I started to sit up, but Taylor put her hand on my chest and shoved me back down.
“Stay,” she commanded.
“You’re not my sire. I will get up if I wish.”
This time when I tried to get up, it was not Taylor’s hand that shoved me back down, it was her entire body.
She sat on top of me, straddling my waist. Goddess above, seeing her like this was like a dream come true. Everything inside of me screamed to thrust upward, despite the fact that there were layers of clothing between us.
Then, she slowly pressed her body against mine as she laid the entirety of her body on mine. Her face was mere inches from mine. I swallowed hard, realizing that I’d been outmaneuvered.
“I will sleep on top of you all night, if I have to. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to fucking rest.”
I did not know what mating had to do with resting, but this was clearly not the time to question it. By the snarl she wore on her face, I did not think she really wanted to mate anyway.
“Now do I have to use you as my bed tonight, or are you going to stay put like a good little sirret?”
I was tempted to argue with her to see what other tantalizing punishments she could come up with, but I decided against it. Having her on top of me was making it very hard to remember that she did not want me as a mate. Despite the fact that she was threatening me by making my dreams come true, I knew she didn’t see it that way.
She cared for me. That much was clear. So much so, that she was fighting with me to get me to rest. That alone is a memory I’d cherish for the rest of my days. It was nice having someone care for me this much, even if we were just friends.
Tarak and the other shifters cared for me in their own way, but this was different. This was Taylor, confident, intense, stubborn Taylor. This was...nice. I’d never seen myself as someone worth this much effort. If Taylor thought I was worth caring for, then maybe I was.
“I’ll stay put,” I relented.
“Good boy,” she tapped my nose with her delicate finger, and smiled at me like she’d won a prize. Then she rolled off me onto the cave floor.
I missed the warmth of her body and debated going back on my word, but I decided against it. For some reason being called a good boy had aroused me more than I thought possible and if Taylor laid on me now, there’d be no hiding the effect she had on me.
She fitted the blanket over both of us, and laid down beside me once again with her arm pressing against mine.
The urge to lay on my side and pull her to my chest was nearly overwhelming, but I willed myself to stay put. I’d never recover if I didn’t get any actual sleep.
I pushed aside all thoughts of Taylor, her silky black hair, her small curvy body, and her arm pressed against mine, and eventually sleep overtook me.
Chapter 8
Taylor
“No. Don’t go.” Brexl muttered in his sleep.
Brexl was having another nightmare. I’d always left him alone. I thought waking him up might make him feel more tired in the morning, but I couldn’t take the pained look on his face anymore. Whatever haunted him in his dreams, I wanted to help chase it away.
I looked down at his muscled body and remembered how nice it was to lie on top of him.
The girls and I had multiple theories about luminescence, and why people were paired up. I liked to think that luminescence was an outpouring of an already strong attraction. I always thought Brexl was sexy, so I wasn’t all that surprised when we luminesced.
“Please,” Brexl pleaded in his sleep.
Alright, enough was enough. I looked down at Brexl who wore a grimace on his face and gently shook his shoulder.
“Brexl, wake up.”
He sat up with a start and looked around the cave. There was a panicked look on his face and he was breathing heavy as if he’d just run a marathon.
“Brexl,” I cooed as I moved my body in front of his and placed a hand on his chest and the other on his cheek.
It took a second, but eventually his eyes locked on mine and clarity flooded his face.
