Herbalists' Cache [m] tejano blue

He read more in her answer than was actually said, just as he had with her original call. He divined that she was only shy about asking for more, or perhaps that she was afraid he would skip the preamble. Well — this might have been his first time, but he was no brute!

"Of course," he breathed. He wished again to know her name, but he was afraid that the question would break this spell. His stance mellowed, welcoming her closer, and he allowed her the first few tentative touches before he advanced once more, seeking to take her in his arms.

And he was good at this, he thought. At holding her. He pulled her snug against him and buried his face in her thick scruff with an all-over shiver. Her fur was cool at first and then blisteringly hot where it mingled with his own. The heat, he knew. Her heat. But like her name, he allowed the knowledge to escape him. He held her, at first only tightly, but very soon with mounting passion.

Gently but firmly, and with a muddling of kisses as if to distract her, he maneuvered her beneath him. He told himself he only wanted to hold her this way; just to see what it felt like.