Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
“God, don’t sneak up on me like that,” she scolded. And then she saw he had something in his hands. “What’s that?”
“A bathing robe.” He held it out to her. It was a deep crimson red and its outer surface was made of some thick silky material that reminded Liv of satin. On the inside it was lined with a soft looking fur. “Will you wear it?” he asked.
Liv had a sudden flash of hope. “Am I supposed to wear it in the pool?”
He frowned. “Afraid not. You’re going to be naked in the bathing pool. We both are.”
Liv had expected as much but she still couldn’t quite keep the dismay out of her voice. “Why bother with a special robe at all if I’m just going to have to take it off? If I’m just going to have to…have to get naked so you can grope me?” she demanded.
Baird looked frustrated. “Because this is about more than just getting you naked and groping you. It’s a ceremony—a very old and beautiful one.” His voice got softer. “And I’d like to honor it with you if you’ll let me, Lilenta.”
“I…don’t know what to say.” Liv nibbled her lower lip nervously. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to disrespect your culture. It’s just…I know you’re mad at me—”
“I’m not angry with you.” Baird interrupted softly. “I’m sad because you can’t let yourself feel for me what I feel for you. I’m sorry you still want to get away so badly. And of course I’m frustrated because I want you so damn much and you’re determined not to let me have you. But angry? No. The only fault here is mine—I’ve been pushing you too much, trying too hard and for that, I’m sorry.”
Liv gave a shaky laugh. “Wow—a guy who actually talks about his feelings and takes the blame when we have a fight.” He’d be freaking perfect if he didn’t come with so much damn alien baggage.
“Everything is a fight with you.” But the soft tone in his deep voice didn’t match the angry words. “I wish it didn’t have to be like that, Lilenta. Wish you could give yourself to me and let me care for you.”
Liv felt her throat grow tight. “I told you before, Baird, I just can’t do that. There are people I love back on Earth—things I want to accomplish.”
He nodded. “So be it. One thing I’ll give you, Lilenta, you’re a worthy opponent.”
Liv almost laughed. “You sound like it’s some kind of contest.”
“It is.” Baird’s voice was perfectly serious. “You’re determined not to admit what’s between us and I’m determined you will.”
“So who’s winning?” Liv crossed her arms over her chest.
He arched one black eyebrow at her. “We’ll see after tonight. But for now, I’d like to put that aside for awhile.”
“What? How can I possibly put it aside when we’re about to take a bath together?”
“This is more than a bath—it’s a symbolic gesture.”
“A gesture of what?” Liv still didn’t know if she was buying all this but Baird seemed perfectly serious.
Sighing, he came and sat on the edge of the bed. Liv had jumped up when he first entered the room but when he patted the thick gel mattress with one hand, she reluctantly settled down beside him.
“Long before the Kindred ever reached the stars or found our first trade planet, the females of our kind were already very scarce,” he began in a low voice. “They were as precious and rare as beautiful gems and any male lucky enough to win one as his bride and mate knew he had been given a gift of incalculable worth.”
“Did the women get to pick, back then?” Liv was interested despite herself.
Baird shook his head. “It’s not a matter of males or females picking and choosing, Lilenta. When a male finds his bride and their minds align, the decision has already been taken out of both their hands. But on the Kindred home world, a female would sometimes align with more than one male.”
“That must have been, uh, really awkward.”
“It was more than that—Kindred males will fight to the death for the right to keep their brides. Our people were being decimated and some feared we would die out before we could solve our problems. That’s how the claiming period was born. When a male aligned with a female, he would claim the right to be with her and he had four weeks in order to prove he was the right mate for her and convince her to bond with him.”
Liv was surprised. “So this whole month-long ordeal isn’t just something you guys made up to get unwilling Earth girls up to the ship?”
Baird shook his head. “It is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. If, in the course of four weeks—the holding week, the bathing week, the tasting week, and the bonding week—the male could convince his chosen bride that she should bond with him, they were mated for life.”