CHAPTER 8 #4
"More or less." I give her calf a squeeze. Firm with muscle. "Right now I'm just noticing that your bones are surprisingly fragile. I could crush you like a twig."
"Not something to say when you want to turn a woman on."
"Am I turning you on or is this an anatomy lesson?"
"Which one do you want to do?"
I shoot her a dry look. "Really?" I ask, mocking the tone she used on me.
She snorts with amusement. "Fine, I walked into that one."
"You set your guidelines, female. Now hush and let me enjoy my prize."
"Of course. Go back to fondling my knee." She obligingly shifts her weight, bending her knee slightly so it protrudes toward me.
"Thank you," I tell her in a derisive tone. I do enjoy our verbal sparring. She is clever and refuses to let me get away with anything, and I like that about her. I like that she constantly challenges me.
I continue to trace her knee through the leather, mostly because I know that this chaste touch is going to irk her more than anything. She might be in control of the battlefield, but that doesn't mean I'll cede every move to her.
With the one hand behind my back, I continue to explore her legs with small touches. I deliberately avoid going above the knee, waiting to see if she will comment again.
April does not disappoint. "It's like being frisked in an airport. You work for the TSA?"
"No. I am a gladiator."
"I was being sarcastic."
"You think?" I retort back.
"Oooh, kittycat has claws. Meow." Her tone is derisive, but it arouses me just the same.
Does she want to see claws? I extend mine, dragging them up the outside of her thigh and leaving scratches on her leather clothing. Her laughter dies in her throat and she sucks in a breath, clearly affected by my touch. "Do not fear, I will not harm your clothing. I know how hard it is to make."
"Our deal was for above the clothing anyhow, not ripping it." Her tone has changed from rude to distracted, and she twitches underneath my hand when it skims up to her hip.
She is rounded here, padded and soft. April feels good in my grip, her hips wide enough that I can hold her without fearing I will break her.
Some of the females are dainty in a way that is terrifying.
April is not one of them, and I am profoundly thankful for that.
I like that she is stronger and taller. "I have not forgotten our deal already. Is my hand not behind my back?"
"It is," April says, and her lips curve into a tiny smile of appreciation.
I move my hand slowly towards her front, over her abdomen.
I hover there, letting her wonder if I am going to go down towards her cunt, that place on her that is drenched with her musky arousal scent.
Instead, I move directly up, resting my fingers lightly over her heart.
I can feel the thrum of her khui through her clothing, the gentle vibration inside her that matches mine.
I have all of April's attention now. She watches me with an intent gaze, as if daring me to do more.
Her scent grows heavier between us, practically steaming in the air.
My nose is feasting on her smell, like my mouth wants to.
I think of all the places I want to taste her, to touch her...
and I keep my hand pressed right over her khui, feeling as if I am the most strong-willed male on this planet.
"Is my touch still laughable?" I ask her.
She clears her throat. "To be fair, I never laughed. I cracked jokes."
"You may crack jokes," I say, keeping my tone mild, and tap a finger against her breastbone.
"A wise warrior does not gobble up the choicest parts at a feast first, because that leaves nothing but the dregs for the rest of the meal.
He savors it all. He saves the best parts for later, knowing they will taste all the sweeter. "
April arches a brow. "Who are you, Confucius? And I think you just called my body parts 'dregs.' I should be insulted."
"But you're not."
She doesn't respond. I lean back, studying her, and notice her fingers are trembling, ever so slightly. Her brave words are a cover for her being vulnerable. She doesn't like to show weakness.
How well I understand that.
So this time, I do not say anything when I move my hand. I simply nudge slightly to the right, cupping the mound of one breast through her thick leather clothing. Her breathing changes, and she gives a sharp inhale.
"Everything all right?" I run my thumb over the hard tip of her breast, which I can feel through the thick leather. Interesting. I wonder if hers are erect like this all the time, and if so, what that feels like.
"Totally fine. Just hanging out." She sounds far too casual, too practiced.
It's a lie. "You can admit that you like my touch."
"I could, but what fun would that be?"
"Mm. Well, I am having fun." I tease that hard nipple, toying with it to see if I can elicit a response from her other than her false boredom. "Does this bother you?"
"Nope." Her voice is a little shaky, and she won't meet my gaze.
"Then you won't mind if I continue to play with it?"
She makes a strained sound in her throat. "Be my guest."
I flick one claw over it, then move to her other breast and tease the opposite nipple. "I do not know much about female humans. Are these hard all the time?"
"No. Only when--" She stops abruptly, as if she's about to tell on herself. "Nice try."
"I have no idea what you mean." I continue teasing her, watching her face as she tries her hardest not to look affected.
It's incredibly amusing, seeing her stare up at the ceiling or at a spot over my shoulder, anywhere but looking at me.
All the while, her arousal scent grows thicker with every breath I take.
She can pretend that she isn't affected, but her scent gives it all away.
Her arousal is making my khui go wild, too. My cock is achingly hard, throbbing in a way that feels incredible and irritating at the same time. I'm tempted to grab her and fling her to the furs...but this is not what we agreed upon.
And if I'm being honest with myself, I like these little games we play. I like that she pretends to hate me even as her musky scent drenches the air around us.
"Should I stop touching you?" I ask as she shifts on her feet for the dozenth time, like she's restless.
She licks her lips, her eyes hooded and hiding her emotions. "Do as you like. This is your reward."
"But stay on top of the clothing," I reiterate.
"Yup. That's the rule." She taps a finger on her collar.
As much as I like playing with her fascinating breasts, I haven't yet caused her to break from her expression of boredom.
I want more than that. This has become part of the game, to see if I can make her admit that she wants me to keep going.
I drag my hand lower, brushing my knuckles lightly down her abdomen and watching for any twitches in response.
She doesn't move a muscle until I reach her waistband. Then there's a hint of tension, her body clenching. Interesting.
I move lower, resting my hand just over the vee between her thighs. "You're certain this is all right?"
"Yup." She manages to sound both breathless and bored at the same time.