Enslaved Read online

  “Oh my sweet Goddess of Judgment,” Trin whispered unsteadily. “What…what did we just do?”

  “Nothing,” Thrace growled. “Yet.”

  “Or ever.” She squirmed to get out of his arms, which only made him harder. “Let me go!”

  “Give me a minute!” Thrace half groaned. For a second he was afraid he was going to blow his load all over her flat belly. Then he somehow regained control of himself, set her back on her feet, and stepped away though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

  * * * * *

  Trin straightened her panties, her hands shaking with embarrassment. Goddess, what else could happen tonight? This was horrible—humiliating! Not to mention incredibly confusing. Why had she reacted that way to him? What was wrong with her?

  “Are you all right, my dear?” Lady Tam-tam sounded concerned but she had a naughty little smile on her face, like someone who had gotten exactly what they wanted.

  She knew, Trin thought, her face getting hot. She knew what it would do to me—to us—to try the scarlet bubbles. She made us try it on purpose because she wanted to watch.

  Somehow, nothing had quite prepared her for the realization. Though Lady Malroth had warned her their hostess was a voyeur and she had clearly condoned Lady Needra and her graphic displays, somehow Trin hadn’t quite believed that Lady Tam-tam could or would do such a thing. To deliberately drug her—or have her and Thrace drug themselves—so she could watch them lose control…well, it was too much. Just too much.

  “We tried the gas and now we have to go,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “I…I don’t feel well. Not at all.”

  “Of course you may go.” Lady Tam-tam’s eyes were shining with interest. “You should go back to the room and avail yourself of the bathing facilities—a nice hot bath and massage should make you feel like new again.”

  “Thank you,” Trin said stiffly. She wanted to shout and rage at their hostess—to condemn her for her inexcusable awfulness but she knew she couldn’t. Lady Malroth was watching with a smug smirk on her face. Trin had to remind herself again that if the deal for the crystals fell through, she and everyone who depended on her would be out on the street.

  Have to get out of here. Just have to go! she thought wildly.

  Turning, she began to run across the lawn but the stupid heels she had on tripped her and she nearly fell. Only Thrace’s hand under her arm saved her.

  “Stop it!” Trin tried to shove away from him but he wouldn’t let her go. “Let go of me!”

  “No,” he said in a low voice. “You’re upset and in no shape to walk in those ridiculous shoes. They might be lower than the ones from this morning but they’re still not made for running.” Ignoring her protests, he swung her up into his arms and carried her across the rolling lawn towards the vast, sprawling mansion.

  Trin wanted to fight him but suddenly all the strength seemed to have left her body. She collapsed against him, pressing her face to the place where his broad shoulder met his neck and breathed in the dark, spicy scent of his skin. It comforted her for some reason she couldn’t understand, bringing her a small measure of calm even though she felt like she was falling apart.

  “What’s wrong with me?” she whispered as he carried her through the long marble hallways of Dreaming Hills. “Why did I act like that? Why couldn’t I control myself?”

  “Not your fault,” Thrace rumbled, answering her though she had been mostly talking to herself. “It was that damn dream gas. If I had to guess, I’d say the red kind makes you horny as hell. No wonder Lady Tam-tam wanted us to try it.”

  “But I’m one of the Unpenetrated,” Trin exclaimed, lifting her head to look at him. “And I didn’t even care! In one more minute I was going to…going to…” She blushed, unable to go on, unable to say how she had longed to join with him, to have his body pressed to hers, filling her, fucking her…Wrong…so wrong…

  “I know. Me too,” he said softly, looking into her eyes. “I wanted you so fucking badly I thought I was going to die. Never wanted a female like that before. Ever.”

  I’ve never wanted a male at all. Not before tonight. Not like that.

  But she couldn’t say it out loud. Neither could she keep looking into his eyes—her stomach did a slow flip at the intensity of his gaze.

  “I…” Trin dropped her eyes. “I just…”

  “Wasn’t your fault,” he said again, when she couldn’t finish her sentence. “It was Lady Tam-tam.”

  “What’s wrong with her?” Trin asked as he carried her into their suite and kicked the door shut behind them. “Why is she like that? Wanting to watch people…embarrass themselves like that?”

  Thrace sighed and sat down on the edge of the sleeping platform, still holding her in his arms.

  “My guess? She’s lonely. She lost her own love-slave cycles ago and she still misses him. She wants to relive what she once had with him by watching other people do the things she loved to do with him—a vicarious thrill. Sad, but it’s all she has left.”

  Trin looked up at him, surprised at his insightful analysis of the situation.

  “You almost sound like you don’t blame her for what she made us do. Or…almost made us do.”

  He frowned. “No, I blame her all right. I never would have forgiven myself if I’d hurt you. And that fucking gas made me so hot I couldn’t see straight.”

  “Me too,” Trin confessed in a low voice. “I…I never would have done…what I did otherwise.” Suddenly she realized he was still holding her and she sat up and slid off his lap, putting some much needed distance between them.

  “I know you wouldn’t…Mistress.” Thrace sighed and looked away. “So what now? Do you want to keep playing her game or give up and go?”

  “You mean…” Trin put her arms around herself protectively. “You think she’ll want to see more? Even after that display we put on by the dream-sphere fountain?”

  “Especially after the display we put on.” He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you hear her? ‘You should avail yourself of the bathing facilities’ he mocked in a surprisingly good imitation of their hostess. “‘A nice hot bath and massage should make you feel like new again.’”

  Trin was torn between laughter and anxiety.

  “My Goddess, you’re right,” she whispered. “She all but ordered me to take a bath.”

  “No, she ordered me to give you a bath,” Thrace corrected her. “The question is, do you want me to? Or do you want to go?”

  Trin bit her lip. “If we go, everything will all be for nothing. Lady Malroth will make sure I can never trade on Yonnie Six again and there’s no other market for Jaxite crystals. I’ll lose The Alacrity and all my crew will go begging.”

  “Well, you’ll get to keep me, at least.” Thrace gave her a crooked little smile.

  “That’s right.” Trin sighed. “You won’t let me give you your freedom until the debt is paid.”

  “Damn right, I won’t.” He frowned. “Not that I could ever really fully repay you. But this is a start at least.”

  “So…” Trin bit her lip. “You wouldn’t mind…”

  “Trin…” Thrace cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. “You’re not seriously going to ask me if I mind washing you and running my hands over your sweet, naked body, are you?”

  Trin drew a deep breath and lifted her chin. Time to speak bluntly. “I know you don’t mind but will it be safe to do this? Especially when you…desire me the way you say you do.”

  “Don’t worry,” Thrace said, frowning. “That was just the dream gas. I can control myself, no matter how badly I want you.” He looked into her eyes. “You can trust me, Trin,” he said softly. “I’ll never take what you don’t want to give.”

  “Good. That makes me feel better.” She sighed. Everything to do with males was so complicated! Even back when she was still trying to date her own sex, she’d never felt the need to have a conversation like this. But Thrace was so huge—so much bigger and stronger than h