Page 6 of Offering Herself to Darkness

And standing on her tiptoes, she looped her arms around his neck and dragged him down for a kiss.

At first it was like kissing a robot—he didn’t move a muscle and seemed frozen in space and time. But then, just as she was about to give up and leave him alone, two long, strong arms looped around her waist and pulled her closer.

Nora gasped as she felt his mouth move and then he was taking charge of the kiss. Fierce and hungry, his lips claimed hers, molding to her mouth as he demanded entrance with his tongue.

Moaning, Nora opened for him. She felt like her whole body was flushing, like she was falling down and down and she didn’t know where she might land. His warm, spicy scent was suddenly filling her with desire. At the same time, Commander Xarex’s big hands were sliding over her back and sides and his tongue was sliding into her mouth.

He didn’t gag or choke her though, like she had expected. Instead he was tentative at first…he seemed to want to taste her, to learn her flavor. As soon as he did, his big hand fisted possessively in the hair a the nape of her neck to hold her still while he explored her thoroughly…making her feel completely owned and overwhelmed at the same time.

She could feel her body responding to the rough kiss. Her nipples were suddenly almost painfully tight and between her legs she was wet and ready, her pussy swollen with sexual need.

Oh God, what’s happening to me? What is he doing—why is he doing this? Why did I kiss him in the first place?

She’d only meant to show him how serious she was—that she really would give him whatever he wanted. But she’d never expected that he would kiss her so possessively. His big hands were roaming all over the place now, down to stroke the curve of her hips and lower to cup her ass and squeeze possessively.

“Mmmph!” she gasped against his mouth, wiggling in protest at his overly familiar touch. After all, they weren’t Joined yet!

Xarex let her go abruptly and she nearly fell—would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her arm and kept her on her feet.

For a moment both of them were silent. Nora was almost panting. What in the world had just happened between them? She felt dizzy and weak in the knees—she wished she had something to hold on to or lean against.

What must he think of me? I can’t believe I did that…and I can’t believe he acted like he did. Aren’t Dark Kindred supposed to have no emotions? But the way he kissed me…

“So…you’ll agree to let me do what I wish with your soft, curvy body as long as I Join with you, so your young one can visit the Med Center aboard the Mother Ship?” His deep rumbling voice broke both the silence and the anxious monologue that had been running through her mind.

When she looked up at him, Nora saw that his silver eyes were blazing.

“Yes!” yes panted. “Yes, anything at all! Except you can’t actually kill me,” she added quickly. “I have to be here to care for Anna and my mother.” His kiss had been so fierce—so overwhelming—she felt like she had to add that.

“Kill you?” His eyebrows shot up again. “Was there something in my erotic activities file that made you think I wished to kill you?”

“I don’t know.” Nora’s throat went suddenly dry. “It just seemed like…like something a serial killer might do—saving all that porn where the women looked like me, I mean. But no, I didn’t see anything like actual torture porn,” she added.

“Torture porn?” He frowned.

“You know…” Nora made a little gesture with one hand. “Porn where the woman is actually hurt and abused—like cut or beaten or burned or?—”

“Stop!” He held out one big hand, as though he couldn’t stand to hear any more. “I have heard that human males have some disgusting tastes and I have seen some of what you’re talking about in my search for erotic activities that interest me. But I would never participate in the torture of a woman—such an idea is wrong and repugnant to me.”

He talks like a robot, Nora thought, but his words made her feel a little better. He might be a Dark Kindred but he was still a Kindred and she knew they didn’t abuse women.

“So…you’d agree not to actually hurt me…too much?” she asked timidly. “Because I don’t mind being tied down as long as you don’t pull out a hammer or a pair of pliers next.”

At least, she didn’t think she would mind being tied down. She’d never tried it before—Steve had been as vanilla as they came. He hadn’t even wanted to make love in anything but the Missionary position with the lights off.

“I will not torture or abuse you in any way.” His deep voice was firm. “Are you prepared to put your offer to me in a contract that we both can sign?”

“Oh, er, sure.” Nora nodded. Was he actually going for it? Was he really going to Join with her?

It seemed so because Commander Xarex seated himself at his desk and began typing on his computer at once.

Feeling bemused, Nora came around to stand behind his shoulder and see what he was typing. From her paralegal point of view, it looked like a fairly standard contract. An agreement that she would allow her boss to touch, use, and taste her body in return for his Joining with her.

“It doesn’t have to last forever,” she said, as she read over his shoulder. “Just until Anna is healed or has a treatment plan that works for her.”

He half turned his head, raising an eyebrow at her.

“So you wish to put a time limit on our Joining?”

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