Falling for Kindred Claus: A Kindred Tales Novel (Brides of the Kindred) Read online

  “Unless you’re pregnant,” Sophie said anxiously. “It’s not safe for pregnant women to fold space.”

  Lisa snorted. “Zero chance of that. “It’s been a while since I…well, you know.”

  “No man in your life then?” Liv asked sympathetically. “Okay, this is going to pinch just for a minute,” she added as she gave Lisa the shot of translation bacteria. Lisa had opted for the shot since she didn’t mind needles and it was supposed to be the quicker method to get the bacteria into her bloodstream.

  “Not anymore.” She winced a little as the needle bit into the flesh of her upper arm. “Let’s just say I got out of a very bad relationship six months ago and I’m not interested in going back.”

  Not like Cameron could find her up here, she thought with some satisfaction. The asshole was probably still driving around Miami somewhere, wondering where she had run off to.

  Bet he’d never guess I ran off to the Mother Ship—and from there to a planet sixty thousand light years away, Lisa thought, smiling grimly to herself. At least she didn’t have to worry about having the same kind of Christmas Eve this year as the horror show she’d had last year.

  “So, you and Commander Asher must have really hit it off while he was playing Santa to your elf,” Liv remarked, finishing the shot and slapping a band-aid on Lisa’s arm with a grin.

  “I don’t know if you could say we hit it off,” Lisa said cautiously. “It was pretty rough, to be honest. He doesn’t seem to know anything at all about Christmas or Santa or any of it.”

  “Well, our holiday traditions seem pretty weird to our Kindred guys,” Sophie said. “But they put up with them because they love us.”

  “Happy wife, happy life,” Kat agreed, grinning. “Okay, doll—I’ve got a few things ready for you here. If Liv is done poking you, how about you try some on to make sure I got the measurements right?”

  Lisa was happy to oblige her. She went behind a screen Kat had set up in her “sewing room” and pulled off her jeans and sweater to try on one of the several outfits Kat had laid out.

  The first one was a clingy blue wrap dress with a plunging V-neckline which clung to her curves like it was painted on.

  “Uh…” Lisa stepped hesitantly out from behind the screen. “Is this how it’s supposed to fit? I kind of leaves nothing to the imagination.”

  “Yup, that’s perfect!” Kat exclaimed with delight. “That’s the latest Chorkay fashion.”

  “It looks really good on you,” Sophie assured her. “It really highlights your curves.”

  “It matches her eyes too!” Liv exclaimed. “Look at that—the color of the dress is the exact same color of Lisa’s eyes!”

  Kat and Sophie leaned in close for a look and marveled over the match too.

  “That’s the color the Chorkay call ‘Sacred Blue’,” Kat explained. “They all have blue skin, you know, but this particular color is supposed to be the most desirable shade.” She winked at Lisa. “I bet you’re going to be very popular there, doll!”

  “Thank you,” Lisa said sincerely. “I’ll certainly be thinking of you when I wear it to the coronation, tomorrow.”

  “Oh, that’s not your coronation gown,” Kat protested. This is.”

  She handed Lisa a massive gauzy pile of fabric in every shade of blue imaginable and nodded at her. “Go on—try it on. Or do you need some help?”

  “Um, I might need help,” Lisa said uncertainly. “This looks kind of complicated.”

  “Here, let me.” Kat went behind the screen with her this time. She helped Lisa out of the blue wrap dress and frowned. “Hey, what happened to the back of your thighs?” she asked Lisa. “You’re all scratched up.”

  “Am I?” Lisa tried to look over her own shoulder but it was nearly impossible to get a look at the backs of her own thighs.

  “Here.” Kat whipped out a small, compact viewer and gave her a better look.

  “Oh, my!” Lisa looked with concern at the red scratches that decorated the backs of her legs. She tried to think how such a thing could have happened and suddenly remembered falling into the fake holly plant outside Santa’s Workshop when she’d first run into Asher. She had only been wearing the thin red and white candy cane striped stockings, which had obviously been no protection at all.

  “How did that happen?” Kat asked, wincing. “It looks painful—almost like somebody whipped you. You’re not into BDSM, are you?”

  “Kat!” Liv and Sophie both exclaimed from the other side of the screen.

  “Like she’d want to tell you if she was,” Liv added.

  “No, I’m not,” Lisa said quickly. “I just fell into a holly bush at work tonight.” Quickly she told them about how she’d run directly into Asher and fallen on her ass in the fake holly.

  “Oh my God, I can just see that happening!” Kat exclaimed, laughing. “Well, you’re not actually bleeding or anything so I guess you’ll probably be okay.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Lisa said. “Just help me on with this coronation gown.”

  “Of course. Here—it goes like this…”

  Kat slipped the gown over Lisa’s head and showed her how to arrange the complicated layers.

  The gauzy fabric was so light it kept trying to float up into the air and the finished effect reminded Lisa of a fancy, old fashioned peignoir. It was a pale, delicate blue up top and had an empire waistline that ended just below her breasts. Beneath the waistline, many floating layers like a flower’s petals fell in gradual waves of ever deepening blue to her ankles where the gown was such a dark blue it was almost black. A pair of strappy silver sandals went with the outfit, making her feel like a fairy princess.

  The only problem she could see with the gown was the fact that it was so sheer she could see her bra and panties right through it.

  “This is gorgeous,” she said, looking down at herself doubtfully. “But, well…”

  “Well what, doll? Spit it out,” Kat encouraged.

  “Well, I mean—is it really supposed to be so, uh, see-through?” Lisa asked. “I mean, everyone will be able to see my underwear right through it.”

  “Oh, no they won’t—because you won’t be wearing any underwear,” Kat declared. “Not with that outfit, at least.”

  “Won’t be wearing underwear?” Lisa exclaimed. “But then…what are those?”

  She pointed to a matching set of underwear—a folded bra and panties that looked almost the exact same color as her own pale skin tones.

  “Oh, those are your purification garments,” Kat explained. “The ones you’re going to wear when you go through the purifying ritual tonight when you get to Helios Beta.”

  “Purification ritual?” Lisa asked, frowning. “What in the world is that?”

  “It’s the reason you’re going tonight instead of tomorrow,” Kat informed her. “The Chorkays believe that you must be ritually purified in order to attend the coronation of their Potentate and apparently it takes some time. Otherwise you could just fold space tomorrow morning and appear there instantly, just in time for the ceremony.”

  “And I’m supposed to wear those when I get, uh, purified?” Lisa reached for the garments and unfolded them. “What the hell?” she exclaimed, looking them over. “Am I really supposed to wear these?”

  “What? What is she supposed to wear?” Sophie asked from the other side of the screen.

  “We want to see too!” Liv chimed in.

  Lisa came out from around the screen and showed the flesh-colored bra and panties to the two sisters. Both of them got incredulous looks on their faces and no wonder, Lisa thought! Printed on the bra part of the purification outfit were two perfectly realistic-looking nipples complete with wide pink bands for the areolas.

  But the panties, if possible, were even worse. Printed on the front of them was a neatly trimmed patch of brown pubic hair and below that, a very realistic-looking vagina complete with partially parted lips which showed a pink clit.

  “Oh my God!” Liv said blankly, starin