Oh—oh, right, okay, Dain was drowning in me, his body saturated with the scent of desire and orgasm, and as fucking hot as that was maybe I should not just leave him there. Breathing hard myself, I tightened my grip on his hair and tugged him upwards.

With a groan, Dain followed my hand, his head tilting back. Even in the dark, I could make out his pleasure-hazed expression, eyes barely open, brows pulled together and lifted in the center, his mouth open and his teeth showing. He dropped onto his side next to me, panting, his eyes closing. One heavy hand went to mine and drew my fingers out of his hair and to his mouth, and Dain planted a kiss on my palm that sent warmth rolling up my arm.

We were on the precipice, leaning over it with our ropes anchored, playing chicken with being balanced soulmates, and right then I didn't care. If we fell, we fell, and we could deal with it in the morning; if we didn't, then we didn't. I had no room for regret with Dain naked and flushed with bliss next to me, his mouth on my skin.

His breathing evened after a few minutes of lying there together, and then Dain started laughing, a helpless, happy sound. He let go of my hand and reached over to brush my hair behind my ear, a broad, sleepy smile on his tired face. "'Welcome home, Dain,'" he said in a playful voice, halfway to disbelieving. "Maybe I should travel more often."

"Or not," I said, putting my hand on his neck and stroking my thumb down the edge of the scales that ran up the back of it. "I'm all done with you being hundreds of miles away and incommunicado."

"Are you." Dain turned and nuzzled my hand, running his parted lips along my thumb.

"It was the literal worst."

"Was it," he said, in that same tone of sleepy satisfaction.

"Yes, it was," I said, unable to keep from smiling at the expression of catlike pleasure on his face. "I've been a nervous wreck and pretty much living in your rooms for weeks."

"You're welcome to stay," he purred at me. "Especially if you keep saying hello like that."

I blushed at that, which only made Dain laugh his low, sultry laugh. His claws ran down the back of my neck and I shivered from it, making a little sound. "Are you tormenting me?" I asked, a little bit breathless.