Enhanced

  “You keep referring to this contract, but I never signed it!” Mei-Li protested, taking the sheet of plastic from his hand. It was covered in tiny black dots except for a section in the middle where perfectly legible printed English words were scrolling very slowly across its clear surface.

  “You did though, when you signed up for the draft of unmated females who may be called as brides.” Six tapped the very bottom of the piece of plastic and immediately the tiny black dots there expanded to show the last few clauses of the contract as well as Mei-Li’s own, looping signature.

  “Wait a minute—is the entire contract on this thing?” She looked closely at the plastic sheet.

  Six nodded. “The printing magnifies and diminishes as needed. As I understand it, the Kindred of the Mother Ship used to have it printed on thin sheets of mulched and dried plant life—I believe you call it paper? Anyway, they would have a female sign the paper contract when the male came to claim her. They have since streamlined the process, getting the signature when the female first signs up for the draft.”

  “Why did they do that? I didn’t know I was signing all this,” Mei-Li protested, staring at her signature at the bottom. Then again, she hadn’t exactly taken time to read the fine print when she went down to the HKR building to put her name on the rolls of women who could be called as brides. She was just doing her duty—signing up for the draft like every other girl her age and never dreaming that it would come back to bite her in the ass.

  Six raised an eyebrow at her. “Apparently you live in an extremely litigious society, correct? I think the process was changed in order to be certain there would be no ‘loop holes’ as you call them for a female to back out of a contact once she has been claimed.”

  “So I guess I’m stuck getting an ‘enhancement’, at least according to this,” Mei-Li said glumly, tapping the thin plastic for emphasis. At once, the bottom half of the Claiming Contract shrank down and another group of tiny black dots expanded to a readable size. “What’s this?” she muttered, scanning it rapidly. “It says that we must eat every meal at the same table and sleep every night in the same bed?”

  “Those are the rules of the Claiming Period,” Six said. “They outline exactly what we must do in each stage or week of the Claiming.”

  “What else does it say?” Mei-Li asked apprehensively. “What’s this—the Holding Week, the Bathing Week…the Tasting Week? What the hell?”

  “It simply tells the ways I am allowed to touch you with my hands and mouth as our time together progresses.” Six spoke as though it was no big deal.

  “It…it does?” Mei-Li was beginning to get a tight feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like every other Earth girl signed up for the draft, she had heard rumors of the intensely sexual courtship that went on between a Kindred warrior and his chosen bride during their Claiming Period. But she had assumed that wouldn’t be the case here. After all, Six had no emotions—why would he want to hold her or kiss her or do…any of the other things she’d heard whispered and hinted about?

  Not that she would mind doing sexual things with Six—well, she wouldn’t run screaming from him, anyway. Now that she was mostly used to his red search-light left eye and his metal hand, she found the rest of him completely mouthwatering. And there was also the fact that he smelled amazing. His big, muscular body and deep voice and the gentle way he touched her would be enough to make her or any girl melt. But what was the point if he didn’t feel anything?

  “There is one part I don’t understand, though,” Six said, breaking her train of thought. “It says that during the first week I may kiss you.”

  “Yes, and?” Mei-Li said, her voice coming out much higher than she would have liked.

  “And I do not understand the term.” He looked at her quizzically.

  “What term—kiss?” Mei-Li looked at him in disbelief. Seeing the confused expression on his face, she shook her head. “Oh my God—you don’t know what a kiss is, do you?”

  He frowned. “I have a vague idea. Is it an action performed with the mouth? Like this?” He pursed his lips and blew a stream of air that made a few wisps of her still-damp hair flutter against her cheek.

  Mei-Li had to suppress a laugh. “Not quite. It’s when you touch your mouth—your lips—to someone else’s skin or lips.”

  “Like this, then?” He surprised her by leaning towards her and pressing his lips briefly to her cheek. It didn’t feel like much of anything since he didn’t purse his lips or move his mouth in any way but Mei-Li’s heart started to pound anyway when she felt his warm breath on her skin.

  “Not…not exactly,” she said, a little breathlessly. “I…I can show you, if you want. I mean, if…if you really want to know.”

  Six frowned. “I do want to know what is expected of me but you are not obligated to do any of this now. Our Claiming Period doesn’t officially begin until we step foot upon the surface of my planet.”

  “I, um…” Mei-Li cleared her throat. “I don’t mind. Really.”

  “In that case, yes. I would…very much like to know what a kiss is and how to perform it properly.”

  “All right.” Why was she doing this? She didn’t know. Maybe it had to do with the gentle way he had soothed her and held her against him last night. Maybe it was just because she wanted to. Wait, what? Why did she want to? Again, she didn’t know.

  Heart pounding, Mei-Li scooted a little closer to him. She leaned in, getting up on her knees since he was so tall and putting one hand on his broad shoulder for balance. But as she got closer to him, Six kept staring at her. Mei-Li drew back.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked.

  “Yes—you’re supposed to close your eyes.”

  “But if I close my eyes, how can I observe what you are doing and learn to do it myself?” he objected.

  Mei-Li had to bite back a nervous laugh.

  “Kissing isn’t about observing,” she told him. “It’s about feeling.”

  Six frowned. “But I have no—”

  “Yes, yes, I know—you have no emotions,” Mei-Li said impatiently. Which meant this was probably going to be like kissing a gorgeous but slightly scary statue but whatever. “I’m talking about feeling in the physical sense,” she told him. “When you kiss someone, you’re aware of how their lips feel against your own…the warmth of their breath, the softness of their skin, the way they react…it’s a very sensory experience.”

  “Oh…I see.” Six sounded doubtful.

  “No, you don’t. Here, I’ll show you,” Mei-Li said. “But close your eyes this time.”

  “Very well.” He closed his eyes—the right one anyway—and the red light that covered the area where his left eye should be went dark.

  Mei-Li leaned forward again, studying his stern features for a long moment. God, he really was perfect under all the hardware on his face. Daring greatly, she cupped his right cheek in her hand, tracing the high, sculpted cheekbone with the pad of her thumb.

  Without him staring at her, she felt much less inhibited. Leaning closer, she nuzzled just under his jaw, feeling the slight scratch of his close shaved whiskers against her own smooth cheek. It had been a long time since she had been this close to a member of the opposite sex and she’d never been this close to such a big man. Six dwarfed her with his muscular bulk, even sitting down. Mei-Li felt a little tingle of nerves—it was like getting close to a lion or some other dangerous beast and yet, she didn’t want to stop.

  She took a deep breath, inhaling his clean, sharp scent which made her feel slightly dizzy somehow. Slowly, she pressed her lips to the side of his strong throat, kissing the pulse that beat there very gently.

  Six drew in a breath at her tender ministrations but didn’t move or open his eyes.

  “Is this part of it—of kissing?” he asked, his deep voice slightly hoarse.

  “It can be,” Mei-Li murmured. “But keep your eyes closed—I’m not done yet.” Inside her head a little voice was demanding to know what exactly she thoug
ht she was doing. Are you crazy, kissing him like this? Shouldn’t you be trying to keep your distance instead of playing some weird version of Seven Minutes in Heaven?

  But Six smelled so good and his skin was so warm against her fingertips, she couldn’t seem to stop. Even knowing he had no feelings for her, couldn’t keep her from wanting more.

  Just one little kiss can’t hurt, she told herself. Yes, that sounded right. After all, she’d promised to show him what a kiss was—not to make out with him. And anyway, it would only take a minute. Feeling justified in her decision, she kissed his throat once more and moved up to fit her lips to his.

  She kissed his lush lower lip first, pressing her mouth to it with a butterfly-light touch, then sucking it gently. Six made a soft sound, deep in his throat but didn’t move as she nibbled playfully. Mei-Li then switched her attention to his stern upper lip—the one that got so thin and scary looking when he was fighting. She kissed it tenderly, then ran the tip of her tongue over it, tasting his mouth for the first time. To her surprise, he tasted vaguely sweet and a bit like some familiar flavor she couldn’t quite name. At the same time, his scent intensified, making her feel almost dizzy with lust.

  God was this turning her on? Mei-Li shifted uncomfortably, realizing that she was getting hot and swollen between her legs. At the same time, the white lace gown she was wearing, which had seemed so soft just a moment ago, now felt too scratchy against her suddenly sensitive nipples.

  Kissing Six shouldn’t be making me hot—he doesn’t even care. He doesn’t have any emotions, she reminded herself. So I should try not to feel anything either. Keep it cool and clinical. Except it was a little late for that after licking and nibbling his lips like they were ripe cherries. And there was no denying she was getting hot and bothered. Really, the wise thing to do would be to stop now.

  Except she didn’t want to. Pressing closer, she ran her tongue lightly across the seam of his lips, asking for entry.

  Six made that same, deep sound in his throat again that was like a cross between a groan and a growl. Mei-Li was still holding onto his broad shoulder for support and she felt it tighten as his entire body went suddenly stiff with tension.

  Rather that scaring her off, his unspoken and probably unconscious signals drew her in. She had never been in charge during a physical encounter like this before and she was finding that she liked it—liked it a lot. Despite the little voice in her head screaming that this was a bad idea, she did it again, licking delicately at the seam of his lips. This time he parted them slightly and she felt just the tip of his tongue press lightly against hers.

  Mei-Li allowed her fingers to tangle in his thick, dark brown hair. She tugged him forward, deepening the kiss and sucking gently on his tongue. She recognized the taste now—chocolate. For whatever reason, Six’s mouth tasted very faintly of melted dark chocolate. Mmm, delicious! Not to mention incredibly hot.

  Then she felt the warmth of his big hands sliding over her back as he pulled her closer. Mei-Li went willingly. God, he smelled so good. And he tasted good too. Did it have to do with the diet of Z4? Did the bland garn mush somehow give everyone chocolate-tasting breath? If so, Mei-Li was definitely more on board with it than she had been.

  She was pressed against him now, her arms around his neck as they tasted each other’s mouths. Mei-Li could feel her heart pounding harder as the long, tender kiss continued. Six’s mouth had felt soft and open under hers at first but it was rapidly becoming more demanding as he kissed her back, running his big hands all over her back. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such an intense kiss. She never wanted it to end.

  But just then, Six pulled back.

  “I…” He looked at her uncertainly. “I…did not know that a kiss was like that. There is a certain…intensity to the experience.”

  “It certainly was intense.” Mei-Li gave a shaky laugh. To be honest, she didn’t know when she’d ever had a more passionate kiss which was strange since Six wasn’t supposed to have any emotions.

  He cleared his throat. “There are…other things in the contract as well.”

  Mei-Li’s heart, which had begun to recover, started pounding again.

  “Oh?” She tried to keep her voice light. “Like what?”

  “Ways I may touch you.” His voice was a soft growl. “During the first week—our holding week for instance—I am allowed to touch you all over your body, but only over your garments.”

  “You…you are?” Mei-Li wished her voice wouldn’t come out sounding so breathy.

  Slowly, he nodded. “Would you like me to show you?”

  No way—no, absolutely not! Bad idea, shouted the pessimistic little voice in her head. Mei-Li opened her mouth to say no. Instead she heard herself say,

  “Um, sure…if…if you want to, I guess.”

  “I do want to.” He sounded slightly surprised. “If you will permit me.”

  “S-sure,” Mei-Li stuttered. “Where you do want to, um…”

  “Here.” His large, warm hand was suddenly stroking up her side to cup her breast. Mei-Li bit back a gasp as her nipple went tight with need against his large palm.

  “I…you…” She couldn’t go on.

  “I have wondered what this would feel like since I first dream shared with you,” Six murmured, rubbing his thumb over her tight little nub slowly but gently.

  “You…you have?” Mei-Li could feel the gentle but provocative pressure and the warmth of his hand clearly through the thin lace.

  He nodded. “Your breasts are lovely. So perfectly formed.” He looked into her eyes. “I wondered what they would taste like as well but that is not permitted during the first week.”

  “You…you want to…” Mei-Li’s breath was coming short. She didn’t think she’d ever been this turned on by someone touching her breasts before. Maybe it was the way Six did it, in such a gentle, questioning way. It was as though he thought she was truly beautiful and wanted to explore her but he was being careful not to hurt her at the same time.

  “I do want to,” he murmured, answering her unspoken question. “I…did not expect to want to do the things outlined in the contract but now…I find myself…anticipating them greatly.”

  “What…what other things are you talking about?” Mei-Li heard herself asking. “More…more touching?”

  “Yes. Like this.” His big hand left her breast and slid slowly down her trembling stomach and abdomen to hover just above her pussy.

  “Oh, I…” Mei-Li was still up on her knees, as she had been while kissing him. Her legs were slightly parted, the silky white nightgown riding high on her thighs. She could feel the heat of his hand just above her mound, barely brushing against the little patch of curls she kept neatly trimmed. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God… She could barely breathe. She knew she shouldn’t want him to touch her and yet…

  “Mei-Li,” he murmured. “Am I correct in thinking that you have no panties on under your garment?”

  Mei-Li bit her lip. “I…No, I don’t,” she whispered.

  “So I cannot reach below it or I will be touching your naked flesh…I will be cupping your bare pussy,” he said softly, looking right at her.

  Mei-Li felt like her heart was going to explode it was beating so fast. Dirty talk wasn’t what she had expected from the big Kindred but hearing those words in that deep, soft voice was driving her crazy.

  “I…I guess not,” she stuttered.

  “Of course, this garment is remarkably elastic,” Six remarked. “I noticed it when it came out of the synthesizer. So perhaps if I simply kept the fabric between your flesh and my hand…” He started to slide his fingers lower and then looked up at her. “Do you mind?”

  “I…I guess not,” Mei-Li whispered. “I mean, uh, we need to know what to expect, right? During our…during the first week together.”

  Six nodded slowly. “A valid argument. And one I am prepared to accept.”

  She was so hot it was getting hard to think.

  “Meaning
…?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Meaning that I want to touch you…to cup your pussy in my hand…like this,” he growled softly. And then his big hand was sliding slowly downward, cupping her quivering little mound, enveloping her in his heat.

  Mei-Li couldn’t help herself—though she tried to stop it, a little moan escaped her. God, how long had it been since someone touched her this way? Too long—way too long if her extreme reaction to just a little over the skirt petting was getting her all hot and bothered.

  But it wasn’t just that Six was touching her—it was the way he was touching her—firm but gentle as though she was precious and breakable. And the way he looked at her as he did it. As though he wanted to know how he was affecting her—if she was enjoying his touch.

  But why would he care how I feel about it? Why would he want to touch me in the first place?

  “You feel so warm and soft here,” he murmured, driving away her negative thoughts. He pressed up and Mei-Li could feel her pussy lips open for him through the thin fabric as the heel of his hand rubbed against her aching clit.

  “Oh!” she gasped, her hand tightening on his broad shoulder. “I…that feels…”

  “How does it feel?” he asked softly, his gaze never leaving her face.

  Mei-Li made an effort to get hold of herself.

  “Nice,” she whispered in a strangled voice. “It feels really…really nice.”

  “Does it bring you pleasure?” Six rumbled, still watching her. “Is that why your pussy feels so open beneath this thin garment? So wet?” His long fingers pressed slightly inward and she could feel them rubbing lightly against her wet, open folds through the silky white material. “Gods, what I would not give to touch you without this garment in the way.” he growled softly. “To feel how soft and wet you are in my bare hand…”