Bridging the Distance_A Kindred Tales Novel Read online

  “Egyptian eyes?” Bound asked, frowning.

  “Sure. They were my specialty in college.” Lorelei smiled as she began to run the black pencil over the bottom lid of his right eye. “Ancient Egypt was a country where they wore all this elaborate eye-makeup. People like to dress up like Egyptian Pharaohs and queens for Halloween and costume parties. I was always good at doing the makeup for it on all my friends and roommates.”

  “Then the little act we’re about to put on must be something you’re used to,” Bound remarked, his eyes flicking up to her face.

  “Not exactly. Dressing up for a costume party is a lot different from trying to blend in with an alien culture,” Lorelei pointed out. “But I think we can manage. Hey—stop moving your eyes. Just look straight ahead and keep your eyes wide open, okay?”

  “Forgive me. I will…do as you say.” He stirred uncomfortably but shifted his gaze in the right direction.

  “That’s better.” The black eye pencil had a delicate tip and Lorelei was so engrossed in getting the easily-smudged black eyeliner exactly right that she didn’t notice the bulge growing under his leather kilt until after she’d done his second eye.

  The sight gave her a hot little shiver down her spine. She’d always heard that Kindred were hung like literal horses—well, here was the proof. What was going on? Was he getting turned on because she was touching him? Quickly, she took her hand from his jaw but he didn’t move.

  “Um, Bound? You can blink now.”

  “Thank you,” he murmured. But he seemed to have trouble looking away. Suddenly Lorelei realized why—due to the position she’d been in while she was putting on the eyeliner, she’d basically told him to stare directly at her barely covered breasts. And after the half-teasing conversation they’d had about how he wanted to suck her nipples, getting up close and personal with her chest must have aroused him.

  “Sorry,” she muttered, taking a step back and putting an arm over her chest. “Uh, I didn’t mean to be, um, flashing you all that time.”

  “It’s all right, My Lady. I am the one who should apologize.” Bound shifted again, as though wishing he could hide the bulge which had appeared under the thin leather kilt. “You’re so beautiful it is impossible to keep myself from…reacting.”

  “Thank you.” Lorelei bit her lip. “You’re pretty gorgeous yourself, you know,” she admitted in a low voice. “I mean, I guess I shouldn’t say that since we’re only here in a business capacity but—”

  “It’s all right.” He looked up at her. Ringed in the thick, black makeup, his intensely blue eyes were startling in their beauty. “I am glad to know you find me as…desirable as I find you,” he said in a low voice. “But that wasn’t the only reason I was, um, staring at your breasts. It occurred to me that you aren’t wearing your marks of status.”

  “Marks of status?” Lorelei frowned. “What are those?”

  “Two little gold rings which—oh, there they are.” He was staring at her hands and Lorelei realized he was talking about the two little golden rings with star-shaped charms dangling from them. “Those do not belong on your fingers, My Lady.”

  “What? Where do they go then?” Lorelei asked, taking one of the golden rings off her pinky finger and examining it. It really was too small for her finger and she was glad to take it off.

  “Well, on your…ahem…they’re meant to go around your nipples, My Lady,” Bound murmured. “To make them more erect. And the charms dangling from them proclaim that you have a high and exalted status. Without displaying them, you’ll never be allowed into the Fren and Chulk.”

  “So…I have to put these around my nipples?” Lorelei took off the other ring and looked at the two of them, lying on the palm of her hand. “They’re too small for my fingers but I don’t really know if they’re going to fit on my, uh, nipples either.”

  She could feel herself blushing as she spoke. It seemed so surreal that she had to wear nipple rings as part of her disguise but she supposed if all the other Femalian gentlewomen were wearing them, she would have to as well.

  Oh well, she thought. When in Rome…

  “They are made of Smart-metal which should pick up on your body heat and mold to fit your nipples when you put them on,” Bound told her. “At least, that is my understanding. You just hold them in place and wait until they conform to the shape you need.”

  “All right. I can do that.” Lorelei wondered if she ought to go back to the bathroom, but the Big Kindred had basically seen her breasts already. With a sigh, she decided just to turn her back for privacy. “Just give me a minute,” she said, turning around.

  “As you wish, My Lady Lorelei,” Bound murmured.

  The black mesh tanktop was super stretchy and she found it easy to pull the neckline down and tuck it under the curves of her breasts so she could get to her nipples. She put one of the too-large golden rings around her nipple and held it there with her fingers, waiting for it to change shape and mold to her breast.

  Nothing happened.

  Well, maybe I have the wrong ring—maybe there’s a left one and a right one, Lorelei thought. She tried again, putting the other ring around her nipple this time and holding it in place but again, nothing happened.

  “My Lady?” Bound’s deep voice murmured behind her. “Are you having problems with the rings?”

  “I thought you said they were made of Smart-metal.” Lorelei looked over her shoulder at him. “But these don’t seem too smart to me. I’m holding them in position and nothing is happening.”

  “Are your hands warm?” he asked. “They react to body heat.”

  “Well… not so much,” Lorelei admitted. “I guess I’m nervous about what we’re about to do—my hands always get cold when I’m nervous.”

  “Would…would you like me to help?” His voice sounded hesitant, as though he was afraid he might offend her. “Kindred generally have slightly higher body temperatures than humans, I think.”

  Lorelei felt her breath catch in her throat. Did she want him to help? Did she want to feel his big, warm hands cupping her breasts and helping to adjust the rings around her nipples?

  You really shouldn’t do this, whispered a little voice in her head. You’re trying to keep a business relationship between the two of you, remember?

  Then again, what choice did she have? She clearly wasn’t going to be able to put the damned rings on herself. And not wearing them wasn’t an option—she wouldn’t be able to get into the Fren and Chulk where the sale was being held without them.

  “Forgive me if I offended you,” Bound murmured and she realized that her long silence while she thought the matter over must have made him think she was mad at him.

  “No, no—you didn’t offend me,” she said quickly. “It’s just…letting someone, uh, handle my nipples isn’t something I’d normally do with a business associate.”

  “Of course not,” Bound murmured. “It was a bad idea.”

  “No, no,” Lorelei said again. “I think it might be a, uh, pretty good idea.” She had another thought. “But…won’t it uh, hurt you to touch me without your twin here?”

  “I would be doing my best to keep my interaction with you completely professional and businesslike,” Bound said. “So I would like to say no. But to be honest, I don’t know if I could touch your beautiful breasts without feeling sexual desire. So it’s possible that the interaction might be somewhat uncomfortable.”

  “Well, I don’t want you to…to hurt yourself,” Lorelei pointed out breathlessly.

  “For the sake of getting my brother back, I will endure any pain,” Bound assured her. “And…” He cleared his throat. “I would be lying if I said I don’t relish the chance to hold your lovely breasts in my hands.”

  “Well…thank you for being honest.” Lorelei’s heart was pounding and her whole body felt tingly.

  “I try always to be honest,” Bound told her. “I cannot be untruthful and say I don’t want to touch you, My Lady. You are so beautiful…an Elite…a
nd so very desirable.” He cleared his throat. “But having said that, I would do my best to try and keep our interaction professional.”

  “Well, then…” Lorelei felt like her pulse was beating in every part of her body from her fingertips to the tips of her suddenly-achy nipples. “Then, I guess it’s okay,” she murmured. “Do you want to, uh, go back to the couch?”

  “I can help you just as well this way.” Bound stepped up behind her, his broad, bare chest to her back, and put his long, muscular arms around her. “May I cup your bare breasts, My Lady?” he murmured in her ear.

  “Y-yes,” Lorelei stuttered as a wave of desire washed over her. “Yes, please…please do.”

  “As you wish.” Suddenly big, warm hands were cupping her curves, holding her full breasts gently but firmly.

  “My Lady,” Bound murmured in her ear. “You are exquisite. May I have your permission to make certain your nipples are hard enough to wear the rings?”

  Oh God, shouldn’t let him do this! But every fiber of her being wanted him to.

  “Yes,” she whispered, thrusting her bare breasts more firmly into his large, warm hands. “Yes, Bound, please…please make sure they are.”

  “Thank you my lady,” he growled softly and then long fingers were stroking and tugging at her tight, pink points—twisting gently in a way that sent sparks of pure desire straight from her nipples to the hot spot between her legs.

  “Oh…” Lorelei moaned, leaning her head back against his broad shoulder. “Oh, Bound…”

  “Let me try one of the rings now,” he murmured, reaching for one as he continued to caress her breasts and nipples with his other hand.

  “All right.” With numb fingers, Lorelei fumbled one of the rings with its star-shaped charm into his hand.

  “That’s good, My Lady,” he murmured and placed the ring around her right nipple.

  There was a strange shrinking sensation and Lorelei watched as the golden band got a little smaller—but still not quite small enough to be snug around the stem of her nipple.

  Bound was watching over her shoulder as well.

  “Hmm…this is strange,” he murmured. “Why isn’t it working?”

  A thought came to Lorelei and popped out her mouth before she could stop it.

  “Maybe…maybe your hands aren’t warm enough. Maybe you should use something warmer. Like…like your mouth.”

  “My mouth?” Bound sounded like he was frowning. “Do you really mean that?”

  “If…if you think it’s necessary.” The breathless note was back in her tone again and the little voice in her head was telling her once more that this was a bad idea, especially if they wanted to keep things professional.

  Lorelei ignored it.

  “And… you would permit me to suck your nipples, My Lady?” Bound asked. “In order to make the rings fit?”

  “I don’t…don’t think we have any choice, do we?” Lorelei asked, trying and failing to keep her voice even. “I mean, how else are we going to make the damn things work?”

  “True.” Bound sounded thoughtful. “Very well—for this I think we should go back to the couch, since I am so much taller than you.”

  “All right.” Heart pounding, Lorelei let the big Kindred lead her back to the low couch where he seated himself in the same position he’d been in when she put the eyeliner on him. The exotic, Egyptian eyes staring up at her seemed to make him into a stranger—a dark and uncertain entity—and she felt her heart lurch with a mixture of fear and desire.

  Bound seemed to pick up on her uncertainty because he reached up to stroke her cheek.

  “It’s all right, My Lady,” he murmured. “I swear I’ll be careful. I would never hurt you.”

  “All…all right,” Lorelei murmured. She stepped closer, putting her bare breasts on the level of his mouth. “Go ahead, Bound. Do…do what needs to be done.”

  “As you wish, My Lady.”

  The golden Smart-metal ring was already around her nipple so he leaned forward and enclosed her aching bud with his lips. For a moment he simply breathed on her, letting his hot breath wash over the sensitive area as though getting her used to the feel of his mouth on her. Then, very slowly, she felt the hot, wet tip of his tongue begin to circle her nipple.

  “Oh…” Lorelei whispered as he lapped gently at her sensitive tip. She could feel the Smart-metal band tightening around her nipple as the big Kindred bathed it gently with his tongue but somehow she didn’t want him to stop. Every touch of his tongue to her naked flesh sent showers of sparks from her breasts directly down to her heated pussy. At last, however, he drew back and examined her nipple.

  “Perfect.” His deep voice was a soft growl of lust. “The charm looks lovely on your breast, My Lady.”

  “Thank you,” Lorelei whispered. “But…but maybe you’d better be, you know, certain it’s not going to fall off.” She couldn’t believe she was suggesting such a thing but she didn’t want this pleasure and intimacy to end.

  Bound raised his eyes to hers.

  “You mean…you think I should put it to the test? Maybe by sucking your nipple, to be certain the charm can’t slip off?”

  Lorelei’s breath seemed to catch in her throat.

  “Exactly,” she breathed. “I…I think that would be a good idea—don’t you?”

  “Absolutely.” The big Kindred’s deep voice was hoarse with desire. Looking into her eyes, he took her nipple between his lips again, this time sucking hard, as though trying to get as much of her full breast in his mouth as he could.

  Lorelei gasped and grabbed for his broad shoulders as she leaned in to the deep pleasure/pain he was giving her. God, it felt good to have his hot mouth on her sensitive breast, sucking so hard and bathing her tender tip with his tongue! Her pussy was getting so hot and wet she had to spread her legs to ease the ache between them. And still Bound sucked and licked her, teasing her sensitive point until she ached with need and pleasure.

  Just as she was beginning to wonder if she could actually come just from having her nipples sucked, Bound pulled back at last.

  “What…why did you stop?” Lorelei felt fuzzy from the intense pleasure. It seemed that all she could think about was how she wanted more.

  “Forgive me, My Lady.” Bound’s deep voice was nearly as breathless as hers with desire. “I would love to suck your beautiful nipples all day, but we must be getting to the sale soon.”

  “Oh—of course,” Lorelei mentally kicked herself for losing sight of their mission. “Of course. I…I guess you’d better do the other one quickly then.”

  “Not too quickly—I don’t wish to injure you,” Bound rumbled. “Come My Lady, let me help you place the other ring.”

  Gently, he sucked her other nipple into his mouth and repeated the whole process while Lorelei gripped his broad shoulders and tried hard not to moan or come while he sucked her. At last, when the second ring was firmly in place, he pulled back and looked up at her.

  “Gods, My Lady—how I wish my brother was here to suck your other breast for you as I suck this one.” There was longing in his exotically painted eyes which tugged at Lorelei’s heart. “How I wish we could give you pleasure together.”

  “You will soon. I mean, soon you’ll be able to pleasure a…a female together,” Lorelei said, barely catching herself. “Not necessarily me but I know you’ll, uh, find someone. We’ll get him back, Bound—that’s why we’re doing this, remember?”

  “Yes.” He sighed. “I just miss him so much.”

  “Of course you do.” Lorelei ran a hand through his thick, dark blond hair soothingly “Is doing that…each of you sucking a, uh, female’s nipples at the same time…something that’s very special to you?”

  “It’s the beginning of a bond,” Bound told her. “Both twins giving pleasure at the same time, sharing a female in that way—it’s the start of so much.”

  “And did…did it hurt you to…to pleasure me by yourself?” Lorelei asked. Because there was no pretending, even
to herself, that letting the big Kindred suck her nipples was all just business. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so turned on—her pussy was liquid between her thighs and her nipples still tingled from his mouth on her.

  Bound sighed sadly. “There was a time when it would have been incredibly painful but our connection—our Twin-bond—has grown so faint lately, it barely hurt at all even when I was sucking your nipples as deeply as I could.” He looked up at her. “Not that any amount of pain wouldn’t have been worth it to taste your sweet breasts, My Lady. Truly, you honor me with your trust in allowing me to do so. I just…”

  “You just miss your twin and wish he was here as well,” Lorelei murmured. She couldn’t help reflecting that if this had been a human man saying he wanted to share her with his brother it might have felt weird or creepy to her. But she was beginning to understand a little more about the connection between Twin Kindred and she could tell that Bound felt like he was missing a piece of his heart when he touched her without his brother there to touch her also.

  For a moment she wondered what that would be like—having two huge Kindred warriors sucking her breasts at the same time while she was the complete focus of their attention…but then she pushed the idea away. She was here to help Bound rescue his brother, not to bond with the two of them.

  Once they finally had Torn back again, she would do everything in her power to restore him to his brother, but she would be working in a professional capacity, making contact with the part of him which was an AI. That involved talking and coding—not getting physically intimate.

  “It will be all right,” she murmured, trying to reassure the Light Twin. “We’ll bring him back—you’ll see.”

  “Yes, My Lady.” But the big Kindred’s eyes were still sad.

  Without thinking, she looped her arms around his neck and drew him close, nestling his face between her breasts and stroking his hair—giving him comfort the only way that felt right to give it.

  “Thank you, My Lady.” Bound rubbed his cheek against her, the slight scratch of the blond stubble on his jaw causing pleasurable friction against her tender skin. “Everyone has been saying the same thing to me—that I will get Torn back—but words without actions…without touch, feel so empty.”