Brides of the Kindred(22)

“You’re my type.” He stepped forward and took her hands in his. “From the moment our minds first aligned I knew you were the only woman in this world or any other for me, Olivia,” he rumbled softly. “I don’t want anyone but you. Watching you and sharing your life through my dreams was the only thing that kept me from going crazy those six months before we met.”

“Yes, but why me? Why did you pick me to, uh, align with when you could have had anyone?” Liv persisted. She was trying to keep her cool despite the way his big hands enveloping her much smaller ones was making her heart race.

Baird looked surprised. “I didn’t pick you—not consciously. We aligned because we’re right together. Because you’re the one I need and I’m the one you need, even if you don’t want to admit it. It’s the way it always happens with Kindred. We just know.”

Liv wondered if it was some kind of genetic mutation that allowed the Kindred to share dreams with the women of their choice—their subconscious choice, anyway, since Baird claimed he hadn’t purposefully singled her out in any way. Or maybe they had some kind of weird telepathy. But for whatever reason it seemed like he was stuck on her. So much for pointing out that he could have had a supermodel—he appeared to want a plain old nursing student instead. She sighed.

“All right but don’t blame me if you’re disappointed in the near future,” she said, trying to pull her hands out of his. “What you see is what you get and I warn you, I haven’t exactly been hitting the gym religiously the last few months.”

“Look at me, Olivia,” he demanded and to her irritation Liv found herself obeying him.

“What?”

“You’re the one I want. The one I need,” Baird said. The hot longing in his deep growling voice sent a shiver through her. “And you’re beautiful. Soft, curved in all the right places and you smell so good. So sweet and delicious.”

Liv frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t even have time for a shower before those two goons grabbed me.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I want you so badly I can’t see straight. Hell, I’d take you up against the damn wall right now if you’d let me.” His eyes blazed down at her, making her heart drum against her ribs.

“I…” Liv shook her head, backing away from him. But he still held her hands in an unbreakable grip. “You…you can’t,” she finally managed to say. “You’re not allowed.”

Baird gave her a wolfish grin and dropped her hands. “Not yet anyway. Come on—my suite’s just around this next curve in the hall.”

Heart drumming in her ears, Liv followed him on legs that felt like they might give way at any minute. Dear God she was in deep trouble here. And what exactly had he meant by “not yet?”

Suddenly she wished that she’d read the fine print on the contract she’d signed and not just relied on Kat to interpret it for her. All she really knew was that they had to sleep in the same bed and eat at the same table every day and night and he wasn’t allowed to touch her in a sexual way during the first week. Don’t forget you have to start bathing with him during the second week, whispered the little voice in her head. Just the thought of that gave her the shivers again.

So what exactly happened in weeks three and four? What was he allowed to do? How was he allowed to touch her? She knew it was up to her whether she let him have bonding sex with her or not but she still didn’t know exactly what that entailed. Also, what about regular sex? Was he allowed to do that to her? And when? And where? And how?

Head spinning with questions, Liv made a mental note to get a copy of the contract she’d signed and go over it with a fine toothed comb. She needed to know what she’d gotten into if she was ever going to find a way to get out of it again.

“Here we are.” Baird’s deep voice startled her out of her internal daze and Liv looked up to see that he was gesturing to a plain silver door. As he motioned it slid inwards with a soft swoosh revealing a dark space of indeterminate size.

Liv looked up at him nervously. “This is it?”

He nodded. “The back entrance, anyway. Brought you this way so no other male could see you.” He eyed her hungrily again and Liv pulled his dark crimson shirt closer around her body, as though it could shield her from the desire in his eyes.

“Uh, looks nice,” she said, making no move to go in. The dark room or rooms he was indicating were suddenly looking pretty scary. She had the feeling that if she was in a horror movie right now the people in the audience would be screaming “Don’t go in there!” at the top of their lungs.