Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
“Ravik needs to taste his mate,” he said. “Ravik needs to.”
Severin’s face was stern.
“It is not your Tasting Week,” he said. “If you taste your mate too early, you’ll lose her because you break the rules of the Claiming Period.”
Ravik sighed heavily and his broad shoulders sagged in defeat.
“All right. No tasting.”
“Good. I’m glad we got that clear,” Cassie said, trying not to feel bad for disappointing the giant half-infected Beast Kindred who apparently wanted nothing more than to put his mouth on her, which was not a thought she should be having right now. “And no touching either. I mean, no intimate touching,” she clarified.
Ravik frowned.
“But we are mates—mates touch.”
Cassie was stumped. She ought to say no…but if they had actually been mated, as Ravik believed they were, he would be allowed to touch her during the bathing week.
“Look, I’m just really tired right now,” she told him at last. “No touching while Cassie is tired.”
“Touching later?” Ravik asked hopefully.
Cassie nibbled her lower lip.
“Maybe. But only if I say it’s okay.”
“Mate says okay first,” he said.
“Yes. Exactly.” She nodded.
Severin’s gaze flicked to her, then to Ravik, and Cassie could practically see his scientist brain making notes even though he didn’t have a datapad in his hands. He had to be noticing what she was noticing—that Ravik was calmer when she spoke to him directly. Not normal, exactly, but better—more present.
“Any other rules?” Severin asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Yes. If I say stop, everyone stops.” Cassie crossed her arms over her breasts. She was still wearing nothing but the skimpy little red nighty with no panties on under it. She had to be able to stop the action—if there was any—immediately.
“Of course,” Severin agreed at once. “Your word will be our law.”
To her surprise, Ravik nodded too.
“Cassie says stop, Ravik stops,” he rumbled.
It seemed to be the best assurance she was going to get. With human men, Cassie never would have trusted such a promise. But the Kindred were serious about not hurting women—it was pretty much their whole code and ethos.
“All right, good,” she said, nodding in satisfaction. “Then we’re all in agreement.”
Severin inclined his head.
“Indeed we are.”
She glanced at him.
“And you stay in the room with me and Ravik at all times.”
“I will,” he promised. His pale blue eyes held hers steadily. “I won’t leave you alone, Cassandra. And Ravik won’t pleasure you unless you want him to.”
“Thank you.”
His promise reassured her—a little. It also made her stomach flutter in a way she was not going to examine too closely, because apparently her body had picked tonight—the night after her husband had thrown her out to be eaten by zombies—to remember that men existed and some of them were enormous, gorgeous, and utterly devoted to female pleasure.
Wonderful timing, body, she told herself. Truly excellent work.
“All right,” she said at last, looking at the bed. “So how do we do this?”
There was a pause, then Severin shrugged,
“I suppose we just climb in.”
Cassie almost laughed, which seemed inappropriate considering the circumstances, but then again, everything about this was inappropriate.
The bed was raised higher than a normal human bed, probably because Visskous liked to be dramatic about absolutely everything. There were shallow steps built into the side of the landing, leading directly up onto the mattress—or nest or whatever horrible word applied here. Severin went first, stepping up and onto the edge with careful grace despite his size. The bed barely dipped under his weight.
Then he turned and offered Cassie his hand.
For a moment she hesitated—was she really going to do this? Was she really going to sleep between the two huge Kindred wearing nothing but the tiny red nighty?
Apparently she was—but on her own terms. She had laid down the rules and she expected the two of them to follow them. Lifting her chin, she put her hand in his.
Severin’s fingers closed around hers, warm and strong and careful.
It was so different from holding hands were her ex. His hand wasn’t cold and scaly and he didn’t grip her in the possessive way Sskarth always had—like she was something he owned and could display or discard as he pleased. The Blood Kindred’s touch was firm, but not forceful. He helped her up onto the edge of the bed and then let go at once, as though to prove he wasn’t going to keep her unless she chose to stay.
And that, annoyingly, made her want to stay a little more.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome,” he said softly.
For a second, they just looked at each other and Cassie felt her stomach flutter again. What was it with the big Blood Kindred that made her feel so strange when he looked at her that way?
Then the bed dipped hard behind her as Ravik climbed in too, and Cassie nearly lost her balance.
Severin caught her elbow at the same time Ravik’s hands settled at her waist from behind. Between the two of them, she didn’t fall, but she did find herself held upright by one Blood Kindred and one Beast Kindred in the middle of a giant heated mating bed.