Page 15 of Bound to the Tiger Scout
He paused for a moment, and then he snorted. “Cock’s out, claws out,” he said and laughed at himself.
I joined him since it was undeniably true.
A fiery light filled his eyes and a wicked grin tipped up his lips as he slowly crawled toward me. “Since the blanket’s already ruined…” He wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me.
When I gripped his ass to pull him onto my lap, my claws were definitely out again.
CHAPTER 8
SQUIRE
Icouldn’t get enough of feeling like this. Sex was awesome! And I might not know exactly what I was doing but running with my instincts seemed to be working out pretty great. I wasn’t a virgin anymore! I’d actually had sex—and with a guy, too! Before I’d got it in my head that I could leave, I’d really been worried that I’d end up having to take a wife in order to survive. But now I knew the bliss of hard muscles, deep-throated moans… Er, growls. Fangs, claws, fur…
Yeah, okay, I was in it up to my eyeballs with wanting Ghosha’s furry alien body. The way that one growl of his had vibrated inside me and made me want to run away fast even as I clutched him closer— Gah! It was all sogood.
Would it be like this with every Norlon I serviced?
Oh, hold on a minute. I popped off Ghosha’s mouth and stared into his golden eyes, their pupils blown wide and reflecting my open-mouthed stare back at me. Why did thinking about being with someone else have me immediately thinking I couldn’t? Shouldn’t? I was going to have to—that was the deal—but now that I’d been with Ghosha…I didn’t want…anyone else.
I don’t want anyone else?
“What’s wrong?” he whispered as his clawed fingers gently combed my hair back from my forehead. A frown wrinkled his striped forehead, drawing his brows low over his eyes. “Squire?”
“I… Um…” I should tell him, right? At least let him know I was having second thoughts.
But we were still just above Earth. What if he sent me back? He’d said I wouldn’t ever have to worry about surviving again, but what if he hadn’t meant it? I barely knew him. Maybe he’d get mad and petty.
I swallowed hard and forced a smile. “Nothing.”
When I moved to kiss him again, Ghosha held me back. “Talk to me. If something troubles you, I wish to know what it is and help you correct the issue.”
So polite. Such pretty words. Was he for real? Shittin’ fuck, I wanted to trust him so bad.
Dropping my head onto his shoulder, I hid in the crook of my arm and sighed. “I don’t think I can do this.”
Ghosha cupped the back of my head in one hand, the other wrapped around my waist. He tugged me in closer, holding tight. “What can’t you do?” he whispered, and I heard worry in his voice.
“There’s something… I don’t know, but it makes me feel like Ican’tbe a sex worker. Like I couldn’t…do it.” I rubbed my cheek on his fur and the warm, spicy scent of him was damn near intoxicating. “I wondered if sex with others would be like this, and it was like dumping ice water over my head. Killed my desire dead.”
He sighed and patted me, and I just knew he was disappointed. I braced myself for anger, bargaining, something to put me back on track like I was supposed to be. Despite knowing he was about to toss me aside, I couldn’t help clinging tighter to him. Goddamn, I didn’t want to let him go!
“It’s part of being mates,” he said, “and does the same to me. I didn’t realize humans could be so receptive to the mating bond, but you clearly feel it.”
Well, that wasn’t anything like what I thought he was going to say. Frowning, I pulled back to look him in the eyes. “What?”
He smiled softly and petted my hair. “You’re not going to be a sex worker in anyone’s brothel, Squire. You wouldn’t be able to do the job, and I… I could never let you try.”
I had to think about that for a minute. Mates and mating bonds. I’d heard about that sort of thing with animals. Maybe it wasn’t politically correct and all that, but Norlons were a heck of a lot more animal than humans, right? Or maybe we just called it something else? Like love at first sight and fate and destiny? People who met in elementary school and stayed together their whole lives. The ones who got married two months after meeting. Maybe that was the same thing as being a Norlon’s mate.
Being Ghosha’s mate.
“So you… You want to marry me?”
A cocky grin lifted one side of his mouth, showing off a fang. “There are a few ceremonies we could perform to show everyone our commitment to our bond. I would participate in each of them, if you wished.”
I shivered and looked down, watching his cock stiffen beside mine. As distracting as that was, I had to think here. He really was talking about forever. Him and me. Could I just do that? Like, boom, here we go?
Well, I’d done it to leave home, hadn’t I? Made a decision and run with it, come what may. I’d been alone for it, too, and still leapt off that cliff, ready and willing to deal with whatever was at the bottom. Was this really any different?
