Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Still, Courick had tried his best to ignore her. She was at least ten years younger than him—if not more. And even if she hadn’t been, he had sworn an oath long ago never to call another bride. His first Joining had ended in disaster and death—he had vowed before the Goddess that he would never put himself through that again. He hadn’t been able to keep his first mate safe—he didn’t deserve another, especially not one as beautiful and curvy as Addison.
His vow had been easy to keep…until his new assistant came into his life. He usually never even noticed females at all, but she was impossible not to notice. Maybe it was because she was so small and yet so fiery. She had a generally sunny disposition but she could have flashes of temper and stubbornness that made him want to punish her somehow. Though of course, that was completely outside his jurisdiction—he was her superior at work, not her Master or her mate.
Not that the Kindred believed in corporal punishment—a warrior might give his mate a light spanking if their relationship dynamic went in that direction—but anything else went against their nature. They worshipped the Goddess and believed that all females had a spark of divinity in them—they should be protected and cared for, not punished or hurt.
Which brought him back to the mystery of the welts on his assistant’s plump and luscious behind. They looked painful—so painful that he’d had the urge to take out the med kit and treat them. He had some soothing salve in there that would take down the swelling, at least.
But that would involve rubbing his assistant’s bare ass—a thought which came with equal parts guilt and lust. He shouldn’t be touching any female like that—not even to heal her. Not after the vow he had taken, Courick reminded himself. He shouldn’t even be imagining it—holding her across his lap and rubbing the soothing salve into her soft little bottom to take the sting away while she moaned and sighed and her pussy got wet for him…
There you go again—stop it! he lectured himself. She’s off limits for so many reasons. She works for you, she’s too young for you, and you’d be breaking your vow! So just forget about her!
But he couldn’t forget the welts and bruises. Was Addison in some kind of abusive relationship? He’d been under the impression she was single—she wore no wedding band and no engagement ring and she never talked about having a male in her life. But maybe she was dating a human who was hurting her. Unless she really had met a male in a club…but what kind of club would allow such conduct?
Courick didn’t know, but he intended to find out. It might be outside his jurisdiction, but he was going to follow Addison home, he decided. If the abuser was a boyfriend that lived with her, Courick would give the bastard a lesson in respecting females. But if it turned out that she really had gone to a club where she was beaten, well—he’d make whoever was responsible pay.
You shouldn’t do this—it’s a bad idea to get mixed up in a subordinate’s personal life, a little voice whispered at the back of his head. You already think about her way too much. Seven Hells—you even fucking dream about her. And now you’re going to be stalking her—how is that going to make anything better?
But it wouldn’t really be stalking—he just wanted to protect her, Courick told himself. And as for the dreams, well…he couldn’t help those. They just…happened.
He’d had an especially vivid one the night before about the time she’d gone under his desk to pick up the paperwork she’d dropped. Only in his dream, she hadn’t just been picking up paperwork—she’d unfastened the magno tabs that held his uniform trousers together and had peeled them open. Then she’d reached in and encircled his aching cock with her soft little hand. Pulling it out, she lifted her head and looked him right in the eye as she put out her soft pink tongue and began to swirl it around the broad head of his shaft…
Stop it—stop thinking that way! Courick ordered himself. He couldn’t help having the dream in the first place, but he could certainly keep from dwelling on it in loving detail—right?
He tried to bring his mind back to the subject at hand—finding out who had hurt his assistant and making sure it never happened again. It would take a little finesse, but luckily his Kindred shuttle which transformed to look like an Earth car, had stealth tech, so he should be able to follow her undetected.
I’ll make him pay! Courick swore to himself. Whoever it is that did this to her, I’ll fucking make him pay!
3
ADDISON
Addison sighed as she stepped out of her car with her garment bag and headed across the street to The Torture Palace. She’d given herself a week to heal up and though her ass was still sore, it was no longer quite as tender as it had been. Still, maybe she would just watch tonight, she told herself. After her last experience, she was shy of letting anyone tie her up and whip her again.