Chapter Seven

Cam walked down the corridor behind J’Ssett, nervous heat pulling at her stomach. A cloak covered her from head to toe but she was burningly conscious of what she was wearing beneath the cloak—or rather what she wasn’t wearing. With every step, she could feel fine gold chains caressing her skin. That afternoon, an attendant had appeared and proceeded to pamper Cam to within an inch of her life. She had been massaged, bathed, and lotioned; her nails had been painted and her hair and makeup done; and finally, she had been fastened into the chain outfit. The top consisted of an ornate halter that did nothing to conceal her breasts, but rather exposed them in an erotic harness. The barest scrap of silk covered her nipples but nothing else broke the contrast of creamy skin bound with gold. The bottom was equally as elaborate and revealing, the crisscrossed chains serving to frame her labia and the cleft of her bottom. Another triangle of silk barely covered her pubic mound. The final touch was a pair of strappy gold sandals with ridiculously high heels which made her legs look twice as long as normal.

By the time she looked in the mirror she didn’t even recognize herself. The resulting image was pure sex appeal but in an erotic, beautiful way. Even walking along the corridor, she could feel how the heels changed her posture, how her back arched and her hips swayed. And she could feel the chains against her skin, tight but not painful—continuously reminding her of her body and causing butterflies low in her belly. The touch of silk on her taut nipples and sliding between her already damp folds just added to her excitement.

But despite the erotic effects of the clothing, the real heat in her body was generated by the man waiting for her. After he had left her that morning, she had been escorted back to the harem. No one had been around so she had retreated to her room, trying to sort out her feelings. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Kievan caused her body to react in ways she had never experienced before. Even more than that, when he was touching her, holding her, she felt a sense of connection which went far beyond their physical contact. And yet this was the man who had brought her here, who had made her into a slave.

When she heard activity in the main room and joined Sonda and Leeda, she was still wrestling with her demons. The other women were their usual charming, gentle selves, but they were overcome with excitement that she had spent the night with Kievan again and that she was the only one he was currently seeing. She relaxed at their obvious approval, but then Xanthe emerged from her rooms. Instead of leaving at the sight of Cam, she lingered long enough to make cutting comments about “the new toy” until Cam finally retreated to her room and buried herself in her language lessons while she waited for the attendant to arrive. Even now on her way to see him again, she was still confused. The only thing she was sure of was that she longed to see him.

J’Ssett opened a set of double doors and bowed her forward. Cam had a vague impression of a glass-walled room but her eyes went immediately to Kievan. He was standing against the glass, wearing an open necked white silk shirt and white leather pants. He looked impossibly handsome, but even from across the room, she could see the tension in his body and her heart softened. Without conscious thought, she crossed to him, slid her arms up the warm skin of his chest and curled them around his neck. Even with the heels on, he was much taller so she lifted up on tiptoes and raised her face for his kiss. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, his face hard and unreadable, and then his arms went round her, his mouth descended over hers, and he kissed her until she was clinging helplessly to him. When he finally raised his head, his face was soft and his eyes blazed melted bronze.

“Sweetness,” he whispered, and stroked her cheek. She nuzzled into his hand and smiled at him.

“Hi, honey. How was your day?” she whispered back.

He raised an eyebrow. “Honey?”

“It’s an expression of affection,” she said before she blushed and looked away. His hand lifted her chin until she looked at him again.

“I like it—and I like that you said it.” When he smiled down at her, her stomach did a little flip and she almost groaned. She was in serious trouble. Before she could process the thought, he released her chin and stepped back. The unreadable mask dropped over his face again. “Unfortunately, I did not have a good day. It reminded me that we need to resume your training.”

Cam shivered, and not in a good way. “Training?”

He turned toward the window and her eyes followed him. The atrium was dark, lit only by lights from the windows opening on to it. As her gaze moved to the atrium, she noticed for the first time that all of the walls of the room were made of glass. Even the floor was made of glass and a wave of vertigo made her dizzy as she saw the vast expanse of space beneath her feet. Hastily she turned her attention to the massive, intricately carved—and very solid—dining table that filled the center of the room. One place was set at the far end. The memory of Kievan feeding her that morning brought a smile to her face and she turned back to look at him.

He was staring out into the atrium, the tension she had seen when she first entered the room back in the stiff lines of his back. She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly nervous. Finally, he answered her question. “A certain protocol is expected of…slaves. Sometimes in private but always in public.”

The familiar feeling of despair went through her at the word slave. Would she ever get used to it? Pushing it aside, she concentrated on the second part of his statement. “Public? Does that mean I would get to leave your quarters?”

“Is that what you want?” he asked, his voice tense.

He turned to look at her and she shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. “I don’t know. An occasional change of scenery might be nice. I don’t exactly have a lot to do.”

“You have to please me.”

His voice heated and she felt the answering response in her stomach but she refused to be distracted from her argument. “I’m not with you all the time. You have a job; you work hard. I’m also used to working—and I liked having a job.”

He studied her face, his expression unreadable. “We will discuss that again but for now, your desire for a change of scenery should provide additional motivation.”

The words reminded her of his other, more uncomfortable, ways to motivate her. She might as well know the worst. “What behavior do you expect?”

“A slave reflects on her master. She is pleasant, obedient, and respectful at all times. If you enter the room and I am sitting, you will come and kneel at my feet. If I am standing, you will assume a standing pose. You do not speak unless I give you permission. You will address me as Master.” He hesitated. “You will offer your body for my pleasure whenever, and however, I desire.”

She knew she was staring at him, her mouth open. He was reducing her to a puppet with no mind of her own. The invisible chains of her slavery, so easy to forget when she was in his arms, were suddenly very apparent. Her heart clenched and it took her a moment to find the words. “Is that what you want?”

Her face must have shown her despair because his voice was soft when he responded. “In public, always. In private, sometimes.”

“But why?”

Kievan smiled wickedly and she actually felt her pulse increase. “Have you forgotten last night and this morning already? If you remember, I didn’t ask for your permission. I was under the impression that you enjoyed the experience.”

Her cheeks flamed and now she looked away.

“Don’t be embarrassed, little flower.” He pulled her into his arms and she felt her body relax. “Everyone responds differently. I enjoy being in charge; you enjoy giving up control.”

She wanted to deny it but he was not wrong. “What if I didn’t?” she couldn’t help asking.

“You would learn.” There was no doubt in his voice. “However, your natural submissiveness is a delightful surprise.”

He curled his hand firmly around her neck, controlling her movements, and they both felt her shiver. “You see what I mean?”

“I suppose I can try,” she agreed reluctantly.

“No, pet.” His hand tightened. “You will learn. If you do not, you will be punished.”

Her eyes filled with tears but she nodded. His fingers pressed harder into her neck. “Answer properly so that I know you understand.”

“Yes, Master,” she whispered. He let his hand drop and her neck immediately felt bare and cold.

“Very good, little flower.” The low approval in his voice made the tears threaten to overflow but she blinked them back. “Now remove your cloak and I will show you the standing pose.”

“Yes, Master.” It was easier the second time but she kept her head down as she let the cloak fall to the ground at her feet. He didn’t say anything but she felt the energy in the room change. Her stomach trembled. When she glanced at Kievan, his eyes were completely molten.

“You’re beautiful, little flower.” She could hear the hunger in his voice and swayed almost unconsciously toward him but he shook his head. When he resumed his instructions, his voice was cold and controlled. “First the pose. Spread your legs slightly. Hands behind your back, your right hand clasping your left wrist. Head up and eyes down.”

Cam assumed the position, blushing as she realized how prominent her breasts became with her hands behind her back. Kievan slowly circled her body, his eyes leaving a trail of heat as they lingered on her body. She fought the impulse to cover herself with her hands. A dizzying mixture of humiliation and desire swept through her and she bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

“Very good, my pet. I see that you are ready for me.” He swept a finger across one engorged nipple and her breath caught. Her mouth opened but he didn’t let her speak. “Hold your pose but look at me.”

She started to nod but caught herself. “Yes, Master.”

Helplessly she maintained her position while he stood in front of her, casually thumbing her nipples and watching her face. She was held by nothing more than his order, exposed for his pleasure, bound by his chains; she had never felt so alive. Nothing in her previous limited experience had prepared her for this. Desire rippled through her in waves and she could actually feel her labia dampening and swelling in anticipation, her clit stiffening into a hard little nub. Her breath sped up and her eyes started to close.

“Eyes on me, pet.”

“Yes, Master.” She could barely get the words out but she forced her eyes to his face. He bent toward her, his warm breath swirling across her nipple, and then his hot, wet mouth closed over the soft silk and he pulled the taut peak deep inside. She cried out and almost came. His mouth released her with a soft pop and he blew gently over the wet silk, sending shivers across her entire body. Her hand clamped down on her wrist in a desperate attempt to keep from reaching from him.

“So responsive,” he murmured. “We will have to see about some jewelry for these, my pet.”

Jewelry? For her nipples? The words barely penetrated as he repeated the process on her other nipple.

“Are you wet for me, pet?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Open for me and let me check.” His hand slid down between her legs and he rumbled his approval as it slipped easily between her slick folds. He paused with his finger to one side of her clit and she held her breath, afraid to move and miss his finger moving the remaining fraction of an inch and bringing her relief. Her hips started to twitch and he removed his hand. She almost sobbed in frustration.

“Not yet, sweetness.” He traced his finger across her lips and her tongue automatically followed its path, the taste of her own arousal shocking. “I’m going to give you something else to think about. Bend over the table.”

She unlocked her hands and swayed dizzily. He supported her and lowered her upper body until it was lying over the table, her arms stretched out in front of her. The cool surface soothed her swollen nipples.

“Keep still,” he warned, just as she felt his fingers trace the crevice between her butt cheeks. She startled and he pressed one hand firmly between her shoulder blades. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

For a long moment, he teased the puckered rosette of her anus, awakening nerves she didn’t know existed while she tried to hold still. Then his fingers drifted lower and she sighed with relief as he swirled his fingers against the entrance to her pussy. Her hips thrust back involuntarily at the touch and his hand descended across her ass with startling swiftness, creating a fiery sting in the soft flesh but only adding to her arousal. A cold object pushed into her channel and she clamped down in shock. It wasn’t large but the cool, hard metal resisted her muscles. Without removing the object, his wet fingers returned to her anus, spreading her juices and probing lightly at the tiny entrance.

“No, Master, please.” Her whole body was quivering now; she couldn’t control it.

“Silence, pet.” He spanked her again and her body ratcheted up one more unbelievable notch. Slowly he withdrew the object from her vagina and she felt the smooth tip, now warmed by her body, pressing against her anus. Her muscles clenched.

“Relax,” he whispered. The hand lifted off her back and she felt it teasing her swollen clit. God, she was so close. With one swift movement, he pushed through the tight ring of muscle and slid the object into her rectum while his other hand pressed down hard on her clit, and she came in a blinding convulsion that left her limp and shaking on the table.

“Very nice, my pet. And you didn’t pass out this time.” His voice was warm and amused, his fingers soothing as he stroked her back while she recovered. Her cheek was still pressed against the table and he lowered his face to look into her eyes. “Of course, I didn’t tell you that you could come.”

“You didn’t tell me I couldn’t,” she found the strength to point out. His lips twitched.

“Quite true, little flower. I think I had better feed you now.” He helped her carefully to her feet, and she stiffened as she realized that the butt plug was still firmly lodged in her rectum.

“Umm, aren’t you going to take this out now?” she asked hopefully. “Master?” she added quickly as his eyebrow lifted.

“No, my pet. It looks very pretty there. I chose a gold one especially to match your chains.”

Cam bit back a groan but followed obediently as he moved to the other side of the table. When he pointed to the cushion at his feet, she knelt carefully and prayed that dinner would not be an extended affair.

Kievan stared down at the little female kneeling so gracefully at his feet and fought down the urge to pull her into his lap and hold her close while he fed her. Goddess, she was magnificent. Her skin still flushed from her orgasm, her nipples rosy and distended, the gold chains tight around the creamy expanse of her flesh, the delicious scent of her arousal teasing him—everything about her called to him. His cock throbbed each time he held a carefully selected bite to her lips and felt the soft pink flesh against his fingers.

The night was not proceeding as planned. When he had been waiting for her earlier, he had convinced himself that he could treat as he would any other slave. But as soon as she entered the room, she had come to him, putting her arms around him and expecting—wanting—his kiss. Something inside him had shifted at her obvious pleasure in his company. He barely even paused before dropping his mouth over her sweet lips.

What was it about her that made him hesitate, that made it so hard to train her as he would any other woman? He had told her the truth—he was dominant in bed and he enjoyed it. The mixture of fear and desire in a woman’s eyes went straight to his cock. Displaying a beautiful submissive in public conveyed an unmistakable message about his power. But despite those truths, he found an unexpected longing for her sweetness and the trust she showed whenever she relaxed into him. He didn’t want those traits locked away behind the formal protocol of ownership. So while he couldn’t ignore her training —in the long run it would only cause her pain—perhaps for a short time he could have both.

With that in mind, he gave in to his impulse and lifted her into his lap. She came willingly, only squirming a little as she tried to find a position that didn’t put pressure on the plug. He laughed and tapped the end lightly. She jumped and started to glare but caught it in time.

“You’re learning, pet.” Ignoring her gasp, he settled her ass firmly against his thigh, knowing the position pressed on the plug. “Tell me about yourself while I feed you dessert.”

“There’s not much to tell.” She shrugged and let him feed her a slice of fruit. Her soft curves settled into place and he almost groaned at the gentle pressure of her hip against his throbbing erection.

“You said you worked. What did you do?”

“I am—I was—an accountant. Well, more of a glorified bookkeeper, actually. My mom was sick for a long time so I did a lot of contract work for small firms.”

A look of pain crossed her delicate features and he asked before he had a chance to rethink the question.

“What happened to her?”

“She died, just over a year ago. I still miss her every day.” The satisfied feeling reappeared as she buried her head in his neck, turning to him for comfort. The trusting gesture spurred an uncharacteristic desire to share.

“My mother died when I was born.”

The impulsive confession appalled him as soon as the words left his mouth. Before he could regret them, her hand came up and cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged but didn’t move away from her hand. “Don’t be. You can’t miss what you’ve never had.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t have it.” Her eyes were gentle. “There were only the two of us and we were very close. She was a single mom, but she worked really hard to make sure I had everything I needed. As soon as I could, I started helping out, first at home and then with whatever jobs I could find. We were a unit—the two of us against the world. Then, when I finally graduated and got a good job so I could start taking care of her, she got sick.”

“So you took care of her anyway.” It wasn’t a question.

She smiled a little crookedly. “Of course, but not the way I planned. You know, it’s odd. Even after we received the diagnosis, I never really believed she would die. I thought my love would save her.” He watched as she pushed aside the memory and turned the subject back to him. “Do you have any other family?”

“No. My clan declared me Outcast many years ago.” Even dulled by time, the words still had the power to hurt.

“Outcast?”

“I was informed that I was no longer welcome in Sardoran society and I left the planet.” He retreated into his normal mockery, but he suspected that she wasn’t fooled.

“What did you do?”

“Many things I shouldn’t have done.” He shrugged. “They were quite justified in their decision.”

“How old were you?”

“I was twenty.” He saw the question quivering on her tongue. “I’m now forty, pet.”

“You don’t look that old,” she answered.

“And am I allowed to ask how old you are?”

“You’re my master, aren’t you allowed to ask me anything?” An impish smile curved her lips and he dipped his head into her neck, nipping the skin gently in teasing punishment. Her breath caught and he let his mouth linger, tasting her skin and letting her sweet fragrance surround him. Her back arched and she started to wiggle against his stiff cock. Damn, she was responsive. Reluctantly he lifted his head.

“I’m twenty-five,” she said rapidly. “Now you know the story of my life, isn’t it time for bed?”

“Sweetness,” he whispered. Impatiently, her fingers tugged on his neck, pulling his head down. As soon as his mouth touched hers, she opened to him. He curved his hand around her neck, feeling her body respond as he held her in place for his kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth, slow and hard, and he explored her leisurely, relishing her sweet taste and her instant response. One of her hands moved to his bare chest and he could feel it stroking him until he took the kiss deeper and all she could do was to hold on. She moaned into his mouth and his cock twitched in immediate response. He raised his head and watched as she struggled to focus.

“Very well, little flower. Bedtime.”

He helped her to her feet, steadying her until she could stand on her own, then wrapped the cloak around her shoulders before leading her to the doors. She walked stiffly, obviously conscious of the plug still inside her. He hesitated at the entrance, remembering his purpose.

“If we are in public, you walk to my right, one step behind. Do you understand?”

She bit her lip but bowed her head. “Yes, Master.”

He exited the room and she followed obediently in the correct position. As soon as she moved away, he missed her warm body. Did he really need to keep this up when they were within his quarters? With a muffled curse, he reached back and pulled her forward, tucking her under his arm. Her arm went around his waist and she relaxed against him as they walked.

“Kievan?” she asked after a minute. It didn’t escape him that she had recognized that they were no longer observing protocol.

“Yes, little flower?”

“What did you do after you left Sardor?”

He fought to keep his body from stiffening. “I worked, mainly as a mercenary.” He heard her swift breath but ignored it. “And I gambled. It turned out that I have a talent for it. That’s how I came to own this place.”

“You won it?”

“Yes, from a very bad gambler. I could have sold it but I was tired of moving around and decided to see what I could do here.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Fifteen years.” He didn’t tell her that the first five years had been a constant battle, conquering his rivals, establishing his authority over everyone who came aboard. He rarely slept, and when he did it was with one eye open. But eventually, he got to the point where he had established enough control that he could start to relax a fraction, although he still worked hard, and constantly, to maintain that iron control.

This station, however unimportant to the rest of the galaxy, was the one thing that truly belonged to him. The one thing he had spent almost half his life building. And the one thing that was now threatened. The pain in his chest flared again and he tightened his arm around the small female nestled so closely against his side. For right now, she was his—and that was all that mattered.