“Please,” Trin breathed. “Yes, please do.”
Keeping his eyes locked with hers, Thrace licked her second arm as he had the first, dragging the flat of his tongue up and over her skin, erasing the red welts that marked her.
As before she stiffened and gasped but when he raised his eyebrows at her—a silent question—she shook her head.
“It doesn’t hurt. It just…tingles.”
Thrace nodded as he finished with her arm. Gods, her skin tasted sweet—salty and fresh and completely delicious. Completely Trin. He knew that even if he was destined never to see her again, her taste and the soft little gasps that came from her throat as he healed her would stay in his memory forever.
At last he leaned back and looked at her.
“Legs next?”
Trin twisted her fingers together in her lap nervously.
“…all right.”
He could hear the hesitation in her voice. No doubt all the horrible rhetoric which had been pounded into her head while she was a prisoner at the temple was still there, poisoning her thoughts and emotions. But she was trying her best to overcome it—trying to let him help her without feeling guilty or wrong.
“How about everything but your inner thighs?” he asked and saw the relief flit across her face.
“Yes.” She smiled gratefully. “Yes that would be…that would be good.”
Thrace nodded and encircled one delicate ankle with his fingers. Gods, whoever had done this to her had been really thorough. The red welts ran in unbroken parallel lines from the graceful curve of her arch all the way up her thighs. Probably that bitch of a high priestess! He felt a rush of rage and wished for a moment that he could hurt the evil female the same way she’d hurt Trin—that he could make her pay for the wrong she’d inflicted. But there was no time for anger now—it wouldn’t help Trin for him to get worked up. All he could do was try to help her.
Taking a deep breath, Thrace pushed the useless anger aside and tried to concentrate on Trin. He lifted her lower leg to his mouth and began to lick…began to heal the female he loved so desperately as best he could.
Trin gasped and then sighed as he made his way slowly and methodically up her leg. He could feel her trembling beneath his tongue as he sealed the welts, turning them into nothing but scars.
Thrace only wished he could do more. She was beautiful to him—always beautiful—but the scars marred her soft brown skin, making a permanent reminder of what she had endured on her home planet. He wished he could erase them for that reason if no other—he didn’t want her to look down at herself and remember what had been done to her every time she saw her arms or legs…
And speaking of her legs, he was finished with them now. All but the area around her inner thighs which he had carefully avoided. He sat back and looked up at her, considering what to do next.
Trin looked back at him and the red scratches on her face, four parallel lines on each cheek, caught his eye.
“My lady,” he murmured, falling into the old way of speech by force of habit. He rose slowly, so as not to startle her, and sat beside her on the bed. Very gently, he brushed just the tips of his fingers over her wounded flesh. “Your face…”
“Oh…” Trin put a hand to her hurt cheek and nodded. “Yes, she…she scratched me everywhere. She said she wanted…wanted to leave permanent scars—so everyone would know what I had done.”
“Baby…” Thrace felt a lump in his throat he couldn’t seem to swallow. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “This is my fault—all of it.”
“No, it’s not.” Trin looked up at him. “It’s mine—I went to the temple willingly, of my own volition. I thought I had to…thought I had to be punished.”
Thrace wanted to ask what she thought about it now but he didn’t dare. He was afraid she would say that she still felt the same way, that anything they did together was wrong and sinful—worthy of punishment and death.
Instead of speaking any more, he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. Then he kissed her as gently as he could, stroking the parallel lines on her face tenderly—tracing them one by one with the tip of his tongue, trying to erase her hurt, to ease her pain and let her know how very much he still loved her.
* * * * *
“Oh, Thrace…” His name fell from Trin’s lips like a prayer as he kissed her. It amazed her, as always, that such a huge, muscular male could be so gentle…so tender. He handled her as though she was precious and valuable—someone cherished beyond what words could express or describe.
Before he had started this, she had warned herself that she shouldn’t get too carried away when he started healing her. After all, it was clear that he wanted to leave and she didn’t have the right to try and stop him. Not after the way she’d treated him. But she couldn’t help melting inside when he touched her like this…when he kissed her so tenderly.
“Thrace,” she whispered again and then somehow his mouth was covering hers, kissing her lips instead of her cheek. It reminded her of the first time he had kissed her—when they had been playing their roles at Dreaming Hills. But back then she’d been his Mistress and now she was…nothing.
I have no claim on him. Not anymore. I gave it up when I pushed him awaye…
The thought made her pull back from the kiss though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
Thrace didn’t try to stop her. Instead he leaned back a little and looked at her.
“Trin?” he murmured.
“I…” Trin wasn’t sure what to say. Her mouth still tingled from his warm, gentle kiss. She wanted desperately to lean forward and kiss him again, to take his mouth with hers and show him how she truly felt—but she didn’t dare.
Thrace seemed to understand her hesitation or at least, he didn’t push for an explanation.
“Your back was harmed too, wasn’t it?” he murmured.
“Yes.” Trin nodded, still twisting her fingers nervously in her lap. “Where…how…?”
“Lie face down on the bed,” he said softly. “I’ll tend to you.”
She nodded but didn’t move to do as he said.
“The welts…my back is especially bad. They…they’re very painful,” she whispered.
“Then I’ll be very, very careful.” He cupped her newly healed cheek in one big, warm hand and looked down into her eyes. “I’ll never hurt you, baby. You know that.”
Trin’s heart jumped at the use of his old, sweet nickname.
“I know,” she whispered. “I…I trust you, Thrace.”
“That’s good to know,” he rumbled softly. “Because after I finish your back I’ll have to go lower…if you still want me to.”
Trin’s breath caught in her throat. Though she had been healed and absolved by the Goddess, the teachings of her childhood were hard to overcome. Somewhere at the back of her head the mean, judgmental voice was still whispering shame and recrimination. She did her best to shut it off.
“I do want you to,” she said, lifting her chin. “Please. If…you don’t mind.”
“If I don’t mind?” He gave her a slow smile. “Baby, no matter what else is going on between us, you need to know that tasting and licking your sweet, soft body is still my favorite thing to do.”
“Oh…” Trin could feel the blood rushing to her face and suddenly she had to drop her eyes. His words brought back so many memories…memories of his hands and mouth exploring her…memories of the way he’d knelt between her legs and licked and sucked her pussy until she came and came…
Stop it, she told herself sternly. This is just about letting him heal you—that’s all. He’s probably still going to leave when it’s over. So don’t let yourself get too excited.
“Turn over,” Thrace murmured, stroking her cheek. “Turn over and let me heal you, baby.”
Trembling a little with nervous tension, Trin did as he said. Laying face down, she pillowed her head in her arms and closed her eyes, trying not to think…trying not to hope or to wish too much.
“That’s good…that’s just right, baby.”
Thrace got on the bed beside her and she could feel him bending over her, the warmth of his big body covering her like a blanket. She bit her lip but couldn’t stop the soft moan that came from her lips when he began healing her back with long, slow strokes of his tongue.