14. Yva

14

YVA

W e don’t talk much as we work, in part because so many people decide they need to drop off their laundry. Harper glares at me. “Less interest, hey?”

It seemed like a good idea last night. Less attention from random women and more from Harper. I want her to see me as a potential mate. I don’t care if she takes months to come around.

“Hi…” A woman holds out her laundry bag. She smiles, all teeth. “I saw you fighting last night, and you looked so good.”

“Thank you.” I use my language. “Being banished is dangerous, so knowing how to fight is a must.”

She laughs, her eyelashes fluttering as though there is something in her eye. “You aren’t banished anymore.”

“I’ve noticed.” Given that I am standing in a human laundry full of their machines.

“What else have you noticed?” She reaches out to place her hand on my arm.

I step back before she can touch me. “That there are a lot of women who do not seem to understand that I am already entertaining interest.”

She glares at Harper, who is loading machines deeper in the room. “Her? You could do so much better.”

“Harper makes me laugh, and she is strong… You have insulted her, and I doubt you have the strength to do this job.” I tilt my head, sensing the anger in her pulse. “So why would I be interested in you?”

“I’m younger and have a better job.” She flicks her hair back.

“They are not things I care about.” If I was not the banished son of a chief I may have cared as I would be expected to make a good match. An alliance with another tribe, or perhaps a woman with a needed skill. But if my tribe’s wealth means little to these women, the expectations placed on my brothers to mate well mean even less to me.

Her eyes narrow. “I was told the women choose.”

I sigh and roll my eyes, wishing Harper would walk over and save me. “Technically, that is true. Practically, it is a negotiation to ensure a good match. Imagine spending your entire life with someone you do not like.” Or who grows tired of her mate when she’s done showing off.

She stares at me. “I like the idea of having a mate. Someone just for me. I wouldn’t need to wait to choose.”

“I want to wait.” I want to be sure that it is the right choice. The longer I talk to this woman, the surer I am that she will be a bad match. “I need to get back to work.”

“I can help find you a better job.”

“I don’t want a better job.” This job is fine. I talk to Harper, do some sewing, and then run some deliveries. The evenings I spend with my brothers. If I am allowed to hunt sometimes, then things will be close to perfect.

She pushes out her breasts as if her body is something that should interest me. “What do you want?”

“To return to work.” This time I walk away. I fill three machines before she leaves. “You can step in,” I say to Harper.

“You handled it well.”

“I hoped it would cut down on interest, not encourage them to try harder.” I underestimated the situation. I hope Harper isn’t reconsidering this deal.

“Interest will fade away.” She tosses another load of clothes into the machine.

“Good. Then we can spend more time together.” I close the machine door and move closer.

“Don’t we need to spend more time together to be more convincing?”

“You want me to be more convincing?” I run my fingertips up her arm and when she doesn’t pull away, over her shoulder and up her neck to brush over her cheek. Her eyes widen, and her breathing quickens. I hope it’s from lust, not a desire to hit me.

I lean in slowly, giving her time to push me away. Then my lips brush hers. I have never kissed a woman, and it is different from kissing another warrior. Their touch is firm and hungry because we understand what is wanted.

This time I’m not sure if what I want and what I need are the same thing.

When not surrounded by women, the desire to have a mate was almost non-existent… now my body craves it, even though I am worried about making the wrong decision. I do not want to suffer the way Sunif did. He was lucky to survive the loss of a mate and the tale he tells sounded terrible.

So my kiss is cautious, a light brush that I intend only to indicate my interest in her is not for show. I want to get to know her better.

Her hand slides up my chest and grips the front of my shirt. Then she lifts up onto her toes and kisses me as though she knows what she needs and is prepared to hunt me and take everything she desires. Her tongue traces over my lower lip.

My lips part.

And she draws back a finger width and her breaths ghosts over my mouth. “This isn’t going to start the mating bond, is it?”

“No.” I haven’t told her what happens after the mating bond starts. I need to do that. But not until she agrees to be my mate and chooses me. “I am not ready for that.”

She nods, her gaze fixed on me. “Same…forever is a long time.”

I rub my thumb over her cheek, glad we agree on that. “It is.”

My meq throbs, aching for her touch.

She presses against me and kisses me again, without restraint. Her tongue dips into my mouth, stealing a taste and my hand grips her hip. She gasps as I pull her close.

Harper does not feel like another warrior in my arms. She is smaller and has more curves, though she is all firm muscle from lifting laundry all day. I want there to be nothing between us. For us to be alone.

But I’m glad we’re not because I would be far too tempted.

I release her and step back. If she believes my interest is fake, then I do not know how else to convince her otherwise.

Her teeth rake over her lip, while her fingers are still gripping the front of my shirt. “You’re actually interested in me.”

“Why is that so surprising?”

“For all the reasons you’ve already heard.” She releases my shirt.

“If you do not share the same interest, then tell me. I do not want to be that kind of warrior.” Perhaps I misread the way she looks at me, and what I thought was jealousy was simply frustration that the other women were interrupting my work. But I did not misread the kiss.

Or the scent of lust on her skin, and the delicate flutter of her heart.

She glances away. “I didn’t want to be interested, because I didn’t want to set myself up for heartache. It was safe when I thought this was to stop you from being harassed. But you like me.” She laughs. “And there you are saying it’s the women who choose…when you’ve lured me in.”

“There is no rush, and I am not seeking any promises. We are seeing if there may be more, that is all.” If she hadn’t gotten jealous, I might have convinced myself that I wasn’t interested in her for a little longer.

“That’s not what happened with the others.”

“No, some of those connections were made under less-than-ideal circumstances. But what we are doing is more normal. Sometimes a woman will entertain the interest of several to determine who is the best fit.”

She snorts. “I’m sure plenty of human men will say they are doing the same thing.”

“Except they aren’t, because they are sleeping with everyone while not getting to know anyone.”

She gives me a curious smile. “Because humans don’t form a mating bond, it is normal to sleep with people to see how well you get on in bed. After all, it would be devastating to find out you are not compatible in bed.”

“How do you mean not compatible?” Do humans have more in their pants than dicks and pussies?

She presses start on the washing machine. “For a start, some people like a lot of sex and some people don’t. Then there is the type of sex.” She picks up a bag.

I open an unused machine and take the bag off her, emptying the contents into the machine.

“What kinds of sex are you used to?” she asks, handing me another bag.

This conversation is not helping the ache in my meq or the way it is rubbing against my pants. “Hands mostly, some grinding.”

Vari and Orik did more, but then are as close as mates, and even though they have Bridget, they lie with each other, as well as with her. Orik’s tribe does the right thing, allowing a woman to choose two warriors. Those households must be quite wealthy.

“No one ever sucked your dick? You never sucked dick?” She hits the start button.

“It is not common among warriors. Most banished live alone.” Most don’t live at all. “Is it common among humans?”

“Some humans like oral sex.”

“You have had all kinds?”

“I have, so I know what I like. But you can’t do anything without risking the mating bond.” She tosses me another bag.

“That’s not quite true. There are ways…” I heard of warriors and their prospective mates getting quite creative.

She lifts both her eyebrows. “Do tell. Because if your solution is for me to jerk you off while I get blue balls, you are on your own.”

I’m glad I’m wearing the whisperer because I don’t catch all of that, but even the translation makes no sense. “You do not have balls.”

She laughs. “It’s a phrase, meaning unsatisfied and horny…in need of release.”

“Ah. Why would anyone do that to their mate?”

“Because they only care about their own release.”

I snort. “That doesn’t sound like fun for anyone.”

“What’s your solution?” She tosses me a bag, which I catch one handed, while closing the door on the machine I just filled.

“You will have to visit me tonight to find out.” I do not want to wait until tonight, but humans like their people at work between breakfast and dinner. They are set times for everything. If we were in a Honey tribe, we could leave for a little and return later. If the work got done, when it was needed, it didn’t matter so much.

And when people were getting to know each other, everyone gave them extra room. We will be afforded no such luxury.