The pirate bets on the other man. “Going to bet on the reptile and just watch like those fools?”
The enslaved waitress replaces Amye’s drink with a full one. “I’ve only heard about the Dracon Arena, never played.”
“Don’t hustle me, girl.” He drops credits into the control box, depresses a button. “But in case you haven’t…”
One of the checkered tiles in the floor breaks open. A pillar shoots out with a blue sword in its center. “If my blue man kills your yellow lizard with this sword, I get double the bet and the winnings for supplying the sword.”
Amye swills down some of her fresh drink and swings around to the control booth. She has half a second to aid her bet. She drops in credit chits and presses a button.
Half the checkered tiles drop away and flames shoot like fountains.
“You don’t win if your bet kills your man,” he scolds.
She hadn’t thought or didn’t know. She doesn’t know. Still the crowd cheers the flames.
A yellow battle axe shoots from a tile. The yellow lizard leaps a pillar of flames to grab it.
Others bet as well, Amye realizes. “What happens if he kills the blue man with the axe?”
“You get some winnings, but not as much as if you bet on the axe.” He taps the panel above a flashing axe not there a moment ago. “As long as this flashes it is an open bet.”
Amye drops in more credit chits and depresses the button.
He throws back his entire drink and places another bet. A blue shield pops from the floor. The blue man snatches it. The yellow lizard keeps a pillar of flames between them. The escape door won’t open until one is dead. The blue man swings the shield through the flames and they transform into a pillar of ice. The yellow lizard smashes through the ice sending frozen shrapnel everywhere. The shards of ice gore the blue man. Other ice fragments seem to lessen the fires of the surrounding flames.
Amye, not wishing to be outdone by her challenger, swills down another drink and drops credits into the console. She selects a shield. Nothing happens.
“You have to pick something not selected. It keeps the crowd from getting bored with a repeat fight.”
Amye jabs a button. Floor tiles not on fire all raise to varying height levels.
He drops in credits and selects the floor button. Half the raised tiles now move to a forty-five-degree angle.
“You said they don’t repeat,” Amye protests.
“A new obstacle.”
“What happens if they are both killed?”
“Whoever selected the obstacle causing death will get a percentage of the winnings, but not the jackpot. You get it only if your man survives.”
All the drinks leave Amye euphoric. She leans against the glass. He touches her shoulder. When she doesn’t protest, he works his fingers, releasing the tension in her muscles. Amye flicks her shoulders allowing the jacket to slide halfway down her biceps. She relaxes as the tautness discharges. She forgets her bets as he slides his other hand over the opposite shoulder.
As her upper body unwinds, he snags her drink before it drops to the floor.
“Try this.” He hands her a fresh glass from the serving tray.
She guzzles down flowery-smelling grog.
“Amye, we’re here on a mission. Amye, you don’t want to let this strange man manhandle you. I thought you were going to stop sharing yourself. You never let others watch. I thought you wanted to hold off until Reynard wanted…” Kymberlynn’s voice fades from her mind.
The pirate eases down the stretchy material top. He halts his downward pull halfway down her bicep, almost trapping her arms, as he eases his left hand to cup her breast.
The fire between her legs burns hotter as her panties soak with arousal. She’s taken no man to bed upon meeting Reynard when he pulled her from the rockslide meant to be her death on Tartarus.
He’s strong. The muscular arms around her pull taut as if he plans to pick her up. Amye’s too heavy. It might turn him off knowing she’s so dense. Males don’t like heavy girls, even if she has fine curves. She twists enough in his grasp to bite his shoulder—hard.
He jerks from the instant pain. “You like it rough, little girl?” He digs his fingers into her arms, holding her taut.
She pushes him away playfully, letting her Silver Dragon jacket drop to the floor. Her heart pumps so rapid it quickens her breath. “As rough as you give.”
He shoves her into the over cushioned chair, nuzzling his face against her breasts. He grips both hands around one of them and guides the erect nipple into his mouth. She quivers and releases a low moan. Amye’s eyes roll back into her head as he brings her to climax. She collapses sinking into the chair.
He pops the nipple from his mouth. “You alive?”
“That’s never happened before. I’ve never cum…”
Pride lights up his face. “Ever?”
“Not, from just—my nipples,” Amye huffs in quick breaths.
“I guess it’s my turn.”
She hears the clink of his belt unlashing and his pants buttons snapping. She opens her eyes to find Kymberlynn staring at her from a chair in the corner.
Kymberlynn chirps in a mocking tone that sounds just like Amye, “I’m not going to be like this anymore.” She shakes her head in disgust at her sister.
“You need to get out,” Amye screams at her.
“But I haven’t…” he protests.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” she snaps at him.
He follows Amye’s gaze to the darkened corner.
“There’s no way I’m able to do this with her watching,” Amye says.
“Right.” He clasps his pants so they don’t fall as he takes a step backward toward the door, never taking his eyes off the motionless shadows in the dark corner.
“You’ll let any Osirian on Tartarus poke you, but not in front of an audience. Does that make sense?”
“You’ve no business being here.”
“I’m gone.” He slips out the door.
“Why are you ruining this?”
“Besides your little crush on the Commander, which by the way
