Healing the Broken: A Kindred Christmas Tale Read online

  He kissed her gently on the lips, sharing a bit of her secret flavor with her, and then pulled the coverlet up to her shoulders. His shaft was still throbbing between his thighs but he could take care of that later—and he fully intended to while he relived the experience of tasting Sarah’s sweet pussy and feeling her come all over his face.

  Mine, he thought again, reaching down to stroke her flushed cheek. You’re mine, Sarah and I’ll never let you go…

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sarah woke up from the strangest, most embarrassing dream. Something about her boss biting her panties off and then licking her between her legs…

  Just a dream she told herself uneasily. It was just a dream…right?

  She stirred and found that she was in a strange bed, not at all like the sagging cot she’d slept in at the Compound. It didn’t feel like the hard, narrow bed she’d been given at the shelter either, though. It was soft and squishy and warm but not wet—just jiggly.

  It’s like I’m sleeping on Jell-o, Sarah thought sleepily. She rolled over and found that the Jell-o bed gave alarmingly, moving like a wave in the ocean. Her momentum pitched her into the broad, bare back of the man sleeping beside her.

  Wait a minute—man? Who was she sleeping with? And how had they ended up in bed together?

  Then a warm, spicy scent hit her nose and everything came rushing back.

  It’s Sazar! And we’re in bed together because we’re pretending to be a couple here on Alquon Ultrea.

  Sarah was fully awake now and she became aware of something else—she was completely naked. Naked and plastered to her boss’s back with her bare breasts pressed against him and her crotch cupped against his extremely firm ass.

  Oh God…oh no! She struggled to push away from him but the Jell-o bed kept pulling her back down with its odd wave-like motions. They were lying together in a big dip now, right in the middle of the strange mattress and there didn’t seem to be any way to extricate herself.

  “Sarah?” a deep rumbling voice said, sounding sleepy and annoyed. “What in the Seven Hells are you doing?”

  “Trying to get up.” She managed it at last and struggled to her feet just as he turned over.

  Reflexively, she tried to cover herself with her hands. There was a dim light coming through the clear glass of the walls—not much, but enough to see by and she was suddenly ashamed.

  He rolled over and regarded her, one black eyebrow raised quizzically.

  “Why are you hiding yourself from me, sweetheart? I saw all of you last night. I tasted all of you.”

  Sarah could feel her cheeks getting hot. She couldn’t believe what they’d done together. It went far past the bounds of their professional relationship of boss and assistant. Plus, she barely knew the big Kindred. She’d only been working for him for two days and she’d already fallen into bed with him—literally. What would he think of her?

  Be careful, Sarah, whispered a little voice in her head. You know what happens to secretaries who get too familiar with their bosses.

  She couldn’t help remembering Sister Hope, her belly swollen and her eyes red as Father Caleb sent her away, telling her that her “services” were no longer needed.

  She needed to be careful here. Damn careful.

  Sazar was still looking at her and he appeared to be about to speak.

  “I…um… I have to use the restroom,” she said quickly, not waiting to hear what he had to say. “Sorry.” She fumbled under the wall hanging for the bathroom door and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind her.

  She’d been making an excuse to get away but once she found herself in the bathroom, she realized she really did have to go. In fact, she thought she’d never had to pee so badly in her life.

  Without thinking, she flipped up the lid of the black bench commode and sat down.

  She was almost done peeing when she remembered the yeechees. All her muscles clenched and she stopped in mid-stream.

  Then she heard a faint, angry hiss.

  “Oh my God…oh no,” she whispered, tensing. What was she going to do? Could the weird, snake-like animals tell she hadn’t given them everything she had? Would she feel their little sharp fangs sinking into her bare behind any moment?

  Quickly, she vaulted off the toilet and slammed the lid closed, panting. She could hold the rest until later, she told herself. Until she could find a toilet without snake-things in it. She wanted a shower anyway.

  After about fifteen minutes of trying, she finally got the shower to work at a reasonable temperature. As she clambered carefully over the high side of the tub, she couldn’t forget how Sazar had held her in the pouring water the night before, letting her sob against his chest as he stroked her shaking shoulders and murmured sweet soothing nothings into her ear.

  What was that name he called me? Something with an L—Lavnana? No…Ladara. That was it. What does that mean?

  He had called her that more than once and he had been so gentle with her. Did it mean anything or was her cold, prickly boss just a nice guy under his tough exterior? Did he have any kind of feelings for her? The kind she was beginning to have for him even though she knew she really, really shouldn’t?

  Sarah had no idea. She soaped herself with the white, puffy sponge which looked like a miniature cloud and then rinsed and climbed out again.

  She wrapped another blue bath-sheet around herself and toweled her hair as dry as she could get it. Then she decided she couldn’t stay in here, hogging the bathroom forever. After all, Sazar probably had to use it too and he was in a much better—and safer—position to pee on the toilet eels or snakes or whatever than she was.

  She came out of the bathroom and found him sitting up in the bed. He was naked too but he covered himself considerately with a discarded bath-sheet when she came in.

  “Um, hi.” Sarah wasn’t sure what to say to him.

  “Hello.” The big Kindred seemed uncertain as well.

  “The, uh, bathroom is free if you need it.” She gestured lamely at the door.

  “Oh. Thank you.” He rose and brushed past her, keeping himself covered as he went. Sarah breathed a sigh of something that was either relief or regret—she couldn’t tell which—when it snicked shut behind him.

  She went to the closet and opened the cube, intending to get dressed and then remembered she couldn’t used the Alquon clothing Kat had packed for her or the clothes she’d bought herself on the Mother Ship.

  With a deep sigh, she looked back in the closet. The gold lame' outfit was for the ball tonight but there was a new dress she hadn’t noticed the night before. Had Lemesh made her an extra one and sent it along with the rest? That seemed like something the Alquon clothier might do.

  It was less flashy than the other outfits she’d worn—possibly the Alquon equivalent of a little black dress. It had a black jacket with long sleeves and a rounded back. The high collar which fastened at her throat was cut in an inverted V to show her breasts.

  Sarah sighed in resignation as she put the jacket on. She was just going to have to get used to exposing herself while she was on Alquon Ultrea. But after a lifetime of shapeless clothes and body shame, it was really, really difficult to feel good about going around basically topless.

  At least the float dots are still working, she thought, looking down at her full breasts which were still as firm-looking as ever. Lemesh had given her plenty of extras too. She would never have to wear a bra again if she didn’t want to.

  Only I do want to, Sarah thought ruefully as she remembered the way Councilor Rando had pulled her breast chain and the creepy way The Lord Magnate had eyed her exposed assets. I wish I could wear one right now!

  But there was no use wishing that. She had made the decision to stay here on Alquon Ultrea and she would have to deal with the consequences—one of which was walking around topless all day. With a sigh, she finished getting dressed.

  She was mildly surprised to see that the bottom half of the outfit wasn’t a skirt but long silky slacks ma