Page 19 of Rescued

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HEROD

Every time I thought the girl and I could get along, she did something that infuriated me. I laid back on my bunk, staring up at the ceiling and stewing over her comments. Why did I care what she thought about me and my lifestyle? She knew from day one that this was a temporary arrangement, and I never invited her to pry into my life. If I had grown short with her, it was her own fault.

I don’t know how long she sat up in the cockpit by herself. I resisted the urge to go back and argue with her any further. In the darkness, I eventually heard her moving about, and then she shuffled by me, feeling her way to her bunk. In her wake, I picked up the delicate scent of the perfume she was now wearing. But it wasn’t just the perfume. It was the combination of her natural scent carrying the perfume, and it was intoxicating.

To my surprise, my body was reacting before I knew what was happening. I could feel the bulge in my pants growing uncomfortably, and when I closed my eyes, I envisioned her tucked close against my body. I remembered the softness of her skin every time I touched her, and I yearned to touch her again. I resisted the urge to reach out and run my fingers across her passing figure.

There was the squeak of the bunk as Caimbrie settled in, and some time later, I could hear the subtle rise and fall of her feminine snores. Nevertheless, the desire in my groin was unrelenting. I grumbled to myself, betrayed by my own body. Was this what Adreax had struggled with all those nights that we spent sneaking in and out of Tayla’s shuttle? If so, I could understand why he was always so surly when he woke up.

Damn it. Why had I bought her the perfume? Now I would forever associate that scent with her, and the cabin of theGreedy She-Devilwould forever be tainted by that lingering aroma. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of anything else, anything that would distract me, but nothing would ease the discomfort between my legs. If anything, the harder I fought it, the more my body ached for her.

It was quickly becoming evident that I would not sleep this night. I had to do something, and perhaps the best thing to do would be to get as far away from Caimbrie’s sleeping form as I possibly could. And this time, I wouldn’t bother waking her.

On previous trips to this port, I had had my share of entertainment in the dark alleys just beyond the brightly lit cavern that contained the parked ships. If I was careful, I could make my way to the perimeter, find some relief, and be back aboard my ship long before sunrise.

Like so many times before, I scooted sideways out of bed and out of the sleeping cabin. Luckily, I knew every bit of this ship like the back of my hand, and I was able to creep out without making a single noise. I pulled the release for the outer door and let it slide open, stepping out into the open port. I pulled the door closed behind me and started to walk away but thought better of it. I went back and locked the door from the outside, assuring myself that this was the only way to keep Caimbrie safe from herself and everyone else.

For the first time since Caimbrie came aboard, I felt free walking alone outside of my ship. The stiffness of my cock rubbed against my pants as I walked, and I tried to adjust myself inconspicuously before plotting my course to the outer ring of the cavern. Somewhere, there would be a door, and on the other side of it, there would be a whole world of people living in the shadows, willing to do whatever they must to survive. Those were my people, and who I sought now.

Rounding a large cargo ship parked off on its own, I spotted the exit. I hit the door and jogged down the stairs on the other side, landing on the dark street below. Here, aliens of all different origins huddled together chattering excitedly. I heard yelling down the way, and I looked up, worried that I might be caught in some kind of conflict, but whatever happened, the yelling died down and the subdued buzz of survival carried on.

I walked with my head down and my shoulders hunched, scanning side to side as I searched for a face I would recognize. I passed more than one entertainer leaning against the outer wall, some of them calling to me, others appraising me only with their eyes. Each time I passed one, I felt my shoulders grow more tense, and I worried that the woman I sought was no longer here. It was plausible. Working women often moved on, and occasionally some of them disappeared with suitors who sought to turn them into something else.

“Herod? Is that you, sweetie?”

I froze, closing my eyes and allowing myself to take a deep breath. She was here. Aamira. The woman who had fulfilled so many of my fantasies in the past, and who I hoped would help me address some of my fantasies in the present.

“It’s been a while, but you’re looking well,” she continued, coming out of the shadows and stepping into my path. She reached up and ran a long fingernail along my jaw line, dropping it suggestively down to my chest and letting it fall toward my belt. When she reached that point, she noticed how obviously erect I already was, and she arched a brow at me with a knowing smile.

“Can we skip the small talk?” I muttered, trying to ignore the onlookers staring our way.

Normally I wouldn’t care if anyone knew I was here or that I was meeting with an entertainer, but at the moment, I felt exposed, and all I wanted was the safety of a private room.

Aamira winked at me conspiratorially and spun on her heel, strutting away from me with sharp clicking steps, so I had to hurry to catch up before I lost sight of her in the darkness. There was a round of laughter from one of the groups behind me and I ducked my head reflexively, eager to be away from prying eyes.

We rounded another corner, and Aamira stopped abruptly, turned to face me, and wrapped her fingers into the collar of my shirt to pull me close. I almost jumped at her touch, but I forced myself to stay steady. This was Aamira. We’d done this dozens of times before. No surprises.

Her other hand went down to my belt, working it loose, and my heart was pounding in my ears.

“Not here,” I grumbled, stopping her from going any further.

This alleyway was not suitable for my mood. I wasn’t looking for a quick romp. I needed her to go all out, to really take my mind off of Caimbrie sleeping alone back in the cabin of my ship. I needed the full treatment.

“No rooms right now,” she mumbled into my neck, trying to push things along. “Don’t worry. Nobody will say a word.”

I pulled out of her grasp and gripped her wrists, holding her at arm’s length and staring straight into her eyes. I could already see the disappointment and frustration chasing across her face, and I felt a little guilty that I had dragged her back here only to refuse her services. She couldn’t afford me wasting her time.

But something else struck me. She wasn’t arguing. She wasn’t fighting me or calling me out. She was just standing there, waiting for me to decide how this would proceed. And in that moment, I realized that she could not possibly ease the swelling of desire that I felt for Caimbrie. As infuriating as my temporary guest may be, my craving for her was wholly different from the passing interest I took in entertainers on distant planets. It wasn’t lust. It was a thirst, and it was something entirely foreign to me.

“I’m sorry, Aamira. This was a mistake.”

Aamira withdrew, but she didn’t say a word. All she did was check the time and shoo me away.

“Be gone with you. Until next time…”

I barely heard the rest of her words as I turned and ran back out of the alley and straight for theGreedy She-Devil, desperate to clear my head and make sense of the emotions roiling through me like so many unwelcome infiltrators.

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