Light My Fire (Dragon Kin #7)(64)

They finally stopped late after suns-down, when they found a freshwater creek and some wild boar nearby. The pair separated so they could do their own hunting. Elina wanted to test out some of her new arrows while Celyn simply wanted to feed in peace without that look of horror humans often got when they watched dragons eat animals still kicking and screaming.

After washing off the boar’s blood in a lake not too far away, Celyn returned to their camp to find that Elina had already taken down three boars. She’d also skinned them, deboned two, put one on a spit over a fire, and stripped the flesh off the other two so that she could dry them out over the fire during the night. That way they’d have fresh dried meat to take with them the next day.

The human had turned out to be quite the hunter.

“Have you tried working with other weapons?” Celyn asked as he sat down by the fire in human form.

“I have. I sadly have no skill with sword or mace. I can use dagger for close-in work but I do not enjoy killing so much that I want to do close-in work. Besides,” she went on, surprisingly chatty for this time of evening, “I enjoy bow.”

“Because it takes precision, strength, and real skill.”

She nodded as she finished with the last of the meat. Walking over to the creek, she crouched down and washed the blood from her hands. Somehow she’d managed not to get any on her clothes, which impressed Celyn even more than the fact she’d taken down three wild boars in a relatively short amount of time.

With her hands clean, she turned and walked back toward their little camp. That’s when she proceeded to remove the leather jerkin he’d purchased for her and then the cotton shirt underneath.

Celyn didn’t think much of that—until Elina straddled his waist and dropped her pert little ass onto his lap. She still wore her leggings and boots, but the only thing that would be between his hands and her breasts was the material she had binding them.

“What are you doing?” he asked, sounding much more panicked than he’d like to.

“It has been long day,” she replied nonchalantly. “Much activity. I am tired but not sleepy. I thought we could f*ck and then I would have good night’s sleep, making me ready for ride tomorrow.”

“You want to f*ck me?”

“You are only one here. I could play with myself, but . . . you are here. And sometimes my hands get tired. I do not want them worn out in case we have more murderers to kill tomorrow.”

“Uh . . . well . . . um . . .”

“Do you not want to f*ck me? Is it because I am weak and pathetic?”

“What? No. No! You’re not weak and pathetic. Who keeps telling you these things?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you want to f*ck me, then what is problem?”

“Shouldn’t I take you out to a pub for dinner? Or write you poems or something?”

Her lip curled while her brows pulled down into a vicious frown, and yet she still managed to look horrified as well. “Poems?”

“You know. I’m charming. I usually charm females into bed.”

Her eyes crossed. “I do not want any of that. I just want f*ck. I am using you.”

Now annoyed, Celyn snapped. “Gee . . . thanks.”

“It is not like you will get nothing from it.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is point?”

“My point is a simple one,” he began. “We are traveling together, relying on each other in case things go bad. We really shouldn’t be risking that to . . . what are you doing?”

“I get comfortable while you ramble,” she said while removing the bindings on her breasts. “Please. Continue. This fascinates me.”

“Although I can do without your sarcastic tone, I will continue. As I was saying . . .”

Elina stood and removed her boots, her socks. She tossed them aside.

“. . . should we really risk the friendship we are just beginning to build to have a quick romp late at night so that you can get some sleep? Does that really seem like a good plan to you? Or would it be wiser . . .”

She untied the leather laces of her leggings and pushed them down her slim hips. She tossed those aside as well. Then she placed her feet on either side of his hips and slowly—gods, so slowly—lowered herself until she sat naked on his lap again.

Celyn swallowed, which was when he realized he’d stopped talking.

“Go on,” she pushed. “I want to hear more about our budding friendship.”

Clearing his throat, Celyn said, “I just don’t want to end up . . .”

“End up what?” she asked around the two fingers she’d slowly pushed into her mouth.

“Ruining what could be a very good collaborative relationship. Down the road.”

“Uh-huh.”

She pulled her fingers out of her mouth and lowered them down her body while she rose up on her knees.

“Go on,” she ordered.

Celyn licked his now incredibly dry lips. “I guess, I think that we should just wait until . . . until . . .”

“Until what?” she gasped out as her fingers slipped inside her own *.

“Until . . . um . . .” He closed his eyes, licked his lips, tried again. “Until we know each other better?”

She slapped her free hand on his shoulder to maintain her balance while she began to slowly ride her fingers. “Is that question?” she panted out. “Or confusion?”