Page 16 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

The sound of the ladder creaking cut her off. He was coming up. Climbing to join her.

Takkian slid into the bunk beside her, putting his back to the wall. The mattress shifted beneath their combined weight.Sevas’ heart thundered at the proximity. The air on the upper bunk turned thick with a tension that made her skin prickle. He gathered her against his chest effortlessly, pulling her closer as though he had been made to fit precisely against her.

A rush of warmth enveloped her. His body radiated heat and her traitorous body sank into the solidness of him. Her breasts, hips, legs were pressed against his. His scaled skin was surprisingly smooth, and as she nestled in closer, she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The intoxicating scent of him mixed with the air—metallic and earthy, like freshly turned soil kissed by a rare rain storm.

She dared to close her eyes, pressing her face against his shoulder. Drinking in the moment. The world outside their little cell faded. Thoughts of the arena, the mechs, and the looming threats fell away. All that existed was this warmth, this connection. Takkian’s arm wrapped around her. It made her feel protected, and a flutter of something she couldn’t quite name danced up her spine.

“Is this what you meant by practical?” Takkian’s voice rumbled softly, laced with a teasing note, though she could hear the underlying tension.

Sevas chuckled against his shoulder, the sound muffled. “I’d rather be warm with you up here than let you be cold and alone down there.” She liked the low vibration of his voice and the way it resonated through her. “Besides, you smell good.”

“Is that so?” His tone shifted ever so slightly, curling with a hint of something playful mixed with disbelief. “You’re sure that’s all that this is?”

“Of course,” she said, feigning innocence. “What else would it be? Just keeping the cold away. Practical and…nice smelling.”

Takkian let out a faint snort, shaking his head. “You are consistently surprising.”

Sevas’ heart picked up speed. The soft brush of his fingers against her arm felt electric, teasing at the edges of their playful banter. “Actually, I think I’m pretty predictable.”

“You are strong and kind. Resourceful and determined,” he said. “And nothing I expected you to be.”

“Some of those things are necessary when your life revolves around shaping rocks.” She ran a hand experimentally over his chest and heard his quick intake of breath. “Not kindness. Rocks don’t care about that.”

“But living things do.” His voice was a whisper. His hands splayed over her back in a clearly proprietary way.

Everything between them stilled. The air. Their movements. Their gazes.

Sevas held her breath. The rhythm of Takkian’s heartbeat against her skin grew faster, stronger. It thrummed through her, igniting something deep within. Their breaths mingled, warm and uneven, as his lips hovered mere inches from hers. And then, drawn by an invisible force neither of them could deny, his mouth captured hers.

The softness of his lips shocked her. Everything about him seemed so hard, but his mouth was tender, gentle. Takkian’s large body shuddered and he deepened the kiss with a slow hunger that sent her heart racing. His mouth moved against hers and his hands roamed her back, testing the dip of her waist and the flare of her hips. Each caress sent a rush of heat cascading through her.

Takkian growled softly against her lips. The sound went through her chest and made her joints weaken. His hands, so large and capable of destruction, ran down her back with careful precision, as though afraid to break her. Yet each touch left trails of fire in its wake. They melted away doubt and fear, leaving only hunger.

His massive hand cupped her face, fingers grazing her jawline with an unexpected tenderness. His presence was intoxicating. Awareness rippled through her as he traced the curve of her skin. It was as if he were committing every inch of her to memory, every detail a precious treasure he’d never let go of.

Sevas melted into him. She explored the solid planes of his chest and the thick muscles of his back that supported those massive, heavy wings. She felt old scars and some not-so-old ones—barely healed, with smooth, raised skin. Her fingers slid over the thick, leathery texture of his wings. He trembled when her hands moved down his back to the base of his spine, where his flesh met with the thick leather pants he wore.

Takkian’s arms tightened around her, drawing her deeper into his embrace. The kiss was so new, so infused with new sensations, that Sevas couldn’t form a single coherent thought. She moved instinctively. Her fingers tangled in the dark strands of his hair as she pressed closer, wanting to merge their bodies as if to shield them both from the harsh reality closing in outside their little sanctuary. Takkian responded, deepening the kiss.

His hips moved against hers. Something long and hard pressed against her thigh. She knew whatthatmeant, thanks to Auntie Ailota’s thorough lecture on male body parts, and some unfortunate drawings. She was wildly curious about what Takkian’s cock looked like, and, she had to admit, what the sex act would be like with him. There was no way things would go in that direction, however. Not now, when they were just kissing for the first time. Not until a time came when they didn’t have two cellmates.

Not until they were free of the arena.

As his tongue brushed against her lips, she welcomed him in, surrendering to the sensations engulfing her. Time blurred in that moment, and the outside world faded. There was no arena,no mechs, no blood—they were just Takkian and Sevas, lost in the softness of each other.

He slid a hand between her legs and cupped the heat there through the fabric of her shift. She gasped, but he swallowed the sound with his mouth, kissing her as his hand pulsed against her aching pussy. With each movement, her body answered back to him, soft and pliant against the hard planes of his form. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep quiet as her sex throbbed with need, wishing there was no fabric between the two of them. Wishing they were alone. The way he held her felt right, as if she were made to fit in his embrace, and the warmth gave her courage.

“Let go,” he whispered into her ear. “I’ve got you.”

She did, gripping the front of his leather vest and jerking her hips against his hand. Her breath was ragged. It was hard to be quiet and still, but Bruil kept snoring and Ulo was a very deep sleeper. With a final sharp breath, she went rigid and let the sensations crash around her. His hand was strong and sure as he stroked her, drawing her body taut as a wire. She took in the throbbing pulses of pleasure as they slid beneath her skin, lighting up parts of her that she didn’t even know could feel. As the passion ebbed, she let out a shaky breath and relaxed against him. Their kisses turned soft, gentle. Their touches, tender.

Sevas pulled back slowly, breathless as she blinked up at Takkian. Confusion and desire swirled in her mind. His silver eyes gleamed with something she couldn’t quite decipher—maybe surprise, maybe longing. It sent a thrill through her.

“Wow,” she breathed, her heart racing as she struggled to find her words. “That was…unexpected.”

“Unexpected?” Takkian ran a hand over her hair. “What did you expect would happen when you offered me warmth?”

“Warmth, not a…whatever that was,” she replied, then frowned, as she still felt the steellike rod pressing against her. “What about you?”

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