“What?” Jasmine sat forward to get a better look at his face. “He was married many times?”
“You could say that,” Rick repeated.
“How many wives did he have?” Jasmine asked. Viktor mumbled something. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear.”
“He said,” Rick grinned, winking at her, “King Attor had over a hundred and fifty wives at one time.”
“Oh,” Jasmine gasped. Why was she suddenly thinking of Reid? And why was she suddenly jealous to think he might have just as many wives? If he was married, then why in the world did he get upset because she was? “That is … extremely excessive.”
Remembering what Rick had said about Reid wanting to marry her off, she tensed. She didn’t like the idea of marrying again, but she liked less the idea that Reid would try to give her away. It’s not like she wanted to be one of Reid’s hundred and fifty wives--or any man’s for that matter. She already tried the marriage thing and it was a mistake she wouldn’t be repeating.
“Obviously,” Jasmine said, when the men continued to look at her. She saw the glass in Rick’s hand and stared at it. She’d only had a few sips of liquor in her life. Why was she suddenly tempted to try more? “It’s a…. Ah, many such cultures have those types of practices.”
Rick lifted the glass to her, offering it up. Jasmine met his eyes. Slowly, she stood and nodded. She took his glass, glanced around and then drank it as Rick had, taking it down in two big gulps. The liquor burned, choking her. Coughing, she nearly gagged at the horrible taste. Rick laughed, patting her on the back.
“Rick,” Evan scolded. “What did you give her?”
“Just a little whiskey,” Rick protested. “Nothing the medical booth can’t take out of her.”
“Damn it,” Evan said. “She’s allergic to the medical booth.”
“Oh.” Rick looked guilty. He patted Jasmine’s shoulder. “Maybe you should take it easy, then. Didn’t you say your heart--?”
“Another,” Jasmine said, liking the combination of fire and numbness in her blood. “My heart will be just fine.”
“I don’t think--” Rick began.
“Another,” Jasmine insisted. She managed a smile for him and sat down at the card table. “So, gents, what’s the game?”
“Kiss My Comet,” Lucien said, laughing.
“The children’s game?” Jasmine asked in surprise.
“It’s all we can remember to play when we’re drunk,” Lucien admitted. “Rules are, for each wrong guess, you have to take a drink. So if you ask me for an eight and I don’t have it, you drink. If I do have it, I drink.”
“Sounds simple enough,” Jasmine said. She looked expectantly at Rick for her own glass.
Rick glanced around. Then, shrugging, he said, “I’m going to need another bottle. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter Six
Reid stretched his arms over his head as he left the VR room. He was tired from fighting the Grogs with Dev and really wanted to go to sleep, but he knew he couldn’t go back to his room yet. He didn’t want to face Jasmine. Instead, he went to the lounge, knowing the guys were probably gathered there--drinking and playing cards. Hearing laughter, he smiled slightly. But, as he heard Jasmine’s voice joining theirs, he tensed.
“So you’re saying,” she said, her voice abnormally loud, “that you think you could please that many women?”
“I know I could,” Rick boasted.
“You’d try,” Lucien teased.
Reid stayed behind the corner, listening. It took him a moment to get over the shock of hearing Jasmine laugh. Then, knowing he’d never accomplished so much as making her smile, he felt his gut tighten.
“I should think King Attor’s wives would be very lonely,” Jasmine said, laughing harder. Reid’s tension only intensified as he heard her speak of his father. What did she know of it? Of the Var way? “I mean, it’s complete arrogance to actually think that they would all be satisfied by one man. I highly doubt the old king could make three women happy, let alone hundreds. If they were happy, they found pleasure in the arms of another to be sure.”
More laughter sounded. Reid was sure he heard Lochlann’s voice with the others. Stepping around the corner, he quickly accessed the room. Jasmine sat at the card table, laughing as she took a drink. They were all drunk and no one even noticed the Var prince was watching them. Rick, Lucien and Viktor joined Jasmine at cards, laughing as hard as she. Jackson and Evan watched the game, their backs to him. Lochlann’s eyes were the first to meet his. He sat alone in a corner. His smile faded and he leaned back, not moving. Reid ignored him.
“My father pleased his women just fine,” Reid stated coldly. He stared at Jasmine. What was she doing laughing and smiling? She never smiled at him. Anger rolled in him until he resented her. How dare she laugh at his family? How dare she question his father’s honor? Attor was dead, unable to defend himself to her. Jasmine’s smile faded when she looked at him. His eyes flickered down to the glass in front of her before boldly lifting back up to meet his.
“Sure, he did,” Jasmine said, returning his hard stare. Was she angry with him? She dared to glare at him? “I’m betting he was a real….” She glanced at Rick. “What was that word you used? Stud.”
“Reid,” Rick began, standing on wobbling feet as he shook his head. “We weren’t disrespecting your father at all. We were just talking about wanting to own a harem. We’re jealous of him, truly.”
“I though you didn’t drink,” Reid said to Jasmine, not taking his eyes off her as he ignored Rick. She frowned and lifted her glass, defiantly tossing back the liquor.
Evan stood, coming to Reid’s side. Quietly, he said, “She only had one real glass. Rick’s been pouring her watered down whiskey the entire night.”
Reid glanced at Jasmine’s glass, noticing the liquid in it was indeed lighter than the men’s. He nodded once at Evan to signify he heard him, but that was all he could manage. Just one look at Jasmine’s flushed cheeks and swaying body told him she was drunk regardless of what they had given her.
“I’m not your ward, your highness. I don’t belong to you. I will never belong to you or any man ever again. I can do whatever I damned well please,” Jasmine said. She pushed to her feet, wobbling violently at the sudden movement. Rick and Lucien were instantly by her side, holding her up by her elbows. She weakly tried to shrug them off. “You actually thought I would go to your barbaric planet and marry some stupid primitive warrior? Dream on. You don’t own me.”
“You asked to be under my protection,” Reid said, his tone warning her to back down. He made a move toward her. She flinched.
“I asked for safe passage. You don’t own me, Reid. You can’t decide to make me marry some stupid kitty cat shifter thing. I don’t want to be married at all.”
Reid felt his face change subtly. The half shift was just as frightening as the full. The pupils in his eyes bent, becoming oblong as he scanned her body. Her pulse was quick. He heard it in his head. Her chest deepened with breaths and he smelled the liquor on her, coming from her pores. It was a subtle smell, but he had no problem detecting it. Breathing hard with effort it took not to strike her, his voice became garbled by a roar, as he said, “Insult my people again and you’ll pay.”
“Truth hurt?” she snapped. “Please. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. Don’t tell me you can honestly claim that you could satisfy a hundred women.” Her eyes slipped dispassionately over him and she gave up trying to shake off Rick and Lucien’s arms. “I doubt you could satisfy one.”
Reid’s rage slipped. She dared to call his manhood into question? She dared to insult him? The men gasped. Rick and Lucien looked at Jasmine in horror.
“Jasmine,” Lucien began. He made a move to stand in front of her.
“You better run,” Rick told her, trying to do the same.
“Reid,” Evan said to his side. “She didn’t mean it. She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she says. She can’t handle her liquor.”
&
nbsp; “She’s human. She doesn’t know the depth at which your kind takes insults,” Lucien added.
“Yeah,” said Rick. “It’s not the same for humans.”
“What would you know of it?” Reid asked Jasmine cruelly, not taking his shifted eyes from hers. He ignored the men’s protests on her behalf. “You can’t even feel a man’s touch. How did you put it? You’re colder than an ice cap on Sintaz.”
He was instantly sorry for his hard words, but the rage still held him in its grip. Jasmine gasped, her face paling. Her eyes rounded and she looked around at the men. They were staring at her, saying nothing.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “I know nothing about it.”
Slowly, Jasmine nodded and pushed around the table. The men let her go. The fight drained out of her. Stumbling, she made a wide arch around Reid for the door. She didn’t meet their eyes.
“Why did you say that?” Rick growled when she was gone. “I’m a jerk but I know never to say that to a woman’s face, no matter what she said about my manhood.”
“Holy Stars!” Evan swore. Hands on hips, he faced Reid. “I can only imagine the circumstances in which she would admit something like that to you. It has taken us four days and liquor to get her to stop flinching when we come near her. Do you think she’ll even be able to face us now? Face you?”
Reid glared at Evan. It was taking all his concentration not to shift and run after her. If he were to catch up to her in his current state, he might actually attack her. Whether he attacked her with fists or with kisses remained to be seen.
“You have no reason to defend your manhood in front of us,” Rick added, shaking his head. “We all saw well the women you are able to satisfy.”
“Listen closely,” Evan hissed, “because this is the only time I will ever tell you what I’ve read in her thoughts.”
Reid glared at him, doubting Evan could say anything that would ease his rage.
“She’s married,” Evan said.
“I know.” Reid nodded. For some reason, he didn’t move as he waited for the man to say more. Evan never spoke of what he saw. For him to do so now meant it was important that he listened. “I never touched her.”
Lowering his voice so none of the others heard him, Evan said, “Then did you know that her husband beat her senseless and then locked her in a closet for three days without food while they were on honeymoon? All because of this problem of hers? Did you know that he’s beat her regularly ever since then for the last four years? Or that he’s brought home prostitutes and had sex with them while she listened from the next room, telling the women how inadequate his wife is? That he made fun of her with them for not being a real woman? And she was forced to take it with a smile on her face? The man wouldn’t give her a divorce, not the one she’d need according to human law. He’d have killed her first. As far as I’m concerned, she did the only thing she could.”
Reid’s head whipped to the door where she disappeared. “You should’ve told me this from the beginning.”
“You should’ve been patient with her and she would’ve told you about it herself. It wasn’t my place.” Evan shook his head in disgust. “It still isn’t my place.”
Evan crossed over to the table and grabbed a drink.
“I’ll go after her,” Rick said when no one moved to do so.
Reid looked up, shook his head in denial and turned to follow Jasmine. Once alone in the corridor, he took a deep breath. He was a fool. He’d seen the marks on her body, knew that she’d been ill treated. Never mind that he’d done everything he could to stay away from her, he should’ve never said those words in front of the crew. He shouldn’t have said them at all.
Sniffing the air, he caught her scent. The sweet fragrance of her, mingled with the more potent force of whiskey. He jogged after her, forcing the half shift from his face. She hadn’t made it too far by the time he found her. Jasmine stumbled down the hall, her arm dragging along the metal wall for support as she moved.
“Jasmine,” Reid said, his tone harder than he meant it to be. His voice was gruff because of the days burdened with unfulfilled passion, because of the rage inside him. Var were passionate creatures, no matter the circumstance.
“No. Stay away from me!” She stiffened and instantly started to run. Her legs tripped over themselves and she fell forward onto her hands and knees. The fall didn’t stop her, she began to crawl from him.
Reid caught up to her and reached for her arms to help her up. “Jasmi--”
“Don’t touch me!” she cried, jerking away. He had her half way up and as she pulled from him, she fell down. “Ahh!”
Jasmine rolled onto her side and grabbed her wrist. Tears were in her eyes when she glanced up at him. Reid scooped her up into his arms, pleased when she didn’t struggle.
“No medical booths. I can’t. I’m allergic,” Jasmine said. She closed her eyes, cradling her arm.
“You mentioned that before.” Reid carried her down the corridor. “I’m taking you back to my room.”
When he got to the room, he laid her down on the bed. Jasmine glared up at him accusingly. “I thought you said you were busy men, with lots of stuff to do.”
“What?” Reid asked, confused. When he tried to examine her injured wrist, she swatted at him. He easily brushed her hand out of his way and lifted her arm. Jasmine winced.
“When you said you wouldn’t give me a ride,” she charged.
“It doesn’t feel broken,” he said, poking lightly at it.
“What would you know,” she growled, still angry. He pressed harder and she gasped.
“I’ve helped train armies and I’ve been to war. I’d say I’ve learned a few things about sprains and broken bones. Now hold still while I try to find something to wrap it with.”
“Quit ordering me about, your royal-ish-ness,” Jasmine slurred. “I can take care of myself. Just as soon as we land on Werten, I’m gone.”
“You’re in no condition to be making any type of decision tonight,” Reid admonished, doing his best not to smile at her contrary tone. Sacred Cats! But she was an infuriating woman!
“You’re nothing but a rogue!” Jasmine accused. “Taking hundreds of women--”
“That was my father,” Reid said, pressing his lips together as he stood. He grabbed a black shirt from the dresser and began to tear it into strips.
“I’ve heard about you too, your highness,” Jasmine said, closing her eyes.
“Have you now, fea?” If he could keep her talking, maybe she’d be distracted from the pain as he wrapped her wrist. Besides, he was curious as to what she’d heard. Was that jealousy he heard in her bitter tone?
“I know you were at the Galaxy Playmate mansion,” she shot.
Reid looked her over, suddenly not liking where this was going. “Who told you that?”
“I added a few of my own rules to the game,” Jasmine said. “A little truth or dare.”
“Truth or what?” he frowned, not understanding.
“The men had to answer my questions if I won,” she said, wincing as he moved her arm. “I know all about you and those three women you were sleeping with when they came to get you to leave the mansion.”
“Jealous?” he asked, smirking at the look on her face. He was going to have someone’s head! Who in the galaxy told her that one? Reid already knew. Rick. The man had been most impressed by the feat.
“Not hardly.” Jasmine tried to sit up. He gently pressed her shoulder, keeping her down. Her dark eyes widened as she stared at him. “You probably cry out your own name during sex.”
“Would you like to find out?” Reid studied her, hoping to see a spark of something in her expression. If she’d wanted him, shown him some sign that what he felt for her was worth pursuing, that being with her would be worth the potential blow to his honor, he would have proceeded. His shaft was painfully full, always on the verge of an erection since that first moment he’d seen her. He’d been fantasizing about her more than he’d like to
admit.
“No,” she shot. “I don’t care how handsome you are.”
“You think I’m handsome?” Reid again lifted her arm and made quick work of binding it. Already it was turning purple with a bruise and was starting to swell. She didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re a rogue,” she said. “That’s what I think.”
“You tell yourself whatever you need to, fea,” he answered, enjoying the verbal battle between them. Anything was better than her silence, her emotionless eyes looking at him. His voice dipped naturally as he continued to hold her wrist. “Done.”
“Huh?” she asked. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. She was breathing fast. Her eyes drifted to his mouth and he saw the subtle purse of them as if she wanted him to kiss her. She didn’t move.
“Your wrist,” he said quietly, closing some of the distance between their mouths. His recent anger and his unfulfilled desires made it damn near impossible to concentrate. “I’m done.”
It went against his very nature to go slow, but he had to. At the moment, he didn’t care if she was married. No man who treated a woman the way she’d been treated deserved her.
Her lashes fluttered over her eyes. “I can never tell if your eyes are black or brown.”
Reid let his mouth come against hers, barely touching as he waited to see what she would to. Her smell was in his head, wrapping around him. Every nerve centered on her until he was poised on the brink of pain and pleasure. He needed her. His body needed her, until it actually hurt. His hands shook to touch her, flexing and fisting in the effort it took to hold them back.
“Sleep with me tonight,” she said. Her eyes closed. “I don’t want to be alone.”
Reid tensed. Was she asking for what he thought she was? Just as he was going to crush his mouth down on hers and obey, a soft snore escaped her mouth. Very slowly, he pushed back from her, trembling violently. Jasmine was asleep.
With a pained laugh, he sat back on his legs and studied her. He wasn’t a beast. He wouldn’t touch her, not when she was passed out. This had never happened to him before. He’d never been brought to the brink, only to deny himself. Actually, he’d never been so aroused before--which said a lot.
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