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.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

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!”