Healing the Broken Read online

  “Indeed.” He withdrew his fingers and, never taking his eyes from hers, sucked them clean of her juices. “Delicious.” His voice was still a low, lustful growl.

  Sarah felt like a thousand butterflies had just taken off inside her stomach.

  “Sazar,” she whispered. “I just…I think you should let me down off your lap.”

  “No,” he murmured. “I haven’t finished placing your breast jewelry yet.

  “But—”

  Suddenly the door burst open.

  “Are you two all right?” Chandra was standing there, wide-eyed and worried. “I heard strange noises and I didn’t know what to think,” she explained.

  Sazar frowned. “I thought I locked the door. We are perfectly fine, as you can see. I was just helping Sarah apply her breast jewelry.”

  “Oh, all right. Hurry up then.” The Alquon girl gestured impatiently. “We have lots to get to before you come back here to get ready for the Breeding Ball.”

  “Lots to get to? What…what do you mean?” Sarah asked breathlessly. She couldn’t help the little gasp in her voice. She was still feeling the after-shocks of her orgasm and Sazar had matter-of-factly sucked her nipple back into his mouth, as though he was simply getting her ready to wear the golden bands. God, would she ever get used to letting her boss suck her nipples as though it was no big deal? Especially while someone else was watching?

  Somehow she didn't think so.

  “I mean we have engagements today we didn’t have yesterday. What happened at Fresh Catch last night was the talk of our social-net,” Chandra said. “How did you manage to attract all those catchems Sarah? Everyone is talking about it!”

  “I didn’t do it on purpose,” Sarah protested as Sazar put the first golden band in place and it tightened around her nipple. “I…I just…” She had to bite her lip for a moment because he was sucking her other nipple, deep and hard and long. “I only petted one of them,” she told Chandra. “And…and then they all came running up to me. It was awful…” She shivered.

  “Well some people are saying it’s that old prophesy. You know—

  ‘When the silver fingers…

  Find the ivory mounds…

  There you may be certain….

  Pure blood abounds.’” Chandra sounded like she was quoting.

  “What?” Sazar finished placing the second golden band, which tightened over Sarah’s left nipple. He frowned at Chandra. “What does that verse you quoted mean?”

  “You know—what The Lord Magnate was telling you yesterday,” Chandra said impatiently. “About how the blood of our people was genetically altered—and how it’s his duty and the duty of every Lord Magnate that came before him to try and spread his seed and his own pure blood to change it back?”

  “Yes, we remember that,” Sarah said, climbing somewhat awkwardly off Sazar’s lap. Now that the jewelry was in place, he seemed willing to let her go and she felt embarrassed to be straddling him so blatantly for no reason. “But what about the silver fingers and ivory mounds? What is that?” she asked.

  “Our waiter last night told us that the catchems are often referred to as ‘silver fingers,’” Sazar rumbled, sounding thoughtful.

  “Oh—okay. But where are the mounds? What does that mean?” Sarah asked.

  “They’re there.” Chandra pointed at her chest.

  “What?” Sarah looked down at herself and noticed that her nipples seemed extra red, possibly from all the sucking Sazar had been doing before he put on the jewelry. There was no sign of his fang marks, though—he must have healed her. “I still don’t get it,” she said.

  “Ivory mounds,” Chandra said impatiently. “Look at yourself, my dear Sarah! Your breasts.”

  “What? So that’s what the verse means?” Sarah could hardly believe it. “But that…that’s ridiculous.”

  “No it’s not. Look.” Chandra pulled out one of the flat, black squares Sarah had seen several people pointing at her in the restaurant last night. She remembered wondering if they were the Alquon version of cell phones.

  When Chandra tapped the square it started to glow and soon a picture of Sarah appeared with twelve or thirteen of the little silver catchems clustered together on the tops of her breasts.

  “See? Silver fingers on ivory mounds.” Chandra tapped the square and another picture popped up—and then another and another.

  “Oh, no!” Sarah moaned. “Are you telling me these pictures are all over Alquon Ultrea?”

  “First thing I saw when I looked at my square this morning.” Chandra giggled. “Don’t worry—it’s a good thing! It raises your profile—you’re trending now! Lots of Alquons say they want a genetic trade with the Kindred. Of course, the final decision rests with The Lord Magnate. But you’ll be seeing him tonight at the Breeding Ball—hopefully you can convince him then.”

  “Hopefully so,” Sazar said dryly. “But in the meantime, these pictures are demeaning and embarrassing to my partner.”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine.” Chandra patted Sarah on the shoulder. “She’ll just have to deal with being a minor celebrity—that’s all.”

  “But I don’t want to be a celebrity,” Sarah exclaimed. “I’m not that kind of person! I’d rather stay in the background, behind the scenes.”

  “I’m afraid you can’t hide from fame, my dear,” Chandra told her. “But if it bothers you that much, I promise I’ll take you to the chample farm on the most indirect tuve I can find.”

  “Chample farm? What’s that?” Sazar asked.

  “Oh, it’s on the agenda Minister Obglod set up for you. He’s waiting for us there, you know—we need to hurry.” Chandra motioned for her. “Are you all ready to go?”

  “Can we at least get some breakfast first?” Sarah asked desperately. “We didn’t get anything for dinner and we’re both starving.” At least she knew she was.

  “Oh you poor thing!” Chandra exclaimed. “You mean that whole incident with the catchems happened before you could eat?”

  “We didn’t get a single bite,” Sarah said and then her eyes were drawn involuntarily to Sazar’s fangs.

  He saw where she was looking and a corner of his mouth twitched up in one of his rare smiles.

  “Well, maybe one bite,” he murmured and Sarah felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush. She really wished Chandra hadn’t interrupted when the big Kindred was drinking from her. She’d had a feeling that maybe the intense pleasure she’d felt could be repeated over and over again as long as he was taking her blood and touching her at the same time. Even though he’d made her come really hard it had been only once—she still wanted more.

  Don’t be greedy, Sarah, she scolded herself. And don’t wish for more than you can have.

  She was still certain that a permanent relationship between them was impossible. They were only together here because he needed her to act as his wife and he needed her blood. Once they got back to the Mother Ship they would probably have a much more normal and boring boss and assistant relationship.

  Sarah told herself she didn’t care, though. She intended to enjoy her special time with Sazar as long as she could.

  “…at the chample farm,” Chandra was saying and she realized she’d missed the first part of the sentence.

  “I’m sorry?” she said. “What did you say?”

  “That you can eat at the chample farm—there will be samples from all the different varieties there and as the honored guests you’ll get to try them all.”

  Alien produce samples wasn’t exactly what Sarah had had in mind for breakfast but it looked like that was the best they were going to get. With a sigh, she looked at Sazar, who shrugged.

  “All right,” she told Chandra. “Let’s go to the chample farm.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The brilliant artificial sunlight wasn’t as taxing on Sazar as it had been the day before. Doubtless that was because of the sweet blood Sarah had offered him so freely.

  She actually wanted me to drink from her breast.