“Indeed. Afterward, he was tattooed from head to toe with slave labels. The labels have since been removed, but nothing can reverse the damage to his scalp.”
“No wonder he acts like such a prick,” Monica said.
“Don’t feel too sorry for him,” Shauss replied. “Believe me, Zannen takes great pleasure in being a prick.”
“Is that any way to talk about your own brother?”
Shauss didn’t even blink at Zannen’s voice. “You expect me to sing your praises?”
Monica focused on Kellen once more. “Okay, so getting back to the topic at hand, if body hair radiates pheromones, wouldn’t you be better off letting us remove it?”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Only because it doesn’t make sense. Aren’t you afraid my radiating pheromones will make some half-crazed male jump me?”
“We have numerous safeguards in place to prevent such an occurrence.”
Monica snorted. “You know, if you guys would quit being such homophobes and fuck each other, you wouldn’t have to worry about pheromones at all.”
“Why in Peserin’s name are you so determined to see males mate with males?” Kellen asked, clearly exasperated.
“I just don’t understand why men who are so desperate for sex would let pride stand in their way.”
“You believe that pride is all that prevents us from satisfying each other?”
“Yup.”
“Monica,” Shauss finally said in a silky tone, “if you’re so convinced that switching teams is easy, why don’t you—what’s the term?—put your money where your mouth is?”
Intrigued, Tiber looked at Monica in time to see her grin slip. “Say what?”
“What’s going on in that devious head of yours, Shauss?” Kellen asked.
“Monica told me that if all the males in the world suddenly perished, she’d have sex with Jasmine.”
Interest stirred in Kellen’s eyes as he turned to stare at Monica. “Did she now? I didn’t know you swung that way, my love.”
“I don’t,” she said carefully. Then she added, “Normally.”
“But you’d make an exception if you had to,” Shauss pushed.
“Shauss, you’re a bastard,” Monica said, but he noticed she was fighting a smile. “And yes, I could switch teams if the need arose.”
“Prove it,” he challenged. “Kiss Jasmine. And I don’t mean a peck on the cheek—I mean a full tongue kiss that lasts at least a minute.”
When she turned to Kellen, he held up his hands defensively. “Don’t look at me—I’m a homophobe, remember?”
She stared at Jasmine for a long moment, and Tiber didn’t bother to conceal his interest as Jasmine stared back.
Do it, he urged them silently. Because she knew it aroused him no end, Nelina had occasionally brought a submissive female to their bed and played with her for hours while he watched. He’d give anything to be tortured like that again.
When Jasmine turned pink and dropped her gaze to her plate, Monica said, “No problem.”
She got up and rounded the table. “Stand up, Jasmine.”
Tiber’s groin tightened at the air of command about her and he thanked the Powers that Hastion had insisted he stay.
Shauss heard Jasmine swallow and then she looked up at him. Satisfied beyond measure that she was waiting for his direction in front of his insufferable brother, he said, “By all means.”
“The pheromone level in here is going through the roof,” Monica murmured. “I thought you guys resented it when women pleasured each other.”
“Only because we never got to watch,” Kellen said.
“And when we did, we were sent away unsatisfied,” Shauss added. “But that won’t be a problem tonight.”
He grinned when Zannen groused, “Not for you.”
“There’s always the probe.”
Zannen speared him with a look. “I prefer fucking to being fucked, if it’s all the same to you.”
Jasmine stood up. Monica towered over her in an almost aggressive stance, her long blonde-streaked hair falling carelessly over her shoulders, her tight wrapsuit hiding nothing of her considerable feminine assets. Jasmine, barefoot and delicate in the ultrafeminine dress, looked every inch the submissive as she stood with her eyes cast down and her chest rising with every rapid breath. Shauss almost expected her to drop to her knees before his former mate.
“Look at me, Jas.” When Jasmine looked up, Monica asked, “Are you okay with this?”
Jasmine nodded.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Just water,” Jasmine murmured.
Monica looked at Kellen and then took Jasmine’s face in both her hands and kissed her without hesitation. Their mouths opened and it was obvious that Monica was plumbing Jasmine’s with her tongue. The sight was unbelievably arousing, and when Jasmine whimpered and leaned into her, resting her hands on Monica’s hips, Shauss’ cock turned to a fiery pillar of stone.
But Monica gentled the kiss almost at once, wrapping her arms around Jasmine and rubbing her back. Shauss began to feel a prickle of concern that was dangerously akin to jealousy.
Chastising himself for the fool he was, he forced the feeling down. After all, it had been he who insisted they kiss in the first place.
Monica finally backed away, dropping a few more gentle kisses on Jasmine’s lips and cheek before holding her tight.
“Sorry,” she whispered when she pulled away. “Are you okay?”
Jasmine looked troubled. “I’m fine.”
“Dare I say it?” Shauss asked.
“Fine. You told me so. Happy now? Sit, Jasmine.” When Jasmine obeyed, Monica frowned and picked up her glass to sniff the contents. “Are we sure this is just water? Her pupils are completely dilated.”
“Monica, have you ever heard of subspace?” Shauss asked.
Monica’s eyes narrowed. “I take it you’re not talking about how Captain Kirk phones home?”
“No, I’m talking about the state of a submissive’s mind when she’s deeply affected by being dominated.”
She looked between the two of them with keen speculation. “Holy shit, Jas—you’re into that?”
“Apparently.” She sounded like she was having difficulty talking and Shauss looked at her sharply.
“No wonder you two are so attracted.” Monica shook her head. “Shauss is a total Dominant.”
“I’m not the one who dominated her just now, Monica,” he said, once more fighting off his unaccountable jealousy. “I believe that honor went to you.”
Her mouth opened in shock. “But I—you—” Then she looked chagrined. “Holy shit, I didn’t mean to.”
“That’s just who you are, my love,” Kellen said. “A very dominant female who enjoys being dominated in bed occasionally.”
“Occasionally,” she snorted. “More like daily.”
“It’s a dirty job…” Kellen’s lips quirked.
Monica smirked at him before focusing on Shauss. “But if I was dominating her, doesn’t that still mean she’s under the influence?”
“No doubt she’s under the influence of several things, not the least of which is her desire to please a Dom.” Or a Domme, he thought sourly. “But none of them render her unable to make an informed decision.”
Monica looked unconvinced, so Shauss asked, “When Kellen dominates you, who ultimately has control of the situation?”
“He does, duh. That’s why it’s called domination.”
“If you failed to become aroused or were genuinely frightened, would he continue to dominate you?”
“Probably not.”
“You don’t think your fright or lack of arousal could excite him, make him even more determined to force you?”
“Only if he was an utter asshole, which he’s not.”
“You trust him to stop when you really want him to.”
“Yes,” she blew out on an exasperated breath.
“So you hold the ultimate control of the situation.”
“I guess so but…” She looked at Jasmine with concerned eyes.
“But…?”
“Jasmine is more sensitive than I am,” she finally said. “And you’re nowhere near as agreeable as Kellen.”
“In other words, she’s a doormat and I’m a bully.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Jasmine, would you kiss one of the elders if I asked you to?” Shauss inquired.
She shuddered. “No. Way.”
“What if I wanted you to kiss the commander?”
Jasmine’s face reddened and she thought for a minute before saying, “Only if Monica really wanted me to.”
“Which I don’t.”
Kellen’s eyes twinkled as he lifted his glass for a swig of ale. “Come now, Monica—surely what’s sauce for the goose…”
“Will cook your gander but good,” Monica shot back with a stern look.
Kellen just smiled. Shauss didn’t know how he accepted her castigation so complacently. He’d have her over his knee, begging for mercy.
“So Jasmine, how do you feel about having kissed Monica?” he asked.
“I…I’m not sure.”
“Think about it. Do you feel shame? Disgust? Like you’re going to regret it in the morning?”
“No, not at all. I feel…” Tears welled in her eyes and she stood up. “Excuse me.”
She fled into the head.
“Way to go, asshole,” Monica scolded him before following her.
* * * * *
“Jas, I’m so, so sorry!” Monica wrapped her arms around Jasmine’s shoulders from behind and bussed her on the temple. “Me and my big mouth.”
Jasmine gave a choked laugh, still trying to hold back an imminent sob storm. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not! I had something to prove to those guys, and not only did I prove exactly the opposite, but I hurt you in the process.”
Jasmine leaned back against her shoulder and sighed. “No, that’s not it at all. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed, this…free.” This loved. That was what she couldn’t say. For the first time since her mother died, she felt loved. It was a pain that hurt so good.
A tear streaked down her cheek. “You know what I am, Monica. I mean, my God, you’ve even done a complete pelvic on me, so you’ve seen exactly what I am. And yet you kissed me and held me like it didn’t—” She swallowed a sob, and choked out, “Like it didn’t matter to you at all.”
“It doesn’t!”
“I miss my mother so much.” Jasmine couldn’t keep it in. “She was the only person in the whole world who ever really knew me, loved me, you know? And since she died, I’ve been so totally alone.” She wiped her eyes. “It’s just really scary to know there’s no one at your back.”
“I know,” Monica said. “And you’re not alone anymore, no matter what happens. Remember that.”
Jasmine turned and faced her. “I want you to remove the galathene barrier.”
“Okay. I got your spray replicated, so tomorrow—”
“No.” Jasmine shook her head. “I mean now. Tonight.”
“Will the spray take effect that quickly?”
“I don’t want it.”
Monica stared at her. “What are you saying?”
“Monica, you were right when you said I was living a lie on Earth, and now I know I’ll never be able to go back there and take up where I left off. I’m just…done with it. All the barrier and the spray are doing is postponing the inevitable. My life on Earth is over, and I don’t want to go back to that room with Shauss tonight and be fake again. I can’t.”
“Oh my God, you do love him.”
She nodded, no longer able to deny it. “Do you ever think that some things are just meant to be?”
“Yeah, I do,” Monica said firmly. “Would you believe I knew Kellen’s name before I knew he even existed?”
Jasmine’s eyes widened and her heartbeat picked up speed. “Really?”
“Yup. I had a dog named Kellen, bought a house in Kellen Gardens, and even scribbled Mrs. Monica Kellen in the margins of my notebooks when I was in college. I never realized it, but I was waiting for him, and the first time I saw him, something inside me recognized him.”
Jasmine felt something settle inside her.
“I’ve had these odd little visions all my life,” she said softly. “I dream of myself working in a garden, only it’s a different me. I have curly hair down to my butt and I’m wearing an earth-mother dress, and I’m pregnant and absolutely thrilled about it. And working beside me, just beyond my line of sight, is someone I love more than my own life.”
Taking a deep breath, she finally admitted the truth to herself.
“The first time I saw Shauss, I knew it was him—and yet not. I felt like I’d been duped. I’d walked through the door expecting this gentle watercolor lover, and then the door slammed behind me and I was trapped in limbo with the darkest, most terrifying man in the world.” She swallowed hard. “It was like a countdown on my life had begun, and the harder I fought it, the more inevitable it became—like he was my destiny, and my destiny was my doom.”
“Holy fucking shit. What did you do?”
Jasmine smiled weakly. “I kept typing and he walked right by. But from that moment on, I felt like I was living on borrowed time.”
“Christ, and there I thought you were the Stepford secretary.”
“I had to do that, Monica. I had to paint on that perfect face and sculpt this perfect body and dress in those perfect clothes and put on my best mechanical act. It was the only way to stay sane. But when I wound up on this ship and Shauss stripped off my clothes and made me fight and scream, it felt…weirdly right, like I’d taken one giant step closer to my perfect doom.” She looked Monica in the eye. “And now I feel like I have to take the next step. Maybe the last step.”
“Oh my God, I’m getting goose bumps. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I know it sounds crazy, but just knowing that you’re here, that you know and care about the real me, gives me the courage to face it. Deep down, I need to be with Shauss more than I’ve ever needed anything. Just once I need to be with him as myself, no matter what it costs. I need to breathe him in and soak him up and just…wallow in him. I don’t know what will happen to me afterward, and frankly, at this point I don’t care. I just want one real night with him to remember after he finds out.”
“But—”
“He will find out.” Jasmine looked at her. “It’s only a matter of time. And he’s not the type to just forgive and forget.”
Lord, remembering his “interrogation” in the commander’s dining room just about gave her hives now. He wouldn’t hold back this time.
“I won’t let him hurt you.”
“Don’t jeopardize yourself, Monica—this is between him and me.”
“You think he and Kellen won’t wonder how I missed the signs of Sparnism?”
“I already told you, I had an accident as a child and developed early-onset menopause. Period. It’s a bona fide condition, Monica. Look it up.”
“I know.” She hugged her again. “I’m afraid you’re right—he won’t be very understanding. But I’ll do everything I can to make him understand. He’ll come around eventually. I have a good feeling about you two.”
“That makes me feel better.”
“Okay, let’s go peel this crap out of your nose.”
* * * * *
Shauss deeply regretted having let his need to best Monica override his sensitivity to Jasmine’s needs. When the two females walked through hand in hand and headed for the infirmary to treat her headache, Monica’s eyes reproaching him with every step, he kicked himself for being all kinds of fool. Tiber’s offer to accompany them was politely but firmly rebuffed as well, and Shauss cursed himself for not showing more understanding and compassion after he claimed her.
When they retu
rned, he pulled Jasmine into his lap and tried to feed her a few more bites of her meal, along with a goblet of white wine to help her relax. He didn’t like feeling so inadequate. First he’d failed to induce her orgasm and then she’d turned to Monica for emotional comfort. Knowing that Monica had access to parts of his mate that he didn’t, bothered him immensely.
Once dinner was done and they stood up to leave, Monica and Jasmine shared a lengthy hug. Shauss tensed at the worried look in Monica’s eye. It was almost as if she didn’t want to let her go, as if she were sending Jasmine off on a long and dangerous voyage from which she might not return.
“She’ll be fine,” he said, disturbed that she would think him less than capable of taking care of his mate.
“I’ll be fine,” Jasmine reiterated.
Monica nodded.
As they walked, Jasmine’s hand seemed to practically vibrate in his. She was so far from the Stepford creature Monica always accused her of being, so full of pent-up energy, he barely recognized her. And yet he wouldn’t have her any other way. He was beginning to realize he was much closer to seeing the real Jasmine than she’d ever intended to let him and the idea was arousing.
When they entered his quarters, he turned to her. “You might as well make up your mind right now that you’re going to orgasm because we’re not done here until you do.”
“Well then,” she said, licking her lips nervously, “I think it’s only fair that I explain why that might be difficult.”
When she hesitated, he kissed her delicately. “You don’t have to be afraid—you can tell me anything.”
“I’ve only had one orgasm in my life,” she explained hesitantly.
“Is that so?”
Excitement burst through him. She was all but a virgin. He led her to the chair and pulled the clips from her hair. Waiting patiently for her to explain, he started brushing the luxuriant mass in long, even strokes.
“My…my clitoris isn’t all that sensitive, and no matter how much attention you pay it, I won’t come. The one time I had an orgasm, it took the guy’s pubic bone slamming against mine for a very long time to make it happen.”
After digesting that for a moment, he said, “I wish you’d told me earlier.”
“Well, it’s hardly the kind of announcement you make in front of a crowd.”
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