Elise wondered how long the standoff could go on. She wasn’t at the point of hurting him or herself yet. Maybe he would wait until she was in danger before he confronted her again. If only he would reach out to her, hold her hand across the table…but Elise made herself stop thinking that way. She was too afraid to touch Merrick and he was too angry and hurt to touch her. There was no way around it—at least not right now.
After the meal, Shuura and Tongs presented them with supplies and new clothing. “You can’t possibly wear what you had on yesterday into the jungle,” Shuura explained, as he pressed the pile of folded garments into Elise’s arms. “Red won’t do in the Deep Blue and your feet would be cut to ribbons by the razor grass in five steps.”
“Okay.” Elise looked down at the clothing he’d given her. It appeared to consist of a short sleeved, gray-blue tunic made of the same open-weave macramé pattern she’d seen the natives wearing, some black pants, and tough-soled blue leather boots.
“Well, go in your room and put them on,” Tongs urged. He seemed to be in a good mood again, as charming this morning as he had been before the misunderstanding with Merrick the night before. “We want to see you go native.”
“All right.” Trying to smile, Elise did as he said. There was no underwear included in the set so she left her own bra and panties on. They were another gift from Olivia—crimson with black lace. She wondered uneasily if the color would be a problem, but there was a short undershirt of some soft, cotton-like material that went with the tunic so at least her bra didn’t show through the weave. Oh well, she probably wasn’t supposed to wear red because it would show up too much in the blue jungle.
After she dressed, she turned to her new footwear. There were no socks but the boots fit beautifully, molding instantly to her feet in a way that told Elise this was no ordinary leather. She wondered if it was some Kindred invention—as genetic traders, she knew they often modified organic items to fit their needs. The boots came up to her knees, going over the tight black pants and protecting her shins as well as her feet.
When she came out of the room, she got a shock. Merrick was standing there, wearing a male version of her own outfit which he somehow managed to make look completely masculine, despite the delicate macramé-looking vest which left his arms bare. But it wasn’t his clothing that shocked her—it was the fact that his face, arms, and head were painted a deep, indigo blue. His mismatched eyes looking out of the strange mask would have frightened anyone else to death but Elise was simply puzzled.
“What…why…” she began but he simply motioned her over and dipped two fingers into a pot of indigo paste.
“Camouflage,” he said, as he began to smear the cool, faintly medicinal smelling stuff onto her cheeks. Elise started to protest but he gave her a stern look. “Hold still. As pale as you are, you’d stand out a mile in the Deep Blue. This is urgot paste. It’ll keep the bugs off too.”
Elise stood submissively and let him work on her, closing her eyes the better to savor his touch. To be honest, she wouldn’t have cared what he was smearing her with, as long as she got to feel those big, warm hands on her while he did it.
She wondered if Merrick knew how much she needed this, how soothing it felt to have his hands on her. He certainly seemed to be taking his time, smoothing the paste over her face and throat in long, gentle strokes that couldn’t help but remind her of the way he’d touched her pussy…the way he made her come so hard…
The moment the thought entered her mind, the hunger changed, blooming into full-blown lust. Stop thinking of that, Elise told herself, shifting uncomfortably. There’s nothing sexual about this. Merrick is just trying to get me ready to go.
Oh, you’re ready to go, all right, whispered a little voice in her brain. So fucking hot and ready to go you’re about to jump his bones right here, in front of his uncles.
That’s right, Elise remembered, Shuura and Tongs were both standing off to one side, silently watching Merrick coat her with the blue paste. Could they smell her heat, the way Merrick seemed to be able to? Was she putting out signals to the whole room about how hungry she was? An embarrassed blush heated her cheeks and she war grateful that it was invisible under the paste.
“That’s enough,” she snapped, stepping away. “I can do the rest myself.”
The look on his face had been almost open but now it snapped shut again, his eyes going hard and his jaw set. “Fine.” He shoved the pot of blue paste at her. “But hurry, we don’t have all Goddess-damned day.”