“Holy crap!”I was standing on a cloud!I tapped the blue-pink surface with the toe of a boot: it was as solid as earth, it simply appeared puffy.This was… magic!
“Save the dirty words for my bedchamber.”
I froze mid-tap.Bedchamber, right.I was not here to explore the sights that defied science.
The gargoyle king took my hand and gave my ass a little tail nudge.“Let us go and not waste any more time.”
He sounded and looked serious, not a sign of his playful smile, but it was clear what he meant.He was in a hurry to have me in his bed without further delay.
What he would get was my knife at his dick.Or whatever hid under his designer loincloth.But I would try reason and politenessfirst, stabby tactics next.
“Look,” I said as I pulled my hand out of his.“I admit you’re an amazing kisser.Your technique is unparalleled.But, I’m not sleeping with you.”
The corners of his lips tilted up.
“I’m serious,” I said firmly.“If you won’t take me back to the ground, fine.I’ll stay on this homecloud of yours for tonight.But I won’t let you have your way with me.Okay?”
He stepped closer until our bodies were almost touching.The power of his presence washed over me, undeniable.His face hovered over mine, my head barely reaching his chest.
I looked up to meet his gaze squarely.He was wrong if he thought his imposing size would make me cower.
Heat shone in his dark eyes.His next words, said in a husky voice, made me realize that intimidation was not his intention.
“I will nothave my waywith you, female.I shallclaimyou and you, me.In my bedchamber or elsewhere in the palace, should you prefer an audience.”
His words and seductive timbre had my body reacting instantly.My pulse throbbed between my thighs.What was wrong with me?
“Call it whatever you want,” I snapped.“Not.Happening.YourMajesty.”
His tail slid along my leg, and he caressed my cheek with one long finger.A feather-light touch that sent a shiver of excitement down my traitorous body.“There is no need to address me by my title.Just Xaniban will suffice.”His thumb glided across my lips.“I look forward to hearing you scream it as we claim each other.”
An incredulous laugh burst out of me.This guy was so sure of himself.There was no convincing him I wasn’t interested.My scent telling him otherwise wasn’t helping matters, nor was the fiery kiss I’d allowed earlier.What a mess.Go me!
“I don’t know you,” I reminded the gargoyle–Xaniban in a lastattempt to reason with him.“We met, what, an hour ago?”
“Thirty minutes,” he kindly specified.All the while, the tip of his tail was drawing teasing lines along my thigh, his eyes on my mouth smoldering.
I stifled a shiver of pleasure.“It doesn’t matter whether it’s thirty, sixty, or ninety minutes.What I’m trying to say is that–”
“We cannot try the regular sixty-nine, I am afraid.”His lips stretched into that wicked smile of his.“When I lie on my back, should a female straddle my face, her knees would come dangerously close to my sharp wingtips.There are, however, many positions which a human can never offer you.That is why, when our lust for each other was satiated, many females I have brought with me from the ground chose to settle here.Be it with a claiming partner or their mate.”
Face on fire, I growled in exasperation.“Would you stop that?”
“What?”he asked, all innocence.
Yeah, right.I swatted his tail away from my thigh.“Stop distracting me from what I’m trying to say by talking dirty.”
“The only dirty thing here is your clothing.”He passed a claw along one of my tank top’s wide straps.
“I’m not built that way!”I raised my voice this time.I was desperate to get my point across before my anger could subside under his disarming touches and tempting promises.“I don’t lay around with strangers for the sole purpose of scratching an itch.”
A frown creased his brow.“You need a male for scratching?”
I groaned.“I don’t do one-night stands, is that clear enough for you?… I’ve always looked for an emotional attachment, and even the end of the freaking world can’t make me change my ways.”I let out a deep sigh.“Just forget about getting in my pants, okay?Go satiate your animalistic needs with one of those women who have allegedly come here willingly.”
He exhaled loudly through his nose like earlier–Gargoyles’ version of a snort?–but did take a step back from me.
Finally.Progress–
