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But then…why had she come? Slade had to know. He had parked the Kindred shuttle he was flying—which turned into a land vehicle on Earth—outside a community of long, metal domiciles, many rusted or in bad condition. There was a verdant wilderness located on one boundary of it and the heat and humidity reminded him he was in a tropical climate. Slade was glad he’d traded the Kindred uniform shirt he’d been given for the lightweight cotton t-shirt, which the owner of the shop he had visited had informed him was an article of clothing many humans wore.
As he continued on foot, Slade had heard the roar of a combustion engine and then Brandi’s frantic thoughts when she realized her vehicle wasn’t working. She’d been worried because of something about her supervisor. Mr. Grabbit? Grabbem? Slade hadn’t quite gotten that part—he only knew that she was afraid being unable to get to work would be a bad thing.
Of course, his first instinct was to help her at once—but if he gave her a mode to get away, he was sure she would. He wanted to talk to her for a minute—at least learn her name.
That was when he’d gotten the biggest surprise—when her young one had jumped out of the rusted vehicle and launched herself at him. Slade had caught her out of instinct more than anything else but the minute the little girl had thrown her arms around his neck, Slade’s heart had melted. He didn’t even know her name—he’d heard Brandi calling her several names, “Emmie-bear,” and “sweetpea” among them—but the little girl had him wrapped around her little finger the moment she jumped in his arms.
Brandi, of course, was worried and upset about Emmie’s instant affection for a strange male—he picked up from her thoughts that her daughter never acted this way around strangers. Slade had always wished for young ones and he didn’t blame her for being protective of her daughter—it only raised her in his estimation. He also had no idea what to make of the little girl’s claim that she had dreamed of him. Could it be some kind of coincidence? But she’d acted like she knew him. It was very strange.
He had begun to feel confused as to his purpose. He still needed to confront Brandi but he could no longer feel as angry and upset as he had. He didn’t see her as a temptress anymore but as a single parent leading a hard and stressful life and doing the best she could to make a good life for her daughter. As to why she had done what she had in the Puppet House, he could still hear her words in his head.
“I just hadn’t had sex in three years and sometimes I just get so hungry to have a man touch me…”
Another little bit of the anger he’d carried like a burning torch down from the Mother Ship fizzled out. He understood the hunger for touch—for sexual love—who better than he? He’d been tormented for fucking years by the eroto-lust enhancer his old mistress had given him. And he had to admit, Brandi had helped cure him of that. No matter what the consequences, at least he wasn’t tormented by sexual desire anymore.
Except when he was close to Brandi.
Standing so near her, listening to her thoughts about how much she wanted him, hearing her heart pound, and smelling her sweet, feminine fragrance nearly did him in. He had been so close to kissing her again—to taking her behind a nearby tree, pulling down her panties and lapping her sweet pussy, as he hadn’t gotten to do during their first encounter.
Only the fact that her young daughter was watching and it would be completely inappropriate stopped him. Instead, he had let her go—though he really didn’t want to—with a promise to talk later.
But when is later? Slade asked himself. Should he give her a few days? A few weeks as a cooling off period?
Every instinct he had rebelled at the idea.
Now, whispered a dark, possessive voice in his head. I want to be with her now—she’s bonded to me which makes her MINE. We ought to be together!
Slade shook his head, trying to push the crazy, possessive thoughts away. They had bonded by accident, he reminded himself—and neither of them actually wanted to be bonded to the other. It would really be better to try and ignore the bond, rather than coming down here to confront her about it as he had.
I have to leave her alone, he told himself grimly. Go back and concentrate on my new life on the Mother Ship. He had been given a job in the mech-bay, fixing the fleet of ships and shuttles the Kindred maintained for getting around. It was work he enjoyed—he’d always been good with his hands, as he had told Brandi—and it paid well since much of it was technical.
