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  This time there was no stopping herself. An orgasm so sharp it left her breathless rushed through her. Liv’s back arched and she bucked against the invading fingers. But my panties are still in the way. So he’s not breaking the rules but oh God… For a moment coherent thought left her and all she could do was gasp and moan as the pleasure spiked inside her. Closing her eyes, she let it, unable to fight any longer as the orgasm ravaged her body.

  At last she felt his hand withdraw and she opened her eyes to look at him. Their gazes locked and a mixture of emotions passed over his chiseled features. Lust, need, sorrow, anger, and something that looked almost like despair. “I’m sorry I had to do that.” His voice was rough. “But I wouldn’t have had to if you’d just admitted what you feel—what we both feel.”

  “I…” Liv bit he bottom lip and shook her head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Baird, but I can’t be yours.”

  He sighed, obviously frustrated. “Gods, you’re enough to drive a male crazy.”

  “I could say the same thing.” Taking a deep breath she tried to regain her composure. “So I guess nothing you did just now qualifies as a breach of contract.”

  He shook his head. “Afraid not.”

  “So…so you could have been….been, uh, touching me this way for the entire past week?”

  Slowly, he nodded.

  “But…then why didn’t you?” Liv blurted. “I mean, not that I want you to but you keep telling me how much you want to…to…”

  A look of sorrow passed over his face. “I didn’t want you to fear me.” Opening his arms, he finally let her scramble off his lap. “Go, Lilenta, you’re free. For now.”

  With a last, backwards glance, Liv fled into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

  Her heart was still pounding and her breathing was erratic. Worst of all, she was incredibly confused. It had seemed so straightforward back on Earth when he first claimed her—go up to the ship and do her time while resisting him completely. But how was she supposed to do that after the way he’d just touched her? After that look in his eyes when he’d said he didn’t want her to be afraid of him? Everything had been so much simpler when he was just the big bad wolf who wanted to eat her up. Somehow, he seemed to be more than that now. Much more.

  Not to mention when he touches me I lose control. And tomorrow there won’t be any clothes at all between us.

  Oh God, what was she going to do?

  Baird leaned back on the couch and sighed. Gods, he’d expected her to try something like this at the beginning of the week when she’d first had her sister send up the bag of revealing clothing. But not now. Not when they’d been getting so close and enjoying each other’s company so much. To know that she still wanted to get away from him so badly hurt—hurt like hell.

  “Bebo,” he growled and the little zicther came waddling over and grunted inquiringly. “Fetch the Think-me,” Baird told his pet. “You know where I hid it, right?”

  Bebo snorted in ascent and scuttled off. When he returned he was holding a thin circlet made of silver wire carefully between his sharp teeth.

  “Good boy.” Baird scratched the little creature behind his round, fluffy ears and Bebo closed his eyes and made a pleased humming sound. “Sorry things have been so crazy around here lately, buddy,” Baird muttered. “Hopefully they’ll settle down soon.” If Olivia would just accept that we belong together and let down her guard. But of course, that was what he’d thought she was doing for the entire week when he was working so hard to win her over. Instead, she’d been plotting to try and trick her way off the ship. And away from me, Baird ruefully acknowledged.

  With a sigh he settled the thin silver wire around his temples, closed his eyes and concentrated. “Hey Sylvan, you up?”

  “I am now,” came the grumpy reply. His half brother’s mind voice sounded irritated and sleepy. “What do you want?”

  “Forget it. Sorry I bothered you.” Baird started to break the connection but Sylvan’s voice stopped him.

  “No, wait a minute. I’m sorry, you just woke me up and I was having the strangest dream.”

  “Care to share?”

  “Not particularly. So why are you bespeaking me in the middle of the night?”

  “It’s Olivia—she…ah, hell. She tried to pull a fast one. Came out here in this incredible little slinky outfit and I’m pretty sure she was trying to get me on breach of contract.”

  “So that’s what all those flimsy undergarments her sister sent her were for. I wondered.” Sylvan sounded thoughtful.

  “It’s just…I thought I was getting through to her. We’ve been having a helluva good time this week and I thought she was as into it as I was. That she was really enjoying herself and letting down her guard.”

  “Maybe she was. Maybe she was beginning to feel for you and it scared her. Isn’t tomorrow the start of your bathing week?”

  “Yeah, it is. I’ll finally get to touch her.”

  “She hasn’t even been letting you touch her? You’ve at least been holding her at night, haven’t you?” Sylvan sounded incredulous.

  Baird shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “Ah, hell…she’s scared, you know? I can feel it comin’ off her in waves. I just didn’t want to make it worse.”

  “You have to bathe her tomorrow night, though,” Sylvan pointed out. “If you don’t touch her during the bathing week it’s as much a breach of contract as if you do touch her sexually without permission during the holding week.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Damn it, Sylvan—it’s killing me! I want her so much and I can tell she wants me too. Her scent tells me she’s ripe as hell but she’s just not ready yet.”

  “She may never be ready. I told you how she feels about losing her sister. Which reminds me—did you tell her about the mating scent? I mean, really spell it out for her?”

  Baird frowned. “I tried. She wasn’t very interested though—at that point she was just trying to get away from me.”

  “So you did hold her.”

  “For awhile. Just wanted to make her admit what she was feeling—not that she would. I tell you, brother, it’s hell to want a woman so badly and know she wants you too but she won’t let you in.”

  “Yet another reason I’m glad I vowed never to call a bride,” Sylvan said dryly.

  “Yeah, lucky you—I’m about to go crazy over here. The Scourge has nothing on Olivia when it comes to torture.”

  “You don’t really mean that.”

  Baird sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “No, not really. It’s just incredibly frustrating. When I can smell how ready she is and see the way my touch affects her and she still won’t admit it…It’s making me crazy.”

  “She’ll have to admit it tomorrow night,” Sylvan pointed out. “She won’t have a choice. But, Baird, you’d probably better take things slowly. If she’s still so dead set against letting you bond her, your first bathing could be a traumatic experience.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that. You think I’d be rough with her? Think I’d do anything to hurt her? Hell, Sylvan, I’d give my life for her.”

  “I know you would.” Sylvan’s voice was soothing. “But I know you, Baird—you’re all fire.”

  “And you’re all ice,” Baird responded. “All you damn Tranqs are. Sorry I can’t be as cold blooded and level headed as you, brother, but I love her. And I don’t want to lose her.”

  “You won’t. From what you’ve told me your mating scent is already working on her. No female can resist that.”

  “That’s not quite true,” Baird pointed out and then wished he’d kept silent.

  There was a long mental silence and then Sylvan said, “You’re right. There are a few that can resist.”

  Baird winced. Damn it, why did he have to bring up his brother’s past pain when Sylvan was trying to help him? “Look, Sylvan, I didn’t mean—”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” Sylvan’s mental voice was brisk but Baird knew that some pain