Page 19 of Songbird
And then, in a moment of pure electricity, the student became the master as Tarrick shifted, covering my lips with his own, his tongue winding against mine as though in a fight for dominance that I would gladly concede. His kiss was like fire and ice, igniting a passion within me that left my knees trembling uncontrollably while every nerve ending sparked to glorious life.
I slid my hands upward, tracing along his broad shoulders, eventually locking my hands around his neck. Pressed against him, I didn’t feel a hint of the paunchiness that his appearance suggested. Instead, all I felt was hard muscle. I pressed myself tighter against him, enjoying the way my softness seemed to meld itself to his strength. On impulse, I wriggled against the growing hardness pressing against my belly, causing Tarrick to groan with pleasured pain.
His response made my head swim with feminine power. Despite the pretense, he wanted me... his body did, at least. And I wanted him... more than I’d ever wanted anybody. I surrendered myself, my body and soul, to the overwhelming force of his kiss, doubting that there was another man—human or alien—that could make me feel the way Tarrick did. The heat of his touch consumed me, igniting flames that licked at every inch of my skin. Nothing else mattered but him and the intense chemistry bubbling between us.
When something caressed the back of my thigh, and along the curve of my ass, I couldn’t help the little moan that escaped my lips. The touch was warm and soft, like velvet against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.
Then I remembered that both Tarrick’s hands were otherwise occupied.
Dumbfounded, I pulled away from his kiss, glancing over my shoulder. My gaze quickly fell upon the culprit of the strange yet undeniably pleasurable touch. His lion-like tail was curled at the small of my back, its fluffy tip gently caressing one side of my butt before moving to the other.
Well, this was definitely a first.
Other than my grandpa’s cat, Chuckles, I’d never been subject to feline attention. It felt nice. Definitely odd, but nice. I shifted my gaze back to Tarrick, only to find him watching me, a hint of amusement dancing in his deep, dark eyes. His lipsquirked in a playful smirk, making the thousands of butterflies that had at some point taken up residence in the pit of my stomach take flight.
“Um... what is your tail doing?” I felt the need to ask, even though what I really desired was to kiss him again. A lot.
Tarrick’s grin deepened. The dark chocolate color of his eyes glinted with golden flakes. “It likes you.”
“That’s nice,” I sighed, as his tail performed a particularly pleasing swish across my ass. It was like a playful kitten’s paw brushing against my skin, eliciting a soft shiver down my spine.
Tarrick leaned forward, rubbing his cheek against the top of my head. “Like nuzzling, the behavior of our tails is a way my kind show affection to our mates.”
“Oh.”
I settled into his explanation, all warm and fuzzy. The sound of nearby chatter from the Berajbe, who I knew watched us, faded into the background. It was so easy to forget this was all a pretense. Part of me wanted to forget. I wanted to hold on to the warmth and happiness like a comforting blanket on a chilly night. Every moment spent with him was like a bubble of joy that I didn’t want to burst. The way his touch sent tingles through my body and his laughter filled me with lightness and contentment were sensations I never wanted to lose. Yet, I would lose him... it was inevitable. But until then, I would cling to every second, savoring each precious moment.
“So, what did you think about kissing?” I leaned my cheek against his chest, the heavy thrum of his heart comforting.
“You are right. Kissing is very nice.” He chuckled, and I felt the press of his lips against my forehead. “Is kissing something you did often when you pretended to be mated before?”
“A little, yes.” The way Tarrick’s body tensed made me smile. I could almost let myself believe he was jealous.Truthfully, while Sam and I had engaged in what I considered stage kisses, he’d never kissed me like Tarrick. No one had.
“Then I look forward to more kissing.” Tarrick’s voice was so rough that it sounded like a growl of need.
I leaned my head back to look at him, breathless at the idea of kissing him again.
His eyes lit up with an eager spark as he leaned closer, a grin spreading across his face as he anticipated the touch of our lips again. The atmosphere crackled with electricity, as if every nerve in my body buzzed with excitement. Yes, I looked forward to more kissing too—hopefully, much more.
Tarrick’s warm breath fanned my cheeks, and the touch of his lips was a heady promise. Except the kiss never came. Instead, his head whipped upward, a frown crossing his face seconds before I heard Lucy call my name.
She stood looking over the sixth level railing. Hudo, the bouncer, stood at her side, massive arms crossed over his chest and frowning as she waved to me.
“Izzy, your next set is about to start.”
Her words made me pause and forced my mind to focus on something other than the desire coursing through my blood. Faint, sounding like a low throb in the air, I heard the chant of my name.
“I better get back inside before they riot.” Especially since this was my first show in a few days. Fans didn’t like to feel ignored.
With a deep growl of aggravation, Tarrick dropped his arms from around me, took my hand, and led me toward the restaurant. His tail still rested at my backside but had ceased its playful petting.
The minute I entered the dining room, applause rose through the air, along with a few catcalls. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Tarrick and I had been doing. Myhair was wild around my face. I felt flushed, and I could feel the tingling in my kiss-swollen lips.
As we reached the stage, Tarrick leaned in for a brief kiss before returning to his seat at the table. His warm chocolate-brown eyes lingered on me as I began the next set of love songs, singing with more passion and emotion than ever before still wrapped in Tarrick’s deep purple cloak that felt like being wrapped in his arms.
Chapter 10 – Tarrick
The memory of Izzy’s kisses lingered, the sensation of her lips against mine, the sweetness of her taste, and the warmth of her body nestled in my arms. Every detail replayed vividly in my thoughts, like an enchanting melody played on a loop. But more than anything, the pressing reality of our situation loomed over me like a shadow. We had only three days left before the conciliator arrived, and to convince him of our union, we would need to fully consummate a lie that for me had become utter truth.
