Playing Their Parts

She gave him an uncertain smile.

“Thank you, Stone. I could say the same.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised. “You think I am attractive?”

“How could I not?” She gave an embarrassed little laugh. “I mean, you’re built like a Greek god!”

“What gods did the Greeks worship?” Stone asked, frowning. He was trying to remember Earth cultures and religions but there were so many of them he sometimes got them confused. The Kindred only worshiped the Goddess, but humans had all kinds of deities they called on.

“What gods? Oh, Zeus…Apollo…” Cassandra frowned. “Although with your hair and eye color, I think you probably look more like Thor. If you had a beard, I mean.”

“Really? You want me to grow a beard?” Stone asked. He would do it for her, if she really wanted him to—he would do anything he could to please her.

“Not really.” She laughed again. “You’re fine without one. More than fine.” Reaching up, she stroked his cheek. Stone turned his face and placed a soft kiss in her palm, making her sigh. “Stone,” she murmured. “There’s something I want to ask you, only I don’t want to, uh, impose on you.”

“Nothing you could ask would be an imposition,” Stone assured her. “Ask, Cassandra.”

“Well…” She nibbled her lush lower lip. “I’ve heard that Blood Kindred can heal with their essence—is that right?”

Stone nodded. “Yes, that’s right. It’s the reason I bit you so many times on Bachanalius. I was hoping my essence would lessen the burning you felt.”

“It did.” Cassandra said earnestly. “It was like a soothing, cool river flowing over me and putting out the flames—it was wonderful. But, well…” She shifted in his arms and winced. “I’m kind of having a different kind of pain right now.”

Stone frowned.

“You mean you’re in pain because I was rough with you.”

“Because you had to be,” she reminded him again.

“That doesn’t matter—you are still in pain,” Stone growled, frowning.

“Then why don’t you heal me?” Cassandra demanded in apparent exasperation. “Heal me with your essence, Stone—like you did when you bit me.”

He frowned again.

“In order to heal the places you are injured, I could not simply bite you. I would need to lick you and spread my essence to your injured areas with my tongue.”

Cassandra’s cheeks went pink and her breathing sped up. At the same time, her pupils dilated—a sign of desire, Stone thought.

“I don’t mind that if you don’t,” she said softly.

Stone felt his cock surge and was glad for the waters of the bathing pool which were hiding his reaction. He wanted desperately to heal her—to taste her—but he knew he shouldn’t.

You might not be able to stop with just healing her, he told himself sternly. You’ve bitten her so many times and there’s so much of your essence in her it’s going to be very difficult not to want to Claim her and bond her too.

But the shy, hopeful look on Cassandra’s lovely face was too much to resist.

“If you would really like me to heal you,” he told her. “Then we must get out of the bathing pool and dry off.”

“All right.” She nodded eagerly. “I’m ready.”

Shouldn’t be doing this, Stone told himself again.

But instead of listening, he reached for a towel.

Sixty-One

Cassie hoped she was doing the right thing. Should she really take Kat’s advice and ask her partner to heal her with his tongue?

But it was too late to take it back now. They were both out of the pool and Stone was drying her off as carefully as though she was fine china that might break if he handled her too roughly.

This is how he wants to treat me—to touch me, Cassie realized as he finished on one leg and started on the other. Gently, with care and love and tenderness. That’s one reason it was so hard on him to be so rough back at the palace. That’s why he feels so guilty.

Well, maybe she could help ease his guilt by letting him treat her the way he had always wanted to. She held out her arms and let her partner dry her completely and then Stone swung her up and carried her back into the bedroom. Laying her gently on the bed, he looked into her eyes.

“I’ll start with the bruises I made on your hips and thighs, sweetheart,” he murmured. “And then move down. Let me know if you want me to stop for any reason.”

“All right, Stone,” she whispered as he moved down her body. But inside, she was vowing that she wouldn’t stop him for anything. They were finally headed in the right direction—she wanted the momentum to continue.

Stone’s tongue felt warm and soothing against the bare skin of her hips. He healed her with long, slow licks, as though he was savoring the taste of her skin. Cassie watched in surprise as the dark bruises that had formed after the big Kindred had gripped her there, began to fade.