Protecting His Mistress (Kindred Tales)

He was charmed by her innocent question. How many Mistresses of Yonnie Six would care about their bodyslave’s preferences? He was guessing the number was close to zero and yet Lilli really seemed to take an interest in his well-being.

“I’m sure whatever is comfortable for you will be fine for me, little Mistress,” he rumbled softly. “But thank you for asking after my comfort.”

She bit her lip.

“I suppose I shouldn’t do that. Mother would be angry with me if she heard.”

“We don’t have to tell her,” Karn suggested. “It’ll be our secret.”

“All right.” She smiled at him and did something to the remote so that the door slid open and the ceiling of the shower stall began raining steaming, scented water. “Um—that’s how I like it. Should we get in?”

“Of course, little Mistress.” Karn made a gesture with one hand. “After you.”

“All right.”

And Lilli stepped into the shower.

Eight

The big Kindred came into the shower stall with her and the automatic door slid shut behind them. He came to stand beside Lilli in the steaming rain and loomed over her.

Suddenly, she was reminded all over again of how very huge and muscular he was. Though the shower stall was big, he seemed to take up most of it with his broad shoulders and long legs.

At that moment, Lilli remembered she had left the remote to his pain collar on her pile of folded clothes outside the stall. And Karn was blocking the exit.

She looked up at him, frozen for a moment with fear. Would he try something on her? Something like what she’d seen in that porn vid her friend had smuggled into the convent? Would he try to kiss her? To touch her?

“What’s wrong, little Mistress?” he rumbled, frowning. “You seem distressed.”

“I…do I?” Lilli’s voice came out sounding high and frightened. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, of course I’m not distressed. I’m fine.”

“Yes, you are. You’re thinking that you left the remote to my collar outside the shower,” Karn remarked, once more showing that amazing Kindred intuition of his.

“Oh, well…yes.” There didn’t seem to be any point in denying it—he could apparently see right through her. “Yes, I was thinking that,” Lilli admitted. “Though it shouldn’t matter since Mother set it to shock you if you tried to touch me or yourself. And I’m pretty sure it will work,” she added, wishing she didn’t still sound so frightened.

“Even if my pain collar was completely nonfunctional, you still would have nothing to fear from me,” Karn assured her softly.

“What?” Lilli frowned. “But…why? How?”

“Because I’m Kindred,” he said simply. “We don’t hurt females. Ever.”

“Really?” Lilli looked up at him, wanting to believe but still not quite able to.

“Really,” Karn assured her. To her surprise, he knelt suddenly in front of her. He was so tall, they were still almost face to face but he did have to look up a little to meet her eyes. “Look at me, Lilli,” he murmured. “I swear by the Goddess, the Mother of All Life, that I will never lift a hand against you or harm you in any way. For as long as we are together I will live only to serve you and give you pleasure. Do you understand?”

Lilli leaned forward and found she was cupping his face in her hands.

“You really mean that?” she whispered.

The water raining down around them made his long hair fall in a smooth waterfall down his back and his thick lashes were matted and bristly with it, making his mismatched eyes look like jewels. He was, she suddenly thought, one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen, though one didn’t usually think of males as beautiful.

“I mean it,” Karn murmured, still looking at her with that intense gaze of his.

He nuzzled his cheek against her hand and Lilli felt the rough drag of his stubble against her palm and fingers. It was a pleasant feeling, she decided, and so was being this close to the big Kindred, especially when both of them were naked. Why, he was so close he could have bent his head and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, which was something she’d seen on the porn vid.

The idea made Lilli feel hot and cold all over and she tried to push the mental image away. What was it about the big Kindred that brought such illicit thoughts to the surface of her mind?

“All right,” she whispered. “I believe you, Karn. You can…can get up now. I’d better wash you before it gets any later.”

“As my lady wishes,” he murmured and rose smoothly to tower over her again.

Lilli tried to ignore how physically intimidating she found him and reached for the sponge glove which fit over her right hand. It began secreting bubbles and lightly scented foam at once and she reached up and began to rub his broad chest.