Chapter Four
The Message
Shareem.
The word shone softly on Brianne’s console screen the next morning. It had come in as a text message, that one word, nothing else. Her console couldn’t trace it.
Brianne’s heart beat faster as her fingers hovered over her touch pad. She could send a reply—but to who and where? What if it was a journalist trying to get a good story about how Brianne d’Aroth couldn’t resist Shareem?
Best to ignore it.
Brianne removed her fingers from the keypad, finding her palms slick with sweat. Her instincts told her the message came from no journalist.
But she couldn’t risk it. Publicity about yesterday’s incident was not what she needed.
They’re just animals, aren’t they? Dranis had said. He’d been puzzled by her question, and Brianne had been surprised by her answering anger.
She should care nothing about Shareem, not even when they’d been arrested for daring to look at her. They were not part of her world. She never need see them or know about them.
And yet the Shareem in the coffee bar had been so incredible. He’d known Brianne reacted to him, because all women reacted to him. It had been a normal afternoon for him.
I want to see him again.
Brianne got abruptly to her feet. She couldn’t have these thoughts. She couldn’t go anywhere near Shareem. Another highborn woman might indulge in Shareem, but not a d’Aroth. She lived her entire life on the screens of everyone’s digital readers.
Not entirely.
As an adolescent Brianne had learned how to fool the surveillance cameras and the journalists and her own bodyguards to slip out from time to time. Later, when she realized how dangerous it was to wander around alone, she’d ceased. Sensible Brianne, always thinking logically.
She left her rooms before her thoughts could take her places she didn’t want to go. Outside, in the vast hall of the elegant compound belonging to the d’Aroth family, her bodyguards snapped to attention. She gave them a cordial nod, then walked past on the way to her endless rounds of meetings. A normal day. Nothing special.
When she returned that evening, tired and irritated at certain council members, notably those from the Ministry of Non-Human Life Forms, several messages waited on her console.
One was from her grandmother about a business matter from one of the meetings. Two were from friends who wanted to talk about preparations for her wedding. The last one was unsigned and contained only one sentence.
Enjoy your dreams.
Brianne’s fingers grew cold as she darkened the console.
Was this seduction? Or stalking? Maybe it was one and the same with Shareem.
Brianne moved to her research terminal and brought up the public database of the Ministry of Non-Human Life Forms. Nothing on Shareem, although much on a sand mollusk thought to have been extinct that some biologist had just found in the southern deserts.
The Shareem were a part of Bor Narga’s history, and all anyone could talk about was mollusks.
Brianne used her codes to tap into the non-public databases. There she found the Shareem, locked away behind several code walls like dirty laundry. She could pull up only the most general information about them—more was hidden behind doors she couldn’t open.
What she found was a brief description of DNAmo and profiles of the Shareem themselves. Short blurbs of information accompanied a holo photo of each, probably provided so the patrollers could keep tabs on them.
Brianne moved through the database to find the Shareem she’d unintentionally gotten arrested. Aiden.
Oh my.
Even the slowly rotating Ministry holo shot couldn’t disguise the perfection of this man with light-colored hair.
Face-sculpting was not unusual, though considered the height of vanity, but this man was an art form. Most people got face sculpted when they were adults and tired of their original looks, but Aiden had been created to be beautiful before he was born.
His makers had programmed his bones to grow to exact proportions, his muscles to fall over them in perfect patterns. His Shareem blue eyes were of the exact size to be sensual, not too big, not too small.
A woman could feast her gaze on this man and never grow tired of him, which was the point.
Brianne was growing wet again. She thought of the way he’d lapped cream from his coffee, the way his tongue had curled it into his mouth like he’d never tasted anything so good. Brianne suspected that every woman in that coffee bar had been thinking: Will he smile like that when tasting me?
Mmm.
If Brianne thought about him when she went to bed, she’d enjoy her dreams indeed.
Maybe that’s what the message had meant.
Brianne started to sign out of the database, then had another thought. A second Shareem had knocked on the gates of Brianne’s walled compound to find out what had happened to Aiden, and had been arrested as well.
Would an animal be that worried about his friend?
What was the second Shareem’s name? Brianne seen it on the report her head bodyguard Harbourgh had reluctantly showed her.
Ky.
Brianne tapped in codes and another Shareem rose from her screen.
Holy mother goddess.
Ky hadn’t been face sculpted or body sculpted. He nowhere near as handsome as Aiden—he was not even as handsome as Dranis.
What he had was raw sexuality that singed her like heat lightning in the desert. Ky was built like a god—one of the brutal warrior gods that no one, not even another god, wanted to mess with.
His arms held strength, muscles swelling as though the skin just contained them. His shoulders were broad and powerful, his waist narrow. The modest holo photo didn’t show his hips and below, but from what his torso looked like, his lower body was sure to be fantastic.
Brianne touched her hands to her face and found her cheeks burning. What was the matter with her? Aiden hadn’t had this much of an effect on her, even in person.
Ky’s face was hard and powerful, his eyes so burning blue that they seared her even from the holo photo. It was as though he looked right at her instead of at whatever patroller had burned the photo long ago.
Gods, what it must have been like to take his picture …
Brianne now knew who’d sent the messages. Not Aiden, who’d enjoyed a sensual moment with her in the coffee bar, who’d known she liked watching him lick cream from his cup.
Not Aiden at all.
Ky.
The words from the text seemed to leap from his image, coupled with his burning stare. Enjoy your dreams.
Brianne moaned softly. She wanted to touch herself. No, she wanted him to touch her. She wanted to watch Aiden run his tongue around the inside of his coffee cup while Ky stood behind her, pinning her in his strong arms and dipping his fingers into her opening.
Gods, why did she want something so depraved? Not only one Shareem, but two? Had she lost her mind?
On impulse, Brianne split the screen and pulled Aiden and Ky up side by side.
Mistake. Her imagination fed her images of Aiden coming closer, maybe bringing the cream with him to lick from her throat while Ky played with her clit, his breath hot in her ear. She could even feel the abrasion of Ky’s cheek against hers.
Her juices flowed faster, and she instinctively pressed her legs together, squeezing tight, tight, tight. A half-sigh, half-groan escaped her mouth.
She found herself snaking her hand between her legs and pressing hard. No, not enough. She leaned back in the chair, inching her robes up her thighs and sliding her fingers to her opening.
Brianne had done this before, in the dark of her bedroom when she’d turned her body monitors off. But not since she’d been eighteen and interested in the sexual reactions her body could have, before she’d learned how to firmly suppress them.
Brianne rocked in the chair, her fingers stroking herself, her mind thick with images of the Shareem. Aiden drawing his tongue down he
r throat, licking between her breasts and around her navel.
He’d sink to his knees and press his able tongue against her clit, his tongue mixing with Ky’s fingers. They’d bring her to lovely, lovely climax and she’d jerk against Aiden’s mouth. He’d suckle her and Ky would rub her.
A cry escaped her, tearing through the empty room.
Yes, yes, yes!
“My lady?” The door slid halfway open and one of her guards peered in. “Everything all right?”
Brianne jerked her hands from under her robe and jabbed her console to erase the holo pics. “Yes,” she gasped.
The guard stared at her. She must look strange, sweating and breathing hard, her face bright red.
“I heard you call out,” he said.
“I’m fine.” Brianne sprang from her chair and tried to smooth her hair. “I was reading something is all.”
The guard gave her another long look, then shrugged. “As long as you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for your diligence.”
He nodded and closed the door. Brianne let out her breath, her hands shaking as she steadied herself on her desk. Dear gods, if her body monitors had been on, her entire guard would have descended on her and whisked her to the hospital.
And Brianne had only been imagining things. What would it be like to be with Aiden and Ky in reality?
She shivered. And smiled. And shivered again.
Brianne touched her finger to her lips and pressed it to the console screen. “Good night,” she whispered.
She went to bed that night without body monitors and did what she hadn’t done since age eighteen. Then she had some very interesting dreams. In the morning, when Brianne opened her console, she found a message waiting.
Sleep well?
Shaking all over, Brianne sat down and pounded out a text message on the keypad.
YES!
*** *** ***
Ky chuckled as he read the one word on the console screen. “I’m enjoying this.”
“Remote bondage?” Aiden said.
“I’m getting under her skin. Now for the next step.”
He tapped the console’s pad, sensing Aiden approach and looked up. Aiden’s pheromones slid over him, comforting and soothing as usual. Level ones were made to make you feel good.
“She’ll never do it,” Aiden said.
“She might.”
“Getting her to think about us is one thing. Getting her to meet us in person is something else.”
Ky sent the carefully worded message. “She’ll refuse at first, but then she won’t be able to resist. This is fun. I should have tried this years ago.”
“Instead of going straight for the manacles?” Aiden slid his fingers across Ky’s bare shoulder. “The art of slow seduction can be—good.”
Ky felt his muscles automatically relax under Aiden’s touch. Level ones were bred to soothe—even a friendly pat on the back made you smile and your skin warm.
Lately it was doing more than that. Under his clothes, Ky grew stiff.
This was getting dangerous. He hadn’t thought of the experiments the jackass scientists had done on him at DNAmo for a long time. White lights, pain, spreading his legs in pleasure. He closed his eyes.
He knew Aiden could sense his arousal. Aiden was Shareem, of course he could. Aiden’s pheromones changed, becoming less soothing and more seductive. Broad fingers slid down Ky’s bare chest and touched his small gold nipple ring. Ky’s cock stretched more, pressing the tight leather into an obvious bulge.
Aiden flicked the nipple ring with one finger, then eased his hand down to cover the length of Ky’s cock. He pressed his palm against the bulge, sliding down with one long stroke.
Ky laced his fingers around Aiden’s wrist, stopping him. Aiden glanced sideways, his Shareem-blue eyes darkening.
Ky slowly shook his head. Aiden’s expression went still.
The kissing had been fine. Hell, Ky wanted to explore the kissing and see how far it could go. Nothing had happened except a stir of pleasure when they’d kissed. Anything more might trigger …
If he and Aiden were going to experiment—shit, he hated the word experiment—they needed to go slowly.
Ky moved Aiden’s hand upward again until Aiden’s fingers rested on Ky’s nipple ring. That was fine.
Watching Ky carefully, Aiden drew his fingertip around Ky’s flat aureole. “Do you want me to go?”
Ky looked up in surprise. “Go where?”
“Anywhere.” Aiden’s expression was guarded. “Anywhere not here.”
“Why? Because you want to touch my body?” He made a show of shrugging. “I know I’m irresistible. I’ll just have to live with it.”
He rose from the chair, shaking off Aiden’s touch. He caught a glimpse of his friend’s face before he turned away, and stopped, disquieted. Had he seen hurt in Aiden’s eyes?
He and Aiden had been friends forever, and he figured they’d go on being friends until their Shareem bodies wore out from all the sex they had. Then they’d be dead and taken to the gods together.
“A kiss and a fondle isn’t going to turn me into a recluse,” Ky said. “If you were Braden, on the other hand, I’d have thrown your ass out.”
“Braden’s another Dom.” Aiden’s voice was low, sensual. “I’d want to be a sub.”
Ky’s cock leapt again at the thought of seeing Aiden in his collar. “You’d make a crappy sub. I’ve never seen you be obedient.”
“Doesn’t that add spice? When you have to train the sub?”
They looked at each other. Aiden was taller than Ky by half an inch, his shoulders just as broad but not as loaded with muscle.
“Come here,” Ky said.
“Why?”
“See? You’re already disobeying. You’d suck at being a sub.” Ky smoothed the hair at Aiden’s forehead. “We’re friends, you and me. I probably would have died after we ran from DNAmo if not for you. I’m not letting that go to hell because you want to kiss me. Friends should be able to kiss without it being a big deal.”
Aiden watched him with a neutral expression. It was always hard to figure out what was going on in Aiden’s head, whereas Ky’s emotions were right out in the open. That was one reason they got along so well—their differences. Ky’s weaknesses were Aiden’s strengths and vice versa.
Ky leaned forward and licked Aiden’s lips from corner to corner as he had the night before in the showers. Aiden didn’t move, but he responded with slight pressure, kissing Ky’s tongue.
More. Ky wrapped his strong hand behind Aiden’s neck and pulled him into the kiss, snaking his tongue into the other man’s mouth. The spicy, dark taste of Aiden made his cock harden still more.
Pleasure, his body said. There is much pleasure to be had here.
Aiden was made to please, with slow, soothing pleasure. Ky had been made to please with punishment and the sting of the lash. The combination would be explosive.
And so damn dangerous.
Ky eased his mouth from Aiden’s. He waited a moment, but nothing happened, and he slowly let out his breath.
Aiden hadn’t touched him during the kiss, standing as still as a desert snake trying to decide whether to flee or strike. Ky had his hand firmly against the nape of Aiden’s neck, holding him as fast as an iron collar.
“This,” Ky murmured. “This I can do.”
The bastards at DNAmo had at least not taken away the joy of kissing his best friend.
Aiden’s eyes filled with blue, and Ky kissed him again. Their lips bumped and explored, tongues tangling. The heat of Aiden’s mouth fascinated Ky, and he delved to the corners of it.
His cock swelled as he tasted and probed, liking the feel of Aiden’s breath on his face and the scent of him so close. Ky felt pulsing at the base of his staff, ready to go at this new sensation.
Aiden splayed his hand across Ky’s chest, his thumb flicking the nipple ring. At the tingling sensation, Ky’s seed threatened to burst from him.
Aiden pulled away slightly, but his hand remained in place on Ky’s chest. “We should stop then. I’m not paying for your laundry.”
Ky’s clouded mind tried to come up with something witty to say, but the console chimed just then, saving him the effort.
He turned away, breaking the contact, his body temperature in the stratosphere.
“The lady can’t resist,” he said.
Aiden followed him to the console. Ky brought up the message which contained one word.
No.
Ky laughed and twined his fingers together, cracking his knuckles. “She’s on the hook now. Later today, we reel her in.”
Aiden folded his arms over his hard chest. Ky could read the signals rolling off him, the chemicals sliding through the air to mix with his. There were two very erect Shareem in the room, that was for sure.
“Good,” Aiden said quietly. “I’d like to see her again. In the meantime …”
He feathered light fingers through Ky’s hair. Ky reached up and pulled him down for another long, satisfying, tongue-filled kiss.
Chapter Five
The Train
When the next message came, Brianne nearly panicked. I can’t want this. I can’t.
Warm afternoon sunshine slid through the shielded windows of her office and touched her fingers on the keypad of her console. A text message blinked softly.
You are ready.
Her hands slick with sweat, Brianne typed, No.
She sent the message, trying not to feel disappointed in herself. The Shareem would soon tire of the game and move on to another woman.
What Brianne had read about Shareem told her they couldn’t touch a woman until she allowed them to. No Shareem could ravish a woman, whatever Dranis thought—they had a built-in mechanism to keep them under control. Once Brianne said no, the Shareem had to leave her alone. So that was that.
Brianne let out her breath as she tried to put the incident and the messages behind her. She needed to concentrate on her upcoming functions, a charity for the small communities beyond the dry sea and a project to allow children in the poorer parts of town to learn music.
Tales of the Shareem, Volume 1 Page 39