Braze was so big and growly it was hard not to feel intimidated sometimes but right now, she felt more emotionally attuned to her Protector than she ever had before. Also, his Bonding Scent was making her want to get even closer to him.
She wondered if he knew he was making it—if he was doing it on purpose. Or maybe it was just something that happened whenever he got close to a woman. She needed to read up more on Kindred anatomy to find out…
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the suite. Braze sat up at once, his golden eyes watchful and alert for any sign of danger.
“I’ll get it,” he growled, rising from the floor in one smooth motion. He moved with surprising grace for such a big male, Kaitlyn thought admiring the play of muscles on his broad, bare back as he went to the door.
When he opened it, she caught a flash of golden livery and heard the piping voice of a servant saying,
“If you please, I’m here to lead you and your wife to the The Feast of the New Moon. Are you ready to go?”
“Not yet,” Braze growled.
“I’ll wait then,” the servant said.
“We’ll be out soon,” Braze said and shut the door. He came back to Kaitlyn, who was already getting up off the couch.
“I guess it’s time to get dressed, huh?” she said. She hesitated then asked, “Can you help me into my dress?”
“Of course—the Empress would expect me to help my wife to get dressed,” he rumbled. “And…” He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid you’ll have to help me too. These fucking non-con manacles…” He lifted his arms, flashing the metal bracelets.
“Oh, of course!” Kaitlyn felt her cheeks getting hot when she remembered his “outfit” for the feast consisted of crotchless leather trousers and a cock ring. She hoped she could get it on the right way and not hurt him.
Well, she could only do her best. When they’d agreed to take this mission, she never would have dreamed that she’d be handling her Protector’s equipment in such an intimate way. But she wasn’t unhappy about it…she just wished she knew how he really felt about their situation.
10
BRAZE
The knock at the door felt like a personal insult. Braze had to force himself to lift his head from Kaitlyn’s lap, the warmth of her thigh imprinted on his cheek. He didn’t want to fucking move. For a few stolen minutes, with her fingers carding through his hair, the world had narrowed to a single, perfect point—her touch and his submission.
Mistress. The word was becoming a truth in his gut, sweet and solid. He loved it—loved the way it made the constant tension in his shoulders ease and loved the low rumble of contentment it pulled from his chest.
Of course, it also made the relentless ache in his cock even worse—a throbbing counterpoint to the peace he felt when she touched him. Helping her get dressed for the feast was just going to be another form of exquisite torture.
In the bedroom, she placed the gown carefully on the vast bed, then stood with her back to him. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the slight hunch as she hugged herself.
“Are you all right, Mistress?” he asked, his voice softer than he intended.
“I…I’m fine.” She glanced over her shoulder, a shy look in her lovely eyes that said she was anything but “fine.”
“What’s wrong?” Braze asked, frowning. “Don’t you want me to help you undress? I’m pretty sure the Empress will expect your ‘husband’ to help you.”
“I guess you’re right,” she said, and gave a self-deprecating little laugh. “I guess I’m just nervous to be all the way naked in front of you.”
“Why would you be?” he asked, honestly mystified. A cold thread of worry wormed its way through the heat in his veins. “You don’t think…you’re not afraid I’ll attack you, are you? I mean, I know I should have asked permission in the throne room, but I would never?—”
“No, no,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I know you’d never hurt me, Braze. I’m just nervous because you’re so big and muscular and in such good shape and I’m, well…I could stand to lose some weight. That’s what my ex-husband always said, anyway,” she added, looking down.
Immediate, white-hot fury at her ex-mate burned through Braze’s body.
“Your ex-mate sounds like an asshole,” he growled. “Didn’t he realize that you’re an Elite—a woman the Goddess herself has blessed with extra generous curves?”
“An Elite? Is that a Kindred thing?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“You could say that.” Braze nodded firmly, taking a step closer. He needed to correct this poison her ex-mate had poured into her heart. “We fucking love Elites—curvy women are the Kindred ideal,” he told her.
“They are?” She turned to face him fully now, and he saw the genuine uncertainty on her face. It made his heart twist in his chest—what kind of things had that fucker told her? Whatever it was, it must have been bad.
