Livvy had never been so overwhelmed in her life. She had always been of a calm nature, assessing things quickly before taking action, even if her emotions were easily stirred. The kind of turmoil happening inside her at that moment was indescribable and had no precedent in her life.
She was angry enough to strike Radoo and she fought the urge to scream at him to leave her alone. Yet, she was curious about the many things the Knowing revealed to her, and it made her desperate to talk to him about everything. Above all, the worst of it was that she wanted to touch him and couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of her skin on his.
He stood before her, his skin gleaming gold in the bright sunlight. She admired the casual way he walked and the easy way he stood with his hands on his hips. A human male couldn’t manage that same amount of confidence if he were forced to walk around nude, even if he appeared to have been carved from granite and hung like a horse.
She shook her head and struggled to organize her thoughts into a prioritized list. She had to go. She needed to get something to eat and drink. She had been tortured by thirst since the explosions. She needed to get to her people and that meant she needed to get away from Radoo.
She sighed and blinked hard, prepared to walk away. He sighed as well and she peered up at him, her eyes catching on the smooth skin stretched over his muscles, his strong jaw, and deep, glinting eyes. He grinned and winked at her and she had to press her thighs together as she swallowed the whimper that leapt up her throat.
The warm sun felt good after the chill of the mountain, and it lulled her even as the breeze stayed fresh and cooled. Insects chirped around them, the long grass whispering an accompaniment. Suddenly, there was nothing she would rather do than lie in the meadow, exploring Radoo’s chiseled body for the rest of the day.
Or maybe even longer. She didn’t dwell on that thought, though. She was letting the sensations wash her determination away with promises of incredible pleasure and unquenchable lust. Livvy had never had much interest in sex, but if the sensations coursing through her body were anything to judge by… sex with a Preor was not going to be anything like it had been with a human.
She stepped closer to Radoo, breathing in his natural scent as she lifted her hand to brush hair from his forehead. Their eyes met and the sense of dizziness that struck her was so strong she literally felt as if she were falling. The air tingled with anticipation and Radoo slowly bent his head toward hers ever so slightly.
Which was enough to spook her, and she scurried backward, breathing hard. She knew if she kissed him now, she would never stop. At the moment, she still had some semblance of control over herself, but she knew it wouldn’t last. The scent of him intoxicated her so much she couldn’t think straight.
“Livvy,” he whispered, as if her name were honey that he rolled across his tongue. She almost cried out as sensations raged through her, parts of her body coming alive at the slightest suggestion of his tongue on her skin.
She took a couple of steps back and then turned to walk toward the nearby small town. She glanced behind her a couple of times and found him still following—a naked, winged man strolling comfortably along in the high grasses. She had to giggle at the absurdity of it all.
How is he going to walk around town? She mentally chuckled with amusement. As they reached the first line of houses, she prepared for hilarity when people discovered a naked Preor suddenly arriving on their street.
To her shock, several young women bolted from nearby houses, each offering Radoo clothing. He took a pair of baggy cargo pants, tugging them on and thanking the women for their generosity. Livvy watched the scene unfold, the three ladies immediately flirting and primping.
She had never wanted to cunt punch a woman so badly in her entire life.
“Are you looking for a mate?” one of the girls asked, eagerly.
“Oh, no,” Radoo smiled and pointed at Livvy. “I have one. That’s her.”
The girls turned and glanced at Livvy and she smiled cattily back.
“Well, we are all looking for Preor mates, but Tampa is just so far away.” One of them said hopefully. “Will your kind come here? Travel for future Choosings?”
“I’ll certainly advise it when I return to Preor Tower,” Radoo informed them. “I’m simply… on important business right now.”
Infuriated by the scene, Livvy broke into the circle and grabbed Radoo’s wrist. “That’s enough already. Thanks for the pants.”
She turned and walked away quickly, dragging Radoo behind her. She was slightly amazed that he came along so placidly. After a while, the press of her hand on his wrist started to feel too good and she released him before the sensation had a chance to overwhelm her.
“There’s a motel,” she pointed to a shabby little collection of shacks. “I’ve got a bit of cash. Let’s get off the road and get a room.”
Her cheeks burned as the words left her lips, realizing how they could be misconstrued by Radoo. He just smiled and his eyes sparkled with mirth, but he didn’t take the bait.
After checking into a tiny room with only one bed, they headed to a nearby burger joint. Livvy was nearly out of money, but the woman at the take-out place was a Preor fan and handed over sacks of food on the promise that Radoo would bring more dragons to visit—something he was happy to agree to do.
They hurried back to their room and sat at the small, lopsided table just in front of the one large window in the space. Livvy had been full of confidence while renting the room and getting food, but now that there was nothing to do, she found there was also nothing to say.
“So,” Radoo took a huge bite of his double cheeseburger. “Do you come here often?”
She laughed as she met his maroon gaze and something in her chest loosened a little. So, he has a sense of humor and gets our sayings.
“I suppose we should lay down some boundaries.” She put her own burger down to gulp down some water and snack on a few French fries. “Don’t touch me. Rule one.” Regret flickered in his eyes, but he just nodded so she continued. “What can we talk about? Is there anything I can’t ask? I’d love to know more about the Preor military. You’re War Master. Aren’t you?”
“Probably not anymore,” he admitted. “But I’m reluctant to share tactical details with you, for… obvious reasons.”
“Oh,” she looked away with a frown, heat blistering her cheeks. Right. “How about what military training was like back on Preor?”
He shook his head. “It was actually war. I’m not comfortable heading into such emotional turmoil right now.”
“O-kay,” she ate a few more fries and wondered if there was such a thing as a safe topic.
“Hey,” he perked up. “Tell me about the see-nyor prom. I saw images from the Knowing but did not understand everything.”
“Huh,” she mumbled. “Talk about tough topics.” Livvy sighed. “My mother—bless her heart—talked me into this very thin, filmy gown. Not my style really, but I liked it. I didn’t have a date to the prom, but I’d hoped I’d find someone there to dance with me. But a cheerleader there was wearing the exact same dress and the popular crowd decided to tease me all night.” She got the explanation out in a rush and looked away, losing her appetite.
“I do not understand,” he shook his head. “Tease you about what?”
Livvy pressed her lips together for a moment before explaining. “Because the dress was too fine for such wide hips, the skirt didn’t fall properly over my huge ass, and my giant boobs kept trying to fall out of the top.”
God, what an embarrassing night. And he’d just had to pick that memory out of everything the Knowing shared? Dammit.
Radoo’s eyes went wide. “Females, I might understand. It’s pure jealousy. But males said these words to you?”
She could only jerk her head in a sharp nod.
Radoo put his head down, covering his skull with his hands. He made some small sounds and just when Livvy began to worry over him, he raised his head and let out a huge burst of laughter.
“What?” she snapped, hurt he laughed at her.
“Shaa kouva,” he wheezed, breathless. “I do not laugh at you. It is simply… the more I learn about your human males, the less sense they make. It is bad enough that they use their aggression on disputes over pecking order instead of protecting females, but this is an incredibly new height of absurdity.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because you are perfect.” He stared directly into her face, his expression open and honest. “You are so desirable I cannot think straight. The idea that a male would mock a female form, any female form—”
“Wait…” Livvy put down her burger again. “You’re saying you don’t care about body weight? Or shape?”
Radoo scratched his head, his lips turning down into a frown as his eyebrows furrowed. “I do not understand the question.”
Livvy didn’t explain, instead choosing to pick up her burger and take a huge bite. She was going to demolish her burger, eat a mountain of fries and then move on to the cake for dessert. She wasn’t ready to mate with Radoo, yet, but she definitely approved of the Preors’ views toward women.
Definitely.