Page 107 of First Offense

I froze. “No?” She was calling us to her and denying us at the same time. Because of propriety? What society demanded of her? Twisted fate? This punishing game? I looked at Auric and saw the same confusion in his eyes.

“Layla?” he whispered, his arm still around her abdomen. “Are you all right, Lay?”

I studied her face, noting the harsh lines of her mouth and her crinkled brow. Another purr burst out of her, this one louder and more insistent. She panted with it, her eyes squeezed shut.

“She’s dreaming,” I said, pressing the back of my hand to her forehead. “And she’s burning up.”

Except she started to tremble in the next second, her purr growing more intense. Auric growled in response. “Stop, Layla.”

A whimper escaped her mouth as a tear slipped from her eye. I palmed her cheek, wiping away the droplet with my thumb. “Wake up, little cherry,” I purred back at her. “Let me see those pretty blue eyes.”

Her purr intensified, making Auric groan as his arm tightened around her. “Fuck,” he cursed, his head falling to her shoulder. “Layla.”

I drew my thumb across her bottom lip. “Time to wake up, sweet one. Before you kill Auric with that alluring call.”

He snarled at me, making me smile. But that smile turned into a grimace as she released another sensual rumble, my groin tightening with the desire to claim what was mine.

She moaned, her body beginning to convulse from the pleasure of her dream. If she came undone between us in this state, we would not be able to hold ourselves back from taking her. I could see the restraint being tested in Auric’s arm, his muscles bulging as he fought not to act, his teeth so close to biting down on her shoulder.

Tension lined my body as well, driving my actions, beckoning me to play with the female who had so clearly chosen us.

But it wasn’t time yet.

She wasn’t awake.

And I valued her consent, wanted her to beg,neededher to say my name as she came. Not some dream figment, even if it was a version of me. That male could never compare to the real thing. Not when she hadn’t yet experienced what I had to offer her.

“Grab her tit,” I said. “Pinch her nipple.”

Auric glowered at me. “Fuck off.”

“It’ll wake her up,” I replied, my tone urgent as her quakes began to crest into a beautiful state of oblivion. “Now, Auric.”

I counted to two, ready to do it myself, but he cupped her plump breast and gave it a squeeze. Then I captured her mouth and drew my teeth along her lower lip.

She came to life between us on a gasp, her purr cutting off as awareness drew her into the present. Then her thighs squeezed together as she released a sound of protest.

“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice breathy and possessing a husky quality that I would forever fantasize about.

“Waking you up,” I said against her mouth, pulling back just enough to see her eyes. “You were purring.”

“Purring?” she repeated, mouthing the word.

“Mmm,” I hummed, nuzzling her nose. “Good dream, perhaps?”

She shivered, her tongue slipping out to dampen her lips. “I… I… I need to go to the bathroom.” She tried to squirm out of Auric’s grasp, but his arm was solid around her, his face still buried in her shoulder.

And his palm had not yet left her breast.

My lips threatened to twitch. It seemed the Nora’s control was hanging on by a thread, and each shift of her body was only making it worse. “Stop. Moving.” The two words came out muffled but strong against her skin, Auric’s tone underlined in command.

“Let me go,” she said, not listening to the warning in his voice.

“I wouldn’t keep wiggling,” I warned, brushing my knuckles against her overheated cheekbone. “Just take a few breaths.”

She shuddered instead, her pupils overtaking her blue irises. Her plump lips glistened in warm welcome, drawing my focus to them.

Magnificent, I thought, taking in the sight of her mounting arousal. She appeared only seconds away from imploding, just by remaining between us.