I had to pull away.
Didn't I?
If I hadn't, I don't know what we would've ended up doing, but I've got a good guess and it rhymes with 'ducking'. God, Mavyxduckingme would be so hot. I think I kind of like that he's neverduckedbefore - I think I could really blow hisduckingmind just by letting him touch me.
Urgh. Again, my mind is racing away with me. The point is, I had to stop. A thank-you kiss is one thing, a thank-you fuck is something completely different.
Even if that thank you kiss came with free tongue.
"Alana?"
It's Serena who calls to me through my cloud of daydreams. When everything clears, there she is, standing in front of me, wearing a knowing smile. "Hm?"
"Ohnothing," she laughs. "Bea was just asking how you got the life-stone chips to embed into the beams up there," she says gesturing to the roof above us. "But you had this really far-off, dreamy look on your face and I'm pretty sure you didn't hear a single word."
My cheeks flame and I clear my throat. "Sorry, baby-brain. Um... I think Mavyx used clay to fix the stones to the beams."
Both Tessa and Bea look up again. Serena keeps her eye fixed on me, her smirk firmly in place. "Is that so?" she says, crossing her arms. "Clever guy, that Second Spear."
Shooting her a look not to push it, I change the subject to that of the big search party.
Turns out Serena doesn't know an awful lot. Rynn and Zarriko have been receiving information from a messenger who will periodically fly back to the nearest tribe and be swapped out for a different Trixikka to then fly back out to the search party to take his place. There's a whole rotation of guys joining and leaving and this search seems like it's going to be a long one. It's not that Serena isn't interested in the search - I know she is. It's just that when Rynn tells her everything is under control, she believes him implicitly.
Now, I'm not saying Rynn is lying, I'd just like more info than that, personally. Someone needs to needle these big bird-men into talking to us more. Telling us more. Understanding us more. And the same goes for us understanding them.
Maybe... maybe I could be that person?
The idea mulls around in my mind for the remainder of the day. Well, it would do if my traitorous thoughts didn't keep going back to Mavyx and how good it had felt to kiss him. How easily he jumped off that particular cliff with me. How ready I was to jump off a few more with him too.
When the girls and I come to the center of the village, where everyone gathers in the evenings to eat, Mavyx is there. Of course, he is. He's there every evening. It's just that I feel so much more aware of him now. Aware of his absence too. Normally, he's stuck to me like glue when he can but today he's been mostly M.I.A.
And that bothered me.
I seat myself cross-legged on some hides across from Mavyx, very aware that his eyes are on me while I make myself as comfortable as I possibly can. I've not even acknowledged him or anyone else when he's pushing a platter of fruits aside. At first, I think he means to force me to eat - it's his normal way after all - but all he's done is shift it aside to make room and not make a mess of the food in front of us.
Mavyx flicks his tail across the small area between us now that he's made space for it, the fluffy black tufted tip curling and stroking at my foot. I flinch and pull away. "Hey! That tickles!"
Mavyx leans in, not caring that we're drawing attention. "Then sit closer to me, female so I can reach more than your ticklish foot." His golden eyes flash with a promise that makes me bite on my lip.
That low, teasing tone to his voice makes me stupid. That massive frame and sculpted physique makes me stupid. His little skin-twinkles all having a party heading south makes me stupid.
I grab his tail and give the fluffy end a little stroke, not missing the way his breath hitches or how he tries to hide a shudder.
"Say please, Second Spear, or I'm staying seated right her-"
"Please."
Well now.
I raise a brow at him and watch as his throat bobs with a thick swallow as he stares right back at me.
"Please?"
Mavyx nods.
"Please come and sit closer to you?"
"Yes."
