Page 43 of Song of the Abyss

“It seems like a rather surprising detail I didn’t know about you, so yes.”

Another grunt illustrated by a vibrating mass of coiled lines around him.

He stayed braced, leaning on one arm as all his muscles flexed to keep him upright. She thought, maybe it would be more comfortable if he would just let himself go. He didn’t have to angle his body away from her. He didn’t have to hide the missing arm he was clearly so embarrassed about.

Instead of saying any of that, or even trying to talk to him, she pulled the pillow off the bed and punched it a few times. Stuffing it underneath her head, she laid on the cold metal floor and wiggled her shoulders like she was getting comfortable.

Words flashed in front of her eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Can you keep brushing my hair, please? It wasn’t a pleasant dream and I don’t feel like myself.” She kept her gaze on the ceiling, hoping that he would move a little closer to her. She’d once gotten a stray dog to take food out of her hand like this before.

Just don’t look at the dangerous predator, and maybe it would trust her.

There was the faintest vibration of scales rasping against the metal floor, and then the delicate feeling of his claws running through her hair. “Don’t look,” he said, his voice a low hum against her ear. “What was the dream?”

Of course, she was going to look when someone told her that. He froze again, his fingers in her hair still. He was stretched out as far as he could get. Flat on his belly, the stump of his arm slightly propping his body up. But his cheek rested against his bicep and his good arm reached all the way out so just his fingers were close to her.

Pillowing her own cheek on her hand, she rolled in his direction. “I’m not bothered by it, you know.”

He swallowed hard. “The dream?”

“Your arm.” She let her gaze actually go to the end of it, and he couldn’t move to hide it. Not in this position. “It doesn’t make you any less than what you already are.”

Daios winced. “You are one of the few to believe that.”

“Do you believe it?”

She watched the emotions flicker across his face. Surprise. Heartache. Shock that maybe he didn’t.

Licking her lips, she added, “Why don’t you believe it?”

“Right now?” His voice deepened even more, a rumble of some creature in the depths. She felt that dark, deep voice all the way to her very core. “Because if I was whole, I could brace myself above you and still touch you. I wouldn’t have to lie on my belly just to feel the softness of your hair.”

Oh.

Pressing her thighs together against the sudden rush of desire that went through her entire body, she tried very hard not to think of him braced above her. Those muscles flexing and those sharp teeth bared even though she knew he would only bite her if she wanted him to. And strangely enough, she thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he did bite her.

He was odd to look at, but he was... also very thrilling.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Ah. I understand.”

“I don’t think you do, kalon.” His fingers moved in her hair, gently placing every single strand in a perfect coil to rest against her neck. “I don’t think you could understand.”

Whatever madness was between them, she wanted to feed it. She moved quickly, certain he wouldn’t like her plan if he knew what she was doing. So with a quick bunching of muscles, she lunged for him. One moment, she was lying in front of him, and the next she’d crawled on top of him.

Daios rolled between her legs, his eyes wide with shock and his teeth bared as though he thought she was attacking him. But his fingers were so gentle on her thighs as he grabbed one with his hand.

Hands braced against his chest, she held herself safely on top of him. It wasn’t where she’d thought she would end up. Especially considering he was so big her thighs were stretched a little wider than was comfortable.

And for god’s sake, that made her think of things she really shouldn’t be thinking of.

It took every ounce of her strength not to moan when she felt the ridged muscles of his upper abdomen pressed against her pussy. She wanted to grind down on him. To feel the undulating power of his muscles underneath her, but that wasn’t what she was proving here.

“See?” she said, feeling like her voice had maybe changed a bit. It certainly had come from a much deeper part of her throat. “You don’t need to brace yourself over me at all. I can do that for you.”

Those dark eyes turned even darker, and she could see the hunger in him. He tried his best to stay still and not move, but that tail lashed behind her once, twice, three times before he stilled it. “And what now, kalon?”

“You can touch me without having to choose if you want to be close to me or touch.” She swallowed hard. “My hair, I mean. I quite like it when you touch my hair.”

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