“Gone?” he asked, as though asking if a physical threat had passed by, instead of just an auditory one. Christine remembered reading that Kindred senses were much stronger and more sensitive than human ones—probably the horribly loud music had felt like a physical assault to the big Monstrum.
“All gone,” she promised him, stroking his hair. “Hopefully for good—at least for tonight.”
“So loud…bad…” He shook his head and pressed his face against her breasts again.
Now that he was no longer shaking in fear, Christine realized that her pink robe had come open, leaving her mostly naked from the waist up. Not only that, but the big Monstrum was pressed right up against her, his broad chest to her front and she wasn’t wearing any panties—she had nothing on but the threadbare old robe.
“All right, now,” she said, trying to sound businesslike. “Now that your nightmare is over, I should really go back to my own bed.”
“No!” His response was so immediate, she raised her eyebrows.
“Now if I tell you to let me go, you have to let me go, Roarn,” she told him, hoping that he understood and would comply. She certainly couldn’t make him, if it came to that.
A look of pleading came over his face, which centered mostly in his golden-green eyes. They glowed gently in the dying firelight.
“No…please,” he repeated in a less demanding voice. “Please…Chris-teen. Stay…with…me.”
The words seemed hard for him to get out, as though he was reaching for each one before he could catch it and use it. But it was the look in his eyes—the look of a drowning man who is afraid to lose the only thing keeping him afloat—that touched Christine. She felt her heart squeeze again as he clung to her like she could protect him.
Well, maybe I can. As big as he is, physical strength doesn’t help you fight your own inner demons.
And it was clear the big Monstrum had plenty of those.
“Well…all right,” she said at last, stroking a strand of his long, black hair out of his face. “I’ll sleep in the same bed with you for tonight—but no funny business.”
Roarn frowned, his forehead creasing in confusion.
“Funny…business?” he asked haltingly.
“No, er, sex stuff,” Christine elaborated, feeling her cheeks get hot with a blush. She really should try to close her robe, but the big Monstrum was pressed against her so closely, she couldn’t reach down to grab the sides and pull them closed.
“Oh…” The confusion cleared from his face. “No breeding,” he clarified. “No…bonding.”
“Er, right.” Christine nodded firmly. “No breeding or bonding.”
Roarn nodded earnestly.
“Agreed. No breeding. No bonding.”
“Exactly.” Christine nodded and smiled and he smiled tentatively back before pressing his face between her breasts again and breathing deeply.
“Your scent,” he rumbled, his voice slightly muffled. “So sweet…so good.”
“Um…” Christine shifted in the big Monstrum’s arms. They seemed to have reached a compromise, so why was his face still right between her breasts?
Well, maybe he doesn’t think of this as sex stuff, whispered a little voice in her head. Maybe to him it’s just comforting.
Christine supposed that might be it. At any rate, he wasn’t trying anything—he was just rubbing his warm face against her inner breasts and to be honest, it felt really good—as did the rest of his big, hard body pressed against hers. He was like a living teddy bear, she thought—a really big one. It was warm and comforting to have him in her bed, especially on a cold night like tonight.
Slowly, she let herself relax in his grip, which had loosened somewhat, though he still had his arms wrapped around her waist. Without conscious thought, she carded her fingers through his long, black hair and hummed softly—a lullaby she’d used to comfort her kids when they were little. She could feel the tension lessening in the big body pressed against hers, as Roarn relaxed under her soothing touch.
And that was all she honestly meant to do—just soothe and comfort the big Monstrum. But she couldn’t help enjoying the close physical contact—it had been literally years since she’d had a man in her bed and she’d never had one as big—or as unique—as Roarn. His hair was silky to the touch and the fur that covered him was dense and soft and velvety. It felt amazingly good rubbing against her bare skin—which was more and more exposed, since her robe had somehow slipped open even more.
Really ought to stop this, she thought. I don’t even know him.
But she wasn’t doing anything wrong, she told herself. Just comforting him. That surely couldn’t be bad—he had been so frightened by the night terrors just moments ago. Surely it was all right to stroke his hair and hold him close to ease the big Monstrum’s fear…
The big Monstrum in question was now rubbing his cheeks against the slopes of her breasts—rather like a cat marking its territory, Christine thought. But the motion had caused her robe to open completely, baring not just her breasts but also the tight points of her nipples.