Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“I thought that is what we are doing right now?”
Ugh, he’s not making this easy for me. “I was very drunk that night and I acted in ways that I would not normally act. I certainly would never grab a man’s crotch without asking permission.”
He’s silent.
I pluck at the strap, flustered. “So you can’t hold it against me that I ran away. I was startled to learn about the…differences in our bodies, but that doesn’t make it gross. There’s nothing wrong with you. I was just surprised.”
“But it still does not appeal to you?”
“I have genuinely never given it much thought before now,” I admit, face hot. “Is it um, a normal situation for guys like you?”
“Ssethri males are born with two cocks, yes.”
“And do they both, ah, get hard at the same time?”
“They do for me, but only one carries seed.” His khui is humming louder under my hands, making me very aware of this conversation and the husky way Skarr tells me facts about his body. “The other just experiences pleasure.”
I have so many questions, but I don’t know how intrusive they would be. Do lady ssethri have two vaginas? Are his penises the same size? Does one feel better than the other? Get harder faster? It seems nosy to ask, but I don’t get the impression that Skarr minds. I think he likes me asking about his penis. Penises.
I manage a tiny smile and nudge the leather strap with my fingers again. “See, there you go. It’s normal for your people but not for mine, and that’s why I got startled. I didn’t run because I thought you were repulsive.”
“So you would have continued to kiss me?”
“Not if you didn’t want me to.”
“Would you kiss me now?” he asks, voice low and husky.
It sends heat curling through my system. “Only if you want me to.”
He gazes down at me, eyes bright. His fingers stroke along my jaw, lightly caressing. “I would like that.”
I nod, licking my lips nervously. Then I pull on that strap across his chest, tilting him toward me. I’m nervous, but not afraid. This is Skarr. He might be alien, but he’s made it clear that he worships me. It’s heady stuff.
His mouth descends towards mine, and I rise to meet him. Our lips brush ever so gently, and a bolt of pleasure flares through my body at that small touch. I kiss him, putting all of my sincerity into the touch of our lips. I want him to know how I feel. That I never meant to hurt him. That I’m terrified of what the future brings, but it’s not his fault. That kissing him has been one of the few pleasures this new world has brought me.
That I miss him when he’s gone, and it makes me feel strange to admit that.
Our mouths play against one another and he’s content to let me lead. My kisses are soft and gentle, giving promises and teases and only the barest graze of tongue. He groans against me and then I pull back, studying his expression.
“I know I’ve been wrapped up in my own head,” I confess to him, my mouth throbbing and soft. His is flushed a deeper green, and I want to kiss it again, but I also want him to reach for me. “But I promise I’m going to do better.”
He rubs his nose against mine, drinking in my scent. “My lovely, perfect Vivi…I do not know what that means. Do better than what?”
Oh. Heh. I smile wryly. “It’s a human saying. I’m going to try harder to figure this out between us.”
“What is there to figure out? I am your mate, you are mine.” His mouth brushes over mine in an almost-kiss, a teasing flirt of lips, and it sends a flutter straight to my thighs. “Resonance has decided, yes? We are together because we are the best ones for each other.”
“Yes but—”
Skarr pulls back, eyeing me. “What ‘but’?”
“I’m anxious,” I admit. I’m still clutching at his clothing, and I have to force myself to uncurl my fingers and let him go. “I’m scared of what the future means because I still feel as if I don’t have a past. Can we go slow? You and I?”
He strokes my cheek with his fingers, and I have to admit, I like the soft, careful touches. Like he can’t get enough of me and has to steal just a bit more. “What does it mean to go slow, Vivi? Tell me honestly because I do not wish for there to be more misunderstandings between us.”
“I want us to spend time together. I want us to get to know each other. Not just as mates but as friends, too. I want to take a bit of time before we…before we get pregnant.” It feels silly to state it that baldly, but I need him to understand exactly what I’m saying.