Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
He already has the wrong idea, Imani, chided a little voice in her head. Mainly because you told him you were Claiming him and then jerked him off in the bath!
Imani winced again at the shameful memory. No matter how many times she swore she wouldn’t think of it ever again, the mental image of herself slowly stroking J’are’s long, thick shaft wouldn’t leave her mind.
She pushed it forcefully out of her head and turned to face him.
“J’are,” she said carefully. “Remember how I promised the judge in court that I wouldn’t ever leave you alone?”
He nodded eagerly.
“We stay together because you Claimed me.”
“Yes, exactly.” Imani nodded. “But just because I Claimed you, doesn’t mean…” She stopped, shaking her head. “I mean I need to take a shower now and I need you to be in the same room with me while I do. But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea? Do you understand?”
J’are was looking at her blankly and she had the idea she was being too subtle with him. Nerving herself up, she blurted out,
“I’m not going to have sex with you tonight. Not going to, er, mate with you. All right?”
She had expected the big Nightwalker to frown or growl or show some other sign of disappointment or anger. But J’are only shrugged again.
“Claiming time not finished,” he said. “Bathing now. But holding, scenting, tasting, and bonding later. Right?”
“Uh…” Imani wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Bathing tonight,” she agreed cautiously. “I mean, I bathed you and now I’m going to bathe myself—all right?”
This time J’are did frown.
“Bathing tonight,” he rumbled, in that deep, hoarse voice of his. “Imani bathed J’are, now J’are bathes Imani.”
“No, no!” Imani held up her hands and shook her head. “No, that’s not going to work. We can’t…I mean, I can’t let you…”
Suddenly he was right there, looming over her. Looking down into her eyes, he cupped Imani’s cheek with surprising tenderness.
“J’are bathes Imani,” he murmured, letting his fingertips trail lightly down the sensitive skin of her throat. “Don’t worry,” he added. “J’are is gentle. No tasting or bonding tonight. That is…later.”
Imani licked her lips, which were suddenly dry. God, he was so close she could feel the heat of his big body radiating against her own. And now that the sticky black paint stuff had been washed off, she could smell him too—a spicy, dark, wild musk that made her want to get closer to him—much closer.
Damn, if they could bottle that stuff back home, some perfume company could make a million dollars on it, she thought, looking up at him.
But she couldn’t let his scent or his closeness work on her. No matter how sexy he was, J’are was still her client. And she couldn’t let him go any further than they had already gone—which was way too far—Imani told herself.
“I’m sorry, J’are,” she said firmly, holding his pale green eyes with her own. “But no, you cannot bathe me tonight.”
A little growl of frustration left his lips.
“Scenting tonight then?” he asked. “Holding?”
“Uh, sure, I guess.” Imani wasn’t sure what she was agreeing to, but surely it couldn’t be as bad as letting him take a shower with her and wash her—right?
She hoped not, anyway.
“All right.” J’are took a step back, looking mollified. “Bathing later.”
“Look, I never said—oh, never mind.” Imani threw up her hands. “Just come with me to the bathroom so I can get this shower over with and go to bed. I’m dead tired.”
She just hoped she could get in and wash herself off without feeling too awkward about the strange situation. When she’d taken this job, she had never expected that part of it would be bathing her client or letting him watch her bathe in turn. But she couldn’t help remembering her first impression that when dealing with the Kindred, strange things happened.
And now they’re happening to you, Imani, that little voice in her head whispered. Better get used to it—this case isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot!
Fifteen
Why wouldn’t his female let him bathe her?
J’are watched, confused, as she disrobed in front of him—though she had her back modestly turned as she did—and stepped into the steaming water of the rain room.
She had bathed him everywhere, which was as it should be, and caused him to spill his seed, which was right when a female Claimed her male. But now she didn’t intend to let him return the favor. At least, not tonight.
Why was she prolonging the Claiming period, J’are wondered? As well as he could, anyway. Since it was after dark, the feral part of him was dominant, making cognizant thinking difficult.
Speaking of the feral part of him, it wanted to ignore what she had said and get into the rain room with her to bathe her anyway. She was so small and delicate—yet so lusciously curvy. He wanted to run his hands all over her naked body and give her pleasure, just as she had given it to him.