Page 32 of Shae’s Bounty
I clench my teeth to keep from moaning at the way he lightly toys with the edge between my bared flesh and the dress.
“I wonder, is your cunt begging for my touch like your nipples are?”
I gasp and snap my legs shut as my face flushes, because there is a really good chance that if he reached between my legs, he’d find me not just wet, but soaked.
“Don’t,” I plead, my voice barely more than a whisper. “You saw the dress. This wasn’t part of our deal.”
“Isn’t it?” His eyes flick to mine, the swirling blue unnerving in his too-handsome face. “Do you remember what I said about touching you?”
“This isn’t the same thing,” I argue. “You don’t need to prove anything to anyone in here.”
His thumb swipes across the junction of my hip and thigh, and I can’t stop the shiver that radiates from his touch. My heart is pounding, but neither of us moves while Volethos hovers over me, until he finally hums, or maybe he growls, “Very well.”
He pushes himself off me and takes a step back.
Lying with my arms still stretched above my head, I blink up at the ceiling and then tilt my head to look at where he’s moved against the wall. I frown. That isnotdisappointment curling tightly in my belly and between my legs.
He lets out another rumbled hum, and I pull my arms to my chest and push myself so I’m sitting up. Shit. What is the matter with me?
Volethos strides over to the duffels he dropped. Pulling one of them open, he paws through it before pulling out a long silky gown.
“Here,” he thrusts it at me, “go bathe while we wait for our meal. They should be bringing it soon.”
I look down at the unfamiliar nightgown, wondering where it came from and how he managed to sneak it into my things. The material slides through my fingers when I ball it up and push myself to my feet. I bolt for the door that I guessed must lead to the bathroom and shut myself inside.
The lights snap on as soon as I enter. I blink at their brightness for a moment, and then…holy shit.
In the center of the room is a pool-sized jacuzzi with swirling water and tendrils of steam dancing above it. I moan at the chance to take a hot bath, something I’d written off as never going to happen again.
Glancing back at the door, I look to see if there is a way to lock it. If there is, I can’t figure it out. My head swivels back and forth between the pool and the unlocked door. Do I chance it? I worry my bottom lip between my teeth.Fuck it!
My fingers go to the tie at my hip, and the dress drops to the floor in a heap, followed by the surprisingly lightweight collar and then the silk mask.
Letting out a pleasant sigh, I admire my natural tan skin tone as I dip my toes into the deliciously warm swirling water of the pool. Shivers skitter over my skin, leaving goosebumps behind as I slowly sink down into the heat until I’m submerged up to my chin.
A light perfume tickles my nose, and I settle onto a built-in bench with a padded backrest. This is heaven. My eyes slide closed, and I let the swirling water relax away my sore muscles and tension. In this perfect moment, I decide that whatever happens while we’re at this convention, I’ll get through it. It will be fine. I’ll endure and move on. Just like I always do.
I soakin the pool until every inch of me is wrinkled and waterlogged. To my surprise, Volethos doesn’t intrude like I expect him to.
Using one of the plush towels that is set out, I dry myself and then slip the nightgown over my head. It’s a longer, slightly more modest version of the slip dresses Kurrahstka made Danielle and I wear, with slits that run up both thighs.
My hands skim down my sides and over my hips. It’s beautiful, but not very functional for sleepwear, and the thin material leaves far too little to the imagination.
I quickly realize I can’t wear this in front of Volethos! So I start going through drawers and cupboards hoping there might be a robe, like fancy hotels on Earth have. To my immense relief, I find one in a small closet. It’s sized for a creature twice my size, but thick and plush and covers me from my chin to my toes.
When I open the door, I’m met with the delicious smell of something savory that has my mouth watering and my stomach rumbling. Volethos is standing by the small table, where a two-tiered serving cart is parked. He’s changed back into a plain tunic and removed his mask and the torque from around his neck, disengaging the holo-suit.
Seeing him without the disguise calms my nerves some.
“That smells amazing,” I say.
His head snaps over to me, and he suddenly straightens. “It just arrived. Come. Sit, before it gets cold.”
He holds a chair out for me, and I drop down into it. I’m surprised when he pushes me in, like a gentleman, before taking his seat across from me.
The small table is laden with dishes and serving bowls, so much that I don’t know where to even start. Especially since most of it is unrecognizable. Rolling up my sleeves, I begin filling my plate with small samples of everything.
“This is an awful lot for just two people,” I observe, seeing even more food still on the cart.