“It was… I’m lacking the words, but it was beautiful. I liked that you enjoyed my touch that much.”
I buried my face in his neck. “Hot. You thought it was hot.”
“Your satisfaction was very hot,” he said, and I blushed. If we were going to date, I was going to have to teach him better dirty talk.
Chapter 22
A request that I can’t refuse.
Bartholomew refused to look at me, but he allowed me to hold him tight and one of his hands slid up and down my back. He wanted to court me. He liked me, or I assumed he did because he’d agreed to be with me. I’d convince him we were mates; I simply needed time. I knew it deep within me. The feeling had been building since I met him; I hadn’t understood. Now that I did, I intended to keep him.
It was that simple.
He and Vince were nothing but friends, which eased the fear in my soul. It seemed he’d been as jealous as I was, but over Dontilvynsan. I swallowed a laugh. My older brother had almost cost me my mate. I would have to tell him about it whenhe rescued Bartholomew and me. Dontilvynsan would find it amusing.
I nuzzled Teddy, taking a deep inhale and only smelled myself and my mate. None of the alien’s scent remained. I swallowed a growl at the thought of that other alien touchingmyBartholomew. I wouldn’t allow anyone to ever harm him again.
He released a long breath, tickling my scales. An urge to place my lips on his almost overwhelmed me. Bartholomew had tasted so good and felt so right against me, and I needed to experience it again.
We hadn’t discussed altering our current permissions, so no kissing, no grabbing his butt, or biting him, let alone sex. I desired all of it. But I would wait until he was comfortable with me and us before requesting more.
I wrapped my tail around his calf and covered him with one of my wings, though the tent was tight. “Are you still sore?”
“Yeah.”
I needed to see the bruises, and not because I wanted to see Bartholomew without his clothes on, though that would be pleasant, but rather to make sure he was healing correctly and to clean them again. Instincts thrummed inside of me to bathe every hurt inflicted on him.
“Are they healing?”
“Yes,” he said. “You worry.”
“You’re mine to protect.”
He swallowed.
I didn’t press the issue. Humans had different ideas of mating than we did. I knew this from my two younger brothers and their mates. Nonetheless, he was mine. But no matter the logic, the overpowering need to see the injuries wouldn’t abate. “Can I see them?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “See or lick them?”
“Both.”
Bartholomew sighed. “I know you have this… need to clean them, but I don’t think I want you to do it again.”
Hurt clawed me. “Was it wrong?”
Red filled his cheeks and spread to the tips of his round ears.
“Teddy?”
“It’ll turn me on.”
“Turn on?” He wasn’t a piece of equipment, nor did he have an on and off switch.
“Make me hard,” he said, eyes anywhere but me.
“I don’t understand.”
Grunting, he grabbed my hand and placed it on his cock, which twitched beneath me. “I will get hard, turned on, aroused.”
