by Rena Marks
He stepped into the bedroom, and the sight took his breath.
Sunny was a goddess of gold. Her skin, rich and gleaming with subtle shimmers highlighting her shoulders. Her collarbone. The delicate hollow of her throat. His gaze trailed down. The curve of her breasts was outlined in the thin sheet, the pebbled tips of her nipples poking through. He ignored the blood rush to his dick.
“Lily made the grub. Tempest packed the clothes, so you’ll probably look like a man.”
* * * * *
She did not look like a man.
She tried to tug the short, ruffled skirt over her butt, but it still seemed too much leg was showing. She could practically be naked. And what was up with the panties that were just a string snaking through her cheeks? The see-through lace bras in various colors wouldn’t even hold her breasts in place. Her nipples poked through, and she bounced when she walked.
She shook the fifth bra off. It wasn’t any better than any of the others she’d tried.
“Are you ready?” Beast called.
“Almost,” she yelled back, a little louder than normal because she was afraid he’d pop in and see the mess.
After breakfast, which was delicious, he’d told her they needed to visit Robyn and Amanda for a checkup. She’d agreed, knowing she’d at least be able to return to some quiet in the cabin afterward.
She grabbed for the corset thing, which seemed a bit sturdier than the transparent bras, which were so flimsy they were pointless. She worked it on, sucking in her breath. It was tighter than she expected. It had a zipper up the back, which was a nice feature. She grabbed a blouse with buttons across the front, tugged the obnoxious string from her butt one last time, and headed out to the porch.
“Those are the clothes Tempest brought you?” Beast’s voice was soft.
“Yes,” she snapped. “I’m not sure what she was thinking.”
Beast went strangely silent. When she sat next to him, he said, “She hasn’t been quite right in the head since she was hospitalized.”
Sunny turned her head sharply. “Are you serious?”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but that could easily be because he would enjoy Tempest struggling. She’d never understood why the two were at each other’s throats. “It is true,” he acknowledged. “Ask anyone.”
Hmmph. She could hardly ask “anyone” if Tempest was missing a few screws. But perhaps in private, Robyn would share a bit of information. She would be worried about her if that was so.
“You left our bed rather early this morning,” she mentioned casually.
He shrugged. “I didn’t realize it was a one bedroom cabin, and the sofa was too short for me. If you like, we can move to another. But this one had a replicator, so it was convenient.”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind sharing a bed with you, Beast. I just wondered where you’d gone off to so early.”
“Just to the front porch to wait for Tempest to bring clothes and food.”
This was the oddest situation. After months of chasing her while she held him at arm’s length, he rescued her, and then Beast had suddenly stopped making advances. He was as cordial as another Xeno Sapien. It was baffling. Could it be his feelings had finally changed after her admittance that she’d been attracted to Mike? She was so stupid, blurting it out like that.
They drove the invisible car to Systems, parking it in the special garage designed for it. Normally, a small flag was attached to an extended antenna so one could find it, but even at that, it would be painful to walk into unless it was put away properly.
Once Beast pulled into the garage, he came round to her side of the car to open her door. He held his hand out for her to take, and she paused.
The skirt was too tiny not to flash the red thong. Hell, she’d be lucky if that was all she flashed, considering what all it barely covered.
“What?” Beast asked, noticing her pause.
Sunny glared, then deliberately parted her legs, allowing it all to hang out while she attempted to act graceful about her departure from the seat.
At last, a reaction. His glorious blue eyes dropped to where any man’s would, and slowly burned a trail upward as she stood, pausing briefly on her deeper cleavage pushed up over the corset.
But then he morphed right back into gentleman mode and tucked her arm around his to walk inside.
Drat. But it gave her the smallest seed of an idea. It wasn’t very long ago that Beast had wanted her. Maybe she needed to remind him of that want.
A cluster of Xeno Sapiens approached them as soon as they walked into the main hut of Systems, wanting to make sure she was okay. She was welcomed warmly by the well-wishers, and Beast slowly slipped away as she was greeted. It took a bit of time to talk with everyone until she could make her way—without tugging on the thong—to head to Amanda’s office.
Robyn and Beast were both there, Beast leaning back in the chair, holding Kaden sprawled across his chest. Small, clumsy fists flailed in the air as the baby tried to grasp his golden braids. Giving up, Kaden instead reached for a golden stripe of skin, concentrating as he tried to lift it from the black skin around it. Beast barely looked up at her.
“Come on in, Sunny.” Amanda smiled. “Welcome home.”
“I’ll take the big man out for a walk,” Beast said, bouncing Kaden as he stood, making the baby squeal with delight. The office seemed bigger without his presence.
“Are you doing okay?” Robyn asked, leading her to the exam table to sit.
Amanda pulled out a tray and placed her right hand, spreading the fingers out, over the small table. A light shone from underneath, up through her skin, warm and bright.
“I think so,” Sunny admitted.
“Have you had any power fluctuations since the strike against the man who kidnapped you?” Robyn’s voice was brisk.
“The man I killed? Mike.”
“Yes. The worthless man you killed.” Robyn’s gaze was direct. “The man who led you to believe he carried a live baby when it was a wrapped up sack of flour instead. The man who’d been rehabilitated countless times and still lived by the charm of his looks, cheating others as best as he could.”
“The same man who was a member of one of the cults against Xeno Sapiens,” Amanda added as she manipulated her fingers, rotating them gently.
“So in other words, don’t feel guilty?” Sunny asked.
“Not one bit,” Robyn said. “Mike’s records also show he was a convicted rapist.”
“I know his friends were.”
Amanda looked up sharply. “Were you—”
“No. I was rescued right before the act. It was a tad bit humiliating to be splayed out in all my golden glory in front of all my coworkers. But that humiliation didn’t come until later.”
Robyn had grabbed a scanner, attaching a small wire to her temple. “That, gorgeous, is perfectly understandable.”
“Your fingers—other than the skin being a bit thin, which will probably weather slightly over time— don’t look any different than your original fingers. Do they feel any different?” Amanda asked as she gently maneuvered them.
“Not at all. If I hadn’t watched them being cut off, I wouldn’t have believed they were.”
“Hmm.”
Both women were quiet for a moment before Robyn spoke. “How are you doing with the shock of being kidnapped?”
“Honestly, I’m fine. I was rescued. I don’t have lasting effects.” Sunny paused.
“Yes?” Robyn leaned in.
“Well, maybe it’s just me…but is everyone acting weird?”
“What do you mean?” Amanda asked.
“Tempest came by this morning to bring food and clothes. She never stopped to visit with me before—not when I was actually with Beast. And the clothes! They’re nothing like I normally wear. Look at this.” She stood on the small platform, turned around, and swung the bouncy skirt over her butt. “I have no idea where she found this underwear. But it’s hell.”
Amanda hid a
smile, but Robyn’s was full out splayed over her face.
“Thongs are built for pretty, not comfort,” Amanda murmured, elbowing Robyn.
“I think women with less female curves find them more comfortable. Or perhaps you grow used to them?” Robyn shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
Sunny sat back down. “And this.” She unbuttoned her blouse, showing the corset underneath.
“That could actually be used as clothing,” Robyn said helpfully. “A top layer, without a blouse covering it.”
“I had to use it as a bra because the bras that she did include are a waste of space. They contain nothing of my boobs.”
“Bet they’re in pretty colors,” Amanda said.
“Well, yes. There’s a red one, a blue, a black, a pink, and green. But that’s not the point. Who’s going to see the pretty colors?”
“That is the point,” Robyn said softly. “Tempest’s your friend. She knows your relationship with Beast is…broken. She wants him to see the pretties. She’s trying to tempt him into doing something about it.”
“She is? Why hasn’t she said something?”
“Knowing Tempest, she probably doesn’t want anyone to accuse her of persuading you. It needs to be done by you,” Robyn said gently.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sunny said. “Beast’s no longer interested in me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had to admit to everyone that I’d been…seeing Mike. I’ve never seen Beast so hurt.”
“Why in the world were you attracted to Mike?” Amanda was baffled.
“I wasn’t attracted to him, necessarily. I was trying to distract myself, so it would hurt less if Beast took up with another female. You mentioned that humans were going to come and work on Xenia. I hoped he’d pick one.”
“They’re arriving today, as a matter of fact. But why would you think that Beast is going to go out and fall in love with another immediately?”
“Because I wanted him to! I wanted him to be happy, and I knew it couldn’t be with me. Not with the new power. My emotions might have killed him. We had no idea Kaden would fix them so I could control the power.”
“What a mess,” Amanda said softly. “Look, Robyn knows Beast better than anyone. But I’d say continue to flaunt the tight clothes and thongs.”
“They’re not doing anything. He barely notices.”
“He’s deliberately showing you it doesn’t matter. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t notice,” Robyn said. “He’s a man. And he loved you from the first day we woke you. We’ll need to prescribe rest for you, away from people so you can heal. At least a month in the cabin.”
“She can’t possibly take care of herself for a month, either. Make sure you let Beast know that,” Amanda said with a smile to Sunny.
“Oh, wait,” Robyn said with a naughty gleam in her eye. “Make sure you exercise that right hand. I want you to curl your hand like this,” she demonstrated. “And perhaps use a banana to practice the motion of stroking up and down by swinging the wrist.”
Sunny gasped at the obscene movement, which made the other two cackle harder.
* * * * *
“What are they up to, Kaden?” Beast asked the infant, from out in the hallway where they watched. “Something is horribly wrong. Look at how serious Sunny looks. She’s mortified. Do you think she’s going to lose function of the hand? They’re giving her exercises.”
The baby giggled.
“Thank you for regrowing her fingers,” Beast continued, aware that he didn’t understand a word he said. “But they’re rather useless if they don’t work. Poor Sunny. I imagine her days of kicking ass on the security team are over.” Truth was he couldn’t really be saddened about that. Putting a woman of Sunny’s beauty on display for the world to see was just asking for trouble, if he’d been asked. The problem was no one did. He pressed a kiss to the top of Kaden’s sweet-smelling head as the three women walked out of Amanda’s office.
“There you are, precious,” Robyn cooed, taking Kaden from his arms.
“Please. You know how calling me those names makes Steele go all growly,” Beast said.
“Oh, stop. I swear you and Jason are two peas in a pod with the way you tease Steele.”
“Not lately,” Amanda sighed. “Looks like Jason is going to be busy, covering for Sunny’s spot on the team.” She smiled easily. “Sunny’s on doctor’s orders to relax for a month, away from people. The best remedy is the cabin since it’s relatively quiet.”
“What about her poor hand?”
All three women broke into wide smiles.
“Exercise,” Amanda murmured, her cheeks flushing. “Lots of exercise.” She stumbled off to where Renegade approached.
“Let’s go find your daddy, shall we?” Robyn said, swinging a gurgling Kaden as she hurriedly followed Amanda.
“I guess we’re walking back?” Sunny’s tone was light. “Since we had to park the invisible car in the garage and all.”
Well, this put a damper on things. He’d planned on escorting her to her quarters, but now that she wasn’t cleared to work, he imagined he could walk her back to the cabin and head back to his own place.
He gave a short nod.
They weren't completely alone until they walked a distance to the clump of trees. That was when he told her.
“I think it would be best if I walked you to the cabin to make sure everything’s all right. I’ll show you how to use the replicator. And then I’ll head back to my quarters so you can have some space.” He smiled easily.
Her face was aghast. “Alone? I’m to recuperate alone?”
A funny, heavy feeling hit him in the gut. “Yes. You just need rest, correct? Relaxation?”
She stopped suddenly, fanning herself. “It’s warm today. Hold on.” She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, beginning with the top button. Inch by inch, rich, golden skin was revealed, curving into cleavage over some sort of contraption that pushed the curves of her breasts up to spill over the top, leaving only her bronzed nipples barely covered. Her waist was nipped in small enough for him to span with his hands.
Holy mother.
He looked away but not in time to prevent his dick from rearing up and sniffing the air.
“I’m pretty sure Amanda is worried about me doing too much with my fingers.” She wiggled them weakly. “And I’m pretty sure Robyn said I may have horrid nightmares from my recent abduction.”
Abduction. He clenched his jaw. That sounded so much worse than the word kidnapping. Not that she didn’t suffer horribly because she did. But the word itself flipped his stomach and switched on his testosterone.
Or perhaps it was still the sight of all the luscious curves peeking at him. There was absolutely no way he’d be able to control his beastly lust around the beautiful Sunny. No way.
“Maybe Tempest…”
“Is recovering herself. Plus she has Shawn to worry about.”
“He’s taking care of her. Even though was the one who died, he’s recovered quicker than she did.”
“Oh, was he? Then she can’t possibly help me out if she still needs someone else’s care.”
“Lily—”
“Let her enjoy her honeymoon phase with Jason,” Sunny chided gently. “She also has suffered. All of her memories were forced upon her at once, you know. That’s why she suddenly was thrust into those overwhelming siren powers…”
Her voice paused, and her beautiful, icy blue eyes filled tragically, glittering with unshed tears.
“Sunny,” he whispered, his voice thick.
“I don’t want to be a burden, Beast. I’m sorry. I understand you have your own things to do. But this overwhelming fear…you have no idea what it’s like to wake up and snap someone dead. And I thought I killed an innocent baby! What would you do if you thought you injured Kaden?”
The tears sparkled down her cheeks as they spilled over.
He pulled her into him, letting her cry against his chest. His large hand covered her back, str
oking the bare skin not covered by the black lace that was pulled taut with sexy string. “Shh, Sunny. Don’t cry. Kaden is fine. You didn’t kill a baby; none existed. You were tricked, remember?”
She sobbed harder, her arms holding him so tight he couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice the steel of his erection pressed against her belly.
Goddess, he could feel the bulges of her breasts pressing into him.
“Shh. I’ll stay with you.”
Her sobs magically stopped, leaving her with a few hiccups as she pressed herself against him so close he could feel her sweet breath.
A beast like him only had so much control.
“Come, just a little ways further and there’s a seating area that the twins created.”
“I heard about it. It’s supposed to be simply beautiful.”
Nothing could compare to her beauty, but she gasped at the stunning intricacy in the design of the wood when they stumbled upon it. The furniture was sanded smooth and covered in a lacquer, canopied by the tent of the branches above it.
He led her to the small loveseat, intending to seat her. But somehow, she pushed him down first and plopped into his lap.
He fought his groan. Surely she could feel his unruly cock stiff against her ass? Yet she went on talking as if nothing was wrong.
“Jett and Brax are beyond talented. How they can create such beauty is beyond me.” Her new fingers trailed along the edge of the seat, so near where his hand rested. She paused for a moment and then caressed them up the back of his hand, over his forearm, stopping at the bulge of his bicep.
“You’re working out more.” Lightly she squeezed. Somehow, he felt the touch of her hand on his cock, too, as if every body part she touched was connected to his dick.
“I’ve had a lot of free time lately.” He didn’t mean to sound accusing.
She said nothing.
“I’m supposed to exercise this hand. Sometimes it’s very weak.” She stretched out her fingers.
He flexed his bicep, making it even harder. “Go ahead.”
“Oh, you don’t understand.” Her voice was whisper soft. “It’s delicate touches I need to work on. Cupping. Rolling. Very light squeezing.” To show him what she meant, she trailed a finger lightly from his bicep to his chest and down his abdomen, stopping tentatively at his hip, tracing small circles there.
