The two of them shifted uneasily.
“We aren’t here to guard the village,” the first one protested. “We guard only ourDom’mesque—she of the Two Faces!”
“That’s a nice excuse,” T’zaren growled sarcastically. “I’m sure yourDom’mesquewould be happy to hear that you couldn’t be bothered to come to the aid of anotherDom’mesque—one who she had invited as a guest to her stronghold.”
“Oh, do you serve the Lady Lucille Heartwood?” the second guard asked. “We were sent here to find you and guide you across the chasm. “You must come with us at once—our Lady is waiting for you!”
Behind him, T’zaren heard Lucille clear her throat.
“I’m not exactly dressed to meet anyone right now,” she pointed out, poking her head out around his shoulder to speak to the guards while making sure to keep her mostly bare body hidden.
“Nevertheless, you must come at once,” the first guard said. “OurDom’mesqueordered us not to return without you. The dinner hour has been moved up due to thefleur’igansoup. It’s to be finished sooner than expected and it must be eaten at once.”
“The what?” Lucille demanded. “Look, never mind—just give me a moment to, er, confer with T’za—with my manservant,” she told them.
T’zaren turned to face her, making certain to keep her small, curvy body hidden with his larger one as he did.
Lucille was rapidly pulling down her skirt, though her full, bare breasts were still exposed by the ripped sweater.
“What do you think?” she murmured to him. “Will it really offend Twa’linda if I run back to the ship to change?”
“I…I think we’d better not take a chance.”
T’zaren tried not to stare at her breasts as he spoke but he couldn’t help noticing how much darker her nipples were than they had been earlier. Had he really sucked them that hard? The events that had occurred when he was lost in the Rage were kind of a blur, but he thought he might have.
“I’m afraid I hurt you,” he said stiffly, nodding at her tight peaks. “I must ask your forgiveness for that.”
“Oh, well…” She blushed, her cheeks going dark with embarrassment. “You didn’t mean to. You weren’t, er, exactly in your right mind when you, uh, did what you did.”
“When I sucked your nipples,” T’zaren said, wanting to put it out in the open. “Forgive me—when I saw those bastards attacking you, I went into Rage. It’s a state of berserker fury Monstrum Kindred go into when their female—or the female they are protecting—is in danger.”
“I could certainly tellsomethingwas going on with you. Er…your back changed colors too,” she added, tentatively. “I wasn’t sure if that had something to do with it or…” She trailed off, looking up at him expectantly.
“What you saw was my Sen Stripe,” T’zaren said stiffly. He refused to explain the significance of her touch causing his Stripe to flare. It would only make her think he wanted her as hisS’renthawhich was false.
When Lucille saw she wasn’t going to get any further explanation, she shrugged awkwardly.
“Oh…um. Okay. Well, I guess I’d better try to make myself decent.”
She took the ends of the torn sweater and knotted them under her breasts but the loose, knitted fabric still gaped open showing most of her breasts and her tight nipples.
Lucille looked down at herself and swore under her breath.
“No panties, no bra…this isn’t exactly how you’re supposed to dress for a business meeting,” she muttered to herself as she pulled the sides of the torn sweater closed and held them in place with one hand.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much choice,” T’zaren pointed out. “How did you know that offering me your nipples to suck would bring me out of the Rage?” he asked abruptly, unable to keep from asking any longer. “Did someone tell you?” He didn’t see how that was possible though—it was a secret of his people.
She shook her head, her cheeks going dark with a blush.
“I don’t know why I did it. It just…seemed like the right thing to do.”
“Are you almost ready? Lady Twa’linda doesn’t like to be kept waiting,” one of the guards called from behind T’zaren.
“Coming!” Lucille called and looked up at T’zaren. “I guess I’ll just have to go as I am,” she said, shrugging.
“You look fine,” T’zaren told her. “You look…beautiful.” Which was the truth—with her flushed cheeks, bright eyes, and loose, honey blond curls tumbled around her face she looked absolutely gorgeous. Though maybe he shouldn’t have said so, he told himself. Somehow, the words had just slipped out.
Lucille’s cheeks got even darker.