Chapter Thirty-Nine – The Dragon’s Favorite Strays
Chapter Thirty-Nine
MURR
Nothing I have ever experienced is as entrancing as the touch of Dakotah’s soft hand against mine. I do not dare breathe, because I do not want her to flinch away.
Was I fascinated by how soft her lips had been against my cheek? It is nothing compared to her hand against my larger one. I watch, fixated, as her fingertips glide over my knuckles, and then she touches one of my claws. She makes an impressed sound in her throat as she taps on one, and I’m tempted to bite them all off, like those with a mate do, so she can touch me without fear.
As if she realizes what she is doing, Dakotah gives me a shy smile and gestures at our joined hands. “Hand.”
She lets go of me, but I’m not ready for this to end. Not yet. I take her hand in mine, careful not to scratch her with my claws. I cradle it, palm up, and touch the pad of my fingertip to the center of her palm. “Hand. Dakotah hand.”
She sucks in a breath when I touch her, and it makes my cock stir.
I trace my fingertip carefully along her palm, watching her expression as I do. Her pulse thrums loud enough for me to pick up, her scent drifting towards something that smells like arousal. I’m fascinated by that scent and by the softness of her skin. I want to touch it all over. I want to rub my mouth on every spot where she’s soft like this.
Lifting her hand to my mouth, I press my lips over the center of her palm, wondering if it’s going to feel like when she pressed her lips to my cheek. It feels even better, the heat of her skin caressing my face. Her fingers curl reflexively.
The arousal scent drifts through the air, stronger than before, and I look up at her. Dakotah’s gaze is locked on her hand, where my mouth is.
I touch the tip of my tongue to her skin. She tastes salty, with just a hint of musk, and a little whimper escapes her throat. “Dakotah hand,” I say again, though I have a great many things I wish I could say instead. “Hand kith.”
“Yeah,” she breathes, eyes hooded. “Dassa han kith allrite.”
She is not turning me away, and I want to do more. I turn her hand slightly in my grasp, angling her fingertips toward my mouth. I nip the tip of her first finger, watching her reaction.
Her lips part. No word comes out. I think she has forgotten to try and ‘teach’ me. I don’t mind…I’m not touching her for words. I’m touching her because I’m trying to get her used to the idea of being my mate. I might be flawed and broken amongst my people, but maybe Dakotah will like me as I am. Maybe she will let me provide for her and her young, and she will overlook the fact that I am not worthy.
If not…maybe she will just let me keep touching her. I’m willing to compromise at this point. I just need to touch her, and to be touched. I didn’t realize how much I craved connecting with another person until now. How lonely I’d been.
How good it feels to touch a female’s hand and breathe in her scent. To have her skin close to mine.
She’s not touching me any longer, but I’ll take what I can get.
Dakotah is in a trance at my mouth on her skin, so I keep turning her hand, moving my mouth over her knuckle and then pressing a kith on the back of her hand. I move to her wrist, brushing my lips over her arm, and notice that her skin is covered in small bumps that have risen in response to my touch. I lift my head and stroke my thumb over her skin. “Watdis?”
“Goosebumps,” she says, her breathing ragged. Her nipples are visible against the fabric that covers her torso, and I find myself wondering what they taste like, too. Are they as soft as her lips?
“Goo bumz…bad?” I ask.
She shakes her head, pulling her hand out of my grasp and flexing her fingers. “Not bad.”
I tilt my head at her reaction, trying to determine if she is offended. She continues to squeeze her hand into a fist and then releases it, as if my touch is lingering. “Murr hand…bad?”
Dakotah shakes her head again.
“Murr….mouth bad?”
“No,” she whispers. “Not bad.”
“Mouth….good?” I reach out, my palm up in invitation. If she lets me, I will happily mouth her everywhere.
Dakotah’s gaze moves to my lips, and she swallows hard. She thinks for a long, long moment before answering. “Mouth good.”
I let out a low rumble of pleasure at that.
