And now I wondered just how far things had gone with that sleepover she'd had with Lessa. I'd heard a bit, but more about how much Lessa liked her than what exactly they'd done.
"Yeah, but the right person wouldn't push you against the wall," Sylis said.
"But it's wild," Meri insisted, "and passionate. I mean, just imagine if Drozel pinned your arms over your head and kissed you silly?"
"Omden," Sylis corrected. "I thinkyouwant Drozel to do that."
Again, Meri giggled. "I like it when he gets growly. It makes my tummy flip. I mean, I know I shouldn't, and I know he could hurt me, but it's Drozel. He wouldn't. I think that's the part that makes me have those thoughts. I just don't know if it's because he wouldn't, or because I shouldn't want him to."
Yeah, the thought of pushing that girl against the wall, pinning her arms over her head, and kissing the shit out of her? I could imagine it a little too well. I'd never had a thing for helpless little ladies before, but there was something about Meri that made me finally understand the allure. Normally, I liked the kicking and clawing sort, but I had a feeling she'd be more of the leaning in, seducing me completely, and putting a knife in my gut if I made the wrong move type.
Dammit, now my dick was getting hard. "Go back to sleep," I grumbled at the thing. "You've had more than your fair share lately." And I rolled out of bed.
Moving would make that sort itself out. I also shouldn't be listening to Meri's private conversation. That girl deserved to have a gentleman in her life, and I was going to be one for her. Omden could be her confidant, and Lessa could be the lover she'd always deserved.
Then again, the idea of both those ladies crawling on me? Fuck!
Reaching down, I gave my dick a squeeze, begging the pressure to release. Then I pulled on a pair of pants. I should grab a shirt, but I needed a shower first. I had a feeling it was near lunchtime, and someone should cook for those two.
But in the living room, Meri and Sylis had moved on to talking about Vestrian. "Speaking it's the easy part," Meri was saying. "And when you start doing it all the time, you forget which language you're using. But reading?"
"I feel like I have to look up every other word," Sylis admitted.
"Oh!" Meri gasped, just as I reached my door. "I have something Kanik gave me. Lessons, he called it and..."
I opened the door, intending on grabbing clean towels from the closet in the hall, but before I could step out, Meri rounded the corner. Seeing me, she sucked in a little breath and her cheeks flushed.
"I didn't know you were awake," she mumbled.
"Barely," I assured her.
And the timid little bird did the last thing I would've expected. She ran her eyes over my chest, taking her time about it. Her teeth caught her lower lip, letting the fullness slide from the grasp slowly - and then she smiled.
Brazenly, right there before me, Meri looked me over like she wanted to devour me. Clenching one hand into a fist, I did my best to ignore it, but that little smile? My almost-limp-again dick liked it too much.
"Don't tempt me, woman," I growled, yanking open the linen closet to grab that towel.
Behind me, Meri huffed. "I'm not fragile, Drozel! Don't treat me like I'm going to break. I'm not some stupid little girl anymore!"
"No?" I slung the towel onto the floor and slammed the door I'd just opened. Then I spun to face her.
She sucked in a breath and stepped back, but the hall wasn't that wide. When she hit the wall, I was there, pressing in even more, holding her in place with my body as my mouth claimed hers.
And she relaxed into me. Her chin lifted, meeting my mouth with hers. I felt her palm slide over my chest as my tongue explored. She was so small I had to bend to kiss her. So delicate that when my hand found her waist, it reached too far around.
So fragile, even if she said she wasn't.
But I couldn't stop. She tasted like tea and honey. She smelled like vanilla and wildflowers. Feeling her against me like this was driving me wild - which meant I had to stop. It may have been the hardest thing I'd ever done.
Straightening a bit broke our kiss, but I couldn't back away. Not yet. I had to say something first.
"Sorry," I breathed, easing my hand away from her waist.
Meri looked up at me with big, dark eyes. Her pupils were blown with desire. Her chest was heaving. Her hand was still halfway in the air, hovering just over my skin.
"I didn't think you wanted to kiss me," she whispered.
She didn't look afraid.
