Page 10 of Don't Fae With Dragons

“Your hair. It reminds me of my own.”

“Well,” he says, “I’m flattered by the thought.”

“Why is that?” I ask, blush already rising to my face.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

I try to think of something clever to respond, but come up short. Instead, I sit next to him, and lay my head on his shoulder. My stomach twists with the touch, although I’m not sure why – arousal? Fear? Shame? There’s certainly something in me that’s awakened by Kar’s presence, but it’s hard to tell what it is. Something about him excites me, but I still feel sort of ... onedgearound him.

“Mili?” he asks, interrupting my train of thought.

“I’m sorry. I was lost in my thoughts.”

He smiles, and strokes my cheek. My breath hitches at the touch, and I turn to look up at him, wide-eyed. “Well, come back to me, please.”

I sit there a moment, then nod. I sit up suddenly, my heart starting to pound at our closeness, and make to move away. He grabs my hand roughly, but loosens his grip after I cry out in shock (and nearly pain).

“Don’t go,” he says. I stare back at him, stomach still twisting with conflicting emotions. He seems to sense my inner turmoil, because he smiles soothingly and says, “I don’t want to frighten you, but you ... you entice me. There’s just something about you I want to be close to. Do you feel it, too?”

“I don’t know what I feel.” I shrug, feigning casual composure, but twisting and turning on the inside.

“Let me touch you,” Kar whispers, standing and pulling me up with him. I stand to face him, knees nearly trembling, and he brushes my hair behind my shoulders. “So ... pretty. Delicate.”

I turn away, feeling somewhat appraised, but he takes my chin gently between his fingers and turns me to face him. His hands are cold, and I shiver. At the soft breath that rushes through me, Kar laughs softly. His eyes darken, and he cocks his head.

“I want to bed you, Mili.”

My heart skips a beat as I hold in my breath. There’s at least one reason why that would not be a good idea. “I can’t. Aurora–” I respond in a haste.

“She can join us if she so pleases. Mili, don’t you feel a pulling towards me? Don’t tell me I’m the only one; don’t leave me in this alone. Please, Mili?” I stare at him, uncertain, and he says, “Touch me. Trust me, here.”

He places my hand on his chest, and I feel the cold of it through his thin tunic. I shiver again.

He smiles, then. “Youarearoused.”

I can’t tell if that’s what this is – arousal, or something being very, very wrong. But Kar is here, he has nowhere else to go, and heisvery handsome. Maybe this is a mistake in the making, but I’m not perfect and never claimed that I am. I sigh, still internally debating, but he gazes so intently at me, as if he wouldn’t rather be anywhere but here. And those stormy dark eyes looking straight inside me. That look disarms me, and I take a cautious step towards him, pressing my whole forearm to his chest.

“Good girl, Mili, you’re a good girl,” he murmurs. The sound of his voice dropping low causes me to move myself closer to him, and he wraps an arm around my hips, resting a hand onmy behind. He squeezes tightly, and I choke out a gasp before he leans in and starts to devour my mouth with his.

Oh gods, what am I doing?

Kar tastes like smoke and lilac, a rougher version of his musk (which reminds me of flowers resting in the late night). The sensation of ash and floral kisses overwhelms me, and I moan softly into him. At the sound, he moves his other arm to my ass, too, and lifts me up to hold me against his waist. I don’t care if this is a mistake. I wrap my legs around him, twisting like a vine, and he bites my lower lip.

“Ow!” I call out.

He shushes me and says, “I’m not going to hurt you, darling. Just a bit of teasing here and there.”

I’m too worked up to think too hard about what he means, so I just nod and pull him back into me. There’s a strange sensation while we’re kissing, of being pulled in two directions. I wonder, briefly, if it’s guilt for giving into him while Aurora and I aretechnicallycompanions, but that doesn’t resonate. It feels like I’m being tugged to somewhere else. I just don’t know where.

“Stop thinking so much,” he whispers into my mouth. It’s hard, but I decide to try. I kiss him harder, squeezing my eyes shut and focusing on the taste of his smoky floral breath, the feel of his cool back beneath my fingertips, his white hair brushing against my face.

He groans into me and sits on the couch, with me now sitting on his lap. I feel him pulse beneath my groin, and I gasp. I pull back to look into his eyes – those stormy black eyes – and wonder,is this what I want?But then his mouth is on mine,tasting like ash and flowers, and I wonder what it would be like to taste him, his member, his neck, his release. As if he can read my thoughts, he laughs quietly and flips us over so he’s lying on top of me.

“Mili?” I sit up immediately to see Aurora standing in the doorframe, looking horrified at the sight of this stranger and me. “What – who is – how could you?”

“You must be Mili’s companion,” Kar says, smiling. “Come, join us.”

I whip around to face him, shocked at his immediate handling of the situation, but he doesn’t waver. He smiles at Aurora, and gestures with his hand for her to sit on the chair opposite us. She’s smoldering with rage, but collapses down anyway.

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