“This is my partner, Kamat,” the captain announced, squeezing the other female’s hand. “Kamat, this is Baralt and Easy.”
“Um, that’s Izzie.”
The captain frowned. “Isn’t that what I said?”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Baralt and Izzie,” Kamat said in a low, pleasant voice. “That’s a lovely dress.”
Izzie felt herself flush. The other woman sounded sincere but Izzie knew that the sexy golden gown looked out of place in a comfortable lounge. “I’m afraid it’s my only dress.”
“I have a few things that might fit you,” Kamat offered. “Although nothing as pretty as that, I’m afraid. That is, if you don’t mind used clothing.”
“Not in the least. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. Glasach will tell you that I have far too many clothes.”
“An entire cabin full,” the captain grumbled, but she smiled at her partner.
“I just hope they will fit,” Izzie added, glancing at Kamat’s slender figure.
Kamat laughed. “They will fit, although I suspect that you will fill them out much better than I do.”
“You fill ‘em out just fine,” Captain Glasach said immediately.
“Thank you, dear.” Kamat bent and gave her partner a quick kiss before turning back to Izzie. “Now come with me and let’s see what we can find.”
She hesitated, unexpectedly nervous about leaving Baralt. He gave her a comforting nod so she took a deep breath and followed Kamat out of the room.
Chapter Seventeen
“Pretty female, your slave,” Captain Glasach said casually, drawing Baralt’s attention back to her.
He had been watching the door through which Isabel had departed like a marlax watching an aria’s nest. “She is not my slave. She is my mate,” he growled.
The captain studied him through narrowed eyes, then nodded. “Good. Don’t think much of slavery.”
“Neither do I.” He sighed. “But it is easy to become oblivious when it is so prevalent. Life in the pits is brutal in so many ways.”
“You giving it up?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.” Sharp eyes surveyed him thoughtfully but somewhat to his surprise, she didn’t pursue the subject.
Instead, she started asking him about Hothrest. From there, they moved on to discussing several of the planets they had both visited. The captain’s observations were brief, critical, and remarkably accurate.
When Isabel and Kamat returned, Captain Glasach was just regaling him with a hilariously unflattering account of Elgin. He had disliked the planet intensely since he had been defeated in one of his first fights by a huge Elginar warrior named Athtar, and he was still grinning when he looked up. The laughter was immediately replaced by desire.
As Kamat had predicted, the pale blue tunic Isabel was wearing clung lovingly to her lush curves. Even though the garment came to her knees, it couldn’t conceal the tantalizing swell of her hips or the heavy weight of her breasts, her peaked nipples pressing against the fabric. His kotra threatened to emerge. All he could think about was carrying her off to their cabin, but since she needed time to recover from their initial mating, he sternly suppressed his instincts.
“The waist of the pants was too small, but I thought this covered enough…” she said nervously.
“You look beautiful, my aria.”
“Thank you.” Her shoulders relaxed as she smiled at him. “And now I match the ship.”
Everyone laughed, then Isabel and Kamat joined them at the table, and the conversation turned back to places they had all visited. Of course, Isabel had little to contribute, but she listened eagerly and asked a number of questions.
The day passed very pleasantly. However, by the time they finished the meal of Rakoran delicacies that Kamat had prepared, the urge to be alone with his mate could no longer be suppressed. He rose to his feet, then scooped Isabel up in his arms.
“Thank you for the meal. And your company,” he added politely, already on the way to the door. “Good night.”
‘Yes, thank you,” Isabel called back over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him, then frowned at him. “That was rude.”
“I was not rude. I thought it better to leave before I could no longer resist the need to kiss you.”
Her face softened. “You do seem to enjoy kissing.”
“Very much so. Although I hope that I can kiss you everywhere this time.”
She shivered and he saw the points of her nipples through the thin tunic. But when he laid her on the bed and eagerly lifted her skirt, her luscious little cunt still looked hot and swollen despite the wetness glistening on the delicate folds.
“What’s the matter?” she asked when he reluctantly let the fabric cover her once more.
“You have not yet recovered, my aria.”
“But…” She bit her lip. “I was thinking. Do you have more of the healing lotion?”
“Yes but remember how it affected you.”
“Oh, I remember. But I’m already excited. I don’t mind if it adds to it. And I want you Baralt. I want to feel you inside me.”
His kotra throbbed in agreement and he searched hurriedly through his belt for the small vial. When he found it and looked up again, the tunic was gone and Isabel was naked on their bunk, her golden skin glowing against the white sheets. He prowled over to her, no longer able to control his excitement.
“Where do you need this?” he growled.
Her eyes smoldered as her finger circled a plump, dark nipple. “Here. I ache here.”
He poured a few drops of the creamy liquid on each peak, then worked it in with his fingers until they were swollen and distended and she was writhing beneath him.
“Here,” she panted as she reached down and parted her folds. “I need it here.”
She cried out as the cool liquid touched her, but not with pain. Her small entrance pulsed rhythmically and he could scarcely believe that he had been able to fit inside that tiny channel. She was still shuddering when he coated his finger with the lotion and carefully entered her.
“Oh!” Her eyes widened and her body froze.
“What’s wrong? Am I hurting you?” Horrified, he started to pull out, but she put her
