If Sarden noticed my discomfort, he didn’t say anything—he just kept staring at me. Then he ducked lower, kneeling in front of me so that his face was level with my thighs—which were tightly shut.
“Open.” He put one big hand on my knee, making me shiver. “Please, Zoe—I need to see.”
Biting my lip, I spread my legs for him.
“Hmm…” Sarden leaned closer and now I could feel his hot breath against my sex, stirring the neatly trimmed reddish curls on my mound. Oh God, this was so embarrassing! I swore to myself if I could just get through this, I’d never complain about going to the gyno again.
“The outside looks all right, if somewhat red,” Sarden remarked at last. “But I can’t see your inner depths. I’m sorry, Zoe, but you’ll have to spread yourself for me. Unless you’d rather I do it?” He looked up at me and I bit my lip and shook my head.
“No. I…I’ll do it.”
Had I said I was embarrassed before? Well up that by a factor of about a thousand. I was mortified as I made myself reach down between my legs and spread my outer pussy lips for him.
Sarden leaned closer until he was close enough to kiss me. To—no! I pushed that thought away as quick as I could. Only it wouldn’t go. I kept thinking about how he’d said that Vorn males loved tasting their females. It made me feel hot and cold and trembly all over. Especially since I could feel his hot breath right against my open pussy.
“Hmm,” Sarden murmured again but this time he didn’t sound quite so clinical and detached.
“Well?” I asked at last because it seemed to be taking him an awfully long time. “All clear?”
“I believe so. Although your skin is as red as mine here—is that normal?”
I looked down—really looked—and saw that my inner pussy was cherry red, just like my nipples.
“No,” I said, sounding worried, even to myself. “No, it’s not at all.”
“I didn’t think so.” He frowned and looked up at me. “Do I need to look further in? You said that the tentacles didn’t…penetrate you, correct?”
“Right.” By now I was sure my face was probably cherry red too. “There’s no need to look any further—honest.”
“I hope you’re right. You know…” He looked up at me. “You shouldn’t have been back in the hold in the first place but I’m sorry you were hurt by the sensu-pods.”
“You and me both.” I thought of the shiny black tentacles again and shivered. “They were awful!”
“I know.” He stroked my thigh soothingly. “I can heal this for you, if you’ll let me.”
“Heal it?” I looked at him suspiciously. “Heal it how?”
He shrugged. “The usual way of course.”
“And what’s the usual way? You have a first aid kit? Some kind of antiseptic cream or numbing ointment?”
He frowned. “I don’t know what any of that is. I meant I can heal you with my mouth.”
“What?” I nearly jumped out of the chair but he held me back firmly with one large hand and frowned at me.
“Why are you upset? Because I’m not your mate? I know unmated people don’t often heal each other—at least they don’t on my home worlds—but—”
“It’s not that,” I burst out. “You can’t heal me with your mouth! That’s just an excuse to be perverted.”
Sarden looked startled. “You can’t heal each other orally on Earth? What do you do when you have a minor injury like a cut or burn?”
“We get a freaking Band-Aid,” I snapped. “We don’t offer to lick each other on the…” I trailed off, blushing.
“Hmm…” He frowned. “Maybe there are some disadvantages to being so purely bred and sheltered on your little planet. Most of the rest of the Twelve Peoples descended from the Ancient Ones have the ability to heal.”
“Well maybe you evolved it or whatever,” I said. “But we don’t have it on Earth. And I don’t know that I believe you have it either.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“So you think I’m lying just to get a chance to taste your pussy?”
“Well…yes,” I said, feeling my cheeks get hot as I pressed my thighs together and crossed my arms protectively over my breasts. “Ouch!” I jerked my arms away quickly—my nipples were more tender than ever. In fact they were absolutely throbbing. Between my legs didn’t feel too great either.
“Zoe, please—you’re clearly in pain. And I’m afraid that the sensu-pods might have injected you with some kind of nerve stimulator to heighten your sensations. Which means it’s only going to get worse unless you let me heal you.”
He sounded very reasonable and concerned but I was still reluctant to let him “heal” me orally, as he put it.
“I don’t know…” I said stubbornly. “I mean, I just don’t know if I believe it.”
“Let me prove it to you then.” He rose from the metal floor smoothly and leaned over me again so that we were eye-to-eye. “Let me lick just one of your nipples once. If you don’t begin to feel better again right away, you’ll know I’m lying and I won’t touch you again.”
“Well…” I bit my lip, considering it. Then I thought of something else. “Your mouth—last night when you, uh, kissed me—it’s hot. I mean, it stings like hot cinnamon. I don’t need that when I’m already in pain.”
“What you tasted was my healing factor,” he said reasonably. “It’s what makes me able to heal you orally in the first place. It may sting your mouth but I promise, it will soothe your injuries.”
The sincerity in his eyes finally decided me. I didn’t know why he cared if I was in pain but he did seem to really want to help me.
“All right,” I said at last. “But just one lick.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. Do you care which one I heal?” He nodded down at my breasts with their bright red nipples. Ugh—I looked like something out of a weird porno for people who fetishize maraschino cherries or something!
I shook my head, my cheeks burning.
“No. Uh—take your pick.”
“Very well.” He leaned closer and reached for me, one big, warm hand sliding from my thigh, up my side to cup my right breast.
“Hey,” I said breathlessly as he lifted my breast to his lips. “You don’t have to uh—”
“Watch me,” he cut me off, his deep voice a soft growl. “Watch me heal you, Zoe.”
I twisted my hands into the silver material at my sides and tried not to make a sound as he brought my nipple to his mouth. Then, looking me in the eyes the whole time, he put out his tongue and dragged it slowly…so slowly…over my tender peak.
“Oh!” I gasped as the burning sensitivity in my nipple was replaced by a tingling coolness. As I watched the cherry-red flesh went back to my normal pink color. It was like some kind of magic trick—only I don’t know many magic tricks that make you hot and bothered and I was definitely both.
“See?” Apparently finished with his long, leisurely lick, Sarden leaned back and looked at me. “Was I lying?”
“No,” I whispered, all the wind taken out of my sales. “No, I…I guess not.”
“So will you let me heal the other one?”
I looked up at him. His golden eyes were blazing into mine, making my heart pound.
“Y-yes,” I said in a shaky voice.
“Good.” Sarden repeated his performance, his eyes locked with mine the whole time. It was incredibly intimate holding his gaze while he licked me but somehow, though my pulse raced and my palms grew damp, I couldn’t look away.
He spent a little more time on my left nipple, swirling his tongue around it slowly until I thought I might scream from the gentle torture. I knew he was just supposed to be healing me but God, it felt so good.
At last he drew back and gave me a serious look.
“Zoe,” he said softly. “You know what comes next.”
“I don’t know about…about that part.” I still had my thighs crossed though I ha
d to confess that my pussy was really in pain at this point.
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Why not? Don’t you want to be healed?”
“I’m not sure.” I was blushing and biting my lip, feeling uncertain and scared and embarrassed all over again. “I mean it’s just…very intimate. You’re sure you don’t…don’t mind?
He frowned. “Why would I mind?”
“Because, well…some guys don’t want…I mean…what if you don’t like it?” I blurted out at last. My boyfriend in college never had much and Scott had never even asked if he could go there.
“How could I not like tasting you?” he murmured, reaching out to cup my flushed cheek. “Even if it’s just for the purpose of healing you, it’s a privilege. Your scent is intoxicating and your pussy is so beautiful and delicate—it reminds me of a yonah flower.”
“A what kind of flower? No—never mind.” I took a deep breath and made a decision. “You can do it,” I told him. “But only…only on the outside. Okay?”
Sarden frowned. “But your inner pussy is in pain as well. I saw how red you were, Zoe.”
“I don’t care about that,” I said stubbornly. “I’ll manage. Just…just lick the outside—that’s all.”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling.
“If that’s how you want it but I’m afraid you’re going to have a lot of pain and discomfort later.”
“Let me worry about that,” I said. “Do you want to do it or not?”
His gold eyes flashed. “More than anything. All right—spread your thighs and let me heal at least the outside of your sex”
Heart hammering, I did as he said, forcing myself to spread my thighs as he knelt in front of me again. Sarden leaned forward slowly, taking his time, making me even more nervous, the big red bastard!
“So beautiful,” I heard him murmur and then his long, hot tongue was lapping slowly over my swollen folds, making me moan and gasp and squirm in the silver beanbag chair even though I tried really, really hard not to.
“Sarden…” I gasped breathlessly.
“Hold still.” He frowned up at me. “You moved too much—I have to do it again to be sure I got everything.”
He spread my thighs even wider, putting his big hands on my legs and opening me so wide I could feel my pussy lips parting with the gesture. Again my hands clenched into fists in the silver material. Oh God, I couldn’t stand this…
But I had to. Once more he dragged his hot tongue over my swollen pussy. But this time there was a difference. The first time, he’d used the flat of his tongue and I’d felt it stroke over me smoothly. This time I felt it enter me. Not a lot, but enough. I felt just the tip of his tongue slide lightly over my throbbing clit and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from moaning. God, it felt so good…
At last he finished and looked up at me.
“You’re delicious, Zoe.” His deep voice was thick and his eyes were heavy-lidded with lust. “I’d love to heal inside you now—would love to lick your sweet pussy until you’re all better.”
“I…I don’t’ know what you mean by ‘all better,’” I whispered in a breathless voice.
“Oh, I think you do.” His eyes gleamed. “I mean I want to taste you until you come. Until you come all over my face.”
“I…you…we shouldn’t,” I protested weakly.
“Why not? If it makes you feel good. Besides…” His voice took on a lecturing tone. “Having an orgasm would help facilitate the healing process.”
“It…it would?”
Slowly, he nodded.
I knew it was an excuse to let him continue but hell, at this point I wanted an excuse.
“Okay, well I guess so,” I whispered. “If you think it will help…help to heal me.”
“I know it will,” he growled. “So just lie back and let me work on you. Let me heal you.”
“I…I’ll try,” I said in a shaky voice, but he was already at work. Leaning forward again, he parted me with his thumbs and began circling the swollen bud of my clit with his tongue. I moaned and bucked up against him, unable to help my reaction. Damn, he was good at this! So good I could hear myself panting, unable to catch my breath as he licked and licked, tracing and stroking my hot little bud as though he’d been born to do it.
This was nothing like my boyfriend in college, nothing like anything I’d ever experienced before. The hot cinnamon of his mouth felt tingly against my inner folds and seemed to intensify every sensation until I was almost begging for release.
“Sarden!” I gasped, arching my back as he lapped me eagerly, like an ice cream he didn’t want to melt. “Oh, Sarden!”
He paused for a moment, his thumb taking the place of his tongue as he looked up. His mouth was shiny with my juices and his eyes were filled with a flickering, golden lust. “That’s right, sweetheart, give it up,” he growled. “Gonna make you come. Gonna make you come so hard now.”
“Sarden—” I wailed as he started to duck back down between my legs. I could feel my orgasm beginning—my insides tensed in a knot that was destined to explode as the broad pad of his thumb slid over my tender bud again and again and again.
He was right, I was going to come. Going to come harder than I ever had in my life while he tasted me with his long, talented tongue…
Just then, Al buzzed into the room, still in his firefly form.
“Master!” he said in his proper voice. “Forgive me for interrupting you and Lady Zoe while you are…” He paused delicately. “Well, I am not certain what you are doing. But—”
“Go away, Al,” Sarden growled, glaring at him. “Go away.”
But it was too late—the mood was lost and so was my orgasm.
Feeling ashamed of myself, I clamped my thighs shut and sat up straight.
“We weren’t doing anything Al,” I said, trying to make my voice sound normal.
“Yes, we were,” Sarden growled. He looked at me, his eyes still hungry. “Come on, Zoe—I was about to make you come.”
“Come where? Where were you going?” Al wanted to know.
“Nowhere, now,” I said and sighed. I looked at Sarden and shook my head. “Sorry. I just…can’t. But, um, thank you for, uh, healing me.”
“Fine.” He sighed and sat back, looking at Al. “What do you want? Spit it out.”
“Forgive me, Master, it’s just that Count Doloroso is here to pick up the collection of Assimilation medical artifacts. I have asked him to wait outside the ship but I cannot keep him waiting forever.”
“Frozen Hells—I completely forgot he was coming.” Sarden jumped up, leaving me feeling exposed. Immediately I started refastening the shirt I was wearing.
“Bring him around to the back entrance to the hold. I’ll meet him there,” he said.
So there was an exit from the ship in the hold! I bet myself I would have found it if I hadn’t been grabbed by the damn rapey tentacles. I wanted to go see exactly where this Doloroso guy came in at so I could get out if I wanted to. But I was steering well clear of that awful tank.
I hopped up but Sarden pointed a finger at me.
“You stay here.”
“What? Why?” I demanded.
“Because every damn time you leave this room you get into some kind of trouble or other,” he growled. “I mean it, Zoe—stay here.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go finish drying my hair in the mister if I can figure out the controls.”
“An excellent idea.” He gave me one last stern look and left with Al buzzing behind him.
Chapter Thirteen
Sarden
I left Zoe in her room and went to make certain the Assimilation artifacts hadn’t been damaged by my hurried rush through the hold to get her out of the tank. I knew she was upset that I’d confined her to her room but it was for her own safety. She needed to stay far away from this area—especially now that the damn sensu-pods had gotten a taste of her. Who kne
w if they might want more?
They aren’t the only ones that got a taste of her, whispered a little voice in my head. What were you thinking, offering to heal her orally? What are you trying to do—form some kind of bond with her?
Right. As if I could bond her to me, even if I wanted to. It wasn’t possible and I knew it.
She was in pain, I argued with the little voice. What was I supposed to do—just let her suffer?
She’ll suffer even more if you let her form an emotional attachment to you, even if it isn’t a bond, and then you trade her to Tazaxx and never see her again, the voice pointed out implacably. And she won’t be the only one suffering.
Shut up! I pushed the voice away as well as I could. It was true that only bonded mates usually healed each other orally and I never should have offered it to Zoe. But I was just trying to keep her healthy enough to trade, I told myself. After all, Tazaxx didn’t take damaged goods. So there was nothing else I could have done.
Soon enough I was in the hold and calling for lights. A few of the medical artifacts had been pushed aside to make a path to the tank but none of them looked that much worse for the wear. Even the tank itself wasn’t damaged although much of the yellowish slime inside it had slopped over the edge when I’d dragged Zoe out. The many-tentacled sensu-pods were sulking in one corner. I tapped the glass but they barely stirred. No doubt they were angry at being deprived of their meal.
“Master, Count Doloroso is asking for admittance to the ship,” Al told me.
“Let him in,” I said. “Then send a household droid to clean up this slime—it’s damn slippery.”
“At once,” Al said and buzzed off. No doubt responding to his order, a rectangular door opened in the far wall and one of the small, silver household droids which are usually kept dormant within the interior of the ship came whirring out. A pink mop attachment which looked a lot like a tongue shot out and began lapping up the slime from the floor. Good, at least now no one would slip in the mess.
The door at the far end of the hold slid open, revealing Doloroso’s angular form, framed in the bluish light from the spaceport.