Chapter Nine of The Velveteen Tortoise is now available.

I look at my hands, forcing them to not curl and compress the scutites of my armor again.

When Luna’d kissed me, I’d fought to remain hyperaware—to make the moment last—but everything about her had been too distracting.

Too consuming.

I’d been determined to lap up every scent and taste molecule of her arousal, sucking greedily on her lips and nipping at the warm column of her neck. The more I’d devoured her, the more I wanted her. My appetite’d spun into a frenzy, driving me to seek the tantalizing source of her arousal and feast from her core. Then the sound of ripping cloth had slammed into me harder than a pulse blast.

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Chapter Eight of The Velveteen Tortoise is now available.

“Luna?”

I yelp and spin around. Pyx’s outta the bolthole. He’s staring at me, not as if I’m insane for bolting outta the bolthole, but with more of his resolve-weakening tenderness and concern.

Oh, and he’s dressed in pants. Just pants. Nothing else.

Please. Someone. Help me.

I shake my head, trying to toss out thoughts of climbing him like a candycoated cliffside. “You shouldn’t be up here!”

Yeah, I sound kinda harsh, but I’m looking out for him. I mean, he’s got on the soft, buttery pants that the Akupara wear when inside the Bale. Only, he’s not inside the Bale.

Pyx shrugs. “But you’re up here.”

I gape at him. Blink. Gape some more.

That can’t possibly be his reason—‘because I’m up here’—for being outta his armor, while being outside of the Bale, instead of being safely concealed in my bolthole. If it is, then he needs another dang reason!

I wait, tilting my head and raising my brows expectantly. He’s gotta have more for me than that. He’s just got to. Because I’m not worth risking his people’s secrets.

He shifts his eyes away, then back to me. “So, I’m up here, too.”

Me. He’s up here—taking an unbelievable risk—for me.

Oh crap. I really do wanna climb him like a candycoated cliffside…

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