“Zoe, you are mine.” He let his tone ring with finality then he reached for her, amazed when she didn’t flinch away. “No one will touch you but me. You are safe.” She seemed too stunned to move, so he scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom, enjoying the warmth of her small body as she snuggled against his chest.
He set her down inside the shower stall and activated the spray with a voice command. She didn’t say a word, but those big, dark eyes watched every move he made. When water needed to be rationed, chemical foam replaced the soothing mist, but they’d taken on supplies three days before.
“What’s your fascination with various forms of dance?” he asked as the water saturated her dark hair.
“That’s how I make my living.”
“What?” Her casual admission shouldn’t have bothered him. She was the one who’d balked at being labeled a whore.
She laughed. “Not what you’re thinking. On Earth, people not only enjoy dancing. They enjoy watching others dance.”
“People pay credits to watch you—”
“Not Decadent Dancing, you pervert.” She flung a handful of water toward him. “The other kinds, joyful, playful, even sorrowful dances. We express all sorts of emotions and tell all sorts of stories through movement and music.”
“I have never heard music.”
Zoe looked up at Vaden, her heart just about to break. Chills coated her forearms and made her shiver. “You’ve never heard music? Honestly?”
“Why would I lie?” He turned to face the mist, but Zoe couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or annoyed. “I know the definition of the word. I simply have no frame of reference for such a thing.”
Oh for an mp3 player or even a windup gramophone. How could she make him understand what music was if he’d never heard anything like it before?
Sensing his emotional retreat, she slipped her arms around his waist and pressed against his back. He tensed for a moment but didn’t push her away. If all he’d wanted was a “dance partner”, he would have left the cabin as soon as his lust was sated. Vaden was obviously lonely. He’d answered her questions and done his best to calm her fears. All of which made him even more attractive than his amazing body and surreal face.
“Music is important to you?” His tone was hushed and tense.
“Very much so.” Was he uncomfortable with the unfamiliar concept or was her casual touch arousing him? She moved her hands to his hips then stepped back, feeling deprived as their bodies separated. “If there’s no Paridagon equivalent of music, you’re going to get really tired of hearing me sing.”
He turned around and looked at her, but his expression was impossible to read. They finished showering in companionable silence, Zoe lost in thought.
Purpose burned away her helplessness and allowed her to think beyond the moment. It was obvious she wasn’t going home anytime soon, so there was no sense making Vaden miserable. He hadn’t done this to her. The jerk who’d sold her the dress was responsible for this debacle, but he was well out of reach for at least twelve “lunar cycles”.
So the question became, what did she want to do with her time while she was stuck in this galaxy? Obviously, she wanted to learn as much about these people as possible, but she also wanted to share a bit of her culture with them.
The performing arts were her life. She’d had her first dance class at age four and performed in high school and community theater productions. Her dream had been to attend Julliard, but she’d landed a role on Broadway at sixteen instead and spared herself the burden of massive student loans.
Now she was faced with the most miraculous opportunity imaginable. An entire population who had never experienced the wonder of music or dance? It was tragic, and yet it fired her up as nothing else could.
Perhaps she’d been brought here for a reason. Artistic Ambassador to Paridago?
Vaden handed her a towel as she stepped out of the shower with a smile. “Thanks.” She could start with her dance partner and see how her efforts were received.
“Have you worked through your confusion? You seem…better now.”
With her new crusade to guide her, she didn’t feel so lost. She suspected her bouts of homesickness and anger were far from over, but she had a clear grasp on what was and what was not within her grasp. “I’m trying not to take this out on you.”
“Then I’ll do the same.” Before she could anticipate his meaning, he was on his knees and his face was pressed into the juncture of her thighs. “Your conflict distracted from your pleasure and you didn’t find release.” He grasped her thighs, urging them apart and bending one knee as her weight shifted to her other foot. “Now you will finish what we started.” She didn’t much care for his bossy tone, but he swiped her cleft with an enthusiastic lick and she forgot to be annoyed. “I’ll never tire of your taste.”
Words any woman was happy to hear. She rested her head against the wall and hooked her leg over his arm, opening herself for his questing mouth. His lips were warm and his tongue felt so perfect against her clit. Within seconds she was trembling with the first spasm of an orgasm.
“Not yet, Z.” He circled her opening with his tongue, drawing the tingles away from her clit. “I want a more leisurely taste.”
“Taste as long as you like.” She laughed. “I love the way you make me feel.”
His tongue traced her slit over and over then he gently sucked on each delicate fold. He slowly circled her opening until she grabbed the back of his head and ground herself against his mouth. His sexy chuckle assured her that he was aware of her need and still he avoided her most sensitive spots, preferring to drive her insane instead.
Finally his lips closed around her clit and carefully pulled.
She arched and shook with the orgasm he’d denied her for so long. Before the last spasm passed, he thrust two fingers into her passage and started the sequence all over again. His fingers slid in and out, his tongue lashed her swollen clit and the pleasure rocketed even higher.
When he finally raised his head, Zoe was dazed and dizzy, her legs so shaky she slid down the wall. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his tongue tasting of her pleasure, a fact that sent aftershocks pulsing through her overstimulated core.
“I think you’re trying to kill me,” she whispered against his damp lips.
“No. That’s just a taste of what awaits you when I return.”
“You’re leaving?”
He laughed. “I have a ship to run. I am the commander.”
“I’ll let you go if you show me how to do one thing?”
His ink-black brows arched. “I didn’t realize I needed your permission to leave.”
She pushed to her feet and smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’d like to prepare a surprise for you and I need to be able to record different sounds, preferably overlapping. You turned on the shower with a voice command. Can your ship’s computer make layered audio files?”
“Of course.” He held out his hand.
She quickly wrapped herself in a towel before she took his hand then followed him to the built-in desk in the far corner of the outer room. He demonstrated the basic controls and created a level-one logon, which would allow her access to all non-sensitive computer functions.
“This will allow you to access video files about this galaxy. I know you must be curious about the worlds and peoples you’ll encounter. The majority of my men are Paridagon like me, but there are several other species as well. I’ve highlighted files on the others.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and went to the closet, where he pulled on a solid black uniform. It seemed a shame to cover up his shimmering markings, but the matte material contoured to his impressive shape and she reconsidered. He looked like an action figure come to life. She pressed her lips together to hide her smile. Damn, the man was fine!
“I’ll have food brought to you if I’m unable to return in a reasonable timeframe, but you must not leave the cabin.” All softness was gone from his voice and expression. He was all commander now. “If I have need of you, I’ll send someone to fetch you.”
She didn’t appreciate his condescending tone, but she nodded.
