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  “Yeah, right,” I mumbled under my breath. As if I would put myself in for more of this than I had to.

  “Well, if there is nothing else, then I will take my leave,” she said again.

  “Wait!” I exclaimed. “Wait, there is something else!”

  “Yes?”

  My eyes were adjusting to the dim lighting and I could see that Aliza was looking at me with a patient expression in her eyes.

  “Um…” I tried to think of something—anything at all—to stall, to keep her from leaving. But my mind was suddenly a complete blank.

  “I shall leave you, then,” Aliza said, a mysterious smile playing around the corners of her mouth. “And do not worry, my Lady. I think you will find your pleasure attendant very much to your liking.”

  As if I could like a stranger—any stranger—who came in the dark room and groped me. But before I could think of anything to say to stop her, she left and the pleasure room door snicked shut behind her.

  Can’t believe I’m doing this. Can’t believe I’m actually going to let some stranger—

  The soft sound of the door behind the curtain opening cut off my train of thought as cleanly as a surgeon’s scalpel.

  Oh my God, I thought to myself. Oh my God, he’s here! He’s right across from me behind the curtain! Here we go!

  There was a soft sound of heavy footsteps muffled by the cushioned floor. Though I couldn’t see him, it immediately gave me the idea that my “pleasure attendant” was a very large guy. Well, most of the Majoran males seemed to be pretty big. I was sure I hadn’t seen a single one under six foot six and most of them seemed to be closer to Kristoff’s height of over seven feet.

  Kristoff! I thought longingly as I heard the man on the other side of the curtain approach. I wish it was you! I don’t want anyone else!

  But what I wanted didn’t seem to matter. There was a soft rustling behind the curtain and I got the impression that whoever it was had knelt in front of me.

  I got tense, waiting for big, unfamiliar hands to grab my breasts and start groping between my legs.

  Instead, he touched my knees.

  I know, right? It was weird. And at first I was sure he was going to run his hands up my legs and right between my thighs. But he just sat there, silent and motionless, with his big, warm hands on my knees, which of course, were sticking out between the slits in the curtain.

  Okay, so maybe he was a knee man? Which was weird, especially considering that my breasts were also sticking out of the slits in the curtain. Maybe it was too dim in the room for him to see properly. But he should still know that my boobs wouldn’t be down where my knees were. What was going on?

  “Um…”After a long moment, I cleared my throat, not sure what to say. “You, uh, do know you’re touching my knees, right?”

  There was a soft sound of ascent and a deep voice murmured, “Yes, my Lady.”

  “Okay. And you further know that my boobs, I mean my breasts, are up here, right?” It felt funny to call attention to my breasts when I’m usually wishing a guy would look me in the eyes instead. But since we were here to do this, we might as well get it over with.

  “Do you want me to touch your breasts?” the deep voice asked softly.

  “I…um…well, you’re supposed to, I think,” I said, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.

  “That isn’t what I asked you.” The big hands finally moved, sliding slowly up my thighs. But he was touching the tops of my thighs—not angling inward to go for my sex. My nerves tingled at the light touch and I felt the flame of need within me, which had been almost extinguished by my fear and uncertainty, suddenly blaze to life again.

  “I…I’m not sure what I want,” I said, my voice soft and breathless. “I…I’m afraid.”

  “I know,” he murmured. “I can feel you tremble.”

  I felt those big, warm hands begin to move again, sliding slowly upwards from my thighs to my hips.

  They were on my side of the curtain now and I looked down, wishing for the first time that the light wasn’t quite so dim. I wanted to see him a little better—well, what I could see of him, anyway which was mostly just his hands and his muscular forearms. His long, strong fingers were splayed, resting lightly on the swells of my hips.

  “Hey,” I said, slightly breathless. “I, uh, thought you were supposed to stay on your side of the curtain.”

  His hands moved up, dipping inward to caress the curve of my waist.

  “You have a lovely shape, my Lady,” he murmured, ignoring my halfhearted protest.

  “I…um…thank you,” I whispered uncertainly.

  The hands continued their journey, sliding up my sides and over my shoulders to lightly caress the hollow of my throat and the sensitive sides of my neck. Against my will, I felt a tingle of pleasure at his gentle touch and I had to bite back a moan. God, and he hadn’t even touched the parts he was supposed to touch yet! What was going on with me?

  The hands moved again, sliding down the sides of my breasts and then cupping their undercurves in his big, warm palms. I shivered, though he still hadn’t come anywhere near my nipples, which were tight with need and fear.

  “You’re going very slowly,” I blurted out. “I mean, not that that’s a bad thing. I’m not complaining or anything I just…” I trailed off, realizing I was babbling.

  Shut up, Charlotte, I told myself fiercely. Just shut up and let him get this over with. But for the first time, I wasn’t as certain that I wanted it over with.

  “I was told to be gentle, as this is your first time at a pleasure house, my Lady,” he murmured. “Do you wish me to be rougher?”

  “What? No!” I exclaimed, feeling half panicked. “No, please don’t!”

  There was a soft laugh from the other side of the curtain.

  “Never fear, my Lady. Your body is beautiful. I will worship it gently and with reverence.”

  Finally I felt his hands move up and then he was sliding his thumbs gently over my tight, aching nipples.

  I gave a little gasp and jumped. The spike of pleasure I got from such a small gesture scared me. Scared me because I realized I felt drawn to this strange man behind the curtain. And how could that be when I didn’t feel drawn to anyone but Kristoff?

  Kristoff! The thought of him filled me with a longing so deep and wide I felt like I might drown in it. I couldn’t do this—couldn’t let another man touch me— pleasure me. Not when I wanted only Kristoff.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I could do this but I can’t…I just can’t.”

  I started to pull away but then his fingers closed over my sensitive nipples, squeezing gently and dragging a moan from my lips.

  “Why, my Lady?” he murmured. “Why can’t you allow yourself to be pleasured? Is it because you long for another?”

  “Yes,” I whispered breathlessly. “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

  “And what, may I ask, is his name?” the deep, soft voice inquired as he rolled my nipples gently between his thumbs and fingers.

  “Ah…” I gasped. “His…his name is Kristoff.”

  “And he is the one you burn for? The one you desire?” A gentle tug at my ripe buds accompanied the question, making me moan again.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “I want him so…so much. But I can’t have him. It…it’s not allowed.”

  “The love of a Royal female for a low born male she cannot have,” he murmured. “We hear this tale often here at the Royal House of Goddess Pleasures.”

  “You…you do?” He was still pinching and twisting my nipples and the gentle torture was driving me half insane.

  “We do. Did you know that such couples often meet in just such a place as this?” he asked softly. “For here they can come together anonymously as pleasure attendant and pleasure seeker and do things that would otherwise be forbidden.”

  “I…I didn’t know that,” I whispered.

  “It’s true, my Lady. I have even heard tell of a Lady who fell in love with her guard. Though he