Page 46 of Hopeless Realm
I tilt my head to the side against his chest until my gaze finds his above me. A small amount of space separates his lips from mine.
“I wasn’t going to. Then I saw it. The animal was a mixture of aggression and beauty, and for some reason the deadly creature made me think of a pretty thief I know.”
It makes smile. I can’t help it. It’s a shitty comparison but it melts my heart.
His chest leans into me, sending a swirling feeling through my core.
Then his lips are on mine and I breathe him in. Strong hands trail up my stomach until he’s pushing under my shirt. Rough fingertips skim over my breasts and I raise my hands over my head to shove my fingers through his hair. Soft hair threads through my fingertips as his thumbs roll against my sensitive nipples, sending waves of tingles right to my core.
We’re a tangle of desperate limbs.
Through a haze I consider how much attention he gives my chest. How his gaze drifts there of all places. How his hands wander there before anywhere else.
And then, the thoughts slip from my mind as he sucks hard on my tongue.
A moan parts my lips and his tongue pulls the sound into his mouth.
The sound of my pleasure is followed by a slow, crawling roar that shakes through the air.
I pull back from Ryder to find the longma’s silver eyes in narrowed slits. It glares down on me as if it’s judging my promiscuous actions.
And here I thought we’d be friends …
Ryder’s hands cross over my waist, hugging me to him as we both stare at the creature. A comfortable silence gives pause for only a second.
“Let’s call him Nefarious.”
“Nefarious?” He leans over me to look me in the eye. “What’s wrong with a regular name. Can’t we name him something normal and boring?”
“Sure, we could call him Ryder, if you like.”
“You are not giving your dragon horse my fucking name.”
A smirk curves my lips.
“Good. Because I want him to be named after me; Nefarious. It’s perfect. You said he reminded you of me after all.”
He pauses and his eyes shine with a knowing look that makes my nerves tingle just looking at him. Something in us has changed since that first time we met.
I’m clinging to him instead of running away.
I’m terrified by how much I like being in Ryder’s arms.
Chapter Fourteen
Home Coming
This time, we don’t shudder. Ryder doesn’t even suggest it.
“Bekka’s house is only a couple miles from here. Want to see if Nefarious is as gentle as he looks?”
The longma gives a low, humming growl, his wings fluffing slightly. It’s as if the dragon horse is reminding the prince of its very ungentle heritage.
As carefully as possible, I run my palm down its flank. The smooth scales meet my palm and I can almost see his emotions. Big silver eyes peek back at me, but he doesn’t fully acknowledge my presence. He’s just keeping tabs on me; a stranger who’s about to fly the heavens with him.
Just as cautiously, Ryder steps up behind me. His hands grip my hips, and he lifts me with ease on to the longma.
The animal didn’t seem nearly this large when I was standing next to it. My legs hug its scales, careful not to kick its large wings.
