* * * * *
Jarrod and Micah must have done a good job eluding any Norians who might have come after them because they were never attacked or even approached by another ship. Hanna spent most of the rest of the journey to Vanya tied up in Jarrod’s room, even though she hadn’t changed her mind. Not always tied up. Sometimes she had to hold her position while she was spanked. Sometimes she had to bend over and grab onto her ankles while he enjoyed her from behind. Sometimes she came out of the room with his marks on her body.
She did get to spend more time with the princess and the other women. They all talked about being home soon. But Vanya didn’t mean home to Hanna any longer.
“Home is where Jarrod is,” she explained to Serena when they were alone in the lounge. It was the last day of the voyage. Tomorrow they would reach Vanya. “I want to make a life with him. I’m going to ask your father to release me so I may go with him.”
“I worry for you,” Serena said. “Yes, he rescued us and for that I will be forever grateful. But he also frightens me.”
“I know he’s big and has a dominating personality but he’s a good man. Don’t be afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid of him physically,” the princess said. She placed her hand on Hanna’s. “I’m afraid he’s brainwashed you. Turned you into some kind of slave for him.”
Hanna almost laughed out loud. “I’ve always been a slave, Your Highness.” Princess Serena blushed and drew her hand away. “Yes, you and your family treated me well but I had no choice in what I could do with my life. Jarrod has given me a choice.”
“It’s more than that,” Serena said softly. She looked around, as if to make sure they were alone, before she went on. “I hear your cries behind closed doors. I see the marks on your skin. Are you telling me I don’t have a reason to worry about you?”
“Oh Princess, I wish I could explain to you the joy I feel when he restrains me. Yes, I am his slave when we have sex, but it is a role I play willingly. There is a freedom there, a sexual freedom I didn’t know was possible.” She squeezed the princess’s hand. “It answers a need in me I didn’t know I had.”
“But he orders you about. I have seen it myself. Perhaps he is looking for his own personal slave in all parts of his life.”
“No.” Did he order her about? Of course not. “When we are not having sex, I’m not his slave. He calls me Hanna. I call him Jarrod. We’ll be running a trading post together. I will be a partner with him where we are going.”
Serena caught her gaze, held it. “Do you love him?”
Tingles danced in Hanna’s stomach. She couldn’t entertain such thoughts. “No, Princess. Sex slaves cannot love their Masters. I am devoted to him, yes. But love is not possible.”
“Oh Hanna, is that what you want? To never know love?”
Hanna tried to ignore the twinge of regret the princess’s words caused. If she were to love a man, it would be Jarrod who protected the weak and rescued the helpless and gave her pleasure she’d never imagined. But even if they could never love each other, they would be good for each other. She was certain of that.
“We will have a good life together,” Hanna said. “If I had never left Vanya, when would I have ever known love? Now I am cared for by a man who thinks I am brave and strong and beautiful. There are worse things, surely.”
“Perhaps you are right. I know I have never seen you so happy.” Serena hugged her. “I will miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Hanna said. Her life had changed so quickly. She could hardly remember her life from before. Could hardly imagine what it would be like from now on. “I hear you’ve been bothering Micah.”
“I’m not bothering him,” Serena said quickly, but Hanna didn’t miss the blush that rose to the princess’s cheeks. “I’m just curious, that’s all. I think this ship is fascinating. Have you looked at that control panel? I would love to learn how to fly a ship like this.”
Hanna couldn’t imagine the princess at the controls of a complicated spaceship. “Really? It doesn’t have anything to do with the sexy pilot, does it?”
Her pale face grew redder. “Of course not.” She cleared her throat as Jarrod strode into the room. “Hello.”
Jarrod bowed to the princess, then held out his hand to Hanna. “I need you. Come.”
Serena’s words came back to haunt Hanna. Was he going to want to be the Master in all facets of their life? It was time to assert herself and show him he couldn’t order her around all the time. “I’m sorry, Jarrod, but I’m talking with the princess right now.”
His eyes flashed darkly, but he only bowed to her. “Forgive me, Hanna.” He turned to leave, then stopped and faced them again. “I almost forgot, Princess. Micah said something about showing you the control panel?”
Serena leapt to her feet and was gone in a flash. Jarrod smiled widely at Hanna. “Perhaps you can help me now?”
Hanna narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her. “I don’t want you to think you can just order me about all the time.”
He looked as if her words had shocked him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you came to me and said you needed me, I would jump to your aid.”
“You’re right. Of course. I’m sorry.” She stood up and smiled sheepishly. “What is it that you need?”
He hooked a finger in her collar and tugged. “I have a craving for sunberries and cream.”
Chapter Seven
King Lars was overjoyed to have his daughter returned to him. Jarrod stood back and watched as everyone in the palace welcomed the princess home. The portly king ordered a celebration dinner for that night and invited Jarrod and Micah as guests of honor. He barely said anything about Hanna or the other women, but Jarrod had never been a father, so he couldn’t say what he would have done under the circumstances.
As soon as all the hugs and the dinner plans were made, the king asked Jarrod and Micah to join him in his private office. His office didn’t have the rich tapestries hanging on the wall or ornate sculptures that decorated the rest of the palace. A large desk and shelves filled with books were the focal points of the room.
The king wasn’t dressed in resplendent robes, but a rumpled gray one. His face sported a week’s worth of growth. He’d obviously suffered while his daughter had been missing. The king took a seat behind his massive desk. Jarrod and Micah stood, as there were no other chairs in the room. “Tell me how this happened,” the king said, “and what I can do so it doesn’t happen again.”
Jarrod and Micah exchanged glances. Micah was the one who was good at explaining things, so Jarrod gratefully gave him the floor.
“Forgive my blunt words, Your Majesty, but you have left Vanya completely vulnerable. There are many powerful, highly technologically advanced worlds in the universe. You have not opened communication lines with any other planet. You don’t have any means to defend yourself. You didn’t even have guards watching your women.”
“It was extremely easy to drop in and snatch them all.” Jarrod couldn’t resist adding his own frustrated remarks.
The monarch didn’t appear to take any offense. He was obviously puzzled. “Vanya has never been attacked before. We have never even been approached by the government of any other world. We saw no need to invest in planetary defense.”
“You had no quarrel with Noria?” Micah asked. “No reason for them to abduct your daughter?”
The weary king shook his head. “No. When my daughter went missing, we only searched on Vanya. It never even occurred to us that she’d been taken in a spaceship to a distant planet.”
Jarrod had assumed there must have been some bad blood between Vanya and Noria for the Norian king to pay a huge sum of money to kidnap the princess. “So we have no way of knowing if they will try again.”
The king jumped from his seat. “I will hire you both as bodyguards for my daughter. I will pay you as well for your expertise so I can keep her safe.”
Anger caused Jarrod to curl his
hands into fists. Reason stopped him from using them. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but you are the king of the whole of Vanya, are you not? Don’t you want to keep all your people safe? You have many subjects you are responsible for.”
King Lars nodded slowly and pierced him with his gaze. “Like Hanna.”
“Hanna went through hell in your daughter’s stead.”
The king’s ruddy face reddened even further. “It was her duty as Serena’s decoy.”
“And did she have any say in the matter?”
“It was her duty!”
The stubborn king had no idea what Hanna had gone through. He obviously didn’t care, as long as it hadn’t been his daughter. Jarrod turned away before he said something he’d regret.
Finally Micah spoke up again. “Surely you have someone on Vanya who can guard your daughter.”
“Not until they know what to watch for. How to protect her. Please help us.”
“Fine,” Jarrod heard Micah say. “I’ll stay until I can train a bodyguard for Princess Serena.”
Jarrod whirled around. “What?”
Micah shrugged, as if resigned. “You go on ahead to the settlement, start getting things ready. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Vanya doesn’t have fast enough transport to get you to Ceylon 7.”
“Then you can come back and get me.”
Jarrod didn’t like this at all, but it looked as if the princess had gotten her hooks into Micah. And Jarrod couldn’t say a word about it because the most important thing on his mind right now was Hanna.
“Your Majesty, I request that you release Hanna from her duty so she may start a new life with me.”
King Lars lifted his bushy eyebrows. “You are willing to pledge your life to hers?”
Pledge? “Sure.”
“Very well. We will have the pledging ceremony at the celebration tonight.” The king shook his hand. “I will arrange everything.”
Jarrod uneasily watched the king leave the room. He turned to Micah. “What did I just agree to?”
“I believe you’ve just agreed to spend the rest of your life with Hanna.”
Jarrod nodded slowly. Why did the thought give him nothing but joy? Most Masters didn’t commit to a slave for life, but he’d heard of it happening. And right now he couldn’t imagine his life without Hanna in it.
“Could it be that you’ve fallen in love with your little slave?” Micah asked. His tone was light, but there was a seriousness to the question.
“Love?” A spike of regret stabbed him at the word. “Love isn’t possible between Master and slave, you should know that. The domination and submission create powerful emotions, but they shouldn’t be confused with love.”
Micah frowned. “Did some old Master tell you that? Love happens between two people. Not Master and slave. Not any other title you want to give them. Two people.” He clapped Jarrod on the back. “Look into your heart, my friend, before you take your pledge.” He walked out, leaving Jarrod alone in the king’s private office.
Jarrod sank into the king’s chair. What did he feel for his feisty little slave? Was it an affection that went beyond the physical attraction, beyond the fondness of a Dom for his sub? Was it love or merely devotion?
How could he know for sure?
* * * * *
Hanna could hardly believe that Jarrod had agreed to the pledging ceremony. They hadn’t known each other very long. They hadn’t discussed making that kind of commitment to each other. And she couldn’t forget what she was told at the slave station, that Masters rarely kept a slave forever. The fact that he was willing to pledge his life to her was overwhelming. And made her so happy. Serena and the other women were so excited they scurried around to find a dress suitable for such an important occasion.
Serena offered her a pale blue dress of the finest lace. “But it has a plunging neckline and no sleeves. Perhaps I should try to find something to cover your…um…your jewelry.”
Hanna shook her head. The dress was so beautiful it took her breath away. “I am not ashamed of the collar and cuffs, Princess. I am pledging myself to Jarrod as I am. I have no need to cover them.”
“Very well then. It is my gift to you.”
Hanna tearfully hugged Serena. “I’ll miss you, Princess.”
“I will miss you as well. But since your sexy mate has a fast ship, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.”
The time for the ceremony was upon her before she knew it. The king would preside over the ceremony, then all were invited to the feast afterward. Hundreds of people gathered to witness the pledging.
When she saw Jarrod standing in front of the king, waiting for her, she caught her breath. She’d forgotten it was customary for the man to be bare-chested for the pledging ceremony. His tattoo stood out for all to see. Of course, she thought it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. He was the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
A strong emotion rose inside her, so fast and intense that she caught her breath. She was filled with joy and longing. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear it was love for her Master. Hanna blinked back her tears and hurried to his side.
The ceremony took only moments.
King Lars held Hanna’s right hand and Jarrod’s left. “In front of these witnesses, do you pledge your lives to each other?”
“We do,” they replied in unison.
“Then you are mated for all eternity,” the king announced. He placed Hanna’s hand into Jarrod’s. “Live well.”
Jarrod looked at Hanna, his hand clutching hers. “That’s it?” he whispered.
“Do you need more?” she asked with a grin. The king had already left them standing in front of the dining hall. The people were following him inside for the celebration.
“No. I was afraid it was some lengthy ritual and I wouldn’t get to enjoy your body for hours and hours.”
“Well, the ceremony may be brief, but Vanyans love dinner parties. The more elaborate, the better. I’m afraid it may be hours before we can leave.”
He clutched both her hands. “We could leave now. They won’t miss us.”
“You are one of the guests of honor. You will be missed.”
He groaned. “Then let’s get this over with.”
Hanna led him into the huge dining hall. A long table set for five sat at one end of the hall. Large round tables, enough to sit the hundreds of Vanyans, filled the rest of the hall. Long cloths the color of the Vanyan sky covered the tables and pooled on the floor.
King Lars sat at the center of the table. He placed Micah on his left, with Serena on the other side. Jarrod sat on the king’s right, with Hanna on the other end. Servants quickly filled their glasses with cold portberry wine. While they filled all the other glasses, the king made his speech, first congratulating Jarrod and Hanna on their pledging. Then he explained what happened to the princess and how Jarrod and Micah had saved her. He talked about the other planets of which he’d been informed and what Vanya must do to protect themselves and bring their planet up to date with the rest of the universe.
King Lars liked to talk.
The whole time he talked, Jarrod was touching Hanna somewhere. He started just casually stroking her arm, while he looked at the king. Just that innocent contact sent her sex tingling. Then, as the king droned on, Jarrod swept her hair off her shoulder, drew a finger down her throat and played with her collar. She shivered with his touch.
He leaned over to kiss her ear and whispered, “Spread your legs.”
“What?” Hanna struggled to keep the astonishment off her face. Yes, the tablecloth reached the floor, but what if the king saw? And she really hadn’t expected Jarrod to make demands on her now, in public.
“No one can see.” Jarrod slid his hand gently beneath the hair at the back of her neck and tugged back on the collar. Not hard, just enough that she felt it when she swallowed. Just enough to remind her she was his slave. “Spread your legs for me.”
She did as he commanded. She’
d never really considered otherwise. If anyone noticed her shifting in her seat, they’d think she was as bored with the king’s talk as they were.
Jarrod slid his hand beneath the tablecloth. He stroked her thigh from knee to crotch, pushing up the skirt of her dress until her sex was exposed. She shivered. “Spread them farther.”
She grabbed her glass and took a long drink of wine. Then spread her legs even farther apart.
Jarrod looked behind her chair and frowned.
“What?”
“I think your skirt is caught.” He slid out of his chair and knelt behind her. Hanna didn’t dare look over her shoulder to see what he was doing. She struggled to keep her smile as she faced the crowded tables of Vanyans.
It was impossible not to react when he grabbed her ankles, pulled them behind the chair legs and hooked the ankle cuffs together. She gasped and caught herself as she felt her body shifting forward.
“Sit back. Shoulders straight.” How could his whispered commands sound like shouts?
She leaned back as best she could and was able to find a comfortable balance. Jarrod returned to his seat beside her and casually cupped his full wineglass in his hand as if nothing had happened. He smiled and nodded at whatever the king was saying. Hanna had long since given up trying to pay attention.
He set the wineglass down after he’d taken a sip and placed his hand over her bare sex. It was so cold, she almost gasped out loud. His chuckle was so low, she knew she was the only one who heard it. He slipped a finger inside her, then two. He pumped them roughly in and out of her. She couldn’t help but wriggle in response.
He buried his face in her hair. “You like that, don’t you? My pretty little slave is hot and wet.”
She couldn’t do more than moan softly and rub her face against his. Anyone looking at them would think they were new mates who couldn’t wait to be alone. No one would know what they were doing right in front of them.
He slid his fingers in and out of her, slipped them through her sensitive folds, brushed them against her nub. She gasped as the sensations built within her, scrambling along her skin and concentrating exactly in the spot where her Master was playing. She clutched the edge of the table and stared into his eyes, panting. He continued to play with her, sliding his fingers along her flesh, thrusting deep within her and bringing her almost to the peak.
Chains of Desire Page 13
