I jumped at a firm, velvety brush up my throat, the blunt tip of a tentacle lifting my head. "I won't stop. But I want to hear exactly what you want, firecracker. Out loud. In detail."
My mouth fell open, my heart racing. "I can't … I…"
I didn't know how to dirty talk; I foundbasictalking difficult, especially when I was needy like this.
Mav’s tentacles unwound from my waist, a delicious sensation of muscle sliding across my skin, and my eyes went half-mast at the contact—until they slid away, leaving my body strangely light and empty.
"No, please," I breathed, reaching for Mav when he crossed all four of his tentacles across his torso, disappointed in me. "I just—ah—"
This was so embarrassing. I dragged a hand through my messy silver hair, averting my gaze to the marble floor.
"I don't know how to do that," I said in a small voice, my face hot.
I flicked a nervous look up at Mav, aware that he no longer blocked the door and I was unbound. But there wasn't a single part of me that wanted to run when he had something I needed more than freedom. Not just sex but connection. The thing my starved soul begged for every minute of every day.
His deep blue face had gentled, bright eyes watching me with something like affection. The same expression he wore when he called me cute. But I wasn't cute; I was just sad and lonely.
"I can teach you," he offered, his lips curving once again. "It's easy; you just tell me what you want to feel."
I swallowed, self conscious as I stood there, aware of all my faults, all the things I'd messed up.
"To start," he murmured, and stepped towards me again, the muscles of his bare torso shifting in the light and drawing my attention. I was so entranced that I didn't realise two tentacles had wrapped around the collar of my workout vest until they wrenched the fabric apart and my boobs spilled out.
I cried out in surprise, covering them with my arms, and Mav gave me an even softer look. At least until his tentacles ripped my yoga pants off me and hooked around the fragile lace of my underwear.
"Ah, don't—" I said, too late. The sound of tearing fabric filled the bathroom again, and the lace fell away. My whole body burned with mortification to be on display in front of a shadowkind. And because of how badly I wanted his mouth back on my body.
I hadn't really thought through thewanting him to touch mething enough to realise I'd have to getnaked. Nakedness made me supremely conscious of all my flaws. It reminded me of too many cruel inspections.
"You scared of water, firecracker?" Mav asked, closing the distance between us.
"What? No, but—what?" My eyes were wide, my nipples hard as Mav pressed close enough for me to feel his body heat.
I wanted it so badly. I was terrified I'd mess this up and look stupid, or he'd see me—all of me—and sneer like some of the keepers had, but I wanted it. I'd have tried to burn him and escape by now if I didn't.
Maybe that made me more messed up than anyone ever realised. I should have been running for my life; instead here I was, hoping a monster would pull me into his arms1and cover me in touch and sensation.
Instead, I screamed when he caught me around the middle, and suddenly I was flying. I inhaled in surprise at the rush of motion, and with all my effortless grace, I ended up choking on air.
"Breathe, cutie," Mav said with a soft laugh, a tentacle running up and down my back as … oh god, as I hovered in the air, my feet dangling at least a foot off the ground. "You okay now?"
I nodded wordlessly, so embarrassed it hurt, and shrieked when his tentacles manhandled me into the bath.
My head spun, and my limbs were shaky at how fast I'd moved, at the weightlessness I’d felt in the air. I barely noticed when Mav slid into the bath with me, settling his body against my back.
While I was still processing, his tentacles glided through the water and found four places on my body to caress until I broke out in goosebumps. One slid a slippery touch over my breast, circling my nipple and making me groan, while two coiled around my thighs, yanking my legs apart. Warm water flowed against my core, the faintest touch that made me cry out for more, and Mav didn't disappoint.
He snarled against my neck, scraping with his teeth as the fourth tentacle parted the petals of my pussy and glided through my wetness. I jumped when the tip found my clit, a choked sound in the back of my throat as it began to undulate, giving me enough stimulation to make my head spin.
"Oh," I breathed, sensations spreading throughout my body.
I bit my bottom lip and writhed into the touch, my bare ass brushing the soaked denim of Mav's jeans and drawing a low growl from him.
"You like that, firecracker?"
"Yes," I breathed, leaning my head back against his shoulder.
"Remember what I said about dirty talk? One-word answers are banned from here on out."