“Your leg okay?” asked Bael.
“Five by five,” Kett lied. “Just need to get some movement back into it.”
“Ah.” He grinned. “I can help with that.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
The small tub was restrictive and discomfort soon outweighed arousal for Kett. She leaned back, frustrated, and said, “Okay, we need more space.”
“Sure,” Bael said, starting to move.
“But first, you need to get cleaner.”
He didn’t argue, but let her soap his arms and chest. Then his stomach. Then, teasing him, Kett smoothed her hands down his thighs, stroking and caressing all the way down to his feet.
“You have nice feet,” she told him.
“Thank you,” he said, voice slightly strained.
“And calves.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And thighs. I really like your thighs.”
Bael just nodded, because she was stroking back up said body parts as she spoke, moving closer and closer to his groin. Under the soapy water she couldn’t really see where her hands were going, so she had to feel her way.
Her wrist brushed the hot tip of his erection and Bael sucked in a breath.
“And I really,” Kett said, letting her fingers trail up the insides of his thighs, “like this bit of you.”
Bael bit his lip, nodding tightly, and Kett had to smile.
“I think you’re clean enough,” she said, standing up, and he moaned. Suddenly grabbing her by the hips, he buried his face between her legs and slid his tongue between her pussy lips. Kett’s leg buckled and Bael held her up, grinning.
“Gods alive, don’t do that!” she gasped.
“Well, if you insist,” he said, eyes sparkling.
“Well, not without warning, anyway.”
Bael stood up, helped her out of the tub and picked up a towel, but Kett was fired up and didn’t want a towel rubbing her off. She wanted Bael. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her wet body against his and kissed him long and deep, her tongue sliding against his, her fingers tangling in his damp hair.
His whole body was hard and so hot. Rubbing her breasts against the light hair on his chest, she ground her belly against his throbbing erection. Bael growled, she nipped his lip and he cupped her ass with both hands, lifting her up so she stood on her toes and fitting her pussy against the length of his cock.
Kett lifted her leg to rub against his but lost her balance, pulling Bael with her and falling against the wall. The plaster was cold and rough against her back, but Bael was hot against her front, kissing her neck and palming her breasts. His hips thrust against hers, rubbing his cock against her wet folds but not entering her.
“Here,” she murmured, her voice thick. “Fuck me right here.”
“Gods, yes,” Bael grunted, and slid the head of his cock down, so slowly it made Kett moan, until he pushed against her entrance.
Then he shoved inside her, and she cried out.
Lifting her up, he settled her against the wall to thrust into her, his movements steady, his eyes hot on hers.
“Gods, Kett,” he ground out. “I could fuck you forever.”
Breathless, Kett just nodded.
“And I will,” he told her, licking and biting her neck. “Because you’re my mate, and I’m so damn glad you are, because I don’t want to fuck anyone else. Not ever.”
Like a slap from a wet flannel, that killed Kett’s lust. I don’t want a mate. I don’t want to be tied to anyone. I don’t want anyone forever.
He captured her mouth, kissing her sweetly as he drove into her hard, and Kett let him seduce her. One last time, she told herself, as he came inside her and she drew him over to the bed. Bael settled down to lick her pussy and she held him to her, determined to enjoy it.
“I need to go out after breakfast,” she told Bael in the morning. He lay there looking sleepy, tousled and warm, and so fuckable she almost backed out of her plan.
“I’ll come with you.”
“No. It’s-” Shit, she’d spent all night trying to think of an excuse he wouldn’t muscle in on, and all she could think of was, “It’s a, uh, female stuff.”
As far as Kett was concerned, it was as bad as playing the helpless female, but she’d never known it to fail. Bael nodded quickly and said, “Sure, whatever you need. I’ll wait here, shall I? Will you be long?”
“I don’t know. I also need to do a favor for Chance,” Kett improvised.
Her instructors at Koskwim had always told her that one day she’d find herself in a situation where wit and intelligence were required, rather than snarling at someone and threatening to bite their bollocks off. This appeared to be such a day.
When Bael looked expectant, she added, “Striker stuff. You don’t want to know. I’ll be gone all day.”
Bael made a face. “I’ll come with you.”
“You? And how will you help? You’re terrified of anything to do with Striker and you’ll probably just get into trouble beating up someone’s kelfs.”
“You said they treat them horribly here anyway. They’d probably like me for it.”
“Well, you’re still not coming. Stay here.”
Bael saluted. “Sir, yes sir!”
It has to be like this, she told herself as she got dressed. It’s better for us both. Last night had been beautiful, but she couldn’t risk the rest of her life on “beautiful”. Sooner or later Bael would screw her over, like all her other lovers had.
And if he didn’t, then the inevitable Curse of Kett would fall on him and get him hurt or killed or whatever else the gods could think of.
End it now, before it’s too late.
She ordered a massive breakfast and Bael did the same, whispering across the table what he wanted to do to her as soon as the meal was over. Forking up a slice of sautéed drac, a flying sea serpent that tasted vaguely like dodo meat, he slid his other hand under the table and caressed her thigh.
“I’m going to lick you until you scream, and then lick you some more,” he murmured. “I love licking you out. Love the taste of your cream on my tongue.”
Kett gritted her teeth and forced herself to think of Treegan scores.
“I’m going to find a mirror and fuck you in front of it so we can both watch,” Bael said, his finger edging up her thigh, perilously close to where Kett was doing a very bad job of keeping her arousal in check. “Stand behind you and slide in and out of that delicious little pussy of yours.”
“Stop,” Kett said, fixing him with a cold glare. “I’m trying to eat my breakfast and you’re putting me off.”
Bael looked a little taken aback, but he removed his hand and changed the subject.
As soon as she’d finished eating, Kett stood up, scraping her chair back, and said, “I’m going. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Sure I can’t come with you?” Bael asked, catching her hand. “I’d really like to. Come,” he added, looking up at her with molten green eyes. Kett snatched her hand back before she could succumb.
“I don’t want you to,” she snapped. And added, “Come.”
She turned and stalked away, ducking and weaving through the streets in case Bael tried to follow. When she failed to pick up his scent, she headed toward the flea market and made some purchases.
Ducking out of sight behind a commercial stable, she took out her scryer and concentrated on Tyra, the Order’s librarian.
“I need something to knock a man out,” she said without preamble.
“Right hook should do it,” Tyra replied, barely looking up from her paperwork.
“No, I mean something I can slip into his drink. Something to make him think he’s drunk.”
“Try alcohol,” Tyra said. “Kett, I’m very busy-”
“And something that will make him lose his sense of smell,” Kett added. “Just temporarily, when he wakes up.” She didn’t want to do Bael any lasting damage. “I’m in northern Sisilia.”
Tyra frowned at her. She crossed to a filing cabinet in the massive, cave-like library and flicked through its contents.
“Anosmia,” she murmured, taking out a card. “Cadmium is rather damaging in the long term-”
“No,” Kett said firmly. “He needs to be fine. Just knocked out for a little while and have no sense of smell when he wakes up.”
“And it must be something you can find in northern Sisilia?” Tyra asked. “Really, Kett. I do wish you’d do your own research.”
“I do wish you’d develop a sense of humor,” Kett snapped. “We’ve all got impossible dreams.”
Tyra gave her a disapproving look but finally came up with a drug Kett could buy from an apothecary.
“And you’re sure it won’t really harm him?” Kett persisted. “The damage will only be temporary?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Tyra took off her spectacles. “Just what sort of mission are you on?”
“A personal one,” Kett said, and in light of Tyra’s helpfulness, neglected to add “bugger off” before she ended the call.
A short time later, she changed her shape to match her new clothes, plumping up her breasts to fall out of the slutty corset, making her feet smaller to fit into the battered heeled boots, filling out her hips to make the flounced skirts sway. She erased all her scars, changed her face enough to look like a different person and added a beauty mark for good luck.
One of her purchases had been a hand mirror, and she peered into it. Dammit, but she could never change the color of her eyes, and her hair was damn stubborn about staying curly. Well, maybe that was to her advantage.
Rolling her clothes into a bundle, she stowed them under a trough and tucked her last purchase, the packet of gray powder recommended by Tyra, into her skirt pocket.
“Showtime,” she muttered to herself, and went back to the inn.