[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Cat Masters Spaceport: Courtesan 71
His hands slid down my back and I arched against him, feeling the shock of him
inside me, the heat and the slide and the glorious pressure of his body covering mine.
Mindless, I moved against him, gasping, drowning in pleasure, and when I came --
-- in the space between heartbeats I knew what I had to do --
-- I cried out his name and shuddered in his arms.
I could never get enough of this, Rider whispered, his breath coming hard, and
I knew I couldn t, either.
But in the morning I still sent him away and told him to make another
appointment through Bilka. I was Sayana of the Nil Raja, and I couldn t lie in bed with
one lover all day when there were other things to do.
Even if I wanted to.
Chapter Ten
It was on our fourth appointment I told Rider I wanted him to take a trip with
me. Reinette was fully operational, perhaps even a little improved, and I led him
through the airlock, down toward my cabin. I haven t brought a lover here yet, I said,
not since she s been refitted.
I suppose I m honored, Rider said, although there was a bitterness around his
mouth at the mention of my other lovers. Truth was, there had been fewer than I was
used to, but I rather liked seeing him jealous.
Don t pout, I said. Once we ve set off, I ll put her on auto-pilot and let you do
whatever you want to me in here. I patted the bed invitingly.
Can I do whatever I want to you before we set off? Rider asked, and in answer
I took off my dress.
Half an hour later, rather more disheveled than I would have ever appeared with
any other lover, I sat in the pilot s chair and flew Reinette away from Spaceport Adana. I
still hadn t told Rider our destination yet, but as he sat beside me I could see him trying
to figure it out.
Stop poking at my instruments, I said, and he grinned.
I d rather poke at your -- okay, sorry, too obvious, he amended as I rolled my
eyes. Where are we going? And why?
Well, I said, keying in a temporary course and turning to face him, you ought
to know by now. After all, it s you who told me to do it.
Do what?
Cat Masters Spaceport: Courtesan 73
I searched his face. We d spent a lot of time together recently, and it had been
wonderful, but I could see and feel his sadness. He wanted more from me than he was
getting. He didn t want to share any more.
Sooner or later, someone else is going to see my marks and figure out who I
am, I said. And they might not be happy with just letting me decide what to do. They
might decide that my existence is too much of a threat to the peace on Nil Raja and try
to kill me.
If those Mentuans are anything to go by, try will be the operative word, Rider
said, but his eyes were tense.
You were the one who said, if they kill an Otha it would go over very hard, but
if they kill a princess, it would be treason. I shrugged. Let s say I m upping the stakes
a little.
Rider s relaxed pose didn t change, but every muscle in his body tightened.
We re going to Nil Raja.
We are.
You re going to tell them who you are.
I am. And, I added before he could say any more, I m going to tell them I
have no interest in reclaiming the throne. It s not mine anyway.
Rider was silent a moment. And your brother?
We talked about it. He s going to stay in the shadows for now.
Rider nodded. I could see him examining it from all angles, making sure he
understood it as fully as possible, and my heart swelled. Have you contacted the
government? Do they know you re coming?
I have, I said. I ve explained it. This visit is to announce it officially. Plus, I
wanted to see my homeworld. I d never been there before.
Rider nodded, still thinking.
And there s something else, I said. You.
His space trash eyes flickered. Me?
Cat Masters Spaceport: Courtesan 74
You re part of the visit. Of the announcement. At least, I took a deep breath, if
you want to be.
Rider searched my face. His mouth opened and closed a few times. Then he
shook his head, and said, What?
Not all Otha are independent, I said. Not everyone takes lovers. Well, I mean,
they do, but they don t choose them like I do. Well, I mean they do choose, but&
Rider took my hand. The very faintest glimmer of a smile was on his lips.
Flustered, I tried to take my hand back, but he held on.
A lot of Otha, I began, as he started stroking the back of my hand, a lot of
them are slaves, but, that is& His touch was driving me crazy. They have owners, or
rather, protectors, and they can choose who they want to be with, it s not involuntary.
They can choose&
You already said that part, Rider said. His smile was a little wider now. His
thumb made circles on my palm.
What I m saying is that a lot of Otha take one protector, I stammered. And
they re faithful.
I ve heard that, Rider said. He lifted my hand to his lips and made love to my
fingers.
And -- oh, come on, you know what I m going to say, I pleaded, and he broke
into a full-on grin.
Yes, but I want to hear you say it. He started kissing up my arm.
I took a breath. When we get to Nil Raja I m announcing you as my lover. I m
giving up my other lovers. Clients. There won t be any more. I let out the rest of my
breath. Ever.
Rider kissed that place on my neck that made me go insane, and then he kissed
my mouth. I love you too, he said, and well, it was good that the ship was on auto-
pilot, because neither of us paid any attention to the controls for quite some time.
Cat Marsters
Cat lives in a village in southeast England, which, while not quite a fairytale
setting, is nonetheless very pretty and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of AD
1087. She shares a house with only slightly batty parents who hardly ever tell her to get
a real job, and a musician brother who knows there s no chance she ll ever get one if he
doesn t. Cat doesn t have children but she does have cats, who are her babies in every
sense except the biological one.
Cat has been writing all her life, but in order to keep herself rich in shoes and
chocolate, she s also worked as an airline check-in agent, video rental clerk, stationery
shop assistant, and laboratory technician. She s aiming for a fairytale cottage, and asks
all potential Prince Charmings to apply in writing with pictures of themselves and their
Aston Martins.
Visit Cat s web site at http://www.catmarsters.com.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]