Part 5 (1/2)

aDo me,a he said, his eyes still an aroused blue. He took Kyas fingers and wrapped them around his already hardening c.o.c.k. aDo me now.a Ky hesitated a moment, wanting badly to touch and caress his friend in return. He waited just long enough for the warning twinge to begin in his arm.

Alarm swirled through him and he let his hand drop. aNo. I canat.a He didnat imagine the hurt in Aidenas eyes this time. He saw it plainlya”along with his anger.

The sandstorm escalated, beating at the shutters and sending a thin stream of sand through the cracks to sting their eyes.

aStuff a towel or something in that d.a.m.n window,a Ky said.

Wiping his eyes, his erection hot and heavy, he stalked to the bathroom where it took him a half-hour to coax water from the reluctant pipes.

When he returned from his unsatisfying shower, he found Aiden dressed and watching a digital, the sound turned up to be heard over the storm. A sheet protruded from the crack in the shutters and only a tiny trickle of sand spattered to the floor.

The two did not speak for the rest of the night.

The train left Elred after dawn, carrying people into the city to work. There was one first-cla.s.s car and Brianne was its only occupant.

Brianne sat back in the private compartment and sighed as the train headed for open desert. She could not quite believe shead ridden in this train last evening in the working-cla.s.s car and let two Shareem pleasure her.

When shead awakened this morning shead groggily imagined it a dream, but when shead come fully awake, the reality rushed back at her. She lay in a bland hotel room instead of her own bed, and she had indeed let Aiden tie her to a cool pole and Ky slap her with a flogger.

She blushed at the memory, but part of her warmed in excitement. It had been real.

Shead called Harbourgh, the captain of her guard, and informed him that shead stayed in Elred overnight so as not to interrupt her meditation. His look had said, whatever, but head murmured a respectful, aYes, malady.a She thought of the slick feel of Aidenas hands spreading oil on her body, the growling impatience of Ky, the sting of leather across her backside, the way her heart had leapt when Aiden and Ky had kissed each other in front of her.

Their tongues had probed each otheras mouths, eyes closing, lashes resting on strong cheekbones. It never would have occurred to her that seeing men kissing each other would turn her on so.

Then again, they had been two very attractive, s.e.xy men.

Ky had a rugged s.e.xiness shead never quite forget. His growling voice, his hard body, the way his blue gaze bore right into her. Aidenas sinful handsomeness also made her heart flutter, but not in the same way as Kyas did.

G.o.ds, please donat tell me Iam falling for a bondage master who hates me for imprisoning his best friend.

She couldnat fall for anyone. Iam getting married and will create a daughter who will head committees and smile for the digitals.

The girl-child would have the best combination of genes from herself and Dranis. That meant shead have brown hair and brown eyes and a pleasant face, not too pretty, because women of Bor Narga should admire her but not envy her.

Why did Brianne suddenly see a toddling girl-child with bright blue eyes and a winsome Shareem-like smile? Shead be adorable.

She stopped the thought. Shareem could not impregnate women, they were forbidden to on threat of death. They had inoculations every half year to keep them infertile.

Why is this the first time Iave thought that practice cruel?

She could do something about it. She was Brianne daAroth and she had the power of her position. She was good at helping make the lives of the poor and working cla.s.s a little better, why not the lives of Shareem?

Would anyone listen to her if they knew shead just enjoyed letting two Shareem pleasure her? Or would they think her as besotted as Talan daUrvey?

The difference was, Talan had boldly stayed with her Shareem and married him. It was likely Brianne would never see hers again.

Why do I think of them as mine? They are the ones who coerced me out here. I couldnat possess them if I tried.

Strange that the world saw them as s.e.x slaves when they were so clearly in charge of any encounter.

A sense of someone watching her broke this troubling train of thought. She turned to see Aiden in the corridor outside her compartment, his fingers pressed to the window. He studied her like he might study a strange plant specimen in a botanical exhibit, head tilted to one side, lips twitching like he might burst out laughing any minute.

He smiled a broad smile when she looked at him, then he made a face against the window and she laughed.

She touched the control to noiselessly slide open the door panel. aPlease come in. Thereas plenty of room.a Aidenas tall body dwarfed the doorway. aShareem arenat allowed in first cla.s.s. I was on my way to the loo. Thereas a line at the one in the other car.a aWhy should you ride on crowded benches when you can sit on cus.h.i.+ons? Iall pay the difference in fares.a His grin widened. aHey, I could get used to being your boy toy.a He winked. aYou sneak me in here, and Iall do it.a aKy as well.a His smile faded. aKyas in one h.e.l.l of a bad mood this morning. But Iall tell him.a He sent her another warm glance then turned and sauntered away. He certainly knew how to make a woman look at every inch his body. Brianne closed the door again and waited, wondering if head come backa”with or without Ky.

Brianne daAroth never broke the rules. And now here she was wanting to allow not one but two Shareem into her train compartment. She doubted the train attendant would refuse to let a member of the daAroth family do as she would, but if her grandmother ever found outa Twenty-eight years old and Iam still worried about being called in front of my grandmother.

But Clothilde daAroth, ruler of Bor Narga, was a formidable woman and didnat take embarra.s.sment to the family lightly.

Aiden did return twenty minutes later, Ky in tow. Well, maybe not in tow. Ky proceeded him by five paces, his face dark.

The compartment had seemed roomy, but when Aiden and Ky arranged themselves on the sofa opposite her, they nearly crowded her out. Aiden stretched out his long legs and rested his head on Kyas shoulder. Ky folded his arms and stared out the window. Clearly Aiden had talked fast and long to get Ky to come here at all.

Brianne touched a control to gray out the windows for privacy. Shead already darkened the outside windows against the glare of the morning sun, though they could still watch the scenery rus.h.i.+ng by. She offered them chilled wine from the small bar built into the wall, which Aiden gulped down with relish and Ky refused.

aSo this is how the rich travel,a Aiden said, returning the crystal goblet to its holder. He sat back again, smothering a yawn. aSorry. I always fall asleep in trains.a aExcept yesterday,a Brianne said.

Aiden grinned, his eyelids drooping. aI had something fun to do yesterday.a Ky said nothing. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and blatantly looked out the window. Most peopleas eyes flickered as they tried to focus on things rus.h.i.+ng past a train, but Kyas remained fixed.

Aiden yawned again. His eyes closed and he slumped onto Kyas shoulder and was soon snoring softly. Ky sat in silence, not looking at Brianne.

The train swayed on its hover track, buffeted by wind left over from last nightas sandstorm. Aiden swayed with it, lost in sleep, his blond hair falling loose to Kyas lap.

When Ky turned his head and looked down at his friend, his face softened. The look was almost imperceptible but Brianne, studying every nuance of Ky, saw it.

aYou care for him, donat you?a she asked.

Ky flicked his gaze to her. His eyes looked almost normal now, irises no longer expanded in arousal. But Shareem eyes would never be quite anormala. They were larger than most menas and made to s.h.i.+ne with seductiveness, to pin a woman in place at all times.

Ky did not answer, and Brianne went on. aThat is why you are so angry with me. For getting him arrested and putting him in danger.a aAiden is my friend.a The harsh words dragged out of him. Aiden slept on, eyes heavy and closed.

aI read that Shareem didnat have emotions,a Brianne said. aOr not much anyway. But thatas wrong, isnat it?a He scowled at her. aWhy were you reading about Shareem?a aBecause I know nothing about them. My ignorance of you almost got you killed. That makes me feel ashamed.a She wanted to tell him, I learned, I understand, I want to help, but his forbidding gaze made her close her lips.

aAll Shareem were nearly killed twenty years ago because of daAroths,a Ky said. aThey shut down the labs, threatened to terminate the lab rats.a aI know. Thatas why Iam ashamed.a He studied her from under lowered brows, his mouth a grim line. Last night head spanked her and kissed her and touched her. Head wanted to chastise her, punish her the only way he knew how.

Aiden had been there for pleasure alone. Head forgiven Brianne already, she sensed, but maybe Ky never would.

aYou care for him,a she repeated. aWhy shouldnat you?a Ky studied Aidenas head against his shoulder. aBecause itas forbidden.a He said it like she ought to know that.

aTo care?a Ky transferred his gaze to the empty landscape outside the window. aTo fall in love with another Shareem.a He gave a harsh laugh. aWe wouldnat pay much attention to anyone else if we did, would we? Wead be lost in each other. And the designers didnat want that.a aBecause you were supposed to please other people.a aBecause theyad have lost money.a His voice grated. aWe please everyone but ourselves.a aThat doesnat mean you donat care.a He sat still, a large man in black leather, his dark hair still damp. Theyad stayed in a place with a primitive water shower, she realized, while shead had sterilizers and a soft bed.

aWhy should you care what Shareem feel about each other?a he growled. aOr are you going to write a research paper? What I saw Shareem do with each other in a train?a She flushed. aI would never do that. What happened between us last evening is private.a aIs it? Or will your bodyguards arrest us when we get off the train for daring to touch your pristine body?a aIt was my choice. I had to give you permission to touch me.a aWould the patrollers believe that? Theyad rather think of us as walking menaces to women.a aThen why did you take the risk?a she flared. aWhy entice me to the train?a He grinned briefly, and she saw a flash of what he was really likea”intelligent and good-humored when he wasnat angry. aIt was worth it.a aBecause you wanted to punish me.a She drew a breath. aI know you see me as an upper-cla.s.s b.i.t.c.h, but I want you to believe I would never betray you. What we did yesterday will hold a special place in my heart. Please, letas leave it like that. It wasaa She flushed. aIt was wonderful. You knew once I had a taste of Shareem Iad always crave it and know I couldnat have it, but you made me feel wonderful. Wanted.a She paused. aThank you.a aYou sure you mean thank you, not f.u.c.k off?a aVery sure.a Ky looked her up and down, a scrutiny that took in every line of her, every defect, every flaw. In spite of herself she felt his chemistry touch her, relaxing her when she wanted to remain tense.

aYouare not like I thought youad be.a He sounded grudging.

aWhat did you think Iad be like?a Again the once-over. She might be the highborn woman, member of the ruling family and he a slave in all but name, but he had the upper hand here and he knew it. He filled the first-cla.s.s compartment not only with his muscular body and his Shareem chemistry, but with his glittering eyes, his voice, his power.