as if giving me a warning too.
I like that he’s trying to protect Juniper, even if he doesn’t know her.
That’s the general spirit of Starry Hill, though, always looking out for each other.
But there’s no need to worry because my plan is to take very good care of Juniper.
I tilt my head in acknowledgment of Bodin’s warning and try to convey that I have zero ill intentions. Unless worshipping at her feet could be seen as a negative.
“You must be Juniper,” Bodin says and holds out a large hand for her to shake.
“And you must be Bodin,” Juniper says sweetly, placing her hand in his.
An odd feeling of possessiveness I have never felt before bubbles up from the deepest parts of my being. I swallow back the growl that’s clawing up my throat, my vision going red for a second when their hands make contact. Is this jealousy?
Even though Bodin is happily married to Tilly, I’m not quite comfortable with anyone getting too close to Juniper right now.
Unaware of my inner struggle, Bodin takes Juniper’s bag from me and places it on the cart as he speaks to her. “I’ve heard a lot about you, from both my wife and my ma. Thank you also for the teapot you suggested for Tilly, she’s been obsessed with it since my ma’s last visit to your shop.”
Shop? What shop? How can Bodin know more about my goddess than I do? This needs to be rectified immediately.
Juniper beams at Bodin. “I’m so glad Tilly liked it. Has your mom named her goose yet?”
Bodin’s eyes round as he nods slowly. “Oh yeah, she has. But I’ll let her tell you the name when you see her. She’s very proud of it. ”
Juniper’s giggle tinkles through the air and I just about melt into a puddle. I want to bottle that sound and listen to it on repeat.
“Deal,” she says. “Well, it was nice to meet you. We’re heading into town. See you at the party later?”
“Tilly and I will see you there.” Bodin waves us off and finishes adjusting the bags on his cart.
Juniper naturally takes my arm again and I’m so happy that I almost lean down and kiss her. But I can’t, not yet. I don’t want to freak her out. So I just give her a small smile while my hearts go galloping faster and faster.
I filter through possible topics of interest for her, but I’m so flustered I land on the oddest question. “What’s your favorite type of rain?”
“My favorite type of rain?” Juniper asks carefully, repeating the question back to me as if confirming she heard me correctly.
I nod. “Yeah. Do you like gentle rain, windy rain, pounding rain, or total storms?”
Juniper’s nose wrinkles as she thinks about it.
“I guess it depends on my mood, the season, and where I am. When I’m at my shop, I like gentle rain that I can watch through the windows.
If I’m at home, maybe stormy rain where I feel safe and can enjoy watching the lightning flash in the distance.
But storms are just straight-up scary. How about you? ”
“I enjoy a good storm. They always wash up good treasures. If a storm happens to come to the island, you don’t have to be scared. I promise I’ll protect you.” I flex my biceps underneath her touch to emphasize my words.
Juniper giggles. “I might hold you to that.”
Wanting to know everything there is about her, I reach for another random topic. “How about drinks? Coffee? Tea? Sweet or bitter?”
Juniper brings her free hand to also rest on my arm, locking her fingers together as she gets more and more relaxed with me. “I’m totally a tea girly. Give me a lavender matcha latte any day of the week.”
“I’ll remember that,” I promise, already mentally making a list of everything she likes.
Peering up at me, Juniper asks. “And you?”
“I’m more of a salted cold foam cold brew type of creature.”
Juniper’s eyes narrow as she processes. “I can see that, yeah. I’ll remember that too.”
She wants to remember things about me? This is definitely a good sign.
I almost trip over a pebble in the road as I stare at Juniper. I open and close my mouth a couple of times as I try to find something charming to say, but my mind is blank.
After an uncomfortable length of time, which in all fairness is probably less than ten seconds, I ask, “Ready to be wooed by Starry Hill?”
Juniper gives me a sidelong glance, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Oh, is this a wooing situation?”
“I’m hoping it’ll be.” Retreat, Viggo. You can’t be this straightforward. It sounds desperate.
The corners of her mouth lift into a pleased line. “Woo away, Viggo.”
I choose the most scenic route that takes us into town, knowing it’s the best way to show off Starry Hill’s charm.
Then, setting in motion my first step of this courtship, I explain where I’m leading her.
“Can I treat you to some lunch at The Flowering Teapot? Most of the shops are closed today because everyone is helping out with the party setup, but the café stayed open.” And that way I can sit down with you and stare into your beautiful eyes as I get to know you.
“Oh, yes, please. I’ve heard lots about The Flowering Teapot from Doc Calla and I’ve been dying to see it and try some of their treats,” Juniper says, clearly excited.
“Anything for you,” I breathe out.
Juniper squints up at me. “You say that now… ” She wiggles her eyebrows, then proceeds to bestow the most radiant smile on me that I want to imprint on the backs of my eyelids so I can see it even when I close my eyes.
With my free hand, I subtly adjust my cock so it doesn’t poke a hole through my pants and straight toward that lush-looking mouth of hers. Oh, to see her lips wrapped around me, to have her mouth stuffed with one of my tentacles as I feast on her cunt.
I shudder as my tentacles churn under my skin, straining to get to her and drag her into my den so I can start worshipping her right now.
I hope she likes the rock garden I built. No one has ever seen it, but I’d like to show Juniper. No talks of gardens yet, Viggo. Act cool for as long as you can. Worship her with your mind and attention first, then you can think about love, and mating, and building a future together.
Seizing every moment I can learn more about her, while also distracting my brain from every sexual thought I have, I ask Juniper, “Earlier you said something about a shop. What kind of shop do you have?”
Juniper’s eyes light up. “It’s called Treasure Hunters. It’s a store for preloved goods looking for a new home. I like to give items a facelift so they can have another chance at life before selling them at affordable prices.”
Is she for real? Could she get any more perfect for me? If I believed in fated mates then surely she must be mine. I swear the universe has conspired with the ocean gods to bring her to me today.
“Treasure Hunters,” I sigh, the words sounding just as starry-eyed as I feel. “I love that. And I love treasure. I collect all kinds of things from the ocean.”
“I love ocean treasures too! See?” Juniper tilts her head to show me her cowrie earrings, then lifts her bracelets up toward me too. I try not to focus on her cum nails.
Does she know it’s kraken cum? How do I even ask her that? I’ll need to approach that topic carefully before I segue into “Can I pump you full of my cum?”
We chat easily about our favorite shells and the kinds of treasures we like and I become more enraptured with her with every second that passes.
When Starry Hill’s shops come into view, Juniper lets out the sweetest gasp, her hand flying to her chest. My gaze flits between the limestone buildings nestled into the island’s tallest hill and the beautiful creature standing next to me.
“It’s so pretty,” Juniper says, her eyes flicking from building to building, seemingly cataloging each detail. I try to see it through her eyes—the old stone buildings that blend into the hill and their facades covered with colorful vines of flowers.
It’s truly beautiful—it’s home.
“Not as pretty as you,” I say honestly, and hope it doesn’t sound too corny.
“You charmer,” Juniper says and playfully pokes me in the chest, pink staining her cheeks.
I grab on to her finger and press her whole hand to my chest. We both go silent and the moment lengthens, my hearts now hammering away as she studies my face. Her gaze settles on my eyes—most likely wondering about the shape of my pupils—then darts to my mouth.
I wet my lips. “Hi,” I breathe shakily.
Juniper’s tongue darts out to subconsciously copy my move. “Hi.” Her voice is small, expectant.
We remain like that for a couple more seconds, just silently taking each other in. My tentacles beg me to release them, but I hold strong. I’m not willing to shift into my natural form yet in case it scares her.
Very reluctantly, I close my eyes and summon every bit of self-control in my body, taking a deep breath before I open them again. Juniper copies the action but doesn’t move away.
My voice is hoarse and strained when I finally find it. “Lunch?”
“Yeah,” Juniper whispers, her eyes sparkling with something I want to decode.
“And… uhm…” My hand tightens around hers as I search for my courage.
Juniper tilts her head, waiting for me to elaborate. “Yeah?”
“Can I hold your hand?” The words come tumbling out, far from the smooth way I intended for them to be delivered.
Juniper’s lips quirk up and she nods. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I weave our fingers together as we walk toward The Flowering Teapot, one heart in my throat that I don’t fuck things up before I have the chance to make her fall in love with me.