But he only leans in and inhales, sniffing my hair as if it’s the best thing he’s ever smelled. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, voice low and sinfully husky.
That stupid thrum of desire skitters through me again. I’m turned on by a dragon, and it’s a little worrying. He’s not entirely human even in this form—his height and bulk are definitely not normal, and the strong lines of his face and the dappled striations of his skin won’t let him escape notice. The spiky horns? Yeah, not normal. But to me, they’re starting to become normal. Like I look at him and I don’t see anything strange anymore.
It’s just Kael.
I pull away from him and leave the bathroom behind, heading back out to the main area of the building’s top floor. I rub my arms as I go and don’t look behind me. I don’t have to, because I know Kael’s going to be just a few steps behind me. I feel like if I stay in that small bathroom, we’re not going to be thinking about water for much longer. For some reason, whenever we get into a small room, he moves that much closer to me. And when he does, I have a hard time concentrating on anything but his nearness.
So, a change of scenery.
I walk out onto the main floor and into a pool of sunlight. I step into it and tilt my face up, closing my eyes and absorbing the warmth of the sun. The roof’s gone on this end of the building, but the walls are mostly intact, and instead of making me feel like a trapped rat, it almost feels like I’m in a really big sunroom. I kind of like it. This building’s full of clutter and tossed, weather-destroyed paper, but it’s not concrete rubble and scrap metal like the last one. I even like the vines and greenery that have started to crawl into every inch of the available surface. It’s almost pretty, as much as anything in burned-out Old Dallas can be.
And I’m still thinking about what it’d be like to kiss Kael. Damn it.
“Clau-dah,” Kael calls again, his voice teasing. I feel a shiver through my body at the playful sound of his voice, and turn toward him. He’s two steps behind me, like I thought, and the moment I turn, he pulls me back against him, grinning like he’s caught me in the world’s slowest chase. I lick my lips, the tips of my breasts tight against his chest, and I resist the urge to rub up against him. Doing that is a Very Bad Idea. I tell myself it has to be Stockholm syndrome. Has to be. When his eyes go black, he still scares the crap out of me.
But at the same time…I’m fascinated by the fact that I’m the center of his universe. Maybe I’m starved for attention or hungry for affection in a world that’s so brutal and unforgiving that even a monster’s devotion seems like a fascinating thing. I know it’s not healthy. I’m…just not sure that I care.
So much of life in the After is comprised of taking things one day at a time, one meal at a time. There are no long-term plans. There’s no hope for the future. There’s just surviving until tomorrow.
Is it so wrong that I want to grab at a little playful affection while I can? I consider Kael, his big body pressed up against mine as he nuzzles at my throat. His scent is in my nose, his scorching skin rubbing against mine. It wouldn’t take much to encourage him. A little bit of an obvious rub against the thick cock pressed against my belly and I’d find myself up against the wall…
And this time he might not take no for an answer.
I should hate that thought. I should be revolted by it. Instead, the thought makes my body flush with desire all over again. The mental image of Kael pushing me against the wall and pumping his enormous erection inside of me makes my pulse quicken and my body ache deep inside.
His body stiffens against me, and I realize he’s picking up my scent in the air.
“Clau-dah,” he growls low in his throat. I know that growl. He thinks I’m being a tease. Strange how my mispronounced name suddenly holds so many meanings.
But I don’t want to be a tease. Not really. I’m curious about him, too, and I keep thinking about what would happen if we kissed. If I let him touch me. Somehow, I don’t think he’d hurt me. Not if he stayed in control. And he’s been in control all day. Greatly daring, I run a hand down the front of his chest. His body is so hard against mine, not a bit of give to his muscles. He’s huge. Mammoth, really. He’s tall, but more than that, he’s burly and thick, but not an ounce of it is fat. I glance up and notice that his eyes have swirled back to black again, though gold flashes through them. He’s fighting it.
I don’t want to push him too hard. Maybe he needs more time. I probably do, too. So I give his chest a gentle little pat. “No. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Liar, says my body. I almost expect Kael to echo it aloud. But he only buries his face against my neck and inhales my scent once more.
After a moment’s hesitation, I slowly wrap my arms around him, running my hands down his back. His eyes stay gold, and I smile at him. This is nice. We can do this. Just hold each other. If this is the only communication we have for now, I’ll take it.
His arms go around me, and he’s warm and delicious. It’s like being wrapped in a blanket, and I sigh with pleasure at how good it feels just to have him pressed against me. It shouldn’t feel this good, should it? I’m so distracted by the feel of him that it barely registers when a shadow passes overhead. Kael stiffens, and his eyes immediately go black.
I panic and fling myself out of his arms, stepping away.
A dragon trumpets a challenge, loud and angry. I stare at Kael in surprise, but it takes me a moment to realize that it’s not him. In the next moment, claws wrap around my waist and I’m snatched into the air.
There’s another dragon.
“Kael!” I scream, flinging my arms out for him. For safety. He’s the devil I know.
Kael won’t hurt me.
But this new dragon? I don’t know a thing about him. I don’t know if his eyes will go gold and he’s friendly, or if they’re black with anger. I don’t know if he wants a human snack or something far more dire.
The building disappears below, and I watch in shock as Kael’s receding form moves forward. His muscles bunch and he flings himself into the sky, changing to dragon form almost instantly and following us.
His bellow of fury is deafening, and even from here, I can see his eyes are completely, utterly black.
13
CLAUDIA
My hands frantically pull at the claws that hold me tight. The strange dragon had snatched me from Kael’s grasp and is now flying away with me. His claws tear at my naked skin, and he gives another roar of fury, one full of rage and anger. One I haven’t heard from Kael in days. Fear chokes my throat, and I shove my whipping hair out of my face, trying to get a good look at my captor.