Burning for Love (Kindred Tales)

“Let’s have no more backtalk, my girl,” she said. “I may not be your Companion anymore, but I’ve still got power over you and don’t you forget it!”

“No, Lady Mildew, I wont,” Rissa whispered miserably. Clearly she would never be rid of the sour old bat, even if she did have a new Companion now. “May I be excused from the bath?” she asked humbly, keeping her eyes lowered.

“Well…I suppose so,” Lady Mildew said grudgingly. “Though you’ll have to be scrubbed twice as hard betwixt your legs tomorrow night to make up for missing tonight,” she added.

Rissa saw James frown and open his mouth, presumably to say that he refused to scrub such a delicate area too vigorously. She caught his eyes and gave a quick shake of her head. The big Kindred’s frown deepened, but he nodded shortly and went to put away the brush he’d been using on her. When he came back, he was holding up a large, plush towel.

“Are you ready to exit the bathing tub, my Lady Ka’rissa?” he asked her.

“Yes, thank you, Sir James.”

Keeping her head low and her arms crossed over her breasts, Rissa stepped out of the icy water and let him wrap the big pink towel around her shoulders.

“Very well—hurry up and dry her,” Lady Mildew directed him. “I must put this Chastity Wire back on the Princess and I can’t do it if she’s wet.”

He nodded without speaking and began drying Rissa’s arms and legs and torso—though she noticed that he once again skirted around her peaks and the spot between her legs. Had he been taught to avoid touching such delicate places on board the Mother Ship? Or was he simply trying to show her respect by not touching her private areas?

Either way, she respected his delicacy and tact in the matter. She was still shy about having his hands on her body, despite the fact that she knew he had no lustful emotions—or any emotions for that matter. It was good of him to realize that and to respect her boundaries.

Though he wouldn’t have if Lady Mildew had anything to say about it, she thought, as she opened the towel so her old chaperone could re-clasp the Chastity Wire around her waist and re-activate it with the remote only she had access to.

Why the older woman insisted she was dirty and had evil impulses was beyond Rissa. The incident she kept harping on—the single time she’d tried touching herself between her legs, before she knew it was wrong to do so—had happened so long ago it seemed that almost anyone else would have forgotten it by now. But not Lady Mildew—she had to bring it up—in front of James, too!

Rissa didn’t care that he had no emotions—it was still humiliating for him to know about her one foray into the forbidden place between her legs. What would he think of her now? What if he thought she was a dirty, nasty girl, as Lady Mildew had proclaimed her to be? It might be foolish, but she found she cared about the big Kindred’s good opinion—cared deeply.

Maybe she felt that way because, in a way, she felt that she already knew him. Not just from their interactions tonight, but also because of the many dreams she’d had of him over the past month. Dreams in which he held her and murmured in her ear in that deep voice of his…

Blushing, she tried to push the thought away. It was making her points feel hot again, despite her recent cold bath, and she didn’t need to worry about setting her nightdress on fire in the night as she slept. Well, not that she could—it was made of fire retardant fabric, as were all her clothes—but it was possible to scorch it quite badly, which would ruin the delicate material it was made of.

Speaking of her nightdress, James had it all ready for her. He slipped the silky white garment over her head and it settled around her ankles, much to Rissa’s relief. She didn’t enjoy being naked and vulnerable—clothing was like armor and she needed all the armor she could get whilst battling with Lady Mildew.

And thank goodness, Lady Mildew seemed finally about to leave. She rose from her chair and pointed a crooked finger at Rissa.

“You behave, my girl,” she said, a frown creasing her face deeply. “I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow and you’d better be on your very best behavior.”

Rissa wanted to snap back that she was always on her best behavior and it wasn’t necessary to remind her to use her Court manners all the time. But she thought better of it and simply nodded her head meekly.

“Yes, Lady Mildew. Good night, Lady Mildew,” she said, just as she had said every night after her bath for years and years.