Page 55 of Tail Me No Lies
“I didn’t think you wereserious. That’s big. It’s we-gotta-talk-about-it big.”
“Serious?” He brushed the back of his hand against her face. “I am only serious when it comes to you.”
The need to claim her right then was enough to make him burst. She was his mate.His. End of discussion.
Nox pressed Ruth against the side of the vehicle. He could resist no longer. He lifted her at the waist, and her legs wrapped around him. He rubbed his face against the side of her, then rained kisses along her jaw and down her throat.
Yes. This was good. He rocked his hips forward, letting her know exactly how good it was. She responded in kind, grinding against him. His tail lashed from side to side.
“You defended me,” he said.
“I seriously doubt you need anyone to defend you.”
He pressed his face to the spot where her neck joined her shoulder. No one had ever defended him, except for his cousin. Contentment rumbled in his throat.
“Not here,” she said in a whisper.
“Why not here?”
“Privacy?”
He licked the column of her throat. “I want people to see. I want everyone to know that you belong to me.” He bucked his hips against her to make his point.
He loved this female. He did not understand how it happened, she claimed his heart, but she did.
She moaned, grinding against him. She could make him come like this. He pressed his mouth to her throat, aching for more pressure. For skin on skin. To bite. To claim.
His.
Two thin layers of cloth separated him from what he desired. He could free his cock, tear away her panties, and sink into her divine heat.
“You carry my heart,” he whispered.
She stroked his jaw with the back of her hand. “I love you too.”
Remaining would be a selfish act. More than anything, he wanted to be selfish and stay. His decision should be clear. He had hurt her once. He would not do so again.
“Take me home before we break a few public decency laws,” she said.
Home. He loved the sound of that.
Ruth
The ride home was intense. Well, Nox was intense. He had two speeds: lazing, debauched rock star and intense. There was no in-between. Right now, he was firmly amid an intense mode. She half-expected him to have her against the car on a dark street. Now, she more than expected him to randomly pull over the vehicle. Whether they had sex in the car or on the roadside was a toss-up. Arriving home with all their clothes on seemed impossible, yet they managed to pull into the drive fully dressed.
“There is something I want to show you,” he said, grabbing a blanket from the back of the vehicle before taking her hand to lead her behind the house.
Insects sang in the tall grass. Sparkle bugs flitted through the grass, shining on and off, matching her heartbeat.
Nox guided her down a path cut from the grass that terminated in a small clearing. In the center sat a metal fire pit, loaded with wood and waiting to be lit. He spread the blanket on the ground, and they sat.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It is far from finished. I want to build a permanent fire pit and lay down stones. I thought it would be nice when the weather turned cooler.” Nox ran a hand through his hair, the gesture betraying his nervousness.
This was the first time that Nox had ever mentioned the future. They had carefully avoided any talk about the thing that was growing between them and what came next. This thing had an expiration date, just until the harvest.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asked.
