He did notice. He didn't say anything at first, waiting for Aurora to leave, the dress already gone. Then he turned on her, furious.
He gripped her arm and her back hit the wall as he forced her back, looming over her.
"Do not think that because I give you something that you can give away my belongings. It might come to pass that I consider you to be mine, and then where will you be?"
Etani bit her lip and his eyes narrowed, both still for an instant as they tried to figure out what the other was going to do.
"Let go," she said simply, but his fingers tightened on her arm until she winced.
Tired of men trying to control her, she slammed her foot into his shin and he howled, letting go of her but he bounced back with an alarming speed and his fingers caught her hair, dragging her backwards and against his chest.
His lips brushed her ear as he clutched her to him. "What if I decide to take the cost of my dress out of your flesh?"
"If you were content with having me by force, you would have done so already and have gotten bored."
His grip in her hair tightened and she flinched in pain. "You understate how much I would enjoy the sound of your screams. However, I am only currently discontent with having you by force. That could change at any moment," he whispered, sending a thrill of fear through her that had him sucking in a breath. "Your fear smells divine..."
"I won't do it again. I swear," she whimpered, trembling as hand started to drag lower.
"No, you won't. If you do, I will not resist my desire," he said and released her.
Stumbling away from him, she glared up at him, but decided to keep her mouth shut so as not to anger him further.
***
They fell into an uneasy truce that had her tiptoeing around him over the following days while she worked on her plan and he watched her, his eyes greedily taking her in.
Daemon had stopped trying to get in after they had run into each other in Winter, and that had greatly improved Dirdos' mood now that they had privacy.
"What is it you are working on?" he asked on her fifth night with him, after she crushed yet another ball of parchment and threw it, the little ball bursting into flames, as had all the others. It amused her to see them explode into flame, but she refused to tell him that.
"I am going to try and bring Uzo back," she said as her eyes scoured the parchment again and again.
"Your uncle? The Fae with the blue markings?" Dirdos asked as he approached, now very curious to see what she had been up to.
Holding out a mug of brown steaming liquid, she sniffed it cautiously and then began to gulp it down, even though it burnt her tongue. How he made it was a mystery to her, but it was the same chocolate she had first experienced as a human, and now was happily addicted to the stuff, moaning as the liquid warmed her.
"And you think you can come up with an explanation for magic?" he asked, amused.
Frowning, she looked from her work to him. "What do you mean?"
"It's magic, Etani; there is no explanation for it. Why are you wasting your time here? You are Death; you should just reach out and pull him to you. You are overcomplicating this in trying to find an explanation for something that has no rhyme or reason. You will spend an eternity trying to understand something that cannot be understood. So just do what you were born to do."
Etani was dumbstruck, staring at him for several long moments before she exploded into movement. "You're a genius!" she cried, throwing down the empty mug and tackling him, her lips finding his in a hard kiss of thanks.
They both froze, and she pulled away, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment. But before she could flee, his arms were around her and she was trapped. His eyes burned and heat flooded through her at that hunger in him that pulled at her like a magnet. Slowly, she leant forward and with a nervousness she had never known before, she pressed her lips to his once more. Her eyes slid shut as the warmth of him washed into her.
His grip on her tightened and she shivered at how well they fit together, her arms sliding up around his neck and pulling herself closer to him as the kiss deepened, a devious thought tempting her.
Her lips parted and her tongue traced his lower lip. He responded in the same way as their first kiss, though this time he had no restraint. His hands went to her backside, and he lifted her up off the ground as he stood, her legs immediately going around him as he started forward and then lowered her slowly onto the mass of furs that made up his bed.
The weight of him on top of her felt incredible, and she growled softly against his lips as her kiss became more demanding, her lips moving against his in a hungry need she had thought herself incapable of feeling.
His lips broke from hers and he looked down at her in wonder, lust blazing in him and she frowned, frustrated that she no longer had his mouth on hers.
Using her arms around his neck, she lifted herself up just enough to find his lips again, and he growled in pleasure at her desire that matched his own.
Releasing one arm from around him, she grinned wickedly against his mouth as she reached up the front of his black shirt and he flinched as she pressed her hand against his navel, her skin icy against his fire, but he seemed to enjoy it all the more for the intensity of their difference.
Without a word he gripped her wrist and forced her hand lower, his exhale a shaking growl as her fingers found him through his pants.
Etani had no idea what to do and flushed, freezing in place as she tried to recall any shred of information she had on what men liked. But her stillness had him pausing, and he looked down at her curiously.
"Something wrong?" he asked, his already deep voice husky with his need.
"I…" She trailed off, embarrassed, and his brows drew together in anger.
"Have you never been with a man willingly?"
She had no answer, and so she shook her head, his anger melting slightly as he considered the possibilities.
His fingers found the back of her hand and he pressed down on her fingers firmly, forcing her fingers to press against him.
"Slow, gentle," he said softly, his intensity seeming to ease under the new information.
With his hand on hers, she stroked him lightly through his pants and he groaned, fascinating her by his response to such a simple touch and she had to wonder just how sensitive men were.
She narrowed her eyes at him as she took in the shape of his erection, and shifted her angle to press as much of her hand against him as she was able in the moment. His entire body tensed as her hand moved.
His eyes opened slowly, heavy as he sighed his pleasure, his lips finding hers once more in a needy kiss. The feeling of his soft groans against her lips sent a thrill through her, and she pressed her hand harder against him, trying to gauge where the right pressure was for him. It was more than Dirdos expected and he drew back from her, allowing her to watch his face as he gasped. His eyes met hers and she bit hard on her lower lip, sliding her hand free of his, and her fingertips traced along the band of his pants questioningly.
His growl was hungry, and Etani took that as permission, though he still flinched as her hand slid slowly down the front of his pants. Even prepared for the cold of her hand, he twitched as she curled her fingers around him, her touch light and nervous. His hand curled around hers through his pants and she tightened her grip on him, marvelling at the smoothness of his skin, and as her hand moved, his body shuddered.
She had never held a man's penis before; nor had she ever had cause to try to pleasure a male of any species before, but it was as fascinating as it was arousing to see his pleasure that came from her touch.
He was a lot bigger than she expected, and she flushed at the thought of his sliding himself inside her, what it would feel like to have him taking her in the heat of passion.