Mere Passion by Daisy Harris

something.” She rubbed her arm along his in a friendly gesture.
    He caught her hand in his and held it gently. His gaze bore into her. “I am sorry.”
    Alara wasn’t sure if it was his touch or his words that sent tingles along her skin. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stay for sexual reasons or just because she liked his company. So she punched his arm. “I forgive you, dragon.”
    “I will stay then.” His face broke into a wide grin. One that took her breath away. “What would you like me to do?”
    The matter-of-fact question carried no hint of seduction or suggestion, but still Alara felt it all the way to her toes. Ignoring the disconcerting sensation, she said, “You could clean us up. You’ve made a mess of me, and the jizz will stick your balls to your butt if you don’t wash off.”
    If her crass language offended him, he didn’t show it. Instead he held a finger up as if to say “one minute” then he crossed to the bathroom. A moment later, Kai returned carrying a couple damp hand towels. He crumpled to his knees next to her. “You are correct that ‘jizz’ becomes quite adherent if left to dry.” His lip twitched as he said it, and she wondered if maybe he was attempting to make a joke.
    Gods help her.
    “Would you like me to wash you?” He said it with no inflection, but his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
    Alara crossed her legs and fought a blush. Despite her bold request, she was nervous about getting physical with him again. But the guy needed to learn proper etiquette, and washing your partner was only polite. Alara sighed and wondered when she had become the dragon’s trainer. She lay back on the thick carpet and raised her knees for him, lifting an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”
    He kneeled between her legs. His body was so large he seemed to barely fit in the space. With a quick glance at her face, Kai lowered to his stomach and propped himself on his elbows before her like a kid with a new toy. For a moment he didn’t touch her. She peered down to see his eyes closed and his nostrils flared as he breathed deeply.
    A slow burn of embarrassment crept along her body. She moved to sit upright, but the dragon had stopped sniffing at her. He used the edge of one washcloth along her inner thighs, wiping his essence from her skin. The cloth dipped next to the edges of her bottom. She let out a squeak of enjoyment, and the dragon’s eyes darted up to her face to check the reaction before he continued.
    Kai stroked the cloth along her slit. His first swipe was slow and so gentle she hardly felt it. Then he cleaned deeper, delving into her folds. Each time she shifted or gasped his eyes met hers. He studied each reaction with the same determined concentration she’d seen at the Games.
    By the time he lowered the washcloth and moved back onto his knees, Alara’s breathing came heavier. His erection jutted forward. However, his posture didn’t suggest a readiness to pounce on her like before.
    “If you would turn over, Alara, I would be able to clean the last of it.” His request this time was tinged with just a trace of suggestiveness, and the muscle in his jaw jumped wildly.
    She wasn’t comfortable turning her back to him. Her eyes widened unconsciously, and he nodded once, clearly understanding her reluctance. His hands began roaming the second cloth across her skin, her belly, her legs. Then he moved to her feet and began to rub. She smiled. “That feels nice.”
    His breath came out in a low growl. Kai’s face betrayed little emotion, but Alara could tell he liked making her shiver.
    “Alara, I heard a story about you. And I would like to ask you something.”
    Her heart pounded. She knew what he’d heard, and there was no one she wanted to talk about it with less. “I’m fairly sure I know what you’re going to ask me about, and no, I don’t want to discuss it. Not with you, not with anyone.”
    He looked back to her feet and kept passing the cloth along them. Then