Page 42 of Theirs to Crave
Revik’s muscles flexed as Zaf arched. They moved—rolling, gripping, pushing—so beautiful together I could have come from just watching.
Zaf had no intention of letting that happen, though. His tongue pushed into me, sliding deeper and deeper until the tip touched the spot that made me pant and shake.
I swallowed a cry of pleasure and the three of us moved as one, reaching our peaks again and again with whispered words of love.
When our bodies were limp and exhausted, we sprawled across the cushion, letting the pounding of our hearts slow as sweat cooled in our fur.
Drowsiness was heavy on my limbs when Zaf spoke.
“I want to offer courtship to Estrayuh.”
“She needs time,” I reminded him gently.
“To heal, and to understand what I offer her,” he agreed. “I will not rush her. And I will respect whatever answer she gives. I just want...”
“Her,” Revik finished.
Zaf nodded.
“When she is ready, then.” Revik’s voice was a soothing murmur. “We will tell her of our interest.”
“Yes?” Zaf’s eyes held a brimming hope when he looked at me. Mated though we were, there was no need for all of us to pursue Estrayuh if we didn’t all desire her. But my mate was a romantic.And likely already fantasizing about the things we could do to each other with another body added to the mix.
“Yes,” I answered, brushing his cheek with mine. “Let’s hope our little Hyunan finds us as intriguing as we do her.”
Chapter 13
Estrella
Iwoke to silence. Well, not exactly. Mariano was snoring, Salat was making a sort of huffing, snuffling noise, and in the distance some alien critter called out with an eerie whooo-ck-ck-ck. But the rain—our constant companion since the crash—had stopped.
I pushed to my elbows and peered outside. It didn’t feel like I’d slept long enough for it to be morning already, but it must be, because I could clearly see Cass sitting alone by the stream, knees hugged to her chest.
Concern—and my bladder—had me padding over to join her.
I didn’t think about what was making the weird noise in the woods.
I definitely didn’t wonder if it had big teeth or an interest in exotic meats.
After I’d used the stream, I sat gingerly beside Cass. She didn’t turn away, so I leaned my shoulder against hers. The knotof worry in my chest loosened a little when she shifted, letting her body rest against mine.
“Can’t sleep?” I asked. I kept my voice low. It was a rare thing, to have privacy.
Cass shook her head.
We sat that way for a while, listening to the little stream.
When Cass finally spoke, her voice was dreamy. “I was going to leave him, you know. I’d made plans, been seeing a therapist. I had a job and apartment waiting for me in Arizona.”
I looked at her, seeing the tremble in her fingers before she clenched them into fists.
“I didn’t tell anyone. Not after the last time.”
A breeze smelling of ozone and earth blew a strand of her hair onto her cheek. It stayed, caught by the wetness glistening there. Her face was still and smooth as a porcelain doll’s, though her voice quivered under the strain of her emotions.
“Arizona was going to be my second chance. A fresh start. No more impossible expectations. No more eyes scrutinizing my every move. No father telling me to ‘stop complaining and do my duty’ or that ‘all relationships have problems’ when Loga—when he—”
The mask shattered. Pain wreathed her face and flooded from Cass’s eyes, but the only sound was the rush of her labored breathing.