My mouth goes dry as Mango saunters up, the bell around his neck tinkling while he brushes against my legs.
“If it isn’t the man, the myth, the sweet little guy.” I joke, leaning down and running my hand along Mango’s fur. Scratching under his chin as he rears up to meet my fingertips.
“He doesn’t—“ Asher huffs out a laugh as I scoop the orange tabby into my arms and rub my face against his cheek, “—like to be held.”
“Oh,” I blanch, glancing over my shoulder.
The look in his eyes rivals the one he gave me at the ice rink, after he bridal-carried me across the ice to the bleachers. The look that said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
I want to kiss him again. I want to?—
My skin flashes hot with a familiar sensation and has me gently placing Mango back on the floor to keep from doubling over in discomfort.
Oh, no. No, no, no.This isn’t supposed to happen for a few more months.
I wrap my arms around my middle, but it fails to soothes the dull ache between my legs growing increasingly insistent.
Darn, my heat couldn’t have come at a worse time. Usually, I’m able to plan with Shae and coordinate so she’ll be out of the house and away from my display, but tonight she’s there with her boyfriend.
“Penny?” Asher’s voice is laced with a kaleidoscope of emotions. Worry above all else, but I sense a thrum of want mixed in. But it could be my hormones pushing for the scenario.
I lift my head to find two bright gold slitted eyes staring at me.
Oh fuck, excuse my French. He isgorgeous.His gold-scaled brows arch with concern as his chest heaves, his button-down is barely able to restrain his tensing muscles.
“Are you okay?”
“Areyouokay?” I parrot back.
Asher has fully shifted, his features remain intact, but now he’s covered in bright scales which change from a dull bronze to gold under the warm lights above. I can’t imagine what he’d look like in the sun. Surely, a beautiful sight to behold.
His eyes widen as he catches a reflection of himself, lifting his hands to examine his dark black claws to match the two black horns curving back from above his brow bone.
I’m not sure if the feature is part of his dragon form or a remnant of his demonic lineage showing through. They don’t deter me from wanting to reach out and touch them.
Neither do his scales. The urge to reach out and brush my fingertips along the scales on his forearm, to explore whatever is hidden under his shirt, causes my hands to tremble.
“Shit,” Asher hisses out, “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
“Why not?” I ask, thinking the better of it and shaking my head, “I mean, why do you say that?”
“You aren’t afraid of me?” He tilts his head, “You’re shaking.”
Oh, Asher, if you only knew the depraved thoughts tumbling around my brain. I would do anything to feel the full texture of those scales roaming all over my body. I wanna feel how they slide and snag in all the right places, not to mention I want to know if all the rumors are true and dragons have —
“Penny?”
“What? Oh, no,” I laugh, “I’m shaking because I’m embarrassed.” My hands instinctively tangle with the hem of my shirt, "I started my heat, and it’s a little uncomfortable.” Not to mention it’s going to hurt like hell if I don’t find some release in the next hour.
He draws his brows towards his forehead, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips.
“I could help you.”
NINE
Penny
“Okay.”I fail to hide my cringe as soon as the response leaves my lips. It’s something you say when your friend asks if you want to go to brunch, then hit up TJ Maxx after. Not when the devastatingly gorgeous demon of your dreams asks if he can fuck you. It’s what he means, right?
