“They’re still that bad?” Suzanne asked.
Jillian nodded.
“It’s funny, I never had bad dreams about what happened with that Trollox bastard at the Buy-All-Sell-All market, but I just seem to keep replaying that night with Brad and ‘Jimmy the Knife’ over and over again in my sleep.” She shivered and put her arms around herself, trying to stop the cold chills that climbed down her spine.
“God, Jilly—I’m so sorry!” Suzanne put an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe you should think about therapy.”
Jillian laughed.
“I’ve had therapy—I told you the whole thing.”
“Yes, but I’m not trained to know what to do or say to help you,” Suzanne protested.
“You listened—that was what I really needed,” Jillian assured her. “And at least when I wake up screaming, I have Kalis there to hold me.”
After that awful night with Brad and Moreno, the big Kindred had brought her straight back up to her suite on the Mother Ship and he had simply never gone back to his own. Well, except for once, to get his possessions, but after that he had moved in with Jillian completely—which was exactly what they both wanted.
“You’d think that bonding with him would help you with your bad dreams,” Suzanne remarked. “He seems to be so steady and calm—having a bond with him seems like it ought to help settle you.”
“Maybe it would—if we were bonded,” Jillian said, frowning.
“What?” Suzanne stared at her as though she’d grown another head. “You mean to tell me he rescued you from that awful situation down on Earth and you’ve been living together for the past two weeks and you two still aren’t bonded?”
“Not by choice!” Jillian exclaimed. “It’s because when Kalis took me to the Med Station to get checked out, Dr. Liv said I should wait ‘a little while’ just to be sure I was completely healed internally before we had bonding sex.”
“But it’s been two weeks!” Suzanne protested. “You must be all healed by now—right?”
“Now you sound like me, trying to convince Kalis,” Jillian said glumly. “I feel perfectly fine, but he’s still worried and wants to wait.”
Suzanne frowned.
“Well that is a problem.”
“You’re telling me! It’s driving me crazy.” Jillian sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “Ever since I met and tamed his Ursus, all I want to do is bond with him. I feel so…so incomplete. But he won’t even consider the idea.”
“But you’re sure that you’re all better?” Suzanne asked.
“Positive,” Jillian said certainly. “I could run a marathon. Well, if that was a thing I did, anyway. I feel perfectly fine, but I think he’s determined to wait for six weeks or six months or some ungodly amount of time like that.”
“Oh God, Jilly—I’m sorry.” Suzanne gave her a sincere look of sympathy. “You must be going crazy.”
“I really am,” Jillian admitted. “I think it has something to do with the fact that I tamed his Ursus. The next logical step is bonding and my body knows that—it’s just urging me to do what comes naturally. Only Kalis is so afraid of breaking me or hurting me, he keeps putting it off.”
Suzanne got a thoughtful look on her face.
“What if there was a way to convince him not to put it off any longer?”
“How? I’m all ears,” Jillian told her.
Suzanne gave her a sly smile.
“Well, remember how I told you that Bonding Fruit has aphrodisiac qualities? And if you eat some, you pretty much have to make love with your guy?”
“I do remember something like that,” Jillian admitted. “But I don’t want to force Kalis’s hand. He’s just doing what he thinks is best for me.”
“Well, clearly he’s wrong,” Suzanne said firmly. “Your body is reacting badly to not taking the next step and bonding to him. Your sleep is all messed up—”
“And I’m really tender in some, uh, pretty private places,” Jillian admitted, wincing as she adjusted her bra strap.
Ever since she’d met and tamed Kalis’s Ursus, her nipples and pussy had felt swollen and needy. But the big Kindred hadn’t wanted to rush anything, so most nights he just held her. Jillian was getting damn tired of all that holding, though—it was time for some action. Suzanne was right—her body was begging for it. And she couldn’t help feeling like bonding with her Kindred really would help the nightmares she kept having.
“Well, there you go,” Suzanne said. “Tell you what, I have some new bonding fruit chocolates I’ve been working on. I’ve been thinking of opening up a chocolate shop and patisserie with a special section just for couples—all the chocolates and pastries made with bonding fruit.”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Jillian said admiringly. “Who knew you had such a great head for business, Suze?”
“Thanks.” Suzanne smiled modestly. “Anyway, why don’t I give you some of the chocolates to ‘try’ for me? You eat one when you feel like you’re ready and let me know how it goes.” She winked at Jillian, who grinned back.