Page 44 of Rescued

“Why don’t you…” He paused, frowning.

“Why don’t I what?” Sonya prodded. What was he going to suggest? Maybe he had decided he wanted a blow job after all? But what he said surprised her.

“Why don’t you let me take care of you?” He stroked a lock of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

“Take care of me?” Sonya asked blankly. “What does that mean? Do you mean you, uh, want to go down on me instead of the other way around?”

She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she asked the question. She’d never been much for that act—frankly, she’d never been with a man who was any good at it. Mostly, she suspected, because many of them really didn’t want to be doing it in the first place.

“Do you want me to taste you, Sonya?” he rumbled, looking down at her, his pale blue eyes half-lidded.

Suddenly her heart was racing and her pulse was pounding in her ears. It took Sonya a moment to realize what was happening to her, simply because it hadn’t happened in so long. Was she getting…turned on? The way he was looking at her was so primal and he smelled so good and his big body was so hard and muscular…

No—no way, this is NOT turning you on! she lectured herself. He paid to use your body however he wants to—that is NOT sexy, Sonya. It’s not!

But there was no denying that her body was responding to the big Kindred in a way it hadn’t responded to anyone in a very, very long time. Years of running and hiding and being in constant fear for her life had nearly killed her sex drive completely—but now, somehow, sitting on this stranger’s lap had brought it roaring back to life! How was that possible?

“No…I mean, not unless you want to,” she said quickly, realizing it was taking her too long to answer. “I mean, if that’s what you paid for.”

He scowled and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t do it because I paid for it—I would do it to bring both of us pleasure,” he rumbled. “But just like with the reverse situation, you don’t know me well enough yet. No, when I said I want to take care of you, I meant things like bathing you and caring for your hair…dressing you and undressing you. And just…holding you, like I am now.”

“Uh…bathing me?” Sonya asked uncertainly.

“Not in a sexual way,” he said quickly. “I won’t touch you in ways you don’t want to be touched. I just want to care for you.”

Sonya bit her lip. Was this his particular kink? If so, it seemed like a fairly harmless one. And there was part of her that responded to it—responded strongly, if she was being honest.

Her father had died when she was just a little girl and her mother had been forced to work two jobs to support them. They had eventually moved to Tampa to live with her granny, so she could help out, but for a long time Sonya had been forced to be very self sufficient at a very young age. The idea of someone wanting to take care of her was strangely appealing.

“Well…I guess that might work,” she admitted in a low voice. “But…that’s really what you want to do? Dress me and undress me and brush my hair like a doll?”

“Not like a doll!” he protested quickly. “Like a cherished treasure.” Cupping her cheek, he looked down into her eyes earnestly. “I just want to take care of you, baby girl,” he rumbled. “Will you let me do that? I promise I won’t do anything you don’t like.”

Sonya felt herself melting…drowning in those pale blue eyes of his. Why did she keep having the feeling that she’d known him before somehow? Why did this all feel so familiar?

“All right,” she whispered. “You can…can take care of me. If that’s really what you want.”

“It is.” He nodded. “That’s exactly what I want—just to care for you and keep you safe, baby girl.”

Sonya thought about telling him she wasn’t his “baby girl” again, but actually, she kind of liked his little nickname for her. It made her feel small and safe in a way that she hadn’t felt since she was a very little girl. And certainly not since the Scourge had invaded Earth.

“All right,” she said and let herself relax against him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Let’s do that, then. Hopefully it will keep Oozle happy.”

“You’re the one I want to make happy,” he rumbled. “The only one, baby girl.”

Sonya wondered if he really meant it. He barely knew her—why did he want to take care of her like this? Why did he care about her happiness?

She had no answers and she supposed that only time would tell if the sweet, protective attitude of her VIP client would last…

TWENTY-FIVE

NATE

“Hey, help! Can anyone hear me? I need some help!” Nate gathered Lan’ara’s limp form into his arms and stood, looking around the forest. Everything was quiet except for the humming of the white and silver trees and the rustling of the little silver fox-cat thing in the underbrush.

He wished desperately that he knew more about this planet. Did Careesa prime have the equivalent of 911 to call emergency services? For that matter, did they have emergency services at all? He had no idea—and no idea what to do for Lan’ara or even what had happened to her. One moment she’d seemed perfectly fine and then the next moment she was fainting at his feet. He’d barely caught her in time to keep her from hitting her head on the forest floor!

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