Текст книги "The Dragon's Favorite Strays"
Автор книги: Ruby Dixon
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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 26 страниц)
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CHAPTER 38
MURR
Nothing I have ever experienced is as entrancing as the touch of Dakotah’s soft hand in mine. I do not dare breathe, because I do not want her to flinch away.
Was I fascinated by how soft her lips had been against my cheek? It is nothing compared to her hand against my larger one. I watch, fixated, as her fingertips glide over my knuckles, and then she touches one of my claws. She makes an impressed sound in her throat as she taps on one, and I’m tempted to bite them all off, like those with a mate do, so she can touch me without fear.
As if she realizes what she is doing, Dakotah gives me a shy smile and gestures at our joined hands. “Hand.”
She lets go of me, but I’m not ready for this to end. Not yet. I take her hand in mine, careful not to scratch her with my claws. I cradle it, palm up, and touch the pad of my fingertip to the center of her palm. “Hand. Dakotah hand.”
She sucks in a breath when I touch her, and it makes my cock stir.
I trace my fingertip carefully along her palm, watching her expression as I do. Her pulse thrums loud enough for me to pick up, her scent drifting towards something that smells like arousal. I’m fascinated by that scent and by the softness of her skin. I want to touch it all over. I want to rub my mouth on every spot where she’s soft like this.
Lifting her hand to my mouth, I press my lips over the center of her palm, wondering if it’s going to feel like when she pressed her lips to my cheek. It feels even better, the heat of her skin caressing my face. Her fingers curl reflexively.
The arousal scent drifts through the air, stronger than before, and I look up at her. Dakotah’s gaze is locked on her hand, where my mouth is.
I touch the tip of my tongue to her skin. She tastes salty, with just a hint of musk, and a little whimper escapes her throat. “Dakotah hand,” I say again, though I have a great many things I wish I could say instead. “Hand kith.”
“Yeah,” she breathes, eyes hooded. “Dassa han kith allrite.”
She is not turning me away, and I want to do more. I turn her hand slightly in my grasp, angling her fingertips toward my mouth. I nip the tip of her first finger, watching her reaction.
Her lips part. No word comes out. I think she has forgotten to try and “teach” me. I don’t mind… I’m not touching her for words. I’m touching her because I’m trying to get her used to the idea of being my mate. I might be flawed and broken amongst my people, but maybe Dakotah will like me as I am. Maybe she will let me provide for her and her young, and she will overlook the fact that I am not worthy.
If not…maybe she will just let me keep touching her. I’m willing to compromise at this point. I just need to touch her, and to be touched. I didn’t realize how much I craved connecting with another person until now. How lonely I’d been.
How good it feels to touch a female’s hand and breathe in her scent. To have her skin close to mine.
She’s not touching me any longer, but I’ll take what I can get.
Dakotah is in a trance at my mouth on her skin, so I keep turning her hand, moving my mouth over her knuckle and then pressing a kith on the back of her hand. I move to her wrist, brushing my lips over her arm, and notice that her skin is covered in small bumps that have risen in response to my touch. I lift my head and stroke my thumb over her skin. “Watdis?”
“Goosebumps,” she says, her breathing ragged. Her nipples are visible against the fabric that covers her torso, and I find myself wondering what they taste like, too. Are they as soft as her lips?
“Goo bumz…bad?” I ask.
She shakes her head, pulling her hand out of my grasp and flexing her fingers. “Not bad.”
I tilt my head at her reaction, trying to determine if she is offended. She continues to squeeze her hand into a fist and then releases it, as if my touch is lingering. “Murr hand…bad?”
Dakotah shakes her head again.
“Murr…mouth bad?”
“No,” she whispers. “Not bad.”
“Mouth…good?” I reach out, my palm up in invitation. If she lets me, I will happily mouth her everywhere.
Dakotah’s gaze moves to my lips, and she swallows hard. She thinks for a long, long moment before answering. “Mouth good.”
I let out a low rumble of pleasure at that.
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CHAPTER 39
DAKOTA
I did not come onto this roof to flirt with a dragon.
Yet it seems that is what I am doing. My brain has gone out the window, and the moment he started kissing my palm, I stopped thinking about dragons and enemies and nomads and, well, everything, really. Rabbit and I hug constantly. I’m always giving my daughter a kiss on the head or squeezing her hand. But how long has it been since a man touched me? And it was nice?
Far, far too long.
He gazes at me with hot eyes, his pupils swirling with warm color. As our eyes meet, his tongue dips out and he tastes my skin again, pressing his lips against my flesh.
I need to shut this down. I need to end this. I need to be sensible.
His teeth graze over my skin, and I have to bite back a whimper. That should not feel as good as it does. I should be worried that he’s looking at me like I’m a snack, but that’s not the vibe I’m getting. Not in the slightest. The only vibes I’m getting are sexy ones…and they are lighting up my imagination. “That’s a bite.” My words sound breathless and not at all like the admonition I was going for. “That’s not what I’m up here to discuss.”
I might as well be speaking to the wind. He inhales deeply, drinking in my scent, before releasing my arm. His eyes have flared to a deep, deep gold color I’ve never seen before, several shades darker than his snakelike skin. His gaze remains on me as he draws back, as though reluctant to abandon this moment.
A man sniffing my arm like I’m a treat might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Holy shit, I was not prepared for this moment. I just stare at Murr, my mind full of sparks. Am I imagining that things are changing between us right now?
My gaze drops to his lap.
No. I am absolutely not imagining things. His cock has grown erect, the tip of it flushed with a deeper shade of gold that almost matches his eyes. It’s grown thicker and longer, and I could swear that the scales striate down his length in a suggestion of ridges. Because of course they do. Fate throws a dragon guy at me and decides to make him incredibly handsome and sexy and devoted and give him the Dick to End All Dicks.
“Dakotah,” he murmurs, dragging out the last bit of my name in that way he always does. Then he grips his cock and says my name again, as if declaring that his dick belongs to me.
“Um?” My flabbers are gasted. It’s been so long since I’ve even flirted with a man that I don’t remember how to freaking flirt. All I know is that he should not be grabbing himself right now…and I absolutely do not want him to stop.
He tilts his head, regarding me. “No?”
“I mean, let’s not be too hasty…” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, flustered and turned on at the same time. “This was a hell of a lot easier to process when it was just kisses.”
“Kith?” Murr homes in on that single word, his brows going up. He releases his cock and reaches for my face instead.
I stare at his hand as it moves slowly toward me, and instead of gripping my chin, he caresses my jaw, rubbing his knuckles lightly against my skin. It’s almost like he’s petting me like one of the cats.
And oh, I desperately want to be petted. It’s shameful just how much.
“Murr kith Dakotah?” he asks, voice soft. His fingers dance across my jaw once more, his thumb then grazing my lower lip.
“You know what? Fuck it. Yes. Let’s kiss.” I take his hand and pull it from my face, leaning in towards him. Why am I fighting this when it’s obvious I want this just as badly as he does? “Kiss me.”
His gaze flicks to my mouth, and he leans in closer.
“MMMMoOOoOoooOOOooOMMM? ARE YOU DEAD?” Rabbit calls from below.
I bolt up, jumping to my feet. “I’m here,” I call back. “I’m just, uh, talking to Murr!”
“Do you need me to come up there?” She bellows up at me.
Oh, dear god, I do not. The last thing I need is Rabbit coming up here and seeing Murr’s currently very prominent dick. “No! I’m coming down!”
Scrubbing my hands over my hair—and then my face, because I need to snap out of this—I look over at Murr.
There’s a hint of amusement on his face as he sinuously gets to his feet. “Big…meat?”
“You know what? Sure.” I press my hand to my forehead. “Please tell me that’s in reference to hunting.”
A shadow falls over the roof and he flies away a moment later, and I want to throw up from the relief of it all.
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CHAPTER 40
DAKOTA
If anyone notices that I’m flustered, they don’t comment on it. We make plans to go out tomorrow to look for the nomad. We work on a crossword puzzle aloud, because Aggie doesn’t like to do them on her own. I don’t even know if she likes to do them as much as she just likes to be the one barking demands for words at everyone. Murr returns, flying overhead and gently dropping a dead deer nearby, and the cats come streaming out. The rest of the afternoon is spent cooking and butchering, Rabbit medicating kittens as she grabs them, and Aggie shouting for a “five-letter word that means darkness.” Dottie pulls out knitting, which leaves me with the task of prepping the meat by myself.
Did I think that living in a bookstore was going to give me more leisure time to read and relax? I swear it’s like I’m the only adult in a ten-mile radius. But then Murr arrives in his human form, sauntering up to our parking lot firepit, and comes to stand by me. He’s wearing his loin wrap, and when our eyes meet, he doesn’t smile, but his eyes whirl that deep, rich gold that tells me exactly what he’s thinking.
And when I walk past, I could swear he inhales deeply, drinking in my scent.
I suddenly don’t mind that Aggie and Dottie are rather checked out. If they were more attentive, they’d notice that something subtle has changed between me and Murr. That when I stand near the fire, he drifts a little closer. That I catch him watching me all throughout the evening. That I can’t stop looking at him, or his big, gorgeous body.
I’ve been fine without a man for years. I’ve considered myself immune to their charms (such as they are). But Murr and his obsession with kisses is making my mind spin.
“Getting late,” Dottie comments after the sun goes down. She puts her knitting away and rubs her eyes under her glasses. “Should we set up a watch in case he comes by in the night?”
“I can take the first watch,” Aggie says. She puts away her stub of a pencil and closes her crossword book with careful hands, as if the paper is more precious than gold. “I don’t need beauty sleep. I’m naturally blessed.”
Rabbit purses her mouth, as if trying desperately not to laugh, and looks over at me.
I shake my head. “I think we’re good. Murr has better senses than all of us. If he stays in the area, we’ll be safe.”
“He’s not going anywhere,” Dottie says. “He’s too sweet on you.”
Okay, maybe they have noticed that something’s changed between us. Maybe I’m the one that’s not clued in.
Rabbit scoops up Kermit with a yawn. “I’m going to bed, then. Night, Mom. Night, Aggie. Night, Dottie. Night, Murr.”
“Nyy,” Murr repeats back, though I’m not entirely sure he knows what it means.
My daughter smiles sleepily at our group and then heads into the bookstore, “her” cat in her arms. She’s followed by at least four others, and if they all pile into the blankets with her, there won’t be any room for me…but she’ll also be the happiest kid alive. I can’t complain.
“In that case, I could use some sleep,” Aggie says, hauling herself out of the folding lawn chair she’s claimed as her own. “We put our blankets down in the same spot we were last night, but if you need us to move, we can. I know it’s your bed, Dakota.”
I shake my head. “It’s a big bookstore. I can make a new room soon enough. I’ll put away the smoked meat and bank the fire. Just leave me a pillow and a blanket and I’ll be good. I can bunk with Rabbit again.”
The others trickle off, moving slowly into the bookstore. I let the fire die down, carefully wrapping the smoked meat in packets of foil and then putting those packets into a plastic container. Without refrigeration, we have to cook the shit out of everything and hope it doesn’t spoil. Murr remains nearby in his human form, a cat in his lap and another in his arms. He doesn’t ask for word lessons but seems content to watch me put things away. Then there’s nothing else left to do, and I stretch, my hands at the small of my back. “Goodnight, then.”
“Sleep?” he asks, getting to his feet.
“Yup, time to sleep.” I glance over my shoulder at him. “I’ll see you in the morning. Are you staying nearby?” I point at the doors where he normally sleeps. “Murr sleep?”
He doesn’t shift to his dragon form, however. He follows after me when I head inside, still human.
Well now, what does this mean?
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CHAPTER 41
DAKOTA
Sleeping with my daughter is out. Given that Murr is still on my heels, following me inside the building, I’m not about to go curl up with her…because what if he goes with me? I don’t think he would do anything to Rabbit, but I’m not about to put all of us into a weird situation.
So I grab the first blanket I see in Aggie and Dottie’s too-large pile of belongings and wrap it around myself, heading for the back of the store. It’s dark, so I move slowly, shuffling my feet and trying to recall where the piles of books are blocking the aisles. A cat meows nearby, answered by a soft rumble from Murr, and that tells me he’s still following me.
No dragon form tonight, then? I wonder what’s changed…then I feel silly. Of course I know what’s changed. He nibbled on my hand and gave me hot eyes. That’s what’s changed. I can shut this down and send him away, let him know I’m not interested. But…I am interested.
I want to see where this goes, even if it’s a bad idea.
After I nearly trip over a folding metal chair, I realize where I am in the store. This is near the center desk, the large round station with the old broken computers on it. This is as good a spot as any to sleep tonight. I put my hand on the desk and follow it until I find the way inside, and push another stack of books out of the way. With that, I hunker down to the floor, settling in for the night. It’s not the most comfortable spot in the store, but if I kiss Murr, at least no one will see it.
Not that kisses are the expectation, of course.
It’s…just in case of kisses.
No sooner do I have the blanket wrapped around me than someone big and warm sits down next to me. He radiates heat, and even though I wasn’t cold a moment ago, I can’t help but gravitate towards that warmth. It’s just delicious.
“Dakotah,” he says, voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “Sleep?”
“Soon.” I should go to sleep because dawn comes quickly, but with him right here next to me in his human form, my brain is anything but tired. “What was that we did? On the roof?”
There’s a long pause, and I feel silly. He’s not understanding what I’m asking.
Oh, fuck it. I’m tired of dancing around the situation. I turn towards him, leaning in. “Hey, Murr. Wanna kith?”
His answer is immediate. “Yes.”
With a nervous thrill, I lean in closer. I can feel him moving toward me. His nose brushes against my cheek, and a moment later, his lips press against my skin.
A cheek kiss.
Sweet, but not what I was asking for. Perhaps this is just him being mindful of boundaries. If I want more, I’m going to have to be specific. I reach out in the dark and find his face, touching his cheek. His hand covers mine, holding me to him. “Mouth kiss?”
The hungry sound he makes low in his throat sends a ripple of need right through me.
I turn slightly, my nose bumping against his, and this time I make sure our mouths line up. Our breaths mingle, and we hover there for a moment, not quite touching. I know he’s waiting for me to go first. Even now, he’s being mindful and polite, and I appreciate it so, so much. Maybe this is why I feel so safe with him—any time he could abuse his power, he chooses to hand it back to me instead.
So I kiss him.
I press my lips to his, feigning more confidence than I feel. It’s been almost a decade since I’ve kissed anyone, and I’ve never kissed a dragon man. He’s got sharp teeth that I’m very aware of, but the mouth on mine is soft and supple. He tastes like warmth with a hint of ash, a strange combination that works.
It reminds me that this is Murr. This is the incredibly fearsome dragon-man who lets kittens climb all over him and gives me cheek kisses because I’ve never indicated that I want more.
The kiss is slow and exploratory. At first it’s just lips, mine brushing over his in a greeting. Our mouths meet once, twice, a third time, and he makes another soft rumble in his throat. His hand goes to my shoulder, and then he pulls me ever so slightly closer. I slide my other hand to his neck, and as I do, I tilt my head to allow the kiss to go deeper. I part my lips more with every joining of our mouths, and when that no longer feels like enough, I brush my tongue against his.
He groans so loud that I fear it’s going to wake everyone up.
I immediately jerk away, covering his mouth with my fingertips. “Murr, shh!” A wild giggle bubbles up inside me, and my lips feel tingly, like I’ve been kissing for hours. “Quiet.”
In response, he draws my fingertips to his lips and kisses them.
Oh, I am in such trouble.
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CHAPTER 42
MURR
It is as I suspected—lip kith is much, much more interesting than cheek kith. I’m pleased that Dakotah offered one to me, and if she wishes for me to be silent, I will be as silent as can be. I suspect we are hiding from the others as we sit behind the bulky wooden barrier, but a new idea occurs to me.
Is this why Dakotah has been so strange every time I mentioned a kith? Are kith on the mouth meant to be in private? Hidden? So the others do not see and grow jealous? Is this similar to the kilt she likes for me to wear on my loins?
If so, this all makes sense.
Because now that we are hidden in the darkness away from the others, she does not pull away from my touch. She lets me put my mouth all over her hand, nipping each fingertip and tasting her skin, and her breath hitches. From those little, quiet gasps, I can tell she’s enjoying this.
That, and the arousal scent that thickens the air around us.
She moves a little closer to me, curling against me as I press my lips to her hand. My free hand settles on her back, a ripple of fabric in the way of me touching her skin. I pull on it until I can work my fingers under the sleeve of cloth that covers her torso, and I’m rewarded by a patch of bare skin at the base of her spine, which I decide is mine to stroke.
Dakotah makes another one of those sultry little gasps when I do. “Murr,” she whispers.
“Mouth kith?” I ask again. Because I have to ask. I desperately want more of them. I need Dakotah to be my mate. My fangs are throbbing, filling with the venom of the mating bite, but I need her permission. I am a flawed male, a loner with no one to rely on, and I cannot claim her as mine if it will be detrimental to her.
But that does not mean we cannot enjoy a mouth kith…or several of them.
I know now to be quiet for a mouth kith, and when she nods in silence, I take my cue from her. I put my claws on her chin, angling her fascinating, soft mouth towards me. I know how good it will feel when our lips touch, but I am still taken by surprise. It is as if that graze of her mouth against mine becomes the only thing that exists.
Her small teeth graze my lip, a mere suggestion of a bite, but it sends a thrill through me. Do human females bite their males? I try to imagine her blunt little teeth doing any sort of damage and suspect not…but the mental image is arousing all the same. Dakotah’s tongue brushes against mine, and I forget all about teeth entirely. Tongues. Tongues are the important part of a mouth kith.
They are what change it from fascinating to all-consuming obsession.
Our kith deepens, mouths entwined as if we are determined to devour each other. I have never felt anything like this. My fangs ache and ache, throbbing in time with my pulse, making me desperate to grab Dakotah and pull her head back, exposing her neck for my bite. Even as my tongue drags against hers, I envision this bite, the gasp she would make, the connection of our minds—
My fangs drip. Just a drop of venom, but it is enough.
Dakotah draws back with a stifled hiss, her hand going to her mouth. “Why ith my mouf burnnin?”
I can guess what she is asking—something has happened and she does not understand. How do I explain the mating bite? Frantically, I stab my thoughts at hers, but it is as frustrating as ever. There is no response, no reaction, no nothing. The mental web that once connected me to the other drakoni has vanished as if it had never been. I am left without the words to express myself.
So I just pat Dakotah on the cheek.
She gives me a puzzled look before drawing away, tightening the blanket around herself. “Ok dat wz weird ofu.”
“Murr…” I trail off, struggling to think of her spoken sounds that will explain how I feel right now. How I want to keep touching her, my fingers trailing along her spine even as I tease her mouth with my lips. How I want to rub my tongue against hers again, but my throbbing fangs are demanding more from her and I do not know if I will be able to control myself if we continue. Yet I only have words for things like “meat” and “car” and “sun,” and I give up with a growl of frustration.
Dakotah touches my chest, as if she understands. “S’ok, Murr. We tokk mr tmorroh.”
Then, she settles in against me, tucking her head against my neck. I normally do not sleep in my two-legged form, as it is far more comfortable to stretch out in my battle-form, to spread my wings and curl my legs up around my large body, to let my tail slither free.
Yet with Dakotah pressed against me, I will happily remain where I am.
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