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  The older woman grinned. “I could say it gets easier, but it doesn’t. You simply learn to hide the exterior signs of arousal.”

  “This was done to you as well?” She breathed heavily.

  “Of course. It was a reminder from my husband that while he was not with me during the day, I was to think of him constantly. It worked. By the time we were sitting together at the end of the day, I was out of my mind to have him inside me.”

  It was peculiar to see this calm and elegant woman speaking so frankly, but there was a certain comfort to it.

  “I was just planning to have an orgasm.”

  “That won’t help. In fact, with the device in place, it will just make it worse. Your body never completely cools.” She sipped at her tea and placed her empty cup back on the table.

  Enari leaned forward to pour the tea and her body bucked. She shuddered as waves of pleasure started inside her and ran through her limbs. She heard her own voice in a low moan and by the time the internal palpitations had ceased, she was out of breath and holding onto the edge of the table for support.

  Her pulse was racing, but she straightened and poured tea with hands more steady than they had been two minutes before.

  She put the pot down and placed the cup and saucer in Radiance’s grip. Her eyes were still a little unfocussed, but Enari concentrated and sipped at her own tea until she could speak again. “So what was that you were saying about an orgasm making it worse?”

  Radiance laughed for a full two minutes.

  During that time, the heat and dampness woke and built again making the younger woman squirm in her chair.

  The afternoon was a torturous event of polite conversation broken by the occasional overwhelming wave of pleasure.

  Nishka pronounced herself jealous. She grinned and patted the younger woman’s cheek as she left.

  * * * *

  “So is the woman everything you wished for?” Doron was smiling at his wife. It had been a long trip to find his way back to his home, but she was there, as always, waiting for him with open arms.

  Nishka smiled and nestled into his embrace, inhaling the scent that was his alone. His hands were smoothing the gown over her back, resting on the narrow span of her waist, a miracle after seven sons.

  “Drion will be a very tired man, love. That little Fennar has an appetite that I have never seen before.”

  He chuckled. “It will do him good. He has always complained that there is nothing in the command centre to keep him here. This woman may do the trick.”

  Proud of herself, she lifted her chin so that she could meet his black gaze with her own. “And…she is the answer to the forecast for him.”

  He quirked a dark brow at her. Certainly, there was silver in his black hair, but it was far less than her natural waves of white and silver hair.

  “How can you be sure?”

  “When you are near a data station, bring up the image of her walking into the palace. You will see what I saw or you are an idiot.” She grinned up at him and caressed his face with the tips of her fingers.

  He leaned down and kissed her, his hands pulling at her gown with the ease of long practice. His shirt was released by her eager hands and she caressed the marks that he wore. Her name and the name of each of their sons were written on his flesh in the ancient script of Asku.

  He used every trick that he had learned in the past decades to bring her to a gasping climax before he moved over her, thrusting deep.

  She held him, caressing his chest, back and buttocks as he plunged into her. They both cried out as pleasure shared took them over. Nishka smiled and ran her fingers through his hair as he laid his head on her breast.

  He took one of her hands and threaded his fingers with hers. “Do you think he could be happy with her?”

  “I think that she is the best chance he has at happiness. If he blows it, he is on his own.” She smiled at the feel of Doron’s lips against her palm and sighed at the waking of passion that she had missed so. “Your trips need to be closer to home, love.”

  “If Drion will take on some of my duties, I may be able to retire soon and at that point, a week with nothing but you under me is exactly what I would wish for.”

  He began to harden inside her again, the speed of the younger man he had once been in evidence, but Nishka didn’t complain. She arched her hips toward him and he obligingly rolled to his back.

  He corrected his earlier statement. “Fine, you on top of me is on the wish list as well. How did I get so lucky?”

  “You were in the wrong bar at the right time.” Nishka rode her husband until he groaned under her and she smiled in the darkness. His sounds of pleasure were something she never tired of and if she didn’t get a climax now, he would make sure of it later. He always did.

  Chapter Four

  “Warlord Drion, there is a coded message for you.” The communication’s officer bowed carefully, the wounded warrior had not been in the best of moods.

  Drion groaned and rubbed at his forehead with the hand not bound in a sling. “Fine. In my office.”

  He got to his feet and left the bridge of the warship. He closed the door and sat behind his desk, bringing up his private com screen. With one hand, he typed in his pass code and waited while the message loaded.

  His surly mood was broken by the image of his mother. “My dearest Drion, I have something that I wish to tell you. We have recently acquired fifty women from the planet of Fennar and I have selected one of them for you.”

  Drion sat up and stared at the screen in astonishment. “The hell you say.”

  There was no way for her to respond, but she seemed to anyway. “Now, don’t be upset. She really is the perfect woman for you. I am including her file as well as a few clips of her daily activities. To accept her or reject her, you have to come home, so do take care of yourself and come home in one piece. I am sure she will appreciate it. I love you, Drion.”

  The image shifted from his mother to a woman with blood red hair coursing down almost to her knees walking with bloodied feet into the stronghold. The prints of blood kept his attention as she kept her face impassive, her chin lifted as if she were taking a stroll in the park.

  Her blue eyes were bright, but there were stains of bruising on her flesh. He could see the bruises on her arms as well and a sick fury ran through him. He wanted to know who had hurt this graceful creature and where he could find them.

  When the image flicked again, the woman was laughing with a bot and soon began sparring with it. The skirt that the woman was wearing was short enough to show him long and shapely limbs as she began a slow dance pattern that quickly shifted into a demonstration of hand-to-hand combat.

  Drion leaned back and whistled softly. She had skills. No wonder his mother had chosen her, she was a true warrior under that soft, creamy skin.

  Just as he became hypnotized by her movements, the screen shifted again and her stats as well as images of her in the medical bay began to scroll. He read the litany of injuries she had come on board with and he shook his head. All that and she still had walked like a queen into the stronghold as the representative of the Fennar females.

  He replayed the images of her walking and then fighting, the insistent pressure of his erection against his uniform trousers a pleasurable distraction from his shoulder’s discomfort. Grinning, he uploaded the images to his headset and positioned the transparent screen in front of his left eye, giving him a perfect view whenever he triggered the file.

  The pictures of Enari would help him through his recovery and as soon as he finished this peace-enforcing mission, he would head home just to see if her physical presence matched her image.

  Drion looked forward to finding out.

  * * * *

  Actual dance classes eventually took up half the day while the martial arts took up the other half. “Riveh, you are cheating. Slow yourself down to standard living speeds.”

  Riveh swung and Enari ducked.

  “Speed up, pin
ky. You are far too slow for a woman who is on the edge of being flattened.”

  Enari looked for an opening before Riveh struck again. “I am going to kick your shiny metal ass.”

  Going for the low blow, she swept her leg under Riveh and knocked her to the floor before pouncing on her and pressing her foot to the metal neck.

  “Ladies!” Nishka’s voice was disapproving.

  Enari sighed and turned toward the Radiance. “I apologize, we were merely exercising.”

  Nishka smiled slightly. “With hand-to-hand combat? What happened to dance classes?”

  “That was this morning. To what do I owe the pleasure, Radiance?” Enari was aware of the sweat sliding down between her breasts and making her light shift cling to her skin.

  She had started to wear short tunics that hung to mid-thigh when she moved. It was easier for both dance, combat and general dress. Fennar was cooler than the Asku stronghold. She liked the caress of the air to cool her.

  Nishka was staring at her legs as if she had never seen knees before. “You need to shower, change and get ready. Drion arrived yesterday and he is eager to meet you.”

  Enari froze in place. She had known this day was coming but had thought that she had more time. Like three more months. “I thought you said he was going to be gone for six months.”

  “He was. I sent him images of you and he decided to return to us early. Isn’t that nice?” Nishka’s tone was pleasant, but it would have to be to fend off the daggers that Enari’s eyes were shooting at her.

  “You sent him images of me and yet gave me none of him. Not fair.”

  “Life isn’t fair. The moment that you connect with him will be something that stays with you for the rest of your life.” Nishka’s eyes took on a faraway look and a slow smile spread across her lips.

  “Do all women remember it that fondly?”

  “Most, but it is a memorable moment for both parties.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, she scowled. “Then why did you send my images to him?”

  Nishka grinned. “I wanted him to hurry.”

  Enari didn’t have a chance to continue as the Radiance left her with a wink and the sweep of her gown. The fluttering of silk was the last thing that Enari saw before Riveh took her by the hand and started to walk to a previously unused part of the women’s quarters.

  “Where are we going, Riveh?”

  “To the groomers. Just remember, don’t fidget. They can take off far more than is intended if you aren’t careful.”

  With that enigmatic phrasing, Enari was shooed into the new area and Riveh used her considerable strength to put her where she was supposed to be. There were marks for her feet on the floor and as she settled onto the spot, clamps held her in place, banding across her arches and locking her to the floor. “What the hell, Riveh?”

  Her instructor removed her clothing with smooth movements. “You are going to be groomed in the Asku fashion. Out in the village, you would attend a local groomer and have it done in person. Here in the palace, there are units to do it. Just don’t try and move around and for pity’s sake, don’t fight the blades.”

  Enari was swallowing and about to ask about the blades when panels from the floor rose up and surrounded her on all sides. Manacles snapped around her wrists and held her arms out at her sides as a scan checked her from head to toe. Once it had measured her, a laser focussed on her privates and disintegrated the hair on her pubic mound until all that was left was a neat triangle.

  “Hey!”

  From outside the chamber, she heard, “Hold still. You don’t want to lose an eye.”

  With that warning, she froze in place, straight as she could manage. The laser delicately traced her brows, neatening them. From the moment it finished with her brows, it skipped around her body taking care of anything that it deemed unnecessary.

  While her thighs were parted by her feet being gently slid to either side and the manacles pulling her arms forward, the laser blade did its work between her buttocks. Her skin should have stung, but the blade didn’t leave anything but a light heat behind.

  A rainbow of light covered her from head to toe, the sweat from her workout disappeared and she felt both cleaned and energized when it finally let her go.

  The manacles released and the bindings on her feet retracted as the walls faded back into the floor.

  Riveh was standing and waiting for her, a draping of chain and silk over her arm. “How was it?”

  “Blades?”

  “I thought it was less scary than lasers. They are set to remove the hair follicles from the base. It is why I told you not to move. They calibrate and then get going. Now, here is your outfit for the first meeting. It is a little tricky, so let me help.”

  Riveh’s help was invaluable. The top was heavily embroidered with gold, held in place with a clasp behind her neck and one around her back. The skirt dipped almost to the exposure point and barely covered her buttocks. It was the same heavily embroidered material as the top.

  Riveh moved swiftly, stringing chains between the top and skirt, threading layers of gold to hold the fabric snugly to Enari’s body.

  “There. Just a few adjustments to your hair and you are ready.”

  “What about shoes?”

  “There are sandals that I will help you into as soon as you are prepped.”

  The next few minutes were spent with Enari trying not to fidget as Riveh wove her hair into waves and braids that held the strands off her face while adding weight and control to the mass.

  Mirrors lined every wall and Enari watched her transformation as her blood red hair was tamed into an elaborate sculpture.

  The costume that she was wearing was a tease and invitation all in one. The fabric shimmered and the chains clashed as she shifted. It caught the light and drew the eye. Her movement was fairly free, but she would feel a definite chill when she sat. The skirt was designed to ride up.

  “How can you simply get me dressed so calmly, Riveh?”

  Her companion made a harsh chuckle. “This is why you are here, Enari. Never forget that. While I have enjoyed our time together and your speedy learning of the Asku ways, they rule here and we are but the helpless who have been brought to serve.”

  The bald truth sobered her and as Riveh tied on her sandals, she steeled herself to meet the man who would either take her to his bed or reject her and send her to the masses for one of them to select her. Her choice in the matter was nonexistent.

  A finely woven gold cloak was wrapped around her for her journey through the stronghold. Riveh walked at her side the entire way, blades at her metal hips as they made their way from the women’s quarters up through a multitude of steps before stopping in front of a well-guarded door.

  The guards looked at her and her escort for a moment before one said, “May we see her hair?”

  Surprised, Enari reached up to push back her hood, but Riveh stopped her.

  “Not before Drion has seen her. You know that.”

  The one who had spoken, smiled slightly. “It was worth a try. Lady, you are expected.”

  He bowed and opened the door to her, the tattoos wreathing his arms giving him a fearsome light, but his smile was warm and welcoming.

  She inclined her head and moved through the opening, leaving Riveh behind with the other guards. Whatever happened now was between her and Drion.

  Chapter Five

  She took a few steps into the room and used her senses to tell her about her surroundings. The room was huge. She was in one of the towers that were visible in the pictures and paintings that had decorated the women’s quarters.

  A breeze caused her cloak to flutter slightly and she could see the night sky through an open doorway.

  The idea of foreign stars drew her. Riveh had never let her out in the evenings, but she had always loved to stare up at the night sky. Drion was nowhere in sight, so she paced softly to the lodestone view.

  The sprawl of the city beneath the stronghold was lovely
, but when she looked up to the sky, her breath rushed out in a sigh. The slow swirl of a crimson and purple nebula was on the horizon, bracketed by arches of stars forming a frame of light.

  “It is lovely, isn’t it?” The voice rumbled from behind her and she clutched at the balcony.

  Her heart was tripping in her chest and she licked her lips before speaking. “It really is. I envy you this view.”

  Now that she was aware of his presence, she could feel him moving closer to her. When the heat of his body started to warm her back, she swallowed heavily.

  “Why don’t you face me?” His words were whispered inches from her ear.

  “Because we can only see each other face to face for the first time, one time, and I am trying to embrace the beauty of the stars before I create a new memory.”

  His soft laugh rippled through her. “Take your time. I will still be here when you turn around.”

  Enari could feel the fine trembling in her limbs, but she ignored it while she learned the skies of the Asku. By the time she finished, the nebula had risen in the sky and the chill in the air had caused her to back toward the block of heat at her back. Drion was warm. She would give him that sight unseen.

  She sighed and turned to face him, looking eye to chest with the Warlord. Her gaze skittered up and she took in his smooth skin, the occasional roughening of scars and a jaw carved by a determined hand and the lips curved in a slight smile.

  His nose had the same sharp angle as his mother’s, but his eyes must have been passed on from his father. Instead of his maternal parent’s dark brown eyes, Drion’s eyes were solid black with stars for pupils.

  Enari forgot to look at anything else. She was lost in those starry eyes.

  His hands came up and he slid the hood off her hair to settle it on her shoulders. “I am very pleased you are here, Enari. Your hair is truly magnificent.”