Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
She looked up, her silver-grey eyes flashing defiance. “Even if I deny you? Even if I won’t…won’t give you what you want?”
Baird sighed. What had he done to earn this level of enmity from her? If it hadn’t been for the long months of dream-sharing he might almost have been tempted to think he had the wrong woman. But no, there was no mistaking her sweet scent. Olivia was the one, she just didn’t want to admit it.
“Yes,” he said softly, looking into her eyes. “Even if you won’t give me what I want. What I need. Because make no mistake about it, Lilenta, I need you, need to touch and taste and kiss your soft, sweet body the way I need my next breath. But if you want to make me wait, well…” He shrugged even though his heart was heavy. “That’s your choice.”
Her eyes went wide and they stared at each other for a long moment. Baird could feel the heat rising in her again, just as it had when he held her in his lap on the journey up to the ship but all her body language said she wouldn’t welcome his advances. What could he do to get through her barriers?
“All done.” It was Sylvan who broke the uncomfortable silence that had grown between them. For once Baird was grateful that his half-brother was a talkative male.
“All done?” Olivia looked down at her hurt foot in disbelief. “But…I didn’t feel anything.”
“I know. I numbed the area before removing the glass.” Sylvan smiled at her and held up a small, clear vacuum tube with a small shiny speck floating in its null-grav center. “Thanks for distracting her,” he said to Baird, as though the whole scenario had been pre-planned. “It made it a lot easier to heal her without hurting her.”
“Heal me?” Incredulously, Olivia looked at the bottom of her foot. “Hey, I’m not bleeding anymore. In fact…” She examined herself more closely. “I don’t even see any break in the skin at all.”
Sylvan nodded. “I told you—I healed you.”
“But…but how?” Olivia looked upset. “I wanted to see! You Kindred are so secretive and that was one thing I was looking forward to, actually seeing alien medical technology.”
“Sorry.” Sylvan shrugged. “If you’re really that interested you can observe in one of our wellness centers.”
She nodded eagerly. “I’d like that. When?”
“Not until after our claiming period is over,” Baird rumbled, scooping her off the table and holding her close to his chest. “For now we need to get to my suite.”
“But, my things…” She looked upset. “My sister Sophia is supposed to be bringing them to the HKR building. Will I still be able to get them?”
Baird frowned. Now that she was well and in his arms again all he wanted was to get her back to his suite. The sooner they were alone together, the better as far as he was concerned. She needed time for his scent to work on her, time to realize they belonged together. “We’ll have someone pick them up,” he promised.
Sylvan nodded. “I’ll go back for them myself, mate of my kin,” he said formally to Olivia. “You and Baird just get settled in his suite and don’t worry about anything.”
“Mate of my kin, huh?” She gave him a crooked smile. “I, uh, guess that’s your version of ‘sister-in-law’ huh?”
“It’s what we call the bride of our siblings,” Baird told her. “And since you’re my bride—”
“You say that the same way you’d say I was your property,” she interrupted him, frowning. “Like I’m some kind of chattel to be bought and sold.”
“Didn’t mean it like that,” he protested but she was already wriggling in his arms to get down.
“I can walk now,” she reminded him. “Do you mind?”
Baird did mind, very much. He’d been hoping to hold her for as long as he could, had been planning to take the longest route possible to his suite in order to be close to her for longer in fact. But seeing the angry look in her beautiful eyes, he decided the wisest thing was probably to set her down, which he did.
Chapter Seven
Liv tried not to wince as the hard cold metal floor met her bare feet again. She had the feeling Baird hadn’t wanted to put her down but that was just too damn bad. She’d already made up her mind that until she was contractually obligated to touch him, she wasn’t going anywhere near the big Kindred warrior. Being close to him felt dangerous somehow, as though she might lose control of herself if she wasn’t careful. Of course that was silly, there was no way she was going to lose it and jump his bones even if he did look freaking amazing with his shirt off.
Just thinking about that made her feel like blushing. God, she’d really made a fool out of herself when he took off the crimson shirt that was still draped over her shoulders. Had her tongue been hanging out? She wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been. She’d felt like an idiot but she hadn’t been able to stop staring.