a nap, his cycle would have him in its grip.
He cuddled against her again and pulled a light sheet over them both.
“Thanks.”
“You are shivering.”
She smiled and turned to her side. “I have an idea of what is coming.”
He chuckled. “Thank you for doing this. Normally, I am stuck with a court widow hoping to gain a foothold in power.”
“I am pretty much the furthest from that. Don’t worry.”
He paused. “Is this your first time?”
She debated answering him, and then, she nodded. “It is. I am familiar with the situation, the necessity, and the urgency of it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I have grown up around the Kiidar. I have seen it in mated and unmated couples alike. The men have shared their opinion of the process, and the women have shared the details.”
He curled around her again, and one of his hands slid up to cup her breast. “So, nothing I do will shock you?”
She felt her pulse speed up. “Oh, it will shock me, but I will be able to keep it in context.”
He kissed her temple, and she felt the smile against her skin. “Get some rest.”
He was wrapped around her, and she was caged by him on all sides. She had never tried sleeping in a bed with a stranger before, so she knew that she wasn’t going to sleep well, if at all. She tried to put herself into a meditative state while she got used to the contact. It was going to be a long four days. She tried to get the small smile off her lips as she focused her mind inward. Her body was going to be on its own.
She eased away from him and headed to the lav, washing her face and brushing her hair before tiptoeing through the room and nibbling at some of the snacks. She chose water for hydration, and then, she froze when he spoke.
His voice was a low growl. “Perhaps you are not sure how this works. You don’t leave me.”
She turned and looked at him, sipping at her water. “Perhaps you don’t know how a body works. The digestive cycle continues, and I am not going to share the lav with you while I use it. I also will feed myself when I am hungry, and if we are about to get sweaty, water was in order.”
He sat up in bed and swayed slightly. She could see that what had appeared to be a leaner physique was now bulging with muscle. His body had prepared for a marathon while he slept.
She finished her cup of water and walked back to the bed, crawling in on the opposite side from him. When he pulled her against him, she didn’t squeak, didn’t gasp, didn’t give his instincts any reason to see her as prey.
He held her against him, and his pupils were dilated. His nostrils flared, and he inhaled deeply. “You are still hot.”
She blushed. The persistent arousal had also been a reason that she had gotten up. He had been sleeping with one hand around her waist and the other between her thighs.
“You are wearing too many clothes.” He ran his hand down her torso and over the silk that covered her, the multiple ties and knots lying flush but getting in his way.
“Um.” She parroted him, “You might not know how this works, but you are responsible for removing all the knots. Here’s a warning, there are some you might not know about.”
His eyes focused slightly, and a feral look overtook his features. “Is that a challenge?”
“No, a warning. I don’t want you getting frustrated.”
She stroked his arms, his chest, and his neck. He was downy soft, and she wanted to rub herself against him, so she did.
There was a low rumble in his chest, and he bent his head to her shoulder, finding the strap on the right side before she heard the tearing of the silk, and the fabric slithered down, partially exposing her breast. She felt his teeth graze her shoulder, and the next of the multiple straps was shredded.
She swallowed as the fabric fell away and hung from the band. He leaned down and ran his tongue across the mound, scraped her nipple with his tongue, and traced a slight design with his canines.
She shivered and ran her fingers through his hair. Ador lifted his head and watched the tracing on her skin turn pink and then fade.
He smiled slowly. “You look human, but your skin is tougher.”
She shrugged. “I am not