towering over me even though I still stood on the bottom step. His warmth wrapped around me just by his proximity, and he smelled like fresh sawdust. “So, let me ask you again. Is there anything you need?”
“Considering you can’t fuck me, I’m not exactly sure what you want me to say.”
His lip twitched, and he shot an annoyed look toward the kitchen. “Was that what Stuart told you? That we couldn’t fuck you?”
“Did he lie?”
“Not exactly, but there are always loopholes. For example, you have enough dragon magic in you that we could potentially risk it. Dragons have control over the behavior of their own sex cells. They can’t get pregnant unless both parties want to. So basically, all three of those guys were shooting blanks with you, and unless you were consciously aware of a desire to get pregnant, they can’t impregnate you. Now, you are equally strong in ursa magic, and in estrous right now on top of it, which means to an ursa male, you’re at the peak of your fertility. If we fucked, there’s a pretty strong chance we’d get you pregnant.”
“No built-in birth control for you guys, huh? So at what point in the relationship are you allowed to fuck a female? Or do you just not have the urge unless you’re mated?” I said it with a complete lack of irony even though we were standing here talking about the possibility of his dick going into my vagina as if discussing the merits of using custom batch versus recycled cullet for a glassblowing project.
“After she marks us and chooses us as her permanent mates.” He held my gaze, but the subtlest of movements farther south had me dragging my eyes back down. My mouth twitched, and my face heated at the stiff bulge swelling at the front of his Carhartts. So it wasn’t just me.
“I guess that answers my other question,” I said, casually pointing at his crotch.
“That is something you don’t need to be concerned with.” His jaw flexed as if he was pissed more than embarrassed about the state of his body. He also seemed to tighten his arms across his chest, and I distinctly heard the crack of knuckles somewhere behind those enormous biceps.
“Don’t I though? I mean, if you guys really believe I’m it for you, don’t I get to concern myself with your pleasure as much as my own? I hate relationships that are one-sided.”
I left the top step, moved past the barrier of his aura right into his personal space. He dropped his arms and reflexively grabbed hold of my hips. I took advantage of the opening to slip close enough that I could reach up and touch his beard. I hummed to myself at how soft it was, and how very, very hard he was down below. When I tilted my hips against his, he hissed and slid his hands to my waist but didn’t pull away.
“I didn’t say it was easy for us,” he gritted out, his breath hot against my ear. “You smell so good. Your own scent is intoxicating enough as it is, but beneath three layers of dragon…” He dipped his head lower, inhaling deeply as his nose brushed across my neck.
A shiver coursed through me, and I stepped back, hyperaware of my dwindling control. I’d left the bedroom moments ago determined not to wind up there again for at least four hours. That was supposedly how long a break I had between these episodes of wanting to bang every man in sight.
I debated heading into the kitchen, with the logic that I wouldn’t accidentally fall onto Tate’s dick if I was surrounded by people. But I didn’t entirely trust myself not to attack Eddie or Chayton for a hearty serving of hot, bearded man. Or any of the dragons just on principle.
“Fuck, there has got to be another remedy for this. Are ursa females seriously fine with being out of commission for an entire month at a time, just being serviced?”
“Usually, yes. Ursa males are well trained for it.” Tate grinned, then sobered at my glare. “Stuart said you might ask this question. The non-sexual options take more focus but can be just as effective. Ursa females who have dealt with it for several cycles learn how to channel the power into other creative tasks. Cooking, gardening, brewing. Glassblowing would work too.”
I brightened for a beat, then my shoulders sagged in defeat. “It figures the one thing I really need to