by Aubrey Ross
“The alliance with Vega would have stabilized Devaunt’s economy?” Political unions had been forged for less. Still, it upset him to think of Rana at the mercy of Vega. The Peronite king was known for his ruthlessness.
“The price he agreed to pay for me would have allowed my mother to change the most harmful policies.”
He licked his lips, hesitant to bring up the obvious flaw in her strategy. “If she had squandered so much once, what was to keep her from doing so again?”
“Me. With Vega’s backing, I would have been in a better position to oppose her polices.”
He wasn’t convinced, but her motivation had been pure and Vega was out of the picture. “What made you change your mind about the marriage?”
“Vega has a male lover, actually he was originally the queen’s lover and Vega sort of joined in. After they gave me an in-depth demonstration of how it all worked, I knew I couldn’t live that way.”
She was obviously skimming the surface and he didn’t want to compound her pain. Still, it was important for him to understand the root cause of her resistance. “You weren’t willing to share Vega with his lover?”
“It was far more twisted than that. Vega was aroused by reliving the original confrontation with his wife. He wanted to humiliate and punish me each time he came to my bed. His lover was even worse.”
He nodded and moved on. “Without Vega’s assistance, how did you hope to curtail your mother’s indulgences?”
“I contacted the leaders of the great houses. If I can get four of the six to unite in support of me we can challenge her policies. Even her cabinet can’t contradict an edict from the council of nobles.” She rubbed her arms, looking tired and a bit forlorn.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. “How many of the leaders agreed?”
“Everyone agreed that changes need to be made, but most of them were hesitant to take on the royal cabinet. It’s my responsibility to convince them. I’ll start my official campaign as soon as I return to Devaunt.”
“You won’t be ransomed for another five days,” he reminded her with a wicked smile.
“It’s your turn, Mr. Pirate.” She returned his smile. “Tell me who you are.”
Chapter Six
The pirate eased Rana to arm’s length and looked into her eyes. “I’m Vihlok Torral.”
Her mouth gaped and she snapped it shut. “You’re related to the late emperor?”
“He was my father.”
She shook her head and twisted out of his light hold. “That’s not possible. Both of his sons…” There had always been rumors that his younger son escaped the renegades’ attack. There had been all sorts of rumors as solar cycles passed.
“Yet here I stand.”
The memory locked and she closed her eyes. The lilting music, the warm flicker of simulated candles, and the dancing couple. It was all clear within her mind. Emperor Torral and his lovely wife began each new cycle in each other’s arms, dancing as their subjects looked on. The emperor smiled and his blue eyes sparkled, filled with love and devotion.
Shame washed over Rana, shame and envy. “You look just like him,” she whispered.
“So I’ve been told.”
“You’re heir to House Torral. Why would you choose to live as a pirate?”
“My entire family was slaughtered on Devaunt. The planet holds little appeal for me now.”
“What do you mean ‘slaughtered’? They were killed during the course of a war they began.”
He scoffed, resentment freezing his expression. “How did war result in the death of a woman, and a boy who had not yet seen fifteen cycles?”
Her heart pounded and her lips trembled. She’d always known her father was ruthless and ambitious, but she hadn’t allowed herself to consider the depths to which he’d stooped in his quest for wealth and power. “They were being transferred from one location to another when renegades attacked.”
“That’s a nice story, Rana. I’m sure it eased your father’s conscience to have you believe he wasn’t directly responsible.”
“You’re inferring he was? Do you have proof?”
He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. “Our time together is limited. I don’t want to waste it reviewing things that can’t be changed.”
“Answer the question,” she snapped. “How do you know my father’s accounting isn’t true? You were even younger than your brother.”
“I was thirteen and I know what really happened because I was there. My mother’s scream woke me and I arrived in time to see a Jabulayni butcher slit her throat. He was one of your father’s personal guards not some renegade.”
She crossed her arms over her chest as tears blurred her vision. “I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t want to believe my father was capable of such brutality.”
“It was a long time ago and you are not responsible for any of it.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tears escaped the corners of her eyes and she quickly looked away. “How you must hate me.”
He cupped her chin and turned her head back around. The haunted fury had left his gaze, replaced by… tenderness? Could he honestly care for her knowing whose blood ran through her veins?
“I wanted to hate you,” he admitted. “I tried using this opportunity to exorcize my personal demons.”
“Please tell me there’s a ‘but’.”
“But you are not your parents. Your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your people is proof enough of that.”
Encouraged by his willingness to move beyond the past, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to his warmth. “How did Kashi know you were still alive?” He grinned and she gasped. “You’ve known her all along. Kashi is a spy?”
“A harmless informant, who keeps me apprised of what goes on back home.”
“‘Back home’? Some connection must linger or you wouldn’t care.”
He was silent for a moment as he gently stroked her face. “I suppose you’re right. But I have no interest in overthrowing your mother. I refuse to sacrifice innocent lives for any reason.”
“I’m proposing a political coup, not a military offensive.”
His fingers curved around her chin and he outlined her lips with his thumb. “You’re still mine for five more days. After I’ve sated my hunger for your delectable body, we can discuss our options.”
* * *
“Hey, mister, want ta go for a ride?”
Umar glared at the blue-haired woman, the fourth whore to pose the question since he stepped onto the pleasure tier. “I don’t pay for sex.”
“Too bad.” She arched her back and cupped her high round breasts, while keeping the nipples visible. “My prices are reasonable and my pussy is nice and tight.”
He snorted. “As often as you’re ridden, I sincerely doubt it.”
Umar wasn’t interested in having his cock sucked, at least not right now. He had a job to do. Still, the talkative slut likely knew her way around the station and he had to start his search somewhere. He paused and walked back to where she lounged in the archway of a shop offering an impressive array of sex toys and adult entertainments.
“Change your mind?”
“How long have you been on this station?”
She tossed her long blue hair over her shoulders and licked her lips. Her mesh dress displayed her attributes without her actually being naked. “Why do you care?”
“I need information.”
“I have a minimum fee for any service.”
“I understand.”
Wrapping her arm around his, she pressed his biceps against the side of her breast. She really did have fabulous tits. He wondered if the indigo markings on her skin were natural or some sort of decoration.
“We need to disappear for a few ticks or my pimp will have my hide. I hope you’re not shy.”
They rounded a corner and Umar’s eyes widened. Behind the building, every conceivable sex act was taking place. Men with men, women with wome
n, and every possible combination. His whore laughed and pushed his back against the wall.
“I have to at least give you a hand job or the others will notice.” Before he could protest, her nimble fingers unfastened his pants and pulled out his burgeoning cock. “Very nice. Are you sure I can’t have a taste?”
“How are you going to answer my questions with my cock in your mouth?”
Her hands went to work and Umar clenched his fists. Damn, she was good. Firm grip, not afraid to pull. He could just imagine what that practiced mouth could do. “How could someone get through security without logging in?”
“Bribes are always good, but you’re a little late. Didn’t you come off the public shuttle? Every person is scanned as they exit the transport station.”
“If I hadn’t?” He stood perfectly still, forcing her to earn her credits. She began to rotate her hand as she slid up and down his shaft.
“Security is less intrusive in the pits. People are more apt to look the other way. That’s why no one stays down there unless they have no other choice.”
Pressure built in his balls and he grabbed her wrist, not yet ready to come. If the conditions on the lower tiers were worse than this level, it was likely Rana was being kept somewhere else. Still, it was worth checking out.
“Finish me with your mouth. I have work to do.”
* * *
Rana nibbled at the food Vihlok had arranged for them. Worry about Kashi nagged at the back of her mind, but there was nothing they could do about it. Vihlok had asked the spaceport’s central communications center to relay a message for them. Even the comm center had been unable to establish a link with the cruiser.
“It’s a simple communications malfunction,” Vihlok assured her. “As soon as they reach Devaunt, Kashi will check in.”
“I’m sure you’re right. I just hate not knowing.”
“Fibros found a ship. He’ll be leaving for Peronite shortly.”
“Why is he going back to Peronite? Kashi is on her way to Devaunt.”
“When Fibros gets one of his feelings, I don’t ask questions. If we haven’t heard from him by the time the cruiser is ready, we’ll head to Devaunt ourselves.”
Relieved to have a course of action, she smiled at him. “We’ll just continue my lessons on the ship.”
He refilled her wineglass and handed it to her. “You didn’t eat very much.”
“Neither did you.”
“I think we’re both distracted.”
She couldn’t argue with that. “How do we accommodate the distractions without squandering our time together?”
“We could renegotiate our contract.”
Mischief gleamed in his eyes and her stomach fluttered. “What did you have in mind?”
“We were supposed to have six days entirely devoted to pleasure. Each time a conflict or stress intrudes on our time, I suggest we extend the contract by another day.”
“I’m not opposed to that condition.” She wasn’t opposed to anything that would allow them to spend more time together.
He rested his chin on his palm and searched her gaze. “I don’t want to keep coming back to this, but the pieces still don’t fit. Tell me the rest of the story.”
“The rest of which story?”
“You agreed to marry Vega to help the people of Devaunt. I have no doubt that’s true, but there has to be something more. What did your mother have on you?”
She pushed back from the table and crossed her legs. “Do I get to interrogate you when you’re finished with me?”
“If you like.”
Except for her highly abridged recounting to Vega, she hadn’t spoken about Jaque with anyone. She wasn’t ashamed of what had happened; however, there were elements of the story she didn’t like to examine too closely.
“I had an affair with one of my guards and my mother found out.”
His eyebrows drew together as he mulled over the fact. “True, but not complete. Aren’t royal bodyguards supposed to be of an incompatible sexual orientation with whomever they’re guarding?”
With a frustrated harrumph, she stood and crossed to the window, staring out into the star-dotted blackness of space. “Jaque was in a long-term relationship with another man. He’d never been attracted to a woman until he was promoted to my personal guard. Don’t even look at me like that. I am not a home-wrecker. His lover, Pavel, assured us both that he wasn’t upset by the attraction and he wished us well.”
“And,” Vihlok prompted.
“And I found them in my courtyard one night. They were arguing about me. I told Jaque I would not jeopardize his primary relationship and Pavel explained that the source of his jealousy was not that Jaque made love with me, but that there was now a part of Jaque’s life they didn’t share. He wanted to know if I would consider a sexual triad.”
“Was Pavel bisexual?”
“No. He didn’t want to have sex with me…”
“He wanted to participate whenever you summoned Jaque.” She nodded then he asked, “Did you consider it?”
With her hands buried in the pockets of her bathrobe, she turned around. “It was awkward at first, but eventually we figured it out.”
“Did your mother find you with both men?”
“Yes. I insisted it was the first time and it would never happen again, but she knew she had me. With a word she could have exiled them or worse.”
“What did she do?”
“They were persuaded to relocate. I made sure they had enough credits and suitable references so they could start over somewhere else.”
“Then you negotiated with your mother, bowing to her will as you protected your people.”
Rana shook her head, releasing the past with a sigh. “You make it sound almost noble. I took the coward’s way out. I should have stood up to her from the beginning.”
“You eventually found your way.” He crossed the room with long, lazy strides. “Did you enjoy having two lovers?”
“I didn’t have two lovers, Jaque did.”
“Good point.” He grasped her elbows and pulled her away from the window. “Did you ever wish you were Jaque?”
“We’re back to my fascination with the woman in the alley.”
“Yes. Would you like to be adored by two men, to have them completely focused on your pleasure?”
The erotic image resurged and she shivered. “Not on a regular basis. I’ve experienced the complications of that kind of relationship.”
“I’m not talking about a relationship. I’m talking about living out a fantasy.”
“Why are you being so persistent with this?”
He drew her hands from her pockets and raised them to his lips. “Because I arranged more than food.” Threading their fingers together, he led her into the bedroom.
A man stood beside the bed in a bathrobe similar to hers. His short, spiky blue hair drew her attention to his sculpted features. Not just striking, he was beautiful in an utterly masculine way. Concentric rings of varying shades of blue made up his eyes.
“This is Bhakati,” Vihlok told her. “He will join us for your next lesson.”
Rana licked her lips and tried not to stare. Bhakati was exotic and inherently sensual. His lips parted and he inclined his head. “Do I have a choice in this?”
“Of course. One word from you and this lesson is canceled. Do you remember the word?”
“Yes, Sir.” If she called him a pirate, he’d send Bhakati away.
“Undress,” -- his tone grew more assertive -- “both of you.”
Rana unfastened her robe and froze. Bhakati slipped his garment from his shoulders and let it slide to the floor. Lean, graceful, perfect, his body made her mouth go dry.
Vihlok chuckled at her reaction. “The Elloni are exceptionally beautiful. That’s why other pleasure givers emulate their appearance. Touch him. Bhakati, you do not yet have permission to touch her.”
“Yes, Sir,” the Elloni replied.
Shaking herself from
her stupor, Rana dropped her bathrobe and circled Bhakati. “Your markings are incredibly intricate.” She followed the pattern with her fingertips, up one side of his body and down the other.
“You may speak freely, Bhakati. My thrall tends to be talkative.”
“Thank you, Sir. And thank you, Mistress. The intricacy of an Elloni’s markings is one criterion in determining his or her value.”
She knew nothing about the Elloni’s social structure, so she didn’t respond to the comment. Still, pleasure givers were notoriously exploited. She would not be party to any abuse. “Is this your chosen profession? Are you treated well?”
“I was born into this life, but I am content. Mistress Bliss will not allow any mistreatment of her children.” He met her gaze with the hint of a smile. “Have no fear, seratu, I enjoy my job.”
“If you’re not going to touch him…”
Prompted into action by Vihlok’s impatient words, she ran her hands over Bhakati. His skin was silky smooth and warm. He watched her closely, his gaze burning with sensual promises. She reached his hips and paused. His shaft was as long as Vihlok’s, but not nearly as thick. She closed her fingers around him and heard his soft exhale. He was not nearly as unaffected as he seemed.
She cupped his balls with one hand and pumped him with the other. He could enter her ass more easily than Vihlok. A staggering rush of heat gathered in her feminine core. Was this why Vihlok had chosen him?
“Kiss her, Bhakati. I want to see your hands on her fair skin.”
The Elloni swept her into his arms, cradling the back of her head in the crook of his arm. She gasped as his mouth covered hers. He had been so passive. Carefully controlled and precise, his kiss lacked the knee melting intensity of Vihlok’s.
Hands stroked her back, from her shoulders to her behind, then around to cup her breasts. Bhakati’s arms still held her, so Vihlok was touching her. “Are you wet, princess? Did you enjoy touching him?”
She dragged her mouth away from Bhakati’s. “I’d enjoy touching you.”
