By the Lake (Brave New World Book 3)

Chapter 14

I managed to hold my laughter in until we got clear of the canopy. Then it got swallowed by Ris' mouth on mine.

"You sneaky tiger!" A huge grin split my face once we stopped for a breather.

Only now did I notice he had flipped me in his embrace at some point, so I was currently straddling him. Who cared when that had happened, anyway? I had him exactly where I wanted him. Away from eavesdropping pointed ears and prying pupil-less eyes too sensitive for the sight of a half-elf plastered all over a gargoyle.

"This was supposed to be my surprise, just so you know." I had planned on telling the guards something along the lines of, 'Hey, could the Emissary fly me up for a second, just to test the temperature up there? I need to know what clothes to wear in two days for my trip'.

Ris gave my booty a squeeze. "I suspected as much when you insisted on me leaving. I knew you planned something I would like."

"So you just pretended you didn't want to leave? Ain't you a good actor."

I dove in for additional practice at frenching a moss partner with extra-long fangs.

Then the need to breathe came upon us again, he grunted in amusement. "I didn't want to leave. My surprise was planned for after a whole night in your company, my Dei-dre."

I smiled with pleasure both at his statement and at him finally being able to call me his again. I sighed in pleasure as well, since his tail encircled my waist, leaving his hands free to roam up my exposed hip.

This 'untraditional formal attire' of mine just wasn't made to stay in place during a flight via a straddled gargoyle.

"You thought I could wait a whole night for this moment, my tiger?" I whispered in his ear before biting the tip.

He groaned and his hold on me tightened. "We had to enjoy every second," he said over my lips. "Now time is limited."

I huffed. "It was limited the last time, and two weeks ago as well. That didn't stop you from taking advantage of amazing old me, did it?"

He groaned again when I run my fingertips over his hard pecs. "I cannot bring you to ecstasy now, my Dei-dre!"

I giggled at the desperation in his voice. "I don't expect you to, big boy. I just wanted to taste your lips and feel you inside me for a sweet moment. I know you can't keep us in the air and water my sacred garden at the same time."

"Sacred garden? Your honey pot, you mean?" My fit of giggles elicited an offended grunt. "You think me a barely mature gargoyle?"

"Of course not, tiger." I rubbed his chest soothingly. "Why would you think I'd see you as anything but ripe, ever?"

"You said I cannot bring my mate to ecstasy during flight!"

I frowned. "But you said you couldn't–"

"Time is limited," he corrected me. I also got a punishing nip at my lower lip. Mmmm, I should question his experience and skill more often. "Too many flying positions to choose from and try before finding the best for my mate. I would fail to bring you to ecstasy enough times before the guards grow worried."

Both my eyebrows shot up halfway through his explanations. "Flying positions?"

A nice long kiss later, he tried to enlighten me. "The English names were given by our previous queen. She wrote a scroll."

"Did she now..."

"There's the 'flying doggy'."

"Yeah?" My ears twitched. I could imagine that.

"The 'air sushi'."

"Huh?" What did poor, innocent fish have to do with moss affairs?

"The 'flying 69'... I haven't tried. Courageous female is needed." His eyes suddenly widened, and his tone of voice switched from explanatory to excited when he added, "My mate is most courageous."

"Hate to bring it to you, tiger, but I don't know this 69 thing in its moss version, let alone its flying one." I patted his chest. "So down, tiger."

"So humorous, my Dei-dre." He rumbled for a chuckle or a laugh - I still hadn't figured this rare phenomenon out.

"No, seriously, I don't know–"

"Time is limited. Moon awaits."

I sighed. He was right. We could always go back to this topic in the days to come. And we most certainly would. In private.

I kissed him through a happy smile as he flew us forward and a bit higher for the long-awaited moon catching. Still, I had to tease. "You enter, I watch?"

He grunted, his frustration clear. "If I enter now, I will never leave."

"Well, you did say you would never let me go..." I kissed him softly. "Come on, my tiger, let's go catch ourselves a moon."

He returned me to his arms to leave my hands free for the moon-catching, and flew us even higher. "You believe in the mating bond now, my Dei-dre?"

I kissed his chest. One dramatic pause later, "Nah. It's an idiotic belief."

He grunted for a snort.

"What I believe," I added through a grin, "is that when the silvery moon found herself in the embrace of the dark-blue sky for the first time, she knew it was Nature's will that she remain right there. Forever. And it's impossible to go against Nature's will, ain't it?"

Judging by his happy grunt, coupled with his tail encircling my ankle, this was a law of Nature even he would respect.

Now, all we had to reach an agreement on was the minimum number of kids we would create together. Because only three simply wouldn't do.

Right?

***

Hey, guys :) Just wanted to let you know... the epilogue is coming!! We're at the end of this little adventure already! I'm working on the epilogue right now, and it's turning out spicy ;) Coming out on May 8 ^^