“Of course not,” she shot back.
“Ohhhh. I see.” Maneuvering his way toward her, he leaned down close so their faces were mere inches away. “Then maybe you’re scared you won’t be able to resist my?—”
“Stop!” She let out a strangled sound. “Okay, fine.” Marching down into the nest, she grabbed one of the pillows and put it in the middle. “There. You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine.”
Dropping on the mattress with a thud, she proceeded to huff and puff as she shifted around before settling on a lying position facing away from his side.
Maldenis shook his head, then grabbed his stuff before heading into the bathroom. After getting cleaned up, he made his way back to the nest. Liora’s breathing had evened out, and her entire body had relaxed. She was fast asleep.
Sighing, he slithered into the nest and made himself comfortable on his side. He closed his eyes, but sleep refused to come, despite the fatigue he felt in his bones. Also, despite her earlier relaxed state, Liora moved around. A lot. When he finally began to drift off, she would twitch or shift around, shaking him awake. The pillow between them began to slowly creep into his space as she pushed her way to the middle. At one point, he had to bend his spine into an unnatural position just so he wouldn’t touch her. Apparently, even as he adjusted, she took that as an invitation to take up even more room.
This was going to be a long night.
He considered sleeping on the floor in the living room, but for a basilisk, that would have been worse. So, he just tried his best to force himself to sleep.
Hot. Cozy. Soft.
Basilisks thrived in the heat, which was why the desert of Solkaris had been the perfect home for them. No other race of creature who had been exiled from the Upperworld could have survived in such a place. And so, their kind thrived and grew here.
This morning, though, as his consciousness woke up from sleep, that feeling of comfort and warmth felt different. It radiated from the center, like a thick honeyed heat, pressed up against his chest?—
Wait. What?
Blinking sleep away, he glanced down—and found Liora snuggled up to his chest, the lower half of his body snaked around her, covering her like a blanket.
Maldenis tensed. They hadn’t been this close since the sacred spring. When he had touched her in the most intimate places and made her come apart.
She shifted, her soft cheek rubbing sensuously against his chest. The corner of her mouth touched his bare skin and her warm breath tickling him. Gooseflesh prickled up the back of his neck and his cock stirred inside its protective sheath.
He groaned inwardly. This could not be happening right?—
As if it couldn’t get any worse. Liora’s mouth opened, her tongue moistening her lips. This time, he could not stifle the low, traitorous sound originating from his throat.
She breathed out—then opened her eyes. “I…Maldenis?” Her spine stiffened. “What—what the hell!”
Maldenis uncoiled his tail from her as she pushed at him. “What the hell did you do?” She scrambled to the far end of the bed. “I thought you said you wouldn’t try to have sex with me?”
“Excuse me?” Pushing himself from the nest, he slithered out and onto the floor. “I wasn’t doing anything. You were the one who kept hogging the bed. My spine was turning into a pretzel, the way you kept pushing me to the side. I had no choice but to coil around you. And you were the one who crawled on top of my chest for a snuggle.”
Her face turned the color of Jalahadrian berries. “I did not crawl?—”
The ringing from his phone pierced the air. Maldenis had a strong inkling as to who that could be—no one else would call him this early, not even Makron or Charlie unless the bar was on literal fire–and so he dove toward the table where he had left his phone charging.
“Hel—”
“I’m coming up.” Melora’s business-like tone gave no space to negotiate. “I have your suit and a dress for Liora.”
“I—”
But only silence greeted him.
“Was that your mom?” A softer expression settled on her face.
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“This wrinkle appears between your brows when you talk to her or about her. What does she want?
He massaged his temple with his fingers. “She’s coming up now. And she’s bringing a suit for me and a dress for you to wear to the meeting with the elders.”
