“Thrace,no…” Clearly he’d misinterpreted her lengthy silence. “Why would you say that?”she asked softly.

“Yousaw what happened with my old Master—saw it in that fucking dream.” He sighed.“I thought that was one reason you were pushing me away.”

“Iwas pushing you away because of the blood curse the high priestess laid on me—notbecause of your past,” Trin assured him. “It’s a death sentence and I didn’twant to drag you down with me.”

“Adeath sentence?” His black brows raised in surprised concern. “What are youtalking about?”

“Itwas killing me,” Trin said softly.“It saps your will to live—makes you just want to lay down and die. That’s…”She took a deep breath. “That’s what I’ve been doing these past few weeks.Dying.”

“What?”He took her by the shoulders and looked into her face anxiously. “Baby, isthere anything I can do? We have to get you help—have to lift the cursesomehow!”

“It’salready been lifted,” Trin assured him quickly. “In the Sacred Grove. I’m okaynow. It’s why I finally dared to come and see you.” She looked at himearnestly. “I wanted to say how sorry I was for pushing you away. But I did itfor your own good—I was afraid if I died and our bond was strong, I’d take youwith me.”

“Baby…”He stroked her cheek, looking into her eyes. “Don’t you know I’d rather diewith you than live a single day without you?”

“Don’t,Thrace.”Trin shook her head and looked away from his intense, silver-blue gaze. “Idon’t deserve that from you. Not after all I put you through—not after the wayI pushed you away.”

“Youwere doing what you thought you had to do,” he rumbled. “I just misinterpretedit. I thought after you saw my past…”

“Thatnever had anything to do with it,” Trin assured him. “I think it’s horriblewhat happened to you, but it doesn’t affect how I feel about you. I hope…” She looked down. “I hope you won’t letwhat I allowed to happen to me at the temple affect how you feel about meeither.”

“Youmight have gone there of your own free will in the first place but you’re notto blame for what they did when you got there,” Thrace growled. “That whole placeis completely fucked up—especially the female who runs it!”

“Betina…”Trin sighed. “She truly made me believe I deserved everything that was done tome—even…” She swallowed hard. “Even what happened to Swift and Silk. Not tomention my skin…my hair…” She put a hand to her head. Becca had done her bestto trim it into a more attractive shape but it was still much shorter than Trinliked.

“Yourhair will grow back,” Thracesaid firmly. “Or you could keep it short—makes it easier for me to see yourgorgeous face.”

“Notso gorgeous anymore…” Trin put her fingers to one scarred cheek.

“Yes.”Thracetook her hand in his and kissed her palm gently. “Still gorgeous. Stillbeautiful—always beautiful to me,baby.”

Tringave him a tremulous smile. “That’s how I feel about you, you know. You’restill the same male I came to care for so deeply and your past doesn’t changethat. And it also doesn’t change my desire…” She cleared her throat, feelingthe hot blood rush to her cheeks. “My desire to…to give myself to you.”

Thepain on his strong features cleared.

“Soyou want to try it then? Renewing our bond?”

“Morethan anything,” Trin said softly. “But, well…I don’t really know how to begin.”

“Ithink I can help with that,” Thracemurmured, pulling her close. He took her mouth in a long, lingering kiss andTrin moaned as his tongue slipped gently between her lips. Goddess, she couldtaste herself on him! Taste her own secret, feminine flavor still clinging tohis lips and it made her hotter than she would have thought possible.

“Thrace,”she whispered softly when the kiss finally broke. “Goddess, I want you so much.”

“Howdo you want me, Mistress?”

“I’mnot really sure,” Trin confessed.

“Well,how about this…” He stroked her cheek. “Last time I was in charge—I had to be since you were drugged out ofyour mind on the third drink of passion berry wine. How about if this time, youcall the shots?”

“Howdo I do that?” Trin asked.

“Yoube in charge—take control.” He spread his arms. “Do whatever you want with me.”

Trinbit her lip. “And…you don’t mind? I mean after…” She didn’t want to bring uphis past again since he was obviously so sensitive about it, but she alsodidn’t want to bring back any bad memories as she had when she had almostpenetrated him with the heart stone phallus on Yonnie Six.

“Iknow what you’re asking but no, I don’t mind,” Thrace rumbled. “You’re nothinglike my old master was—he tried to force my love. You won my heart without eventrying—just by being you.”

“Oh,Thrace…”Trin didn’t know what to say.

“Itwill be a pleasure to serve you, Mistress.” He gave her a lazy grin. “In any way you desire.”

“Well,then…” Trin eyed him, considering her options. “For starters, I think you havetoo many clothes on,” she pronounced.

“Youwant me to disrobe, my lady?” he murmured, his fingers going to the buttons ofhis deep red shirt.

“No.I want to do it.” Getting up on her knees, Trin pushed his hands aside andbegan unbuttoning the shirt herself, just as she’d wanted to earlier. Shecouldn’t stop the desire that rose in her as his broad, muscular chest wasrevealed.

“Gods,I love your little hands on me,” he growled hoarsely as she finishedunbuttoning the shirt and tugged it out of his waistband. “Love how soft theyare and the contrast of our skin.”

Trinliked it too and she also liked the feeling that she was allowed to do anythingshe wanted with him. She was used to being in charge as a captain of a ship butshe’d never taken sexual charge in the bedroom before. And the fact that Thracewas such a big, powerful male who was completely under her control, ready to doanything she asked of him, made her feel safe and sexy and confident in a wayshe never had before.

Asshe pulled the shirt off his broad shoulders, his warm spicy scent filled hersenses, making her long to bury her face in his neck and breathe him in. Well, aren’t you in charge? whispered alittle voice in her head. Why shouldn’tyou? Do what you want—whatever feels good.

“Ilove the way you smell!” she murmured, pressing her face to his strong throatand taking a deep breath. “Is that your bonding scent again?”

“Sureas hell is, baby,” he murmured. “I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my lifeas to bond you to me.”

“Abond is forever though, right?” Trin risked a glance at him.

“Itcan be.” His voice was low and guarded. “If you want it to be.”

I want it to be! Thewords hovered on her lips but she lacked the courage to let them slip out.Instead, she leaned forward and licked a long line from his collar bone to justunder his ear.

Thrace groaneddeep in his throat and shivered under her oral assault.

“Gods,baby—you don’t know what that does to me!”

“Iknow what it does to me,” Trin told him. “You were driving me crazy the wholetime you were healing me.”

“Youlike my tongue on your body? Between your legs?” His eyes were blazing but hisvoice was a soft, lazy drawl.

“Youknow I do.” Trin was tugging at his trousers now. She’d gotten his belt unbuckledbut the front fastening of the black leather pants was eluding her. Frustrated,she gave up trying to pop the trousers open and simply slipped her hand insideinstead.

“Gods.” Thrace stiffened when she graspedhis rock hard shaft in her hand. Trin enjoyed the sensation of power it gaveher to caress his long, thick cock and feel it throb in her palm as she wrappedher fingers around it and stroked. His skin was surprisingly soft and hot, andshe loved the feel of him thrusting against her hand.

“Easy,baby,” Thracegroaned as she continued to stroke him. “You keep that up and you’ll make mecome in my trousers instead…”

“Insteadof inside me, where you belong,” Trin finished for him, smiling a little.