Page 17 of Entranced By the Nakken
Tsunis’ eyes bulged.
“Isn’t that what you kept growling? You greedy thing, wanting me all to yourself. You didn’t have to take a chunk of my shoulder to convince me.”
“Say it again.”
They almost sounded like themself again, and Casey couldn’t help it. “You’re greedy.”
“Say. It. Again,” they growled, leaning into his personal space, all teeth and menace.
“There you are,” Casey cooed, tipping their chin with his knuckle. “I’m yours.”
“Mine,” Tsunis sighed and all but collapsed onto Casey’s mouth.
Casey kept his distance this time and didn’t let Tsunis take the hungry control that their mouth wanted to. As much as he’d love to discover all their hidden treasures, he ended this kiss on a gentler note.
If Tsunis was going to leave someday, Casey wanted their time together to be meaningful, not filled with angst and uncertainty. He’d take it as slow as necessary. He wanted to belong to Tsunis for as long as possible.
When the time came for Casey to go home, Tsunis dropped into the water and watched him pack from so far below that only their nose and up was visible.
“Don’t forget,” Casey said as he knelt at the water’s edge to kiss the top of Tsunis’ head. “I’m yours.”
A shimmering dragon followed him all the way to his car.
When he reached his sedan, his grin was impossible to smother. Giddiness filled him in a way no casual fling could match. He pulled out his phone and texted Sophie.
Chapter Nine
Tsunis
While the sea cave they tentatively called home was created by the burst of magic that birthed the portal, Tsunis had crafted this crystal-clear spring with their own magic and filled it with a brilliant strain of water lilies. The beautiful nymphaiia look-alikes decorated this private spring with pops of color like joy incarnate. The flowers reminded them of Casimir, and thoughts of Casimir were dangerous. Tsunis stood waist-deep in the middle of the lovely garden, scowling at the joyous lilies. The turmoil in their gut was a mix of biology and shame.
Many days had passed since their body formed a full clutch of eggs in preparation for mating, so the ache in their glandial area was less noticable. The eggs had since beenreleased or reabsorbed, and their next mating cycle would not be for some time. Enough time that Tsunis could wait for the right moment and come clean about what they’d done, and what came next.
It was no secret their genetics were different from their mate’s, but Casimir didn’t know how different—nor did he understand the weight of the word mate. No matter their gentle hints and subtle hedges, Casimir saw himself as Tsunis’ boyfriend, which appeared to have a different meaning than a male who is a friend, and different still to plaything. Though Tsunis wanted very much to be Casimir’s plaything. Which circled back to Casimir’s ignorance about Tsunis’ much, much different biology, based on what Tsunis gleaned during their shameful writhing over his rock-hard…thing.
Then there was the matter of the performance. How foolish Tsunis was to agree! On the slim chance Casimir found a way to sneak them in, they’d be in a crowded, high-tension room full of humans.
Tsunis bristled but couldn’t deny their curiosity was piqued. It’d been a long time since they enjoyed music in the company of others. Casimir was human. Casimir would be singing the song they found together. A warmth filled Tsunis where their loneliness usually swam.
Come to think of it, where had their loneliness been lately? Over the past decade, loneliness was a constant companion. A friend warming the waters beside the portal each night where they curled up beside the mass of pollution to sleep.
Tsunis deserved loneliness. They’d left their home world helpless, and what was worse, lately they couldn’t bring themself to care.
Each night, Tsunis chased the guilt away with thoughts of their mate, of his hard body encircling theirs, thrusting his mysterious appendage through their dripping glands. His laugh,the indents in his cheeks when he smiled at their frown, which drove Tsunis mad. His pinky hooked around theirs as he kissed them goodbye, always parting on the same phrase.Don’t forget.
As if Tsunis could forget Casimir was theirs. That was like asking the brook not to babble, the river not to flow. The moon not to make waves.
“Hello, professor.”
Tsunis squeaked at the sound of Casimir’s voice. They spun toward it like a lotus to the sun, praying to Glacia their mate couldn’t read the thoughts straight from their forehead, lest he discover how utterly smitten they were.
“You aren’t supposed to be here,” Tsunis growled, despising the heat that flayed them.
Casimir chuckled. Tsunis frowned harder. They hated when he did that.
Unaware or uncaring of their disposition, Casimir strode forward and leaned over the thin barrier of stones protecting the peaceful spring. A long, strong arm wrapped around Tsunis’ waist and dragged them flat against the wall, flush against his mate’s hard torso.
“You weren’t at our spot. I came looking, and guess what I found?” Casimir planted a honeyed kiss on their lips, and Tsunis’ muscles melted like little traitors that hadn’t undergone decades of rigorous training.
