Page 22 of Tentacles for Christmas

Suppressing a shiver, I glanced behind him. Expecting tentacles to shoot up, I braced myself, but Rowen didn’t move. His patience won me over.

“I’m ready.”

Chapter fourteen

Rowen

AskingCamiftheywere up to seeing me had me holding my breath until they nodded and said they were. If Cam had said no, I would have swam back to my boat and bid them goodnight, but I found myself strangely relieved. The person I wanted to get closer to was willing to see this hidden side of me.

My lower body was already shifted, with four tentacles out from my waist down, but I’d been careful to keep them underwater so I didn’t scare Cameron before they were ready. I didn’t usually shift my head unless I was completely submerged, as I dried out fast if I was exposed to air for too long.

The moon was full, bright after the clouds had passed, and I could see as clear as day. Spending most of my life around shifters, I didn’t know what a normal person would be able to perceive.

“Can you see me alright?” I asked, pushing up on the rocks so that I was almost eye-to-eye with Cam.

Cam bit their lower lip and raked their gaze over me from head to the spot where I knew my pale flesh faded to red. Water lapped at me there, and their gaze lingered. “Yeah. Yes. I can see you fine.”

Despite my nerves, a thrill shot through me at Cam openly admiring my naked flesh. Not sensing any fear in their voice, I let two more of my tentacles free, emerging above my hips. When I fully shifted, my upper body tucked into my mantle and I had three hearts. I didn’t think Cam was equipped to know all of that yet.

Lifting my lower arms out of the water, my suckers gripped onto the rock Cam was perched on. They didn’t shy away, reaching out a tentative hand. When I nodded, Cam removed a glove and ran a finger along the end of my breeding tentacle. They didn’t know it was special, except it did have a lack of suckers at the tip.

As if in reaction to their touch, my human arms changed into tentacles as well, and Cam stopped touching me. My head probably looked very small, but they looked more worried I’d been hurt than bothered by my appearance.

“It’s okay. You weren’t hurting me,” I rushed to reassure them, and wished I could wrap them up in all of my arms.

“How–” Cam started and stopped, as if trying to find the right words not to offend me. “How many…tentacles? I mean…How many are there?”

“Eight. I’m an octopus shifter.”

Cam blinked at me, taking in my words and not running away screaming. “Can I see?”

Instead of answering, I decided to show them. Using four arms to pull myself closer, I bracketed my body over Cam’s legs, not wanting to touch without permission. Two legs steadied me at the base of the rock while I reached out with the two that had been my human arms, offering them up for Cam to explore.

If I thought my non-breeding arms would be less erotic to have Cam touch, I was wrong. I bit back a moan as Cam caressed one finger along the edge, their warmth setting me on fire.

“You don’t seem surprised,” I pointed out as their other fingers joined the touching party. I wondered again how much they’d seen of me that morning.

“I might have looked some things up,” Cam admitted, and their ability to bush when cold told me what type ofthingsthey found.

“What did you think?” I asked, and Cam seemed to understand I was asking about more than their research.

“Well, this morning I was shocked and processing. I didn’t know what to think,” Cam admitted, letting my tentacle go. Their breathing was shallow and their heart was beating rapidly. “Now…”

“Now?” I prompted, pushing myself closer to feel their hot breath on my face.

“Right now—and when I was learning more about all manner of hentai and mythological creatures—” Cam paused and swallowed before going on. “I’m turned on.”

My body reacted to their admission, pulsing with heat to the tips of my arms despite the cold wind blowing on my wet skin. The desire to touch Cam was strong, but I needed to be sure they understood this wasn’t a fantasy. “I’m not so mythical.”

“No,” Cam shook their head. They reached up to cup my cheek, rubbing my beard with their hand as an amazed smile settled on their face. “No, you really are an octopus shifter.”

The confirmation Cam knew who and what I was had my normally well-controlled restraint bursting at the seams to be let loose. “Can I touch you, Cam? Kiss you?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Cam’s grin turned mischievous, “Touch me wherever you like.”

Smashing into Cam’s mouth with mine, I didn’t know if I moved first, but we met in a feral kiss. My teeth caught Cam’s lip and they groaned.Yes, I thought,let me hear you so I know what you like.

Cam nipped at my lips and licked inside, the sensation new and exciting. It was only their tongue, but Cam was inside of me. I wanted to return the favor, meld my body with theirs, but they were mostly covered. Tangling my tongue with theirs as Cam moved their hands to explore, I grunted and groaned my approval of feeling their hands on my tentacles.