If anyone wants to deal in bargains and bribery, it’s Terra. She may have struck up a friendship with Amara, but offer a teenager a house of their own, a thick wad of cash, and a day without adult supervision? They’ll switch allegiances faster than you can say ‘free vodka.’
Dropping the subject entirely, I rinse out her hair and work in some conditioner. Leaving it to soak in, I grab the bar of soap, starting at her collar to scrub every trace of the past week from her skin.
“I can wash myself you know,” she teases, breath hitching as I drag the bar across one of her nipples.
“Oh, I’m sure you could put on one hell of a show for me, angel. But it just so happens that running my hands over your wet body isanotherone of my favorite pastimes.”
She snorts. “You’re in a good mood today.”
Abandoning the soap back on the ledge, I skim my lathered palms down her sides, settling on her hips. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You spent all day hiking through the woods naked, and we’re being hunted, for starters,” she snarks, squirming when I slide my hands down, then back up her inner thighs.
“People have always hunted dragons,” I wave off, unbothered. “You think we’ve survived as many centuries as we have by being careless? That the three of us single-handedly overthrew the old shifter council and held the position of power all these years by sheer dumb luck?
“No,mo chuisle,even a few assassination attempts can’t dampen my good mood when I have you right where you belong; naked in my arms, so wet that you’re dripping.”
I spin her around, giving the rest of her body the same thorough treatment, cementing the feel of me on her skin so that she’ll never be able to go back to a life without our touch.
Can’t leave us if she can’t walk.
A wicked plan begins to form, and I guide her back under the spray to rinse off. “You know how Kodiak can’t resist a bet?”
Casting a wary look my way, she drawls, “Yesssss?”
“Maybe you can get through to him where I never could. Do you want to help me teach him some patience?”
A glimmer of interest sparks to life in her bright eyes, and fuck if it doesn’t nearly send me to my knees. “What did you have in mind?”
Shutting off the water, I wrap her in a towel and lead her to the bedroom. While the cabin only has one, it’s designed with shifters in mind. A wide dresser beside the door, and two end tables flanking a massive bed that takes up the majority of the room. Dropping her on top of the plain white comforter, I kiss her hard and fast. “Wait right here.”
I’m back in record time, stealing one of the wooden chairs surrounding the table in the main room. Situating it beside the bed, I steal Amara’s towel, unwrapping her slowly like the gift she is. With a few slashes of an extended talon, I’m left with several strips of cloth, and a grinning mate.
“What’s he get if h-” Before she can finish her question, the front door opens and shuts.
Kodi’s voice carries across the small cabin easily. “Security is shit, but we’re near the center, so it’s unlikelysomeonewon’t pick up a stranger’s scent before we need to worry. Still, I scanned a few miles out and found noth- oh fuck.” Coming to an abrupt stop, Kodi grips the doorframe hard enough the wood creaks. “New rule, you can’t nap naked. It’s not fair to look that fucking tempting when you’re too tired for me to do anything about it.”
Reclining back on her elbows, she leisurely lets her gaze roam over his body, golden eyes glittering with devilish plans and blatant interest. “Not sure where you guys got the idea that you needed to bathe me and put me to bed before the sun’s even gone down, but I’m not complaining. Still not tired, though.”
Eyes darkening, Kodiak releases his death grip on the doorframe and stalks into the room, nearly missing a step when she adds, “But since we don’t have anywhere else to be, want to spice things up a bit?”
He reaches down to adjust himself, his shorts leaving nothing to the imagination. “What did you have in mind?”
Tongue darting out to wet her lips, she picks up one of the cloth strips. “I want you to watch Raiden do whatever he wants to me for-” she taps her finger to her chin “- thirty minutes.”
Poor Kodiak looks torn between asking why he’s being punished, or if he can record the moment to jack off to for years to come. “What do I get for such an epic sacrifice?”
Mulling it over for a minute, she sits up straighter and takes a breath for courage. “You can give me a piercing. And pick where.”
His eyes darken, and he unconsciously takes a step closer. I can practically hear the dirty thoughts rolling through his mind. With a piece of metal through one of her nipples or between her legs, he’ll be able to tease Amara whenever the hell he wants, turning her on and having her dripping with need without even needing to touch her.
“Forty-five minutes, and make it two,” he counters, raising his pierced eyebrow in challenge.
“All or nothing.” Gesturing for him to take a seat, she waits until I start strapping one of his wrists to the chair to add, “And you don’t get to jerk off to the show.”
“Wait, what? Seriously?” His tortured groan only has her smile brightening. He turns to glare at me. “This was your idea, wasn’t it, asshole?”
Chuckling, I move on to strap down his other arm, the bindings more symbolic than effective. “I only suggested a little exhibitionism, the bet was all hers.”
