My words say one thing – my body signals another.
“…you may find yourself disappointed."
Cyrus is stunned for a second. The quick-witted, always flirting, always teasing Cyrus is rendered speechless, and I feel a strange sense of power in it.
My touch against his body triggered something in him. He takes a huge breath, then slowly exhales, as if fighting for control of himself.
Finally, he murmurs: "Do you know how to cook?"
I shake my head. "No... I had no one to teach me."
He nods. "Very well. Then, you will serve dinner to us tonight. We are having a group of men over to discuss a possible business deal. Come to the dining room in two hours. Tina will explain how it goes... and I'll have a new outfit sent for you. This maid's uniform…”
He raises his hand, playing with one of the satin frills.
“…well, it’s suitable for your daily tasks – but not for serving a dinner to some of the richest men on Deemak."
"I will do as you say, sir," I nod, and I see the flare of hunger remain in Cyrus’s eyes.
So, that fact about Aurelians is true. They are addicted to submissive women. The way I called him ‘sir’ clearly got him hot and bothered.
“Good,” Cyrus nods, practically shivering with hunger for me. “Then, get to work. I’m sure you’ll rustle up some supplies.” His eyes flash. “You seem like an industrious enough woman. Our collection of china has been getting dusty, anyway.”
Then, reluctantly, he turns and leaves, closing the door softly behind him.
I stand there for a second, shivering…
…and then I sink down onto the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling exhausted.
I hate that I want him – especially since he has thirty other women in his harem.
Even worse, I'm a hypocrite.
I don't just want him, though I want him all to myself.
I've not spoken much to oh-so-serious Varian or bold-and-stoic Gallus, but I crave them, too. I crave all three of them, all the same. There’s something so right about spending time with them. Even though there’s the constant threat of detection...
Gods! I feel relaxed, in a strange way.
But there is an even darker shadow over me.
I was supposed to send a message to Darr that I had found the watches. He won't be expecting it quite yet, not so quickly – but in every other job, the moment that I’d found the prize, I’d signaled him instantly.
But this time – for the first time – something is holding me back...
I suspect I know what it is, too.
It’s because the second I take those watches, I'll no longer be Mia the maid. I'll no longer be the woman that these three gorgeous Aurelians crave, and hunger for.
As insane as it sounds – the lunacy that these three towering, sexy warriors could ever spare me a glance, when they’re surrounded by impossible beauty each and every day of their lives...
…once I take those watches, it’s over.
I’ll become a fugitive. The planet of Deemak will hunt for anyone who dares to steal from an Aurelian triad. I’ll be hounded off this world, and my only chance will be to slip away from Darr and leave Deemak far, far behind.
Once, that had been my most burning desire…
…but now, at the thought of leaving this place – of leaving them – I’m starting to question what it is I really want.
And what are they going to make me wear tonight?
6
Cyrus
My cock leaps to attention the moment the door closes – all the blood surging to my member.
I growl – the sound rumbling deep inside my chest.
It took all of my self-control not to just shove Mia against the wall just then, and to kiss her deeply and passionately. I had to fight the urge to just grab her – to make her melt beneath my fingers, and lips. I’m craving it – so desperate to mold that pure, perfect young woman into my meek, eager, slutty little toy. She would be the ultimate addition to my harem; eclipsing any that have come before and ruining any who would try to follow.
I stalk down the hallway, lumbering and surly.
I’m infuriated to find myself so distracted. I should have my mind on the business that my battle-brothers and I have upcoming later today. The sun is nearly down, but the tradition of Deemak is that important business dinners are done late. It shows a willingness to wait to eat, as well as an understanding that the business is so important that it is worth sacrificing the next day, if it runs late into the night. Some business dinners end up concluding as the sun rises.
We’re considering taking over a huge tract of fertile land north of our estates – an invaluable resource on a desert world such as Deemak.
It would be a major investment – a commitment not just of a significant portion of our not-insignificant riches, but also a decision that could impact the shape of the Deemak economy for centuries to come. We are on the brink of becoming world-builders now, my battle-brothers and I…
…and yet all I can think about is her. My mind races with the vision of running my tongue down every inch of Mia's body, and my mouth waters at the thought of tasting that sweet nectar glistening between her legs.
I slam open a door to get a drink from one of the many bars in our palace-like estate.
Three of the women from our harem are waiting for me there – knowing this is my favorite of the watering holes we’ve had custom-built into the huge manor house. Each of them is dressed in a little slip of a robe, revealing every inch of their sleek, feminine bodies.
Each of the women who’d come before Mia – the world-class beauties who’d arrived requesting entry to our harem, and who we’d privileged with that honor – are so different from our newest arrival. Of the
