Berrr's Vow by Laurann Dohner

way and you are Zorn now.”
    Scenarios ran through her head of how to get out of his hold while she and Berrr stared at each other. She ran her tongue over her lips because they were dry. The instant response she got from Berrr amazed her as his focus lowered to her mouth and his big body tensed. She couldn’t miss the heated desire that flared in his gaze over that innocent motion of wetting her lips. Berrr swelled in the front of his leather pants against her stomach, the hard bulge noticeable in seconds as his body responded to her.
    Working ten years in a bar had taught Shanna a lot and one lesson learned was the ability to know how to flirt to control men, having had countless drunken men get a little too grabby and forward with her. She’d learned the best way to deal with them when cornered was to get their guard down. Curiosity also sparked in her over the big alien, knowing he couldn’t fuck her but he was obviously attracted to her.
    Shanna opened her hands on his chest and slid them over his muscled stomach and up toward his shoulders. Her gaze locked on his to watch what kind of effect touching him had. The response was instant as he closed his eyes, the look of pleasure unmistakable, while he actually bent forward a little to make his body more accessible to her exploring hands.
    Berrr had hot, smooth skin that was soft to touch until she pressed her hands a little tighter against him, able to feel the hardness of muscle under her fingertips. Her hand paused over his heart where she could actually feel it hammering in an erratic tune. She watched his face and saw his mouth part slightly, just enough to show his sharp teeth peeking out to bite down on his full lower lip where they indented. Her hands slid higher until they froze at the curve of his broad shoulders.
    Incredible blue eyes opened, looking even more neon bright than before, his pupils slightly dilated. They were the best eyes she’d ever stared into, fascinating and locked on hers. They narrowed as a soft sound came from him, making his chest vibrate a little. Shanna’s eyebrows rose.
    “Did you just purr?”
    “What is a purr?”
    Grinning, she smiled at him. “That sound you just made.”
    “Your hands are so soft like the smoothest galtis I have ever felt.”
    “What’s that?”
    He hesitated. “Much in demand bedding that is costly to buy to have against skin while sleeping.”
    It wasn’t a bad comparison, she decided, guessing he was comparing her to the equivalent of silk or to Egyptian cotton. She laughed at the idea of it.
    “It amuses you that I give you a compliment?” He frowned, looking a bit testy. “I don’t understand human women.”
    “Do you understand Zorn women?”
    He gave a nod. “Of course.”
    “This planet is definitely different from my world where men and women still don’t understand the basics of each other.”
    “There is a language difficulty with your human dialect?”
    “You could say that.” Her hands moved again, running along his collarbone and tracing the curve of his shoulder with her fingernails. “Men and women think one thing but usually say something else to each other from where I come from. They aren’t really honest or blunt so we don’t get to know how the other works too well.”
    “I would never lie to you and I will always tell you what I think. Your world sounds deceptive.”
    Berrr shivered slightly and she saw his nipples react, puckering from her fingernails lightly raking up and down the sides of his throat. She had never had a man so easily respond to her touch. It was kind of a power high for her and cool. She kept her gaze locked with his.
    “Do you mind me touching you? I’m curious.”
    He shook his head. “I am curious about you. May I touch you?”
    Shanna hadn’t expected that response as she stared up at him, reminding herself that he was bound so it wouldn’t go too far. It was just curiosity and hell, she had a healthy dose of it so she gave a nod,