Page 118 of Tempting Fate

A snarl burst from my chest. “You have your own! Do not look at mine.” How dare he? Anyone could see she was beautiful, but nobody knew Imani like I did. Nobody else knew the perfect pressure to touch her with, or how to make her the perfect cup of tea; one should steep the leaves for three and a half minutes, and use one and a quarter scoops of honey. Or the way her lips parted when she slept, her face bearing none of the tension she wore in the daytime.

Reskavi threw his head back and laughed. “Peace. I only want Kira.” He sobered, fixing me with a level stare. “Does she know?”

“Does she know what?”

“That you wish her for your mate.”

If only I could tell her. “I do not—”

He clapped me on the arm—hard. “Ulthshit, my friend.”

I sank to my bed, grateful for the support, the subtle lightheadedness of kalidi creeping up on me. Shock. I was not used to being spoken to like this. Or of being struck in such a fashion, in… friendship?

“If you do not wish my Kira to have me hurt you, you will not play with that human’s feelings.”

I swallowed. He had misunderstood, but I was too unused to being on the receiving end of these kinds of threats to know what to say. I’d only invited him here for prayers. But I let out a bitter scoff. “Little chance of that. Our relationship is… complicated by my current condition. We are only friends. It is what she wants.” What had she called it? Friends with benefits?

“What did they teach you on Orith?” Reskavi rose, his shadow falling on me. “If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.”

His reprimand stung, hitting right in the tender parts of me. “I don’t know what to believe any more.” Imani may be lying to herself about her feelings, but I had to respect her wishes.

“It’s easier not to believe.” Reskavi pulled one of the small knives from the bandolier about his chest and picked under his claws. “Human women can be clueless about these things, even the intelligent ones. Kheh, I should know. Does it bother you that she’s human?”

“No.” The word rang with pure conviction. “But it wasn’t simple to cast off the beliefs I grew up with, no matter how false.”

He glanced at the shrine. “Don’t rightly know much about that. And I don’t envy you. But if you want Kri’s blessing, well, They seem to like your lizard, eh?” He returned his attention to his hands, running an abrasive part of the blade over two claws as short as his fingertips.

Friend. I have another friend. “Why do you keep those claws like that? Is it a corsair thing?”

Reskavi’s face spread in a lascivious smirk. “Oh no. This is a ‘having a human mate’ thing.”

He seized my hands, examining my fingers. “No, this is no good.” Bringing the knife to one of my claws, he gave me a broad grin. “Let me do these, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Don't Think. Just Feel

Imani

TWO MORE DAYS passed. A series of caves would be perfect for my geoscience report—and maybe something else. I itched to investigate them, but Kira and Reskavi had their own agenda, one that didn’t involve us. Which meant we distracted ourselves with sex—only ever for kalidi, of course, but it became a more drawn-out affair than before.

And, fuck, the man was so easy to tease.

As was I. All it took were two suspiciously short claws. I refused to ask him about it, and pretended to ignore it whenever he made it obvious.

This morning, I was too caught up in thinking of ways to keep Airida safe without him leaving the planet. I eased his kalidi with just oil and my hand—though it didn’t stop me stroking his ridgetips or watching every expression on his face as his back arched in climax and he gasped my name.

I pushed down those pesky butterflies.

As I cleaned up, my comm pinged. “Daiytak wants me,” I said. “I’ll be back later?”

“Of course. I’m going to shower.” He swung out of bed with an easy grace. He’d bulked up a bit, particularly his thighs and chest, and his abs were even more pronounced—not surprising the way they tensed up every orgasm. His cock was still half-hard, glistening with droplets of cum, swinging as he walked.

He caught me looking. He gave me an arrogant smile as he crossed the room, sending heat curling through me.

Damn, nobody had any business having an arse that good, either.

I shook myself and headed into the open air. Dark clouds had rolled in from the mountain, muting the earlier sunlight. “Hey Daiytak, what’s up?”