Stealing Her Heart

by Evangeline Anderson

  “Sure.” Kat smiled. “Take your time. If the two of you just got together it’ll take a crowbar to pry you apart.” She rolled her eyes. “Believe me, I know.”

  The other girls laughed as though it was an established fact that any woman who had just gotten together with a Kindred would barely be able to pull herself away. Vicky smiled and then Chain was drawing her to the side to talk.

  “Well?” he murmured in her ear. “What do you think?”

  “I think it sounds great.” Vicky couldn’t stop herself from grinning at him. It looked like her big adventure was going to happen after all! She just hoped she wasn’t being rash, going off with a guy she barely knew to an alien planet where she would be completely dependent on him.

  But then she remembered the way Chain had held her while she slept and how gently he had healed her wounds. She was safe with him, she thought—he would never hurt her. She might not have known him for long, but that much she could tell. After years of teaching, she considered herself an excellent judge of character and Chain was definitely one of the good guys.

  “I’m so glad you’re coming with me,” he murmured, leaning down to give her a soft, lingering kiss on the mouth, just as he had in the Last Call bar. “So glad we get to spend more time together.”

  “I…I’m glad too,” Vicky confessed a bit breathlessly.

  Chain stroked her flushed cheek.

  “Why don’t you go get the details of the assignment from the Alien Culture Coordinator while I speak to Commander Sylvan about the small matter of remuneration.”

  “Remuneration? You mean pay?” Vicky asked.

  “Well of course!” A frown creased his face briefly. “You don’t think I’d ask you to come along on an official mission without getting paid for it, do you?” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Always get the money up front. Don’t worry—I’ll be sure you get a fifty percent cut for coming with me.”

  “Oh, well…thank you.” Vicky smiled at him, wishing her voice didn’t sound so breathless when he got really close like that. It was his warm, spicy scent affecting her brain again she told herself. He was so handsome and charming already but adding that delicious smelling pheromone scent on top of all that made him damn near irresistible.

  Chain gave her a long hug and another kiss before letting her go.

  “Have fun with your new friends, beautiful Victoria,” he murmured. “I’ll meet you back here at the ship later.”

  Vicky watched him walk over to Commander Sylvan and then she turned back to Kat and the other girls as well.

  “Done saying goodbye?” Kat smirked at her, one auburn eyebrow arched.

  “Oh, um…” Vicky could feel herself blushing.

  “Don’t tease her, Kat—you know how it is when you first bond with a Kindred,” Liv said, elbowing her friend in the ribs and glaring at her.

  “Oh, we’re not, uh, bonded,” Vicky protested. “We’re just together for now—for this mission, I mean,” she added.

  “Just for now, hmm?” Lauren shook her head skeptically. “Girl, we all saw that kiss. I think your ‘for now’ might be in danger of becoming ‘for always’ if you’re not careful.”

  “As well as being the Alien Culture Coordinator or ACC, as I like to abbreviate it—” Kat began.

  “Which sounds like Akk! Like a cat coughing up a hairball,” Liv interrupted, grinning at her friend.

  “Or maybe Ass,” Sophie said thoughtfully. “Which is hardly any better.”

  “Whatever.” Kat gave her friends a look of mock indignation. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that as well as being the ACC, I’m also the Mother Ship’s premier wedding slash joining planner. So if you need help planning your nuptials—”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to disappoint you but that’s never going to happen,” Vicky said quickly. “I mean, have you seen Chain?” She cast a glance at him as he walked away, down the long row of ships, with Commander Sylvan. He wasn’t wearing his scatterlight cloak for once and his ass looked especially good in the tight black leather trousers he had on.

  “Yeah, we see him. So?” Sophie put a hand on her hip. “Is there some reason the two of you could never get Joined?”

  “Well, I mean, can’t you tell the age difference?” Vicky asked. “He’s at least fifteen years younger than me.”

  “So?” Liv shrugged. “You wouldn’t be the first girl to get bonded to a much younger man around here.”

  “But I’m too old for him!” Vicky protested.

  “Listen, doll—the heart wants what the heart wants and that’s especially true when it comes to Kindred,” Kat lectured, as she led Vicky down another long row of ships. “Kindred warriors don’t have the same values—or lack of values—that Earth guys do. When they fall for you, they fall hard. And they don’t change their minds.”

  “Well…that’s very nice.” Vicky smiled uncertainly. “But I don’t think it’s the case here. Chain and I are just doing this one mission together—that’s all. “Anyway,” she went on, wanting to change the subject. “What can you tell me about Priima Belle—other than the fact that it sounds like an upscale Italian bistro?” she added, which made them all laugh.

  “Come with us,” Kat told her. “We’ll tell you everything we know…”

  Twelve

  “So I call these ‘goddess gowns,’ because look, aren’t they pretty? They remind me of something you’d see on a statue of a Greek Goddess like Athena,” Kat said, holding up a dress made of flowing, gauzy material for Vicky’s inspection.

  It was, indeed, a bit toga-like—an off-the shoulder gown on one side with many floaty layers. The material was light and airy and the gowns all seemed to have graduated colors. For instance, the one Kat was showing started out very pale blush pink at the top and then deepened gradually to a lovely mauve near the waist and then turned into a gorgeous deep maroon at the bottom half of the flowing skirt which fell to Vicky’s ankles.

  Kat had already made similar dresses in shades of blue, green, and purple using Vicky’s measurements and an ingenious device which seemed to be some kind of 3-D printer for clothes.

  “Oh—those are beautiful!” Vicky exclaimed.

  “And they drape just right to accentuate your curves instead of making you look like a puffy wedding cake,” Kat promised. “You want to try one on?”

  “I’d love to!” Vicky stepped behind the folding screen Kat had set up in one corner of her office—which was just a room in her suite that she shared with her two husbands and three sons. Outside the door, Vicky could hear the kids running around like crazy but they left “Mommy’s office” strictly alone, “On pain of death or of getting in trouble with my Dark Twin husband, Deep” as Kat had said, smiling.

  Vicky decided to try on the green dress first, since it would accentuate her eyes. It slipped easily over her head and fit perfectly but when she smoothed it down to admire it, she found a problem.

  “Kat?” she called, looking down at the dress. “I’m afraid there’s a rip in the green gown. Or actually…two rips,” she went on, frowning.

  “Make that three,” Kat said, coming around the screen to stand beside her. “There should be one in the crotch area too. And they aren’t rips—they’re ‘teaching slits.’”

  “What? What does that mean?” Vicky stared down at herself in concern. The two slits were located over her breasts and her bra was currently poking through them, completely visible on either side.

  “I have to be honest with you, doll—I’m not exactly sure.” Kat looked at her apologetically. “The Priima Bellans are great about sharing their learning and philosophy, but they’re kind of private about their customs and daily lives. We know they’re a safe world because it’s run by women and they welcome visitors—mostly students who go to learn or other scholars who go to share their own teachings. But we don’t know much else. In fact,” she went on, “I had a heck of a time getting pictures of their fashion to copy—they have a few public areas but they spend most of thei
r time in private dwellings and temples and universities where photography of any kind is strictly forbidden.”

  “So…you’re sure I’m supposed to wear a dress that shows my bra?” Vicky asked hesitantly.

  “Oh, you’re not supposed to wear a bra, doll,” Kat said brightly, as though it was no big deal. “You’re supposed to be bare under the goddess gown—it’s the custom.”

  “What? But I thought you said it had a slit in the crotch area too!” Vicky looked down at herself and—sure enough—there was a long slit that ran from just the level of her crotch all the way down to the bottom hem. Why hadn’t she noticed that when she was putting it on?

  “Yup.” Kat nodded. “Hey, don’t freak out,” she added quickly, seeing the dismayed look on Vicky’s face. “Look—I added some secret modifications for you.”

  She showed Vicky some tiny, almost invisible magnets sewn into the sides of the slits that closed them completely and held the fabric together.

  “There, see?” she said, grinning. “I knew you’d probably freak out at having to wear a gown that shows your goodies so I made a way for you to cover up.”

  “Thanks,” Vicky said gratefully. “That certainly makes me feel better. But, well…I still can’t wear my bra with this off-the shoulder toga thing going on.” She frowned at the black lacy bra strap which showed clearly on her one bare shoulder. “What am I going to do about that? I really can’t go without a bra. At my age, the girls just aren’t as perky as they once were.”

  “Ha—try breast-feeding three babies with only two breasts,” Kat said flatly. “I don’t care what age you are, that puts some serious city miles on the old ta-tas. But never fear, I have a solution for you.” She pulled out a small black box and opened it to reveal two tiny blue dots about the size of the fingernail on Vicky’s pinky.

  Vicky stared at them blankly.

  “Um—what are those?”

  “Float dots,” Kat said triumphantly. “Permanent stickers that exert a kind of gravitational field just over your ta-tas. We got them from an underwater world where the women go topless all the time—well, except for nipple rings,” she added and winked at Vicky. “Bet you’re glad you’re not going to that particular planet.”

  “You’re right, that place sounds awful,” Vicky said with feeling. “But, well, how do these work?”

  “You just stick one to the underside of each boob—right where the bottom of your breast meets your chest—and voila—instant lift. Go on—try them, you’re going to love them. We all do.” She nodded down at her own breasts, which were high and firm, despite being rather large.

  “Really? You’re wearing some now?” Vicky asked.

  Kat nodded. “Go on—I’ll give you some privacy.”

  She stepped out from behind the screen and Vicky pulled down the goddess gown and took off her bra. She looked rather dubiously at the float dots—how could such tiny little things do anything to help lift her breasts? Having always been big on top, she had struggled for years to find any kind of strapless bra that really worked. They always slid down, leaving your boobs exposed at some point. But really, she supposed the least she could do was at least try the little dots.

  Lifting her right breast, she pressed one small blue sticker under it and then did the same for the left. What she saw when she was done, amazed her.

  “Wow, they’re floating!” she exclaimed, looking down at her chest.

  And they were! Her breasts had lifted and risen to become perfect round globes with the nipples poking perkily forward. The effect was magical—it took years off her boobs and the little float dots did all the work. Without any tight bra straps digging into her shoulders or bands pressing into her stomach, Vicky felt liberated…elated. Her breasts looked gorgeous and it didn’t hurt at all!

  “They’re pretty fantastic, right?” Kat asked from the other side of the screen. “Ever since we got out hands on them, we’ve been synthesizing them as fast as we could. I think everyone on the Mother Ship is wearing them now.”

  “I can see why.” Vicky pulled up the top of the gown and smoothed it down, making certain the little magnetic tabs were engaged so she was decently covered.

  Although, she couldn’t help thinking, that “decent” was a relative term here. True, it was better not to have her bra poking out of the slits in the dress, but at least the thick fabric of her bra had hidden her nipples. The float dots made her so perky that, without the bra in the way, her peaks stood out in bold relief just under the thin material of the dress.

  Well, at least I won’t be the only one dressed this way, she told herself, trying to feel better about it.

  And it’s not like Chain hasn’t already seen your breasts…not to mention sucked and licked them, whispered a little voice in her head.

  Vicky shifted uncomfortably, squeezing her thighs together at the memory. God, she was still kind of surprised she’d done that with Chain—let him lick and suck her nipples and then touched herself while he talked dirty to her until she came. It seemed like something someone else would do—some other younger, hipper, much more daring woman.

  But no—that was really me, Vicky admitted to herself. And I’m really going to a strange planet with a man I haven’t even known for twenty-four hours yet. Can’t believe I’m being so impulsive!

  She hoped her daughters would believe the text message she’d sent them—that she was going out of town with a friend and might be out of touch for a while. She didn’t want them to worry about her, which they certainly would if they knew the truth.

  “So what do you think?” Kat asked. “Come on out here and give us a fashion show.”

  Lauren had gone back to her bakery and Sophie had left to do something with her kids but Liv and Kat clapped and whistled when Vicky came out and twirled around in the new gown.

  “You look gorgeous,” Liv assured her. “And now I have to go as soon as I give you some translation bacteria.” She held up a syringe.

  Vicky frowned as she held out her arm for the shot. “What’s that?”

  “It helps you understand alien languages,” Kat told her. “You’re going to love it since you’re a language teacher. What do you teach, anyway?”

  “Spanish and French,” Vicky told her. “And I coach the Drama Club since they cut the budget at our school and we can’t afford a full-time Drama teacher.”

  Liv frowned. “Those bastards, always cutting the budget for education! You ought to come teach up here on the Mother Ship. The Kindred prioritize education—teachers are paid as much here as the head of the Kindred High Council—which happens to be Sylvan, my brother-in-law.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Vicky said honestly. “I’d love to live someplace where all my hard work and the extra time I put in every single day is actually valued.”

  “Teachers aren’t paid nearly enough on Earth—at least not in our country,” Kat said soberly. “They have such a hard job! They ought to be getting the big bucks.”

  “Well, Chain said he’s going to see if he can get me paid for this, uh, mission to Priima Bella,” Vicky said. “It’ll be nice to have a little extra since I kind of spent all my savings on a designer dress that got ripped to shreds by the alien bad guys who were after Chain when he met me.”

  “Oh, sounds like you’ve already had some adventures with your handsome Kindred,” Liv said, grinning. “And now you get to go to a safe planet and just kick back and sight-see while he makes the deal for the other half of the T’lix-Kruthe.”

  “What is the T’lix-Kruthe, anyway?” Vicky asked curiously. “I mean, I held onto it for him for a while, but to me it just looked like a shiny, light-up golden golf ball with a divot carved out of one end.”

  “Honestly, it’s so ancient and it’s been so long since the Kindred had it all together in one piece, nobody is quite sure what it is,” Kat told her. “But Sylvan has been praying for guidance about a very important decision he has to make and one of the priestesses in the Sacred Grove had a vision about it. She
told us we had to get it back in order to know what to do.”

  “But how will it tell him? What does it do? Or, I guess you don’t really know that, huh?” Vicky asked.

  Liv shook her head. “All we know is that it’s supposed to provide the wisdom of the Goddess herself—the Mother of All Life. That’s what Sylvan is hoping anyway.”

  “I guess it would be nosy of me to ask what decision he’s trying to make.”

  “Yes, it absolutely would—I knew I liked you for some reason,” Kat said, grinning at her. “Actually, it’s not a secret. The Mother Ship’s population has reached the place where we could actually spare enough warriors to staff a second ship.”

  “The Mother Ship Two,” Liv said musingly. “It would take a long time to build and it would require a complicated operation in order to split the green star that powers our own Mother Ship in order to give it a power source—but it’s doable. And some people are saying, necessary.”

  “Why?” Vicky asked, mystified. “Are you getting overpopulated here?”

  “No, but we will be in another generation or two,” Kat said. “The Kindred believe in planning ahead—far ahead. And the second Mother Ship wouldn’t hang around here, either. It would start folding space until it found another Earth-like planet where there were enough females for the Kindred males to call brides from it.”

  “It’s a journey that might take them to the other end of the universe,” Liv murmured. “And anybody who joined it might never be seen or heard from again by our own Mother Ship. Space is vast.” She dashed tears from her eyes. “Sorry—I was just thinking, what if my little boy decided to go?”

  “Or any of mine,” Kat said grimly. “Part of me hates the idea. But another part thinks it needs to be done. I’m just torn about it.”

  “So is Sylvan,” Liv said. “That’s why he needs the T’lix-Kruthe to help him make the decision.” She gave Vicky a rather watery smile. “I’m glad you and your Kindred are going to go get it for us. This is definitely a tough call.”