Sky. We live
simply.”
“Hey, if you like simple, you’d love my apartment. But don’t
worry, love. I have friends, and they have transport.”
* * * * *
Elisa wasn’t certain she wanted to leave. She knew she
should—she had to be at the library when it opened, and her servants would grow
alarmed if she didn’t return tonight. The overly protective Alonda might even
call the patrollers, and then the world would know that Elisa n’Arell had gone
to Pas City with a Shareem.
But to be stuck down here with Braden, in this strange
world, would be exciting. She’d have to think hard about what he’d made happen
to her, but she didn’t regret it.
“I’d be grateful,” she said to Braden. “And I’ll pay them.”
“Sweetie, I don’t think Brianne d’Aroth needs your money.”
He rose, skimming his fingers across her shoulders as he left the table.
“Brianne?” Gods, he was going to ask the granddaughter of
the ruler of Bor Narga to give Elisa a ride home. The woman who was living with
two Shareem—who’d just gone home with those two Shareem. “Won’t she be…busy?”
Braden laughed. “Of course she will, and I’ll enjoy the hell
out of interrupting them.” He disappeared into the back hall, where Elisa saw
him leaning over a console.
Judith returned to wipe off the table. “You’re a celibate?”
she asked, sounding interested.
Elisa picked up her robes from the stool and folded them
over her arm. “I took the vows.”
Judith sent her a dark look. “Do me a favor, sweetie. Don’t
tease him. Shareem aren’t like us. If Braden can’t have you, don’t hurt him
pretending that maybe he can. Cut it off and let him go.”
Elisa regarded her in surprise. “I had no intention of
hurting him.” How could she, anyway?
Judith’s eyes softened. “The Shareem can be enticing, I
know. But the garbage about them not having emotions is just that—garbage. So
don’t mess with them, all right?”
She sounded so protective that Elisa wondered. “Are you and
Braden…?” She glanced toward the back room, where they could hear Braden
laughing. The sound of that laughter warmed Elisa.
“Lovers?” Judith finished. She grinned. “No, not in the
‘love’ sense of the word. He’s a friend. A good friend. I don’t like seeing him
hurt.”
Such an odd night Elisa was having—visiting Pas City for the
first time, with a Shareem no less, having her first-ever orgasm, and now a
barmaid looking her in the eye and championing that Shareem.
“I assure you that I have no power to hurt him,” Elisa said.
“I believe Braden is teasing me . I’ll go home and he’ll be finished with
this game.” Why did something inside her just die a little?
Judith gave the table a final swipe. “I don’t think so,
honey. You’ve been bitten, and you’ll want more. I kind of envy you, your first
time with a Shareem, but then I kind of don’t.” She straightened up, folding
her cloth. “It’s going to be rough.”
Before Elisa could ask what she meant, Judith walked away
and Braden returned. “All set, baby. Brianne’s driver’s on his way.” He slid
his arm around Elisa’s waist. “Aiden says hello, but what Ky said was
unrepeatable.”
His arm was strong, both protective and sensual. How
wonderful it would be to have Braden’s arm around her every day of her life,
for Elisa to be so casually intimate with him. She’d never had such thoughts
about a man before—not about anyone before. Only Braden.
It was still hot when they emerged from the bar, though the
night wind was clean, the sandstorm gone. A hovercar moved down the street
toward them.
Braden’s voice was low in her ear. “Kiss me goodbye?”
“I can’t.” But Elisa wanted to; oh, did she want to. “It’s
against the rules.”
“The kiss of a friend. On the cheek. Let me do that.”
That was allowed. Being celibate meant eschewing sex and
sexuality but not affection.
As the lights of the hovercar swept over them, Braden
simply.”
“Hey, if you like simple, you’d love my apartment. But don’t
worry, love. I have friends, and they have transport.”
* * * * *
Elisa wasn’t certain she wanted to leave. She knew she
should—she had to be at the library when it opened, and her servants would grow
alarmed if she didn’t return tonight. The overly protective Alonda might even
call the patrollers, and then the world would know that Elisa n’Arell had gone
to Pas City with a Shareem.
But to be stuck down here with Braden, in this strange
world, would be exciting. She’d have to think hard about what he’d made happen
to her, but she didn’t regret it.
“I’d be grateful,” she said to Braden. “And I’ll pay them.”
“Sweetie, I don’t think Brianne d’Aroth needs your money.”
He rose, skimming his fingers across her shoulders as he left the table.
“Brianne?” Gods, he was going to ask the granddaughter of
the ruler of Bor Narga to give Elisa a ride home. The woman who was living with
two Shareem—who’d just gone home with those two Shareem. “Won’t she be…busy?”
Braden laughed. “Of course she will, and I’ll enjoy the hell
out of interrupting them.” He disappeared into the back hall, where Elisa saw
him leaning over a console.
Judith returned to wipe off the table. “You’re a celibate?”
she asked, sounding interested.
Elisa picked up her robes from the stool and folded them
over her arm. “I took the vows.”
Judith sent her a dark look. “Do me a favor, sweetie. Don’t
tease him. Shareem aren’t like us. If Braden can’t have you, don’t hurt him
pretending that maybe he can. Cut it off and let him go.”
Elisa regarded her in surprise. “I had no intention of
hurting him.” How could she, anyway?
Judith’s eyes softened. “The Shareem can be enticing, I
know. But the garbage about them not having emotions is just that—garbage. So
don’t mess with them, all right?”
She sounded so protective that Elisa wondered. “Are you and
Braden…?” She glanced toward the back room, where they could hear Braden
laughing. The sound of that laughter warmed Elisa.
“Lovers?” Judith finished. She grinned. “No, not in the
‘love’ sense of the word. He’s a friend. A good friend. I don’t like seeing him
hurt.”
Such an odd night Elisa was having—visiting Pas City for the
first time, with a Shareem no less, having her first-ever orgasm, and now a
barmaid looking her in the eye and championing that Shareem.
“I assure you that I have no power to hurt him,” Elisa said.
“I believe Braden is teasing me . I’ll go home and he’ll be finished with
this game.” Why did something inside her just die a little?
Judith gave the table a final swipe. “I don’t think so,
honey. You’ve been bitten, and you’ll want more. I kind of envy you, your first
time with a Shareem, but then I kind of don’t.” She straightened up, folding
her cloth. “It’s going to be rough.”
Before Elisa could ask what she meant, Judith walked away
and Braden returned. “All set, baby. Brianne’s driver’s on his way.” He slid
his arm around Elisa’s waist. “Aiden says hello, but what Ky said was
unrepeatable.”
His arm was strong, both protective and sensual. How
wonderful it would be to have Braden’s arm around her every day of her life,
for Elisa to be so casually intimate with him. She’d never had such thoughts
about a man before—not about anyone before. Only Braden.
It was still hot when they emerged from the bar, though the
night wind was clean, the sandstorm gone. A hovercar moved down the street
toward them.
Braden’s voice was low in her ear. “Kiss me goodbye?”
“I can’t.” But Elisa wanted to; oh, did she want to. “It’s
against the rules.”
“The kiss of a friend. On the cheek. Let me do that.”
That was allowed. Being celibate meant eschewing sex and
sexuality but not affection.
As the lights of the hovercar swept over them, Braden
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