Page 49 of Kidnapped from the Paradise Resort

“I put a tracker on you when I hugged you, earlier” he admitted. “I wanted to be sure you were safe. And then, once I got a few blocks from the brothel, I could smell your scent so I followed you there.”

“My scent?” Kara asked, frowning.

“It’s so sweet—so feminine.” His voice dipped low. “I’d know it anywhere.”

“Oh, um…” Kara wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“Look,” he began. “What happened between us—I know you didn’t want it. I know you probably hate me but I couldn’t let you die.”

“No, of course not!” Kara protested. “J’orn, I just?—”

But a that moment a voice called,

“The shuttle headed for the Kindred Mother Ship is about to depart! If you’re traveling to the Kindred Mother Ship, please board now.”

“Come on.” He took her by the elbow and started steering her toward the sleek silver shape of the waiting shuttle. “I want to be sure you’re safe before I go deal with those fucking lowlifes.”

Kara allowed him to lead her onto the shuttle and get her seated in the first-class seat that he’d chosen for her. He helped buckle her in and then cupped her cheek one more time and looked down into her eyes.

“J’orn,” she began again but he interrupted.

“They’re going to die for what they did to you—I swear it,” he growled softly.

Then he was gone, leaving before she could say anything else.

31

KARA

Kara shifted in her seat as the shuttle took off. She couldn’t help thinking about how much had happened to her since she’d first boarded only a day or two ago. Her dream vacation had turned into a nightmare…but thankfully J’orn had been there to save her before things got completely out of hand.

So you don’t count begging him to fuck you as completely out of hand?whispered a little voice in her head.

A mental image of herself, tied spread eagle and moaning that the big Kindred should fuck her harder—harder—made her wince with shame. Of course she knew that she’d been injected with the weird drug, that—y’thosinstuff—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been absolutely shameless.

What must J’orn think of me now?she wondered unhappily.And what does this mean for our future relationship? Do we evenhavea relationship?

She wasn’t sure if they did or not. The age difference still felt like a lot—but she had to admit she had a whole knew admiration of her ex-assistant after watching him in action. He’d taken down a ten-foot-tall Trollox without breaking a sweat and rescued her from a horrible situation that she’d stupidly gotten herself into. She’d always thought of him as too young and inexperienced for her before—now that idea had been turned on its head.

Despite the embarrassment over how she’d acted, she couldn’t deny that she was starting to have feelings for him. The question was, would he return those feelings? Or would he be looking at her in a more negative light after their time together in the brothel? Also, did he really think she hated him? He’d said something to that effect several times. Where was his head at? For that matter, where washerhead at?

Kara didn’t have answers to any of her questions. She huddled in her seat and when the flight attendant came around offering the Dream Gas, she took it gladly. Anything to take her mind off everything that had just happened, she thought. Anything to get a little rest from the constant questions and worries in her head!

She just wanted a vacation—however brief—from the effects of her vacation.

32

KARA

The minute the dream started, Kara knew that something was strange. She was standing on a cloudbank lit from within by a soft, golden light and she could feel a presence all around her. It was a warm, comforting, feminine presence, though she couldn’t have said how she knew that. It was just something she felt instinctively. Somehow she knew this dream was going to be different from any other dream she’d ever had before. Also, she knew that she was dreaming—how weird was that?

“It is not strange at all, that you should know you are dreaming, Daughter,”a warm, feminine voice said in her ear.

“Oh, who’s that? Where are you?” Kara looked around, but she didn’t see anyone.

“It is I—the Goddess. The Mother of All Life,”the voice informed her.“And I have come to speak to you because you are perilously close to losing or rejecting the male I have chosen just for you.”

“Losing who?” Kara asked, frowning. “If you’re talking about my marriage, I’m divorced.”

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