Enhanced: Brides of the Kindred 12 (The Brides of the Kindred) (17 page)

But just then, Six pulled back.

“I…” He looked at her uncertainly. “I…did
not know that a kiss was like that. There is a certain…intensity to the
experience.”

“It certainly
was
intense.” Mei-Li
gave a shaky laugh. To be honest, she didn’t know when she’d ever had a more
passionate kiss which was strange since Six wasn’t supposed to have any
emotions.

He cleared his throat. “There are…other
things in the contract as well.”

Mei-Li’s heart, which had begun to
recover, started pounding again.

“Oh?” She tried to keep her voice light.
“Like what?”

“Ways I may touch you.” His voice was a
soft growl. “During the first week—our holding week for instance—I am allowed
to touch you all over your body, but only over your garments.”

“You…you are?” Mei-Li wished her voice
wouldn’t come out sounding so breathy.

Slowly, he nodded. “Would you like me to
show you?”

No way—no, absolutely
not! Bad idea,
shouted the
pessimistic little voice in her head. Mei-Li opened her mouth to say no. Instead
she heard herself say,

“Um, sure…if…if you want to, I guess.”

“I
do
want to.” He sounded slightly
surprised. “If you will permit me.”

“S-sure,” Mei-Li stuttered. “Where you do
want to, um…”

“Here.” His large, warm hand was suddenly
stroking up her side to cup her breast. Mei-Li bit back a gasp as her nipple
went tight with need against his large palm.

“I…you…” She couldn’t go on.

“I have wondered what this would feel like
since I first dream shared with you,” Six murmured, rubbing his thumb over her
tight little nub slowly but gently.

“You…you have?” Mei-Li could feel the
gentle but provocative pressure and the warmth of his hand clearly through the
thin lace.

He nodded. “Your breasts are lovely. So
perfectly formed.” He looked into her eyes. “I wondered what they would taste
like as well but that is not permitted during the first week.”

“You…you want to…” Mei-Li’s breath was
coming short. She didn’t think she’d ever been this turned on by someone
touching her breasts before. Maybe it was the way Six did it, in such a gentle,
questioning way. It was as though he thought she was truly beautiful and wanted
to explore her but he was being careful not to hurt her at the same time.

“I
do
want to,” he murmured,
answering her unspoken question. “I…did not expect to want to do the things
outlined in the contract but now…I find myself…anticipating them greatly.”

“What…what other things are you talking
about?” Mei-Li heard herself asking. “More…more touching?”

“Yes. Like this.” His big hand left her
breast and slid slowly down her trembling stomach and abdomen to hover just
above her pussy.

“Oh, I…” Mei-Li was still up on her knees,
as she had been while kissing him. Her legs were slightly parted, the silky
white nightgown riding high on her thighs. She could feel the heat of his hand
just above her mound, barely brushing against the little patch of curls she
kept neatly trimmed.
Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…
She could barely breathe.
She knew she shouldn’t want him to touch her and yet…

“Mei-Li,” he murmured. “Am I correct in
thinking that you have no panties on under your garment?”

Mei-Li bit her lip. “I…No, I don’t,” she
whispered.

“So I cannot reach below it or I will be
touching your naked flesh…I will be cupping your bare pussy,” he said softly,
looking right at her.

Mei-Li felt like her heart was going to
explode it was beating so fast. Dirty talk wasn’t what she had expected from
the big Kindred but hearing those words in that deep, soft voice was driving
her
crazy
.

“I…I guess not,” she stuttered.

“Of course, this garment
is
remarkably elastic,” Six remarked. “I noticed it when it came out of the
synthesizer. So perhaps if I simply kept the fabric between your flesh and my
hand…” He started to slide his fingers lower and then looked up at her. “Do you
mind?”

“I…I guess not,” Mei-Li whispered. “I
mean, uh, we need to know what to expect, right? During our…during the first
week together.”

Six nodded slowly. “A valid argument. And
one I am prepared to accept.”

She was so hot it was getting hard to
think.

“Meaning…?” she asked breathlessly.

“Meaning that I want to touch you…to cup
your pussy in my hand…like this,” he growled softly. And then his big hand was
sliding slowly downward, cupping her quivering little mound, enveloping her in
his heat.

Mei-Li couldn’t help herself—though she
tried to stop it, a little moan escaped her. God, how long had it been since
someone touched her this way? Too long—
way
too long if her extreme
reaction to just a little over the skirt petting was getting her all hot and
bothered.

But it wasn’t just that Six was touching
her—it was the
way
he was touching her—firm but gentle as though she was
precious and breakable. And the way he looked at her as he did it. As though he
wanted to know how he was affecting her—if she was enjoying his touch.

But why would he care
how I feel about it? Why would he want to touch me in the first place?

“You feel so warm and soft here,” he
murmured, driving away her negative thoughts. He pressed up and Mei-Li could
feel her pussy lips open for him through the thin fabric as the heel of his
hand rubbed against her aching clit.

“Oh!” she gasped, her hand tightening on
his broad shoulder. “I…that feels…”

“How
does
it feel?” he asked
softly, his gaze never leaving her face.

Mei-Li made an effort to get hold of
herself.

“Nice,” she whispered in a strangled
voice. “It feels really…really
nice.”

“Does it bring you pleasure?” Six rumbled,
still watching her. “Is that why your pussy feels so open beneath this thin
garment? So wet?” His long fingers pressed slightly inward and she could feel
them rubbing lightly against her wet, open folds through the silky white
material. “Gods, what I would not give to touch you without this garment in the
way.” he growled softly. “To feel how soft and wet you are in my bare hand…”

“I…” Mei-Li’s cheeks were suddenly hot
with embarrassment. Oh God, she hadn’t even known him that long and here she
was engaged in what amounted to a heavy petting session. Not only that, but he
knew exactly how much he was affecting her—he could feel the way her pussy was
getting all hot and swollen. What was
wrong
with her letting him do
this?

“I…we should…” she began.

“Attention, Six,” came a sharp, mechanical
voice from somewhere.

“What?” Mei-Li jumped back guiltily,
looking around for whoever had seen them. But there was no one in the room.

“Six,” came the voice again and this time
she realized that it was coming from Six himself—from a watch-type thing he had
strapped to the wrist of his metal hand.

“Ter?” Six cleared his throat and looked
down at his watch—or maybe it was some kind of communicator?

“It is good you are back in range,” the
sharp, tinny voice said. “I have a message for you from One. He wants to know
why you have not yet brought the female you went to claim to the surface. He
came to your domicile expecting to find you only to hear that you were still
aboard the Med Barge. Explain.”

“There was a…complication in getting my
female an enhancement.” Six cleared his throat. “She was…unwell and surgery
could not be performed last night when I brought her in.”

“See that the enhancement is performed
soon,” the voice ordered. “One expects you at his domicile shortly.”

“All right, send my acknowledgement, Ter.”

“Very good,” the voice said and fell
silent.

“Who was that?” Mei-Li asked, looked at
his watch-communicator-thing. She was feeling a little calmer now—or at least
her heart no longer felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. “Your
boss?”

“Hardly. That is Ter—my domicile’s
communications and informations system. It keeps me informed of messages and
other things. It…”

“It what?” Mei-Li prompted.

“Ter…it…” He cleared his throat and his
eyes flickered downward briefly. “Forgive me but you appear to be exposed.”

“Oh!” Mei-Li looked down and saw that the
white nightgown had slipped down, probably when he was stretching it in order
to touch her, and her bare breasts were on display. “Oh, no!” She pulled it
back up hastily. “I’m
so
sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he murmured. “The sight was
not…unwelcome. In fact, I would have looked more closely if you hadn’t told me
such behavior wasn’t permitted in your culture.”

“Um…” Mei-Li could feel her cheeks getting
hot. “Are you trying to say you like the way I look nak…I mean, without my
clothes?”

“I like a great many things about you,”
Six said softly. “The feel of your skin…the taste of your lips…the way your
body fits against my own…You were correct, kissing
is
a very sensory
experience.” He looked into her eyes. “I liked kissing you. I liked touching
you even more.”

Mei-Li felt her stomach flutter strangely
and she scooted back a little. “But…but you don’t have any emotions,” she
protested. “I thought…thought you couldn’t like things like…like what we just
did.”

“You are correct, of course.” Six
straightened up and the warm, almost open look that had been on his face turned
suddenly to a frown. “I do not have emotions—I should not have…enjoyed our
encounter.” He got abruptly off the bed and stood, his arms crossed over his
broad chest. “It was perhaps a mistake for us to participate in activities that
are meant for the Claiming Period only.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Mei-Li was seriously
shaken up by what had just happened between them. She’d expected that kissing
and touching Six would be like kissing a statue. Instead, he’d responded in a
way that made her feel warm and weak all over.
And that’s the key word,
she
told herself.
Weak. You’re never going to get through this if you let
yourself be weak.

Six was busy straightening his black shirt
which had gotten somewhat wrinkled in the course of their encounter.
Probably
from you grabbing all over him while he was practically fingering you,
whispered
a critical little voice in the back of her head.

“We need to go soon,” he said, not meeting
Mei-Li’s eyes. “Are you ready to get your enhancement now?”

“Yes, I…I guess so,” she said faintly. She
still didn’t like the idea but there didn’t seem to be much choice. At least
now she knew she didn’t have to lose a limb—that was
some
comfort,
anyway.

“I am glad you feel ready. I need to speak
to Yipper but I will return for you momentarily. I synthesized some other
clothing for you as well—an outfit that will serve you well on Z4. Put it on
and do not leave the room until I return.”

Then, still not looking at her, he turned
and left.

* * * * *

Six paced quickly down the long metal
corridor, heading for the vertical lift which was the fastest way to the
Enhancement Area. He needed to get there
soon
. He increased his speed
until he was almost running. But no matter how fast he went, he couldn’t outrun
his thoughts. What had just happened back there? When Mei-Li had…kissed him?
And especially later when he had touched her?

He closed his eyes briefly, remembering
the scent of her skin…the warmth of her small, soft body pressed against
him…the sweet taste of her mouth when she’d touched it to his. Not to mention
the sweet press of her breast against his palm and the soft little gasps she’d
made as he slid his fingers into her pussy through the thin, white garment.

All of these physical sensations had
affected him somehow. His heart had started thundering in his chest and his
shaft, which usually lay dormant between his thighs, had become suddenly and
painfully erect. It was still hard, even now—he could feel it throbbing with
every step.

But why?

Is my implant failing
at last?
Yipper had never expected it to work when
he first put it in. The little Tolleg had tried to talk Six out of getting it.
“A
life without emotion is so sad. Yes it is, yes it is,”
he had said.
“Especially
for a Kindred—you need to bond!”
But Six had been eager to escape his
emotions at that time. Eager to suppress the memories that rose to torture him
every time he closed his eyes to sleep.

What memories? I
shouldn’t be thinking about this…”Kill me, Jax, please! It hurts so bad…”

No!

He pushed the troublesome thought away
just as he came to the lift. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. All of
this was probably nothing—just another symptom of his Kindred DNA
manifesting—the DNA and the characteristic traits that came with it. He would
have Yipper check his implant and make sure it was in perfect working order.
Then he would take Mei-Li for her enhancement, escort her to the planet’s
surface, and serve the rest of the Claiming Period without incident. Afterwards
he would take her back to Earth and forget any of this had ever happened.