“I think you’re wonderful,” he said, repeating his earlier statement. Gods, he was standing so close to her. She could feel the warmth of his skin even through his shirt. This close, she could see that he had long, dark eyelashes, and that his dark eyes contained tiny specks of gold glimmering in the irises.
“I don’t think you’re ugly,” she said, feeling a wave of sympathy for him. If salases were capable of being as cruel and judgemental as humans, then he’d likely had a difficult life. She reached up to brush her hand across his cheek. “I think you’re brave and generous and so amazingly patient with us when we’ve made life so difficult for you.” She wanted to kiss him. He was standing right there, after all, his hands still on her arms, his grip both strong and gentle. His eyes were locked on her face, and she leaned forward a little, hoping he’d take the invitation.
But instead of leaning down to kiss her, he ran his fingers through her hair instead, then traced the arc of her eyebrow, then ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “Do you really want me?” He asked it in little more than a whisper. She leaned forward a little more, feeling the hard columns of his thighs against her legs, the solid steel of his chest beneath her hand as she rested it against him for balance. Gods, he was one hundred per cent solid muscle all over.
“I really do,” she said, then, because it seemed he wasn’t going to take the hint, she rose up on her toes and kissed him, just a gentle brush of her lips against his. Then she waited to see how he’d react.
His jaw dropped open and his eyes widened. “Great gods…”
“Sorry, was that… Was that okay?” Was it just too much? Or did Chalandrians do things differently?
“Wonderful,” Koradan murmured. He lowered his head, and taking it as an invitation, Lynette leaned up to kiss him again. This time, she let her mouth linger, feeling his full lips beneath hers, feeling the heat of him, though she didn’t quite dare to open her mouth just yet – not because she didn’t want to, but she was concerned about overwhelming him.
When she pulled back, his eyes were closed and he was barely breathing. “Gods, that felt nice…” He opened his eyes and saw her quizzical expression. “Sorry, I… Salases don’t really kiss each other. The teeth get in the way.” He made a vague gesture towards his mouth – where the typical lower tusks were conspicuously absent.
“Oh! Sorry, I hadn’t even thought…”
“No, it’s quite all right. I liked it. I just haven’t…” His earlier comment came back to her, though she hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time.
“You said it’s been ten years since a woman…?”
He stammered for a reply, until she cut him off. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged. “It’s been a long time for me, too.” She took his hand, then looked down at their entwined fingers – hers a weathered brown, and his jet black. “Do you want to come into the bedroom?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Koradan followed Lynette into her bedroom, waiting while she set the lantern on the nightstand. He was feeling entirely lightheaded. His legs felt like they were made of rubber, his knees unable to figure out when they should bend and when they shouldn’t. His heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn’t seem to breathe properly. Gods above, Lynette wanted to…
“I should be a human for this,” he said, tugging his hand free from Lynette’s to press the gem to his chest. She turned around before he could activate the spell, and for a moment, she seemed disappointed.
“Ah, yes, I suppose… Well, you said that humans and salases can’t…”
“Well, that’s what Sigmore said. I mean, I believe him. He’s… uh… I’m not sure how to put this politely,” Koradan said, cutting off what he’d been about to say.
Lynette shrugged. “Just say it, and I’ll forgive any rudeness for the sake of cultural differences.”
“Fair enough. He’s had the most experience with other species. He’s earned a reputation for being a favourite with women.”
“Is he considered particularly handsome? As a salas, I mean?”
It was an opportunity for jealousy to rear its ugly head, but the sheer naivety that the question implied settled the idea as quickly as it sprung up. If Lynette had to ask whether Sigmore was attractive, it meant that she didn’t particularly find him to be so.
“He’s considered the epitome of the ideal male. His horns have just the right amount of curve, his tusks are just the right length, and the markings on his chest are both symmetrical and suggestive.”
“Hm.” A sly smile settled on Lynette’s face. “He’s in for some stiff competition, then. Because as a human,youwould be considered the ideal male.”
Koradan laughed. The compliment was nice, but he’d long ago come to terms with his own lack of appeal. “You don’t need to flatter me,” he told her with a smile. “You have me anyway.”
“That’s not flattery,” Lynette said, her tone completely serious. “You saw how Morgan reacted when she saw you.”
“But that was… I didn’t think… I wasn’t…”
Lynette pressed her hand against the gem around his neck. “Maybe you should turn this thing on, then I can show you what I mean.”
“Um… I… okay…” He pressed the gem to his chest and muttered the spell, feeling the magic wash over him as his body reformed into a human’s shape. Lynette was staring at him, and he detected a faint moan from her.
“Heavens above,” she muttered, her voice taking on a husky note. This time, Koradan felt his cheeks heat, rather than his horns.
He wasn’t quite as tall in this form, though still noticeably taller than Lynette, but that didn’t stop her as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing another kiss to his mouth. Her lips parted, then he felt her tongue against his own, and suddenly all the blood in his body was rushing southward. Well, that, at least, felt similar to the way it felt as a salas. He felt her hands working their way under his shirt.
