Baird nodded, his eyes half lidded with lust. “Oh, yeah. I think it’s plenty thin enough to see through. Of course I’d rather see you all spread open with nothin’ between us but since I have to wait for that, I’ll take what I can get.” He nodded at her sex. “I’d open you myself but it would be hard to do without reaching inside your panties and touching your sweet little pussy and I know you don’t want that.”
“No.” Liv’s heart was hammering so hard she could barely hear herself speak. “No, that would be a bad idea.” Just the idea of his hand in her panties, of his long fingers opening her, entering her cunt, made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.
“All right then. Maybe later.”
“Maybe,” Liv echoed him, knowing he was talking about later when they were awake. When he was allowed to touch her. Trembling, she slid her fingers into the snug confines of the small white lace thong and parted the lips of her pussy to reveal what he wanted to see.
The thong was unlined and the material was very thin so it was possible to see exactly how hot she was. Her clit was swollen and throbbing, nestled in the slippery folds of her pussy like a pink pearl.
“Perfect,” Baird murmured. Reaching out he ran a gentle fingertip over the little pink bump still covered by the silky, stretchy lace. “And you are wet, Lilenta. Wet and hot and ready. I can tell.”
“I…” Liv couldn’t deny it. She was hotter and wetter than she’d ever been in her life and felt like she was going to explode. But even though he’d pushed her to this point, his feather-light touch wasn’t quite enough to send her over the edge.
Baird seemed to know he was driving her crazy because there was a little smile twitching at the corners of his full mouth as he continued to stroke lightly over her sensitive clit with two fingers.
Liv gritted her teeth to keep from begging and tried to remind herself that the object here was not to come even though her entire body was demanding a release. And that was when he started to talk again.
“Want you to imagine something for me, Lilenta,” he murmured, stroking a little more firmly. “Imagine my mouth on you here with no panties in the way. Imagine how good it’s going to feel when I spread your pussy open and taste you. You think you’d like that? Think you’d like being open on the bed for me, feeling my tongue deep inside your cunt?”
“I…I don’t know,” Liv gasped, squirming under his fingers as he stroked the side of her clit with a slightly faster rhythm. Damn him, how did he know exactly the right way to touch her, even in a dream? The slippery material of her thong was rubbing against her open pussy just right, aided by her juices, and she could feel herself slipping closer and closer to the edge. Her orgasm was so close she could almost taste it and she wanted it so badly she didn’t even care she was about to lose their bet.
“I think you would,” Baird continued in that deep, growling voice. “I think you’d come all over my face. Just like you’re going to come for me now.” On the last word, he worked her hard with his fingertips, stroking along the supersensitive side of her bud with just enough force to send her completely over the edge.
“Oh…oh, God!” Gasping and moaning, Liv let herself go, feeling the wave of pleasure overtake her at his intimate touch.
“That’s right, Lilenta. Let it go and come for me. Come hard.” Baird rode out her orgasm, still working her with his fingers, his breath hot on her inner thighs. Then he slid up her body and gathered her into his arms, kissing her again, taking her lips as though he wanted to devour her from the mouth down.
Liv moaned and wrapped her legs around his hips, feeling the hard ridge of his cock rubbing exactly where his fingers had been a moment before and not caring a bit. It felt too good, too right to mind that he was spreading her pussy lips even wider through the thin material of the thong, too delicious to tell him to stop even when he ground against her, rubbing over her sensitive bud as though he was trying to make her come again.
“Feels so good,” he growled, kissing her neck. “So good against you, Lilenta. Just wish I was inside you instead.”
Just for a moment Liv wished the same thing. She wanted to feel him thrusting inside her, filling her completely with the thick cock she could feel spreading her pussy. You could let him, whispered a little voice in her head. It’s just a dream, after all. It’s not like it would really count…No! Liv gave herself a mental kick. Letting him take her, even in a dream, would be wrong. It would ruin everything. How could she resist him in real life if she’d already given in?
But it was very hard to listen to the voice of reason when he was grinding against her that way. Liv couldn’t help herself, she just wanted the delicious feelings he was giving her to go on and on and never stop. She became aware that she was making helpless little noises as she moved against him but she couldn’t seem to stop. Godohgodohgod, if he doesn’t stop I’m going to—
The thought shattered into pieces as another, even stronger orgasm coursed through her.
“Baird! Oh God, Baird!” she heard herself moaning.
“That’s right, Lilenta,” he growled, rubbing even harder. “Say my name. Let me hear you say it when you come.”
“Oh…”
“Baird!” she finished, sitting straight up in bed.
“What? What’s the matter?” Baird was up in a flash, looking around the darkened room for danger. “What’s wrong, Olivia?”
“I…I…” She looked at him in disbelief. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?” He frowned.
“We were dream sharing. Just now.”
He shook his head. “No, we weren’t.”
“Yes, we were,” she insisted. “You said so—you told me so in the dream. I had on this lacy little white nightgown and you said it couldn’t hurt to let you hold me and touch me since none of it really counted.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I said that?”
“You know you did,” Liv said impatiently. “And then we made a bet. You said if you could make me come I’d have to teach you how to make sushi—you know, the sea creatures rolled in white grains? So I—” She stopped abruptly, frowning. “Wait a minute—I don’t know how to make sushi. Why would I offer to teach you as part of a bet?”
“Maybe because you really were dreaming.” His golden eyes were suddenly half-lidded with lust. “And it sounds like a pretty damn interesting dream at that. So tell me, Olivia, did I win the bet?”
She shook her head, refusing to answer. God, how embarrassing! She felt like her face was on fire it was so hot.
Baird was obviously thoroughly enjoying the situation. “I did, didn’t I?” he asked, giving her a lazy grin that made her stomach do flips. “That’s why you woke up shouting my name.”
“Whatever,” Liv mumbled, her cheeks flaming. “I mean, think whatever you want. I’m going back to sleep.” She lay back down on her side of the bed with her back to the big warrior. But it was a long time before she could get back to sleep.
Thirteen
“What is the meaning of this?”
Sylvan sighed and stood up from the lumpy, uncomfortable grey couch in the far corner of the HKR building. He’d been hoping that Sophia would be in a better mood the next time he saw her but from the way her cheeks were flushed and her big green eyes were flashing with anger, it looked like his hopes were about to be dashed.
“What is the meaning of what?” he asked, nodding at her courteously as she stormed up to him.
“This.” Sophia reached into a large pink shopping bag she was carrying and pulled out a strange looking contraption that seemed to be made of black lacy straps.
Sylvan looked at in confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s a bra!” She shook it in his face in an accusing manner and Sylvan saw that there were two pocket-like cups attached to the straps that were joined in the middle. Still, it made no sense.
“A what?” He attempted to take it from her but she snatched it back.
“
A bra—you know, to cover your, uh, chest?” Seeing that he was still clueless, Sophia put down the shopping back with an exasperated sound and held the black lace contraption up to her own chest. “Look—like this.”
Today she was wearing a dark green blouse that buttoned down the front and brought out the color of her eyes. It was open enough for Sylvan to see her creamy throat and just a hint of cleavage. When she held it up, the black lace cups of the thing she’d called a bra framed her full breasts and he had a sudden mental image of her wearing it…and nothing else. Gods! His fangs sharpened and he was suddenly almost painfully hard.
“I see,” he murmured, reaching out to trace the edge of the black lace where it framed the top of her breast. “It’s most…intriguing. I didn’t know human women wore such tantalizing undergarments.”
Sophia’s cheeks got even redder and she shoved the bra back into the large pink shopping bag. “They don’t. Or not unless they’re thinking of…thinking of doing something they shouldn’t. What I want to know is why Liv would ask me to send it to her. To send all these things.” She gestured at the bag as she sat down on the couch.
Sylvan settled on the couch beside her. “What did she say in her letter to you?”
She frowned. “Nothing much—just that I shouldn’t worry and she wanted me to send her the sexiest outfits I could find. I got the feeling she was afraid someone might read what she’d written.”
Sylvan shrugged. “It’s possible. The Kindred Security Team does routine checks of all correspondence.”
“They do? But I sent a note with the last box you brought her.” Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Did you look though it?”
“No, I swear.” Sylvan held up his hands, palms outward in a gesture of peace. “I told you that I would trust you not to send weapons or anything else that might cause harm. But I can’t always promise to be available to ferry correspondence between you and your sister just to maintain the privacy of your letters. I do have a job, you know.”
“You do?” She looked suddenly abashed. “I mean, of course you do. I just thought…I guess I thought all you guys were just, I don’t know, soldiers. Warriors.”
“We are. But we have other jobs as well. Baird is a skilled flight instructor—he can fly anything no matter the make or model. It’s the only way he was able to get away from the Scourge in the first place.”
She looked up. “And what do you do?”
“I’m a medic. What your people would call a doctor, I suppose. I treat the sick and care for the wounded.”
“That’s very noble. You must care about your patients a great deal—like Olivia does—she’s a nurse.”
“She told me as much when Baird brought her up to the ship.” Sylvan nodded. “But actually, I am not emotionally attached to those I treat.”
Sophia had been looking a little more open, a bit more relaxed, but now she sat up straight and frowned at him. “You don’t care about the people you treat? That’s awful.”
Sylvan suppressed a sigh. “I feel very little, as do all Tranq Kindred. It’s one reason we make the best medics. Because we’re not likely to make a decision based on emotion instead of reason.”
“If you’re so cold and unfeeling why did you volunteer to come get these for Liv?” Sophia nodded at the pink bag filled with what Sylvan could only suppose must be more sexually enticing undergarments. “An HKR rep called and told me to bring them just at this time—was that so you could be here to get them?”
“Well, yes.” Sylvan shifted uncomfortably. To be honest, he wasn’t sure why he’d volunteered to go pick up the package Olivia had said she was expecting. Sophia showed every sign of disliking him and, of course, he had no interest in her. Yet…he couldn’t get her fragile human beauty out of his mind. “I was doing another errand that involved coming down to the surface anyway so it wasn’t out of my way to pick up a package for the mate of my kin,” he lied.
“‘Mate of my kin?’ Is that what you call Olivia?”
He nodded, relieved that she hadn’t seen through his obvious falsehood. “It’s analogous to your term ‘sister-in-law.’ It is what we call the brides our brothers have chosen.”
Sophia frowned. “You might as well just call her plain old Liv like I do because she’s never going to be your sister-in-law—not really.”
“You seem so certain and yet you yourself have pointed out that she has asked for some very, ah, revealing garments to be sent to her.”
She looked frustrated. “I know and she gave me no explanation for why she wanted them.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “The obvious assumption would be that she wants to provoke a sexual response from Baird.”
“Yes, but why? It’s only been two days—I know she hasn’t given in that quickly.” Sophia had a stubborn look on her face but her voice wavered just a little. “She wouldn’t just leave me like that—she’s going to fight him, I know she is.”
Sylvan sighed and leaned forward, looking her in the eye. “Sophia, I’m afraid you’re going to have to face the fact that your sister may not be as strong as you think. There’s no way she can resist Baird indefinitely.”
She crossed her arms over her full breasts, a look of stubborn refusal in her lovely eyes. “You Kindred think you’re so hot. He’s an okay looking guy but no man is irresistible.”
“He’s not but his mating scent is—at least to your sister.” Sylvan didn’t know why he was telling her this—it would only make her angrier, he was sure. But he wanted to soften the blow for her, help her accept the inevitable—that no matter how much she loved her sister, she was destined to lose Olivia to another who loved and needed her more.
“His mating scent? What are you talking about?” Sophia’s green eyes narrowed and she leaned forward.
“When the Kindred claim a mate, our body chemistry changes in order to attract them. We start releasing some very strong pheromones that are tailored specifically to their DNA. Those pheromones act as an irresistible enticement to our prospective mates.” Sylvan shrugged. “Very few women in any of the trade worlds we have visited have been able to overcome their influence and resist the temptation to bond with the warrior who has chosen them.”
“My God!” Sophia sat back, her eyes wide with horror. “It’s a drug! He’s drugging her and she doesn’t even know it.”
Here we go. “It’s common knowledge that we’re genetic traders—the fact that we have more than one means to attract a mate of an entirely different species should come as no surprise,” he pointed out.
“You…you cold blooded bastard.” Sophia shook her head. “Poor Liv—she has no idea what he’s doing to her.”
“It wouldn’t matter even if she did,” Sylvan explained patiently, ignoring her insults. “The mating scent is too strong to fight, even with advanced warning. Stronger species than yours have tried and they have all failed. With very few exceptions.” He closed his eyes briefly thinking of Feenah, of her pure white hair and pale crystal eyes. I’m sorry, Sylvan…
“It’s not right. You’re not fighting fair.” Sophia’s words pushed back the painful memory and Sylvan opened his eyes again to see the look of despair and anger on her lovely face. She looked almost on the brink of tears. Wonderful—she was even more upset and irrational than he had thought she would be. He supposed he ought to feel irritated. Instead, the illogical urge to hold and comfort her came over him so strongly that he had to sit back and cross his arms over his chest to keep from reaching for her.
“I believe you humans have a saying that covers this—‘All’s fair in love and war.’ Is that right?” he said softly.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean—”
Sylvan leaned forward again and took her soft, small hands between his own larger ones. “You must understand, Sophia—Baird isn’t trying to trick your sister into anything. He’s simply using every power at his disposal to keep her. Because he needs her—he loves her. She is the only woman in the entire universe for him and the bond that will fo
rm between them will be one of undying love and devotion.”
“Maybe for him.” She looked down as though mesmerized by the sight of her own small hands being engulfed in his much larger ones. “But not for Liv. He’s going to trick her into having bonding sex with him —whatever that is—and then she’ll spend the rest of her life hating him once she finds out how he did it.” She looked up at Sylvan. “You don’t know her like I do—she hates being lied to. Her last boyfriend cheated on her and then lied about it and she dumped him and never looked back. If she knew what Baird was doing to her…”
“It’s not as though it’s a conscious choice on his part,” Sylvan tried to explain. “It’s the way our bodies react chemically to our chosen mates. We can’t turn it off, even if we try. Sometimes it comes even when it’s not wanted. We have a saying for it—‘The blood knows what the mind does not wish to see.’” Lifting a hand, he cupped her cheek and brushed away the single tear that had escaped her wide green eyes with his thumb. “It cannot be helped.”
Sophia leaned closer and for a moment he was mesmerized by the lovely depths of her eyes. Then she seemed to realize she was getting too close to the enemy and sat up and away from him abruptly. “It doesn’t matter how you justify it—Liv will hate him for it.” She stood abruptly and gestured at the pink shopping bag. “Go ahead and bring those to her. But please tell her…” Her voice broke but she kept her chin high. “Tell her I miss her and I haven’t given up on her yet.”
Then she turned on her heel and left, leaving Sylvan to watch her curvy figure disappear out the double doors of the HKR building with a feeling of uncertainty and regret. What if she was right? He would have to warn Baird that something had to be said to his bride. If Sophia was correct, he could be jeopardizing his bonding with Olivia without even knowing it.
* * *
Brides of the Kindred Volume One: Books 1-4 Page 16
