by Morgan Hawke
Sobehk snorted. “What are you talking about? I’ve always been dominant.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. They were flirting again. She could feel their rising arousal through the telepathic link. Time to make herself scarce, before they started ripping each other’s clothes off -- and hers, too.
She walked over to the door on the right wall and discovered an opulent white marble and midnight blue facility. A frosted glass and chrome shower occupied the left wall.
She stripped out of her sweaty suit in seconds.
The water was hot and delicious on her fight-strained muscles. Fallon leaned against the wall and let the water pound relaxation into her body. Spoiled, I’ve been spoiled rotten by all this water. And good food. And constant affection.
She sighed. She was disgustingly happy. She had no idea how in fury it had happened, but she was. Both men were infuriating in their demands -- ask permission, be respectful ... She curled her lip. Be polite. Bleck!
She pressed her forehead against the marble wall. She knew she loved Sobehk, but for some strange reason, she was beginning to love Khan, too. He drove her up the walls, and down again, and he wasn’t nice. Not in the usual sense of the word, but then, he could be terribly ... sweet. And he cared for her. She could feel it pulsing against her heart. She smiled. She wasn’t the only one with interesting thoughts on occasion.
Sobehk ... Sobehk loved them both. She could feel that, too. Sobehk would kill for either of them in a heartbeat, just as she would kill for both of them.
And Khan? She felt a chuckle bubble up. The Maker help anyone who even thought about harming Sobehk ... or her. Her heart ached suddenly and violently. She did love them. Both.
Fallon was pitifully grateful for the shower spray running down her cheeks.
* * * * *
Fallon stepped out of the shower with her suit over her arm, wrung out and more than ready to pass out.
The curtains over the bed’s alcove were parted, showing that both men were naked and already in bed and under the midnight-blue covers among the white silk sheets and pearl-gray pillows.
Sobehk had Khan spooned against his chest and wrapped in his arms with Khan’s head tucked under his chin. Sobehk opened one eye. “If you want to watch station dawn in the garden, your fighter-practice clothes are on the top of my trunks.”
Actually, she’d love to see the garden in full station daylight. Fallon walked over to the trunks and lifted a deep-blue padded short robe and the black pleated trousers. A narrow white sash went with it. Sobehk’s colors. She looked over at Sobehk. “Thank you.”
His eyes were closed. He waved, then snuggled against Khan, who was apparently fast asleep.
Fallon dressed and went out into the garden barefoot. The grass was still surprisingly cool and damp. She eyed the oak in the center of the walled garden and wondered what the view would be like from up there.
It took less effort to climb than she thought it would, but the branches thinned sharply the higher up she went. She stayed very close to the main trunk to avoid damaging the smaller branches. She stopped about halfway up. The tree definitely felt alive as it swayed under her body. The trembling leaves were a loud rush in her ears. It was exhilarating. She climber higher.
Her head reached the upper branches and suddenly, she could see past the leaves ... a million lights in the darkness, everywhere, all around.
The air brightened and became tinted with pink. Mist curled and eddied up from the trees.
She looked up and saw clouds. The station was large enough to actually possess real clouds. Light bloomed brighter just beyond the clouds. Pink lightened to gold.
A chorus of fluting sounds burst out around her. Small feathered flying creatures burst into flight. Birds ... Real living birds.
Bright yellow flowers exploded from the tops of the trees and fluttered madly. They were joined by other colors, all fluttering in huge colored clouds. They were butterflies as big as her outstretched hand.
The mist thinned and parted, revealing an entire world of green and blue crawling up the sides of the horizon and arching all the way over her head. There were lakes directly above her head. And birds flew everywhere -- where anyone could see them.
It was incredible. It was paradise.
Fallon sat down on the branch and held onto the tree’s trunk with both hands as her heart burst from within. Great gasping sobs exploded from her chest, and she let them. There was no one up here to see. She was alone in this moment of perfect beauty. She would remember it, and treasure it, for the rest of her life.
* * * * *
Stretched out and perfectly at ease sprawled across one of the stronger triple-forked branches of the oak, Fallon napped. The tree rocked soothingly under her with birdsong and rustling leaves wrapping her in a sweet green lullaby.
“Isabeau!” Khan sounded annoyed, but she could feel his amusement through her link. “Are you still up in that tree?”
Fallon didn’t bother opening her eyes, or shouting back. Yes, ‘Syr.
“Don’t you think it’s time to come down and get some sleep?”
Fallon smiled. I was sleeping, ‘Syr.
“You need to eat, too.”
Fallon’s stomach rumbled. Damn, he was right. She groaned and sat up. On my way down. She slipped down the branches and dropped to the ground from the last branch. The grass was much warmer under her feet, and so was the direct station sunlight. Halfway to the door she stopped under the heat of the station sun and stretched, coming up on her toes. She dropped to her heels and jogged to the door.
Just within, Khan leaned against the right wall in a long black dressing robe. His brow lifted, as did the corner of his mouth. “Enjoy the dawn?”
“It was ...” Fallon couldn’t think of a single word to describe the wonder of it -- and he had arranged for her to have it. She lunged at him and grabbed him around the shoulders. She pressed a kiss to his mouth, trying to express straight from her heart what he had given her.
Khan started under her mouth, then grabbed her shoulders and turned suddenly, pressing her back against the wall. His mouth opened as he kissed her back, answering her with a spear of feeling that stabbed her straight through the heart. Heat and physical need flashed white-hot through her body. Cream soaked the crotch of her trousers.
He groaned into her mouth, and his hands dropped to her sash, unknotting it, then untying her trousers. The pleated black fabric dropped to the floor. His hands cupped her ass, and he lifted her up against the wall.
Fallon wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her legs, locking them around his hips.
His fingers delved into her core.
She was wet -- she was far more than wet, she was running down the inside of her thighs. She sensed rather than felt him rubbing her cream on his secondary cock and then she felt his primary cock and the bar that speared it pushing for entry. She released his mouth and arched back against the wall to let him in.
His primary cock surged halfway in. He gasped. His second cock nudged at her anus.
She moaned and pushed to open for him. His broad cockhead and the metal bar that pierced it pressed past her tight ring.
He shoved hard and buried himself fully.
Fallon gasped ... filled, taken, possessed.
Khan groaned, set his feet, and gripped her ass with clawed fingers. Taking her full weight in his hands, he surged hard and fast into her body. Then again, and again ... fucking her with merciless strength. His lips pulled back from his long teeth as he slammed into her.
Fallon moaned and bucked against his thrusts. He felt so good. Each stroke filled her and struck a spark of fire that led toward glory. He felt so right. He belonged in her body.
A potent cocktail of confusing emotions washed from Khan across the link ... possession, affection, and blinding need. He wanted her body with obsessive hunger, but he wanted more. He needed her to care for him.
She opened her heart as wide as it would go ... she did care, she did.
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He wanted her love. He wanted her to love him. Desperately.
Fallon wanted to give it, but she was afraid. What if she lost him?
He snarled. Determination and a hot wash of possessive rage answered her. They would not be separated. He would not allow it. He would kill anyone, anything that tried.
Fallon clawed his back and snarled right back. She, too, would kill anyone, anything, that tried to separate them. Her thoughts shifted abruptly to Sobehk and discovered that he was included in Khan’s thoughts.
Khan saw Sobehk as his, too. More than merely instinct and affection, they fit together. They belonged together. They would stay together. Khan would have it no other way.
Climax rose higher, surging upward to crest in a white-hot wave, stopping right on the very edge. Fallon cried out with the ache in her body and in her heart.
Pain ached from Khan’s heart. He would not ask for her love. He wanted it given. His teeth sank into her shoulder.
Release exploded through Fallon in a roaring wet wave that tried to rip her apart. She cried out as her mind shouted that she did love him. She did. Barely aware under the roll of pleasure, she buried her teeth in his shoulder, determined that he feel her answer.
Khan shuddered hard and choked as climax took him. His thoughts disappeared under a white wave of intense pleasure.
Fallon was slammed hard up and then over into a second burning orgasm. She screamed. A third climax roared out of nowhere and ripped through her with violent force, washing her mind clean away.
Panting in Khan’s arms Fallon grasped his braid and tugged. “Did you hear me?”
Khan groaned. “Hear ... what?”
Fallon tugged harder and sucked in a deep breath. “That I love you, you thick-headed, white-haired, kinky-assed pervert.”
Khan smiled tiredly and pressed his sweaty brow to hers. “Yes, I heard you. But I wanted to hear your mouth say it.”
Fallon choked on a tired laugh. “There, my mouth said it, too.”
Khan chuckled as his heart slammed against hers. “That has got to be the most disrespectful, unromantic declaration of love I have ever heard uttered.”
Fallon groaned and smiled. “Yeah, well, what did you expect? I am disrespectful and unromantic.”
“Mother Night ...” Khan released her legs to let her stand but wrapped her in his arms and pressed her against the wall. “I really need to beat you.”
Fallon smiled. “Beatings have never made all that much of an impression on me.”
Khan grinned and flashed long teeth. “Perhaps not, but I impressed you.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. Oh, please ... Hello, ego.
Khan pressed his brow to hers. “And beating you makes me feel so much better.”
Fallon chuckled. “I’m glad my beatings do someone some good!”
Khan’s head jerked back. “Beatings? You’ve only been beaten once!”
The door opened on their immediate right, and Sobehk stuck his head out. “You’re both going to get beaten if you don’t get in here now! The damned food service is on its way here to deliver dinner!”
Fallon grabbed her fallen trousers and bolted through the door.
Khan followed at a more sedate pace, tucking his robe more closely around him.
Sobehk closed the door and curled his lip. “I don’t believe you just fucked in the hallway! Blood and Chaos, you two, there was a perfectly good bed only a few paces away!”
Khan gave Sobehk a long, cool look. “Don’t even try to pretend that you weren’t masturbating the whole time we were at it.”
“So?” Sobehk’s cheeks bloomed with pink. “It would have been a hell of a lot more entertaining if you had been in the room with me.”
Khan’s chin dipped and his smile turned feral. “It was entertaining enough that you sent Isabeau into a third climax.”
Fallon looked up in surprise. That had been Sobehk’s release?
Sobehk shrugged, then grinned. “It’s nice to feel how much you’re loved.”
Khan froze, staring.
Fallon grinned at Khan. It was nice to see him shocked.
Sobehk raised his brow at Khan. “What? You think I hadn’t noticed?” He rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, I know when people are in love with me.” He smiled at Khan. “Just as I knew when Isabeau started falling in love with you.”
Fallon stared at Sobehk.
Sobehk aimed a sly smile at Fallon. “Shall we dress for dinner?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
A chime rang.
Khan finished tying a midnight blue robe over his black kilt. “Ah, dinner is ready in the hospitality chamber.”
Fallon looked up from the black sash she was knotting over a matching midnight blue robe that fell to mid-thigh. “There’s a hospitality chamber?”
“It’s the room across the hall.” Sobehk turned, tugging at the bright blue sleeves of his over-robe. “The service comes in, serves, then rings the chime to announce when they leave.”
“The hospitality chamber is generally used to receive and entertain guests.” Khan walked over to Sobehk and pulled up the collar of Sobehk’s white under-robe so it folded properly over his blue over-robe. “This is one of the smaller residences. I have a much larger one with three bedchambers and a full office as well as a dining room and an audience chamber.”
Fallon blinked. “For one person?”
Khan snorted and tugged at the folds of Sobehk’s robes. “You’d be surprised how much of it I use when dealing with official business.”
Sobehk grinned at Khan. “You know, you’re very good at this. You’d make an excellent servant.”
Kahn smiled right back at him and flashed a long tooth. “Of course. I actually know how retainers are supposed to behave.”
Sobehk frowned.
Khan turned away. “Shall we go?” He led the way out of the bedchamber and opened the door across the hall.
The deep, wide, pale blue chamber was carpeted in pearl gray. A low, smoked-glass table framed on three sides with a pair of plush blue-velvet lounging chairs occupied the immediate left, with a long sofa stretched behind it against the wall. A very extensive entertainment center occupied the wall on the immediate right.
At the far end of the chamber, plates were laid out for three on a table covered in white damask that could easily have served eight. The plates were silver-edged midnight blue, crushingly expensive Shido china accompanied by equally expensive cut crystal goblets and matching tumblers. Steam curled up from four elegant warming tureens of bright silver. A pair of cut crystal carafes sat between the three place settings. One was filled with a gold liquid and the other with what appeared to be water. Live flowers in three shades of blue graced the center of the table.
Sobehk went to the back of the table and Khan took the chair on the right.
Fallon stared at the third chair, facing Sobehk. Rehkyt were not supposed to sit on the furniture.
Sobehk grinned. “Isabeau, you may sit in the chair to eat.”
“Thank you, ‘Syr.” Fallon dropped into the chair. It felt so strange to be in an actual chair after eating so often on her knees.
Khan raised his brow and gave her a smile. “If we were entertaining guests, you would have been fed already and left in the other room until dinner was through.”
Fallon stilled. Left in the bedroom like a canine that couldn’t be trusted not to beg from the table.
Sobehk nodded. “Yes, like the pet you are supposed to be.”
Khan poured water into her glass. “Or you would stand behind our chairs in the personal bodyguard’s position, though you would be equally ignored.”
Fallon’s brows dipped. “I wouldn’t mind being treated like a bodyguard. It’s being treated like something ... decorative, or entertaining, that I have problems handling.”
Sobehk chuckled. “But you are decorative and entertaining.” He served himself from one of the heated tureens set on the table.
Fallon raised her brow. “B
ut only satisfactory?”
“Isabeau.” Sobehk leaned both elbows on the table and focused his bright blue gaze on her. “Mahfeht ’syr Loran is incredibly wealthy and immeasurably powerful. The last thing I wanted was his real interest in buying you. There is a very real chance that he could succeed in out-bidding everyone else. If he did so, Khan would have a great deal of difficulty getting you back from him.”
Khan set some fragrant meat on Fallon’s plate. “Make no mistake, I would get her back, but it could take over a cycle to do so.” He lifted his brow at Fallon. “However, Mahfeht ’syr Loran is not known for his forgiving nature. Once he discovered the reality of your ownership, he would make sure to carve his displeasure from your skin every spare moment he had until I succeeded in getting you back.”
Yikes ...Fallon hunched her shoulders. “But what if he was the one that ... um?”
“Had you programmed?” Khan shook his head. “Mahfeht ’syr Loran does not need a half-trained rehkyt for an assassin. Mahf’dhyt are fully trained legal assassins.”
Fallon froze with a piece of meat halfway to her lips. Sobehk was Mahf’dhyt .
Sobehk’s brows rose. “You didn’t know?”
Fallon set her utensil on her plate and frowned. “I just thought you were a hunter.”
Sobehk shrugged. “I am ... was ... a hunter. But I’m also a fully trained legal executioner. Rather like a street cop.” He tilted his head to the side. “Where Khan is like a detective.”
“Oh ...” Fallon picked up her utensil.
Khan raised his brows. “Though I can legally torture detainees to obtain answers, and you have the legal right to kill someone that cannot be safely taken in.”
Fallon swallowed. “Why do I have the feeling that I’m so deep in the dark I feel blind?”
Khan snorted. “You don’t need to worry about anything but pleasing Sobehk or me.” He nodded at her untouched plate. “And right now, eating would please us both.”
“Yes, ‘Syr.” Fallon sucked a piece of meat into her mouth. It was really, really good. She had two helpings before she could think past her stomach. She sipped at her water then turned to Khan. “Um, ‘Syr?”
