Page 67 of The Hunter

“I do.”

He didn’t miss the way the black circles in her eyes expanded to nearly engulf the green, the quickening of her breath, or the rise and fall of her breasts, which were concealed from him only by a thin, tucked-in cloth.

Easing back, he released her arms. She kept them in place as he pinched the cloth between his claws and folded it back to lay around her pelvis, exposing her pussy again.

“Oh my God, Telok,” Lacey whispered, toes curling into the moss as her knees twitched inward.

“Do not move.” He forced his attention to his hands and told himself her slit was not right there, that it wasn’t spread before him like the petals of a flower, coated with morning dew. Told himself the scent of her arousal wasn’t strengthening again.

Telok opened the jar. The strong, familiar scent of vineroot oil diluted Lacey’s fragrance, but couldn’t overpower it. Lifting her right leg, he straightened it and rested it over his bent foreleg. The angle turned her scar more directly toward him.

He didn’t allow his eyes to follow the path of that scar, knowing all too well where it led.

Tipping the jar, he drizzled the vineroot oil over her thigh, letting it drip onto her scar. His upper hands closed around her inner thigh.

Her muscles tensed, and he flicked his gaze up to her in warning.

“I’m not moving,” she said breathlessly.

“Good, vi’jatai. This will hurt, but the pain will pass. I promise.”

As gently as he could, he massaged the oil into the scar and the skin surrounding it with his thumbs. Lacey released a small groan of pain, and he again felt her muscles tense, but she did not shy away from his touch as he slowly worked his way up. The higher he massaged, the louder her breathing became, until she let her head fall back with a strained moan.

That sound squeezed his hearts, and yet…he couldn’t tell if she’d made it purely out of pain. It was clear his touch was hurting her, but the scent of her desire remained undiminished. Was she somehow enjoying this despite the discomfort?

When he reached the point at which the scar changed course, near where her thigh met her pelvis, he paused. He felt the pull of an unseeable tether, bolstered by the insistent lure of her scent, and his gaze fell upon her slit.

Telok gritted his teeth. His hands twitched, and a shudder coursed through his body as the fire inside him roared back to life. It was so close. Just a little higher, just the slightest shift of his finger, and he’d be touching her pussy. He’d be feeling its warmth, its slick. Feeling her.

“Telok?”

Lacey’s voice dragged his attention back up to her face. She’d lifted her head to look at him, her lips parted, her eyes smoldering with desire. Beckoning him.

Not here. I will not take my mate here.

But fuck, he wanted to know what it would feel like to have her slit wrapped around his stem. Wanted to know what she would feel like within.

Focus. Must focus.

Telok forced his thumb into motion, smoothing oil into the last bit of the scar. His hearts pounded as he withdrew his hands, leaned back, and switched the position of her legs. The faintest tremor coursed through his hand as he dripped oil onto her left thigh.

Keeping his eyes on her scar, he massaged along her leg, feeling the weight and heat of her gaze upon him all the while.

Everything within Telok was tensed when he finished, making his movements stiff as he closed the jar, returned it to his bag, and took out the roll of cloth he kept for bandages. With quick, thankfully smooth motions, he wrapped her thighs, neatly tucking the ends of the cloth to secure it into place.

Leaning over Lacey, he caught her jaw. He was all too aware of her thighs spread to either side of him, separated from his hide only by the bandages, was all too aware of the warmth pulsing from her core and the quivering in her breath.

I should not…

With a low purr, he dipped his head and pressed his mouth to her soft, soft lips. He moved his mouth over hers, wanting to leave his mark on her in this small way. Tingles spread across his face, and liquid fire pooled in his belly.

She shivered, releasing a shaky exhalation, and Telok took her breath into himself.

Somehow, he broke the kiss. When her lashes fluttered open, and her eyes locked with his, he stroked her jaw. “Good female.”

Before he could give in to his instincts and do anything more foolish, he pulled away from her and rose. “We must rejoin the others. Dress yourself.”

CHAPTER 17