“Oh, J’are!” she exclaimed, causing him to turn around with a surprised look.
“What is it? A problem?”
“Your back!” Imani felt terrible that she hadn’t noticed it before. He had gotten those wounds saving her—how could she forget?
“What about my back?” he frowned.
“What about it? You have pieces of shrapnel still stuck in you from the tray bomb!” Imani exclaimed. “Can’t you feel them?”
“Oh those…” He looked over his shoulder and shrugged dismissively. “Don’t worry about it—Nightwalkers are excellent healers.”
“Of course I worry about it!” Imani said. “Come on—let’s get you fixed up.”
She took his arm and tugged until he went with her into the bathroom where she had him sit on the edge of the huge marble tub. Digging through her carryall cube, she found a pair of tweezers.
“Don’t move,” she told J’are and began to extract the shrapnel as well as she could. “God, your poor back!”
“It’s nothing,” J’are said stoically. He didn’t even flinch as she pulled the twisted metal out of his flesh. “I’ve had worse in the hole.”
Imani heard the pain in his voice, even though it didn’t show on his face and her heart went out to him.
“I’m so sorry, J’are,” she murmured, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I wish I could have gotten here sooner to free you from that awful place!”
“You’re here now.” He turned his head and caught her eyes with his own. “That’s all that matters,” he rumbled. “You saved me, Imani.”
Imani found she was getting that breathless feeling again and her heart was pounding.
“You…you saved me too,” she pointed out. “If you hadn’t realized that breakfast tray was a bomb and thrown yourself on top of me…you risked your life to keep me safe.”
“A male must always protect his female, once she’s Claimed him,” he growled softly.
“J’are…” Imani didn’t know what to say. She wanted very much to go where this was leading but it wasn’t right—he was her client. Also, they were about to get kicked out of the Luxx and she wasn’t packed or dressed yet.
“Of course, I know you didn’t really Claim me,” J’are said, looking away. “It only feels that way.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Imani said softly. “But it really would be inappropriate for us to get into a, er, relationship of any kind. I mean, you’re my client so—”
“I understand.” J’are cleared his throat. “Are you almost finished? We don’t have much time to get out of here.”
“I’ve got all the metal out—just let me wash off your back,” Imani told him.
She was glad, in a way, that he was being understanding about the fact that they had to maintain a professional relationship. But another part of her wished the big Nightwalker would take her in his arms and, well, take her. She couldn’t help remembering the feral, forceful way he’d climbed on top of her the night before and rubbed his thick shaft against her pussy until she came so hard she saw stars.
Stop that! she scolded herself as she sluiced water down his broad back. There’s no point wishing for something you can’t have and you know it. You—
Her train of thought was cut off by what she saw. As the blood washed away from the big Kindred’s skin, the torn flesh began to knit together.
“Oh my God!” Imani whispered to herself as she watched the savage wounds healing themselves. “That’s amazing!”
“What is?” J’are twisted his head around, trying to look at his own back. “Am I growing a tail or something?”
“Of course not. But your wounds…they’re healing! Just healing themselves,” Imani breathed.
“Oh.” J’are shrugged. “That’s normal for my kind. Told you Nightwalkers have good healing abilities.”
“You certainly do!” Imani said. “I can hardly believe it!”
“How do you think I survived in the hole for so long?” His deep voice was harsh. “I was torn apart more times than I can count, but my body always healed.” He looked away. “Even when I didn’t want it to.”
“Oh, J’are…” It seemed clear that he was remembering more and more of his experience in the Yonnite jail and it was obvious the memories weren’t pretty. Imani didn’t know what to say. “If…if you want to talk about it, I’m here,” she told him gently, washing away the last of the blood. “And I’m ready to listen.”
“Thanks. But some things are better left forgotten.”
“Well…”
Imani didn’t want to push—he would talk if he wanted to in his own time. She cleared her throat.
“Um…since you’re all healed, I’m going to get dressed. And then I guess we have to figure out someplace to go until our court date—which unfortunately, isn’t for hours.” She sighed. “Someplace public too—that might be safer in case Lady Zangelo’s murderer gets any ideas about trying to kill us again.”
J’are frowned.
“What about the public anti-grav pool?”
“The what?” Imani frowned.
“It’s a place Mother Hownow used to take me when I was younger—mainly because she didn’t want the trouble and expense of dealing with having an anti-grav pool of her own,” J’are explained. “There’s a place to eat where bodyslaves and Mistresses are allowed to dine together, too.”
“That sounds perfect.” Imani smiled. “Do you know the way to get to it?”
“It’s not far from here at all,” J’are told her. “Let’s both get dressed and I’ll show you.”
“Okay.” Imani looked at her watch. “We’d better hurry, though—we have to get out before they throw us out.”
“We’ll make it,” J’are promised. “Come on—let’s get going.”
Twenty-Two
J’are cursed himself for a fool as they packed their things and left the Luxx. He had to stop feeling the way he did for Imani—had to force his feral side to understand she wasn’t his female after all.
It was all a mistake, he told himself. She didn’t come to Claim me on purpose. She was just trying to
