This was what the intellectual part of her brain was thinking as he kissed her. But, independent of her mind, her heart was pounding, and her mind was racing. Not only that, but she was feeling a definite tingle between her thighs and her nipples felt like tight little points.
What is he doing to me? Why does it feel so good just to have him kiss me? she wondered.
Because as Rarev’s mouth moved slowly up and down her arm, kissing gently and carefully, he seemed to be setting her body on fire. In fact, it almost felt as though he was kissing her somewhere other than her arm.
Like between your legs, whispered a naughty little voice in her head. Em squeezed her thighs together and bit her lower lip—she couldn’t remember ever feeling this turned on, this alive in ages—and she didn’t think it was just because a sexy, younger man was kissing her arm.
I think he’s doing something to me—my body is reacting to his, she thought, wondering if it could possibly be true. Did being this close to a Monstrum Kindred actually physically do something to a woman? If not, what other reason could she give for the tingling in her nipples and between her legs? Why else was her breath coming short and hot and why was her heart pounding as though it was trying to beat its way right out from between her ribs?
I don’t think I can bear much more of this! It’s too much—too intense! she thought. She was trying hard to control her breathing but despite her best efforts, she was practically panting with desire. What was wrong with her? She must stop feeling this way—reacting this way—this was very undignified and unprofessional.
“I…” she whispered, not sure what to say. “I don’t think…”
“There. You’re healed.”
Rarev drew back at last and she saw that he was right—the angry red burn left on the underside of her forearm by the hot kettle was completely gone. It was as though he had erased it with his long, hot kiss.
But though he was no longer kissing or touching her, Em could still feel the effects of his mouth on her body. She was still tingling all over and she felt oddly changed somehow. What was happening to her?
“How?” she managed to get out. “I…I don’t understand.”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling under his gold uniform shirt.
“My people call it ‘The Kiss of Healing.’ It is a gift given to all Monstrum Kindred by the Goddess. We are able to heal females we have an interest in with a kiss.”
“I…that’s…quite interesting, actually,” Em stuttered out, not sure what to say. She wasn’t sure what to make of the part where he’d said he could heal women he had “an interest in.” Especially since she’d already established the fact that she was too old for him and it wouldn’t be good for them to be seen together in public. It seemed best just to thank him, and so she did. “Er…thank you very much for…for healing me,” she blurted.
“You are very welcome, Emilia,” he murmured in that low, purring voice of his. Listening to it was like having warm velvet stroking along your spine, Em thought. And his eyes were so big and golden—utterly alien, yet unspeakably gorgeous at the same time.
“Please call me ‘Em,’” she said, not sure why she was saying it. “All my friends do, you know.”
“Em.” He nodded, as though tasting the single syllable of her name on his tongue. “Are we friends, then?”
“We…we’re colleagues, at least,” Em said weakly, not sure how to answer him. “I mean, we do have to work together.”
Rarev frowned.
“That is not the same as being friends,” he pointed out, his voice a deep growl. “Do you not wish to be friends with me, Em? If not, why did you give me leave to use your intimate name?”
“It…it’s just a nickname, that’s all.” Em shifted in her seat, desperate to change the subject. “Er…” She wasn’t sure how to get back to the point at hand—what even was the point at hand? She had to tear her eyes away from his golden gaze before it would come to her.
Oh right—I was asking him to take me home—back to Earth, she remembered.
Where doubtless the Press would be waiting, cameras poised to click pictures of “Minister Monster Fucker and her new Monstrum boy-toy,” she thought sourly.
Imagining the future headlines caused a bit of the intense sexual desire she’d been feeling to leak away—which honestly, was a relief. She had already established that she and Rarev needed to leave each other alone and she was glad that the intense tingling she’d been feeling in her intimate areas seemed to be lessening.
As for the tabloids, better to face them now rather than later. Waiting on any unpleasant task only made it harder—her mother had taught her that and she had been absolutely right.