Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  The bed creaked as he sat down beside her. Lauren shifted but didn’t turn over. “You okay?” she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

  “Fine.” Xairn cleared his throat. “Much better now that…much better.”

  “You mean you’re better since you took care of yourself?” Lauren rolled over to face him and propped a hand under her head.

  “Well…” Xairn cleared his throat. “Yes,” he said at last. “That is what I mean.”

  “You didn’t have to do that, you know.” Lauren touched him lightly on the arm and he twitched, as though he was trying not to pull away. It hurt her feelings but she made an effort not to show it. “I would have helped you at the very least,” she said softly. “I mean, even if you didn’t want to…to make love—”

  “I didn’t want your help,” he said stiffly.

  “I see.” Lauren withdrew, feeling like he’d slapped her. “Sorry for offering.”

  “No, I didn’t mean it that way. I just…” Xairn ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “I was afraid. I had to leave because—”

  “Because you didn’t want to hurt me,” she said flatly. “I know. You’re so sure I’m going to break the minute you touch me you have to bolt out of the room as soon as things get a little intense.” She knew she wasn’t exactly being fair but she felt hurt—rejected.

  “You don’t understand,” he said in a low voice.

  “Yes, I do,” Lauren insisted. “But Xairn honey…” Sitting up, she reached out to caress his cheek. “I’m a big girl. I can handle a little rough sex.”

  “A little rough sex?” He turned to her and in the dim lighting she could see that his eyes had gone red-on-black again. His red pupils were glowing like rings of fire, blazing in the darkness like a demon’s. “A little rough sex?” His voice was a low, threatening growl. “Is that all you think I want from you?”

  “Well, I—”

  Suddenly he was on top of her, his big body pinning her to the bed. “Do you have any idea of the things I want to do to you?” he demanded. “Of the urges I have? The desires I’m fighting every minute, every second I’m with you?”

  “Xairn, please…” Lauren tried to struggle but it was useless. He was too big and heavy on top of her. She bit her lip as she felt the hard ridge of his cock dig into her thigh.

  “Every time you touch me, I want you,” he growled, looking into her eyes. “I want you like this, Lauren. Under me. Helpless. Your legs spread, your arms tied above your head so you can’t move…can’t get away no matter what I do to you.”

  He thrust against her and his shaft found the cleft of her sex. Lauren moaned as he parted her pussy lips through the thin cotton panties and rubbed relentlessly over her throbbing clit.

  “Xairn, please…” she gasped breathlessly. The fear inside her was being overtaken by a perverse kind of pleasure now. He’d touched her so gently earlier, had stroked her clit so tenderly until she came, and Lauren had enjoyed it immensely—until he ran away, that was. Now, though she sensed he was still holding back greatly from using all of his immense strength, he was being rough. And strangely, it was turning her on.

  “Please, what?” he demanded, grinding against her again. He forced her hands above her head and pinned both wrists to the mattress with one large hand. “I thought you didn’t mind this, Lauren. It’s just ‘a little rough sex.’ Isn’t that what you said?”

  Fear and pleasure rolled through her in a confusing mixture of emotions. “I…I didn’t mean I wanted you to rape me!” she protested.

  Xairn released her and rolled off immediately. “Yes, and that’s what it amounts to, doesn’t it? Rape.” He sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands, his broad shoulders hunched miserably. “An ugly word for an even uglier action. Gods, Lauren…”

  “Xairn…” Lauren’s body still throbbed with the intimate contact but she had no time to think about that now. She tried to push aside the strange feelings she’d had while he was pinning her to the bed and just focus on him. “Xairn,” she said again, reaching out to touch him.

  Xairn flinched but didn’t pull away. Lauren ignored the involuntary movement and wrapped both arms around him from behind. Pressing her cheek to his shoulder, she held him.

  Xairn stiffened in her arms. “Let me go,” he said in a low voice. “Before I hurt you.”

  “You’re not going to hurt me,” Lauren insisted. “And I’m not afraid of you—no matter how you try to scare me.”

  “I wasn’t trying to scare you,” he said roughly. “I was just showing you a small part of the desires I keep locked inside. Letting the beast out of the cage for just a moment.”

  “You’re not a beast.” Lauren hugged him tightly. “You’re my Xairn and I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He sighed. “Which is why I ought to go now, before I hurt you. Before I do something we’ll both regret as long as we live.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Lauren let go of him and scooted off the bed. Grabbing him by the hand she demanded, “Come with me!”

  Xairn stood up and allowed himself to be dragged to the door. “If you want me to leave your living space, you have only to say so,” he protested. “I don’t blame you and I will go at once without being forcibly ejected.”

  “I’m not ejecting you.” Lauren was torn between love and exasperation.

  “Then where are we going?” Xairn gave her a confused look as she dragged him out of the condo and around back to where the Kindred ship/car was parked.

  “You’re going to give me the keys.” Lauren stopped beside the small silver car and held out her hand.

  He frowned. “Forgive me, Lauren, but you don’t know how to fly this vehicle.”

  “I don’t want to fly it. I just want to make sure you don’t fly away in it. So give me the keys so I can be sure you won’t just up and leave and go someplace I can never find you.”

  Xairn shook his head. “Kindred ships don’t work like that. There is no ‘key’ to start the ship.”

  “Then give me a piece of the engine. Something small I can hold onto but you can’t get away without it. Like a sparkplug or something.” Lauren held out her hand insistently. “I mean it, Xairn. Now.”

  He gave her a long look, then shrugged and lifted the hood of the engine compartment. After rummaging around for a moment, he produced a small silver ring and wiped it on his shirt. “Here.” He held it out to her. “The O-ring from the hydrogen scoop mechanism. The ship will be unable to start without it.”

  “Perfect.” Lauren took the ring from him and examined it in the light from the sodium arc lamp overhead. It was very small and surprisingly elegant for an engine part. After a moment’s deliberation, she slid it onto her left ring finger where it fit perfectly. “There.” She looked up at Xairn. “That’s not exactly how I imagined it when I pictured getting a ring from the man I love, but oh well. The important thing is you’re not going anywhere.”

  “I don’t think this is a wise idea, Lauren,” he protested as they walked back into the condo. “I think I should go before—”

  She held up a hand. “Please don’t start that again. Come on.” She led him across the room and pushed him down to site on the side of the bed. Then she stood in front of him, hands on her hips.

  He looked up at her, his eyes filled with dejection, his big shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Lauren,” he said in a low voice. “Sorry that I don’t know how to give you what you need without losing control.”

  “Oh, baby…” Lauren shook her head and sat down beside him. “You know what the problem is?” she said, rubbing his back soothingly. “You’re not a monster and you’re not a beast—you just have trouble telling the difference between sexual and non-sexual touching.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean there’s a difference between giving someone a hug and wanting to fuck their brains out,” Lauren said bluntly. She sighed. “I can see why this is a problem for you—you had a reall