Cissy clapped her hands to her face and squeezed her eyes shut. “I am an idiot.”
“You are so wonderful for my ego, Matara,” Diltan sighed.
* * * *
Tasha excused herself to get ready for another date. Wal was amused to hear himself say, “I hope you have a lovely time.” He was more amused to realize he meant it. Tasha was definitely not the Matara for him.
When his clan first applied for the lottery, Wal had vowed that he would do whatever it took to claim the first Matara who showed the least bit of interest in their clan. The chance to attract a lifebringer and eventually become a father had felt like the holy grail of his existence.
Yet like so many things the Imdiko had believed he wanted throughout his life, this wish had turned out not to be so important after all ... at least not where attracting just any woman was concerned. No, now he knew it had to be the right woman.
You’d think after all these years, after all the mistakes I’ve made, I’d figure out I don’t have half the answers I thought I did. By now, I should realize that I don’t know what I want until it hits me over the head.
Wal’s gaze settled on Cissy. Maybe it was this woman he wanted, just as it had been Diltan and Rolat he wanted instead of that awful Dramok from his boyhood. He knew one thing for sure. If Cissy rose from her seat right now and excused herself to get ready to meet another clan ... other men ... jealousy would tear his gut apart.
If we could get her and Diltan to stop fighting long enough to explore the possibilities, this might be a good match. Better than good.
Cissy glared at Wal’s Dramok even now. Why was she angry again? She’d agreed to see them as potential mates. Maybe it had something to do with the satisfied look on Diltan’s face. Wal thought about kicking him to make the expression go away.
As he contemplated the amusing notion, Cissy sighed and stood up. She motioned to the door that connected her rooms to Tasha’s. “I guess we should talk about this. Come on, I’ll fix us all some drinks.”
Having seen the woman crumble before passion before, Wal believed he had a better idea. It certainly beat giving Diltan and Cissy another opportunity to snipe at each other. Before his clanmates could make a move towards the door, he said, “Talking is so overrated.”
Rolat and Diltan turned to him, their gazes questioning. Cissy gave him a surprised look. That delighted Wal. She’d startled him so many times, it was good to return the favor for once.
The delectable Earther recovered and smirked at him. “You should know. You do so little of it.”
Wal grinned his own challenge. “I listen to lawyers nitpick codes and laws and precedent all day. If we’re going to court you, I prefer we dive right into the matter.”
Her amazing blue-green eyes narrowed. “In what way?”
“Let us take you home and introduce you to our playroom.”
A low growl, perhaps too low for Cissy to hear, issued from Rolat. Diltan’s eyes widened, and he snickered.
Meanwhile, Cissy stared at him with confused amusement. “A playroom? I’m younger than you by a bit, but I’m not a child. What are three adult men doing with a playroom anyway? Do you have kids you haven’t told me about?”
Wal spoke with the deadly quiet voice he used in court. It was the tone that got a lot of attention from troublesome prosecutors and defendants alike because of the threat in its undercurrent. “Oh, it’s definitely not a room meant for little ones. This room, with all its toys, is one for grownups only.”
Cissy’s eyes grew large. Good. She’d heard the intimate menace he’d wanted her to hear. After last night, she had an inkling as to how demanding sex with his clan was. It tickled Wal to see the way she swallowed hard. He didn’t want her afraid of him, but the Imdiko enjoyed seeing her nervous. Diltan seemed to relish her hesitation as much as Wal. He grinned from ear to ear. “Where is the adventurous Matara we’ve gotten used to? My Imdiko, I do believe you’ve made her uneasy.”
The challenge from the Dramok made Cissy ready to fight back. She folded her arms over her voluptuous chest. Her suspicious gaze met Wal’s. “It’s just that I’m not sure what you’re up to. As we’ve discussed before, it’s the quiet ones a girl should look out for.”
Rolat confirmed, “In Wal’s case, you would be right. There is a lot of evil behind that sweet face.”
Diltan dismissed Cissy with a wave of his hand. “She won’t go for it. Last night was her limit. This little Matara is brash up to a point ... then when you call her bluff, she runs.”
“I’m not running from anything.” Her jaw jutted out.
Cissy played right into their eager hands by getting pissed off enough to become reckless. This time drinking too much was not required, and that pleased Wal. He ached to have her beneath him again, with no excuses to hide behind. Her rashness might be ill-advised, but in this case, the Imdiko was all for it.
His hopes were confirmed as she marched to the door that led out to the corridor rather than the one to her rooms. She gave them an impatient look over her shoulder. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
Wal was at her side in an instant and offered Cissy his arm. She took it with bravado, though he caught a glimpse of uncertainty in her eyes. He made sure his smile offered approval.
“As you wish, Matara. I am glad to see your spirit of adventure.”
Sharing a grin with his clanmates, Wal walked her to the in-house transport, which would take them out of the complex.
How he looked forward to getting her into the playroom at home. There, they would find out just how adventurous little Cissy was.
* * * *
With Rolat and Diltan walking with them, Wal escorted Cissy to the cliff where the clan lived. It was a two-mile jaunt, giving the group time to talk. During their short journey, Cissy learned Diltan had been born into money (no surprise), that he’d felt uneasy about it (surprise), and he’d gone out of his way to make his own way rather than rely on his parents’ generosity (bigger surprise).
She also discovered Rolat had not set out to be a prison administrator but a Global Security officer. He said he’d been devastated when he hadn’t been accepted by the organization as a youth.
“It’s not an easy task to be accepted in their programs,” he told her. “You not only have to pass a lengthy testing process—”
“Which he did,” Wal pointed out.
“—but a lot has to do with who you know. People without connections face an uphill battle.”
Diltan was quick to add, “They invited Rolat to apply again five years after his initial attempt.”
The Nobek shrugged. “By then I was already making substantial gains in the Department of Penal Colonies. I had been awarded commendations, promoted twice, and discovered that while not as glamorous as Global Security, I enjoyed the work. I turned Global Security down.”
During the walk, Cissy also found out that Imdikos typically didn’t pursue work as lawyers and judges. Wal laughed, “My parents continually asked me if it was really what I wanted to do the entire time I studied law. We even argued about it. When it comes to the court system, my breed usually gravitates to advocacy for victims and defendants, along with support work. However, my Dramok father was a lawyer and it always fascinated me. I used to watch him argue cases. I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
Diltan’s smile for Wal was filled with pride, far more than when he’d talked about his own successes. “Wal was stunned when the Court General asked him to consider becoming a judge, but he merited the honor. His pursuit for real but compassionate justice has taken him all the way to the highest court on Kalquor.”
Wal said, “Sometimes I still wonder if I’m equal to the task, but no one has told me I need to step down yet.”
“They’d be fools to do so,” Rolat declared with warmth.
“Absolutely.” Diltan’s tone filled with conviction.
Wal ducked his head and smiled. Cissy could tell their approval meant a lot to him. That the
y gave it unstintingly made her happy for some reason.
Moments later, they were at the beach-level entrance to the cliff where the three men lived. The sudden stab of anxiety told Cissy how at ease she’d become during their walk along the beach. She hadn’t noticed she’d been conversing so comfortably with even Diltan, not until that casualness was gone.
By the time the transport opened to Clan Diltan’s door, Cissy was downright nervous. As Wal ushered her into the home, she wondered why she felt so jumpy. She’d already had sex with them after all. Damned good sex in fact, the best in her life. Yet there was something dark and knowing lurking in their smiles that told Cissy they were up to no good.
“Lights up three-quarters,” Diltan called as they entered the first room.
Cissy’s unease disappeared as her surroundings lit up. Her mouth dropped open and she gasped.
“Wow. Wow!”
Cissy let go of Wal’s arm and stepped away, turning in a slow circle to take in the immense space. It made her think of the ballroom in a fairytale castle. The stone walls, no doubt the rock of the cliff they were inside of, were polished to a marble finish. The floor beneath her feet was the same, though it was of a slightly deeper gleaming gray, as if it had been stained. Pillars on either side created alcoves where seating arrangements waited in rich gold and deep purple hues. Over those were huge paintings, the real things rather than vid projections.
The ceiling was similar to the lighting panels Cissy typically saw in Kalquorian walls, but it lit in complicated patterns that was as artistic as it was functional. There was even a raised platform along the far wall where a band might play. It was a grand and gorgeous space suitable for Cinderella’s ball.
Cissy couldn’t believe her eyes. She felt as if she should be wearing a silk and taffeta gown, hoping that Prince Charming might choose her from other maidens and waltz her about the room. Suddenly self-conscious, she looked down at her the scuffed boots, jeans, and flannel shirt she’d thrown on earlier that day.
Talk about underdressed, she thought. Fairy Godmother, where are you and the mouse-drawn pumpkin?
She choked out, “You live here?”
To his credit, Diltan sounded a little embarrassed. “This room is much grander than the rest of our home. It’s done this way because we throw the occasional get together in this room.
Cissy gazed at him in wide-eyed disbelief. “Get together, huh? Just you and your one thousand closest friends? No wonder you can hardly stand the sight of grubby little old me.”
Diltan paled. His slight smile soured in an instant. He even looked angry. “You have a habit of dressing beneath yourself, but I would not call you grubby. Not by any means.”
Cissy was newly startled when Rolat patted Diltan’s crotch. “From the feel of things, my Dramok likes the sight of you just fine.”
Wal chortled, the smile doing its usual magic of transforming his face into something beautiful. Diltan, who stood between the two, shoved them both aside and walked up to Cissy.
“Ignore them. Let me show you around and prove we’re not as snobby as this room says we are.”
He offered Cissy his arm. She took it with a lifted brow and grin. Diltan returned the smile, making something in her chest tight.
She drew a deep breath. Oh, you merciless bastard. You are so charming when you want to be. He’d actually looked affronted when she’d put herself down.
Diltan gave her a tour of the home. The dining room was as grand as the greeting/party room. “Well, it is part of the public area of the house,” he explained when Cissy rolled her eyes at him. “We have dinner parties from time to time. Our private rooms are a better reflection of the men we are.”
The rest of the home was indeed less intimidating to Cissy, but it was still luxurious. What Diltan referred to as the common room was outfitted like a family room on steroids. There was a huge lounging couch, three vid-enabled gaming tables, a massive vid and entertainment system, a bar, and even a small kitchenette ... and they already had an immense full kitchen near the dining room!
Plus the men had suites of their own, like self-contained apartments of three or four rooms each. There were no beds in the men’s private suites, so Cissy was not surprised to see the separate sleeping room. It too was immense, with separate dressing rooms and lavatories for each man ... plus an extra for their missing fourth clanmate.
The home boggled the mind with its endless string of rooms and the series of balconies that overlooked the ocean. Cissy had seen inns on Earth with less space.
Her favorite room by far was an atrium located in the center of the house. It had a glass-like ceiling that could be retracted to open to the sky above. Much like the spa area of the Matara complex, it boasted a pool and carefully tended plots of flowers. Large circles of lavender and blue grasses dotted the tile flooring, inviting lounging. Cissy could imagine lying down in the softly scented bits of lawn to read or just stare at the clouds passing overhead.
The home of Clan Diltan was by far the grandest thing she’d ever seen. Even though she was the cousin to the Empress, Cissy knew she was out of her depth with such men.
She gave the three a wry smile. “You were right to court Tasha. She’s a much better choice for a life like this.”
Diltan fixed her with a stern look that made her stomach do flip-flops. In a no-nonsense tone he told her, “You can stop that right now.”
Cissy shook her head at him. “No, you have no idea. This is a place for someone ladylike, someone who knows what fork to use for salad course at high tea. I’m not that woman. I’ve always been a tomboy and a loudmouth. I got the most beatings at our school of any kid.”
Rolat scowled. “They beat you?”
Cissy nodded. “A couple of times for not behaving as a lady should. I got into some fights. If anyone messed with Tasha, I’d pound on them or–”
She stopped. Cissy had once done something much worse than beat up a classmate for picking on her sister. Something terrible, something she dared not speak of.
She rushed through the rest of it. “I made them pay. Long story short, I don’t do classy well. It’s not me.”
Rolat didn’t look put off at all. “A protector for your sister. I see nothing wrong with a strong woman not afraid to speak her mind or defend those who she loves.”
Diltan surprised Cissy by agreeing. “Neither do I. Although I have certain ideas on propriety, particularly when it comes to behavior around the kind of men I work with, I know real class has nothing to do with how you dress or use your manners. It has everything to do with how you take care of those you love.”
Wal gave her his devastating smile. “Absolutely,” the quiet Imdiko said.
They were being so nice, even Diltan. Okay, especially Diltan. Cissy knew she had to let them off the hook.
She looked around the atrium with appreciation, even though she knew such settings were wasted on a rough-around-the-edges girl like her. “Your home is beautiful, but I’m not made for this. Thank goodness we aren’t formally seeing each other as far as the lottery is concerned. You don’t have to blow one of your five chances on me.”
It was Wal who said, “I think that determination has yet to be made. Shall we move on?” Without waiting for Cissy to answer, he took her hand and tugged her out of the atrium and towards yet another room.
Cissy allowed herself to be led, though she couldn’t help but wonder why they insisted on bothering with her.
Chapter 13
Cissy stopped and stared at the room the men ushered her into next.
What the hell is this? Some sort of torture chamber?
Wal cracked up, his laughter echoing in the space. “From the look on your face, I accept your earlier statement that you never entered the pleasure club on your transport.”
Cissy blinked. This was the home version of a pleasure club? She tried to see the various tables, benches, and devices as a sensual playground, but the items were too foreign ... too scary.
She
told the men, “I’m almost afraid to ask what all this stuff is.”
Rolat stepped beside her and looked about the room. Pleasure registered on his face, as if remembering many happy times. Then again, he was head of Kalquor’s prison system, and Kalquorians were known for brutal punishments of felons.
The Nobek’s voice was easy as he said, “There is no reason to fear us. Anything you do not wish to try, we will respect.”
Wal put his arm around her shoulders, tugging her close to his body. He guided her towards what looked like a low padded balance beam, except it had tethers on its supports. With his arm holding her so firmly, Cissy felt both safe and vulnerable under his power. A thrill ran through her, sending a ticklish excitement straight to her pussy.
The Imdiko smiled, as if he knew the effect he had on her. “Here, let me explain the toys we have.”
“Toys, my ass,” she muttered.
Diltan’s evil chuckle raised the hair on the back of her neck. “Some of them are for that, yes.”
Cissy shot him a dirty look. He looked amused at her reaction.
Wal directed her attention back to the balance beam, which was about at the level of his waist. “The spanking bench. As you’ll note, your ankles would be tied to the supports. The loops on the other side are for your wrists, or you can hang onto them if you feel you can be trusted to submit to discipline.”
Cissy swallowed. She liked spankings ... she liked them a lot. Being bent over the bench had plenty of appeal, though she wasn’t so sure about the implements hanging on the nearby wall. The black leather-looking thing was most definitely a whip. The flogger was nearly as intimidating. There were straps of different widths and thicknesses, paddles of wood and leather, and something that looked like a riding crop with a small, flat spatula head. Ouch.
She realized the men watched her, gauging her reactions. Could they tell that she found the bench itself arousing? That the whip flat-out scared her?
Wal moved her along to a pillar with tethers, enough to bind more than one person to it at a time. “This is used for bondage, also to mete out discipline. I think you’d look lovely stretched along it, surrendering to a light flogging.”
Alien Indiscretions Page 21
