“Why?”he asked.
“So that you don’t see me naked.Humans are fussy like that.”
When he shuffled, she had to assume he’d granted her some modesty.She dropped the sheet, flicked out the shirt, and peeled it on.“Thanks,” she said, tugging the hem beneath the sheet to cover her hips and ass.“Um, Nenn, would you mind if I read you?”She moved to the edge of the bed, angling toward him while praying he’d let her.
He caught her hand and rested it over a pec.“I do not understand.”His chest rose and fell, a little fast.His heartbeat thumped against her palm.
“So I can visualize what you look like.”
“If I can read you?”he asked.
She laughed.“Sure.”She pushed herself onto her knees to give her a little height then peeled her hand out from under his.This close, heat poured off him.She slid her fingers up, his sternum guiding her to his collarbones, his strong neck to his sharp jawline.Fluttering over his face, she halted at the top, by his temple.Hair tickled her knuckles, so she dived in, stroking the silkiness of his…mohawk.
He shuddered.Though she didn’t know what that meant.
She smiled.“Love the hairstyle.”
He didn’t respond.She shrugged and continued over winged brows, flickering eyelashes, and a long nose to soft lips, wide and full.He exhaled, blasting her fingers with warmth.
With a shiver she couldn’t hide, she withdrew her hands.He’s gorgeous.Her mouth dried, forcing her to lick her lips.It would be so easy to place a kiss on any part of him within reach.
“My turn,” he growled.
He caressed her from temple to chin, his touch gentle but pulsing waves of goose bumps outward.A stroke along the shell of her ear and a thumb running the length of her jaw to her chin shot her breathing to hell.She pinched her thighs together and shifted nearer to him.He brushed his fingers over her lips, using a little force to part them.
With a groan, he pressed his mouth to hers.
She gasped in surprise.His lips were so supple.Her senses zinged.She gripped his torso and retreated to angle her head for a better taste, but he broke away, almost sending her toppling forward.
“Forgive me,” he mumbled.
She frowned.“I—”
He cupped her face and kissed her again.
She glided her hands around his waist, leaning against him and trapping him.This time, she hurried to slip her tongue in, moaning when his taste tightened the knot of lust in her core.He stiffened, but she was beyond stopping, desperate to learn every crevice of his mouth.When she thought he’d pull back, he didn’t.Instead, he splayed his hands between her shoulder blades and crushed her within his embrace.
Want, need, lust, desire…whatever the word, she didn’t care.Kissing him was heavenly, more so when he ravaged her, owning her senses.Never had she been so overwhelmed and in such a good way.
He dusted his lips along her cheek to her temple, his breathing harsh.“This face-latching is called kissing, or so Drafe said.I never expected it to be this wonderful.With you, Tiny, I have no resistance.”
Face what?He’d never kissed anyone?She blinked, her thoughts…wits scattered.“It’s called many things,” she managed.Her pulse skipped a beat at the realization she rattled him as much as he did her.She ran her fingers to his chin, then pressed her lips there.“Peck.”Another on his cheek with a lip-smacking sound.“Smooch.”And before her courage abandoned her, she whispered into his mouth, “This is French.”
With him so attentive, she flicked the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip then dove in.He growled and glided his hands around to sink his fingers into her ass.Not once did she think his touch too intrusive.She relished ever caress and squeeze, like the long stroke when he’d carried her, going from the underside of her thighs, along her ass to her back.At the time, she’d assumed he’d done that to ensure she found her balance.But now, with his mouth on hers, perhaps he’d been more attracted to her than she’d picked up.
Panting, he broke the kiss but didn’t release her.“No wonder humans greet each other like this.”
“What?”She lifted her head from where she’d rested her temple on his sculpted pec, drawing in his scent with every ragged breath.“Only lovers,” she hurried to say in case Qaldreths went around kissing diplomats.
He hummed, caught her chin, then angled her head for another kiss.“I could French kiss you forever,” he rasped.
She was butter in his hands.Not the hard kind, but the gooey, melt-in-your-mouth kind.Her taut nipples throbbed, her sex thrummed, her stomach tightened, and she’d swear she’d developed a fever.What she wanted was for him to throw her down and plunder her.
Sanity prevailed.She’d met him today.And even though she’d done quite a few one-night-stands, this…had to be different.She was older, wiser, and would be stuck with Nenn for however long this trip took.There was no fucking-and-ducking for her.Not to mention, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t seduce him.But she’d hadn’t sworn to not hug or kiss him.
She looped her arms around his neck and tucked her face into the angle of his neck.Contentment settled in her chest, and she sighed, rubbing her cheek across his velvety skin.Farg, it’s so good to be held.
Nennreeled,likehe’dfallen off a cliff and hit the ground, face first.His thoughts whirled, his instincts made demands, and his symbiotes were in a frenzy.His hard koq ached, pulsing pain outward.He wasthataroused.Kissing Tiny had been more than he’d dreamed and nothing like he’d expected.Her taste, the agility of her tongue, her breasts against his chest, the way her fingers dug into his hair… She was shredding his control, tossing aside his ability to rationalize.
