Enhanced

  “Oh, um…” Mei-Li’s heart began to pound again. She hadn’t minded washing him and had actually enjoyed tickling the big Kindred because she felt in control. Now, she was feeling nervous again because it was his turn to do the washing and instead of the large, lumpy sponge thing between them, there was only going to be a thin piece of cloth.

  “I will be very gentle—I promise,” Six said softly. “I would never harm you, Mei-Li. I hope you know that.”

  “I…I know.” She took a deep breath and then held out an arm, just as he had done. “Okay—go for it.”

  “Thank you for trusting me,” Six said gravely. Taking her hand in his, he ran the strange, see-through washcloth up the length of her bare arm.

  Mei-Li bit her lip at the sensation. The nissel felt like the softest, most delicate silk gliding over her bare flesh and under it she could clearly feel the heat of Six’s big hand. His fingers were long enough to wrap completely around her arm as he slid the washcloth up to her shoulder. Once he got there, she expected him to go right for her chest and start washing her breasts and she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to or not. But he surprised her by washing her back instead, rubbing the silky smooth cloth up and down from the crest of her shoulder, all the way down to the curve of her buttocks with each long, slow stroke.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured involuntarily. His touch was both sensuous and soothing at the same time and to her surprise, she actually found herself relaxing and enjoying it.

  “Do you like to be bathed in this way?” Six asked softly, his deep voice coming from behind her. “Do you enjoy having my hands on your body?”

  “It…it’s nice,” Mei-Li admitted a bit breathlessly. “I mean, I don’t usually have anyone helping me bathe, either.”

  “I am glad.” There was a soft, possessive growl in his voice. “I do not like the idea of another male’s hands on you like this…or like this.”

  Suddenly his big, warm hand, covered only by the silky cloth, was sliding around to her side and then to her front, in just the way Mei-Li had been expecting and dreading. But now that she felt his touch, she found she didn’t dread it at all anymore. His big hand was so warm and gentle as he cupped one of her breasts, almost as though he was afraid he might hurt her and he was waiting for permission.

  “It…it’s okay,” she whispered, shifting a little in his loose grip. “You…you can go on. I know you’re supposed to…to wash me here. It’s okay.”

  “I am only going to wash you,” he murmured, rubbing the silky cloth gently over her sensitive breasts and making her nipples tingle. “The bathing part of this ritual is to get you used to the feel of my hands on your body. Later I will touch you more…intimately. But for now I will only wash you.”

  “Th-thank you, I guess,” Mei-Li stuttered. Her heart was pounding and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so hot and bothered but still his words worried her. More intimately? How much more intimately is he going to touch me?

  “I think you are clean here, Mei-Li,” he murmured in her ear. “Are you ready for me to wash you lower?”

  “L-lower?” She could barely get the word out. Already his big hand was sliding slowly down her trembling belly.

  “Here,” growled Six softly in her ear. “Are you ready for me to touch you here—to wash your soft little pussy?” As he spoke, she felt the warmth of his fingers, cloaked in the slippery cloth, cupping her mound.

  “I…I don’t know,” she whispered, barely daring to move. “I…I guess so.”

  “You sound uncertain and your heart rate and breathing indicate a certain level of fear,” Six murmured soothingly. “Remember, I will never hurt you. If you do not feel ready for me to wash you directly, perhaps it can be accomplished in an indirect way.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she whispered. “How can you—?”

  “Like this.” Slowly two of his long fingers settled over the outer lips of her pussy which felt swollen and hot. Mei-Li moaned softly as they parted, spreading her open to bare the inner folds of her cunt. A heated rush of water stroked over her open pussy, caressing her tender clit and making her feel more exposed than ever.

  “Oh!” she gasped and gave a little involuntary jump. Unfortunately, when she came down, the motion pushed her hard against his waiting hand. With a moan, she felt Six’s long fingers slide between her parted lips and settle firmly against her throbbing clit. Only the thin, silky cloth separated them and to Mei-Li, who was feeling very exposed, it didn’t seem like nearly enough.

  “Mmm,” Six growled appreciatively. “I can feel how hot you are here, despite the water. “Are you wet as well?”

  “I…I don’t know,” Mei-Li moaned softly. “I can’t…I don’t…” It occurred to her dimly that she sounded as helpless now as Six had when she was tickling him. But now he was in control—he had the upper hand. Or the lower hand, depending on how you looked at it. She tried not to move but it was impossible to hold perfectly still and every little twitch rubbed those long fingers against her open pussy. “Please…” she almost moaned. Somehow she couldn’t help the little catch in her voice or the shiver of reluctant pleasure that ran down her spine at the big Kindred’s gentle but insistent touch.

  “I think we should find out how wet you are,” Six murmured in her ear. And suddenly, she was being scooped up in his arms and he was climbing out of the massive bathtub.

  “Hey…what are you doing? Where are we going?” she demanded, beginning to feel really nervous.

  “To my sleeping chamber.” There was no mistaking the hungry light in his steel gray gaze as he looked at her. “The bathing part of our night is over. Now I need to make you come.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I need to make you come,” he said and Mei-Li felt like someone had just sucked all the air out of her lungs.

  “I…what?” she gasped, struggling in his arms.

  “Hold still—you are still wet and slippery and I do not wish to drop you,” he said sternly.

  “Well, you should have let me have time to dry off and cover up,” she said, still fighting.

  “The sousa will take care of that—it will dry both of us off. As for covering up—there is no need. Now that I have bathed you, my next step is to massage you with exotic oils.”

  “Massage me with—wait a minute, I didn’t see that in the contract!” Actually, she hadn’t seen a lot of it yet. She had been too busy freaking out about the parts she had seen to study it as closely as she should have. Or maybe she was just afraid to look ahead and see what was coming. Actually, it sounds like you’re the one who’s going to be coming, whispered the little voice in her head. Ha-ha, Mei-Li, looks like the joke’s on you.

  No, it’s not—not yet. She stopped struggling but her mind was still working a mile a minute. Was he really allowed to rub her all over with strange, exotic oils? Rub her everywhere?

  Not that she disliked massages—she and Claudia occasionally went to Massage Envy when they wanted to treat themselves on a girl’s day and it was always a wonderful, relaxing experience. But at Massage Envy, she was able to get a female masseuse and she never had to worry about the massage turning sexual. Now it seemed like the massage she was going to get from Six was going to be exclusively sexual.

  Just the thought of that—of having his big, warm hands sliding all over her naked body made her feel so hot she could barely breathe—which in turn scared the ever living crap out of her. Oh my God, I’m not ready for this—I have to get out of this!

  But how?

  The big Kindred was taking her into another part of his home—a room she hadn’t been in yet. But when she looked around, Mei-Li saw the familiar beanbag bed, only this one was even larger than the one they’d had on the med barge and it was blue-gray, like his couch. Sure enough, as soon as Six laid her down on it, she felt the moisture wicking away from her bare body as the sousa soaked up every last drop while somehow remaining dry itself.

  Six had wrapped a bathing sheet around his
waist and was already gathering the things he needed. He was putting several oddly shaped, delicate looking glass bottles on the shelf that the sousa conveniently formed from one corner of itself when he commanded it to.

  “I hope you will find these oils pleasing. I had none of my own so I had to simulate them from notes I found on the history of the first Kindred,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m sure…” Mei-Li’s voice died as he turned to face her and she saw the size of the bulge under his white towel. God, he was massive.

  Well, at least he wasn’t going to try and fit that inside her—at least not tonight. But what if things got out of hand while he was massaging her? What if he lost control and wanted to go further than they were supposed to? What if…what if…

  What if you come? whispered the little voice in her head. What if you’re the one who completely loses control and you come for him and beg him to go further? She knew from skimming the contract that they were supposed to do things in a certain order but if she, as the prospective bride he was calling, decided to throw caution to the winds and begged him to make love to her, Six was allowed to do so.

  I wouldn’t do that, she told herself uneasily. No way—I’m trying to stay calm and objective here. Have to hit it and quit it, remember? Having sex this early in the game would only complicate things.

  But then Six leaned over her and she caught a whiff of his amazing scent—that sharp, clean musk with a hint of dark spice that was somehow completely and utterly masculine.

  “Mei-Li,” he murmured, cupping her cheek in his palm and looking into her eyes. “My sensors tell me that you are extremely nervous. Is there a way I can put you at ease? Perhaps you would like to try that mouth technique—kissing—again before we begin.”

  “I…you want to…to make out?”

  He frowned. “I do not know what ‘make out’ means but I very much enjoy the taste of your lips and the feel of your mouth on mine. I would like to kiss you again. Now.”

  He leaned forward, tilting her chin up to fit her mouth to his and Mei-Li felt like she was drowning. Did she want to kiss him again? God, yes. Kiss him and do so much more…But should she?

  “Wait,” she said, pulling back just as his lips were about to brush hers. “I…I can’t.”

  Six frowned. “You can’t kiss me? Why not?”

  “It’s too…too intimate.” Mei-Li looked down, plucking at the blue-gray surface of the sousa which felt a little bit like a nubbly cotton bedspread.

  He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  “Kissing is…very personal. Especially when it’s with someone you’re attracted to.” Mei-Li felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush but she forced herself to continue. “I can’t…can’t let myself do that with you—kiss you—if I’m going to say emotionally uninvolved. I need to keep some distance between us—some space. Kissing is a line I can’t cross with you. Not again.”

  “I see.” He withdrew his hand and sat back. “Forgive me. I was only trying to make you feel more easy in a difficult situation.”

  “I can see that and I appreciate it. I wish I could kiss you again because, well, I liked it too.” She looked away. “But I can’t…I just can’t.”

  “I understand.” He brushed her cheek lightly with just his fingertips so that she turned back to face him. “I understand but I would be lying if I did not say I am…regretful that we cannot kiss again. I have never had such a pleasurable experience.”

  “I found it pleasurable too,” Mei-Li breathed. Suddenly she realized, to her dismay, that she was leaning towards him. After all this talk of how she could never kiss him again, she was about to do just that.

  Right then and there she knew that something had to be done—she had to get the upper hand again or she was going to wind up giving in completely and then begging and moaning for a lot more than she had bargained for. And judging from the bulge under his towel and the hot look in his eyes, the big Kindred would be more than happy to give it to her.

  Think, Mei-Li, think! she urged herself. You have to find a way to get control of this situation. It was just too bad she couldn’t tickle him again.

  Suddenly she remembered the deal they had made.

  No, I can’t tickle him. But I can still be in control of this situation.

  “Wait!” she said, sitting back. “I just said I can’t do this.”

  “So you did,” Six murmured. “But I thought maybe you had changed your mind.”

  “I didn’t,” Mei-Li said firmly.

  “What is it, then?” He frowned. “If you do not wish to kiss, I don’t know what else I can do to make you feel at ease. Are you still uncomfortable following this part of the contract?”

  Uncomfortable—ha! That’s the understatement of the year!

  But Mei-Li wasn’t about to admit that out loud. Instead, she shook her head.

  “No, but remember we made a deal—everything you can do to me, I can do to you.”

  “Yes, I agreed to your stipulation that we should have fair and equal access to each other’s bodies,” Six said. “But if I may point out that you washed me first. So technically…”

  “Technically I didn’t get to finish,” Mei-Li said quickly. “You didn’t let me because you said the water was getting cold. You said we didn’t have time.”

  He frowned. “Well, we didn’t. And you would have had ample time to wash me if you hadn’t spent it ‘ticking’ me instead.”

  “It’s tickling. And besides, that was fun,” Mei-Li said. “Also, you’ve said over and over that you want to make me more comfortable and you don’t want me to be afraid of you.”

  He frowned and sank down to sit on the side of the bed beside her. “You are afraid of me? Still?”

  “I’m…a little nervous,” Mei-Li finally admitted. “I mean, you’re such a big guy and we really haven’t known each other that long and now I’m just supposed to lie still and let you, uh, rub me all over with exotic oils…”

  “I see.” He nodded. “And it would make you feel more comfortable…more in control…if I allowed you to rub me all over first?”

  Mei-Li nodded firmly. “It would.” Plus she had an ulterior motive—but she wasn’t about to discuss that with him.

  Six sighed. “Very well. I confess that I have been greatly anticipating this—the feel of your bare skin under my hands, as well as the soft little noises you make when you feel pleasure. But if it will make you feel better to go first…”

  “It will. It really will,” she assured him eagerly.

  “Very well. As you wish.” He lay down in the middle of the bed while Mei-Li hopped up and went around to the array of exotic oils that were being held safely above the action by the faithful sousa.

  Okay, now which one should I use? She studied the bottles uncertainly as Six watched.

  “The oil in the blue bottle is supposed to be good for general, all over massage,” he said helpfully.

  Feeling put on the spot, she swatted him on the arm.

  “Turn over. I’m going to start with your back.”

  Silently, he complied. His white bathing sheet slipped as he did, revealing the muscular globes of his ass and making Mei-Li bite her lip. Damn, he really was built!

  Trying to ignore her lust, she grabbed the blue bottle of oil, took out the elaborate glass stopper which appeared to be shaped like some kind of alien butterfly, and took a sniff. She was disappointed in the smell—it was faintly sweet with just a hint of something that might have been almonds, but that was all.

  Still, the silky consistency when she rubbed a drop of it between her fingers, made her think it must be good stuff. Carefully, she dribbled a line of it from the small of Six’s back, up the groove of his spine and to the spot between his shoulder blades.

  He shifted at the feeling of the oil sliding over his skin but didn’t say a word.

  Well, here goes nothing!

  Feeling awkward, Mei-Li poured a little bit more in the palm of her hand, put the bottle back, and lea
ned over the vast, muscular back.

  She hadn’t expected to like this very much but it was surprising how sensuous it felt to touch and caress the big Kindred while she was the one in charge. His skin was warm and smooth under her hands and she found she liked massaging his hard muscles. It was like massaging a living work of art—if a statue of a Greek god had come to life and asked for special treatment, Mei-Li imagined this is what it would have felt like.

  For his part, Six seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly. He groaned deep in his throat as she rubbed his flesh, trying to ease the knots of tension she felt and ignore the fact that she was naked while she rubbed him all over.

  After a while, Mei-Li found she was falling into a kind of rhythm. She had never really given a massage before but she knew what she liked when she got one, so she just tried to do that only harder. She even dug her elbow between his shoulder blades and rubbed just right, eliciting another deep groan of pleasure at the motion.

  Of course, this wasn’t the only groan of pleasure she was planning on getting out of Six. Her plan was simple—make him come first. There was no doubt in her mind if she did that—if she rubbed him all over until he couldn’t take it any more—he would be willing to leave her alone for the night. He would be exhausted for one thing and for another, he would finally be sexually replete. She had never yet been with a guy who didn’t drop quickly off to sleep the minute he blew his load and she was betting that Six would be no different.

  Working according to plan, she moved down his body until she was massaging his tight ass. She had to admit once again that he had a really nice behind and when she worked her fingers further down, he parted his legs easily so that she could massage his inner thighs.

  She had considered whether it would be easier to do this with him face up—certainly it would be easier to reach him. But if she touched him while he was face down, she didn’t have to look in his eyes and admit to herself what she was doing. Plus, maybe he would just fall asleep that way and she could sneak out and sleep on the couch. So after a little while of rubbing and massaging the big Kindred’s thighs and ass, she reached delicately between his legs.