Taming The Queen Of Beasts

<strong>GAR</strong>

Creator's Mane, he wanted so badly for Rika to be okay.

He'd insisted she sit down on a fur in front of the fire, and when he was done making the bed, he came to join her, settling his long body down next to her and crossing his legs. Then, with only a slight hesitation, he urged her to move into his lap.

Rika grinned. "Is this going to be our thing? Are you trying to be my daddy?" she laughed nervously.

But Gar didn't even smile. "I just want to be close to you, and the way you're looking at me right now makes me nervous, so I want to show you that you're safe."

"I know I am, Gar. I told you, sex doesn't scare me. Love does."

He wasn't so sure anymore, given the thread of nerves in her scent. But she did as he asked and crawled into his lap, sitting sideways in the center of his crossed legs, her legs across his thigh, resting her head on his shoulder and hugging his waist.

They sat for a long minute without speaking, until Rika sighed again and relaxed the tension in her shoulders.

"There you go," Gar murmured quietly. He began to stroke one slowly hand up and down her calf as he spoke. "I know we vowed, Rika, but there's one other thing I wanted to tell you, something that I didn't want to say in front of others."

"Okay."

Gar's heart hammered in his chest so loud he knew even she could hear it. But his hand never strayed from her leg. "I want you to be certain… I'm never going to touch you if you don't want to be touched."

"I know, Gar, I just—"

"No, Rika, hear me." He took a deep breath and urged her to sit up a little so they could meet eyes. "I'll never push you. I won't reach for you until I'm certain you're ready. And I won't… I'll do my best never to get upset if you need space. I'll try. I really will."

Rika's brows pinched over her nose and she put a hand to his chest. "I know. And I love you for it. Honestly. But I don't want you to worry. That's not what's making me nervous, Gar. You don't have to give me space right now. It's not your touch that scares me. I want that."

Gar allowed himself half a smile. "Well, just to be certain," he said, his voice deep and heavy with promise, "I think for now, we should take turns."

Rika's head pulled back. "Take turns for what?"

"Touching," he said, and his grin rose higher.

Rika tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I feel like things got pretty heavy back at the tree. But we also got distracted and now… well, that seemed like a good place to start. You seemed to enjoy touching me, so I think you should have first turn."

Then he let go of her, leaned back, and pulled off his shirt.

*****

RIKA

Was there anything sexier than a sexy man being sexy, lifting his arms high and pulling off a shirt so his muscley torso rippled and stretched right in front of your face as he did it?

Rika's mouth went dry and her hand reached out without her permission to lay the flat of her palm on that ladder of muscle on his side. His stomach tensed and the muscles went rigid. Rika licked her lips, then turned slightly in his lap so she was half-facing him. "Uncross your legs," she whispered.

Gar nodded and, holding her close, opened his legs so she slid to the furs between them.

Rika got to her knees, kneeling in front of him and stroked his chest again, followed the lines of his collarbones, dragged her fingers up his neck—all the beautiful places she'd been so hesitantly exploring earlier. But not so hesitantly anymore.

His skin was warm, his eyes bright. His muscles were steel under her palm. And desire was curling in her belly with every pass of her fingers over him.

"Gar," she whispered.

"Yes?"

She met his eyes and—not quite as gracefully as he'd done—she lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, shaking her hair back when it was tousled into her face. When she opened her eyes again, Gar was staring at her.

She tossed the shirt aside and marveled at the fact that she didn't feel afraid. "It's your turn."

"Already?"

She nodded, emphatic. "I don't want to be in control this time," she whispered, her heart thrilling because it was true. And it had never been true for her before. Ever.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again. When Gar still hesitated, she smiled and leaned forward, palming him through his leathers, delighted to find he was already coming to life for her.

Gar sucked in a breath through his teeth and she smiled wider. "Definitely."

He dropped his chin and started leaning into her. For a second the predator in him shone through gleaming eyes and a smile that flashed. But then Gar blinked, and swallowed.

Rika went still. Was there something wrong?

But a moment later, Gar lifted his large, calloused hands to her face, cupping it. She thought he might kiss her, but with a tiny groan in his throat, he dropped his gaze to her chest. His hands followed slowly, so slowly, following the contours of her neck and shoulder, then down, until they passed over the peaks of her nipples and Rika's breath caught for all the right reasons. Her breath went shallow as he cupped her breasts, taking the weight of them, his thumbs tracing the sides in a way that gave her goosebumps.

Then he looked up and his eyes asked the question he wasn't giving voice to.

"I'm sure, Gar," she whispered, lacing her fingers behind his neck and pulling him towards her. "I'm so sure."

With a soft groan, he took her mouth, then slid his arms around her waist and lowered her to the furs.