“You mean when you grabbed me and kissed me against my will?” Liv was really getting pissed now. “That’s a breach of contract, you know.”
He looked at her from under lowered eyelids. “As I recall, you were kissing back pretty eagerly, Lilenta. You can’t claim breach of contract when you were so obviously ready and willing.”
“Why you—I was not! I mean, I wasn’t…wasn’t myself for some reason.” Liv still had no idea why her self control seemed to fly out the window when she got in close proximity with the big Kindred warrior but she was too angry to try and analyze it now. “Anyway, it’s not like you have any better self control than me—you started it! Why do you think I’m dressed like this?”
“I don’t know—why don’t you tell me?” His eyes flashed gold. “You claim it’s not because you’re afraid of me. Could it be that you don’t trust yourself?”
That was closer to the truth than Liv wanted to admit which only made her angrier. “It’s because I don’t trust you, you big bastard!”
A corner of his full mouth went down and his eyes were suddenly cool. “I told you before I would never take you against your will. You could dress in the most revealing night clothes imaginable and I wouldn’t lay a hand on you if you didn’t want me to.”
“Is that right?” Liv lifted her chin and looked at him speculatively. His words had given her the beginnings of a plan but she’d need some help to carry it out.
“Yeah, that’s right. I have no interest in taking what you don’t want to give.”
“We’ll just see about that. How do I go about contacting my sister? I need her to send me some things and those goons dragged me out of the house without my cell phone.”
Baird frowned at the change of subject. “You wouldn’t have been allowed to keep your communication device anyway. You’re not supposed to contact anyone on Earth directly but you can send a letter.”
“A letter? Can’t I send a holo or even an e-mail?” Liv couldn’t believe she was restricted to such outdated technology here on the advanced alien ship.
He shrugged. “Sorry. Those are the rules.”
Liv sighed. “Fine. I’ll write her a letter.”
“I’ll make sure she gets it. But a word of advice—don’t put anything in there you wouldn’t want the Kindred Security Team to know.”
“You mean they read private mail?” Liv was outraged. “That’s a federal offense.”
“No, that’s security. Don’t worry—they don’t care about personal details. So as long as you’re not plotting anything you don’t have to worry.”
Oh, I’m plotting, all right. I’m plotting how to get out of here and away from you before… But Liv didn’t want to finish the thought. “I’ll write it in the morning. In the mean time, I need some sleep.”
“You need more than that, Lilenta, if you’d only admit it.”
“What are you talking about?” Liv demanded as she climbed into her side of the bed.
Baird turned over and propped himself up on one elbow to face her. His chest was bare and the muscles under his tan skin flexed in a mouthwatering way Liv tried not to see. “I’m talkin’ about what my body needs from yours and what yours needs from mine. This is our claiming period—we need to bond. And you’re going to feel more and more restless and needy and unsatisfied until we do.”
“What are you saying? That I’m going to develop some kind of actual physical need to have you, uh, touch me?”
“To have me breed you. Fuck you.” Baird’s eyes were half lidded and golden.
Liv felt a flash of heat go through her entire body. “I…I don’t believe you.” But her voice shook when she said it.
“Believe it, Olivia. It’s part of the claiming. I need to be inside you, filling you. And you need to be filled.” His deep voice was a soft, intense growl and Liv felt her stomach flutter with something like fear…or desire.
“Guess I’ll just have to live with an itch that can’t be scratched then,” she said tartly but her insides were a mass of butterflies. Could he really be telling the truth? Would she develop an actual physical need to have him touch her, take her? It was unthinkable and yet…Why do I find him so hard to resist? Why do I want to touch him and let him touch me? It is some kind of connection from all the times we dreamed of each other? Or something else?
“Suit yourself, Lilenta.” Baird lay down beside her. “Lights out.”