Razar

by Starr Huntress

  “I can’t say that I am,” I replied, still fascinated with the obscene amount of food that was on display. “This isn’t just for me, is it?”

  “It is.”

  “That’s...insane.”

  “It seems like Varon is sparing no expenses when it comes to you, Ms. Harper.”

  “Please, it’s Alicia,” I said, not wanting to follow Varon’s lead in this. Even if he liked being treated as a mighty ruler, I preferred for others to look at me as part of the common folk.

  “Alicia,” he repeated, the way he said it making my heart skip a beat. I didn’t know why this kept on happening, but there was no denying it—the more time I spent around Razar, the more my body seemed to welcome this closeness. “Well, let me show you around.”

  We left the foyer behind, and spent the next two hours exploring the enormous complex. The tower’s lowest floors were massive casinos, all of them completely crowded, and only the exclusive game rooms had a more reserved atmosphere.

  Right above the casino levels were all kinds of refined shops, their displays brimming with luxury goods—from jewelry made of glowing metals to tech stores with the latest chips, there seemed to be a little of everything in there. In a way, the tower was almost like a miniature version of a city, all these shops making for an impressive commercial district.

  “Overwhelmed?” Razar asked right after he showed me holographic cinemas, massive empty rooms where customers could immerse themselves in a very realistic story-telling experience.

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “We’ve been walking for two hours, and we’re still on the lower levels. And this place has...well, it has everything, even stuff I didn’t even know existed. Just how rich is Varon, exactly?”

  “He’s pretty damn rich,” Razar said, and chuckled softly. “I mean, the galaxy is vast, and there are people and corporations far wealthier than Varon is. Still, he’s probably richer than the wealthiest person on Earth.”

  “It’s hard to imagine him running a place like this.”

  “The tower is mostly run by the board of directors,” Razar continued. “Varon didn’t exactly build the company from scratch, you know? His father did all the heavy lifting, and Varon ended up inheriting it all. He’s not as hands-on as his father was, though. That’s for the best. Most of his companies depend on the profit generated by this casino, so he knows not to mess with it. Most of the time, anyway.”

  “Huh, I see.”

  It made sense—Varon behaved more like a petulant child than a successful businessman, and to inherit such a fortune explained his childish behavior. Still, that only worried me. If Varon wasn’t even a capable manager or even a decent hard worker, then what exactly were his good qualities? Did he even have any?

  “Come, let me show you to your suite.” He laid a hand on my shoulder, and I felt thunder shoot up my spine. His skin brushed lightly against my naked shoulder and, just for the tiniest of moments, I was breathless. Unable to speak, I nodded and followed him toward one of the tube elevators. Once inside it, Razar inputted a security code onto the panel, and a disembodied electronic voice announced we were now en route to the penthouse floor.

  Despite the neck-breaking speed of the elevator—which I barely felt—it took us almost a minute to reach the top. Once there, the door slid to the side and I found myself in a massive apartment, far larger than I had imagined it would be. In a way, the penthouse floor seemed more like a self-contained mansion than anything else.

  The floors were of polished marble, and there were even columns of it supporting the vaulted ceiling. There were floor-to-ceiling windows instead of actual walls and, to one side, the apartment opened up into a massive sun deck that overlooked the entire city. We were so high that, if I squinted, I could actually see the ocean right on the horizon line.

  “It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Laughing, Razar then started showing me the multitude of rooms in the apartment. There were multiple bedrooms—although, as per Razar, I would have to share the master bedroom with Varon—a kitchen large enough to cook lunch for a hundred people, a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, and even a bathing area with a swimming pool and a jacuzzi.

  “This much luxury…” I muttered, dipping my toes into the pool. “It’s insane. How can anyone have this much money?”

  “That’s the way things are. It doesn’t matter if you’re on Earth or Tarkun IV—some things never really change.” Suddenly, Razar’s smile faded. “Hey, watch out, the tiles there are really slippery. I don’t want you to—”

  It was too late.

  I felt the ground shift under my feet and, next thing I know, I was tipping over. Reacting on pure instinct, I reached for Razar and dug my fingers into his forearm. That didn’t stop me from falling, and so I just dragged him after me as I crashed into the pool. Disoriented, I swallowed some water and started sputtering, my limbs flailing around aimlessly.

  “Easy now,” I heard Razar say, then I felt his hands on my hips.

  Gently, he pushed me up until my head was above water, and I took in a deep breath. My heart stopped racing then, and I placed both hands on Razar’s chest. His shirt was now soaking wet, showing the perfect contour of his pectorals, but it wasn’t like I needed to see them—no, I could feel them. “You alright?”

  “I am now,” I replied, looking straight into his eyes. Suddenly, my heart went back to racing. I became too aware of the way his hands fit on my hips, almost as if they had been designed to fit the shape of my body, and I felt myself drawn to his gaze. It was then that I realized that the heat I felt whenever I stood too close to him was an unbridled attraction.

  “Maybe…” he started, his voice falling into a whisper. “Maybe we should leave the pool.” Despite his words, he didn’t move. The only thing that moved were his eyes, and they darted straight to my lips. Next thing I knew, Razar was leaning in, and my eyelids started fluttering. We kissed, then and there, and...

  It was perfect.

  Razar

  For the first time in my life, I had lost control.

  I didn’t exactly know what it was, but there was something about Alicia that made it impossible for me to think rationally. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, my instincts just kept on thrashing around under my mind’s surface, demanding to be set free. Now, they had finally broken out of their cage, and my lips were on Alicia’s.

  She didn’t seem to mind.

  In fact, it was the opposite.

  She parted her lips to welcome mine, and soon enough, her tongue was dancing around my own. Her hands on my chest wandered down to my stomach, slowly tracing the contour of my abs. At that moment, I was standing on the edge of a precipice and, if I didn’t pull back from her, I was going to fall into it headfirst.

  “I’m sorry,” I finally managed to say, pulling away from her. “I don’t know what came over me.” I swam to the edge of the pool, and hoisted myself up. Alicia remained where she was, her red hair floating around her like wildfire. Her cheeks had turned red as well and, when she finally came to her senses, she bit on the corner of her lip and lowered her gaze.

  “It’s fine,” she whispered softly, then pulled herself out. As she did, her drenched dress clung to her curves like a lover’s hands, and my heart suddenly felt like a hand grenade. My blood started boiling inside my veins, and it took all that I had to keep my tail from moving around like a whip. “It’s my fault, really. I slipped, and then I…I don’t know. It just happened.”

  “And it shouldn’t have happened,” I continued. It hurt to say those words, but they had to be said. Even if that kiss had been one of the most perfect experiences in my entire life, Alicia wasn’t my mate. To kiss her went against my duties, just as it went against the law, and I wasn’t the kind of Jorkan that would act in such a selfish way. I was better than that. “Again, I’m sorry, Alicia. I promise you it won’t happen again.”

  “No, it won’t,” she said, but her voice was quivering slightly. It didn’t sound like she truly meant it. Eithe
r that, or I was hearing the hesitancy in her words because I didn’t want her to mean it.

  Clearing my throat, I crossed the length of the room and grabbed a folded towel from the corner. Doing my best not to look into her eyes—I couldn’t afford to lose myself in them again—I pushed the towel into her hands. My knuckles brushed against her skin and, once more, I felt the sudden urge to pin her against the wall and kiss her.

  Get a fucking grip, I thought to myself.

  “Thank you,” Alicia whispered, then started drying her hair. “I’m going to need some clothes, but I don’t—”

  “The closet is fully stocked with clothes tailored according to your measurements,” I said, happy that I had an excuse to leave the bathing area. “I’m going to grab some of them for you.”

  Before she had the chance to say anything, I bolted out of the room. I made a beeline toward the sprawling closet meant just for her, and only then did I realize that I had no idea how to choose an outfit for a woman.

  “Alright, first things first,” I said, heading toward the drawers at the back. I pulled them open to reveal neat stacks of folded underwear, and suddenly found myself picturing Alicia in them. I picked a dark thong and a matching bra, making a very conscious effort to look away from them. My imagination was running wild, and I couldn’t give it any more ammo.

  Holding the underwear in my hands, I chose a loose-fitting green dress. Not sure if Alicia would like my choice, I grabbed two more dresses, then left the closet. Once I returned to the bathing area, Alicia was in the process of undressing. I should’ve said something to announce myself but, instead, I stood by the doorway and watched, too stunned to say a damn thing.

  Slowly, Alicia peeled the wet dress off her body, revealing the matching red lingerie she wore underneath, and my heart went from feeling like a hand grenade to feeling like a thermonuclear bomb. Alicia was absolutely perfect, so much that I wondered if it was legal for anyone to look that good.

  “Holy fuck,” I whispered, not even blinking as she unclasped her bra. Her breasts spilled out from their cups, and my tail suddenly unwrapped itself. It did it so fast that the tip slapped itself against the door, and that made Alicia pause. She spun around and, once she noticed me standing there, she wrapped a towel around her body. “I got your, huh, clothes. I’m gonna leave them right here.”

  Keeping my eyes away from her, I laid the clothes on the floor, and retreated toward the door so that she could have some privacy. Before I could leave the room, though, Alicia called after me.

  “Can I ask you a question?” She looked at me, hesitant. Her lips were pursed, and I noticed she was clenching one of her hands. She only continued talking once I gave her a nod. “Varon...what kind of man is he?”

  “He’s a wealthy individual, and he owns the tower we’re in. He has a lot of real estate on Tarkun IV, but his companies control other interests in different parts of the—”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “I know.”

  Fuck, could I really tell her the truth? Varon was a pathetic Jorkan, an arrogant bastard that couldn’t hold a candle to his late father. He didn’t care for others, nor did he have any compassion toward anyone. The only thing Varon truly cared about was himself. Still, none of that changed the fact that I worked for him.

  “Varon is...different,” I finally said, hating myself for not telling her the naked truth.

  “Different?”

  “Just bide your time, Alicia,” I said. “You’ll have to spend thirty days here, but after that you’ll be free to go.”

  She gave a nod, and my heart tightened inside my chest. Even though I hadn’t spelled it out for her, Alicia had gotten the gist of it: Varon was an unredeemable bastard, and she’d do well to steer clear of him.

  Alicia

  “You’ve changed dresses.” Varon burst into the penthouse two hours after Razar left, and it seemed like he had gone for more than just a simple massage. There was a spring to his step, and his voice was more high-pitched than usual. The purple in his cheeks had also deepened, and his eyes seemed somewhat unfocused. I wasn’t exactly an expert on drugs, alien or otherwise, but if I had to make a guess, I’d say Varon had been enjoying them freely.

  “I just had to freshen up,” I said, deciding to omit what had happened during the afternoon. Varon didn’t need to know about it, especially in the state he was in. “How was your massage?”

  “It was good,” he replied, casually waving his hand as if he were dismissing my question. He looked straight at me, appraising my dress, then pursed his lips. “You’re gonna have to change again. I’ve had the staff prepare a reception party on the casino floor.”

  “What’s wrong with this dress?” I looked down at the loose green fabric, arching one eyebrow as I tried to uncover what was wrong with it. It suited me just fine.

  “Please, Alicia, someone like you must know better.” He barked a laugh, and placed both hands on his hips as he shook his head. “It’s a gala reception. You must dress to impress.” Without giving me the time to offer any commentary, he marched into the master bedroom. Moments later and he emerged with a tight-fitting black dress. “Here, try this.”

  Stunned by his nerve, I grabbed the dress from his hands and stared at it. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  His expression darkened as soon as the words left my mouth. I eyed his expression, recognizing the beginning of the same kind of entitled temper tantrum I often saw on men’s faces in the bar when they got too drunk and started berating their girlfriends. Sometimes more than berating.

  I was stuck here with no real protection. The smart thing to do would be to grit my teeth and bide my time.

  I stalked into the closet and changed clothes, biting back choice words. Smart, be smart. The new dress revealed too much of my cleavage, and the hemline was shorter than what I usually felt comfortable with. Still, there was no denying it—the damn thing looked good on me.

  When I finally left the closet, I found a small procession of servants wandering into the master bedroom. Varon stood at the center, arms spread to the side as his employees busied themselves with a dark tunic embroidered with gold. It seemed like Varon was too rich to even dress himself. I’m sure he’d want me to be impressed, but the whole display was just pathetic.

  “Shall we?” he asked once he was ready, offering me his arm. Before I could reply, there was a loud knock at the door, and a holographic image appeared right before us to reveal the culprit. “What the fuck does he want now? Come in!”

  Yilap walked into the apartment with a serious expression on his face. He approached us, pursing his lips, then stopped. He rocked back and forth on his heels, struggling with whatever it was he had come here to say.

  “Spit it out,” Varon said. “We’re already late.”

  “Sir, I just think this reception gala you have organized flies straight in the face of what we’re trying to achieve here,” Yilap finally said. “This thirty-day period has been carefully designed to create an opportunity for you and Ms. Harper to get to know each other, and hopefully develop an intimate bond. A party of this size, with a lot of your acquaintances, I don’t think that—”

  “What are you worried about?” Laughing, Varon just shook his head and pushed his way past Yilap, grabbing my arm. He yanked me after him so suddenly that I almost tripped on my heels. “We’re fine, and Alicia is enjoying herself. If you really think that you and your insignificant resort can really come up with something better than what I have here...I’m sorry to say, but that just makes you delusional.”

  “Sir, this isn’t a critique, it’s a mere—”

  Varon didn’t even let the blue Jorkan finish. He just dragged me out of the apartment and slammed the door behind us, silencing Yilap.

  “What an annoying little prick,” he said, more to himself than to me. “I should have security escort him out.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” I found myself saying. Even though Yilap seemed to be a littl
e bit extra, I actually liked the guy. Unlike the Jorkan who was supposed to be my mate, at least Yilap seemed to be concerned about my well-being. “Let’s just focus on the party, shall we?”

  “Most definitely,” Varon agreed and, just a minute later, the tube elevator was landing on the ground floor. A red carpet had been placed right outside and, once again, both sides of it were crowded with Varon’s employees, their posture almost militaristic. As if we were royalty, they all bowed their heads as we walked through the foyer and into the casino area itself.

  The casino, a cavernous room filled with a variety of holographic games, was even more crowded than it had been during the afternoon. This time, though, the people here didn’t seem to be regular customers. The few Jorkan I could spot in the crowd seemed to be wearing a tunic like Varon’s, which I assumed to be some kind of gala attire, and even the other aliens seemed to be dressed to the nines. All the females had scintillating earrings of a metal I didn’t recognize, and even their dresses and garments seemed to glow.

  There was an aura of obscene opulence to it all, and I didn’t know if I was comfortable with any of it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that no, I definitely wasn’t comfortable with any of it. As soon as we walked down the stairs leading into the reception area, Varon took hold of my arm and started waving at our audience. Everyone clapped cheerfully and for a moment I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.

  I had never been the kind of person who thrived under the spotlight, and I certainly hadn’t been ready for something like this. To be thrown into this situation was bad enough, but now I felt like I was Varon’s trophy, something he could show off to all his friends and acquaintances. My anger simmered, but I tamped it down.

  “Isn’t she magnificent?” Standing at the foot of the stairs, Varon let go of me and started talking to a yellow Jorkan in a tunic similar to his. I stood there with a tight smile while he kept on talking about me as if I weren’t even in the room. “I’ll tell you, the women of Earth are unlike anything else. Of all the things that I own, I can say with the utmost certainty that Alicia here is the absolute best.”