Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  Xairn’s no touching policy was still in effect but he didn’t flinch anymore when Lauren brushed against him by accident or casually touched his arm when she forgot. It was almost as though the puppy had brought out the best side of his nature and enabled him to find his self-control just by being there. Or maybe he had just buried the Scourge side of himself in order to care for the little canine with the gentleness and warmth he sensed she required.

  Whatever the reason, the result had been much less tension between them and for that, Lauren was incredibly grateful. Having a happy and balanced man instead of a self-loathing, tormented one was more than worth a few puddles and “presents” on her tile floor from time to time as they tried to housebreak Little One. Although to Xairn’s credit, he was training her incredibly quickly. She could already sit and stay when told to and was even learning a few tricks. It’s like we had a baby, she thought, watching as Xairn tickled the puppy under her chin and let her gnaw on his finger with her tiny milk teeth. He’s gone from Scourge warrior-mode into daddy-mode. Now if only he could find a happy place somewhere in between…

  But she sensed the warrior was still there, lurking just below the surface. Despite the lack of tension between them, she could still feel him watching her with hungry eyes. And she knew he was still relieving his own needs in the bathroom. She wished again that he would let her help, that they could find a way to be together without his instincts taking over and turning any sexual encounter between them into something out of a BDSM porno.

  Do you really wish that? whispered a little voice in her head. Do you really? Lauren pushed the thought away uneasily and went to stand in front of the kitchen sink where there were still a few dishes from breakfast to be done. Absently, she stared out at the warm, late afternoon sunlight slanting down into the crystal blue waters of the pool. But though she was staring at the water, her mind was miles away.

  The way it felt when he flipped me over, the press of his big body against mine, pinning me down. The sound of his voice when he growled in my ear, when he told me exactly what he was going to do, how he was going to take me…God!

  She shivered. She’d been replaying the scene from the Sweet Spot over and over again in her head during the past week and it never failed to fill her with dark excitement. But it shouldn’t excite me, should it? It wouldn’t have been rape—no matter what Xairn thinks. You can’t rape the willing and I was plenty willing. But it would have been rough and I was frightened of him. He gets so scary when he goes all Dom like that. Scary but incredibly hot too.

  Lauren was a feminist to the core but every time he started acting that way it seemed to do something, to flip some switch inside her that no one else had ever been able to flip. It made her so damn hot all she wanted to do was submit and let him do anything he wanted. But that wasn’t right—she shouldn’t want to be treated like that. Shouldn’t crave Xairn’s dominance or fantasize about sexual submission to him. Should she?

  Unbidden, an image popped into her head. I’d be down on my knees in front of him, kneeling before my master to show my submission. His large hand, stroking my hair, guiding me toward him, toward his hot, hard cock. She could almost taste his warm, salty skin, could almost smell the delicious masculine musk of his big body as he fucked her mouth.

  But maybe she wouldn’t suck him just right, the exact way he wanted her to suck him. Maybe he would have to punish her. Lauren imagined him putting her over his knee and pulling down her panties, baring her ass for his big hand. He would spank her, spank her until she writhed and begged for mercy.

  Then he would tie her to the bed, her arms and legs spread wide so that she was helpless beneath him. Helpless and unresisting as he fucked her, fucked her so hard and long and deep she wouldn’t be able to help moaning his name, begging him to take her, to never stop, to make her come… Stop it, Lauren scolded herself. Stop thinking like that. You’re only making things hard on yourself.

  But the forbidden fantasy had raised such a mixture of desire and shame inside her, she could hardly hold still. Uneasily, she shifted from foot to foot, feeling like her pussy was on fire. God, she had to stop thinking like this. But telling herself to stop was no good—it was all she’d been able to think of ever since their last physical encounter. Why was she so interested in this, anyway? She’d never fantasized about being punished before. Never wanted to let anyone tie her down or spank her.

  Lauren bit her lip, frowning. It was frightening to discover this dark corner of her sexuality she had never even begun to explore before. Frightening and more than a little confusing. What the hell was wrong with her, anyway?

  “Are you all right?” Xairn’s deep voice broke her train of thought and Lauren whipped around guiltily to see him staring at her with narrowed eyes.

  “Fine, I’m fine. Just thinking,” she said brightly, trying to smile.

  “Thinking what, exactly?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  Lauren shifted nervously. “Nothing. Just that this is probably the last warm day we have before it starts getting cold. Well, cool, anyway. I think I want one more dip in the pool before it’s too late.” Once the words were out of her mouth she knew it was a good idea. Nothing like immersing herself neck deep in the chilly water to douse her unwanted desires.

  Xairn frowned. “But you can’t swim—you told me so yourself.”

  “I’m just going to splash around in the shallow end,” Laurens said briskly. “And then maybe drift around on one of the floats for awhile. You know, relax. What good is a day off work if we don’t spend it relaxing?” She knew she was babbling but by this point she didn’t care. She just had to get away from Xairn and the strange fantasies that had been tormenting her lately.

  “Be careful, then,” he said but she was already on her way into the bathroom to change into her favorite white bikini. If a dip in the pool didn’t cool her down, she didn’t know what would.

  * * * * *

  Xairn frowned as she came out with a towel modestly draped around her curves and disappeared out the front door. He still didn’t understand the human preoccupation with immersing oneself in deep water. Especially here in Florida where Lauren lived, people seemed to swim constantly—if not in pools then in the ocean which surrounded them. He wished he could persuade Lauren to give it up but since she seemed to like it so much, he didn’t see how he could deny her one of her few pleasures. Especially since he gave her no pleasure himself—no sexual pleasure, anyway.

  Gods, she smelled so hot just now. Unable to help himself, Xairn lifted his face and scented the air currents still swirling in the room. For some reason Lauren had been getting more and more aroused lately. Probably, he thought glumly, because he had denied her any kind of sexual satisfaction. He knew perfectly well that the asexual relationship they currently had couldn’t last but he didn’t know how to change that without going too far. Didn’t know how to make love to her without hurting her.

  I wonder what she was really thinking about when she was standing there, staring out at the pool? It sure as hell wasn’t the idea of swimming that was making her so hot. He had an idea that if he concentrated he might be able to hear what she was thinking but he didn’t want to do that—it would be an invasion of her privacy. He hadn’t been able to help hearing her when things had gotten sexual between them but at least while they were keeping their respective distances he could stop himself from eavesdropping on her secret thoughts.

  Speaking of hearing someone’s innermost thoughts, he was glad Lauren couldn’t hear his. All he seemed able to think about lately was how much he wanted her. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to fantasize what he would do if only he could trust himself…

  She would be lying on the bed, wearing nothing but a short skirt and panties, her beautiful breasts bare. I would pin her hands above her head and order her not to move. Tell her she couldn’t stir no matter what I did.

  He imagined her full, thrusting breasts, her nipples like dark, succulent berries at their tips. He want