Cursed: Brides of the Kindred 13 (60 page)

“No, it would be giving me the best six months of my life,” Charlotte said quietly. “Look, I’m going into this with my eyes open, Stav. Six months isn’t much. But it’s a hell of a lot better than nothing. If that’s all I can have with the guy I love, then I’ll take it.”

“I can’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest, shutting her out as best he could. “I can’t bond you to me—not for such a short period. It wouldn’t be right or fair. I won’t do it.”

For a moment he thought Charlotte was going to lose her temper. She was clenching her little hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms so hard he could feel the sharp pain of it in his own hands. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and seemed to force herself to relax.

“Okay,” she said at last, opening her eyes again. “If we can’t have a romantic relationship, can we at least be friends?”

“Friends…of course.” The words sounded hollow in his ears but he told himself that he was doing the right thing. He tried to smile. “I’d like that—friends.”

“Good. And friends help each other out, right?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well…yes.” He frowned, uncertain of where this was going. “Why, do you have a problem I can help you with?”

“As a matter of fact, I
do.”

To his surprise, she hopped off the bed and went over to the door of his room. With a quick snick of the lock, she secured the door and then came back and sat facing him on the bed.

“There. Now we won’t be bothered while you help me.”

“While I help you what, Charlotte?” he asked warily. “What do you want?”

“Well…I have all these little scratches—I think I got it in the Hall of the Collective during all the craziness after the power net caught on fire. And for some reason they just won’t heal.” She frowned.

“Oh? Was that while you were trying to revive me?” Stav raised an eyebrow at her.

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or maybe as I was being dragged off the edge of the platform by Two and nearly got dropped to my death.”

“Charlotte! Gods!” He took her hand in his. “I didn’t know—”

“It’s all right,” she said tartly. “You were a little too busy being dead to notice all the little details. But the point is, I hurt myself and I don’t know why but it won’t heal. Maybe because of the metal the platform was made of? I don’t know.”

“I don’t
feel
any pain coming from you,” he remarked.

“Well, it doesn’t hurt much but I’d rather not walk around all scratched up,” she said. “It doesn’t exactly look very nice. Can I show you?”

Her hand was hovering over the tie at the side of her dark green dress and Stav knew he ought to say no. But somehow he found himself nodding instead.

“Good. Thank you.” Charlotte untied her dress and spread it open, revealing the black lacy undergarments with little red roses embroidered along the edges. As Stav had guessed, he could see the ripe pink points of her nipples poking against the thin black material. She was wearing a tiny pair of black lacy panties that matched.

Though she was breathtakingly beautiful, Stav didn’t see a problem.

He looked up at her, frowning.

“Where are the scratches?”

“Well, that’s the thing…” She bit her lip. “They’re kind of in some awkward places. I mean, no place you haven’t already seen but still…” Her hands were hovering over the front clasp of the silky black top. “Do you mind?”

Stav’s mouth was suddenly dry. Did he mind looking at her bare breasts?
You ought to mind!
a guilty voice in his head proclaimed. But somehow he just found himself shaking his head.

“No, I…go on.”

“Thanks, Stav.” Charlotte smiled at him gratefully and then she was unfastening her top and pealing it apart, revealing the full mounds of her breasts. She pointed to the inner slopes which were marked with long red scratches that ran diagonally across her flesh almost to her nipples on either side. “See? I think it happened when Two dragged me off the platform.”

“Those look…painful.” Stav traced one of the scratches gently with his finger being careful not to touch the tight little bud of her nipple.

“They are in the shower. I just don’t know why they won’t heal—they’re really ugly.” She made a face.

“Nothing about you is ugly, Charlotte.” He placed a hand gently on her hip. “What do you want me to do?”

“Well, remember you told me that Blood Kindred could heal their mates with their essence? And that your body thought I was your mate?” Her cheeks were pink but she kept talking. “So I thought…maybe if you licked them…”

Stav cleared his throat.

“Well…”

“I mean, as one friend doing a favor for another,” she went on quickly. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“I suppose not. It’s not as if I would be licking you for any purpose other than healing.” He coughed. “I suppose we could try it though I don’t guarantee it would work.”

“If you’d just
try
that would be wonderful.” Before he knew it, Charlotte had shed her dress completely and was straddling him on the bed. “Is this all right?” she asked, raising her eyebrows as she thrust her bare breasts into his face.

“Certainly.” Stav’s mouth was suddenly dry again as he took her generous hips in his hands and pulled her closer. He couldn’t help remembering the other times he’d licked her…and how much lower he’d been licking. Beneath the thin black panties he could see the slit of her pussy which was spread wide as she straddled him. The little pink bud of her clit was peeping out from between her pussy lips, as though begging for attention. Gods, he could smell her warm feminine, secret scent too! His cock hardened and he was glad she was far enough up not to feel it press against her.

Trying to push his lust to one side, he bent his head and began licking the inner slopes of her breats in long, slow strokes from top to bottom. Her skin was salty and warm and perfect—he could feel his fangs elongating, throbbing and begging to bite but he ignored the urge grimly and went on licking.

Charlotte sighed and wound her fingers through his hair, sending shivers through him as he stroked him in just the right way.

“That’s right,” she moaned breathlessly. “God, that really tingles. I think it’s working, Stav—do you?”

He pulled back and looked. The scratches weren’t as red as they had been but they were still noticeable. He also noticed that her nipples had gotten much tighter and more erect, as though they were begging to be sucked. But he tried to keep his voice even and steady as he answered.

“They’re fading some,” he reported, frowning. “But they’re still there.”

Charlotte looked down at herself.

“These aren’t too bad,” she said, nodding to the curves of her breasts. “But what about this one?” She pointed to one long red scratch that ran right across her areola directly beside her left nipple. “Could you pay special attention to that one, Stav?” she begged softly. “It
really
stings.”

To be honest, he didn’t feel much stinging pain coming from her—though he
was
beginning to feel her pleasure as he licked her.
Shouldn’t do this,
he told himself.
It’s too close to her nipple.
But how else was she going to heal? He couldn’t just leave her wounded—could he?

“All right,” he said, brining her close again. “Let me see what I can do…”

Pulling her down so that her full breast was right in front of his face, he dragged the flat of his tongue over the soft mound, making sure to include her areola as well. Of course, he couldn’t help getting her nipple too and he felt the sharp little bolt of pleasure that went through her as her caressed the hard little nub with his tongue.

“Oh, Stav,” she moaned, pressing closer. “Again. And I think it would help if you…you know, sucked it into your mouth. The hurt part, I mean.”

He drew back, frowning. “It’s too close to your nipple to suck—I’d wind up sucking that too.”

“Well…” She bit her lip. “I don’t mind if you don’t. I mean, sometimes friends have to get close to help each other. I understand if you can’t help it and you suck my nipple a little while you’re healing me.”

“Gods…” Stav groaned softly. “I shouldn’t…”

“But Stav, how else am I going to be healed?” she asked innocently, echoing his question to himself earlier. “It’s been days since we got back to the Mother Ship and these scratches just aren’t healing on their own. I don’t want to be scarred for life!”

“No—no of course not. We can’t have that. Very well…” He looked up at her. “I’ll suck on the sore spot some and try to heal you. As long as you agree not to mind if I accidentally suck your nipple too.”

“I don’t mind,” she murmured again. Pressing forward, she rubbed her nipple against his lips. “Go on, Stav—do it. Do whatever you have to—just help me feel better. Please?”

He could deny her nothing. With a low groan of need, he opened his mouth and sucked as much of her breast between his lips as he could. He felt her pleasure as the sharp points of his fangs bracketed her tight peak and it made him want to suck harder, to send those sparks of pleasure from the sensitive tips of her breasts to the hot, needy spot between her thighs.

As he thought it, he felt Charlotte settle down against him in just the right place. Her pussy lips parted and he felt her warm wetness cradling the length of his shaft right through the thin little panties she wore as well as his sleep trousers.

“The other one’s hurt too,” she gasped, when he finally pulled back, letting her wet, swollen nipple slide from between his lips.

“All right but I think…maybe we should change positions.” Stav shifted uncomfortably. Gods, he shouldn’t take such pleasure in the feeling of her pressed against his shaft but he couldn’t help it!

“Oh!” Charlotte looked down between their legs. “Oh, no—I’m getting your trousers all wet!” she exclaimed, raising up a little to show the crotch of her panties.

Stavros had to swallow hard when he saw how wet the thin black fabric of her little undergarments had become. They were drenched with her juices and clinging transparently to her plump pussy lips which were spread wide from rubbing against his hard shaft.

But it was his own trousers that Charlotte seemed concerned about.

“Just look at that!” she exclaimed, pointing to the wet spot which had formed in the silky black fabric over the hard ridge of his cock. “I’m
ruining
them.”

“I do not think it will be a problem,” Stav protested hoarsely. “We can continue if you want me to heal the scratches on your other breast.”

“I do but I don’t want to ruin your clothes. Here—I have an idea. What if we just pulled these down?”

She was already tugging at the waistband of his sleep trousers as she spoke and before Stav could stop her, she had them down to his thighs and his hard shaft had sprung free.

“Charlotte,” he growled. “I do not think this ‘idea’ of yours is a very good one.”

“Why?” She blinked at him innocently. “This way your clothes won’t get ruined if I accidentally brush against you again.”

“Don’t you think this is a lot more than ‘friendly?” Stav demanded, raising an eyebrow at her. Not that he didn’t enjoy the feeling of her lush body against his but this was stressing his self control to the
limit
.

“Well, friendship is overrated,” Charlotte said, smiling a little. “But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to take off my panties.”

“Well…”

“Please, Stav? Look, even though your trousers are down, it’s not like we’ll be rubbing against each other without clothes on. Let me show you.”

Before he could stop her, Charlotte lowered herself down onto him again so that her open pussy lips cradled his hard shaft. Stav groaned at the erotic sight of her little cunt spreading open to receive him beneath the flimsy barrier of the transparent black panties.

“See?” she panted. “We’re not really touching much at all and this way you can heal me without me making a mess of your clothes.”

Stav knew he ought to say no—ought to push her off his lap and tell her to get out. Every minute he was getting closer to bonding her, to doing what he had sworn he would never do. And yet somehow, he couldn’t stop.

I’ll just heal her other breast and then I’ll send her away,
he promised himself.
And that’s all—I’m just going to heal her. Nothing else!

With this justification in mind, he pulled her forward with a low groan and sucked her other tight, sensitive peak into his mouth.

Charlotte moaned and writhed against him, pressing down hard and rubbing up and down the length of his aching cock as he nursed her tight peak.

“God, Stav,” she gasped, rolling her hips in a rhythm that made him half crazy with lust. “Feels so good when you heal me!”

It felt good to Stav too, and not just because he was thrusting up against her, joining the forbidden dance she had started. He could also feel her pleasure more strongly than ever before. The sharp little sparks that started in her wet inner pussy and sensitive clit as he rubbed against her… the throbbing need at her channel as she ached to be filled…the tight way her pussy entrance contracted as just the head of his cock slipped briefly into her…