Page 30 of Horn in My Side
“Why can’t we both stay here tonight?” Her hand waved at the spread-out sleeping bag.
“There’s more than enough space.” Mal’s face had such a comical deer-in-headlights look, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
“We’re just sleeping together.” Jasmine discovered that it was possible to blush even when one had green skin.
“I mean, sleeping next to each other.” Clucking her tongue, she grabbed the pillows back and placed them side by side, a respectable space between them. “See?”
“Sleeping on the floor isn’t comfortable,” he pointed out.
She rolled her eyes. “Mal, I used to sleep on the floor in my grandmother’s house for my afternoon naps as a kid.
” On hot afternoons, her lola would place handwoven palm leaf mats on the cool floor of their veranda where she and her cousins would lie down for their siestas.
It was one of her fondest childhood memories.
“I’ll be fine.” Before he could protest further, she kicked off her shoes and sat down on the sleeping bag, crossing her arms over her chest, as if daring him to haul her off.
“I’m tired and it’s been a long day. Can you please turn off the lights and turn down the music so we can sleep? ”
“Fine,” he grumbled, then lumbered to the wall with the light switch.
Jasmine plopped her head on the pillow with a big sigh, then turned to her side, facing away from where Mal would be sleeping.
The room plunged into complete darkness, but only for a moment, as the glow from the remaining carbuncle kit a few pens away provided some illumination.
The music grew quieter and the familiar clunk of boots drew closer, then the sleeping bag tugged and shifted as Mal lay down next to her.
Though adrenaline drained from her body, Jasmine’s mind refused to let her sleep.
Also, while she did treasure those memories from her childhood, lying on the floor as an adult who was used to sleeping on a bed for the last twenty years was a different matter.
Had she known she would be camping out on the shop floor tonight, she wouldn’t have worn a romper.
She grumbled to herself as she tugged at the fabric riding up her butt.
Rolling onto her back, she glanced over at Mal. With his eyes closed and breath steady, he was seemingly fast asleep, much to her envy and annoyance. She held her hands up, scrutinizing them in the blue light of the carbuncle’s glow.
I have magic.
It was strange to think it; she probably wouldn’t even be able to say it aloud.
Should she call her father and tell him the news?
Or would that make him resent her further?
While she was excited at the prospect of learning about her newfound abilities, she didn’t want to risk making that black cloud over their relationship grow larger.
She took another peek at Mal, sighing inwardly. Today had been an emotional rollercoaster, mostly because of him. But he was also the reason she’d discovered her magical affinity. He was such a contradiction, and she would never figure him out.
Not that she would ever get that chance, seeing as he was leaving.
Turning back on her side, she hugged herself, ignoring that twisting in her gut. Mal would be gone in a few months. Forever. The time would come when she would see him walk out the door for the last time.
Pushing those thoughts away, she closed her eyes and allowed her exhaustion to take her into a deep sleep.
The light behind her eyelids slowly brought Jasmine back into a state of wakefulness. As her eyes fluttered open, the first thing that came into view was the big green blur in front of her eyes. She blinked away the bleariness until Mal’s face materialized clearly.
Apparently, he slept like a rock because he was still in the same position as last night.
She smiled to herself as her gaze traced the features of his face—the strong chin, his full lips, his pointy mouth tusks, and the arch of his dark brows.
A lock of hair had fallen between his eyes, and before she knew it, she was reaching out so she could tuck it away—
His eyes flew open. Jasmine’s heart careened into her ribcage, fully waking her. But before she could pull her arm back, he caught her wrist. She gulped and opened her mouth, intending to apologize. Instead, a low moan escaped her lips.
A flash of desire burned in his purple eyes, and he let out a soft growl as he pulled her to him, rolling her onto her back so he could cover her body and meld his mouth to hers.
Oh Mother Goddess.
Though they’d only kissed that one other time, his lips felt like coming home after a long journey.
And unlike that first kiss, which had been torrid and desperate, Mal’s mouth moved with a languid, sensual motion that slowly built up the urgency inside her.
While she liked the excitement of their first kiss, right now the unhurried quality of this one was just right for this relaxed morning.
Her hands ran up the sides of his face, cupping his jaw as he continued his leisurely exploration of her mouth.
She curled her fingers onto the back of his head, digging them into his scalp, which triggered a low groan from Mal, making him deepen the kiss.
Feeling even more adventurous, she moved her hands down, over those rock-hard shoulders she’d been drooling over these past weeks, digging into the muscles.
He tore his mouth away from hers, moving lower, pressing kisses down her jaw and trailing down to her neck.
His tongue licked at the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulders, sending her moaning and her hips bucking up.
His lower body pressed down on hers, and his erection brushed against her, the heat radiating from him enough to set her body ablaze.
Parting her knees, she cradled the bulge between her thighs, rubbing up against the ridge until he too was moaning into her mouth.
“Mal,” she breathed. “Oh, Mal.”
He caught her mouth with his once more in another slow, sensual dance, their tongues twining in a passionate tango. She could do this forever, get lost in his kisses and never come up for air. So when he pulled away, she let out a protesting moan. “Mal, don’t stop.”
“I have to, ashak’a,” he said against her mouth. “You know why, even though I can’t stop thinking about you or forget our kiss. I’m sorry. I don’t want to make this difficult for you.”
Her heart clenched. “There’s nothing to forgive, Mal. I can’t stop thinking about you too.”
“Jasmine . . .” He brushed a claw down her cheek. “What are we going to do?”
Her last thoughts before she drifted to sleep last night came back to her.
About how she would never see him again once he walked out the door for the last time.
Yes, it would be hard on them both when he did leave.
But four and a half months was a long time.
“Mal, can’t we just see where this goes? ”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not leaving right now, are you?” Sitting up, she pulled him so they sat on the sleeping bag, facing each other.
“Why don’t we enjoy our time together, no matter how short or long that would be and not worry about the future?
” She forced out a laugh. “I mean, maybe it’ll turn out there’s nothing more than this initial attraction between us. Things could fizzle out naturally.”
“Or they could end in disaster.”
“Only if we let it. But shouldn’t we make that decision for ourselves?” Her fingers laced into his. “Mal, we’re adults. We can do what we want, even jump into bed together.”
“So, like friends with benefits?” His nostrils flared. “I told you, I’m not that type of guy. I won’t use you just for sex and discard you when I’m done. You deserve so much better than that.”
Her lady parts begged to differ, but she understood where he was coming from.
“And I would never do the same to you, either, Mal. I respect you too. You told me before you’re the type of person who likes guarantees.
When you think about it, knowing that this thing between us has an expiration date is like a guarantee.
We know what to expect and we can walk away from each other without any hurt feelings while still respecting each other.
And at the end of the day that’s enough for me. ”
He closed his eyes and brought her hand to his lips, nuzzling it. “Jasmine. What am I going to do with you, ashak’a?”
“You could kiss me again— Ohh! ”
He did just that, hauling her back into his arms, shifting them around so she straddled his hips.
When his erection brushed up between her legs, she moaned and pressed herself down, cursing this stupid romper once more.
Still, she was a resourceful girl, so she ground down on top of him until he was panting into her mouth.
“Jas—Stop, oh!” Mal’s huge hands spanned her waist then hauled her up as he rose to his feet. “Not here. It’s too . . . weird.” He set her down.
“You’re right.” They had been so caught up in each other, they had forgotten where they were. “I don’t want to traumatize the—” She suddenly remembered why they had slept here in the first place. “Clawdia!” she exclaimed, brushing past Mal and hurrying to the baby dragon’s pen.
“What’s wrong?” Mal asked as he followed her. “Is the hatchling okay?”
Peering inside the pen, she let out a relieved sigh. “She’s still sleeping. I can’t believe I forgot about her.” Or, rather, she had been too distracted by Mal’s kisses. “Good thing she’s not awake yet.”
“Yeah, she’s basically a newborn,” Mal explained. “She’ll probably be spending most of her day sleeping, at least for a while. But she’ll wake when she’s hungry.”