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  “Because of biology,” Emily whispered. Her heart was pounding for some reason but she didn’t know why.

  “Exactly.” He nodded. “I think that must have given you the idea that I didn’t care about you as a person.”

  “Well, you didn’t know me as a person,” Emily pointed out.

  “True.” He nodded again. “But even from the first—even before I smelled your sweet, hot scent—I knew something was different about you.” He frowned. “I watched you for over ten of your Earth days, you know, trying to understand what it was…why I was so reluctant to kill you.”

  “You…you did?” She’d known he was hunting her…stalking like a predator stalks prey. But she’d had no idea that he had spent so long just watching and wondering about her.

  “I did.” Gravely, he nodded. “I saw how patient and tender you were with the young ones in your care. And it made me think of…”

  “Of…?” Emily urged gently, because the big Kindred had paused and seemed to be having a hard time continuing.

  “Of my mate,” he said at last, heavily. “My mate and my son.”

  “You’re married?” Emily drew back from him. “Or what do the Kindred call it—joined? You’re joined?”

  “No longer.” His deep voice was harsh and there was a pain in his golden eyes that made her heart ache.

  “Tragar…” she began but he shook his head.

  “No more. I do not wish…I cannot speak of them.”

  “Okay,” Emily said softly. Clearly something really bad had happened. Maybe he and his wife had gone through a bitter divorce and she’d taken his son away to someplace Tragar couldn’t see him?

  “The past is irrelevant,” he said and cleared his throat. “The only reason I bring it up is to say that I saw a gentleness in you—a beauty I could not bear to wipe out of existence. And since then, since I have come to know you, I…” He cleared his throat again, clearly having difficulty choosing his words. “What I’m trying to say is that while the biological imperative to protect a Khalla is incredibly strong, it is not the only reason I am helping you.” He met her eyes. “I also…care for you. Far more than I ever expected I would.”

  “Well…thank you. I, um, care for you too. When we’re not shouting at each other.” Emily smiled, finding herself unexpectedly touched by his stilted little speech. Clearly he wasn’t a guy used to dealing with emotions so making himself open enough to talk to her about what he was feeling—even a little bit—was a significant effort on his part.

  “You are welcome.” He gave her a small sardonic smile. “Also, being a male, I do like ‘boobs.’”

  “Tragar!” She slapped him on one broad shoulder but the sudden motion jiggled her overfull breasts and she gasped.

  “Let us turn our attention to getting your nectar flowing.” He was suddenly serious. “I would not see you in pain, my Khalla.”

  “All right.” Emily wished her voice didn’t sound quite so breathy. “Do…do what you have to do.”

  “I shall. Though the Elders of the Holy Council would consider it blasphemy, I must attempt to suck the nectar from your breasts.”

  Lifting her right breast to his mouth, he drew her swollen nipple between his lips and began to suck.

  Emily gasped at the hot, wet sensation of being enveloped in his mouth. Just as she’d expected, she felt the pleasure building inside her almost at once. Her pussy was suddenly slippery and swollen and her clit was throbbing.

  But to her surprise, the intense pleasure didn’t reach a peak. In the past, every time the big Kindred had touched or played with her nipples, she’d had a series of short, sharp orgasms almost like electric shocks running through her body. This time it was as though an electrical charge was building up inside her but it couldn’t find a way out. After a moment, she moaned in frustration—God, why couldn’t she come?

  Tragar pulled back, a worried look on his face. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, not exactly.” Emily bit her lip, unwilling to say what the real problem was. After all, she shouldn’t want to come in his arms, should she? Hadn’t she just been thinking about how embarrassing it was going to be?

  Ought to be glad it didn’t happen, she told herself sternly. But she couldn’t help feeling put on edge, like the pleasure or the charge or whatever it was, was building up inside her with no outlet…nowhere to go. She wondered if Tragar was going to go on but he was looking at her full breast and frowning.

  “Nothing,” he muttered. “Not a drop. What can be the problem?”

  Emily shifted uncomfortably in his lap. She knew exactly what the problem was—what was keeping her breasts from releasing their amber nectar. But the voice in the back of her head, the voice that sounded like Grandy See-er, wouldn’t let her tell him.

  It must remain a secret, little Mistress! No one must know, especially not him! You must not tell, hissed the voice and Emily found she was powerless to disobey it, even though she was beginning to want to.

  “I’ll try the other one,” Tragar decided. He looked at Emily. “With your permission, Khalla?”

  “Oh, um…sure, go ahead.” Emily nodded, feeling her heart speed up again. She wondered if she would come this time, if the building sexual tension would finally be released.

  But though Tragar took her pink nipple deep in his mouth and sucked as hard as he could, nothing happened. Well, not exactly nothing, Emily thought. The sexual pleasure continued to grow until she was writhing all over his lap, almost unable to sit still anymore. But still she couldn’t come, though her clit was throbbing and she felt like she was right on the edge. And still her nectar didn’t flow.

  At last the big Kindred released her nipple and sat back, panting a little and looking worried.

  “Nothing,” he growled. “I cannot taste even a hint of your nectar but I know it is there—your breasts are so full of it they must ache.”

  “They do,” Emily admitted. In fact, the longer this went on, the worse her breasts hurt. Even the feel of his big, warm hands on her swollen globes wasn’t helping her much now. “What are we going to do?” she asked, feeling desperate. “Is there any kind of medicine or surgery…”

  “No, nothing like that.” Tragar looked at her, frowning. “There is one more thing I can try but I do not know how you will feel about it.”

  “About what?” Emily looked at him uncertainly.

  “Pleasure.” He took a deep breath. “I believe that if I could bring you pleasure—bring you to sexual release—that might free your nectar and allow it to flow.”

  “Oh, uh…” Emily could feel her cheeks getting red. “I mean, how would you…how do you want to do that? I mean, most of the time when you just, you know, pinch and squeeze my nipples, I, uh, come just from that. But this time…”

  “This time nipple play isn’t bringing you to the peak,” he said, nodding. “I know.”

  “You can tell?” Emily demanded.

  “Of course I can, my Khalla,” Tragar rumbled. “The soft noises of pleasure you make when you come are unmistakable.”

  “They…they are?”

  He nodded. “There is also the way your pale skin flushes a rosy pink, your rapid breathing, and most of all, your scent. It gets so sweet and hot when you come I can barely resist dropping to my knees to taste your desire right from the source.”

  “You mean…you want to…Oh, but I couldn’t let you do that. I mean, I don’t…”

  “Peace, my Khalla.” Tragar stroked her hot cheek gently, as though to soothe her. “I never meant to say that is how I would bring you to the peak of pleasure now.”

  “No? You wouldn’t? I mean you won’t?” Emily tried to still her pounding heart. Just the thought of him between her legs, kissing and tasting her there, made her feel breathless and frightened and uncertain all at once.

  “No,” he shook his head. “All I want to do is to touch you…to stroke and caress your soft little pussy until you come for me…come on my fingers as I trace your swollen clit and