Submitting to the Shadow (Kindred Tales #27) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,31

eyes widened excitedly. “Oh my God, Sammi! He’s into you! You know, I had a feeling when I told you to apply for that job—”

“It’s not like that,” Sammi hurriedly interrupted her. “He only asked me out to talk about the, uh, research.”

“Talk about the research? Riiiiight.” Meg winked at her broadly. “Because the best place to talk about research is definitely a fancy dinner at a romantic restaurant. Where did you say he was taking you again?”

“I don’t know the name of it. He said it specializes in Twin Kindred cuisine and it’s down by the park area in the center of the ship.”

“Oh—I know that place! Berik took me there for our one-week anniversary!” Meg cooed. “It’s amazing. Be sure you order the grieza worms for dessert—they’re delicious.”

“Worms for dessert?” Sammi frowned.

“Trust me,” Meg told her. “But then, you might not even get to dessert. The two of you might leave early to do a little more ‘research’ together, right?” She giggled and winked at Sammi again.

“Honestly, Meg—I told you—it’s not like that!” Sammi protested.

She shifted uncomfortably, wishing she could tell her best friend the truth. But how could she admit that she’d suddenly turned into a sexual submissive and she was allowing her new boss to use her body as a testing ground for his strange sexual devices? How could she tell Meg that even now she was wearing nipple caps and a clit shield which kept her from touching herself while increasing her desire?

The answer was, she couldn’t—she just couldn’t. There had been a time when she and Meg never had secrets from each other. But now Meg was with Berik and Sammi was sure she told her new husband everything. She didn’t want to feel embarrassed to meet the Beast Kindred’s eyes the next time he and Meg had her over for dinner.

Also, she was kind of ashamed of the position she found herself in. She had always considered herself a feminist—someone who took charge of her own pleasure and owned her own sexuality. And here she was, allowing someone else to dictate when she could come and even if she could touch herself! What had happened to the self-assured, confident woman she used to be?

I’m still self-assured and confident, she argued with herself uneasily. I’ve just discovered a new side of myself—that’s all. A side that likes to submit. Maybe that’s why I never had any good sex before—because I was never with a dominant man. One who knew what I needed and how to give it to me like Roark does.

Then she kicked herself mentally. There she went, comparing the big Shadow Twin to her past lovers again.

She had to stop that, Sammi told herself sternly. Roark wasn’t her boyfriend—he was her boss. And the sooner she made herself realize that, the less chance she had of letting herself get emotionally involved—which she had to avoid at all costs if she didn’t want to get her heart broken.

“You can say what you want, Sammi,” Meg said, breaking her train of thought. “But no man asks you out to dinner at an expensive, romantic restaurant just to talk business. You could talk business together at that lab of his! I’m telling you, girlfriend—he’s into you.”

Sammi could tell she wasn’t going to be able to change her friend’s mind.

“All right, fine. Whatever you say.” She shook her head and wrapped the cardigan she was wearing tighter around herself.

Meg frowned.

“Are you cold again? Why are you always wearing sweaters lately, Sammi?”

“Just chilly, that’s all,” Sammi lied uncomfortably. Actually, she’d thrown the cardigan on before going over to her friend’s suite to hide the nipple caps which stuck out prominently under her blouse. Thankfully, the Goddess pearl shield was much easier to conceal and couldn’t be seen at all.

“Well, you know you can adjust the temperature in your suite, right? Or just turn up the fireplace. I love that all the suites have fireplaces—don’t you?”

“They’re really nice,” Sammi agreed, glad to be on more neutral ground. “But I think my favorite feature is the bathing pool.”

“Oh yes—I love our pool! Why Berik and I spend hours in there. One time…” And Meg launched into a rather intimate story that probably would have made Sammi blush if she hadn’t been currently living her very own sexual fantasy at work.

“Well, I’ll have to try that if I ever start dating anybody here,” she told Meg, when her friend finished.

“Or just bring Commander Roark back to your suite tonight after