Page 66

My cheeks heated as I muttered a thank you.

“Does it ever bother humans to have so many layers of fabric wrapped around your bodies?” he asked as he approached.

“It depends. Bras are a nightmare for most women. But the rest of our clothes, we usually forget we’re even wearing them, unless they are too tight or the fabric is irritating.”

“I see,” he said as he pulled the blanket to climb into bed.

He froze with one knee resting on the mattress when he realized I was lying down in my birthday suit. His gaze instantly darkened, and his stunning face took a sensual edge that had my toes curling. He settled on the bed next to me, lying sideways facing me, propped up on his left elbow. A swarm of butterflies took flight in the pit of my stomach as his gaze rolled possessively over me.

“I’m going to touch you, my mate,” he said in a purring tone.

His eyes locked with mine, seeking confirmation of my blessing. I didn’t say a word and reached for one of his leinis instead. I gave it a gentle caress, letting the tentacle glide through my hand. Taelen bared his teeth at me, his chest vibrating with a rattling sound that perfectly matched the predatory look on his face. The fluttering shifted to a low heat quickly spreading through my nether region as he leaned forward.

He captured my lips in a passionate kiss as his right hand boldly roamed over my body. With a will of their own, my lips parted, welcoming his invading tongue. I hadn’t known whether this was a thing with Syllens. As I looooved kissing, I had prayed it would be the case, or that he would be at least open to trying it if it wasn’t. So this was a perfect surprise.

And damn, did my man know how to do it!

His tongue had a slightly rougher texture than ours, which only heightened every sensation as it caressed mine. I hated a man who slobbered all over me when we kissed, and thankfully, Taelen wasn’t that man. He sucked on my tongue and gently grazed it with his teeth. Their sharpness sent a thrill down my spine at this sense of danger.

But even as I savored the kiss, I also reveled in his hand fondling my breast. His thumb teased my hardening nipple, then he pinched it between two fingers. The sting resonated straight in my clit. Taelen broke the kiss and buried his face in my neck, which he licked and sucked in the most sensual fashion. Although I didn’t have erogenous gills like him, the crook of my neck was extra sensitive, and he zeroed in on it with deadly accuracy.

Abandoning my breast, his hand slid down over my stomach to the apex of my thighs. I inhaled sharply when his tail wrapped around my calf then tugged to spread my legs wider. Taelen didn’t play or beat around the bush and went straight for my core. A moan escaped me as he dipped two fingers inside of me while his thumb circled around my nub. His chest vibrated with an approving purr. I suspected that finding me already wet for him prompted that reaction.

Having clearly learned from last night, Taelen crooked his fingers just the right way so that he would graze my sensitive spot both going in and out. In no time, he had me writhing beneath his touch. The inferno of his mouth settling on my nipple had a bolt of fire exploding low in my belly even as pleasure swiftly built within me. Sensing that I would soon topple over the edge, he increased the movement of his hand making love to me. I fisted his leinis with both hands as I drew nearer to ecstasy. My shocked gasp when they wrapped around my wrists shifted into a sharp cry as my orgasm swept me away.

He chuckled smugly as his tentacles slowly released me with a soft caress. Through my blissful haze, I vaguely thought that it shouldn’t have surprised me so much. The Raitheans—a kraken species—had similar tentacles on their heads instead of hair. They could control them like individual limbs and frequently intertwined them with the tentacles of their close friends or loved ones during an affectionate embrace. But due to the Syllens’ head vines and veris, I assumed they only used those for such a close connection.

To my shock, instead of going for round two, Taelen appeared to be settling down for us to go to sleep. This was the second time he had only seen to my pleasure without taking any for himself.

I pulled away when he tried to draw me into his embrace and pinned his hands on each side of his face. His eyes widened, and the strangest expression fleeted over his features when I straddled him and started peppering kisses all over his face. For a split second, I wondered if it was frowned upon among his people for the woman to take charge. To my relief, after his initial surprise, he relaxed and observed me with a mysterious smile laced with a hint of approval.

At that instant, I realized he was rejoicing that I was taking the initiative in touching what he reminded me multiple times was mine to enjoy as I saw fit. And enjoy, I did. While I had previously merely caressed his body with restraint to explore its texture, this time I proceeded in a naughtier fashion.

I brushed my lips along his jawline and down his neck. Poking my tongue out, I traced the lines of his three gills with one long lick each. Feeling his body shiver beneath me as he took a hissing breath was the biggest turn on. His hand slipped in my hair, cupping my nape as he tilted his head back to give me better access.

Understanding the memo, I remained there a short while longer, licking and kissing his gills before repeating the same with the other side. His moan resonated directly in my clit, making me throb and ache to be filled. I pursued my journey down, my tongue following the swirls of his yevins before my mouth latched onto his nipple. Once again, Taelen sighed with delight. I didn’t know how sensitive they were for his species, but he seemed to enjoy my ministrations.

When my nails accidentally grazed over the yevins on his side, Taelen’s body jerked, and he emitted a growling sound that had my inner walls clenching with need. I peered up at him to find him staring at me with an almost feral expression, his dark green eyes looking almost black. My gaze locked with his, I repeated the gesture, this time raking my nails the length of his sides. The way he clenched his teeth, his eyes closing as if from intense pleasure had me soaking wet.

I lowered my head back to kiss his stomach, my tongue teasing the grooves of his well-defined abdominals while my hands parted the panels of his skirt. He willed them fully open, revealing my prize. Finding him already hard for me did wondrous things for my confidence.

I still struggled with the idea that he might be genuinely attracted to me. Beyond that fact that I was human, every Syllen female I’d seen so far was freaking stunning. And yet, here it was…

As I wrapped my hand around his girth, I couldn’t help a sliver of worry about how long and thick he was. Although I didn’t doubt he would be gentle with me, it would be a tight fit. As I began to stroke him, the feel of the petal-shaped ridges on the upper half of his shaft on my palm had my mind running wild. They didn’t have the smooth texture of his yevins and felt more like soft scales covering subcutaneous implants. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how they would feel inside of me.

Although it wasn’t the same, I took him in my mouth. He tasted like fresh mint and basil, with a hint of citrus. The scaly ridges felt divine against my tongue as I bobbed over him. The divine sound of his moans filled my ears. Taelen fisted my hair as I accelerated the pace. I stroked the base of his shaft in counterpoint to the movement of my mouth on him. By the way the muscles of his thighs contracted, he was nearing his release.

I went at him even harder. Sucking on the head and twirling my tongue around it, before taking him deep again. However, as soon as I grazed my teeth over his scaly ridges, Taelen cried out, his body seizing even as his seed erupted into my mouth. Although I expected it to happen any minute, I still nearly choked on it before swiftly swallowing. This time, the citrusy taste slightly dominated the minty flavor. I continued bobbing over him until he was fully spent.

When I lifted my head to smugly peer at him, the beauty of his face, dissolved in an air of pure bliss, took my breath away. Taelen seemed almost groggy as he struggled to keep his eyes open and focused on me.

He pulled me over him, and I crawled up to lie on top of him. Although I wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep, I doubted my mate was in a state or mood to fuck me into next week. He wrapped one arm possessively around me, his other hand settling on my behind. Instead of resting my head on his chest and wishing me sweet dreams, Taelen drew my face to his and crushed my lips in an almost punishing kiss.

I gasped against his mouth when his tail suddenly wrapped around my neck. On instinct, I grabbed its sides with both hands, but Taelen caught my wrists and yanked my arms behind my back. As soon as my hands touched, his veris shackled them. Simultaneously, the veris of his thighs and calves slithered all over my legs, binding me to his own. Immobilized and helpless, I stared at him with excitement laced with a hint of fear as an almost evil grin stretched his lips.

“I will hear you scream for me again, my mate,” he said in a menacing tone.

As soon as he finished pronouncing that sentence, his deila started vibrating against my clit. My body jerked in response, and I threw my head back with a cry only to have his tail tighten around my throat. It didn’t constrict my airway to the point of asphyxia, but enough to elicit an exciting sense of danger. Despite the blissful sensations fogging my mind, I didn’t miss the intensity of his stare as he studied my reaction to him binding me while going to town on my clit. Once again, I felt safe with him, even though he had me at his total mercy.