Claimed Read online

  “Bebo? What the hell is a Bebo?” Liv demanded, still keeping her distance from the bright blue teddy bear which was eyeing her mistrustfully.

  “Bebo’s his name. He’s a zicther—an animal native to my home world, Rageron.”

  “Rageron?” Liv frowned, wondering why the name of his home planet evoked strange images in her head.

  Baird nodded. “It’s a jungle planet with a helluva lot more scary animals than Bebo here.” He crouched down to scratch the little animal under its chin. Its large eyes closed and it made a sort of grunting purr as it submitted to his caress.

  “A jungle planet,” Liv murmured. “Only instead of green, most of the vegetation is blue.”

  “That’s right.” Baird looked up from where he was crouched on the floor, a startled expression on his chiseled features. “How did you know that?”

  “I saw it in a dream.” Liv blushed and looked down. “One of the dreams we shared I think. I saw you…never mind.” She shook her head. “Anyway, that accounts for his bright blue fur. I still don’t understand why he tried to attack me though.”

  “He tried to attack you?” Though he was clearly trying to keep the skepticism from his voice, Baird wasn’t succeeding too well.

  “Well, he bared his teeth at me!” Liv said, irritated. Of course now that its master was home the little animal was acting like butter wouldn’t melt in its alien mouth. Its alien mouth filled with shark teeth, she reminded herself.

  “That’s just a greeting stance. He probably did it because he was meeting you for the first time.” Baird rose and dusted blue feathery fur off his large hands. “I’m sorry if he scared you. He’s not dangerous though, just curious.”

  “Curious enough to make me drop the milk carton and chase me down the hall?” Liv raised an eyebrow, still not buying the whole Bebo-is-such-a-good-boy routine.

  “The what carton?” Baird shook his head. “Sorry, I thought I knew all of your language but sometimes the slang still throws me.”

  “It’s not slang, it’s a drink,” Liv explained as Bebo shuffled off down the hall. Apparently she and Baird held no further interest for the little creature. “It comes from a cow and we drink it. That’s what I thought the white stuff in the kitchen, er, food-prep area was. Or that’s what it kind of looked like, anyway.”

  “Oh, so that’s what happened to my fireflower juice. It’s a pretty potent alcoholic beverage you know.”

  Liv sighed. “I sort of found that out the hard way. But I told you, it looked like milk which is about as far from alcohol as you can get on Earth.”

  Baird looked confused. “But this milk…you said it comes from a cow? Isn’t that a large bovine animal with horns?”

  Liv nodded. “Uh-huh. Farmers keep them—well, dairy farmers anyway. And they milk them, uh, squeeze the milk out of them, every day for humans to drink.”

  Baird made a face. “So you’re sayin’ you drink liquid that’s been squeezed out of an animal?”

  “When you say it like that it sounds terrible.” Liv frowned. “Don’t the Kindred have any domesticated animals?”

  “None that I’d want to drink what came out when I squeezed it. Where do they squeeze the bovine to get this milk anyway? The horns?”

  “Uh, no.” Liv sighed. “Actually I think it has this big bag between its, uh, its hind legs.”

  “Between its legs? The squeezings come from between its legs?” Baird shook his head and then burst out laughing again. “Sorry, I’m sure the Kindred have some ways that seem strange to you but that…that’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Despite herself Liv felt the corners of her mouth twitching. His deep rumbling laugh was infectious and somehow everything she’d been through in the past hour seemed so silly now. Stumbling around in the dark, drinking hard liquor and thinking it was milk, being chased by what amounted to a toy poodle, at least from Baird’s point of view…Even the attack by the mat didn’t seem so bad now that she knew she’d just pressed the wrong buttons. And now, trying to explain where milk came from…Well, I supposed it does sound kind of disgusting, she admitted to herself. But still…

  “Milk’s good for you,” she lectured, trying to keep from laughing.

  “Good for you, huh?” He grinned. “Guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  “No, but it is.” Liv put her hands on her hips, forgetting about the ragged, gaping hole in her nighty. “It builds strong bones and shiny hair and…and…” She tried to think of something else.

  “And smooth, soft skin?” The laughter was suddenly gone from Baird’s voice and there was a heat in his eyes that made Liv’s pulse start to race.

  “Well…sure. I guess so.” She shrugged.

  “Then you must have had a lot of it.” He took a step toward her and ran one fingertip down the column of her throat and over the upper curve of her breasts.

  “Why would you say—oh!” Looking down Liv realized that she was on display, both breasts fully visible through the hole the Touch-U had torn in the black silk and lace of her nighty. Her nipples were hard from his gentle touch and her heart was pounding.

  “I think it’s pretty clear why I’d say that,” Baird rumbled, giving her another heated look. “It’s because you have the softest, smoothest skin I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to kiss every inch of it.”

  “I…you…” Liv snatched the ragged remains of her nighty closed and took a step back. “I told you I’m not going to…to give in to you.”

  “We’ll see.” Baird’s eyes were still hot and his voice was soft and deep. “Why don’t you relax in the other room while I make our late-day meal? I got ingredients for your favorite dish.”

  “You…how do you know what my favorite thing to eat is?” Liv asked, taking another step back. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she had to get away from his hot gaze and his big, muscular body if she didn’t want to end up rolling around on the bed with him again.

  The corner of Baird’s full mouth quirked up. “I know the same way you know that the jungles on my home world are blue. Because I’ve been watching you for the last six months while we dream-shared.”

  “I don’t…I can’t think about this right now.” Liv shook her head. “I’ll see you at dinner. Uh, I mean late-day meal. Okay?”

  “Suit yourself, Lilenta,” Baird’s eyes were still hot but there was something in them that worried Liv more than his obvious lust for her. When she looked into those amber depths she saw…patience. The big warrior was actually prepared to wait as long as it took to seduce her. Now that was scary. More scary than fanged blue teddy bears and molesting massage mats by far.

  Baird shook his head as she ran off down the hallway. He had been going to suggest that she take a dip in the bathing pool but he supposed it was just as well to save that for after late-day meal and before they went to bed. That way maybe she’d be relaxed from soaking in the warm waters of the pool and would be willing to be close to him. He only wished he would be bathing with her but that wasn’t going to happen—not yet, anyway. After her earlier reaction to his kiss Olivia was now doubly wary. He was fairly sure that she was going to make him wait until she was legally obligated by the claiming contract they had signed to let him touch her.

  It’s only a week away, he reminded himself but still the thought of not being able to caress her beautiful, lush body for so long made him restless and hungry. In the moment when she’d forgotten the hole in her gown he’d gotten to see her breasts for the first time. Round and full with tight pink nipples that looked made to be sucked, just the sight had him hard and wanting her. Wanting her so badly it hurt… Patience, he told himself sternly. His half-brother had gained some good insight into why Olivia was so reluctant to bond with him and he would be a fool to ignore Sylvan’s advice. Still, he burned for her. Ached for the touch and taste and scent of her skin. Longed to lose himself in her tight, hot, depths and hear her call his name as she came over and over…

  Might as well stop d