Enticed by the Satyr (Kindred Tales)

“All right,” she said, deciding to take a chance. “I…I guess that would be okay. If you really think you can. Uh, heal me, I mean.”

“I know that I can,” Storn rumbled softly. “But first I have to be able to reach you. Here.” He led her to a softly sloping hill and sat down on it with his legs spread. Then he patted the grassy ground between his thighs. “If you would kneel here so I can reach you, I can begin the healing,” he murmured.

Feeling extremely awkward, Mia knelt on the cool grass, letting it tickle her knees. She was wearing a pretty, green dress that Kaylee had gotten for her as a “welcome to the Mother Ship” present and she suddenly wondered if it was too short or if the V-neck in the front was too low.

Hank certainly would have thought so, she thought, as she settled in the grass between the Satyr Kindred’s powerful thighs. Her soon-to-be-ex had pretty much forced her to dress like a cross between a granny and a nun with skirts down to her ankles and collars up to her ears. Mia didn’t know why he had always worried she was showing too much skin when he constantly told her how ugly she was.

She wished that thought hadn’t occurred to her. It made her feel so very small and insignificant and unworthy now that she was faced with the big, handsome Storn. Because he was handsome, she saw, as the moonlight shone on his face. Except for the horns on the sides of his head, he looked like someone who would be seen in Hollywood—not sitting in the middle of the park with plain, plump little Mia.

“What’s wrong, lovely one?”

Mia was looking down at the ground, unable to meet his eyes as the negative thoughts raced through her head. Gently, Storn lifted her chin so that they were eye-to-eye.

“What is it?” he asked softly. “Why do you look so sad? Are you worried the healing will be painful? Because I promise it won’t—you will feel only pleasure when I heal you, lovely one.”

“It’s not that. I…” She cleared her throat. “I guess I’m just wondering why…why you want to heal me. I mean, I’m not much to look at and I’m not really that young anymore, either. I have wrinkles and I’m not thin and my face is all messed up and—”

“Do you think that any of that can make me not wish to heal you…to kiss you, when I have been dreaming of you for months?” Storn asked softly, interrupting her. “You are the female the Goddess has set aside, just for me, Mia. And you are beautiful—don’t let whatever your former mate told you make you think otherwise. Your silky hair…your soft skin…” He stroked her unhurt cheek gently with his big, warm hand. “You don’t know how I’ve longed for you or how lovely you are to me.”

“Oh…” Mia breathed. Looking into his softly glowing eyes as they sat in the moonlight together, she felt as though she must be in the middle of a dream.

I’ll wake up at any minute, I know I will, she thought.

But somehow she didn’t, not even when Storn cupped her face gently in his big hands and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

His breath smelled like cinnamon and his mouth was soft and tender as he pressed his lips to her bruised cheekbone. There was a warm tingle where his mouth touched her skin and then he moved higher, kissing around her black eye slowly and thoroughly, making sure to cover every place that was hurt. Then he kissed down to her cheek again…and then he kissed lower, to the shelf of her jaw.

“Stop me if you wish, lovely one,” he murmured. “If you do not, I fear I won’t be able to stop myself.”

This is my cue to tell him to stop, Mia thought. But somehow the words wouldn’t come. Only a soft, panting moan came to her lips as the big Satyr Kindred’s mouth dipped lower, pressing hot, gentle kisses to the vulnerable side of her throat, sending shivers and tingles down her spine.

Mia felt her breath catch in her throat as the gentle kisses continued. She wasn’t sure if the big Satyr Kindred was still healing her or not, but he was certainly doing something—something so unfamiliar that she had a hard time naming it, even to herself.

As his mouth continued its slow, sensuous journey down the sensitive side of her neck, her heart was pounding and her breath was coming short, panting little gasps. Her nipples were aching and the spot between her thighs felt warm and wet. What was happening to her?

“Are you well, lovely one?” Storn murmured in her ear, his deep, rumbling voice sending another shiver of sparks down her spine.