“Yup,” I tell him, doing my best to ignore his movements. I shiver because it’s that weird mixture of fear and enjoyment again. I both love and hate that he wants to take care of me. I hate that I’m so lonely that even a dragon’s attentions are exciting. I need to stay focused, though. I have water here, and I want to finish my quick bath before I get interrupted. “I’m cleaning off, because I’m gross.”
He watches me, then touches my wet arm, brushing his fingertips over my skin. “Clau-dah.”
I freeze, pausing in my scrubbing. The tone of his voice makes my hackles rise in awareness. Goosebumps prickle all over me. There had been an utterly husky note in his voice just then. I glance over at him, but he simply reaches for the paper towels I hold in my hand and begins to gently wash my arm. His strokes over my skin are soft, loving, and he’s careful to avoid my wounds.
I let him, because what else can I do? Sure, he’s a little, er, randy, but he’s been kind to me, and protective. Pushing him away with an angry ‘no’ when he’s being gentle might test his patience and send his eyes to black again.
And okay, maybe I’m weird, but his touch is actually really nice. His fingers are warm, and his caresses skim over my arm in a way that doesn’t feel grabby, but appreciative. Exploratory. When it’s clear he’s not going to grab at anything I don’t want grabbed, I relax and let him continue. When he brushes the wet paper towels over my shoulders, I turn to give him better access to my back, lifting my filthy hair to help him out. “Thank you,” I murmur, watching him in the mirror.
He’s got a massive hard-on. I mean, of course he does. The man always seems to have a hard-on. But the look on his fierce face is intent, as if he’s determined to be the best shoulder-cleaner ever. It’s charmingly endearing.
Strangely enough, I’m not afraid of him anymore. Kael has been nothing but gentle and attentive, and despite his obvious arousal, he hasn’t tried to do anything about it. Even the bathing is innocent so far. For some reason, he views me as his, and he’s determined to take care of me. There are worse situations to be in.
His fingers slide down the curve of my back, and I shiver at the small touch, my skin prickling with awareness.
Did I say the bathing was innocent? Because it seems to have taken a bit of a turn…
Strangest of all, I find his touch…intriguing. Pleasant. My nipples are hard, and I shift in place, a little uncomfortable with my body’s response. Am I getting aroused at his touch? Dear lord, what is wrong with me? He’s a dragon and half mad. I’m pretty sure he’s killed more people than I have squirrels. He’s definitely the enemy. And yet…his touch makes me feel breathless and squirmy. Like I can’t wait to see if he’s going to move his hand lower, and what would happen if he did.
Maybe it’s just been a really long time since someone’s touched me with kindness and that’s why I’m getting all turned on. Or maybe it’s some sort of perverse dragon version of Stockholm syndrome.
Kael is oblivious to my worried thoughts. He dips the paper towels into the running water again and dabs at my opposite arm. As he does, he makes that low, thrumming sound in his throat…and then pauses. I look over, and he’s gazing down at the long, angry red line of my gunshot wound. It’s not much more than a deep scrape, but as I watch, his eyes flare to black again, and I know he’s getting upset.
“It’s okay, Kael. It doesn’t hurt, really.” I put a bright smile on my face. It does hurt, but him losing his shit could potentially ‘hurt’ a lot worse. “It’s barely anything.”
His eyes flick from black to gold, gaze settling on me.
“I’m fine. Truly.” When his eyes go dark again, I take a chance. I touch his chin and force him to look me in the eye. “I need you to be calm. I promise I’m fine.”
“Clau-dah.” His voice is ragged, upset.
“I know. Clau-dah’s fine, I swear.” My mind plays back the image of him biting the soldier in half, over and over again. Why does my small wound matter when he chomped someone else in two? Why am I so important? Is it because I’m a girl? Or is there something deeper here? I don’t know what to think.
Kael bends over to clean my wound, and his touch is utterly tender. He takes great care to make sure he doesn’t hurt me, and when he’s done, he leans in and gently brushes his mouth over the wound. Then he looks up at me, as if apologizing for it. His eyes have gone black again.
“See?” I tell him shakily. “No problem at all.”
He trails his fingers over my now-clean shoulder and presses his mouth to it again. This time, his eyes flick back to a deep, deep gold and remain focused on me.
I can’t help it. I gasp at the bolt of pleasure that rushes through me. Maybe it’s the intimacy of the moment, or maybe there’s something in the air, but I’m tingling at his touch. My pussy feels hot with need, and my breasts tighten in response. And I’m suddenly wet between my thighs and aching deep in my core.
As I watch, his nostrils flare.
Before I can react, Kael pushes me back against the sinks, the low growl in his throat wild.
I give a little whimper as my backside slams into the marble counter, and then he’s pushing between my thighs, the hard length of his cock rubbing up against my pussy.
And it feels…good. I’m not scared, I’m aroused.
Oh god, I’m really messed up in the head, aren’t I? Totally sick for enjoying the way it feels when he growls low in his throat and rubs his cock against my aching pussy. Crazy for leaning forward and scraping my nipples against his chest. Doing that feels amazing and sends hot little shocks through my body, and I can’t help but suck in a breath. He’s got my thighs spread wide, his hands clenching my hips, and it would take nothing for him to slam into me and fuck the daylights out of me with that massive dick.
His face looms close to mine, and he cups my jaw, forcing my gaze to his. His eyes are black with need. “Clau-dah,” he grits out, and rubs his enormous length along my slick folds. It’s a question, and he wants an answer.
He’s leaving it up to me. If I say his name, he’ll take that as assent, and he’ll fuck me right here, right now. And…then what? Discard me like the soldier? Snap me in half once his anger is sated and let the pieces fall to the ground?
I can’t reconcile his two halves. There’s the kind, tender half that’s almost human…and the crazed dragon with the black eyes. I don’t know which one I get if we have sex. I don’t know which one I get after sex. Do I lose all appeal for him once his itch has been scratched?
It might be in my best interests to never scratch that itch, no matter how much I might want to.
So I shake my head. “No.”
Kael makes an almost-human grunt and pushes away from me, leaving me weak-kneed against the sink. I should be relieved. I should. Instead I just feel…empty.
KAEL
It is progress. I must remind myself of that.