Patsy jiggled her hands. “So…”
“Right.” Trey roused himself, reaching to untie the sheet from one bedpost. He grinned to himself. “I didn't realize I'd enjoy sex with a cantankerous woman.” He could almost feel the glare she aimed at him.
“Cantankerous! Pot meet kettle. Not only are ya as irritable as an old cock without any hens, ya scare all the women and children with the stern expression ya always wear.”
Gods, it’s fun yanking her chain. “It's my face. I can't change it.”
“Smile a little more.”
“I smile.”
“Not often. Unless you’re plannin’ some devious, sadistic, sexual—”
Finished untying her from the bedposts, he thumped alongside her. “You enjoyed it.” He helped her draw her bound hands down, rubbing her shoulders.
“That’s beside the point. Are ya goin’ to untie me?”
“Are you going to stop berating me?” Her scowl was all the answer he needed. Probably not. “Peace, woman. I’ll untie you.”
When the strips of sheet had been pitched away and her wrists thoroughly rubbed, he pulled her into his arms. With her head nestled under his chin, his whole body relaxed, and he drowsed.
“What next?”
The question whispered across his consciousness. He stirred back awake. “We spend the next few days having fun and then go to Beta Tau.”
“And us?”
He nuzzled her hair. “Definitely.”
“Definitely what?” She resisted the urge to poke him with her elbow.
“Definitely us. Together. We should explore this attraction we have for one another.”
“Good.”
“You mean we agree on something?”
Patsy shifted against him. “Yes. But…”
“The cabaret.”
“Yes. I used my safeword. If you’re no longer instructin’ me, how am I supposed to get that inner knowledge of BDSM before we arrive at Beta Tau?”
“You won’t.”
“I won’t?”
Trey sighed. “That was an impossible expectation. I have a better idea.”
They lay in silence, and Trey drifted asleep until a slap on his arm woke him. “Do ya plan to share your better idea?”
“Oh. I thought it was obvious. I’ll be your expert consultant. You tell me your ideas. I explain what’s wrong with them. We’ll argue, and I’ll get to seek more retribution against you. In about three years, I might be able to train you to become a proper sexual submissive.”
“Oh. Sounds perfect.”
“Yeah.” He pulled her tighter into his arms and said, “Now hush. I want to sleep.”
“Anything ya say, feckin’ man.”
Trey was too exhausted to smile, but he did laugh inside.
THE END
The Adventure Continues…
In EDUCATED BY THE MASTER
A prequel to Trey: Son of Tallav, Book 4 in the Sons of Tallav series. Planned release in 2018.
Master Trey first appears as Adrianna Pacquin’s mentor in Shane: Marshal of Tallav, Book 1 in the Sons of Tallav series.
Sneak peek of SHANE: MARSHAL OF TALLAV
Trey sighed and scooped her hand into his. “I’m going to worry about you no matter what. I want you to be careful. I fully expect your contract with the marshal to work out. But things happen. I’m here if you ever need me. Message me. Okay?”
“Yes. Thank you, Sir.” Adrianna tightened her fingers around his.
“We haven’t discussed how you’ll use your empathic senses once you leave the Institute.” He moved to squat in front of her. “Don’t tell anyone about your abilities or that you were born on Preatiens. People will use you for their own ends. Even nice people.” Trey placed a finger under her chin and stared intently into her eyes. “That means the marshal too. Don’t tell him. You’ve lived here at the Opio, blocking your empathic gift. It’s in your best interest to continue doing so. Promise me.”
Adrianna felt the full force of his personality behind the concern of his words. “I understand what you’ve said, and for the most part I agree with you.”
Master Trey’s chin dipped, and his eyes narrowed.
She continued. “I appreciate you want to keep me safe, but it’s time for me to make my own decisions. So far I think I’ve done pretty well.”
After a moment of hesitation, Trey nodded.
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About Cailin Briste
Cailin has been writing fiction for six years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.
She is currently writing the third book in her Sons of Tallav sci-fi erotic romance series. Shane: Marshal of Tallav and Maon: Marshal of Tallav were released in 2016. It Takes a Cat Burglar, the first in the A Thief in Love Suspense Romance series was released in May 2017.
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www.CailinBriste.com
Vordol’s Vow
Dena Garson
Some vows are meant to be broken.
A long time ago Vordol Silveira learned that if he wanted to become the best bodyguard in the galaxy he needed to keep everyone except his brothers at arm’s length. That vow served him well until he runs into the now grown-up daughter of his former mentor while working a security job aboard LS Quantum.
Pitannah Lorento is a Quantum waitress who dreams of winning this year’s intergalactic burlesque competition in order to pay for her mother’s expensive medical treatment. Seeing Vordol again brings back years of unfulfilled desires – a distraction she doesn’t need. Yet, she’s no longer an awkward teenager and he is sexier than ever.
Vordol’s client’s safety has always come first but when Pitannah is threatened, his heart demands he make her priority. If he somehow manages to keep them both safe through the competition, his vow may become obsolete.
One
Pitannah Lorento finished working the rest of her shift in the dining room. The crowd remained fairly light but that would change in a few more days—once guests arrived for the annual Quantum Burlesque Talent Search. Soon the ship would be full to bursting with intergalactic celebrities, news personalities, and performers.
For the last six years she hadn’t missed a broadcast of the competition. The glitz and glamor that had dazzled her for so long was within reach. It was a dream come true to have the opportunity to enter much less compete.
She chewed on her thumb nail. Could she really do it? She had a routine and she had most of the entry fee. All she needed was a couple more costumes and a little over a hundred credits. If she didn’t enter, when would she ever get another chance?
She was still thinking about the glamorous lives the previous contest winners had gone on to live when she reached her cabin. Her two closest friends, Daloya and Trenna, were waiting for her. “What’s up?”
Trenna pushed away from the wall where she’d been leaning. “We thought you’d be off shift about now.”
“Just finished.” Pitannah used her IdentiBandd to unlock her door. The three of them piled inside the tiny cabin. “I guess you two aren’t working this evening. Did you guys want to go eat?”
“Yes, but we can wait a little while,” Daloya said. “We wanted to talk to you about something first.”
Pitannah dropped her apron onto her dresser. “Okay.” Something in Daloya’s tone gave her pause as if whatever they wanted to talk to her about might be upsetting. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at them expectantly.
“Well…” Daloya glanced at Trenna who nodded encouragingly. “We have been thinking.”
“And plotting,” Trenna added.
“About…?” Pitannah pull
ed one of her boots off.
“About you entering the talent search,”Daloya answered.
Pitannah froze and looked from Daloya to Trenna, then back to Daloya.
“We know you’ve been debating entering and we think you should do it,” Daloya told her.
Trenna nodded enthusiastically.
“We’ve both seen you dance. You have a natural talent for it,” Trenna told her.
“And your background in ballet is a bonus,” Daloya added.
“But—”
“You’ve done Burlesque,” Daloya cut off Pitannah’s objection.
“You said you made a lot of extra credits when you danced for that club while we were at University,” Trenna added.
“Yeah, but—”
“So why not use this as a chance to show off what you can do?” Trenna asked.
Daloya waved her hand in the direction of the upper decks. “Let those stuck up Quantum Stage Managers see what they’ve been missing out on.”
“I just can’t believe Cipolla has never noticed your talent,” Trenna muttered as she flopped into the chair. “Then again, he probably saw it but didn’t want his precious Bubbles to worry about any more competition than she already has for the lead spot.”
Pitannah held up one hand to stop their list of reasons why she should. “You’re right. I have been considering it. But my first problem is that I’ve only got one costume and it’s not very good. Nothing like they use on a stage like this one.”
“Not a problem,” Daloya reassured her.
Pitannah’s brows rose. “It is a problem. The costume is half of the performance.”
“We have that covered,” Trenna said smugly.
How did they have that covered? Costumes didn’t fall from the stars. Had they lost their minds?
“What are your other objections?” Trenna asked with a smirk.
“Even if I manage to round up one great costume, I’d really need three for the contest.” She shrugged. “Assuming I made it that far.”
Daloya pooh-poohed her concern away. “Go on.”
“And my fans have so much dust on them I’m not sure the feathers would stand up to the use.”
“You can use mine,” Trenna told her. “Remember that set I got from Violet DeLight a couple months ago? Gorgeous! I’d love to see you put them to good use.”
“Oooo. And I have a couple pair of gloves you can use,” Daloya added.
“I bet we could get others if you need something different to match your costume.” Trenna practically bounced with enthusiasm.
Daloya scrunched up her nose. “Assuming you want gloves, that is.”
Trenna swatted at Daloya. “Of course she wants gloves. That’s almost a requirement, right? Right up there with pasties.”
“And then there’s my routine.” Pitannah got up and began to pace. “My best is good but I’d need to work out some variations in order to accommodate the stage.”
“What do you mean?” Daloya asked.
“The stages I’ve performed on have been traditional curtained backdrop. The one here at Quantum is in the round.”
Daloya frowned. “So?”
“So, you don’t interact with the audience the same way.”
“But, you could handle that, right?” Daloya was always the optimist.
“Yes. I’d just need a little practice.” She tapped the side of her leg. “I’d also need to pump up one of my other acts in case I moved into the finals.”
“You’ve been around a lot of great shows this last year,” Trenna pointed out. “Surely you’ve seen some good examples and little things you could incorporate into your own to freshen it up.”
“Yeah,” Pitannah grudgingly admitted.
“We can help you practice this week,” Trenna told her.
“Yes. We’ll be your audience,” Daloya agreed.
“What about my shifts during the contest?” Pitannah asked. “I just got moved into the evening slots where the better tippers are. I need to keep my slots if I’m going to get paid.” She gestured wildly. “And what about the money? You guys know I need to send everything I earn that I can’t function without to mom and Lexiani. They’re going to need every credit we can scrape together for mom’s procedure. If I enter this contest I’m risking money that mom really needs.”
Daloya grabbed Pitannah’s hand. In a gentle voice she pointed out, “You do realize that if you won the contest you’d have enough credits to pay for your mom’s procedure and put some back for any other emergencies, right?”
Pitannah froze. “Really?” She quickly ran a few calculations around in her head.
“Plus you get to meet Ms. Ruby. The Grand Dame herself,” Trenna added. “She’s offering to mentor the winner of the show for six months.” Trenna’s smile widened. “That alone would guarantee you a headline spot in any Quantum show.”
Pitannah flopped onto the edge of her cot. Enough credits to pay for the procedure and save a bit back? That would be a dream come true.
“So, what do you say?” Daloya asked.
Pitannah cringed. Her mother really needed those credits and if she didn’t win the contest they would be short this month. It was a big gamble.
Daloya and Trenna sat on either side of her. “We thought it might be an issue for you so we took up a collection to cover your entry fee. If you can pitch in the last thirty credits, you’re good to go.”
Pitannah’s mouth fell open. “You took up a collection?”
Daloya nodded. “Me and Trenna and a few of the other girls believe you can do it. That you’ve been overlooked for too long and just need a chance to prove yourself. So we all saved our tips for the last few weeks.”
“Oh, and Maricelle won a jackpot in the casino the other night,” Trenna interjected.
“So if you go check your credit balance you’ll see a little extra,” Daloya told her.
Pitannah blinked back the tears pooling in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll do it.” Trenna elbowed her in the ribs. “That you’ll win this damn competition for all of us and that when you’re a famous star you won’t forget about us little people.”
Pitannah wrapped her arms around her two best friends. “I could never forget you guys.” She squeezed them. “Besides, if I get famous, you’ll be right there with me. I’m not letting you guys go for anything in the universe!”
Two
Vordol scanned the room of reporters from his position just behind Ms. Ruby Rose. Their trip to Quantum had gone smoothly, now he just needed to get her through the press conference. Once they were safely out of the spotlight he would be able to relax. A little anyway. In truth, he never relaxed. He was paid to stay alert and keep his clients safe.
While all his clients were important, keeping Ruby safe was personal for him. She was a long time-friend of his foster mother, Sela Rovnitov, and he considered her the great-aunt he never had. Thanks to Ruby’s part in the Terridine War, protecting her wasn’t always easy. Many Terridines had not forgotten how she helped the rebels smuggle key information out of the capital. Information that helped them break the federation’s hold on their supplies and support—thus winning their independence. Peace had been declared years ago, but grudges remained.
Ever since they arrived, he’d felt tingles at the back of his head. His internal warning system always told him when there was a threat but he didn’t spot anything out of place. When Quantum spokesperson pulled Ruby into the spotlight to face a crowded room of reporters and unknown personnel, Vordol had almost called the conference off. The only thing stopping him from dragging her out of the room was Ruby’s assurance that she was fine.
For the most part, it was a boring ordeal. Most questions remained centered on her hopes for this year’s contest and news of previous winners. But since he had been unable to personally secure the room, he couldn’t stop scanning every face in the crowd for threats.
As soon as he received the signal from Ruby that she was
ready to move along, he prompted his men to take their place at the door so they could control the crowd as they made their exit. Vordol steered her to the main lobby where they met the guest services representative assigned to Ruby. The staff member welcomed them and led them to Ruby’s suite.
Vordol made a cursory check of each room then asked one of his team to bring his bags from the ship. After ensuring everything met their satisfaction, the representative turned over the suite access cards and left them to settle in. Ruby’s trunk had already been delivered to her room.
“Would you like to rest for a while or would you rather go downstairs and circulate?” he asked Ruby.
“I do want to check in with the show staff, but I would rather wait until the press conference is finished.” She gestured to her trunk. “Besides, if I don’t unpack my gowns the wrinkles will never fall out.”
“That will give me a chance to get the back up security ready. Just let me know when you’re ready to go down.”
She waved him off. “Enjoy playing with your toys, dear.”
He chuckled and pulled the door closed behind him. His room lay at the opposite side of the suite. A sitting space —included a fully stocked bar—separated the two bedrooms. He grabbed a bottle of water from the chiller and package of snacks from the “welcome aboard” basket. Traveling with a VIP certainly had its advantages.
He’d just finished his drink when someone buzzed at the door. Vordol checked the security cam then pressed the button to admit his men.
“Nice digs,” Yranac said as he dropped bags on the table near the couch.
“Ruby usually gets top notch treatment.” Vordol unzipped the larger of the two duffels and dug out the equipment he wanted. “You guys get checked in?”
“Yeah. We’re just a few floors down on level fourteen.”
“Comm me your room number,” Vordol instructed.
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