Chapter 8
"Your thing... your erection. You were joking about not being... you know... hard." She felt a little fl.u.s.tered as well as a little out of breath. She felt hot and if she was totally honest with herself, a little bothered as well.
He shook his head. There were two frown lines on his forehead. "A male should never joke about his c.o.c.k."
She swallowed hard.
"I do not have an erection. Maybe a semi at best."
Her eyes darted back to the bulge. Couldn't be. It got much bigger than that? No way! Her eyes narrowed.
"Would you like to see it again? Examine it? I wouldn't mind."
"What?" she might have yelled the word. Couldn't be sure because she was panicking. "No way. No!" She huffed out a breath. "Keep that thing covered please," she nodded, pointing at his d.i.c.k.
Several moments later, she was still pointing at his d.i.c.k but couldn't seem to stop herself from doing it.
"Sure thing, but let me know if you change your mind," he winked at her. It somehow managed to break the spell and she snapped her hand back.
"Stop that."
"What?"
"Winking at me. I don't like it." She didn't. Although Chris never winked, it was just the kind of thing a charmer would do. One of the many tricks in his a.r.s.enal. Then again, it was better if he did wink. It would remind her that he was not her type. The polar opposite to be exact. "On second thought, wink all you want."
He frowned. "You are a strange female, Tammy."
Good! He wasn't interested in her. He found her strange. This was good.
"Good thing I like 'strange'," he added, turning to his side, grimacing as he did.
Argh! She couldn't win. She definitely could not win with this guy. He was just looking for action. It was what charmers did. They told a woman what she wanted to hear so that they could get into their panties. Chris was a typical example. Thunder was another. They were all the same. Once a player got into your panties, he'd move on to the next one. Or worse, the charmer would actually start a relations.h.i.+p with you. One he couldn't possibly commit to, and then what?
She'd be left with a broken heart at the end of it all, or worse. Tammy knew firsthand how much worse it could be. Oh, so much worse like 'ruin your life' bad.
Chapter 10.
Hours later...
He couldn't believe she was still holding out. Was getting naked in the same s.p.a.ce as him so bad? It wasn't like he'd actually look... much. No, he wouldn't look. Since when did he need to sneak glances at a female?
Tammy was attracted to him. She was just as attracted to him as he was to her. She was also skittish. The only thing on his side right now was that there was nowhere for her to run or he had no doubt that she would've taken off for the hills.
If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it was patience. Especially where females were concerned. He only got to be around them twice a year. That was it. Although he'd never had to learn how to apply patience when winning one before, he figured it couldn't be that hard.
Thunder watched as Tammy tried to smooth the sweater she was wearing. How she readjusted her undergarment through her clothes. The one that wrapped around her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She looked distinctly uncomfortable. He noticed that she'd brushed her teeth twice since waking up. She was trying to get clean and it wasn't working. He'd meant what he said, he didn't mind either way, but she clearly did. "Hey, take the blanket and go and bathe."
Tammy had just been throwing some logs onto the fire. She looked his way and shook her head. "Maybe later."
"What difference does it make? Now, in an hour from now, tomorrow? It'll be cold but you'll feel a lot better."
"So you do think I have BO then?" she pulled a face.
"I didn't say that. You smell fine to me. You look even better. I would lick you from your head to your toes maybe concentrating on somewhere in the middle if I had a bit more strength."
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Not happening, mister!" She looked fl.u.s.tered and her scent of arousal wafted over to him. He had to fight to keep from sniffing the air. Oh, so d.a.m.ned sweet.
"Go and do what you need to do. I'm about to take a nap anyway."
Interest sparked in her eye. "You are?"
"Yep," he yawned. It wasn't a real yawn but it ended up being real in the end. He was pretty tired come to think of it. "Go bathe. Hang your clothes in front of the fire and they'll be dry in no time."
"You won't look?" She sounded like a total innocent. For a second he was inclined to believe that she might even be a virgin but that was impossible. She'd talked earlier about a broken heart and virgins weren't included in the program. So she'd been with at least one male then.
"I won't look," he half growled.
She looked at him like maybe she didn't believe him or something.
It got his scales up. "I've seen plenty of naked females. They all willingly took their clothes off for me. I'm not about to start peeping through holes in the wall anytime soon. I don't have to."
"I'll bet," she mumbled under her breath. "Fine," she said the word like she was angry. Then she gave a small sigh and paused for a beat. "It would be great if you could lend me your blanket."
Thunder smiled to himself.
"Just make sure that you cover up please." He noticed that she had averted her gaze, as if the sight of his d.i.c.k might make her turn to stone or something.
"You've already seen me naked." He decided to toy with her because it was so much fun and she made it so easy.
"Just..."
Completely fl.u.s.tered. He had to suppress a smile. f.u.c.k it! He smiled anyway.
"No... it's... keep it covered." She wagged a finger. "Just keep it covered, okay?"
He laughed. "I'm just s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with you. I won't look and I'll keep it," he paused, "covered." He winked at
She blushed a whole lot more, so adorable that it almost hurt to look at her. Thunder grabbed a pillow and used it to cover his d.i.c.k. "It's safe, you can come and fetch your blanket now."
"Thank you." She tried to take the blanket without really looking down. Her cheeks were redder than an overripe tomato in the sun. "Wait just a..." She looked down at him over her nose, her eyes narrowed, her embarra.s.sment forgotten. "That's my pillow!" She pointed the object covering his d.i.c.k.
He gave a single-shouldered shrug. "You can have it if you want." He pretended to lift the pillow.
Tammy took to looking outraged. She put her hand on the pillow in question. It was clearly a reaction. She hadn't given the action much thought though it seemed. "Don't you dare!"
Oh f.u.c.k! There was a pillow separating his c.o.c.k from her hand. A case of cotton and some duck down. That was it. His d.i.c.k decided it was happy and began to harden up.
Tammy suddenly realized what she was doing and s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand back. "Behave! I can't believe you actually run a whole kingdom. You're in charge of people and stuff," she huffed and stormed to the rear of the cave.
He didn't understand her. Not even a little bit. Normally when people were attracted to one another, they rutted. The s.e.xual tension in the cave was so thick that you could cut that sucker with a knife. If they just rutted, it would make things easier. It would clear the air. Human females could be a little strange about s.e.x though, they attached a lot of feelings to the act. He'd had females ask for his number after s.e.x or beg for a date, or a relations.h.i.+p. This, despite the fact that he was clear that it was just about the s.e.x. A 'one night stand' as humans called it.
He got the feeling that Tammy would put a lot of feelings behind s.e.x. That she wouldn't see it as just rutting. With a female like her, he would definitely see it as more as well. This was not a stag run. This was serious. She attracted him and intrigued him. He was desperate to learn more about her, to find out what made her tick. So, as much as he hated to admit it, she was right to avoid s.e.x right now. He needed to stop teasing and flirting. As much as he wanted to explore things with her, he had no idea how Blaze would take him changing into his dragon form. According to the rule book, he would be immediately disqualified. Tammy would need to decide if she wanted to go home, or stay. If she stayed, the other unmated, highest ranking males would get a chance to fight for her. If he allowed himself to become attached to her, maybe even fall in love with her and he had to watch her go it would break him. He needed to be sure that she could stay before he took her to his bed. It was as simple as that.
Simple.
Tamara gave a sharp intake of breath. Like something had happened to her. He instinctively looked. To check on her, not because he was some spying freak.
He was f.u.c.ked if staying away from her would be simple. It would be anything but. She had made the noise because the water was cold. The pool was further down the cave. There was very little light but he could see clearly. The silver hadn't affected his vision. Not in the slightest. One of her feet was in the water. She stood facing away. Her hair cascaded down her back. It was her a.s.s that took his breath away though. Two globes of perfection. It was an a.s.s a male could grab and squeeze. An a.s.s that would have some bounce during rutting. His mouth watered and his d.i.c.k hardened up into an erection that physically hurt. The tip of his d.i.c.k throbbed in time to his heartbeat and his sacs drew up in preparation for shooting off.
Perfect!
Just f.u.c.king perfect. Thunder turned onto his belly and willed his d.i.c.k to go down. He put her pillow back on her side and then thought better of it and exchanged his pillow for hers.
Tammy gave a yelp. He could hear by the sound the water made that she had entered the pool. Not looking. "Are you okay?"
"I thought you were going to sleep," her voice sounded strained. Her teeth chattered. He could hear the lapping of the water as she frantically washed herself off in the frigid pool.
"I would be if you stopped making so much noise," he lied. His b.o.n.e.r throbbed against his belly. There would be no sleeping any time soon. If Tammy saw this sucker she would c.r.a.p herself.
"I'll try." More slopping about in the water. He could hear a scrubbing noise. "It's freezing in here. My feet feel like ice blocks."
He smiled. "Let me know if you need help getting out."
A louder splash. "No, thanks," she answered through chattering teeth.
He was supposed to be behaving so he bit down to stop himself from asking if she was sure. It wasn't like he could actually go over there or anything. He doubted he would last through even a quick bout of s.e.x. More throbbing. f.u.c.k! He needed to think about something boring. Sheep jumping over a hedge. Yup! That would do it.
Instead, he listened to Tammy as she lifted herself from the pool. How she muttered a curse when she stubbed her toe. How she got to work cleaning her clothes... still naked. No, don't think about it. At long f.u.c.king last, she wrapped the blanket around herself. It took an age before she finally finished. Then he listened to her hanging her clothes up. She began to hum softly to herself and finally felt himself calm. His breathing turned more rhythmic. He was so d.a.m.ned tired. He willed his muscles to relax. Willed his mind to calm. He was halfway to sleep when he heard her soft intake of breath. Her heart-rate picked up.
Tammy was standing next to the bed. She was looking down at him. At his a.s.s. She was aroused. Her sweet scent engulfed him and his c.o.c.k sprang back to life in an instant. "See something you like?" Why couldn't he keep his big mouth shut and just pretend to be sleeping.
"I thought you were asleep," her voice was high-pitched.
"I told you, dragons sleep with one eye open. Shall I turn over, give you something to really look at?"
"Don't be an a.s.shole."
He was being a d.i.c.khead. He had no idea how to act around her. He wanted her. Wanted to get to know her but he had no idea if a future was possible. If it was, he wasn't sure she would want him as well. Outside of the bedroom anyway. s.e.xual compatibility was one thing, compatibility as mates was a whole other matter. He turned his head towards her and opened his eyes.
f.u.c.k!
Mistake!
Her hair was still damp. It was freshly brushed. Her eyes were big and wide. She had that deer in the headlights look. Spooked and ready to run but nowhere to go. Her nipples were hard through the thin woolen blanket. She'd tied the blanket just above her left shoulder. The other shoulder was bare. "You're beautiful," he blurted. It was the truth.
He hadn't meant to say it though, it just slipped out. For a moment she got a faraway look. Like the compliment meant something to her and then she straightened her shoulders. Her eyes narrowed on his. "I'll go and sit by the fire while my clothes dry."
"What did he do to you?"
"What? Who?"
"The male who broke your heart. The one who left you jaded."
He watched her shut down even more. "It happened a few years ago. It's not really something I want to talk about. I've put it behind me."
He shook his head. "You haven't."
"You don't know me. And for the record, I have talked about it... twice. To two different people. Friends of mine. I've worked through it and I'm over it. What can I say? I trusted the guy and he abused that trust. I left him, thinking that we could still maintain a business relations.h.i.+p but I was wrong on that note as well. Bottom line, I fell in love with a guy who was all wrong for me. I won't let it happen again."
"So, you're not interested in a relations.h.i.+p?" He needed to know.
"I didn't say that. I'm not interested in being in a relations.h.i.+p with the wrong guy. I'm careful..." she raised her brows. "Yes, and jaded too, but I still hope to find love one day... maybe. I prefer not to talk about it"
Thunder decided to drop it. She'd said more than he had hoped. "I'm glad you're over it and that you've talked about it. If you need to talk more I'm here. Not going anywhere," he tried to defuse the situation with a smile.
In her defense, she tried to smile back. "Get some rest. I'll bring you your blanket back as soon as possible."
"Take your time, it looks better on you."
She blushed. So cute. She nodded once and was about to turn to leave when he said, "He was an a.s.shole not to realize what he had. He should have taken better care of you."
"Yeah, he should have." She gave him a small, really sweet smile. "Get some rest. You look tired."
"I'm not sure I'll manage all by my lonesome, but I'll try."
"Argh! You're too much," she groaned, but at least she was smiling, one big, wide smile. He'd do anything to see her smile some more.
Chapter 11.
The next morning...
Sleeping was becoming her new favorite pastime. Not just sleeping, but sleeping next to Thunder. Snuggling up close with him. Not him per se, just a warm body.
"Why aren't you pulling away as quickly as your human form will allow?" Thunder asked, his voice still thick with sleep.