Page 76 of Beautiful Beast

Zovai sank to his knees in front of the chair. “Thankfully not.” He ran his hands up my legs, beneath my skirt.

“Where are the others?”

“Endre had some things to take care of and Sirrus went with him.”

Narrowing my eyes, I leaned forward, meeting him halfway. Z’s eyes glowed in the dimness with their strange, shifting autumn colors. “Why do I feel like that’s not the case?”

“It is.” He chuckled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ll see them soon.”

“Are they all right?” He hesitated, so I reached for him, grabbing his arms to keep him from pulling back. “Please don’t lie to me.”

A smoke-filled sigh seeped into the space between us. “The three of us have a long history, Princess. I hope you’ll be here with us to learn all of it. But some things we’re not ready for. Endre is as good as he can be at the moment. And he’ll be fine. But I didn’t come find you to drag you down with the problems of dragons.”

“I don’t mind.” My chest felt heavy. He wouldn’t say it, and I also knew they’d chosen this and didn’t care, but those problems were to do with me. We both knew it.

Slipping a hand behind my neck and up into my hair, Zovai pulled me close and kissed me softly. And then harder, until I pressed against his chest and he smiled against my mouth. “Zovai.”

“We know you don’t mind, Lena. But it isn’t your burden.”

“I’m not so sure about that. Or are you going to tell me that being called away today had nothing to do with me?”

“Not… directly to do with you, no.” I went to protest, and he kissed me again, effectively silencing me at the same time as dragging heat along my limbs. “We are not human males who will brush something off and say you shouldn’t worry because you’re a woman, incapable, or any of the other ludicrous things I’ve heard them say. But for the moment, it isn’t your burden. So allow me to distract you, and then, when I’m content with your level of distraction, we’ll find the others.”

I glared at him, but wasn’t strong enough the way his fingers tightened in my hair, the other hand still beneath my skirt, stroking my skin. “What kind of distraction?”

“The kind where we find out how good the acoustics are in this chamber, because you’ll be moaning in pleasure. I’d prefer screaming, but we’ll take our time.”

“Is there anyone else in here?”

He shook his head. “Not a soul.”

“Even then, I don’t know if I’ll be screaming. It has nothing to do with you, I?—”

“Bringing the shyness back just for me, Lena?” He teased. “Don’t worry. I’ll banish it again.”

In a moment he had me up and out of the chair, carrying me up the next spiral to a larger platform where the shelves branched out from the walls as well as alongside them. My back was up against the shelves, the brush of leather and the crunch of parchment against my back.

“Is this better?” Z shot me a mischievous grin. “Now you can’t be seen.”

I already knew it didn’t matter. Whatever distraction or pleasure he was offering, I wanted. “And heard?”

“Let them listen,” he murmured, lips at my temple as he crowded my space. “All those invisible listeners.”

“Zovai.” My voice was barely a whisper. “The first time standing up… I don’t know.”

He turned my body so my back was flush against him and took my hands in his. One braced against the shelf, and the other pulling my skirt up. And up and up until the cooler air of the library touched my thighs. Warm breath fanned over my neck.

“No, Lena,” he murmured. “The first time any of us fuck you will be in a bed. Where we can take our time with you. Where we can be gentle, even if all we want is to consume you.”

“Then what are we doing?” As creative and unique as dragons were, there wasn’t any way for his mouth to be between my legs right now.

Zovai’s hand guided mine downward, smoothing it over the exposed skin of my stomach and easing it between my thighs where my body was already responding to him. An instinct I couldn’t explain and didn’t remember having before them. Maybe in passing, but I had shoved it aside.

Now I wished I hadn’t.

Have you ever touched yourself with your fingers like this? Sirrus echoed in my head.

Guiding my fingers, Zovai took his time. Lips brushed the back of my neck, and though he never wavered, I felt the coiled tension in him. Nearly shaking. He wanted so much more than this, but he was holding himself back. For me.

---