“I’m not going anywhere,” she says. “You can’t make me.”
I want to tell her that she should. That she deserves more than this. More than lies and potions. But I already tried that, and she’s never really been good at doing as she’s told.
“I know,” I mutter. “But I don’t want to forget it all when it wears off.”
She seems to understand what I mean, because she settles into me, leaning back just enough so I can see all of her.
“How much time do we have?” I ask.
“Three hours. Maybe four? Depending on your metabolism.” She cringes as she gives me the prognosis, and I take it that this is not the result she was hoping for.
“I know it’s not a lot,” she says, picking at her nails. “But Kitty thought that anything longer might trigger the curse to intervene, and without knowing the exact curse technique, we couldn’t counteract it. So we had to?—”
She lapses into a long-winded and well-informed explanation. Half of which I can’t even pretend to comprehend. Something about ratios and emulsifiers: I’m not sure. Potions were never my strong suit. But her commitment makes me smile anyway, and I can’t resist the urge to press my mouth to hers. She relaxes into our embrace, arms wrapping around my neck.
“I would’ve been happy with five minutes,” I say, whispering against her lips. “Three hours is plenty. Thank you.”
I kiss her again, and this time I don’t stop until my dick is straining with need. She shifts as it prods her in the ass, and I know she feels similarly as I trail the edge of her panties, feeling for her wetness.
My fingers come away damp, and I lick them clean, unwilling to waste even a drop. Her cheeks heat as she watches me.
“Are you hungry, princess?”
“No,” she says softly, almost moaning.
She isn’t lying this time. I know she’s full from last night; I plan on feeding her anyway.
But before I can take hold of her, she slips out of my grip, sliding down to the floor and kneeling between my legs.
“What are you doing?” I ask, tail stiff as a board.
“I want to taste you,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “Is that alright?”
Alright? Has she lost her mind?
“Baby, you know you don’t have to ask. It’s yours. Just take it.”
She nods, but her hands linger on my knees, and her scent shifts, a mild taste of fear seeping into her ordinarily sweet fragrance.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’ve just…I’ve never…” Her words trail off, and she falls silent.
Only as she averts her gaze do I realize what she is trying to tell me.
“Seriously?”
“I’ve never wanted to,” she says quietly, as if it were something to be ashamed of rather than the sweetest gift she’s ever given me. But I’m not sure I’ve earned the privilege of claiming such a treasure.
“Are you sure?” I ask her. “You don’t have to.”
“No, I want to. I want it to be you. But…” She pauses, and her eyes round as she peers up at me through her dark lashes, looking more innocent than she has any right to. “Promise you’ll tell me if I’m not doing it right.”
Gods, this woman. How am I supposed to lie to her while she’s looking at me like that?
She could sit here drooling on it for an hour, and I wouldn’t say a damn thing. But I promise her anyway.
“Mmhmm.”
