“Gillian?” His knuckle is under my chin, lifting my face up to his.
“I’ve been a fighter all my life.” I find the words spilling from me. “My mum was a mixed martial arts specialist, and she ran a school we both worked at. She taught me about what she did before I could walk. It’s not about the fight, it’s about the mind. I’m not used to my mind betraying me.”
Dalox tips his head on one side and blinks slowly. “Sarkarnii warrior training is similar. You cannot fight if you do not know why.”
I am so close to him, so close to his face I’m able to study the tiny scales on his cheeks, almost like freckles if freckles could appear on something as deadly as he. His lips are full, and as I inspect them, I see they are also scaled but even smaller. Ishouldn’t be wondering what it might feel like to kiss him, but I am.
One kiss isn’t going to hurt anyone. One kiss of a male creature who wants me, who wants to be with me, who wants to fight alongside me and to put himself between me and danger.
I shouldn’t kiss him.
But I do.
GILLIAN
Ifeel Dalox tense as our lips brush together. I pull back slightly, but he follows me, closing any gap between us and keeping our lips pressed. The kiss deepens, our mouths exploring each other slowly and hesitantly. He tastes of soft smoke, warmth, and spice. I slip my tongue in through the seam of his mouth. Once again, Dalox tenses and then he allows me access and…
His tongue isforked! I feel the sweep of it against mine, two tips distinct and flickering. I gasp against him, and he presses his advantage, sweeping through me, and it isincredible. How can I ever have enjoyed a kiss without a forked tongue? Dalox is the absolute master as he clutches me to him, plundering my mouth and sending heat soaring inside me.
One kiss can’t hurt, but one kiss has completely broken me for any human ever again.
“You have two tongues,” I gasp when he finally lets me up for breath.
In response, Dalox pokes out his tongue, and I see the talented tips wiggling at me.
“And you have one,” he growls. “I like it very much. I like the mouth mating too.”
“Mouth mating?”A slight shiver runs through my body. Is this how Sarkarnii mate? If so, what’s the cock for?
“Yes. I have seen other Sarkarnii mate their human females with their mouths.” He smacks his lips. “It is as good as it looks.”
“You’ve never kissed before?”
“Kizz-d?”
“The mouth mating.” I feel my cheeks bloom with color as I say the phrase. “Humans call it kissing.”
“Kizz-ng.” Dalox rolls the mangled word around in his mouth as if he’s tasting it. “It is not something Sarkarnii do. Mostly because we bite.”
“You bite?!”
“I wish to bite you, little spark, to cement our bond, but only when you wish it.” Dalox releases a small curl of smoke from his nostril. “Biting is a bond between Sarkarnii mates, unless the female wishes to envenomate her male for not meeting her standards.”
“Has that ever happened to you?” I stare up at him.
“I would not ever allow myself to be envenomated by a female,” Dalox says loftily. “My rut is for my mate, and my mate alone. She would never feel the need to envenomate me.”
I look over this incredibly handsome male, from his broad shoulders, his abs for days, and a bum…well a bum most women would happily bounce an orange on…he is gorgeous.
“You think?”
“A Sarkarnii warrior ruts. If there is no rut…there is no envenomation or mating.”
Good lord…that’s some self control…
“What do you do…instead?”
“We fight.” Dalox grins at me. “We might assist some other species in handing their cargo from time to time. There is plenty for a Sarkarnii warrior to do, if he does not rut.”
