Page 56 of Exiles on Earth
“F…freezing.” She steps out of the jeans, but the soaked fabric clings stubbornly to her skin. Without thinking, I take her calf to help, pulling her free. Her muscles flex under my hand, a testament to her strength.
She lights a small lamp and sighs, eyeing the naked cot in the corner. “I remember now—I took the sleeping bag back to washit. I’m such an idiot. But at least I’m out of the cold now.” She wraps her arms around herself, her trembling worsening.
“I… I am warm,” I manage, my voice awkward and low. “I can heat you up. Use me.”
“Th…that would m…make sense,” she murmurs, her chattering teeth audible even through her words. “You d…don’t… mind?”
The question puzzles me. How could she think I would mind? Opening my arms, I confirm, “Of course not. Take what you need.” Take all of me.
She bites her lip, the pale blue still visible and sending a fresh wave of fear through me. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“I would be honored,” I say, empty arms still held wide.
Her hesitant smile melts something deep inside me, and then she stumbles into my embrace. I press her against my chest, her icy skin searing me with her need. My scales loosen completely, allowing the full warmth of my body to radiate into her. I focus every ounce of my being on her, rubbing her arms and back, trying to chase the cold away.
“Your scales are so soft,” she whispers, her voice drowsy but tinged with… awe. For me? “And so warm.”
“Yes. All my defenses are lowered,” I admit, my voice thick.
Her fingers graze my chest, and the trail they leave feels like fire. “Your skin feels so much like mine when you’re relaxed,” she says, her breath fanning across my scales.
Her words humble me. My scales, rough and scarred, cannot compare to her perfection. As her warmth returns, her scent deepens, intoxicating and overwhelming. It’s as though she’s embedding herself into my very being.
“Let’s rest,” she suggests, her voice barely above a whisper. “Lie down with me.”
I’ll give her anything she desires. With a nod, I guide her to the cot, laying her down gently before settling beside her. I pull her close, her back to my chest, tucking her head into the curveof my shoulder. My arms enfold her completely, holding her as though she might slip away. I shut my eyes, breathing in the scent at the nape of her neck, committing every moment to memory.
“Sorry,” she whispers.
My eyes snap open. “What for?”
“For you having to do this.” She burrows her face into my arm, hiding from me. “Stupid weak humans, eh?”
“You’re not weak, El-len.” The words tumble out with force, and I long to show her what I see. To trace the strength in her arms, the resilience in her shoulders.
Everything in her farm is well-worn, well-used, but lovingly cared for—everything except El-len herself. She loves her land fiercely, but who loves her? Who cares for her with the devotion she so clearly deserves?
The thought tightens something in my chest. “You are strong,” I whisper, my voice heavy with conviction. “Stronger than you realize.”
She snuggles toward me, pressing her backside to my crotch, and my cocks throb and swell, pushing to be free from my trousers.
Shuddering, I grab her hips, wanting nothing more than to mate with her, here and now. I need to get the words out, to tell her how I feel, what I want. “I… El-len, I…” It’s like fighting through tar. I can’t speak, can’t voice the longing tearing me apart.
She turns in place, facing me. “Ilia, I… can I ask you for something?” A flush spreads to her cheeks and across her chest, the pink color thickening my cocks with floods of desire.
“Anything,” I whisper back.
“Say no if you don’t want to, but I think you want to, and I want to, and…” She screws her hands into determined fists, and then her eyes go softer, liquid. “Can I… can I kiss you?”
“Yes. A thousand times yes.”
“Is that your training or?—”
I can’t take anymore. Brushing my lips against her forehead, I breathe in deep, tasting and scenting her.
She smiles at my eagerness and cranes her neck up, and I stare as her eyes slide closed and she finally brushes her lips against mine. If I thought undressing her before was the pinnacle of my life, the storm of feeling she unleashes in me roars over the crest to new heights. I move over her body, cocooning her in my warmth, searching for more and finding it, each brush and stroke of our lips stoking my desire. Warm, wet and welcoming, her lips part eagerly to mine and I taste her: salt, yes, and an aching sweetness.
I put into my touch the words I can’t voice. I want to be claimed by her, be her mate, taken as her own. To have her scent on me, and mine on her skin, to meld our bodies, to sweat and pant together, to form a mating bond. Yes! I growl low in my throat as awakened mating instincts demand I take her, explore her, mapping her like new terrain and searching out her gasps and moans to treasure. Covering her with my body, my scales ripple on my back and sides but oh so open and sensitive to where her body presses against my chest and stomach, skin and fabric both. I drink in every exhalation, staring into her eyes.
