Because her scent is suddenly all around me, causing me to inhale greedily.
Fuck. She smells like sin. Chocolate. Decadent nights lost in the sheets. My own personal dream come to life, right before me.
I want to kneel and beg for a taste.
Dine between her thighs.
Indulge in herslick.
But I force myself to remain steady, going as far as to fold my shirt before setting it on the ground. I went without an undershirt, so I’m naked from the waist up—something my Omega is currently admiring. “Your tattoos haven’t changed for me.”
“I imagine they won’t,” I reply. “They typically connect to an observer once and then never shift again.”
Her pretty gaze returns to mine. “Is it a form of magic?”
“Yes. Illusionary magic.”
She studies me. “Does that mean the tattoos are not actually real?”
I shrug. “Is anything real? Or do we all reside in a fantasy contrived by someone else? Maybe even one created by ourselves?” It’s a hypothetical quandary, one I ponder often. “What matters is what we believe in,” I go on. “And if you believe my tattoos exist, then they do.”
She reaches out to touch my skin, her fingers tracing my pectoral muscle. “It feels real.”
“Youfeel real,” I tell her in a whisper. “Now the question is, will you make my fantasy come true?”
She bites her lower lip as she skates her attention down to my groin. “By removing your pants.”
“That would be ideal, but I’ll settle for you unbuttoning them instead.”
She nods, seemingly to herself, and starts tracing a path down my torso. I shiver when her nail skims the muscular lines of my abdomen all the way to the light dusting of hair that guides her down to my groin.
Except Serapina pauses when she reaches the top of my pants, leaving me a little breathless with anticipation.
I’m so fucking glad I didn’t wear a belt today. Otherwise, she might be inclined to stop. And I don’t want anything to get in the way of her exploration.
Serapina visibly steels her resolve and pops open my button, then freezes like she can’t believe she actually did that.
“Now the zipper,” I encourage her. Only, she doesn’t move, so I add, “I’m wearing boxer shorts, sweetheart. Soyou’re not really exposing my knot yet, and you don’t even have to if you don’t want to.”
I would never force her to do something she didn’t desire to do. Push her limits, maybe. Seduce her, definitely. But I will never compel or force her to do anything.
She must believe me because she plays with my zipper—which has me swallowing a groan. Becausefuck,that’s hot. It’s her touch coupled with the boldness flashing in her expression that has my knot pulsing in response.
Oh, I might not be naked when she finishes removing my pants, but there certainly won’t be any question as to what a knot is once she reveals my tight boxer shorts.
Her eyes wander downward as she finishes unzipping my pants. “Now what?” she whispers.
“Whatever you want,” I tell her. “You can push my pants down to the ground. Or you can turn around while I finish the job, then meet me in the water. Entirely up to you, Serapina.”
She shivers, her gaze slowly returning to mine. “If I choose the water, will you be naked?”
“Would you like me to be naked?” I ask, my lips threatening to curl. I can tell she’s nervous, though. So I don’t allow myself to smile. I want to make her comfortable, not overwhelmed.
“I don’t know,” she admits. Then frowns and says, “Yes, I do. I want… I want to be adventurous.”
“Then how about you turn around while I finish disrobing and get in the water. Afterward, I’ll face the wall while you decide how many clothes you want to leave on, and we’ll regroup in the lagoon.”
Her brow furrows at the idea, and she glances around me at the small lagoon I misted us to. “But I don’t know how to swim,” she reminds me.
