Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“I…” He pauses, clearly struggling with emotion. His hands grip me tightly. “All this sorrow, this despair, it reminds me of before.” I want to ask what before he’s talking about, but he continues. “With the khui-sickness. My family…”
Oh. I slide my fingers along his skin under his vest, trying to comfort with my touch. “You lost them.”
“I lost everything. I despaired greatly for a long time, and I see all this, and I feel myself going back to that dark place.” He takes a deep, ragged breath and holds me even tighter, and I can practically feel his chest ridges leaving an imprint on my cheek as he hugs me against him. “I need to be there, to help them, and Vektal sent me away.” His voice breaks, and I can feel the tension in his body.
He’s struggling so. My poor Hassen.
I pry myself loose from his choking grip and sit back, cupping his face so he has to look at me. “Hassen,” I say softly. “You know Vektal didn’t send you away because he didn’t want you around, right? He’s sending you away because you’re the best man for the job. You don’t have to worry about babies or a mate or a mom that needs help. Maybe it sucks that you got picked for what’s probably the least fun task out of all of them, but you’re the best guy for it. It’s not a slam against you, it’s a compliment.”
“He chose me because I am alone,” Hassen says bitterly. “Because the tribe does not care if I live or die.”
“Because you’ll come back with the supplies and he doesn’t have to worry about you,” I correct firmly. “And you’re not alone. I’m here right beside you.”
“You should have stayed with your sister.”
“Why? She doesn’t need me.” I tilt my head, studying him. “You don’t need me, either, not really. I’m not going to lie—I’m probably going to be shitty company on this trip. I’m going to be slow as molasses, and I’m not very strong. But you do need a friend…and I can be that for you.”
He covers the hands I have on his cheeks with his own, and then lifts my hands to kiss each palm. “Are we just friends, Mah-dee? You know you have my heart.”
I feel a little flutter in my belly. I want to tell him that he is, except…I worry about my judgment. Am I just clinging to him because he needs me? Is he latching on to me because he wants someone? Anyone? But I can’t turn him away. Not when he’s clearly hurting and I want to comfort him.
So I’ll skip the words for now. They can come out later…if at all. I move forward and press my mouth to his, kissing him. I move my lips against his, caressing and tender. I want him to know that in this moment, he’s absolutely loved and needed. I flick my tongue against his, and I can feel his breathing quicken as I twine my arms around his neck.
I want to show him just how much I care. Show him how much he’s needed. That he’s not disposable in my eyes.
I kiss his mouth sweetly for a moment longer, and then give a gentle little push to his chest, indicating he should lie backward. He does, watching me with hot, avid eyes. I move his leather vest aside, exposing his chest, and sigh with pleasure at the sight of all that hard muscle. Blue is officially my favorite color for a delicious, taut chest and perfect pectorals.
“What do you do, Mah-dee?” he asks, voice husky.
I just smile at him and lean down, pressing a kiss to his chest. I want to make him feel special, and I know just the way to do it. I flick my tongue along the hard, plated ridges covering the center of his chest. I imagine it isn’t as sensitive as other parts of his body, but judging from the way his breath is rasping, it’s still pretty exciting to watch. I’m getting excited, too. I’m doing this for him, because I want him to feel good…but I like doing it. Touching him turns me on, and I can feel my pussy pulsing in response to his arousal.
I kiss lower, moving in a direct line down his front. I don’t want there to be any guesses as to what I’m doing—I want him to realize and to anticipate. I flick my tongue down the hard line of his six-pack abs and scrape my teeth along his skin. He tastes a bit like sweat, and ash, but he also tastes like Hassen, and I love it.
“Mah-dee,” he rasps as I lap at his flat belly, heading for his navel. “You…”
“Shhh.” I kiss lower. “I’m concentrating. You don’t want to ruin my concentration, do you?”