Trin wanted to fight him but suddenly all the strength seemed to have left her body. She collapsed against him, pressing her face to the place where his broad shoulder met his neck and breathed in the dark, spicy scent of his skin. It comforted her for some reason she couldn’t understand, bringing her a small measure of calm even though she felt like she was falling apart.
“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered as he carried her through the long marble hallways of Dreaming Hills. “Why did I act like that? Why couldn’t I control myself?”
“Not your fault,” Thrace rumbled, answering her though she had been mostly talking to herself. “It was that damn dream gas. If I had to guess, I’d say the red kind makes you horny as hell. No wonder Lady Tam-tam wanted us to try it.”
“But I’m one of the Unpenetrated,” Trin exclaimed, lifting her head to look at him. “And I didn’t even care! In one more minute I was going to…going to…” She blushed, unable to go on, unable to say how she had longed to join with him, to have his body pressed to hers, filling her, fucking her…Wrong…so wrong…
“I know. Me too,” he said softly, looking into her eyes. “I wanted you so fucking badly I thought I was going to die. Never wanted a female like that before. Ever.”
I’ve never wanted a male at all. Not before tonight. Not like that.
But she couldn’t say it out loud. Neither could she keep looking into his eyes—her stomach did a slow flip at the intensity of his gaze.
“I…” Trin dropped her eyes. “I just…”
“Wasn’t your fault,” he said again, when she couldn’t finish her sentence. “It was Lady Tam-tam.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Trin asked as he carried her into their suite and kicked the door shut behind them. “Why is she like that? Wanting to watch people…embarrass themselves like that?”
Thrace sighed and sat down on the edge of the sleeping platform, still holding her in his arms.
“My guess? She’s lonely. She lost her own love-slave cycles ago and she still misses him. She wants to relive what she once had with him by watching other people do the things she loved to do with him—a vicarious thrill. Sad, but it’s all she has left.”
Trin looked up at him, surprised at his insightful analysis of the situation.
“You almost sound like you don’t blame her for what she made us do. Or…almost made us do.”
He frowned. “No, I blame her all right. I never would have forgiven myself if I’d hurt you. And that fucking gas made me so hot I couldn’t see straight.”
“Me too,” Trin confessed in a low voice. “I…I never would have done…what I did otherwise.” Suddenly she realized he was still holding her and she sat up and slid off his lap, putting some much needed distance between them.
“I know you wouldn’t…Mistress.” Thrace sighed and looked away. “So what now? Do you want to keep playing her game or give up and go?”
“You mean…” Trin put her arms around herself protectively. “You think she’ll want to see more? Even after that display we put on by the dream-sphere fountain?”
“Especially after the display we put on.” He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you hear her? ‘You should avail yourself of the bathing facilities’ he mocked in a surprisingly good imitation of their hostess. “‘A nice hot bath and massage should make you feel like new again.’”
Trin was torn between laughter and anxiety.
“My Goddess, you’re right,” she whispered. “She all but ordered me to take a bath.”
“No, she ordered me to give you a bath,” Thrace corrected her. “The question is, do you want me to? Or do you want to go?”
Trin bit her lip. “If we go, everything will all be for nothing. Lady Malroth will make sure I can never trade on Yonnie Six again and there’s no other market for Jaxite crystals. I’ll lose The Alacrity and all my crew will go begging.”
“Well, you’ll get to keep me, at least.” Thrace gave her a crooked little smile.
“That’s right.” Trin sighed. “You won’t let me give you your freedom until the debt is paid.”
“Damn right, I won’t.” He frowned. “Not that I could ever really fully repay you. But this is a start at least.”
“So…” Trin bit her lip. “You wouldn’t mind…”
“Trin…” Thrace cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. “You’re not seriously going to ask me if I mind washing you and running my hands over your sweet, naked body, are you?”
Trin drew a deep breath and lifted her chin. Time to speak bluntly. “I know you don’t mind but will it be safe to do this? Especially when you…desire me the way you say you do.”
“Don’t worry,” Thrace said, frowning. “That was just the dream gas. I can control myself, no matter how badly I want you.” He looked into her eyes. “You can trust me, Trin,” he said softly. “I’ll never take what you don’t want to give.”
“Good. That makes me feel better.” She sighed. Everything to do with males was so complicated! Even back when she was still trying to date her own sex, she’d never felt the need to have a conversation like this. But Thrace was so huge—so much bigger and stronger than her it seemed necessary. Especially now that he was no longer wearing the pain collar. Not that she felt like he needed one but still…
“Well then…should we begin?” He rose from the sleeping platform and sketched a little bow. “I’ll run your bath, shall I, Mistress?”
“Yes, I…I suppose so.” Trin bit her lip as he disappeared into the fresher. Was she actually going to get naked into a warm bath and let the big Havoc run his hands all over her nude body?
From inside the fresher, she heard water begin to splash in the tub.
Oh Goddess, it seemed she was.
Chapter Twenty
The water was steamy and just this side of too hot but Thrace didn’t think Trin would mind. She was going to need to be relaxed to let him do this and the heated water swirling around her should do the trick. He hoped, anyway. He couldn’t wait to touch her…to run his hands all over her warm, naked, soapy body but he knew how nervous she was about it.
Soon the big black marble tub was filled with hot water and pale pink bubbles. These had come from a softly floral scented bath solution he’d found on the sink. It smelled good so Thrace had dumped it in and this was the result. He hoped she liked it. Surveying the bubble filled tub, he nodded to himself and went to get her.
Trin was sitting on the side of the sleeping platform biting her lip, her legs tightly crossed and her hands clenched tightly in her lap. The look on her face said she wasn’t looking forward to this…not one little bit.
Thrace felt his heart twist in his chest at her obvious anxiety. Gods, he wished she could just relax and enjoy this! More than anything he wanted to bring her pleasure, wanted to serve her as a real love-slave would serve his mistress. He wanted to caress her, to soothe her, to make her so relaxed she purred under his touch and moaned for more. But could he do it?
I’m damn well going to try! He swore silently to himself that he would wipe that nervous look off her lovely face and replace it with one of bliss if he possibly could. He wanted to make this a night she would always remember…a night she would never want to forget.
“Mistress?” he said softly and she looked up with a start. “Mistress,” he murmured again. “Your bath is ready.”
“Oh…all right. Then I guess I’d better…” She got off the sleeping platform and started to undress but Thrace stopped her.
“Let me,” he murmured. “Let me do everything for you, tonight. Let me take care of you.”
Trin looked at him wonderingly, her face suddenly clear.