Whitefish River And as the sky's falling down,

Orlaith might have been joking, but Riley couldn't hide a quiet gasp; that stung deeply on account of his failure to couple with Esme. How brilliantly and violently that insecurity was thrust to the forefront, all because he had been a jerk first. "Turn around and I'll show you." Riley quipped right back, even though he was in no position to do so.

His ears flattened in response. Orlaith's head rested firmly on his skull, and as much as he wanted to shake her off he was in no position to do so. Try as he might to unseat her, Riley didn't hate the contact -- he'd never truly been intimate with anyone. Even if it was just playing, it was scintillating -- Riley had goosebumps up and down his skin. "No one else would talk to me? Why? Am I ugly?"