Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
More of him appeared—his arms and hands and he put away the weapon he’d been using that had cut the alien in half. Leaning over the tub, he scooped Vicky out of the water as easily as though he was picking up a small child.
“Hey—don’t hurt your back!” she couldn’t help cautioning him.
But the Kindred only frowned at her.
“How would I hurt my back?” he asked, cradling her close to his broad chest, despite the fact that she was dripping wet.
“Well…by lifting me. I’m, uh, not exactly a lightweight,” Vicky remarked, looking down at her own naked body, which she wished was a whole lot thinner.
“I know…” The Kindred’s gaze followed her own and Vicky was surprised to see the glimmer of desire in those midnight-blue depths. “You’re an Elite,” he told her. “A female blessed by the Goddess with extra-bountiful curves.”
“Okay, um, I guess so.” She could feel herself blushing at the way he was looking at her. When was the last time a man had stared at her with such desire in his eyes? Vicky couldn’t remember. “Nobody said you could stare,” she snapped, unable to help feeling embarrassed.
“Forgive me,” he murmured. “It’s just that you’re so lovely, it’s hard not to look.”
Vicky couldn’t help feeling flattered, which mixed with the irritated embarrassment she also felt to form a very strange emotion indeed. She thought about protesting some more and then just decided to stay silent.
The big Kindred carried her from the bathroom into the bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. She couldn’t help being impressed by the big warrior’s strength. Kevin hadn’t even been able to pick her up and carry her over the threshold when they were first married and she’d been a good fifty pounds lighter back then.
“Here, you are, safe and sound—but you’re bleeding.” He frowned down at the side of her thigh and her breast where the sharp shards of window glass had cut her when they fell into the bathtub. “Have to deal with that later,” he said, as though making a mental note to himself.
“I can deal with it myself—if I can ever move again.” Vicky couldn’t quite keep the worry out of her voice. The alien ray had paralyzed her completely and it was really scary not to be able to feel her arms and legs.
“Don’t worry about that,” the Kindred said easily. “He probably shot you with the light setting just to scare you. It should wear off soon.”
“Well, until it does, I’m completely helpless!” Vicky exclaimed. “Maybe you’d better put me under the bed instead of on it.” She didn’t like to suggest such an option, since she was mildly claustrophobic, but it seemed safer than lying there naked and unable to move out in the open.
“Oh, I think we can do better than that—though it’s a shame to cover such bountiful curves,” the Kindred remarked.
“Hey!” If Vicky could have squirmed, she would have, at the way those midnight-blue eyes were roaming over her naked body. “I told you—don’t look at me!”
He sighed regretfully.
“Forgive me—it’s difficult not to admire you in this state of…shall we say, undress?” He grinned at her unrepentantly when she made another angry noise. “Here—let’s make sure you’re safe while I take care of this other Varian bastard.”
Taking off the long red cloak which had somehow made him invisible, he draped it over Vicky so that it completely covered her body. As a final touch, he pulled the hood over her head. It worried her at first but she found that she could see right through the fabric and could breathe quite easily, though she couldn’t see herself—any of herself—at all.
It was a strange feeling to look down at the bed and not see her body, but she barely had time to think about it because the big Kindred was talking to her again.
“Stay here,” he murmured. “I’ll be back soon.”
“But…will you be okay? Since I took your Harry Potter cloak?” she asked, her irritation giving way to anxiety for him.
“My what?” He frowned and she realized he probably hadn’t read the popular books.
“You know—your magic invisibility cloak,” she said, nodding down at herself though he obviously couldn’t see the motion now that she was completely invisible.
The big Kindred laughed softly.
“Oh, you mean my scatterlight cloak? Don’t worry about me, sweetheart—I can manage even without the stealth tech.” He started to leave again but Vicky called him back once more.
“Wait—I don’t even know your name!” she exclaimed in a low voice. “What if something happens—who do I call?”
“Oh, of course—I forgot we hadn’t exactly been properly introduced.” He pulled the cloak off her face again and gave her an easy, engaging grin that exposed white teeth in his dark face. “I’m Chainor—Chain for short. And I’m an M-Switch Kindred. And you are?”
“Victoria Erickson—Vicky for short,” Vicky said. “I’m a high school language and drama teacher.”