Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 126358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
Ryse frowned, not budging.
“You’d trust me to sleep with you after what happened last night? I mean, in the same bed?” he demanded.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked. My heart was suddenly pounding. “I mean, you promised not to…to do anything.”
“Yes, but I already did do something.” He looked troubled. “I took advantage of you last night.”
“We were both overcome with the dragon lust,” I said. “You didn’t mean to…to kiss me. The same way I didn’t mean to, uh, kiss you back.”
“I was too rough.” He frowned but reluctantly sat beside me on the bed. “I was afraid I scared you, little one,” he murmured, looking at me.
“Well, it was a lot more, er, intense than I’d expected my first kiss to be,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks get hot with a blush. “But you didn’t scare me.”
“That was your first kiss?” Ryse’s eyebrows went up in surprise.
“Well…yes.” I nodded. “My home is up in the mountains. There aren’t many people around so I never really…I just…no one ever kissed me before,” I ended lamely.
Ryse stroked my cheek, which was burning hot by now.
“I’m sorry your first kiss was so rough, little one,” he said softly. “If I’d known, I would have been more gentle.”
I nibbled my lower lip, looking up at him.
“It’s not like I would…would know the difference,” I pointed out softly. “I mean, I don’t really know how to kiss one way or another.”
His golden eyes were suddenly half-lidded.
“Would you like me to teach you?” he asked. “I mean, in case you meet a girl you want to be with, you’ll need to know how to kiss her.”
My heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of my chest.
No, bad idea—bad idea! a voice in my head was shouting.
But I didn’t want to listen to it.
“You…wouldn’t mind?” I asked. “I mean, I thought…you didn’t like other men.”
“I don’t,” he said quickly. “But this would be like anything else—like me training you in the weight room or teaching you to fly. It’s just another lesson.”
“Just another lesson,” I echoed, and I found I was leaning towards him.
“Do you want me to teach you how girls like to be kissed?” Ryse murmured.
“Have you kissed a lot of girls?” I asked, feeling a sudden stab of jealousy.
He rumbled laughter.
“Enough to know what I’m doing.”
“Oh…all right. Then yes—teach me.”
I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. He was so big and warm and he smelled so good. I felt like I was drowning in his golden eyes.
Ryse leaned over me, cupping my face in his hands.
“Like this,” he murmured. “First you look into her eyes.”
He was already looking into mine and I found I couldn’t look away. My heart was racing and my face was flushing and my body was on full alert—almost like it had been the night before when the dragon lust was pouring through me.
My nipples felt tight and achy—the linen of the nightshirt too scratchy against their sensitive tips. And between my thighs, I felt as hot as the Burn Pits. Why was my body reacting this way when there were no dragons mating and he hadn’t even kissed me yet?
“What…what comes next?” I heard myself say. “I mean, what…what should I say to a girl when I’m about to kiss her?”
“Tell her how beautiful she is,” Ryse murmured. “Let her know how important she is to you—that you never want to let her go.”
My whole body was aching by this time—longing to feel him kiss me. But it seemed that Ryse was taking his time with our “lesson.”
“What else?” I asked.
“Then you kiss her—gently at first.”
Finally, he pressed his mouth to mine.
I closed my eyes and savored the feeling—this kiss was different from the desperate, passionate kiss of the night before. Then it had felt like both of us were starving—trying to devour each other. Now it seemed that Ryse wanted to take his time tasting me.
He kissed me gently but thoroughly, making my heart bang against my ribs and then I felt the tip of his tongue pressing at the seam of my lips.
With a moan, I opened for his wordless request and his tongue slid into my mouth.
He tasted like the cinnamon and honey dessert we’d had at dinner—hot and spicy but sweet as well. I found myself moaning as he kissed me more deeply, his tongue darting in and out…teasing me.
Daringly, I sucked on the tip of it and then it was his turn to groan as he sucked my tongue in turn. We broke apart for a moment, panting, and he looked into my eyes.
“Gods, your lips are so soft.” His deep voice was hoarse, and his eyes were burning with need.
“Teach me more,” I begged, not wanting to stop. “Teach me everything.”
“Fuck,” he swore softly. “You don’t know what you’re asking,”