When she’d first arrived here, Gantalla had never imagined that she could want anything like this, not with a human, and certainly not with a warrior of the gate. But with Nalyx, it suddenly made perfect sense. In a slow, sure move, she took hold of the bottom of her shirt and slid it over her head, baring her naked breasts to his gaze.
He reached for her, his hand coming up to stroke gently over her waist, then higher, stopping just shy of taking her breast in his hand. “Gods, you’re beautiful…”
“So are you,” she said, surprised to find that she meant it. “Back on that first day when I gave you a bath, I thought…”
“You thought what?”
She ran a hand down the muscles of his chest, still covered by his cotton shirt. “I thought you were perfect. So strong and smooth…”
He reached for the neck of his shirt and slid it over his head. “Gods, I’ve wanted you for so long.” He leaned forward, kissing her properly this time, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, and she leaned into him, feeling his warm hands stroking her skin, then one large palm moved to cup her breast, his fingers massaging her firmly. “Are you sure you want this?” he asked again.
“Yes,” she said simply. “I want to feel you against me, and smell you, and have something to remember you by. I never want to forget this moment.”
He tumbled her back onto the bed, twisting around so that he was braced above her, and he kissed her fiercely, so that she could feel his stubble against her chin. She fumbled with his belt, suddenly eager to see him naked, and he quickly moved to help her, unbuttoning his trousers and shoving them off his legs. They got caught on his boots and he cursed. He rolled off her, clumsily tugging them off his feet, then tossed the pants to the floor. He rolled back over her, then buried his face in the blanket beside her shoulder. She could feel him breathing hard. “Shit, I’m not going to last two minutes.”
He smelled divine, warm and musky, with a faint hint of leather and wax polish. “I dare say I’m not going to last much longer,” she whispered into his ear, which just made him groan. “But we’re not going to get much further unless you help me get my pants off.”
He sat up like a shot, undoing the buttons and helping her wriggle out of her clothes, her boots tossed to the floor to land in a messy pile beside his. Then he stopped, simply staring down at her. Gantalla had never been shy about her body back in Chalandros, but she wondered what he would think now. More than one person had said she was too thin, and though she’d gained a little weight since being here, she was still far lighter than she’d been before she’d left the palace. But Nalyx was looking at her with pure adoration, his hands trailing lines up and down her skin. “You’re perfect,” he said, as he traced the curve of her hip, the dip of her waist, then ran a feather-light finger over her nipple.
She reached up to trace the muscles of his chest, feeling a thrum begin deep inside her, and she glanced down at his thick erection. Gods above, what would that feel like inside her? She could already imagine the stretch, his girth significantly wider than a hadathmet. She reached for his cock, but then suddenly found herself pressed down again, a faint frown on his face.
“Wait. Do you want to… I mean…”
Was he having doubts again? She knew by now that he was capable of being an entirely honourable man, and perhaps he still thought he was taking advantage of her? “I want you,” Gantalla said. “You’ve done so much for me, and…” She felt those blasted tears pricking at her eyes again. “You’re a far better man than I ever thought I’d meet on this side of the gate.”
Nalyx gave her a wobbly smile. “I’m flattered you think so, but that’s not what I was asking. I meant, do you want to…” He fingered the black gem, sitting nestled in the dip between her breasts. “If you wanted to, you could take this off. I wouldn’t mind.”
Gantalla frowned at him, not understanding his meaning. “But if I take it off, I’ll look like a demon.”
Nalyx nodded. “I know. You don’t have to, if you’re not comfortable with it. But I… I thought… When I saw you before, I thought…” Gantalla waited, her mind blank as he fumbled to finish his sentence. “I thought you were beautiful.”
Gantalla’s frown deepened. “I have a tail,” she blurted out dumbly. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed that part before, but surely it was the sort of thing that a human would find repulsive.
Indeed, his eyes opened wider. “Seriously?”
“Yes, I.. And claws. And I’m green all over.”
A wicked glint appeared in his eyes. “Can I see it?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I mean, only if that’s okay with you.”
Her mind had turned to mush. “You think I was beautiful?”
“Honestly, I was kind of shocked at the time. But your eyes were so dark. And you had these little black lines, just here…” He traced the corners of her eyes. “And your black hair against your skin… Yes, it was beautiful. But aside from that, I want you to be able to be yourself. You don’t have to hide yourself for my sake. I want to see the real you.”
Gods above, he just kept pulling out surprises, making her feel warm and treasured in a way she never had before. Her hands were shaking as she lifted them to undo the clasp at the back of her neck, then she let the necklace fall away, setting it carefully on the nightstand.
He sat back, letting his eyes roam over her body. Her skin wasn’t as soft in this form, and she had faint blue streaks across her belly – a natural variation in colour that had been a mark of beauty back in Chalandros. She felt her tail trapped beneath her thighs and wriggled slightly, letting it swirl out to the side. He watched as it wavered uncertainly, then moaned when it curled up and over his thigh. “Gods, Gantalla…” His hand found his own erection, and he stroked himself slowly, his eyes fixed on that unique part of her. “That’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
He leaned down to kiss her suddenly, his lips then leaving her mouth to rove down her neck, over her breasts, where he stopped to suck one nipple into his mouth. His body was warmer than a hadathmet, she realised, now suddenly able to feel the difference, and the heat pouring into her was enticing in an entirely novel way. She nudged him to the side, parting her legs so that he could settle between them. He ran his hand down to the junction of her thighs. She was completely hairless here, a stark contrast to the bodies of human women.
But then he paused, a look of consternation on his face. “Actually, I hadn’t thought of that. I mean… Are you different…?” His finger traced lightly over her folds. “Is it even possible for a human and…?”
“Most Chalandrians are fairly similar to humans, anatomically speaking,” she said, feeling herself blush all over again. She’d got a good, hard look at him during his bath – and again just now – and everything seemed comparable, as far as she could tell. There were a few species who did things a little differently, but she didn’t think now was a good time to go into the details.
“Really?”
