Chapter 20
tweNty
FUCK.
I groaned. "If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you tell me. I need your yes."
She nodded, then said, "Yes," on an inhale.
Her skin was soft and smooth beneath my fingertips. I let my hand roam over her, smoothing her shoulders, rolling her nipple in my palm until it was a tight bud, flattening my hand on her stomach and marveling at how small and breakable and mine she felt beneath it.
Her hips chased my touch when I took my hand away to put the cover back on my claw. It took seconds, but I felt the loss of her warm skin beneath my fingers like it had been years. I crouched next to the bed and sought a better angle. I wanted to touch her everywhere at once.
Her scent flooded my nostrils and I opened my mouth to taste it. Syrupy sweet lime, just like the green gummy worms that were my favorite. I shoved my nose into her neck and she giggled.
"Cold nose."
I licked the spot to warm it up and she moaned, low and soft.
My cock exploded from its sheath and her scent changed, taking on a tinge of spice and earthiness in a way that made something primal in me sit up and howl.
I chased that scent down her body to the juncture of her legs.
I licked the thin fabric of her underwear and her back bowed.
"Oh my god."
Every muscle in my body strained, but I locked them and stilled. My eyes found hers. "Taste."
Her chest heaved; her breath heavy. The tip of her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips and I almost came.
"Yes."
The thin strip of fabric at her waist snapped easily.
I crawled onto the bed between her legs.
My shoulders spread her open before I ducked under and bracketed her hips in both hands.
I trailed my nose up her inner thigh and she shivered, then let out the most perfect sound I've ever heard when I swiped my tongue through her wet heat.
Her taste drove me wild. I attacked her cunt.
I licked, nipped, and sucked, determined not to waste a single drop.
My ears stayed pricked in her direction, capturing every small gasp, every sharp intake of breath, every moan.
I pushed my tongue inside her and she rewarded me with a strangled scream.
The walls of her pussy fluttered and grasped at my intruding tongue in waves and my eyes rolled back in ecstasy.
She grabbed my horns and lifted off the bed and my come made a mess of the duvet.
I slowed my pace when she jerked from a light touch to her clit, letting the two halves of my tongue trace up either side of her. She was still except for her chest, the rapid rise and fall punctuating her pants as she caught her breath.
I'd never seen anything more beautiful.
Her eyes were closed and stayed that way while I stripped the blankets off and got new ones from the closet. I covered us both up as I crawled in behind her. She rolled toward me, tucked one leg between mine and her face in my chest.
"You need rest, too."
I shook my head. "I don't sleep much."
"Why?"
I hesitated, then shrugged. "It feels irresponsible."
She fell asleep with her arm draped over my waist.
I licked my muzzle and wondered how soon she would let me do that again.
It wasn't until I was almost asleep that it hit me—the chemical undertone of her scent was gone.
I WOKE UP WITH Haven's body draped over mine, her face buried in my neck.
It was glorious. I wanted every day to start that way.
I inhaled and spent several minutes memorizing the feel of her slight weight on my body, the green gummy worm smell with an earthy undertone that made my mouth water, and the steady rise and fall of her chest.
I could have stayed that way for hours if someone hadn't started pounding on my door like they were trying to kick it in.
Haven startled awake and I envisioned five different ways I'd eviscerate whoever was on the other side.
She rolled off of me with a sheepish smile and I took enough time covering her with blankets that the pounding started again. I yanked the door open, claws ready to swipe.
Unfortunately, it was Roul and I had a 'no eviscerating brothers' rule. I was tempted to break it.
He wisely backed up three steps and raised his palms. "Bacon said I had to. She starts work in an hour."
"Oh my god."
I blocked Roul's view of the room, but Haven appeared beside me wrapped in a sheet.
"I don't have any clothes!"
He backed further away, showing he was more intelligent than he was given credit for.
"We brought your things over last night. You'll find them in the guest room."
"You...did? Thank you."
She pushed at my side but I didn't budge.
"Move, Quin. I have to take a shower and get dressed."
I stayed where I was, and added a low growl.
Roul spun and walked away, a terse, "Leaving!" thrown over his shoulder.
Only when I heard the front door close did I let Haven past. She grumbled something about male posturing but smiled to soften the jab.
"Tell me you have coffee."
"I have coffee."
"Tell me you'll make me coffee while I shower."
"Yes." I leaned down and swiped my tongue over her exposed shoulder. Tasting her was a compulsion now. The sound that came from her made me add, "but you won't make it to work if you keep making sounds like that."
"Then stop licking me!"
"Never." I bent to lick her again, but she scurried out of reach.
I listened to her sing off-key in the shower, and my heart swelled in my chest. Then it turned to ice when I remembered what she was getting ready to do.
I was near full-blown panic when she reappeared, dressed in a cream button-down blouse, gray slacks and shiny black shoes.
The top of her shirt was open a few inches, just enough for me to see the crystal pendant safely around her neck.
A minuscule amount of the panic receded.
"Stop scowling. I'll be fine. And if I'm not, Bacon will know. And if I'm in imminent danger, I'll hit the panic button."
"You'll tap it five times." The growl slipped out. Couldn't help it.
"Yes. Hitting the panic button is a figure of speech."
I grunted and poured her a travel mug of coffee. I didn't drink the stuff, but Kragen and Cavi had taken to it. She poured an equal amount of cream into the cup, topping it with a bit of sugar.
"You'll be careful." I brushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear.
"Yes, dad." She rolled her eyes. "Now stop hovering. You're making me nervous, and I have to pretend that this is just another day."
I grunted as she picked up her bag and the car keys someone left on the counter. She stared at them in confusion for a moment before looking out the front door. Her car sat haphazardly parked in my lawn.
"They even brought my car over?"
I nodded. "They cleared everything but the furniture from the other house and brought it here."
"Wow. Umm... okay. That's ... efficient."
She turned and gave me a little wave, which turned into a palm out shove when I stepped in to hug her.
"You'll get fur all over me." She grinned up at me, her smile a little too big and brittle. "Wish me luck!"
I mumbled, "Good luck," and stared after her until the car disappeared from view. Instantly I wanted to follow. I shifted from foot to foot, calculating the recklessness involved. I was almost convinced when a Society SUV rolled up and cut off my escape path.
Bacon slid out of the driver's seat and Meanosaurus tumbled after her like a malfunctioning feather duster.
She pushed past me without a word, her backpack slung over one shoulder.
"Sure, come on in." I closed the door behind the chicken and followed her to my dining room.
She smiled over at me as she dug into the bag. "Thanks."
As if I'd had a choice.
Her laptop emerged first, then a portable keyboard and mouse. Then a screen with its own stand.
"I figured you'd be freaking out right about now, so I thought it might help if you could watch her vitals."
She puttered around, efficiently handling a mass of cords that resembled of a heap of spaghetti.
When she was satisfied with the setup, she waved me into the chair next to hers, in front of the extra screen.
In short order, she had Haven's vitals pulled up, arranged in neat rows.
The steady ping of her heartbeat rising to a peak on the screen gave me a measure of peace I didn't know I needed.
I scanned the other boxes and found her temperature, respiration, and stress level. "Stress level?"
"Yeah, it measures all sorts of things and gives an overall read on how stressed she is."
I leaned over and grabbed Bacon in a tight hug. "Thank you."
"Urp. You're welcome." She patted my back awkwardly. "You can let go now. Can't breathe."
I sat back. "Sorry."
I vaguely heard her say "S'okay," but my entire focus was on the screen. My eyes went from one box to the next. "How long until she gets to her office?"
Bacon pulled up another screen, this one a map with an overlaid blinking red dot. "She's pulling into the parking lot now."
"How...?" I waved at the map.
Bacon grinned. "I put a tracker in the pendant."
Bless this witch.
I watched Haven's heart rate increase and willed her to calm down. It's just a normal day and you're doing normal first day things.
I was able to see her deep inhale on the screen.
"I wish we had cameras."
"I know big guy. I'm sorry, there just wasn't enough time."
I echoed her earlier, "S'okay." Monitoring her vitals would have to do—for now.