Enslaved (Brides of the Kindred Book 14) (25 page)

“
Especially
after the display we put on.” He
raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you hear her? ‘You should avail yourself of the
bathing facilities’ he mocked in a surprisingly good imitation of their hostess.
“‘A nice hot bath and massage should make you feel like new again.’”

Trin was torn between laughter and anxiety.

“My Goddess, you’re right,” she whispered. “She all
but ordered me to take a bath.”

“No, she ordered
me
to
give
you a
bath,” Thrace
corrected her. “The question is, do you want me to? Or do you want to go?”

Trin bit her lip. “If we go, everything will all be
for nothing. Lady Malroth will make sure I can never trade on Yonnie Six again
and there’s no other market for
Jaxite
crystals. I’ll lose
The
Alacrity
and all my crew will go begging.”

“Well, you’ll get to keep me, at least.” Thrace
gave her a crooked little smile.

“That’s right.” Trin sighed. “You won’t let me give
you your freedom until the debt is paid.”

“Damn right, I won’t.” He frowned. “Not that I
could ever really fully repay you. But this is a start at least.”

“So…” Trin bit her lip. “You wouldn’t mind…”

“Trin…” Thrace cupped her cheek and looked
into her eyes. “You’re not seriously going to ask me if I mind washing you and
running my hands over your sweet, naked body, are you?”

Trin drew a deep breath and lifted her chin. Time
to speak bluntly. “I know you don’t mind but will it be
safe
to do this?
Especially when you…desire me the way you say you do.”

“Don’t worry,” Thrace said, frowning. “That was
just the dream gas. I can control myself, no matter how badly I want you.” He
looked into her eyes. “You can trust me, Trin,” he said softly. “I’ll never
take what you don’t want to give.”

“Good. That makes me feel better.” She sighed.
Everything to do with males was so complicated! Even back when she was still
trying to date her own sex, she’d never felt the need to have a conversation
like this. But Thrace
was so huge—so much bigger and stronger than her it seemed necessary. Especially
now that he was no longer wearing the pain collar. Not that she felt like he
needed one but still…

“Well then…should we begin?” He rose from the
sleeping platform and sketched a little bow. “I’ll run your bath, shall I,
Mistress?”

“Yes, I…I suppose so.” Trin bit her lip as he
disappeared into the fresher. Was she actually going to get naked into a warm
bath and let the big Havoc run his hands all over her nude body?

From inside the fresher, she heard water begin to
splash in the tub.

Oh Goddess, it seemed she was.

Chapter
Twenty

The water was steamy and just this side of too hot
but Thrace
didn’t think Trin would mind. She was going to need to be relaxed to let him do
this and the heated water swirling around her should do the trick. He hoped,
anyway. He couldn’t wait to touch her…to run his hands all over her warm,
naked, soapy body but he knew how nervous she was about it.

Soon the big black marble tub was filled with hot
water and pale pink bubbles. These had come from a softly floral scented bath
solution he’d found on the sink. It smelled good so Thrace had dumped it in and this
was the result. He hoped she liked it. Surveying the bubble filled tub, he
nodded to himself and went to get her.

Trin was sitting on the side of the sleeping
platform biting her lip, her legs tightly crossed and her hands clenched
tightly in her lap. The look on her face said she wasn’t looking forward to
this…not one little bit.

Thrace
felt his heart twist in his chest at her obvious
anxiety. Gods, he wished she could just relax and enjoy this! More than
anything he wanted to bring her pleasure, wanted to serve her as a real
love-slave would serve his mistress. He wanted to caress her, to soothe her, to
make her so relaxed she purred under his touch and moaned for more. But could
he do it?

I’m
damn well going to try!
He swore
silently to himself that he would wipe that nervous look off her lovely face
and replace it with one of bliss if he possibly could. He wanted to make this a
night she would always remember…a night she would never want to forget.

“Mistress?” he said softly and she looked up with a
start. “Mistress,” he murmured again. “Your bath is ready.”

“Oh…all right. Then I guess I’d better…” She got
off the sleeping platform and started to undress but Thrace stopped her.

“Let me,” he murmured. “Let me do everything for
you, tonight. Let me take care of you.”

Trin looked at him wonderingly, her face suddenly
clear.

“You really
want
to, don’t you? This isn’t
just an act to you.”

“Of course I want to.” Thrace tried to make his words
light and teasing. “I’m your slave, Mistress…your love-slave. And a good slave
always wants to take care of his mistress.”

Before she could reply, he was unfastening the
straps that held her dress in place. He unsnapped the front panel of lace which
covered her breasts and let it hang free and then pushed the rest of the gown
down her full hips to puddle in a small heap at her dainty feet.

Trin shivered and crossed her arms over her breasts
protectively but she made no move to stop him when Thrace knelt at her feet and hooked
his fingers through the thin strings that served as the sides of her panties.
Slowly he drew them down, revealing her warm, ripe pussy at last.

Gods, she looked beautiful with her plump, naked
lips on display, berry dark in the center of her thighs! She smelled amazing
too—her soft, feminine fragrance made him half crazy. He had the sudden urge to
press his face to the place between her thighs and breathe her in while marking
her with his own scent. Marking her as his for all time. Then he would spread
those juicy outer pussy lips and take a long, slow taste of her creamy inner
cunt…

No!

Thrace
knew he couldn’t do that—any of it. Trin was
allowing him to do this—to bathe her and handle her naked body—because she
trusted him. One wrong move could lose that trust which was the last thing he
wanted. But Gods, he wished he could do something to bring her
pleasure…something to show her how much he felt for her…

A sudden flicker in the corner of his eye caught
his attention. The darkened viewscreen across from the bed had begun to glow.
Suddenly, Thrace
had an idea.

“Mistress,” he said, looking up at her. “May I make
obeisance to you?”

*
* * * *

“What…what do you mean?” Trin looked at him
uncertainly. “You mean…like you did when we were announced before the feast?”

Slowly, he nodded.

“I want to show my respect to you before I bathe
you,” he murmured and his eyes flicked to the viewscreen on the wall opposite
the sleeping platform. Though it had been dark when they came in, Trin saw that
it was on now and glowing a soft blue. Was someone on the other side of it
watching them? Was that why Thrace
was asking to “make obeisance” to her? And should she allow it?

Well,
you’re about to allow his hands all over you while he bathes you,
a little voice in her head pointed out.
Might as
well allow this too. After all, Lady Tam-tam expects a show and if she doesn’t
get one that pleases her, all this will be for nothing.

With that rationalization in mind, she nodded
slowly.

“I…suppose you may.”

“Thank you, Mistress,” Thrace rumbled and Trin braced
herself, expecting him to lean forward and kiss between her thighs, as he had
in the banquet hall. Instead, he rose so that he was standing before her.
Leaning down, he tilted her chin up and took her lips in a soft, breathless
kiss as tender as his earlier kisses by the dream sphere fountain had been
savage.

Despite her inward resolve to simply hold still and
allow this without participating, Trin couldn’t help kissing him back. She
wasn’t sure if this was proper during the obeisance or not but she didn’t
really care. His mouth on hers was so warm and gentle…so addictive. She
couldn’t help returning the sweet caress of his lips and twining her tongue
with his—he tasted of some exotic spice she couldn’t name. The kiss ended much
too soon, as far as she was concerned.

Before she had fully caught her breath, Thrace
sat on the sleeping platform before her and put his hands on her hips. He slid
them up until they were on either side of her breasts.

“Mistress?” he murmured, looking into her eyes,
making the title a question.

Trin knew what he was asking.

“Yes,” she whispered, nodding her head. “Go…go
ahead.”

Without another word, he cupped her bare breasts in
his big, warm hands and bent his head to place a soft, hot kiss on her right
nipple.

Trin bit back a gasp as she felt the heat of his
mouth against her sensitive bud. He didn’t lick or suck her at all but the kiss
was definitely open mouthed and she could feel his warmth surrounding her as he
took his time, kissing her naked nipple as slowly and tenderly as he had kissed
her mouth.

When he at last moved on to her left nipple, Trin’s
breathing was getting fast and her pulse was racing. Goddess, she shouldn’t be
letting him do this! Shouldn’t let a male put his mouth on her body this way!
And yet, she felt helpless to tell him to stop. Helpless to do anything but
watched as he enveloped her left nipple, covering it completely in a warm, wet
kiss that made her knees feel weak.

Her heart was pounding when Thrace at last drew back and
released her breasts. He slid to the floor before her so that his mouth was
level with her inner thighs, as it had been when he removed her panties.

“Mistress?” he asked again, looking up at her.

Goddess…
Trin clenched her hands into fists as tension
flowed through her.
Shouldn’t do this…shouldn’t let him…
And yet the
viewscreen was glowing blue…someone was watching. Someone was expecting a show.
In order to stay in Lady Tam-tam’s good graces, she had to give them one.

She told herself that was the only reason she
nodded her ascent. That and the fact that he had been utterly respectful while
kissing her breasts. He hadn’t tried to suck her nipples into his mouth—which
she could
not
have allowed. Instead he had kissed her gently and
carefully and if she’d felt his tongue on her, well, it was only a small
flicker, as if he couldn’t help tasting her just a little bit.

That was why she didn’t gasp or try to move away
when he moved closer and put a hand on her inner thigh.

“Mistress,” he murmured, looking up at her. “Would
you spread your legs for me a little? I can’t reach you otherwise.”

Trin bit her lip.

“You…you reached me just fine before, when you paid
obeisance before the feast,” she pointed out breathlessly.

“Yes…” Thrace’s silver-blue eyes were
half-lidded with lust. “But then I was only kissing your panties. This time I
am paying obeisance to your pussy and I want to do it properly.”

“I…you do?” Trin wished her voice didn’t come out
sounding so high and girly. She tried again. “What do you mean by…properly?”
she made herself ask in a somewhat lower and more steady tone.

“I must worship your entire pussy—must pay
obeisance to both your outer pussy lips and your inner cunt,” he rumbled,
looking up at her. “As is proper and right.”

“I…I don’t think…”

“You know I’ll be gentle,” he promised, stroking
her inner thigh with one big, warm hand. “And I swear it will just be a kiss—I
won’t penetrate you, not even with my tongue. I’ll treat your pussy with the
same reverence and respect I used towards your mouth and nipples, Mistress.”

“Well…” Trin could feel herself weakening. Surely
it couldn’t hurt to let him do this, she reasoned with herself. Not when it was
just a kiss and he wasn’t even using his tongue. “All right,” she said at last
and Thrace
gave her a slow smile.

“Thank you, Mistress,” he murmured. “Now, please
spread yourself for me.”

Trin did as he said, though it made her blush to do
so. She opened her thighs for him, allowing him better access to her pussy. But
this clearly wasn’t enough for Thrace.

With a low growl, he lifted her right thigh and
placed it over his broad, left shoulder.

Trin gasped and had to keep her balance by grabbing
his other shoulder with one hand. At the same time, she could feel that the new
position had opened her considerably. Looking down she saw that her outer pussy
lips were spread wide, showing the creamy inner part of her cunt which was
already wet with her juices.

A
male! A male made you that way—made you wet. Made you want him, want his kiss
and
more,
whispered a condemning little voice in her brain.

“Goddess!” Trin whispered. Unable to look, she
closed her eyes on the shameful sight. But then she heard Thrace calling her.

“No, baby,” he said softly when she opened her eyes
to look at him. “Watch me do this…watch me honor your sweet little pussy…watch
me pay obeisance to your cunt.”

“Thrace…”
she whispered and found that once again, she was caught in the trap of his
silver-blue gaze, completely unable to look away.

“That’s right, Mistress,” he murmured, leaning towards
her, never taking his eyes from hers. “Watch me honor you.”

Then his hot, open mouth was connecting with her
trembling pussy, bathing her in heat, making Trin gasp and then moan as she
felt his warmth envelope her, claming her completely.

The kiss seemed to last forever, even longer than
the ones he’d placed on her lips and nipples. As before, he didn’t attempt to
suck her in any way but Trin
did
feel the lightest flicker of his tongue
over the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center. She moaned and jumped but
didn’t pull away. It felt too good and the sight was too hypnotic. Goddess, she
couldn’t believe she was letting him do this and yet she couldn’t get enough of
it!

Thrace
deepened the kiss for a moment and just for an
instant she thought she felt his tongue press against her more fully. Then he
was pulling away, his lips shiny with her juices, his eyes filled with need.

“Thank you, Mistress,” he said hoarsely. “Thank you
for allowing me to honor you.” He licked his lips slowly and then rose from the
floor. “And now, it’s time to get you in the bath.”

Trin gasped when the big Havoc swept her up in his
arms again. She supposed she ought to be getting used to this mode of transport
by now—after all, he didn’t seem to mind carrying her and he did it quite
often. Still, this was the first time he’d carried her when she was completely
nude.

It’s
fine. I’ll be fine,
she told
herself nervously. But her stomach told a different story, quivering like a
thousand shimmerflies had taken off inside it at once. Thrace was still bare chested and
his skin felt warm—almost hot against her own. But not nearly as hot as the
water when he slid her gently into it.

Trin hissed as the steam rose around her.

“Are you trying to bathe me or boil me?” she asked,
trying to keep her tone light.

“I thought it would help you relax,” he murmured.
“Would you like me to add some cold?”

“No…no this is good.” She sighed and twisted her
hair up on top of her head before it could get all wet. “I’ll get used to it.”

“I won’t,” Thrace said, his eyes still
half-lidded. “I could never get used to seeing your beauty revealed like this.
Never get used to worshiping you with my mouth.”