He pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the scent that had become essential to him.
“I’m going to disappoint you,” he warned, his voice rough. “I’m going to say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and push you away when you get too close. I don’t know how to be what you need.”
“Then we’ll figure it out.” Her arms wound around his waist, holding him with surprising strength. “I’m not asking for perfect. I’m asking for you.”
He kissed her.
It wasn’t like the other kisses they’d shared—hungry and desperate, born of adrenaline and fear. This was slower and deeper, a deliberate claiming that left no room for retreat. She opened for him with a sigh, her body melting against his, and he tasted the wine she’d drunk at dinner, the salt of tears, the sweetness that was just her.
“Not here,” she breathed against his mouth. “I need...”
“I know.” He swept her up before she could finish, cradling her against his chest. She laughed and the sound of her joy was the best thing he’d ever heard. “I know exactly what you need.”
The walk to her room was a blur of stolen kisses and breathless laughter. He nearly dropped her twice when she discovered how sensitive his ears were, her clever fingers tracing the pointed tips until he growled in warning. She just grinned and did it again.
The door slid open at their approach, and he carried her through, letting it close behind them with a soft hiss. The room was dim, lit only by the bioluminescent glow filtering through the windows from the ocean below. It painted her skin in soft shades of blue and green, making her look like something from a dream.
He set her down carefully, keeping his hands on her waist as if he couldn’t bear to break contact. Her eyes were huge and dark in the low light, her lips swollen from his kisses.
“Are you sure?” he asked, giving her one last chance to retreat.
In answer, she pushed her gown down over her shoulders, leaving her bare in the moonlight. His breath escaped in a heated rush as he drank in the sight of her. Her body was soft and curved, made for comfort rather than battle, and he wanted to worship every inch of it.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to trace the swell of her breast. “You’re so incredibly beautiful.”
“You’re overdressed.” Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled as they reached for the fastenings of his shirt. “I want to see you.”
He helped her, shrugging out of his clothes with more speed than grace. When he stood before her bare, her eyes widened, roaming over his body with obvious appreciation.
“You never let me see you before,” she whispered, her fingers trembling as she reached for his cock. “You’re... different than I expected.”
“Does it bother you?” he asked, suddenly uncertain. He’d always been aware that his mixed heritage made him strange by the standards of any species.
“God. no. I mean, I knew you were... big. I just didn’t expect these.” She ran her fingers lightly over the barbs that ringed the wide base of his cock and his knees threatened to give out. “What are they?”
“They will hold you in place after I fill you.” His voice was rough with need. “To ensure my seed reaches its destination.”
Her eyes widened. “That sounds... intense.”
“It is.” He guided her hand to wrap around his shaft, showing her how to stroke him, and the sight of her small fingers barely encircling his length sent a jolt of pleasure through him. “But only if you want that.”
“I want everything.” She stepped closer, pressing her naked body against him, and the sensation of her soft curves against hisharder form was almost overwhelming. “I want you, Doren. All of you.”
That was all the invitation he needed.
He lifted her again, this time carrying her to the bed and laying her down against the soft linens. She stretched beneath him, unconsciously arching her back, and he groaned at the display. He joined her on the bed, bracing himself above her as he kissed his way down her body—her throat, her collarbone, the valley between her breasts.
“Your taste,” he murmured against her skin. “I could get drunk on it.”
“Then do it,” she whispered, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair. “Taste me.”
He obeyed, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking gently. She cried out, her back arching off the bed, and he reached up to squeeze the neglected breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers until she was gasping his name.
He moved lower, kissing his way down the soft plane of her stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into her navel and smile at her startled laugh. Then he spread her thighs, revealing the pink, glistening flesh he couldn’t get enough of. His tail wrapped around her thigh, holding her open for him.
“You smell like heaven,” he growled, breathing her in.
His first lick drew a shocked gasp from her, followed by a moan as he did it again, more thoroughly. She was impossibly sweet, her folds slick with arousal, her small clit hard and eager beneath his tongue. He feasted, determined to drive her to the edge before he took his own pleasure.
