Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
There! Keres approached a tangle of crystal white strands of light. Placing his fingers on one thread, he winced and pulled away as an electric charge burst through him like he’d touched live wires. Buck up, black dragon. You’ve got extra fire protection for a reason.
Concentrating, Keres forced the thin scales that formed his human-like skin to thicken slightly. He couldn’t interfere with his dexterity. That snarl of strands would take finessing. But he’d have to hold on to the lines to untangle them.
Taking a deep breath, he filled his mind with reassurances as he worked to straighten out the threads of crystal light. Keres wasn’t sure who he tried to encourage most with the mental messages—himself or Rimi. He just hoped unraveling the clusters worked.
He couldn’t rush. Snapping one of these lines would have disastrous effects. This reminded him of a bunch of necklaces he’d found in a treasure chest eons ago. The pirate must have tossed the mass of gold chains in with a curse, unwilling to take the time to separate them.
Keres had taken it as a challenge and had worked on it for several years, freeing one after another. He did the same delicate work, but on a faster time frame. As each strand of sparkling white light slipped away from the others, Rimi relaxed infinitesimally.
Sorry, Mate. I’m a bit fumble-fingered here. Breathe slowly, Rimi. We can figure this out.
His eyesight was blurry as the last two slid away from each other. Keres forced himself to scan despite the fog clouding his tired eyes to make sure he didn’t spot another problem in the darkness of her mind. Threads of all colors zipped past him in energetic, unobstructed lines. The beauty of her thoughts mesmerized him.
Her hand wrapped around his on her forehead. Keres pulled himself away and looked down at her gorgeous face. “Rimi? How do you feel?”
“Like I ran a marathon through electric eel infested water,” she answered wearily.
He chuckled at that visual image. “Understandable. Close your eyes, Rimi. You should sleep easier now.”
Rimi nodded and closed her eyes. She was asleep in seconds. Keres listened to her breathing as he settled back down beside her and drew her back to his chest. To his delight, Rimi sighed happily and patted his stomach.
When he heard her slight snore, Keres allowed himself to press a kiss to her temple and inhaled her scent. Keres would never get enough of the essence that had first drawn him close. Closing his bleary eyes, he relaxed for the first time in months. Rimi would be okay now.
Soft lips nibbled a tantalizing line down the cord of his neck. Keres lifted a hand to thread his fingers through her silky white hair. He hummed his enjoyment of her attention. “Snowflake,” he whispered.
“Can we forget who we are? And just…?”
Growling, Keres rolled her onto her back. When the loose stones poked into his arm, he changed directions, hauling her on top of his naked body. His hand tangled in Rimi’s hair to guide her mouth to his. Instant fire erupted between them as he tasted her delicious flavor. He’d never get enough of her. The knowledge that Rimi had saved him from the brink of a horrendous fate blended with the desire that burned inside him. She would always mean more than everything to him.
He ripped his mouth away from hers, forcing himself to slow down. “Rimi, are you ready for this?”
“I don’t have a clue,” she whispered before adding, “but I ache for you. No one else.”
A rumble escaped from his throat at the thought of anyone else ever touching her. She tugged at his hair, bringing his attention back to the present as she slid her tongue into his mouth to meet his. Her kisses were eager but unpracticed. Keres loved the slight awkwardness of the exchange as she bumped noses with him.
She lifted her lips slightly from his and snapped, “Stop projecting conquering thoughts. We both know I’ve never done this for obvious reasons. How about replacing those with ‘don’t screw this up’ worries?”
He smirked and then felt the concern she tried to hide under bravado. She was worried she’d disappoint him. That could never happen. “I’ll do my best, Mate.”
“Good,” she muttered, and when he cupped her breast and flicked his thumb across her erect nipple, she moaned.
Keres loved watching her reaction to his caresses. He grabbed the front of her shirt and ripped it off, pressing a kiss to that almost healed spot over her heart. He could have lost this. Lost her.
She arched her back, pushing her sweet tits toward him. Keres rewarded her by curling up to capture one impudent peak and pulled it deep into his mouth to tease with his tongue. Her moan of delight went straight to his cock.
Her denim-covered legs eased to the side of his hips, allowing her to rub her mound against his shaft. Those jeans needed to go. Keres wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her torso to sit her up, allowing him to access the front of her jeans.