“Thrace,”she whispered again and then somehow his mouth was covering hers, kissing herlips instead of her cheek. It reminded her of the first time he had kissedher—when they had been playing their roles at Dreaming Hills. But back thenshe’d been his Mistress and now she was…nothing.

I have no claim on him. Not anymore. Igave it up when I pushed him awaye…

Thethought made her pull back from the kiss though it was the last thing shewanted to do.

Thrace didn’ttry 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, gentlekiss. She wanted desperately to lean forward and kiss him again, to take hismouth with hers and show him how she truly felt—but she didn’t dare.

Thrace seemedto understand her hesitation or at least, he didn’t push for an explanation.

“Yourback was harmed too, wasn’t it?” he murmured.

“Yes.”Trin nodded, still twisting her fingers nervously in her lap. “Where…how…?”

“Lieface down on the bed,” he said softly. “I’ll tend to you.”

Shenodded but didn’t move to do as he said.

“Thewelts…my back is especially bad. They…they’re very painful,” she whispered.

“ThenI’ll be very, very careful.” He cupped her newly healed cheek in one big, warmhand and looked down into her eyes. “I’ll never hurt you, baby. You know that.”

Trin’sheart jumped at the use of his old, sweet nickname.

“Iknow,” she whispered. “I…I trust you, Thrace.”

“That’sgood to know,” he rumbled softly. “Because after I finish your back I’ll haveto go lower…if you still want me to.”

Trin’sbreath caught in her throat. Though she had been healed and absolved by theGoddess, the teachings of her childhood were hard to overcome. Somewhere at theback of her head the mean, judgmental voice was still whispering shame andrecrimination. She did her best to shut it off.

“Ido want you to,” she said, lifting her chin. “Please. If…you don’t mind.”

“IfI don’t mind?” He gave her a slow smile. “Baby, no matter what else is going onbetween us, you need to know that tasting and licking your sweet, soft body isstill my favorite thing to do.”

“Oh…”Trin could feel the blood rushing to her face and suddenly she had to drop hereyes. His words brought back so many memories…memories of his hands and mouthexploring her…memories of the way he’d knelt between her legs and licked andsucked her pussy until she came and came…

Stop it, she toldherself sternly. This is just aboutletting him heal you—that’s all. He’s probably still going to leave when it’sover. So don’t let yourself get too excited.

“Turnover,” Thracemurmured, stroking her cheek. “Turn over and let me heal you, baby.”

Tremblinga little with nervous tension, Trin did as he said. Laying face down, shepillowed her head in her arms and closed her eyes, trying not to think…tryingnot to hope or to wish too much.

“That’sgood…that’s just right, baby.”

Thrace got onthe bed beside her and she could feel him bending over her, the warmth of hisbig body covering her like a blanket. She bit her lip but couldn’t stop thesoft moan that came from her lips when he began healing her back with long,slow strokes of his tongue.

Asshe had told him, her back was the most painful area. The high priestess haddragged the hrakka from her shouldersto her lower back and then criss-crossed her own lines, leaving a hatch mark ofstinging welts that burned when they were touched even lightly.

ButThrace’smouth on her back didn’t hurt. Trin felt the by-now familiar tingling as hiswarm tongue stroked over her flesh, healing her wounds, making her whole again.The pain that had been tormenting her since the hrakka first clawed her tender skin at last disappeared completely.She gave a sign of relief and snuggled into the bed, flexing her back andlifting her hips in an unconscious gesture of relief.

Thrace,however, seemed to take a different meaning from her movements—or maybe he wassimply ready to move lower.

“Shehurt you here, too.” One big warm hand brushed lightly over Trin’s bare ass,making her gasp and jump.

“Yes…shedid,” she admitted a bit breathlessly. “No…no place was spared.” When she turnedher head, she saw him watching her.

“CanI heal you here?” he asked softly.

Thistime Trin felt no hesitation.

“Yes,she whispered. “Yes, please.”

“Mypleasure, Mistress,” he growled softly and her heart jumped again.

“Youdon’t have to call me that anymore…you took off the collar,” she reminded himas he dragged his tongue over the rounded curve of her buttocks.

Hiseyes blazed as he licked her again. “I didn’t want to. And now I wish to showyou how much I feel for you…how devoted I am.”

“Andhow…how do you want to show me that?” Trin whispered, still watching him as hefinished healing her.

“Firstof all by healing all of you—your inner thighs too.” Thrace gave her a meaningful lookand turned her over gently but firmly so that she was once more on her back.“Will you let me do that, Mistress? Will you allow me to heal you everywhere?”

Trin’sbreath seemed to catch in her throat. Should she let him?

“Yes,”she said, not giving the mean little voice in the back of her head time toprotest. “Yes, I…I want that.”

“That’sgood, Mistress. Because I need to heal you now.”

Hookinghis arms under her half-bent knees, Thrace dragged her to the end ofthe bed and sank down before her. Trin moaned as he split her wide, opening herthighs for him to expose the last of the cruel, red welts that had covered herskin.

“Oh,baby…” Thrace’sdeep voice was sorrowful when he saw the evil marks of the hrakka. “Thisis…she really scratched you up bad. Even here.” One long finger touched brieflyon Trin’s outer pussy lips and she jumped and moaned softly.

“Yes,I…I know,” she whispered. “Can…do you think you can heal me?”

“Iknow I can. Here more than anywhere else. And I’ll be gentle—I swear it.”

“Iknow you will,” Trin whispered. Daring greatly, she spread her thighs a littlewider, even though the action opened her pussy lips as well. “Go on,” shebreathed. “Heal me, Thrace.”

Witha low groan that sounded suspiciously like her name, he leaned forward anddragged his hot, wet tongue gently over the tender flesh of her inner thighs.

Trinmoaned breathlessly as he bathed her thighs with his tongue, lapping gently,tracing the cruel lines to make them disappear. She could feel the cooltingling, followed by a heat that seemed to consume her like a flame—a needthat was growing inside her with each caressing stroke of his tongue.

ThenThracelooked up at her, his mouth hovering just above her bare pussy mound.

“Mistress,”he growled softly. “I need to heal you here too.”

“Just…juston the outside?” she asked, feeling like her heart was racing twice as fast asit should. “Only…only where I was scratched?”

“Onlythere,” he promised softly. “I swear it, Mistress.”

“Yes,”Trin whispered, not letting herself consider it any further. “Yes, do it…please.”

Witha low growl, he bent his head and dragged the flat of his tongue over her outerpussy lips.

Goddess! Trinmoaned and fisted her hands in the blue comforter on either side of her. Hismouth on her felt so hot and wet and perfect—exactly as she remembered it andyet somehow, so much more intense. Maybe it was because the healing essence hewas making was causing her to be more sensitive or maybe it was just that shewanted him so much she could barely hold still. But for whatever reason, herhips were suddenly thrusting all over the bed.

Thrace let herthrust but kept a firm grip on her thighs. He kept up his steady licking andlapping, first on one side of her outer pussy lips and then the other. But thenTrin’s restless movements had an unexpected effect. When the big Havoc bent todrag the flat of his tongue from the bottom of one puffy outer lip to the topof her thigh, Trin’s motions made him miss. His tongue was already extended,ready to heal her in the only way he could. But instead of landing on her outerpussy, Trin’s movement pressed it right against her center.