Page 16 of Avery

I wrap my fingers in hers, making sure my claws are as retracted as possible. I don't keep them sharpened, so they're dull and unlikely to hurt her, but they can be intimidating when they're so close to the skin. I wonder if it feels strange for her since I have one less finger than her. It feels a little strange to me but in a good way.

"Is this an okay progression?" I ask, watching for any hint that she might be uncomfortable or not want it. It's just handholding, sure, but it's more than we've done the entire time we've been friends.

"This is good," Avery says, her voice breathy. I blink a few times, trying to figure out how I've gotten this reaction from her when all I've done is check on her and hold her hand. "Maybe more."

I don't hesitate at her request. I scoot closer to her on the loveseat. My hand stays interlocked with hers as the other moves to her shoulder. I skate my fingertips across the tie of her dress and smile when goosebumps appear on her skin. My fingers move from the curve of her neck, back down her arm to her forearm, touching her lightly, letting her get used to a male's hand.

No, not any male, just me. My hands are the only ones she needs to be comfortable with.

"Does that feel okay?" I ask when her eyes have been closed for a few moments too long.

The pleasure crew pendant is still glowing green against her dress, but I need to make sure she hasn't gone all nonverbal and flashed back on me. My biggest fear is that I'll get so caught up intouching her and being with her that I won't notice she's reliving nightmares.

"Feels great," she murmurs, her words heavy and husky, and I'm just now realizing that this might be much more for her than I originally thought. Now, I only need to find a way to broach the topic with care and charm and nonchalance.

"Are you turned on by this?" Nailed it.

Avery's eyes shoot open, and her body stiffens. Okay, so maybe my charm and nonchalance need some work. I move around where I'm sitting, making myself more comfortable because I've definitely been getting turned on by touching Avery. My cocks are out of their pocket and straining against the fabric of my pants like they might be able to bust out of them if they harden up enough.

"I'm sorry," Avery says, shaking her head. Her eyes fill with worry. Well, this certainly won't do. "I don't want things to be weird between us. It's just been so long, and these Rytharian hormones are so different."

"Avery." I move both my hands to clasping hers. She stops talking and looks at me. "I only asked because I couldn't believe I was able to make you respond like that from simple touches. It isn't a chastisement or a judgment." If anything, I'm fucking proud of it, but I don't need her thinking that I'm only thinking about myself right now.

"We're good?" Avery asks, biting her lip.

"We are more than good," I promise her. "Now, does my touching turn you on, or do you want me to stop asking and keep touching you?"

"We detected the word stop was used. Are you still good in there?" a voice asks as the speaker cackles to life and has us both jumping.

"I'm good," Avery says, her voice catching in her throat as she says it, the pink in her cheeks growing a deeper shade of scarlet.

The speaker turns back off, and Avery looks at me before laughing. I return my hands to where they were, wanting to touch her for any amount of time when I get the opportunity to be near her.

She looks at our hands, how I'm slowly rubbing my thumb over her palm, and then looks up at me. "I'm turned on by this."

The stupid, happy chittering sound in my throat that happens when I'm immensely happy starts up, much to my annoyance. I've only made the sound twice since being off my planet. Earlier, when Avery chose me to be the male to help her with physical touch, and just now, when she's admitted to being turned on by something I'm doing. She can either guess from my reaction to the sound that I don't want to talk about it or she doesn't care about it because she doesn't mention it.

"What do you want next?" I ask, trying to keep myself from jumping too far ahead.

She sets the pace. I can do this. It'll be easy. I just have to keep asking her what next and doing exactly what she tells me. Easy, easy, easy.

"What do you want?" The words are said with so much sincerity it hurts my chest.

How do I tell this wonderful, amazing woman that I want everything? I want anything she can give me. I'll take morsels. I'll take feasts. I will consume her whole if that's what she wants.

"I haven't done this in a long time. Especially not since I've been altered. I trust you." She presses her palm to my chest, feeling my heart beating rapidly against her palm. "How would you progress this? I'll tell you if I don't like something, okay?"

I lick my lips, my head nodding softly a few times. My mind is racing. There's so much to do, so so much to do. I can't go crazy, though. We need to move slowly. I can do slow.

I shift around on the loveseat until I'm leaning closer toward Avery. I wrap one of my hands behind her neck, checking tomake sure it's okay. I continue when she remains alert and doesn't try to pull away.

"Put your hands on me, Avery," I whisper.

"Where?" Her eyes are wide as she darts them from my lips down to where her hands are back to fidgetting in her lap. When her eyes return to my mouth, I can't help the smile that splits my lips.

"Anywhere, just put them on me so I can kiss you."

"Oh." The word is a breathy little gasp.

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