"So…two tongues," I say gravely, keeping my face bland.
She sputters. "Two tongues? No! I mean—" She smacks my chest with a light hand, realizing I am teasing her. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"Three tongues, then?"
Her choked laughter is followed by another charming smack on my skin. Her hand is so small, the slap so light that it is nothing more than a tickle, but I like that she feels free enough to touch my bare skin as she likes. "Here I am trying to be serious," she says with a chuckle, "and you're mocking me."
"Not mocking. Just trying to figure out the best way to pleasure you." I smile at her, stroking my hand up and down her back, just because she feels so good in my arms. "What if I have one big tongue instead of many tongues, but I promise to lick you well?"
Bee's breathing stutters, and her gaze flicks to my mouth again. Suddenly all of my teasing disappears, and I want nothing more than to kiss her and taste her. To tease her with my tongue like she said. She licks her lips, and I wonder if my mouth is revolting to her. Her teeth are small and square. Mine are dangerous and sharp, with the ever-present tusks that jut out of my lower jaw and curve up to dig into my cheek. Her lips are soft-looking and dusky pink, and mine are…not.
I want to ask her to kiss me, but I cannot form the words. I need her to suggest it, or else I am no better than Crulden the Ruiner.
Her hand steals up from my chest and she caresses my cheek. I close my eyes, savoring that small touch. I'm starved for it. I need her to touch me constantly, because it reminds me that she's here and I'm not alone or surrounded by enemies. That someone in this universe thinks I am more than just a cloned asshole.
"Do you want your prize?" Bee whispers, her thumb stroking along my jaw. "My champion?"
My cock surges and I bite back a groan as it presses against my too-tight trou. I force myself to open my eyes, and Bee is looking up, her beautiful face turned toward me. "You want to kiss me?"
"I think so…but I might feel nothing," she adds hastily. "So please understand if I don't like it." Her worried gaze searches my face. "It's just…it's not you…"
"You will like it," I reassure her. "Do not fret."
Her mouth quirks at my confidence, and then her gaze goes to my mouth again. I watch her consider, and then she cups my face with both of her hands, studying my lips. I remain completely still, letting her examine my face. I know we will not be able to kiss as normal, but I know I can still make it enjoyable for her, because for me, it will be all about her pleasure.
Bee's mouth brushes lightly over my top lip, between my tusks. It is a soft, ticklish sensation, made all the better by her breath fanning against mine. I love the scent of her, and it only grows as she presses another tender kiss against my upper lip. I let her explore me, keeping still as her mouth goes to my lower lip and she kisses it, too. The brush of lips is nice enough, but I can see what she meant by needing more stimulation than this to come.
Then, she gently bites down on my lower lip and sucks on it.
I suck in a breath, the sound startled and strange to my own ears. Bee immediately pulls back, a worried expression on her face. "That was bad?"
"You…did not tell me there would be biting."
"Oh." Bee pauses. "I mean, there is some gentle biting if you are in the moment, but if you don't like it, I can stop—"
I put a careful finger to her lips before she can finish that statement. "I like it. I like it very much."
Bee smiles and licks the pad of my finger, and the feel of her tongue goes straight to my cock.
This time, I cannot bite back my groan. This is supposed to be about me pleasuring her, and she is distracting me. I need to turn this around on her. "Can I try it? On you?"
"Of course."
I slide my hand over her backside and then up her spine. Bee squirms a little again, and it's clear I've surprised her by starting with a touch. I run my hand over her shoulders, studying her as I move along her skin. I'm careful not to adjust the blanket she has wrapped around her body, since she told me that was off limits. I'm careful with my claws, tracing the pads of my fingers over her flesh since one wrong move will slice her open. She has a fascinating little dip at the base of her throat where I can practically see her pulse, and I lightly brush my finger over it. "Is there something in particular you like? If not kissing?"
She turns confused, slightly distracted eyes to me. "I didn't say I don't like kissing."
"I have seen you kiss this mesakkah fool. You said it did nothing for you. So I am asking what you do like. Have you an idea?" When she shakes her head, I offer, "Biting? Does he bite your lip?" I feel obvious asking that, because the biting was my favorite thing so far. "Or is he a licker?"
She wrinkles her nose. "Ugh, let's not call him a licker. Kissing him is…unpleasant. I just don't like his mouth. Do we have to talk about him?"
"I am thinking of ways to pleasure you, that is all. I want my kiss to be the champion kiss."
That makes her chuckle. "I'm sure it will be."
But she does not know, and I have not even started yet. So I stroke up her neck, and when she shivers, I realize this is another thing she did not mention, just like the biting—that she likes touches. That she likes being stroked and petted. I make note of this, and I am starting to realize that there is more to kissing than just mouths and tongues.
I cup her face in my hands, drinking in the sight of her. I have waited a long, long time to be able to touch her, and now that I can, having her in my arms is like a dream. I want to do this right. I want to do everything right. I lean in to kiss her…and bump my large nose against her smaller one.
A smile spreads across Bee's pretty face. "I forgot to warn you about noses."
"Noses," I murmur. "And biting. You seem to have left out a great many things."
Her chuckle warms me. "It's just…one of those sorts of things that you do on instinct more than anything else."
My instincts are full of destruction, though. Of someone else's memories. I cannot trust them at all. So I remind myself of all the things once more—noses, biting, touches—and then lean in and carefully, carefully place my lips over hers. Her taste sings through my senses, but most of all, I am acutely aware of her skin pressing against mine, of her teats pushing against my chest as I cup her face and kiss her, and of the feel of her against me. I rub my lips gently against hers, mimicking her actions and studying her responses.
She is quiet, her pulse calm as I push my mouth against hers, so I try something else. As she did to me, I nip at her lower lip, taking it into my mouth and sucking on it. That causes a burst of her arousal to scent the air, and between tasting her and that scent, I nearly forget my plan of attack. Instead, I luxuriate in Bee's closeness, her skin, her scent, her mouth, and nibble on her lips over and over again, until I release her lip and swipe my tongue over her top one.
That makes her gasp, her hands clenching against my chest. She lets out a small, shuddering breath, and squirms on my thigh again.
"May I tongue you?" I murmur, even though I have done it once already and she liked it. Bee likes control, so I will give her as much as I can…or the illusion of it, anyhow.