“Is that what you want?” I asked gently, not wanting to coerce her in any way. If she agreed, it had to be her choice. I would have it no other way.
Claire lifted one hand to tug at her ear nervously. “I don’t know.” Her voice was a soft rasp. “I don’t know what I want.”
Chapter Six
Claire
“I don’t know what I want,” I replied.
I was sure the look of confusion on my face was obvious. Athos studied me for a moment. Then he nodded curtly, as if to show that he respected my position, and simply turned away.
Maybe I’d thought that he’d try to coerce me. Athos was too gentle to ever force me, of course, but he didn’t even try to plead a case. He didn’t convince me that it would be fine. There was no badgering, no coaxing, no urging.
When he said that he wanted me to decide for myself, he really meant it. He didn’t want my body at any cost. If I wasn’t as eager as him, it was meaningless. It was so gentlemanly that it threw me off guard at first.
He just carried on with the task before him, preparing his herbs and mixtures at the table. There was no rush for me to make up my mind. Somehow, it was both so surprising and sweet that it made me want him more.
Sex with a centaur was… well, wrong, wasn’t it? And yet he was more considerate and thoughtful than any of my past human lovers. Could that really be wrong?
There was no denying that I was aroused by him. I found him incredibly attractive, and I couldn’t escape my curiosity about what sex with him would feel like. With his back to me now, I had a good view of his hardened cock.
It was impossibly large, the biggest I had ever seen. Not just in length, but in girth. It could have passed for the forearm of a smaller human. It was hard to believe there was such a thing as a tea that would permit me to take that massive instrument.
It’s no wonder centaurs don’t bother with clothes,I thought to myself, staring at it. There was no fabric out there that could contain that thing. My hand idly wiped the washcloth in circles around one nipple. I kept it up for much longer than necessary, enjoying the way that it felt, then moved onto the other one.
I moved as if in a trance, barely aware of my actions, though my body was responding to my touch. My brain had shut down, and everything I did was driven by lust. No one had ever made me feel this unbearably hot before, as though I could lose control at any moment.
I wondered what it would be like to drink the tea. He’d said it was an aphrodisiac, but could I really become any more excited than I already was? A strong part of me wanted him now, even without the herbs.
I shook my head, firmly taking the washcloth away from my yearning breasts. This was ridiculous. Utterly deranged. I should’ve been thinking of a plan to run away from here, not fantasizing about fucking him.
And still, my hand crept down to my waistline, moving of its own accord. I unbuttoned my pants, slipping them down my hips, and kicking them off to the side. My panties soon followed. I was completely naked.
Though Athos had left me alone, I could tell by the tension in his shoulders that he was aware of my every motion. He was attentively listening, knowing what I was doing, desperately trying to offer me privacy. Though I knew that I’d asked for it, I suddenly wished that he would turn around and look at me again.
My breath came in short gasps as I secretly willed him to stop what he was doing and face me. My breasts heaved with the motion, and my hand slid up to cup one in my palm. With my fingers splayed over the nipple, I rubbed it gently. I tore my eyes away from his broad, muscular back to stare at his magnificent cock once more.
I could smell my own arousal now. The scent drifted up to my nose, turning me on even more. I wondered if Athos could smell it from where he was. If so, I wondered what he thought.
I leaned over, wetting the washcloth in the bucket once more. Then I began to slide it across my thighs, sticky from my own wetness.
Athos finally turned. We stared at each other for a long time, silently. His eyes burned with lust as he looked me over. Teasing him slightly, I opened my legs a little wider, and continued cleaning myself. I barely resisted the urge to dive into my pussy right then, giving myself the climax that I so desperately longed for.
“Do you want me?” I asked in a low voice.
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.” His voice and gaze were steady and unflinching.
There was one thing holding me back more than our physical differences.
“Last night, in your sleep, you talked about... mates.” The word had nagged at me ever since I’d overheard it, and I was curious. “What does that mean?”
“On my planet, we believe in fated mates. A special someone who is made just for you, and only you. You fit together perfectly, in a way that no one else would. It’s sort of an inarguable, intertwined destiny. When you find them, there’s a pull between your souls that can’t be fought or denied.”
His explanation was deeper than I’d expected. I reflected for a moment on his words, letting the meaning wash over me. As strong and tough as Athos was, he had a surprisingly tender side. If he’d grown up in a culture with these kinds of beliefs, I could understand why.
It all sounded very nice. Very romantic and positive. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around any of it.
Life had been a bit too cold for me to imagine anything so quaint. It was like meeting someone from a far-off village in another land. Technically, the description worked for Athos. The stories of his species sounded nice and cozy, but somehow preposterous, too. Like something that might work in other places, but not here.