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)
Part of me expects him to gripe about the role reversal—I’m basically telling him to stay and keep the home fires burning—but he just nods. “If you are not back by dark, I will come looking for you.”
“I’ll be back,” I promise him. And then I lean in and give him a kiss full of promise that scatters his thoughts.
He gives me a dazed stare as I pull back, and it’s clear he wants to kiss me again. “I’ll make up a bed.”
I grab a spear and a leather satchel, test the heft of the weapon in my hands, and then head out.
By the time I come back, Skarr is waiting at the entrance of the cave, the firelight glowing behind him. He brightens at the sight of me, taking the two frozen beaver-like hoppers from my belt hook. The bag I’ve carried slung over my shoulder is now full of snow waiting to be melted, and I fill the extra carved bone bowls and pouches with slushy snow while we wait for the first batch to melt. The truth of the matter is that a huge bag of snow only amounts to a very small amount of water melted, so we have to be careful with every drop unless we want to work on melting it all night.
“I started a tea in the pouch,” he tells me as I strip off my cloak.
I beam at him as he moves the privacy screen in front of the cave entrance and pushes it into place. “That’s wonderful. I appreciate it.”
“I know. You washed your hands? I don’t want you getting sleep-leaf all over yourself.” He moves to my side and pulls one of my boots off when I raise my foot. “I plan on licking your cunt at least twice and I don’t want you falling asleep on me.”
“As if I could fall asleep when you’re doing that,” I tease, my lower belly fluttering at the thought of him going down on me. “I should probably wash up first.”
“I can wash you.” Skarr gives me a lascivious look. “It will be my pleasure.”
That makes me smile, because it’s a blatant attempt to get me naked and touched. “Will you, now.”
“I will. Am I not the most generous of mates?”
“So generous,” I murmur, lifting my other foot for him to pull the boot. He tosses it aside, and a loose dark curl falls over his forehead, making him seem boyish, and my heart melts at the sight of it. This man is mine tonight, I decide. Ours might not be a conventional romance, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s going to be ours. He’s my mate and I’m his. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“If we had a baby, would you want a boy or a girl?”
Skarr pauses, thinking. After a long moment, he states, “That is difficult to answer.”
My heart freezes in my chest. Is he having second thoughts, then? “Why?”
He considers this, expression lost in thought as he gazes at the fire. “Either could learn my fighting tricks. It would be impossible to choose…but I might like a female. I like the thought of another fierce female in our hut.”
I laugh with sheer relief. “So you still want a baby?”
His expression becomes uneasy. No, I realize. Not uneasy. Shy. It’s not something I’m used to seeing on Skarr. He picks up one of the furs and runs his fingers through it, avoiding my gaze. “I never thought I would be chosen for breeding,” he admits. “A ssethri splice is not a common splice. Audiences do not like us much. We are weaker than moden or praxiians. I know I am an excellent gladiator now but…I had to work very hard to be that much more aggressive and clever than others because I was not always successful at combat.”
My heart squeezes. No wonder he’s so fixated on being the best. He’s worried about letting me down. “Well then that settles it,” I say softly. “We’ll make a baby, and it’ll be the best baby on the beach, and everyone will wonder how we managed to make a being so damn perfect in every way.”
Skarr grabs me and hauls me against him, kissing me fiercely. I wrap my arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal enthusiasm.
“Now?” he asks between kisses. “Here?”
“Yes. Here. Now.” I curl my fingers in his ridiculous, soft hair. “I want to be your mate. Do you still want to be mine?”
His hungry gaze roams over me. “More than anything, Vivi.” He leans in, kissing me again, but this time with more gentleness. “I can’t wait to stuff you with my cock…and then stuff you with my other cock.”
I moan, because it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard and yet I want that, too. “I want both of your cocks inside me at the same time.”