Shara's Challenge

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Shara’s Challenge ISBN # 1-4199-0633-X ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Shara’s Challenge Copyright© 2006 Lorie O’Clare Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication: May 2006

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443103502. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Warning: The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. This book has been rated E–rotic by a minimum of three independent reviewers. Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme). S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

SHARA’S CHALLENGE Lorie O’Clare

Lorie O’Clare

Chapter One “I’m surprised they didn’t strip-search us.” Romair shrugged off the sensation of the burly guard’s hands on him as he followed his friend down the narrow hallway. “What kind of place is this?” “It’s different.” Jolen’s chuckle was deep, just like his voice. His broad shoulders blocked Romair’s view of where they headed, which, knowing Jolen, was more than likely into trouble. “Remind me again why I passed on the Misi twins to come here?” He noticed the unkempt walls, seawater seeping through too many cracks. And to think right now Jola and Dal would probably have their mouths on his dick, fighting over him. “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.” “As long as it’s better than the treatment we got at the door.” Romair didn’t care much for men touching him. “Now, if they’d had women there to greet us…” Jolen’s laugh bounced off the damp walls on either side of them. The water that splashed at their feet smelled stale. This definitely wasn’t a place where he’d run into any government officials. More than likely the law avoided this cave. Jolen looked over his shoulder, that smile warning enough that they were in for something different. He knew Jolen all too well. His friend, almost like a brother since they’d known each other most of their lives, always swam a bit off the beaten canal. When he’d suggested a club he knew where the kink would put the women they had lined up for the night to shame, Romair’s curiosity piqued. Twin sisters willing to fuck him in spite of his reputation would be hard to top. They splashed through the murky water that came up to their ankles. Any decent establishment would keep the water level lower. The hallway had a slight decline. They were heading deeper into the mountain. Just to get here, they’d left their tran-bus in the locking bay in Australia Sea, and then swam deep into the dark waters to this forgottenlooking place. Not an establishment people like them would normally frequent. People like them. Romair shook his head, his grin matching the one on Jolen’s face. Who would have thought he’d ever consider himself someone of rank? But it was true. For both of them. The end of the Civil War had found him and his buddy sitting rather pretty with new titles, new statuses in life. Having fought side by side in the bloodiest battle he hoped to ever witness in his life, they’d helped Shara Dar become leader and she’d rewarded them nicely. She was young, still learning, spontaneous in her actions at times, but bright. Romair would kill for Shara, and she knew it. She knew she’d do well with Jolen and him by her side. Both

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holding rank of First Commanders, he’d been surprised the men at the entrance to the mountain hadn’t recognized them. Those who swam this type of life didn’t care about government. Just outside the boundaries for the newly formed city of Zeal Current, they had their own laws down here. It hadn’t been so many years that Jolen and Romair moved among folks who lived from day to day. And he’d do well to remember that. Their economy was good. Jobs were everywhere and the South Passage prospered. Many preferred living on the edge, cutting deals, working for themselves. As long as they didn’t cross over the line to being criminal, many did well living like this. He’d done it himself for years. “Where are we going? To the core of Undrworld?” Romair watched the artificial beam of light that ran overhead flicker while they descended farther down the narrow hallway. “We’re almost there.” Jolen didn’t elaborate. Just like Jolen—keep him in the dark and then throw him into a situation where more than likely he’d be kicking ass to save his friend before the night ended. The hallway came to an abrupt end and a black round pool of still water shimmered against the artificial light. Jolen jumped in without a word, disappearing from Romair’s sight instantly. Water rippled around his ankles and he sighed, admitting a bit of adventure appealed to him after the week they’d had. Jumping in after Jolen, it took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the water—and the warmth of it. They were a hell of a lot deeper under the city than he’d originally thought. Most places this deep underground bordered on the criminal, law enforcement seldom being called to these areas and patrolling only as needed. Leave it to Jolen to bring them somewhere disreputable enough that they’d have to deal with the wrath of Shara later. Although thinking of how her hot little body got all tense when she lost her temper made the water around him feel even warmer than it was. Shoving those thoughts out of his head—Shara ruled the South Passage now—he wouldn’t lust after her anymore. Breathing the warm water through the gills behind his ears almost made him claustrophobic. There was no light, which made it hard to know how wide the canal was they swam through. Jolen moved ahead of him, creating an underwater current as his thick legs kicked through the water. When he turned and looked at Romair, his black eyes glowed while his bald head and the stupid grin on his face made him look like the ne’er-do-well idiot that he’d often had the reputation of being. They climbed out of the water alongside each other and lifted themselves onto cool stone. “Shit.” It was the first word out of his mouth. Romair stared at the room of people in front of him. Jolen nudged him in the arm, gesturing with his head for Romair to follow. They moved through the crowded establishment, the smell of alcohol, smoke and sex 5

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hanging heavily in the large cave. Romair looked down at the young woman who brushed her large breasts against his arm, grinning at him mischievously. He must be getting old. The first thing on a man’s mind shouldn’t be that the young, practically naked woman giving him bedroom eyes was probably young enough to be his daughter. He returned the grin, knowing she’d run like hell if she knew the kind of sex he enjoyed. Jolen led the way into a smaller cave. He found an empty table and waved to the waitress. Romair took the stool next to him. He almost missed sitting on the stool. He grabbed it and pulled it closer. His attention was riveted to the large stone table in the middle of the room. A young woman crawled onto it, completely naked. Her round ass faced him and the view he had of her shaved pussy made his cock harden eagerly. “You’re going to love this,” Jolen said, leaning into him and holding his fist in front of his mouth so no one else could hear. The waitress showed up, giving both of them an interested once-over. Jolen ordered for them and focused his attention back on the woman on the table. “So what is this place?” Romair watched as a man approached the table. The woman crawled across the table toward the man, moving like some erotic animal in heat. Her ass swayed and beads woven into her hair fell from long strings over her shoulders and down the soft curve of her back. A black cloth covered the upper half of her face, holes cut into it showing off her large black eyes. The material was tied behind her head, holding the woven beads against her head. What an enticing way to hide herself, yet at the same time display everything she had to all who watched. “You’ve heard of Venezuela’s Private Club?” Jolen still held his fist in front of his mouth, his elbow resting on the table in front of him. Not that anyone paid them any attention, or tried listening. The small cave, filled with round tables, was full of patrons whose focus was on the woman on the table. As was Romair’s. He glanced at Jolen briefly, but only for a second, unable to look away from the woman for that long. “The place is a myth,” he muttered. “You’re here.” Romair scowled. Venezuela’s Private Club was a sexual escape for those who could afford it. An alternative form of entertainment for anyone who craved something more adventurous, more enticing, more taboo than what was socially accepted. He glanced around the small, unadorned cave, taking in his surroundings with a quick glance. The woman rose to her knees, her attention on a man standing by the table. She reached for the man’s crotch and stroked him through his shorts while kissing him. Another man stood, moving to the other side of the table, and began stroking her ass. Romair hated him instantly for blocking his view.

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“What are the rules?” he asked, his shorts suddenly too tight. A compulsive urge to leave their table, move the asshole who stood in his way and take his place sounded like a damned good idea. He never was one to swim on the sidelines. “She chooses her partners before the show begins.” Well, so much for removing the guy and taking over for him. The men undressed and crawled onto the solid round table with the woman. Romair barely tasted the drink he downed quickly while watching the young lady cry with pleasure as the two men enjoyed her. She moved easily, well toned and perfectly shaped, like an athlete or someone accustomed to using her body. Maybe she did this all the time, fucked men while a crowd watched. At his end, it was one hell of a fucking turn-on. Knowing how many men lusted after her hot little body while she enjoyed the men on the table had to be a turn-on for her too. The young lady straddled one of the men, easing herself onto his cock. The crowd yelled their approval, splashing their feet in the water on the floor while banging their mugs on the tables. Silence would suit Romair better. He wanted no distractions while watching her arch her back, her fingers running over the beads falling from her hair. She licked her lips, her profile outlined beautifully for him. Small round breasts, with hard large nipples, a slender waist—damn, she was fucking perfect. The second guy moved in behind her. She stuck out her ass, going down on all fours. The man she straddled eagerly latched on to a nipple suddenly thrust in his face. They were going to both fuck her—double penetration. Romair almost crushed his cup watching. Every muscle hardened inside him. The room was way too fucking warm. Never had he seen a show like this. The man behind her began lubing her ass, stroking and fingering it while the woman slowly rode the guy underneath her. Everyone around Romair grew quiet, sipping their drinks, eyes glued to the trio on the table. All waited for the moment of penetration—as did Romair. He doubted he waited for the same reasons though. A quick glance sideways at Jolen and he spotted the large man’s hand under the table, stroking his cock while he almost drooled at the scene playing out before him. More than likely at least a handful of the men in this place would masturbate while the woman took two men. Romair turned his attention back to the incredible seductress. Her legs were spread. She easily straddled and rode the man under her. Her back arched. Her arms were straight, small muscles easily pronounced. She was in damned good shape. The long beads fell from her head over her shoulders and back, some of them rocking back and forth in front of her while she maintained a steady pace, fucking and waiting to be taken in the ass. The black material tied around her head, covering her eyes, bridging over the top of her nose, with slits wide enough so she could see. It hid enough of her

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face to help conceal her identity. More than likely it made it easier for her to move among the patrons later, and not be raped when she swam out of there. It would be damned easy to jack off with the rest of them. He waited for more than to see the highlight of the show. His attention focused on her face, her strong chin, her long narrow neck, and her full lips. Her mouth was closed, her expression relaxed—too damned relaxed. Something told him she imagined another scene, that she had left all of them and in her imagination rode another, got off for another, came for another. Romair knew the look on a woman’s face when a man took her over the edge. This woman ached for something, and these two men weren’t giving it to her. Granted, if this were some sex show, he’d understand the woman looking rather bored. Many women who were paid for sex grew bored with it after a while. If he understood the rules of Venezuela’s Private Club—rules he thought were as made up as the club itself until tonight—then all who partook of the sexual acts here were volunteers. This wasn’t a show with actors and actresses. These were people like himself, who swam in here then arranged with management to fuck on display while everyone watched. Maybe he wanted her to look determined to see the act through. Something inside him wanted to take over for those men the moment he’d seen her. He wanted her to look bored, not pleased with her partners, because he ached to be with her instead. Like that made a lick of sense. Granted, she was sexy as hell. Many women were. His line of work had him protecting and ensuring safety to everyone in the South Passage. More than once a desperate lady threw herself at him, eager to show her appreciation any way he wished. Not once had the urge to take them up on their offers made him jealous when their man showed up, and the woman had turned her affection away from him. At least several women were at his beck and call, aware he would take them completely, fill every hole, demand they be fully satisfied. He’d never had a problem sharing the women he had sexual relations with. Seeing his buddies get off had never been an issue for him. Maybe because he didn’t know these men, or possibly because he knew he could take that distant look off her face, he ached to be with her. The man who knelt behind the woman on the table grabbed his cock. When he pressed it into the lady, she bucked, tossing her head back and crying out when he entered her. A hissing of inhaled breaths filled the cave. Water splashed in appreciation as the patrons stamped their feet, not making as much noise this time around. All of them were spellbound, watching while she took it in her pussy and her ass. Fire burned inside his cock. He ached to move, to claim her. Watching such an intense sexual act shouldn’t make him so possessive. His body, his soul, craved taking over. The lady cried out again, shaking her head back and forth while she gritted her teeth, moving in rhythm while riding the two men. Romair watched the strain on the

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men’s faces, knew they wouldn’t make it long. Young and fit, she had what it took to drain them both dry and more than likely take on any other rogue who would opt for sloppy seconds. “Please. God. Yes!” Her cry tore apart his insides. He gripped his drink until his knuckles burned, then put the cup down on the table hard enough that several scowled at him for intruding on their moment of getting off, with unwelcomed noise. Ignoring the lot of them, Romair glared at the woman while she fucked both men. It had been her cries, cries of pleasure, the first noise she’d made since they’d arrived. Damn it. Damn it all to fucking hell. His reaction to all of this suddenly made sense. He pulled his attention from the woman for only a moment, looking at Jolen. His friend gave him a toothy grin before once again gaping at the scene before them. First one man, then the other, howled as he came. The folks around them cheered their appreciation. The smell of sex grew thick in the damp air in the cave. Suddenly everyone seemed to be moving, hollering for more drinks, or making their way to the bar. Romair was on his feet before he realized it, grabbing the table while struggling to see where the woman went. “Do you know who she was?” he hissed at Jolen. Jolen shrugged. “A lucky lady?” Romair wanted to belt him. “You know as well as I do who the fuck she is.” Romair stood taller than most men. Blessed with height and brawn, getting through a crowd had never proved too much of a problem. Right now he’d toss anyone out of his way to get across the cave. No matter how he strained, the woman who’d just been fucked seemed to have disappeared. He didn’t see her anywhere. Making it around the table, he headed toward the darker corner of the cave. Maybe she’d gone out some back door. Jolen grabbed his arm. His friend possibly was the only person in the South Passage who could grab him and not risk getting his nose relocated. Anger pulsed too quickly inside him. “I’m going after her.” Jolen shook his head. “Not a smart move, my friend.” “You fucking knew that Shara was here, didn’t you?” Romair needed an outlet. Attacking Jolen sounded damned good at the moment. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you brought me here because you knew she’d be here.” Jolen didn’t let go of Romair’s arm but instead yanked him closer, bringing them almost nose to nose. Every muscle in Romair’s body hardened. It took more than a little strength not to make his lifelong friend drink the foul water that splashed around their ankles.

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“I didn’t know she’d be here. You can’t prove right now that was her,” Jolen said through clenched teeth, suddenly looking very dangerous, a look he got on his face when he was ready to kick ass. “And if I’d told you what I’d heard, you wouldn’t have swum in here and taken a seat like a good boy, would you?” His mocking tone and nasty sneer didn’t faze Romair a bit. “Sit here and enjoy your drinks. I’m out of here.” “Don’t do anything stupid.” Romair yanked his arm free of Jolen and shrugged his shoulders, quickly looking around the busy cave. It didn’t surprise him that he saw no woman who even remotely looked like Shara Dar lingering among the patrons. He did notice one of the two men, laughing jovially with several others while downing a brew. “Romair,” Jolen hissed. “Most women here don’t wear masks. Obviously Shara didn’t want anyone to know who she was.” “Obviously.” He’d kick her cute little ass when he got his hands on her. The leader of their nation would be destroyed if anyone learned she’d been to Venezuela’s Private Club. Not to mention they were talking about sweet and slightly gullible Shara. Sharp as a tack, always there to cover anyone’s back, and never a woman any man laid his hands on. He glared at Jolen. He wasn’t done with him either for not letting Romair in on the real reason he’d brought him here. “I’ll talk to you later.” Romair didn’t wait for Jolen’s response but pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the grunts of those whose drinks he’d almost spilled. None of this made a damned bit of sense. Anger bit at him hard. He clenched his teeth together until his jaw hurt, fighting not to curse the crowd around him for being in his way. It amazed him that no one recognized Shara. As soon as she’d cried out, he’d known her voice. But then how many of the people who patronized this establishment fantasized about having sex with their leader? Obviously not that fucking many. Granted Shara hadn’t been in charge of the South Passage for very long. Just five years ago they’d fought for control of this part of Undrworld. Their people had undergone a lot of change during that time period. Peace had settled among them for the first time in years. Business started to flourish. Folks started settling down and making homes for themselves. Romair had a lot of pride in what they’d accomplished. Like most of his peers, he remembered the time before when no organized government maintained order. Granted the third world war had been a hundred and fifty years ago, destroying the surface, and forcing humans to adapt to their watery existence underground. Undrworld flourished quickly, but with no organized government. Many factions tried rising to the top, but humans were stubborn and demanding. No one would settle for too controlling a government. Decades passed with one leader after another trying to gain control of Undrworld. None of them lasted

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that long. When civil war broke out, Romair, like his friends, jumped into one of the bloodiest battles in history, until the four passages were created. He’d fought alongside Jolen and Shara, and the others. She’d ached to rule, repeated to all who’d listen again and again how she would make it to the top. Since they were children, or at least as long as his hormones could remember, he did anything to help Shara get what she wanted. And now she had it. Damn if he’d let the crazy woman fuck it up. “Think we can top the act that was just up there?” A rather drunk woman wrapped her arms around Romair’s waist, pressing soft breasts against his bare chest. He looked down at her glazed dark eyes and slowly removed her arms from his waist. “Another time,” he growled, ignoring her instantly hurt look while he moved farther through the crowd.

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Chapter Two Shara’s heart pounded too hard to breathe. Water dripped down her simple dress and trickled over her flesh. The tran-bus door closed behind her. Not her official tranbus, this small private ship bore no markings of government. Long, round and silver like most tran-buses, it looked more like someone in the working water would drive. It was perfect and unobtrusive. She straightened her short dress and sat behind the controls. Her hands shook as she quickly maneuvered through dark water. She adjusted the atmosphere settings, wishing she could as easily adjust her pulsating heart. “Damn it.” Hitting the dash, she worked through back tunnels, a route she’d grown to know. “Damn. Damn. Damn.” Usually she relaxed on her ride home, sated. She needed sex like she needed to breathe. It was a curse. No one man satisfied her. The Venezuela Private Club was a godsend. Or it had been, until tonight. Most everyone she worked closely with, she’d known for years. Trusted them with her life. They all knew each other well. Her private life was just that. Her sexual needs had to be a secret. It was common knowledge some of her First Commanders enjoyed quite a few women. She’d overheard the conversations more than once. And they had little respect for the women who put out for them. She was their leader. It was imperative she had their respect. Shara exhaled loudly. She wouldn’t panic. Clouded thinking hadn’t gotten her to where she was today. And damn it, she’d made it to the fucking top. Nothing and no one would take that away from her. But what the hell were Romair and Jolen doing at Venezuela’s Private Club? She swore she’d heard them mention earlier before they left work that they would be floating with friends in town. They were nowhere near town. She locked her ship in the private docking bay and reached for her bag where she’d stashed her costume—the beads she’d worn in her hair and the veil that protected her identity. Her damp skin itched from the dry clothes. It added to her irritation. “They didn’t recognize you.” God, she wanted to believe that. She’d come from nothing, just like the rest of them. They’d fought hard for right of the South Passage. All she’d ever wanted was to rule. To be in charge. To make decisions and guide her people toward a better life. Tonight wouldn’t destroy everything she’d worked for. It wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let it. When she was younger, before the Civil War, sneaking away from her close friends, finding men willing to fuck her had been a thrill. Thinking about it, planning it out had

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gotten her off almost as much as doing it. Now it was an addiction. A craving she loved fulfilling. Her title and rank challenged the situation. She didn’t want pillow talk. She didn’t want men who would use her after having sex with her. No connections—no problems. Keep things simple. The only way to enjoy men now was if they didn’t know who she was. The Venezuela Private Club offered just that. If she took a boyfriend, or found a man of convenience willing to swim by her side discreetly, inevitably they would take advantage of the situation. Either they’d try and coerce her decision-making, or bribe her for favors because of her position. Casual dating wouldn’t look good in her position. She had to be the solid rock in the ocean, the one person everyone in South Passage could rely on. And they could. She had the strength to rule, the drive to make the South Passage stronger, invincible. The public would think she was flighty with different men floating in and out of her life. This way was best. Her sexual cravings were sated. It was easier to focus on matters at hand. Her government. Her people. Her South Passage. She’d spent this past week creating laws, adding amendments, listening to debates—a fucking week from hell—and she’d earned her downtime. A good night’s sleep, and then a new day were next on her list. A day to learn if Romair and Jolen realized whom they had watched. One of the men working the docking bay swam outside her door when she opened it. Nodding, she swam past him to her own tran-bus. Jain arrived punctually as always. Shara’s personal aide, Jain never asked questions and followed orders impeccably. Shara would clone her several times over if she could. “Take me home, Jain. I’m exhausted.” Shara dropped into the seat next to her personal aide. “All news for the night is downloaded for you.” Jain nodded to the screen in front of Shara and headed into the Australia Sea. Shara scanned the itemized list of events. Usually after returning from the Venezuela Private Club she relished how alive she felt. How content she was. Well fucked and tingling from the afterglow of it, she didn’t usually jump into work. She’d scan all current events and Jain would take her home. She’d collapse into her bed. The affairs of the South Passage would wait until the next morning. Things were different tonight. She scowled at the screen. Her heart still thudded heavily in her chest. A wonderful night dampened by that brooding gaze. Something had struck her as not right halfway through her session with the two men she’d chosen for the evening. It was that tingly feeling, her skin crawling, drying out too quickly. She got that same sensation whenever something around her was amiss. Call it a third eye, an extra gill, a gift she’d never questioned. But when things around her weren’t right, that warning went off inside her. Just as it had tonight.

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The two men she’d chosen were fairly well endowed, skilled in fucking. Every time she entered the Venezuela Private Club she went with her gut, selecting men without talking to them first. She wasn’t after conversation. She didn’t drink, didn’t patronize with any of the locals. No one questioned her. Anonymity was respected. And she respected the place for that. Just a few minutes after climbing on the hard, cold table, her body overcharged with anticipation, she’d experienced that sensation. Everyone watched her. Her hands and knees pressed against the hard damp table. Pulsing need throbbed inside her. The moment she’d waited for all week. Finally, her overwhelming desire for sex would be satisfied. The men were good. They knew how to please her. She tried getting into it. She ached for the pleasure they offered. She craved the relief they would give her. But she never got it. The sensation distracted her. Her skin itched. Her mind crawled with possibilities. Something was about to happen. And in a place like Venezuela’s Private Club, that could be anything. It wasn’t until they’d finished and she’d glanced quickly around her that she knew once again her senses hadn’t betrayed her. Romair would stand out in a crowd the size of the ocean. His thick, dark red hair grew quickly. Most men shaved their heads, or kept their hair closely cropped so it wouldn’t float in their faces. Romair complained at an early age the more he shaved, the thick mop grew back even faster. His entire body had more hair than most men. As many times as she’d been there, she’d never heard anyone mention Romair. His reputation spread throughout South Passage. She’d heard many stories of how he could make women beg for him to fuck them in every way possible. He’d never approached her. Romair didn’t know her as anyone other than a true warrior and good friend. She’d never seen the side of him that supposedly could make a woman swim to his feet, anxious to be his next conquest. She’d seen enough of him earlier tonight. Sighing too loudly, she glanced quickly at Jain. “I noticed that too.” Jain nodded at Shara’s screen, misunderstanding why Shara had just sighed. Shara frowned at the items downloaded in front of her. Jain knew nothing about Shara’s activities. Her personal aide believed Shara took time to visit family. Since she never asked questions, Shara never had to create too elaborate a lie. Her thoughts were distracted by that brooding stare. A crowded cave packed with satisfied grins. One man stood out among the rest. He watched her—not smiling. She closed her eyes. Romair didn’t know it was her. He couldn’t have. No one knew she’d been there. She knew he hadn’t followed her there. No one had trailed her. She’d made sure of it. So how was it that coincidentally the first time he’d decided to swim over to the notorious establishment was a night she’d been there? 14

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She opened her eyes and focused on her screen. The link at the top of the list grabbed her attention. The lump in her gut grew quickly. “What is this?” she asked, switching screens to read the report. “How can it be a possible disturbance in the ocean wall? It’s a disturbance, or it isn’t.” “I’ve requested additional information.” Jain slowed when they reached the mountainous region where Shara lived. “Dirt clouds can be caused by many things. I don’t want implication hitting the public that it’s anything other than what it is.” “There’s indication the ocean wall has shifted. And it’s high elevation.” Jain glanced at her, looking worried. “Which would mean close to the surface,” she added quietly. “I know that’s what it would mean.” Shara frowned when Jain immediately looked chastened. “We can’t assume someone from the surface has cut a hole into the ocean wall just because we have a dirt cloud.” Ignoring her hurt look, Shara checked to see when the report came in. Over an hour ago. The media wouldn’t need that much time to turn this into a panic attack. Ever since the West and North Passage reported life on the surface of Earth, rumors spread periodically that humans living up there had been spotted in South Passage. The rumors were proved false immediately. Humans from the surface looked funny. They knew that much. Smaller eyes, dark leathery skin, the sketches drawn of them were the media’s favorite topic for a while. Lately the interest had died down a bit, and Shara didn’t want false rumors picking it up again. Jain slowed through the tunnels until she reached Shara’s home. “See to it that this doesn’t hit the media.” Shara closed the file and then stood, stretching before heading to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Shara had learned a few things over the past five years. There were days when she swore she would never be on top of everything. One thing she knew though, trying to would kill her. Jain would keep her updated on all top news. In the morning she’d meet with her First Commanders and determine if any action was needed. Her First Commanders. She’d see Romair in the morning. She floated out of the tran-bus, kicking through warm water. Fluorescent light glowed through the green, silky warmth. She sure had moved up in the world. She swam slowly through the narrow tunnel to her door, a route she could do with her eyes closed. The past five years seemed like a lifetime, which was how long she felt like she’d lived here. Before the Civil War, she’d lived as simply as many of the people in Venezuela’s Private Club did. Possibly that was why she was so relaxed there. Along with Romair, Jolen and even Jain, she’d had a simple one-room cave, barely swimming from one month to the next and struggling under changing laws and weak government. It had been survival of the fittest.

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Shara lifted herself out of the tunnel and adjusted her bag, which held the costume she’d worn at Venezuela’s Private Club. Water streamed through her hair, down her arms and legs, comforting her. Her night was over. Time to return to her life. She pressed the buttons next to her door, wishing she basked in the usual happiness she experienced after a night like tonight. She didn’t bother with lights inside. The calm darkness soothed her. After stashing her mask and beads she’d worn earlier, she stripped and headed for her pool in the kitchen. Even as a child, lounging in the kitchen pool in the evening had always been her favorite place to relax and dream of adventures. These days, her adventures leaned toward sex. With that out of the way, late-night munchies were in order. All she needed to do was quit thinking about Romair, and she’d be able to sleep. An exhausted leader was a bad thing. A buzz came through the speakers on the wall. Well, hell. She didn’t want company. She wanted to convince herself that she hadn’t seen Romair staring at her after she’d been thoroughly fucked. Pushing a button on the screen on her kitchen counter, she forced her heart out of her throat as she stared at the image. Romair stood on the other side of her front door. He buzzed again. “Damn it.” Her nerves shouldn’t suddenly be doing a dance throughout her body. No man would make her this jumpy. She was in charge. What little private time she allowed herself was just that. Her own damned business. She pushed the button next to her screen. “This better be important.” She sounded firm—good. “Open the damned door, Shara.” Romair sounded pissed—not good. She took her time in her bedroom, choosing shorts and a simple shirt. It was late. Her casual attire was acceptable. Another thing she’d learned since she’d gained control of South Passage, sometimes her work day never ended. She returned to her kitchen, stepped into her pool for a moment to soak her clothes, and then stepped out to get the door. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she met his gaze. Romair simply stared at her for a moment. He stood a good six inches taller than she did, and was easily twice her weight. His height and thick body matched his stamina. A damn good warrior, with a brain just as sharp to go along with it. The rumors of what he could do to a woman were definite masturbation material. More than once she’d dreamed of taking him on, seeing what it would be like to fuck him. There had been ample opportunity. They’d fought side by side during the Civil War. Before that, during her more wild days, he’d always been nearby, ready and willing to help her out in any scrape.

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She considered him a friend. Although leading a passage made it hard to swim too close with anyone. She straightened, staring into that same brooding expression she’d seen earlier at the club. “May I come in?” He didn’t answer her question. Shara stepped to the side, watching while he strolled into her living room, keeping his back to her as he searched the darkness. Always the predator, Romair moved silently while others splashed. In spite of his size, the thickness of his body, he didn’t make a sound. Even when he ran his fingers through the fountain in her living room, his body moved like a fine-tuned machine. A dangerous, deadly machine. Normally she didn’t fear him. Tonight he had the power to make her life hell. But only if she gave him that power. She’d be damned if that would happen. “It’s late, Romair. What did you need?” “Shut the door.” “Romair,” she said, allowing exasperation into her tone. He turned around, outrage lining his expression. She shut the door slowly. He’d never directed a look like that at her before. There wasn’t time to move quickly enough. He leapt, grabbing her, lifting her off the ground and pinning her to the wall. “Shit,” she exhaled as all air left her lungs. Her gills opened for a moment, sending a quick whoosh of oxygen spilling through her. “Would you like to tell me where you were tonight?” he growled with his teeth clenched together. “Get your fucking hands off me.” He knew. She was an idiot to think he wouldn’t. No disguise would keep him from recognizing her. They’d been through too much together, lived too close over the years. If he knew, Jolen also knew. Two men close enough to be her brothers. And because they were that close, she’d deny all charges. Like he could prove shit. “You’d let complete strangers touch you, and you want my hands off you?” He didn’t release her. Instead his fingers tightened around her arms. Thoughts of what women whispered about this man tumbled over each other. He made demands of his lovers, never settled for anything other than all that a woman could offer. She’d seen women stare at him longingly over the years, many of them afraid they wouldn’t be able to handle his aggressive lovemaking. There was fire in his touch. His fingers branded her skin, drying her flesh too quickly and making every inch of her tingle. Her pussy pulsed, forgetting two men had just fucked her. She didn’t ignore the sensation he gave her. Romair would see the slightest bit of curiosity, of interest, of his touch turning her on. She pressed her lips together, giving him her best scowl, hoping she looked thoroughly disgusted with his actions and not turned on. 17

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If he thought he’d get a confession out of her, he could think again. She brought her legs up quickly, kicking him hard. Romair howled, and tossed her across her living room. She regained composure quickly, instinct preparing her for a fight. But this wasn’t her enemy. She turned in time to catch him running his hand over his thick hair, muscles bulging in his forearm. He struggled to control a temper she’d seen flare once or twice over the years. Romair was capable of blind rage, although he’d never turned it on her before. She reminded herself that he was out of line. No matter that she ached to get a good punch in, she was his leader. With a word, she could destroy him. That wasn’t what she wanted to do though. She wanted him to go home and forget about tonight. Straightening her shirt, she crossed her arms over her waist and glared at him. “Would you like to explain yourself?” What she’d really like was for him to leave. Leave and forget he ever saw her tonight. His dark eyes pierced her. He opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Instead he walked over to her control panel, turning up the lights. Then he moved to her computer, pushing several buttons. She didn’t move. Nerves twisted inside. He’d turned off her security system, muting her room. The control panel was set to record all conversations, all actions that took place in her home. Standard procedure set up in all of their homes. Any discussions that took place were monitored, a safety precaution, and a way to play back any conversations that might be needed for plotting at a later date. “Are your sexual needs so suppressed, Shara?” he asked quietly, turning toward her once again. “Or do strangers turn you on more than those you are close to?” Her mouth went dry. She didn’t mean to take a step backward when he moved closer. “Romair,” she whispered, anger leaping through her. “Get the hell out of here.” “I don’t think so.” “You’re drunk,” she suggested, fighting for the strength to deny his charges. She’d never lied to him. She’d never had to. But this, it was too big to simply confess and then offer some simple explanation. He shouldn’t have seen this side of her. “Tell me where you were tonight,” he demanded. “I don’t account every minute of my time to you.” “You do tonight.” He reached for her. She dodged around him. Her legs suddenly were wobbly as she hurried into her kitchen. “Romair, you’re out of line.” She sucked in a breath, her mouth too dry. “If you leave now, I’ll forget about this show of insubordination.” She hadn’t heard him move in behind her. He grabbed her arms, squeezing them against her body. He lowered his face so that his breath brushed over her gills. She didn’t dare turn her head to look at him. 18

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No matter his size, his ability to toss her around her home if he wished, he wouldn’t intimidate her. And damn him for trying to do just that. “I doubt you’ll forget anything that happened tonight,” he said softly. “No. But I can overlook it. Leave, Romair.” “You won’t go there again.” “I’m in charge here, not you.” “Then act like it, Shara. What the hell were you doing at Venezuela’s Private Club?” She twisted against his grip, her arms stinging when she forced herself free. Turning on him, she stabbed her finger into his chest. Hard muscle pushed her finger back. Romair didn’t budge. “That place is a myth.” Romair laughed. She sidestepped him again when he walked toward her. “Do you really think covering your eyes with a mask, weaving beads through your hair, would keep me from recognizing you?” His tone took on a deadly whisper. “Do you think over the years I wouldn’t recognize the shape of your body, how you would sound when you cried out while you came?” She took another step backward, stepping down into her shallow pool in the middle of her kitchen. The warm water didn’t quite reach her knees. She wished it would cover more of her, soak the sudden heat that burned inside her. No matter that two men had fucked her less than an hour ago. Romair’s gaze turned hungry, and every inch of her throbbed to satisfy him. “How dare you talk to me like that.” She looked away from the lust she saw in his eyes, focusing instead on the thick, dark hair that covered the top of his chest, almost reaching his collarbone. The shirt he wore clung to his damp chest. Muscles rippled underneath it. She sucked in a breath, searching her kitchen for somewhere less risky to focus her attention. He wouldn’t frazzle her. She wouldn’t give him the upper hand. A confession wouldn’t make matters easier. “How dare you fuck complete strangers.” Was he jealous? Like she could ask him that. “You’re out of line, Romair.” She raised her head, meeting his heated gaze. “Don’t force me to demote you.” There was nowhere to escape when he entered the pool. He gripped her chin, pushing her head back. His face was inches from hers. He stared at her with large, dark eyes, his mouth forming a thin line. The lust disappeared. He was pissed. “You aren’t going to demote me. In fact, I think you’ve just made me your personal bodyguard.” He cupped her chin too tightly for her to speak easily. His rough fingers tortured her flesh while he moved closer. “You surprised me. Usually I can tell how a person swims. I didn’t know you had this fetish about you. Now that I do, it won’t

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happen again without my protection. The next time you want to fuck strangers, I’ll approve them first.” Several quick responses hurried to her lips. She pondered over the best thing to say to him. Romair released her, turning his back and moving with his damnable silent ease out of her pool and through her home. “I already have personal bodyguards.” It wasn’t her first choice of responses. She should reprimand him—punish him for being insubordinate. She was his fucking leader. “Now you have one more.” He put his hand on the panel next to her door, pushing buttons until the door slid open. “And believe me, I’m going to be on you like a glove.” Images of him touching every inch of her ignited need that should be sated after the evening she’d had. He didn’t wait for a response but left her home, the door shutting behind him. Quickly she moved to her maintenance panel, unmuting her home. Her people were on their toes. Instantly a transmission beeped. “I’m fine,” she reassured the team down at Control Central. The energy that sizzled inside her belied that statement. She was anything but fine. She confirmed all settings were as they should be on her maintenance panel then turned and leaned against her desk. Her quiet living room, the scene of too much testosterone a moment ago, did nothing to relax her now. Usually her home was her sanctuary. She’d chosen every piece of furniture and helped paint the walls of her cave herself, personally taking time to arrange every inch of this place until it had become her safe haven. Her heart thumped in her gills while she focused on her floor, damp still from Romair’s entrance. Romair Tosk always had been opinionated. But he’d never interfered with men she’d dated off and on over the years. None of them had ever lasted long. She searched her memory, trying to pin down any jealous behavior she’d overlooked from him in the past. “He wasn’t jealous,” she muttered, shaking her head for being foolish. “He’s doing his job, protecting his leader.” She’d simply have to be even more careful when she sought out her next sexual respite. What he didn’t realize was that she’d seen to her own protection. Her disguise had been foolproof, altering her appearance enough that no one recognized her as their leader. Entering a part of South Passage that gave little thought to government made it easier. She’d exchanged her tran-bus for a rented ship. Her personal aide picked her up at a designated location, believing she visited family when she took off by herself from time to time. Jain never asked questions, respecting Shara’s right to a personal, private life. If Romair thought she couldn’t handle herself once she swam out of her current world as leader, he needed a small reminder. Shara had taken damned good care of herself for years before the Civil War broke out. During the war, she’d organized them, 20

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kept them from fighting among themselves. They would have taken themselves down instead of fighting for the right to South Passage if she hadn’t worked day and night to keep them focused. And after the war she’d kept them all swimming in the same direction, rising to the top of her government, choosing her departments and who would lead them. Romair needed to see she damn well knew how to handle matters. She pushed away from her desk, heading toward her front door. A camera viewed the narrow hallway outside her door. There was another camera in the tunnel that led to her hallway. Guards were stationed at all entrances to her mountain. Not that any of them would question Romair entering. She doubted he cared at all that he was caught on film entering her home. A personal bodyguard would never be too far from the person they protected. Romair didn’t mean he’d watch every stroke she swam. Not even the guards on rotation around her mountain hovered that close to her. She didn’t want people tripping into her while she swam. The cameras served their purpose, allowing her a bit of space, but ensuring the safety of the leader of South Passage. All of her First Commanders had the same security. Control Center, where all government offices were, and her Defense Center, both in the same mountain, had the same security. For five years this system had proven flawless. She stepped out into her dark hallway, the cool stone floor soothing the fire and anticipation that nervously thumped inside her. Romair wouldn’t be out there watching her door, would he? That didn’t make sense. He’d shown up to threaten her, release his frustration and anger. She knew he didn’t like surprises. In a day or so he’d cool his feet, other matters would take over, and this would no longer be an issue. He didn’t really think she wasn’t properly protected. If he did, maybe he should think back over the years when she’d handled herself just fine when locals from nearby caves had bullied her, tried to pressure her into doing illegal activities. None of them had succeeded. She didn’t need his help to take care of herself. She might need help protecting herself against him though. His dark, brooding gaze burned in her mind. Heat swelled inside her. This was bad—real bad. Anyone but Romair Tosk. He was her First Commander, a dear friend. And his reputation for being more than just a pervert wouldn’t help her position. Why the hell did he have to show up at Venezuela’s Private Club tonight? The dark water rippled softly against the stone path as she walked the length of her hallway. Nothing moved in the twelve feet or so of water. The channel was the length of the stone path outside her front door. Several people could climb out of the water at the same time, if needed. She preferred this style to the round holes that led up to many people’s front doors. Another luxury of her position, being able to have some say in the design of her home, and her water out front. She stood at the end of the path, watching the dark water. She half expected someone to leap out of the water at her. It made her heart pound ruthlessly in her chest.

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Damn Romair for being such a bully. Tingles traveled along her skin. She jumped into the water, hating the sensation of her skin drying out. Her gills fluttered open while her eyes quickly adjusted to seeing underwater. She kicked slowly, not moving while willing the nerves that made her skin crawl to calm down. Her skin continued to crawl. Romair appeared out of the shadows at the other end of the channel. Barely moving, he floated in front of her. His dark eyes didn’t blink while he watched her. He’d always had a sinister look about him. They’d teased him more than once over the years that he could look mean even when he slept. His dark hair floated around his face and a bristly shadow spread over his broad jaw. Dark eyes looked straight through her, searching, watching. More than once she’d envied ladies who ended up in his arms. And she’d pitied the fool who crossed his path and ended up dealing with Romair’s wrath. She watched him float in front of her, nervous anticipation twisting her gut. She didn’t know if she’d end up in his arms, or dealing with his wrath. Or both. An hour ago she’d had two men, indulged in sex that should have rendered her exhausted. Instead energy swam inside her, turning into a pressure that swelled. She hadn’t climaxed earlier, distracted by the sensation that something wasn’t right. She knew what had kept her from getting off. And her body screamed that Romair could take care of the problem he’d created earlier. His presence prevented her orgasm. He should fix that now. God. She wouldn’t think of Romair like this. He was a friend. They worked together. She wouldn’t cloud their ability to lead the South Passage with lust. Shara looked away from him, glancing beyond the water toward the stone walls above. There was a camera above them and another one in the wall alongside them. Someone, one of the technicians in Control Center, watched their every move. She remembered all the people who’d cheered her on while she took on those two men earlier. Her pussy throbbed just thinking about it. An audience always made sex more exciting. Romair kicked once, clearing the distance between them in a quick fluid movement. She raised her hands. She intended to block him, press her palms against that virile chest and push him away. Romair grabbed her wrists and moved her arms to either side of her, filling the space between them. His hard chest pressed against her breasts. Her nipples perked to attention, suddenly so sensitive that just brushing over hard muscle made her come. Her pussy contracted, her muscles quivering as another pressure built quickly. Dear God. No man ever made her come just by touching her. He let go of her arms and touched her cheeks. She exhaled and bubbles floated up between them. She begged him to stop in her mind and at the same time wanted him to touch her more.

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His fingertips caressed her gills, trapping them momentarily and stealing her breath. Not once in all the years she’d known him had he tried to kiss her. But he was going to kiss her now. Where the hell was the strength to tell him no? This wasn’t good. Her heart pounded in her throat. One of his legs pressed between hers, lifting her. Solid muscle pushed into her sensitive pussy. Fire exploded inside her. She gripped his shoulders. Push him away. Just fucking push him away. His warm flesh covered hard muscle. She spread her fingers over his shoulders, exploring how corded tendons twitched under her touch. More bubbles escaped between them. His mouth closed over hers. Romair pressed his tongue between her lips, opening her, demanding his entrance while his hands cupped her face. He drank from her, draining her. Again his fingers brushed over her gills, lingering, caressing, stealing her air supply and then allowing her a breath. Damn, but he had some skills. The pulsing need that started as a throb when she’d first seen him now beat hard and solid, deep inside her. She opened to him, drowning in his kiss. His lips brushed against hers, his tongue probing, impaling her mouth. The way he held her head, his long fingers stretched along either side of her face. He held her to him, feasting off her, while their legs intertwined in the water. They drifted slowly toward the surface. Her gills were open too far when their heads bobbed above water. Too much oxygen turned her world sideways. She blinked, too disoriented. This was bad—real bad. He kissed better than any man she’d ever been with. Romair broke the kiss. Her lips were swollen, tingling. Every inch of her overheated. She opened her eyes, water spilling over her lashes as she blinked and stared into his hard gaze. Forgetting to breathe for a moment, she stared into his eyes. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t inhaling. Her heart forgot to beat anyway. Gone was the lust. There wasn’t any passion she’d expected to see. Determination made his eyes blacker than normal. His mouth formed a thin line, hardening his expression. “From now on, you answer to me,” he whispered. “Like hell,” she answered immediately, fighting to regain control of her thoughts, to break the connection he’d created. Their faces inches from each other, her head still in his hands, he brought his leg up again, lifting her so that they were nose to nose. His hard thigh pressed against her pussy. She straddled him in the water. Control Center would be chattering up a storm about their leader and her First Commander right about now.

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Romair knew they were on camera too. Below water the images would be murky. They would have determined it was Romair when he first entered the channel. Now above water, the way he held his head, determination hardening his expression, there would be no doubt this was a rather intimate moment. No way would Romair decide for her that their actions were okay for the public to see. She decided who saw her do what. And she decided which public saw those actions. Pushing hard against his shoulders, she lifted herself off his leg, kicking backward. Water splashed between them. Romair pointed a finger at her. “You’re mine, Shara.” She opened her mouth to tell him just what she thought of his bullying her. He turned, causing water to ripple silently when he dove under and disappeared. She spat water from her mouth. Her pussy pulsed anxiously, wishing he’d come back. She hated him for his actions, and her body for reacting.

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Chapter Three Jain looked at Romair oddly. “I always get Shara Dar.” Jolen pursed his lips, rubbing his fat hand over his bald head. Romair knew he found all of this terribly amusing and, in fact, couldn’t wait to have some alone time with Shara so he too could give her shit. That wouldn’t be happening. Jolen just didn’t know it yet. “I’ll pick her up today.” Romair stared at the image of the dark-haired woman on his monitor. “Head over to Control Center. We’ll be there shortly.” “I’m already there and I know you’ll be here shortly.” Jain’s expression didn’t change. Her almost round face, her light-colored eyes that were more tan than brown, and her small mouth, her lips barely parted, displayed anything but a look of aggression. Romair didn’t know her well. He’d wondered more than once why Shara would choose a personal aide who appeared scared of a wave. He didn’t smile, but glanced at Jolen who stood just out of camera range, grinning broadly. “Good. I expect the latest updates on the ocean wall situation when we arrive.” Jain cut the transmission. Romair grunted. “I didn’t know she had it in her.” “I’ve already sent a few men across the ocean to check out firsthand what the miners are doing with the wall.” Jolen headed toward the door. He’d shown up at Romair’s less than an hour ago. Normally he’d be sitting staring at the morning news while Romair struggled to wake up. Romair had grown tired of tossing and turning all night and got up early. After leaving Shara, all he could focus on was heading back to her place. If Jolen had shown up a minute later, Romair would have been gone. Damn the man for suddenly being unpredictable. He didn’t want company. They headed out his door and moved single file along the stone tunnel that led to the large pool. Romair lived in a different mountain than Jolen. Shara didn’t want all her commanders living near each other. If someone attacked, they wouldn’t be able to wipe out all of her military with one blow. A good idea. Except for one part. Her mountain was on the other side of New Tasman from his. Several others headed for the large pool. A handful of tunnels met there inside the mountain. Each tunnel led to different apartments. Romair’s mountain housed more apartments than most. He hadn’t sought out luxury when he’d found a place to live after the Civil War. Where he put his head at night never mattered to him as much as his work. They’d fought hard for their rank. No matter that they enjoyed peace right 25

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now. Romair wasn’t stupid enough to think there wasn’t someone eager and ready to take his place if he got sloppy. Shara better have the same damn outlook. “I’m going to go get Shara alone,” he told Jolen when they reached the pool. “You think you’re going to enjoy teasing her all by herself?” Jolen made a face. “It will be our only chance, man.” Jolen wouldn’t say anything to compromise Shara once they reached Control Central. Neither of them would. While at work it was all business. The fact that they’d grown up together was put aside during the day. Lately, Shara seldom relaxed around any of them. Now he understood where she found her downtime. He shoved thoughts of watching her fuck those other men out of his head. Dwelling on it for even a second made his blood boil. From now on, her sexual adventures would be cleared through him. “I saw her last night.” Jolen raised an eyebrow. “If she had enough energy for you after doing those two men my hat’s off to her.” “I didn’t fuck her.” He could tell Jolen wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. “Why’d you go over there then?” “I made a few things clear,” Romair began, searching for a good way to summarize what had happened with Shara. “Let’s just say I laid down the law.” Jolen snorted. “I’m sure that went over well.” Romair wanted to pop him one. “She’ll do as I say.” “This I got to see.” Jolen’s lack of confidence shouldn’t have surprised Romair. “I’m going alone.” He didn’t wait for Jolen to respond. The topic wasn’t up for discussion. If Jolen wanted to challenge him on the issue, Romair had no problem knocking him into place. He kicked through the cool water, undercurrents moving on either side of him from the morning rush hour. When he reached his tran-bus, his heart pumped good and hard from the exertion. Usually heading out to work helped wake him up. He’d nod to those he passed, keeping up public relations no matter his mood. This morning he was so preoccupied he couldn’t even say if he’d swam by anyone or not. He hit the buttons on the panel outside his tran-bus and the door slid open to a small chamber inside. Swimming inside, water surrounded him as the outside door shut behind him. The water slowly drained out as he stood waiting for the inner door to open. Once all water was gone, the inner door moved and he moved to the driver’s seat. He expected Shara to be pissed to see him this morning. By law, he didn’t have the authority to override her orders that her personal assistant not pick her up. If Jain contacted Shara, which more than likely she did, Shara would be expecting him.

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He inhaled, trying for a soothing breath, and headed out into the Australia Sea. Tran-buses floated by him, another busy morning in New Tasman. Merging into traffic, he headed toward the other side of the city. Having Shara pissed at him could be a bitch. She could be real fucking stubborn about things. If she’d been sneaking off for sexual adventures for a while, she wouldn’t be too excited about changing her ways. He didn’t want her to change. Hell, he’d always liked her just the way she was. A go-getter, willing to swim into any adventure. Shara took on any odds and fought her way through them. She always managed to get what she wanted. He’d dwelled on that hot body of hers more than once while masturbating. She wasn’t overly feminine. He didn’t remember her ever taking time to follow the latest fashions, or do her hair and face. Shara never cared about impressing anyone with her looks. Which was probably why she’d succeeded in fooling him. Romair never wasted his time with women who wouldn’t submit to his sexual demands. He didn’t push himself, or his ways, on anyone. Up until last night, being with Shara had just been a fantasy. Learning her sexual appetite went beyond what many considered normal didn’t bother him a bit. Not one fucking bit. Nope. He didn’t want her to change. Now that he knew she loved a sexual adventure, he had every intention of exploring it. Just thinking about it made him hard as a rock. When he’d believed Shara all work and no play, he’d been content with his fantasies of her. Now that he’d seen otherwise, it was time to make a move. Before someone else did. Last night he’d made it clear he would have what he wanted. She hadn’t fought him. No. She’d done anything but fight him. He remembered how her lips felt brushing over his. Her body pressed against his, their legs intertwined. Willing yet defiant. Damn, she was fucking perfect. No matter how many times over the years he’d fantasized about being with Shara, nothing compared to the way she’d kissed him. As quickly as she’d submitted to him, she’d turned on him and argued against doing as he said. He couldn’t wait to fuck her, test her boundaries, take her beyond where she’d been before. He seriously doubted he’d get any of that this morning. This morning she’d be pissed. When he’d seen her last night at Venezuela’s Private Club, when he’d realized it was her, something broke inside him. A dam of resistance he’d had in place for years when it came to her, crashed to the ground. Not once over the years had he considered trying to fuck her. If he’d tried, he’d already know what he discovered last night. Shara had fooled him and no other woman had ever managed to do that. Maybe that was why he needed inside her so desperately. She’d offered him a challenge, although he was sure she didn’t realize it. Romair now knew public sex

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turned Shara on. What other acts would get her off? How far would he be able to take her? Traffic irritated him more than usual and his nerves were frazzled as he neared Shara’s home. There were several ways he could approach her this morning. Demanding she submit to him sounded damn good. But she’d turn even more bullheaded on him if he came on too aggressive. Apologizing for kissing her last night wasn’t an option. He wouldn’t lie and tell her he was sorry. She’d know it was a lie. And she’d enjoyed that kiss as much as he had. There really was only one option. He’d be himself. Although at the moment that would mean presenting a nervous wreck to her. Maybe if he just told her what he had on his mind. Hell, like he’d ever been any good at doing that. Fighting with her and then demanding she submit would be a hell of a lot easier than explaining she’d intrigued him. And when a woman caught his attention, he always explored what she had to offer to the fullest. Romair slowed when he reached her mountain, the traffic not as bad in this quieter part of New Tasman. He turned into the tunnel and adjusted the outside lights on his tran-bus so he could see through the dark water. He forced his thoughts on work. He had to, otherwise he’d show up and strip Shara down, entering her before she got a word in otherwise. He had a job to do—they had a job to do. After last week, there were plenty of new laws implemented. Immediate amendments would be proposed as a result. Some necessary and some not. But with the now incorporated community of Zeal Current, bordering New Tasman, the Australia Sea grew. Shara oversaw and approved some good laws. But there would always be those who complained. ZC, as the town was already called, was made up of a harder group of people—the poorer class—and it was a large population. Although Romair was hard-set against creating a class system. No matter—humans would always create labels. The flourishing city of New Tasman thought themselves better than ZC. He would do well to remember that he came from those hard-working people, as they all had. Maybe he’d focus their conversation on reviewing proposed amendments that already streamed in with this morning’s transmissions. He slowed to a drift as he reached the canal that bordered the stone path leading to her front door—the same water where he’d kissed her the night before. With the tran-bus’s lights beaming off the damp glistening walls, a surreal glow filled the cave. Shara paced the length of her path outside her door, talking on her phone. She hung up when she spotted his ship and clipped the phone to her belt then jumped into the water. Romair pushed the button to open the outer door of the tranbus. A moment later Shara, with water streaming down that perfect body of hers, stepped inside. “Don’t you ever tell my personal aide that she shouldn’t pick me up again.” Her greeting was sharp, aggressive.

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Like he’d expected anything different. “I told you last night—” “You were out of line last night.” Romair left the tran-bus idling and stood, matching her stance and putting his hands on his hips. She didn’t look away, didn’t falter when he decided to move closer. She was strong and determined, qualities he’d always admired in her. Shara faced him, her long lashes clumped together with beads of water. She blinked, her expression firm, while looking up at him with her dark, almost black eyes. Brown hair clung to her head and slender long neck. Water dripped over her short dress that molded to her small breasts and firm body. “If a lady tells me no,” he said slowly, running his fingers over soaked strands of her soft brown hair. He brushed it away from her face. “You know me well enough to know I’d leave her alone.” “Romair,” she said sighing, sounding exasperated. She didn’t look exasperated though. What he saw offered encouragement. He hid the smile that threatened his lips. She wanted him to see frustration, that she barely tolerated his actions. He’d known Shara a long time. He saw the glowing interest that brightened her eyes, put a slight flush in her cheeks. “Tell me no, Shara,” he whispered, running his finger along the length of her cheekbone down toward her pouting mouth. She lowered her gaze, her lashes fluttering. Her mouth moved, the word on the tip of her lips. He sensed it. She’d tell him no just to show him he couldn’t best her. If she hesitated only for a moment, it might be all the advantage he had. Pressing his finger under her chin, he forced her head back. Her eyes closed when she looked up at him. But she didn’t say no. She tasted like mint. Her mouth parted. He nibbled on her top lip then ran his tongue between them, brushing over her teeth. When she sighed it was like hot air filling him, overheating his insides instantly. He needed more. He pulled her to him, impaling her mouth with his tongue. Even when his mind registered that she was stiff against him he couldn’t stop kissing her, tasting her, feeling the heat from her body rise inside him and burn him alive. Time wasn’t on their side at the moment, but now was as good a time as any to make something very clear to Shara. He wanted her. And he always went after what he wanted. “I need you.” He ran his tongue along her jawline, pulling her hair to make her head fall back farther. Shara’s long slender neck tasted as good as her mouth had. He licked several droplets of water from the soft slope at the base of her neck, loving how silky and moist her flesh felt. “You just want me because you saw…” She stopped herself, swallowing hard.

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She’d almost said because he’d seen her at Venezuela’s Private Club. “Is that what you think?” he whispered into her ear, holding her when she tried pulling away. He pulled her against him, feeling the air leave her lungs on a soft sigh. When her fingers ran up his chest to his shoulders, currents of electricity tingled inside him where she touched him. He placed his hand at the small of her back, waiting until she looked up at him. “Do you think I didn’t want you before I saw you fuck those two men?” She opened her mouth, but then her lips trembled. Whatever words she wanted to say she held back. She didn’t trust her thoughts with him. It burned at him, but for now he’d have to accept her lack of faith in him. Sure, she trusted him as her First Commander, to swim by her side while leading their people. But in more intimate matters, she remained closed off to him. Her resistance to him would fade. He’d see to it. And there was only one way he saw to gain her trust. He captured her mouth, devouring her sweet taste, crushing her against him. Her heart pounded alongside his, the heat from her swarming over him, scalding him. He ran his hand up the curve of her spine. She was tall and slender, lean and muscular, a warrior’s body, well trained and in shape. Her small breasts pressed against him and he brought his hand around her until he cupped the soft flesh in his hand. He caressed her breast, moving his tongue slowly around hers. Finally she relaxed. Her entire body seemed to exhale, rigid muscles easing up. That small amount of submission was like a major victory. His heart almost exploded with excitement. Her hands brushed over his shoulders, moving slowly, as if getting to know him. She stroked muscle, learned how he was built. She’d watched him before. He never doubted she’d been curious. Women talked and he knew Shara had heard what sexual acts other ladies had done with him. Now she had the opportunity to explore, feel him, and learn how he felt in her hands. Soon she would learn his mind too. Not military tactics like they’d discussed for years, but his sexual needs, desires, what he had to have in order to be completely satisfied. She traced lines up his neck with her fingertips until she stroked his gills. Their lips parted. His mouth hovered over hers. She barely touched the sensitive flesh, running a finger delicately against the tiny slits that threatened to open. She stole his breath, made it impossible for him to think. That simple touch paralyzed him. He heard a rumbling sound tear through him although it seemed to come from far away. Blood pounded in his ears. She continued to brush her fingers along the little slits that if opened while he wasn’t in water would send so much oxygen to his brain that he wouldn’t be able to see straight. Shara was an expert in the art of seduction. He never would have guessed it. Why the hell hadn’t he seen her skills when she’d always been so close to him? If she stroked him a second longer, he’d collapse, completely at her mercy to do with as she pleased. Every inch of him hardened while he fought her effort to gain his 30

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surrender. It amazed him how skilled she was. More so, it amazed him that she wanted to control the situation. Although he should have guessed that about her. Shara liked to be in charge. His cock hardened to steel, throbbing between them. Bringing her to her knees, having her crumble at his feet begging him to please her gave him chills and overheated him at the same time. Every ounce of blood drained into his shaft. Her fingers caressed the small folds of flesh below his ears, teasing him, sending him over the edge. If she kept this up much longer he’d explode, too much oxygen destroying his ability to focus. He’d come all over both of them. There were stories he’d heard since he was a child, jokes shared during his school days, of how a woman could get anything she wanted from a man by simply stroking his gills. The most powerful of giants would be brought to their knees by the timid virgin brushing her fingers over the small slits of flesh. Secrets of nations could be gained, armies destroyed, and Shara would be a master of all with the skills she showed him she had right now. She sighed, almost groaned, and rubbed her breasts against his chest, nibbling at his chin while slowly taking control of every inch of him. This got her off. He’d told her she would answer to him and now she tried to take charge. It wouldn’t surprise him if she’d plotted this little act when she’d learned he would come pick her up. He felt her tremble against him. If he exploded, she’d come right along with him. If she wanted a man to surrender to her, turn into a puddle of water at her feet, it wouldn’t be him. Something told him that wouldn’t truly satisfy her. He remembered her expression when the two men fucked her last night. They gave her what she wanted, fucked her the way she’d decided it would be. And it hadn’t truly satisfied her. Shara didn’t know what would bring her the true orgasm that she craved having. Grinding his teeth, he fought with everything he had to focus on anything other than the gentle torture she applied to his gills. Every muscle in his body tensed painfully. Forcing blood out of his cock and back into his veins where it belonged was not an easy task. It was fucking hard as hell to pull off. His hand was on her breast. The material of her dress stuck to his fingers, still damp. He focused on the texture of it, how her breast felt through the dress, how her nipple poked into his palm. Thinking of anything, focusing on any action other than what she did to him—God, she would take him down. “Shara,” he growled, her name tearing from his mouth, sounding guttural and almost like a threat. His voice didn’t sound like his own. He almost staggered into her, finally managing to move. “Oh God,” she whispered, her hands dropping from his neck, freeing him from the spell she’d performed on him. It took a minute to focus. He blinked a few times, swearing she still touched his gills while he looked at her face, fighting to see her clearly. Blood still pumped through his brain sounding like a mile-long drum line.

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She stared at him, her mouth forming a small circle. She took a step backward, looking stunned. “I never knew a man—” she began, breaking off before finishing her comment. “Controlling a man is never going to completely satisfy you.” He moved in on her quickly, grabbing her arms, squeezing and lifting her at the same time until they were eye to eye, their faces close enough that they shared a breath. “Everyone answers to me,” she told him, pressing her lips together in defiance. “You lead South Passage,” he told her. “But you will never own, or control me.” “I think I just proved otherwise.” She attempted a smile, still fighting to have the upper hand. Their day wouldn’t continue beyond this moment until he made sure she understood exactly how things would be. He moved quickly. Her dress was one piece of material, cut conservatively around her neck and falling to just above her knees. It formed to her body, not so loose that the water would pull it up when she swam. He grabbed her dress at the waist, pulling hard enough to raise it well over her thighs. “Don’t you dare.” She tried moving away from him. Romair loved a dare. At that moment he had the upper hand. He wouldn’t lose it with her again. Always he’d known she had power, the strength to lead an entire fucking ocean. Her seductive powers were just as strong. She’d shown him that. And now that he knew her strengths, he would master curbing them. He couldn’t wait to show her what would truly get her off. He balled the material of her dress in his fists and stepped into her while yanking it higher up her body. She almost tripped but he held on to her by her dress until he’d forced it over her breasts. Other than thin panties, she wasn’t wearing anything under that dress. Her tall, muscular and lean body was suddenly exposed before him. He let go of her dress and grabbed her breasts before the material slipped over them. Shara wrapped her fingers around his wrists. The same fingers that worked magic on him moments before, now didn’t have the strength to push him away from her. He tweaked her nipples between his fingers and thumbs, pinching them hard enough to get her complete attention. “Oh shit.” Her mouth fell open. She gasped and her eyes almost rolled back in her head while her long, thick lashes fluttered quickly. “Romair,” she cried out, her head falling back for a moment as if her neck suddenly didn’t have the strength to hold it up. “Out there, everyone will follow your command and I’ll see to it that they always do,” he began. “But you and me, when we’re alone together, will have a slightly different arrangement.” He twisted her nipples and her fingers dug into his wrists while she cried out. Her entire body tensed and she rubbed her legs together. He swore that she came for him, standing in front of him almost completely naked. The rich scent of her sex suddenly

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filled the air between them. His cock raged painfully to life, so fucking hard it made his blood boil. But he wouldn’t lose this moment. “I’ll be real clear about this. I will always protect you, and no one will touch this body again without my knowing and approving it first.” He watched her fight to focus on him, her mouth moving but no words coming out. He let go of her nipples but she kept a firm grip on his wrists. “Is that clear?” he asked, then leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. “Do you understand, Shara?” The panel buzzed and she jumped before diverting her gaze. Romair turned, hitting the switch to open the channel. “What is it?” he asked, the small microphone on the dash sensitive enough to pick up voices anywhere in the tran-bus. A small, square screen faded from black to show the image of Jolen’s bald head. He grinned his idiot’s grin, all the warning they would get that he was ready to cause mischief. Romair blocked Jolen’s view of Shara with his body. He heard her shuffle behind him and he gave her that moment to regain composure before moving to sit in the driver’s seat. Shara pulled her dress down quickly and then sat in the seat next to him. “Good morning, Ma’am Dar,” Jolen said formally, his grin not fading. “May I say you look just as beautiful with clothes on.” Shara gasped, or more like shrieked. Jolen got her with that one. Taken off-guard, her cry was satisfying enough to put a smug look on Jolen’s face. “Tell me there’s no one around to hear you,” Romair growled, and Jolen shifted his gaze, now focusing on Romair. “You know fucking good and well I’d never humiliate her publicly.” His hurt tone lasted only a minute. “We’ve got reports in from the tear in the ocean wall. I’m headed out that way.” “We’ll meet you there.” Shara impressed him, her cheeks glowing with lust while her tone was all business. She began pushing buttons on the dash, seeking more information from the guards and miners already on location. Her expression was blank, as if they hadn’t just discussed the terms of a new relationship. His stomach twisted into an unpleasant knot when he thought of her striking him down. He’d told her in the beginning that if she did, he’d respect her wishes. But nothing he’d seen in her expression, or her actions, had looked anything like a no. Romair maneuvered the tran-bus out of the channel and into open sea. He plotted their course and within minutes they were leaving town and heading upward toward the remote area where the rift had been discovered. The water darkened. He’d always loved the magnificent blue-green of undisturbed sea. Large fish swam past them, uninterested and unimpressed with the tran-bus as it

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sliced through the water. Again adjusting the outside lights, a beam of light created a path before them as their world around them grew quiet. So much undeveloped water—he prayed South Passage would always hold this beauty. Glancing sideways at Shara, he caught her studying him, her gaze hooded with her long, thick lashes. He made sure their conversation wouldn’t be overheard, pushing the button he’d pressed a moment before to allow Jolen’s transmission. But the uncomfortable knot in his gut wouldn’t go away until he knew her mind. “You didn’t answer me,” he began, watching her divert her gaze out the front window. “I know,” she said quietly, staring into the dark water ahead of them. “I’ve never given myself to any man, not like you suggest.” “You wouldn’t have been happy if you had.” “What makes you think either of us would be happy if I do now?” She looked at him now, biting her lip. It wasn’t too often she displayed her emotions for anyone to see. But for a moment, he saw her curiosity, her hesitation, and her lust—still ripe and yearning for him. And God, if he didn’t crave her more than water. “No one else can control you, and that’s what you want.” “You think?” She raised an eyebrow, almost smiling. “Yes, Shara, I do.” Many of her actions over the years made a lot more sense to him now. The many times she’d challenged people in their youth, intentionally picking fights with the men while hanging out, playing cards, or simply swimming with the gang on lazy afternoons. She’d searched all her life for that one man who wouldn’t back down to her, who would challenge her enough to truly give her satisfaction. He remembered watching her fuck those two men the night before. True sexual gratification had never crossed her expression. That was because they’d simply done what she’d asked. She needed a man who would know what she wanted without her instruction. He was that man. He’d do whatever it took to prove to her that he was. There were so many women in his life. They crawled over each other. They begged him for attention, willing to do anything if he’d have them. He’d experienced satisfaction with them. Or so he thought. Something loomed at the edge of his mind, slowly growing. A need crept inside him stronger than anything he’d known. Not once had he approached a woman like Shara. She was strong, intelligent, his equal in more ways than one. Possibly what he believed to be satisfaction in the past simply had been taking the edge off. Having Shara might be the ultimate fulfillment he’d never known existed. They passed the first beacon their guards had stationed around the area where the disturbance had first been discovered.

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Shara looked away from him, focusing on it. “I assume you have the entire area marked off?” Her lips grew fuller when she spoke. He’d never noticed that about her before. And her dark eyes, attentive yet soft and sensual, didn’t seem to miss a thing. “We stationed ten beacons to mark off the area yesterday. There have been no reports of any unauthorized persons swimming into the area.” Not that there would be. Out this far, there would be few travelers. The ocean wall wasn’t too far ahead. They were at the edge of Undrworld—not a place anyone ventured to that often. There wasn’t anything out here. Which was why the rift in the ocean wall was such a puzzle. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it from her waist, twisting slightly in her chair. He focused on the slender length of her neck, her damp strands of hair almost reaching her shoulders. She crossed one leg over the other, her dress not quite reaching her knees. “Go ahead,” she said quietly, searching the still waters through the window in front of them. Romair slowed and grabbed his own phone, pushing the buttons to let Jolen know they’d arrived. After verifying that a small group of his guards waited with Jolen in a nearby tran-bus, and that Shara’s personal aide, Jain, waited in her tran-bus, he adjusted the lighting outside the ship, manually moving the beam while moving slowly forward toward the ocean wall. He spotted one of the miners, who turned and waved. Dirt in the water made it harder to see. There was definitely a good-sized tear in the wall to cause this much murkiness in the water. In spite of the light, he could barely see a fucking thing. A long, silver water snake appeared out of nowhere in front of the window, gliding before them, its scaly skin glowing against the tran-bus light, until it disappeared in the murky water. “Sounds good. Wait until I get there.” Shara closed her phone, clipped it to her belt at her waist and stood, twisting at the waist as if working out a few sore muscles. He wouldn’t let his mind go to just how sore she might be today. One glance and he guessed she’d read his thoughts. She looked away from him, turning her back and heading for the door. “We’ve got a good-sized tear in the wall. Sounds like they see light at the end of the tunnel.” When she looked over her shoulder at him, gone was the look of trepidation she’d worn so far. Her expression glowed with excitement of an adventure. He tapped one of the compartment walls, and a small cubby opened. Taking out two belts, he handed one to Shara. Both of them adjusted the belts around their waists and then tested the lights on them. In water this congested, the lights on the belt would be the only way they could see each other. They waited for the inner door to open and stepped side by side into the small closet-sized space between the inner and outer door. 35

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“They see light?” he asked, looking down at her as the outer door opened. Water flooded around them, pulling both of them out into the ocean outside. She nodded, grinning, before turning and kicking into the murky water. All of them had been excited and a bit wary when news hit less than a year ago that life had been discovered on the surface of their planet. Earth hadn’t had an inhabitable surface since the third world war. At least that’s what they’d all been taught. Humans had migrated underground, biologically altered so their children would be born with gills. According to the history books, scientists had struggled for decades until they perfected the cells that would create gills in human necks. Living without water was impossible. And what news reports had come in stated repeatedly that there was no water above ground. After over a hundred years babies were still born occasionally without gills. Minor surgery corrected the problem. Romair couldn’t imagine any human living without water. The knot in his gut turned to excitement as he kicked alongside Shara, joining his guards and Jolen along with the miners at the ocean wall. Jain moved next to Shara, giving him a disdainful look before handing Shara protective glasses so that the dirt in the water wouldn’t bother her eyes. The other guards already wore them and one of his men handed him a pair. Once he put them on, at least he wasn’t blinking away dirt as much. No doubt all of their eyes would burn later from these conditions. Filtering systems kept water clean to breathe in the city. Large clumps of rock and dirt floated through the tear in the wall. A zigzag-type rip almost the length of his body looked like a nasty cut in the ocean wall. Roots and large clumps of mud looked like guts, exposed as he squinted to see into the tear. His guards floated around them, making room out of respect when Shara kicked forward. When she looked like she might swim into the break in the wall, Romair grabbed her arm. She turned on him, blowing bubbles from her mouth while she glared at him. Let her be pissed. Respect could go to hell. His job was to stand by her side—and protect her. With or without the title she’d given him, Shara knew he’d always have her back. She tried yanking her arm free and he pulled her closer. Her hand brushed his chest, but to support herself, not out of affection. Her look told him as much. Romair understood what plagued her. Glancing into the tear in the wall, he saw what compelled her. There was definitely light at the end of the rift. She glared at him, realizing she wouldn’t win this nonverbal argument. When she glanced at Jain, her personal aide shook her head, a small, quick gesture. Shara nodded then pointed for him, Jolen and Jain to follow her back to the tran-bus. It was time to brainstorm. The guards floated around them, making room as they swam back to Romair’s tran-bus. “We’re going to find out what that light is,” Shara said without preamble as she squeezed water from her hair after the door closed behind them. There wasn’t a lot of room in the tran-bus with the four of them in there. Romair didn’t own a cargo tran-bus. His small, economy tran-bus had served him well for

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years. Just like his home, he kept his possessions simple. Some of Shara’s staff lived it up now in comparison to how they’d lived before she’d become their leader. Too many luxuries would make him soft, make it too easy to forget where he’d come from. Jolen stood at the doorway. He clasped his hands behind his back, all business. In spite of the carefree attitude he presented most of the time, Romair knew why Shara appointed him as one of her First Commanders. Jolen was a good man to have swim by her side. Jain slipped into the back bench seat, immediately pulling her small flat computer from her belt. A portable version, it worked well to take notes and gather messages. As always, she appeared to disappear into her own world, tapping the small buttons with her fingers and not looking up at any of them. Half the time Romair forgot she was in the room with them. Shara stood easily inside the tran-bus, her back to Jolen and Jain. She stared out the front window, her expression having a faraway look on it. Romair leaned on his driver’s seat. After a minute she glanced at him, then over her shoulder at the other two. “We’ve got an opportunity to explore our planet here that I won’t pass up.” She met all of their gazes. “The walls don’t look stable to me. If we try swimming in there, they could corrode easily, trapping us.” Romair ached to explore inside the tear. “I say we get the miners to smooth out the walls if possible.” “Agreed.” Jolen nodded. “Do you think it’s the surface?” The three of them were quiet for a moment. Shara looked up at Jolen and Romair. “It’s got to be,” she almost whispered. “Tell the miners to smooth out the walls in the tear. Give me a pathway.” Romair reached for his phone and sent a written message to the head miner to start smoothing the walls. Within a short time, the water outside turned so dark none of them could see out the windows. Dirt floated thickly through the ocean water. Shara moved to the passenger seat and pulled up the computer on the dash. None of them said anything while she brought up articles and news briefs on file about the surface. There wasn’t a lot of information. The four passages, their South Passage, along with the West, East and North, all met in the middle of Undrworld. Less than a year ago a dispute between the West and East Passage caused the channels that connected the passages to collapse. The matter was quickly settled but news spread that it had been caused because someone from the surface entered Undrworld. “Tor Geinz seems to be keeping his reputation intact in spite of marrying that woman from the surface,” Shara mused, not taking her attention from her computer screen. “She’s funny-looking.” Jolen moved behind Shara, looking over her shoulder at a picture of a young woman with long hair who was reported as coming from the surface.

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Her eyes were very small and her skin a darker shade than anyone in Undrworld had. And to think history reported that they were the ones mutated. “We all used to look like that,” Jain said. Romair forgot she sat in the back of the tran-bus and glanced at her but she didn’t look up from her screen. Shara glanced his way, her expression glowing with anticipation. “If we can get to the surface, I want to explore it.” “You know you can’t spend time up there. The temperature alone would kill us.” Romair wouldn’t mind finding a way to check out the surface either. When she opened her mouth to quickly argue, he shook his head, holding up a hand to silence her. “Not to mention that you can’t go up there. Drawbacks of being leader, my dear. You’re indispensable. We can’t risk losing you.” The scowl she gave him was enough to show she wasn’t flattered. “If you keep trying to tell me what to do, you can sit here when we go check it out.” “Behave and I won’t have to tell you what to do.” She cleared her screen, punching the button to turn off her computer. “My behavior isn’t in question here. I’m your leader, and you’ll do damn well to remember that.” “As our leader, your behavior will always be in question. It comes with the territory.” Shara stood quickly, fisting her hands against her hips. “You think I don’t know how many eyes watch me, waiting to see if I’ll fuck up somehow?” she hissed. He knew he’d hit a nerve. Shara was the youngest leader of all the passages. Critics had speculated from the beginning that she wouldn’t be able to hold her position. So far she’d proven them wrong. Romair had no problem driving his point home. He stood, filling what little space there was between them. Shara took a step backward but bumped into the passenger seat and almost stumbled. He grabbed her arm, pulling her to him so that her breasts brushed against his chest. Immediately aware of her body against his, he fought to keep his thoughts straight, to make sure she understood his meaning. “And the next time you want so many eyes watching, you’ll have a personal bodyguard making sure none of those eyes can tarnish what you’ve created.” She didn’t say anything but searched his face. Something triggered in her expression. The thought excited her. Damn if his blood didn’t instantly jump to boiling point. Shara got turned on so damned quickly he felt it just holding her next to him. Damn him for not noticing this about her before. The phone on her hip buzzed. He didn’t want to let her go. Jolen cleared his throat when it buzzed again. “Want me to answer that?” he asked, grinning at the two of them. Shara shrugged herself free, and grabbed the back of the chair behind her since there was barely room where she stood with Romair and Jolen closing her in.

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She grabbed her phone and pushed a button then read the written message on the screen. “They’ve smoothed the walls,” she said without looking at either one of them. Jolen managed to move when she pushed past him. “Let’s go.”

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Chapter Four The rift now was a narrow tunnel wide enough for two people to swim alongside each other easily enough. Roughly the length of three men, it didn’t take more than a minute to swim toward the light. Shara suddenly got the sensation her equilibrium was all messed up. Although she entered the narrow tunnel kicking alongside Romair, with Jolen and Jain behind her, it now seemed she swam upward, toward a surface. If that weren’t odd enough, the light that had peeked at them through the rift now blinded her. Her sense of direction didn’t feel right and she couldn’t see a damned thing. They retreated, brainstormed, checked resources, and then headed back into the tunnel with glasses that made everything seem dark. Now she felt like she swam at night, even though it was late morning. Whatever it took, she would experience the surface. Unexplored land, a part of their planet that had been forgotten until recently. No way would she miss out on the opportunity to see what it was like. They would be the first from South Passage to set foot on the surface. History would be made here. Jain documented their every action. This would seal her fate as their first leader of the newly organized government after the Civil War. Finally Undrworld would see her as a leader to be reckoned with. Although as she kicked her way toward the bright light for the second time that morning, worry tugged in the back of her head that if anything went wrong with this mission, it would be used against her tenfold as argument that she was too young, too inexperienced, and just didn’t have enough sense to be leader of South Passage. Once again a government in their passage would fall. She wouldn’t let that happen. Shara squinted through the tinted eye protection they’d come up with, noting how hot the water was. Her skin burned. Her gills struggled, making her head pound as she fought to breathe. The brightness seemed to rob oxygen from them. Romair kicked right next to her, looking up and then lowering his head, his dark red hair floating around his head. She watched as muscles shifted under his skin, flexing and twisting as he moved next to her. Their gazes locked briefly and the adventure that flowed hot through her veins matched the glow of excitement she saw in his eyes. He looked away first, raising his head and focusing on the water above them. He lifted his hand, stretching his arm until his fingers broke the surface. She watched as his hand seemed to wave above water. Quickly he pulled his hand back into

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the water, bringing his fingers to his mouth and watching her as he blew bubbles on them. She smiled, nodding, understanding it would be hotter than hell up there. But they wouldn’t turn back now. She kicked to move forward, or upward as it appeared. A hand gripped her leg and she looked down. Jain worried her lower lip while staring up at her with brooding brown eyes. She shook her head. Jain had messaged her on her computer while in the tran-bus, her aide’s way of communicating with her when they were with a group of people. Her personal aide was meticulous with detail, kept her organized and on top of every current event. Jain made Shara look good, and that mattered. But her sense for excitement simply didn’t exist. She’d voiced every reason why this exploration was a bad idea in her messages. Jain had finally conceded searching the surface for scientific exploration was a good idea, as long as Shara didn’t participate in the mission. If Jain had a clue about Shara’s private life she’d probably die right there on the spot, mortified. No way would Shara miss out on this adventure. Jain tugged on Shara’s leg, imploring her with her gaze to retreat. Jolen swam next to Jain and scowled at her. He looked like he wanted to push her out of the tunnel. Shara frowned. She wanted Jain with her. She’d recap everything that happened better than any of the rest of them could. If only her aide wouldn’t look so frightened of her own shadow the second they swam into unfamiliar water. Shara pulled her leg up, brushing it against Romair’s hairy thigh. Tingles erupted along her flesh in spite of the hot water. A chill rushed inside her from head to toe, even though she swore she was close to overheating. Romair’s body was hard, matching his nature. If she ever decided to take him on, she knew he’d be an equal match. Half the reason she’d given up on men for anything other than pleasure was that none of them measured up to her standards. That and there just wasn’t time in her life to devote to developing a relationship. All she did was work. And Romair was by her side most of that time. Hell. A challenging partner who already swam the same path in life she did. Shara bit her lip, forcing her gaze away from Romair. In the small space the four of them treaded water, that wasn’t an easy task. She looked down at Jain, who squinted up at her through her protective lenses. Shara nodded toward the surface, gesturing with her hand. They were going all the way here. Hot water rushed over her skin as they all kicked the few remaining feet. She bobbed to the surface at the same time Romair did. Jolen and Jain hovered below them, ready to yank them both back under if any signs of trouble occurred. “It burns,” she cried out. Her skin shrank against her face, drying too quickly, tightening painfully over her skull. Never in her life had she experienced such a sensation. The brightness was so intense it was impossible to focus on Romair even though their shoulders brushed 41

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against each other. It was like fire attacked her cheeks, her head, her hair and neck, sizzling every drop of water on her flesh until it evaporated. The heat filled her mouth, cracked her lips, dried her hair out quickly. “Others have been up here.” Romair sounded close. His voice was strained though, as if he fought to convince himself they could handle this. “Yes.” It hurt to talk. Shara took a deep breath and it burned all the way to her gut. “How’d they do it, though?” Another minute up here and she’d ignite into flame. She was sure of it. Romair touched her arm and she jumped. “Somehow we’ve got to block the light. It’s too intense. I can’t see a fucking thing.” “I agree.” She cupped the hot water with her hand and poured it over her shoulder. Immediately it evaporated against the intense heat. “We’ve got to figure something out.” “Let’s go.” He pulled her down with him. They kicked their way back through the tunnel until they were once again in the ocean. Her skin still ached even when the water temperature returned to normal. Her face seemed stretched too tight. Yanking the protective lenses off, she blinked and focused on everyone around her. Jain nodded toward her tran-bus, taking Shara’s arm. Always too concerned, her worried expression was enough to tell her Shara would get an earful once they were out of the water. All she wanted to do for the moment was float, let the water soak through her way too parched pores. Jain seemed to sense how the surface had affected her and almost dragged Shara to Jain’s tran-bus. Back at her office, Shara stared at herself in her mirror. In the small shallow pool off her main office where more times than not she’d changed clothes for different events, or escaped for a few moments to sort her thoughts, the world she’d captured a glimpse of seemed far away and unreal now. She wrinkled her nose, searching for any damage the intense heat might have caused. She looked the same as she always did. She ran her hands down her dress and wiggled her toes in the water that almost came to her knees. How different humans would have to be to live on the surface. Barely a second up there, with only her head exposed, had almost incapacitated her. The people of Undrworld weren’t as invincible as she liked to believe. Apparently humans on the surface could exist in her world. Somehow she’d learn to move around in their world. “Shall I have the miners seal off that tunnel?” Jain prompted, sounding very much in favor of the idea. She stood in the doorway and stepped to the side when Shara dragged her feet lazily through her pool, still brooding over her disturbing thoughts, and left her private pool.

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“Not yet.” Shara walked into her office. “But make sure the beacons remain in place. I don’t want anyone accidentally stumbling onto the tunnel.” Jain sniffed, her standard sound when made to do something she didn’t approve of. Shara ignored her. “How are things going in ZC?” Changing the subject would be the only way she’d get anything accomplished today. Later, when she had time alone, she planned on digging up every article about the surface she could find. Jain walked across the large office to her desk that sat perpendicular to Shara’s. The dress she wore was designed similarly to Shara’s, cut modestly enough that it wouldn’t move around her too much when swimming. It hugged her frame, accentuating her thin body. Almost too thin in Shara’s opinion. It was disgusting. Jain could eat all day and never put on a pound. Her petite body added to the impression that she could be easily intimidated. Shara knew better though. Her quiet personal aide would stand her ground when she had a point to make. “Grayn Bolsh has moved into the new offices over there.” Jain poured water for both of them and handed Shara her glass before moving back to her own desk. “I still don’t understand why you approved him overseeing Zeal Current.” “He’ll do a good job.” Shara didn’t like Grayn, but he had pull among the people. Giving him rank of overseer pleased many, and made it easier to keep an eye on him. “Do you disagree?” “He has a strong following. I’m sure he can help Zeal Current flourish,” Jain said quietly. “But he wants your job. Now he has water to swim in, make himself look good. God help us all if he ever ends up leader of South Passage.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Shara leaned back in her office chair. “I have five more years. If we work hard, we’ll have another ten after the next elections. If the people don’t like what I’ve done, he’s free to put his name on the ballot.” He’d be a piss-ass leader. Hopefully the people would see that. She’d keep a close eye on him while he ran ZC. Bolsh was a crook, and would stab his best friend in the back if it would get him ahead. Shara hoped putting him in the position of overseer would expose him for the idiot he was. She’d managed to get a few people she knew were loyal to her in substantial positions over there. They’d keep her informed quietly on the goings on in ZC. “He’ll have a field day if he learns about the tear in the ocean wall.” Shara pushed herself out of her chair and moved to her large window. A school of fish swam by, indifferent to her standing so close on the other side of the glass. “Make sure none of the miners say anything.” It would be hard keeping everyone who knew about the tear in the ocean silent. “And the guards too. I don’t want any of them speaking a word of this until we’ve explored a bit further.” She turned from the window when her door opened and Romair entered. He shut the door behind him, holding on to the handle a moment while looking from one woman to the other, catching quickly what was being said when he entered. 43

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“None of the guards will say a word—that is, if you’re talking about the ocean tear.” He let go of the door and walked across the large room slowly. Long, thick legs distracted her. He moved silently, almost lazily. She had no doubts he could clear the distance from her door to her desk in a flash of a second. But he didn’t. He moved without a care on his expression, his body completely relaxed. Remembering how all that muscle felt crushed against her, she reached for her water, suddenly feeling a bit overheated. She ignored his comment. “I don’t want a word out about this until we’ve figured out a way to explore the surface better.” “Explore the surface?” Jain’s quiet tone could have a stern edge to it when she didn’t approve of something. “You aren’t going to go back up there again, are you?” She pitied Jain’s lack of sense of adventure. Discovering that tear, swimming through the tunnel and sticking her head out onto the surface of the planet had sent a rush of adrenaline through her that hadn’t subsided yet. This was almost as exciting as setting up her sexual rendezvous. And it was definitely one of the most challenging things that had happened since she’d managed to gain leadership of South Passage. “If we come up with something that will block the light so that we can see better…” Shara walked over to the fountain in the corner of her office, her back to both of them, and stuck her fingers in the water, watching it trickle over her palm. She visualized what they’d need to climb out of the water. Her heart pounded with the same enthusiasm she experienced when she knew she would get laid. “We can climb out of the hole and see what is up there.” “We need some kind of roof over the exit of the tunnel,” Romair carried through on her line of thinking. “The question is, how do we build it? Whoever puts it up will be exposed to light and heat stronger than any of us can endure.” Water trickled down her arm. Shara turned, rubbing her hands together and then touching her cheeks. She still felt too dried out from her brief exposure to the surface. “What if we took water to the surface with us? I mean, we’ll have the exit from the tunnel, but if there is water we can continually apply to our skin, and that we’d have to pour on us, we could possibly stay up there long enough to build the covering over the tunnel.” Romair smiled at her, the enthusiasm in his expression matching the excitement pumping inside her. A small scar on his upper lip made his smile a bit crooked. She remembered the man who’d given him that scar. Shara had never seen anyone so large in all her life. They’d hidden in caves during the Civil War, fighting to gain control of the entire mountain and keep armies from taking over the Australia Ocean. Romair took him on as if he hadn’t even noticed the brute was twice Romair’s size. And Romair kicked his ass. He’d come back with cuts and bruises, the tear in his lip never quite mending right. “This is crazy. Why do we want to build anything on the surface?” Jain reached for her water, gulping down half the glass. “We have no idea who or what is up there.

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None of the articles I’ve found are conclusive about what’s on the surface. We don’t know where there are cities, or where there is wilderness. But reports are conclusive that deadly animals roam the wilderness.” “Exactly.” Shara walked over to Jain’s desk, resting her fists on the edge of it and grinning at her frowning aide. “Listen to what you’re saying. There is life up there. Our ancestors lived up there. We would be the first to add to what our history books already teach us. Think about it, Jain.” “It terrifies me,” Jain said honestly. “Just because it’s risky doesn’t mean we should turn and run from it.” In fact, the sooner they organized a crew to get things moving up there, the better. Shara nodded at Jain’s computer. “We not only need supplies to create a cover for the tunnel, see if you can find me something we can wear to keep us from drying out under the conditions up there.” “The water-packs the construction crews wear when digging out the mountains would probably work.” Romair had moved closer to her without making a sound. Shara turned around and looked up at him. His dark red hair curled in waves around his face. He wore the uniform all her guards wore, a tan sleeveless shirt that hugged his muscular chest. His thick arms had a sprinkling of dark hair that ran clear to his fingers. There was little doubt he was one of the sexiest men she’d ever known. Most women in South Passage would agree with that thought. His reputation would make it impossible to have a public relationship with him though. That hadn’t stopped her from fantasizing what it would be like to be with him. He stared into her eyes, the corner of his mouth moving slightly. It was as if he silently promised her she would have those fantasies fulfilled, and soon. Heat sank deep inside her to her pussy. She had some incredible fantasies. Although some of them were better off left being just that. God. What she wouldn’t do to stroke those gills of his again. She forced herself to quit thinking about what kind of lover Romair would be. What mattered right now was getting to the surface again. “The water-packs are a perfect idea.” She snapped her fingers, turning to grin at Jain. “We also need a skeleton crew to work with here. Right now, the fewer people aware of what we’re doing, the better.” She imagined them climbing onto the surface, the water-packs secured to their backs. In spite of Jain’s worried scowl, Shara couldn’t help smiling. This was like discovering uncharted land. Odd as it was since they were preparing to see land that was older than their world, and where their ancestors had lived for centuries. Hardly uncharted—more like forgotten. The water-packs were like backpacks, filled with water and worn over the shoulders. A small tube went to the mouth, there to take drinks and keep the skin moist as needed while working in areas where there was limited water. Swimming with them full proved a bit cumbersome, but Shara believed them the best way to ensure no one 45

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would suffer while on the surface. And since the fewer people who knew about this, the better—at least for right now—she planned on being one of the people to return up there. She gestured to Jain. “Let’s go check storage. I bet we can find a few water-packs without having to order them.” “I’ll go with you.” Romair held his hand up when Jain stood. “If anyone asks where Shara is, tell them she’s in a meeting and will get back to them shortly.” Jain leaned on her desk, glancing from Romair to Shara. Her worried expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes did. “Go ahead and meet with the guards and miners who were present today at the ocean wall.” Shara finished her water and then turned toward the door where Romair waited, his hand resting on the doorknob. She kept her attention on Jain, calming her tone and hoping that if she kept Jain busy, her personal aide wouldn’t start worrying about more than going to the surface. “Make sure each of them understand it’s imperative that they don’t discuss what we discovered today.” Jain nodded. Shara didn’t look at Romair when he opened the door for her. Jain worried something existed between her and Romair. The last thing she needed right now, on top of their exploration of the surface, were rumors forming about her and one of her First Commanders. Damn. Sometimes it was hard to stay so focused on every little action she made during the day. She had to—because everyone else watched her like a killifish during mating season. As soon as they entered the warehouse, Romair put his hand on Shara’s back, burning her flesh through her dress. Although this was a very different heat than what she’d experienced on the surface. Ignoring the sensations he gave her, she instead focused on what they’d need for the trip back to the surface. She’d been a fool to let him kiss her, to play with his gills. Wanting more of him had to stop. Too much was at risk. Her stomach twisted and his hand gently caressed her back while they walked. The mix of sensations made matters even worse. She turned down the first aisle, supplies stacked high on shelves on either side. It upset her turning down a sexual adventure. Dwelling on Romair was just plain stupid. She had to keep her mind on work. She had to. “We only need supplies for two,” Romair spoke over her shoulder, on her heels while she walked through the large warehouse cave. “You’re right about keeping this mission small and discreet.” “Only two?” She turned and headed down the next aisle, searching the items organized on each shelf. “And who do you think these two people should be?” “I’ll take Jolen. He’s your most trustworthy commander next to me.” “If you think I’m going to let you go back up there, and miss out on the excitement, you can think again.” She ran her fingers over a tarp wrapped around a tent one of the

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construction crews had used for temporary housing while building offices inside the mountain. It had been an incredible idea using this equipment. No one would miss it. They didn’t have to order new supplies in. All of this stuff was simply stored now that the mountains were fully developed. She tugged on the tent, pulling it off the shelf in the large cave underneath their government offices. It was heavy and the bottom of it hit the floor with a thud. “Help me get this over to the tran-bus,” she said. Romair grabbed the tent, slinging it over his shoulder and storming away from her. She shrugged. If he wanted to carry the damned thing by himself, she’d have no problem watching his muscles bulge while he did it. Just because she’d made up her mind not to start anything with him didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy that incredible body of his. “Do you not have enough excitement in your life?” he asked after sliding the tent into the back of the tran-bus. She knew damned good and well that Romair would throw a fit if she told him he wouldn’t be going back to the surface. His need for adventure matched hers. His comment didn’t deserve a response. “I’m going on this mission. It isn’t open for discussion.” She walked deeper into the cave, passing several rows of supplies stacked orderly on shelves that stood taller than she did. Already at least ten guards and as many miners knew about the tear in the ocean wall. Including her, Jain, Romair and Jolen, that was twenty-four people. All it took was one of them mentioning casually to a spouse, or coworker, what they’d done earlier today, and word would spread faster than she even wanted to think. If anyone—just one of them—said the wrong thing, she’d have their ass. “It’s not safe for you to go.” Shara spun around, instantly outraged. Romair pushed her against the shelves behind her, the hard metal pressing against her ass and spine and shoulders. “I am going back up there,” she hissed, ignoring his hands on her. Romair laughed, looking down at her with dark eyes that suddenly seemed to glow. His heavy, large hands rubbed over her shoulders, pushing against her damp dress. “Fine. You and I will go to the surface. If I left you here, you’d probably take the opportunity to have another one of your sexual outings.” She raised her hand quickly, aiming for that pompous, crooked grin. Her fingers dug into her palm as she made a fist, anger attacking her too hard to give any thought to anything other than putting Romair in his place. He grabbed her fist inches before it hit his face. The smug smile didn’t fade. The glow in his eyes was almost blinding. She closed her eyes. Forcing her strength against

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his, she willed her knuckles to his face. All she wanted was to feel his flesh under her skin, remove that satisfied smile from his face. She needed to show him talking like that to her would cost him. She wouldn’t lose control to him. “Let go of my hand,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m never letting go of you.” His words burned into her soul. Heat swarmed inside her, settling between her legs, pulsing as hard as her heart pounded in her chest. “You don’t have me.” He pushed against her fist, and so she pulled back. He moved closer, not ready for her quick decision to quit pushing against his hand. She brought her other fist up, more than willing to give him a few bruises if he thought bullying her like this would get him anywhere. “You really don’t want to hit me,” he told her, grabbing her other wrist with a speed she should have been ready for. Romair was one of her best fighters. He grabbed her fist and forced her hands behind her back, pinning them together with one large, powerful hand. There was no way she could get free. He had the advantage. And he wouldn’t hurt her. This was Romair. He’d kill to protect her. She knew that. But there was nothing she hated worse than being overcome by anyone. He was stronger than she was. She couldn’t force him to let go of her. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, relaxing in his grip and hoping he’d loosen his hold on her so she could get free. “You’ve never fantasized about being with me?” He moved his free hand to her neck, pushing on her chin so she’d look up at him. If he thought she’d honor that question with an answer he could keep on wishing. His thumb rubbed under her chin, applying enough pressure to push her head back. She looked up at him, the hard shelf behind her stopping her head from leaning farther. She didn’t fight him. There was no point. When she didn’t answer he pulled down on her hands that he restrained behind her back, forcing her to arch into him. “You’ve never once thought what it would be like to fuck me?” he asked, his face so close to hers. His breath dried her skin, burning through her, stealing the droplets of water on her flesh. His body so close to hers, his chest brushing against her nipples, sent all moisture to another part of her body. It pooled between her legs, her pussy swelling and throbbing. His powerful arms pinned hers. His legs pressed between hers. He touched her everywhere—teased every inch of her. And he watched her, his face so close to hers. He searched her expression for the first sign of her submission. Giving it to him would lose ground with him. She was in charge—their leader. Romair needed to remember that. She looked away from his powerful gaze, from that smug expression. He was too damned sexy for his own good. 48

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“Are you quite done now?” She hoped she sounded bored but her voice came out a bit breathy. “Done?” His chuckle vibrated through him, teasing her body even more. “You don’t like foreplay? I guess you were always one to jump into the water without checking it out first.” “Foreplay? Bullying a woman and then pinning her down is your idea of foreplay?” The instant she spoke she wished she could retract her words. Romair raised an eyebrow, definitely looking challenged. She’d never known him to turn down a challenge. He lived for adventure and excitement too much. Just like she did. He spread his fingers around her neck. Her heart throbbed so hard that she was sure he felt it against his hand. He must have. In the moment that passed when he didn’t answer, his challenging expression turned smug. “How much do you want to bet you’re dripping wet right now?” he whispered, barely moving his mouth. She struggled hard enough against his grip that he let go of her hands. He still pinned her with his virile body, hard muscle touching her everywhere. With one hand still holding her neck, his other moved to her thigh. “Romair,” she hissed. It took every bit of effort she could come up with not to put her hands on him, reach for his gills. It didn’t help knowing that his cock was hard as a rock. His shaft lengthened between them, a silent promise of what he was probably capable of. “Shall we place a bet, Shara?” he taunted her. His hand stretched around her thigh, under her dress, moving dangerously close to the pulsing moisture that would convince him he had the upper hand. She clamped her legs together. Like that would do any good. Worse than that was the fact that in moments he would see he was right. She did want him. Romair had always been the one just out of her reach, too good a friend, too good a warrior, too close to get involved with. So many rumors over the years about him had her more than curious. And he’d always been so close. Right there, by her side, swimming by her daily, so many times within hand’s reach. All the women who floated around him, whispering how well he fucked, of his demands, of what he had to have to be satisfied. No one in her life matched the sexual aggressiveness she’d heard he possessed. And here he was showing her how easily he could make her melt. God. She was in trouble. “I don’t want you, Romair,” she lied. “Now quit it. We’ve got work to do.” Something hardened in his gaze. His black eyes didn’t reveal much, one of the many attributes that made him so good at what he did. Rumors were often exaggerated. She knew what she’d heard about Romair was true. She felt it. The hushed whispers

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from his previous lovers proved it. But her words affected him, whether upping the challenge, or hurting him, she wasn’t sure. Shara kept her expression hard, fighting to not let him see the turmoil that tore through her. Both of his hands moved at the same time. His actions were quick. One finger stroked over her gills while his other hand moved between her legs. “So the fire here burns for someone else?” he asked, cupping her between her legs. She opened her mouth but he brushed his thumb over her gills, almost paralyzing her. Shivers spread over her skin, although she was anything but cold. He pushed under her panties, parting her soaked flesh and thrusting his fingers inside her. Shara cried out, unable to stop herself. She grabbed his arms, fighting not to melt into a puddle at his feet. “Or do you simply get this wet for any man?” “Damn it.” Her muscles constricted around Romair’s fingers, clinging and throbbing, begging him to push his way deeper inside her. Already that spot that would give her fulfillment swelled with eager and greedy need. Her own body betrayed her. She licked her lips. Fire burned in his gaze, triumphant and filled with need. A need that matched her own. “I am not some slut.” She had to fight to get each word out. He stroked her gills, stealing her breath, forcing the tender flesh to flutter. Too much oxygen raced to her brain while at the same time she felt winded. Like she couldn’t catch her breath. Like she was on the verge of falling to her knees. Like she needed to come. “I believe you.” He lowered his mouth to hers, nibbling on her lip. She opened her mouth for more. He didn’t give it to her. Instead he kept his mouth just over hers, staring into her eyes. His fingers twisted inside her. His knuckles stroked her pussy, teasing the sensitive nerves and muscles inside her. She soaked his fingers, crying out again. “But,” he said, pulling his fingers out. The air around them filled with the scent of her sex. “You have a craving to fuck that deserves being explored. I have every intention of seeing what you’re capable of.” “What does that mean?” Nervous energy twitched inside her, stealing from the pleasure he’d just offered. His words sounded dangerous, exciting, but almost scary. She couldn’t deny that Romair could cause her an ocean full of trouble. He took his fingers off her gills. For a brief moment she was free of his intimate torture session.

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He raised her dress and grabbed her panties. She tried stopping him but her brain still swam in a pool of lust. She didn’t move fast enough. He yanked them down her legs. He squatted before her, going down onto his knees, and pulled them to her feet. His mouth latched on to her pussy. Fire hit her so hard she almost doubled over. “Shit. Damn it, Romair.” She curled her fingers in his hair, holding on to his thick locks while everything spun around her. How long had it been since a man had touched her like this? Most men didn’t take the time to offer this intimate pleasure. She’d told Romair she didn’t want him. She lied to him. Yet he did this to her. She held on to him with all she had, fearful she’d fall over. His tongue worked a magic that she worried she wouldn’t recover from. He moved his lips against her, enclosing them around her sensitive clit. Nothing had ever felt better in her entire life. Somewhere in the cave she heard footsteps. They were faint, or they sounded that way over her pounding heart. She tried pushing Romair away but he grabbed her, his fingers digging into her ass while he thrust his tongue deep inside her. They were several rows deep, just inside one of the aisles, buried amidst supplies. More than likely they wouldn’t be discovered. But if they were? Romair had her on the edge. Her orgasm teetered at the turning point, ready to spill free. A few more minutes of this and she’d explode. God. She ached to come. But getting discovered… The footsteps neared them. Now low voices, two maintenance people more than likely doing some routine errand, spoke to each other while walking toward them. Maybe Romair didn’t hear them. “Romair,” she whispered. His tongue circled her clit and then stroked the length of her cunt. A ringing sound in her head made it hard to hear the two people talking. What if they were closer than they sounded? What if they walked up on her and Romair and saw what they were doing? “There are people,” she whispered, but couldn’t finish her sentence. “Mmm,” Romair groaned, his lashes fluttering over his eyes while he lapped at her juices. He teased her, tortured her. God. She never wanted him to stop. Damn. The two people turned down the aisle in front of her. She glanced up just in time to make out two men. They moved down the aisle slowly, discussing a coworker. She didn’t recognize the name mentioned. Many government employees worked above them in the mountain.

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Romair tickled the entrance of her pussy with his tongue. He hit the itch that needed attention the most. Light exploded in front of her and she dug her fingers into his hair while biting her lip so she wouldn’t cry out. Wave after wave of lust rippled through her. She almost collapsed on top of him. Romair tugged at her panties and she stepped out of them. Then he stood, bundling them up in his hand. “When I fuck you, it will be because you ask me to.” His lips and chin were shiny from her come. He reached over her head and grabbed two water-packs, then turned and strolled with lazy confidence toward the tran-bus. Shara stared after him, taking a moment before she adjusted her dress. But he had her underwear. She felt naked and exposed as she walked on wobbly legs after him. If the two maintenance men noticed her, they didn’t say anything.

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Chapter Five Romair kicked alongside several of his men. They reached the end of the tunnel and lifted themselves into the large opening on the side of the mountain. He wasn’t thrilled about being in Zeal Current, but it had been on his schedule for the past few days to visit. Grayn Bolsh would puff out like a blowfish, showing off how well he’d overseen the city so far. Shara suggested their trip to the surface happen later that evening. She didn’t want to be missed, and he agreed it was a sound idea. Possibly a bit of time away from her would do him some good too. Jolen would be with her most of the afternoon, and this small excursion to their new city shouldn’t take too long. As much as he needed space, Romair ached to be with Shara. God. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d turned his world upside-down. Why had he allowed her to do this to him? He’d known Shara for years. He spent every day with her. Before the war and even now. She’d always appealed to him. Her gutsy nature, that sexy body of hers, tall and athletic, not built like one of those sexpots who were good for only one thing, but sophisticated, sultry and intelligent as hell. He’d always considered her a good friend. But lover? Only in his fantasies. From time to time over the years he’d spotted Shara talking to one of the women he’d been with. He knew women talked, compared notes, and warned each other about who was good in bed and who to stay away from. He’d overheard and even been part of those female discussions once or twice. Shara knew his reputation. Occasionally her curious glances, when she thought he wouldn’t notice, were enough to tell him she’d been filled in on the sexual demands he made of his lovers. She knew his love of anal sex. More than likely she’d heard how he enjoyed fucking his lovers in public places. It wouldn’t surprise him if she knew he’d shared his women with his close friends before. He firmly believed she knew these things about him. They ran in the same circles. And not once had she approached him. Not once. The second he’d recognized Shara at Venezuela’s Private Club something had changed. What she’d done at that club had been hot as hell, and definitely taboo. Women who used sex, worked their bodies to get what they wanted from a man had never impressed him. Shara definitely wasn’t that kind of woman. Her dress was conservative. She didn’t need makeup, a fancy hairstyle, or loose-fitting dresses to show off what she had. Shara was a natural beauty.

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But to go there voluntarily, by herself, to a club known for its questionable forms of entertainment meant one thing. Shara had one hell of a kinky side to her. If she had been like this always, why had she never approached him? None of the possible answers to that question appealed to him. Once they were in the tran-bus this morning he easily could have fucked her. Damn, he swore he still tasted her pussy on his lips. Shara’s cheeks were so flushed when she’d climbed in and plopped down next to him. No way would she have turned him down. That is, if he’d pressed the matter. He hadn’t. She’d sat there quietly. She hadn’t asked him to fuck her. And she’d told him no in the storage cave, said she wasn’t interested. He didn’t believe her. Although possibly she didn’t want a relationship with someone she knew. In her position, the press would scrutinize anything she did. Maybe she sought out discreet rendezvous in order to keep her private life private. He’d never been a man to force a woman into anything. Hell, he’d never had to. Even now he could name off a few women who would jump at the opportunity to be with him. So if Shara wasn’t interested, he should just drop it. So why had he been thinking about her all damned day? He swam out of their tranbus and climbed onto slippery rock. The undeveloped natural cave they stood in looked either abandoned, or simply not part of Zeal Current. His coordinates showed they were within the city limits. “Are you sure this is where we’re supposed to meet Bolsh?” He fought to put Shara out of his head and focus on his task. “These are the coordinates.” Cary Hord, a third commander he’d assigned to come with him on this trip, swung his backpack off his shoulder and pulled a portable computer from it. “Yes. This is where we’re supposed to meet, and we’re on time.” Cary held the flat computer, water dripping off it down his arms, while staring at the large cave they were in. Romair did the same. Other than him and the three commanders he’d brought along, there wasn’t a damn soul anywhere nearby. One of them sighed behind him. He sensed they all anticipated this visit to be boring and more than likely each of them wondered what they’d done wrong to be assigned to endure the visit to the pompous asshole who ran the new town. Something splashed at the other end of the cave. Romair and his commanders looked in that direction. Several figures climbed out from another pool of water, appearing as shadows at first as they slowly approached. “Forgive our tardiness.” A short, muscular man, who possibly was more hairy than Romair, spoke for the small group. “We ran into unexpected detours in the tunnels. Still trying to get our city built on our limited budget. By the way, I’m Grayn Bolsh.” The man searched their shirts, noting that Romair held the highest rank in the group by the stripes on his shoulder, and extended his greeting to him. Romair nodded,

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noting immediately that Bolsh would complain that Shara wasn’t giving them decent funding to get Zeal Current up and running. They would make this a very short visit. “We’re on a tight schedule.” Romair didn’t believe Bolsh’s excuse for being late. Knowing the man’s reputation, he probably planned to arrive ten minutes after the designated time on purpose so that he could make an entrance. “If you’ll provide us with a tour, we’ll take all information back to Ma’am Dar.” “Come along then. I hope one of you takes good notes,” Bolsh grunted as he turned back the way they’d come. “You’ll be impressed with ZC,” a young woman wearing her dress too loose smiled up at him. He imagined her dress would float a bit too high, just the kind of secretary a man like Bolsh would have around. They swam through a dark channel into a large ocean, the section of Australia Sea surrounded by a group of mountains that had been zoned to form their newest city. Most had lived here for years, but without laws or government. Forming Zeal Current had been a controversial topic for years. Shara had been determined to organize this area. He still didn’t quite get why she’d put Grayn Bolsh in charge. Nothing like having a criminal lead criminals. But that had been exactly why she’d done it. Or so she’d told him in confidence. “He speaks their language and they’ll respect him as leader,” she’d told him. “As long as he follows the laws we lay down for him to enforce, he’ll remain overseer.” Romair scowled as the young woman accompanying Bolsh swam ahead of him, her loose dress floating up over her hips and giving him and his men one hell of a crotch shot. She was just a bit pudgier than Shara, possibly around the same age. Her hair, cut in the typical contemporary look, probably meant she viewed herself a bit more professional than most here in ZC. A lot of the women in the outer mountains let their hair grow, twisting it in braids around their head. She looked over her shoulder and winked at him, catching him looking at her. He nodded, acknowledging her flirtatious grin, then looked away as they swam by, not wishing to give her any ideas. She was nothing compared to Shara. And why the hell was he comparing her to Shara anyway? He had a mission to accomplish today. Damn any woman who would distract him from his work. They were there to see the progress of Zeal Current, make sure Bolsh set up the government properly, take a look at his books, and then swim the hell out of there. The tour across town took less than an hour. For the most part it seemed business as usual, which would look good in his report. They ended up in the mountain with city offices still being dug out. Bolsh’s office seemed finished when they walked into the large cave.

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“Get our guests something to drink, darling,” Bolsh told the young woman, barely giving her a glance before slapping his chubby hands together and grinning at Romair and his men. “You like what you saw of ZC on our way over here?” Romair took in the plush cave that could put Shara’s office to shame. The best quality furniture, soft carpet on the floor instead of stone, and one of the largest indoor pools in the middle of the room. And fountains—fountains everywhere with intricately carved naked women in varied positions. Talk about fucking gaudy. Another woman, around the same age as the lady sent to get their drinks, entered from an adjoining room. “The women are ready, Sir,” she said quietly, respectfully nodding to Bolsh while brushing a strand of hair behind her gills. Her fingers fluttered over her gills while she gave Romair the once-over. “And you are in here thinking you get to choose?” Bolsh laughed, slapping her on the rear. Obviously he’d assumed the right to treat all women working under him with little respect. “Greedy bitch.” He gave Romair a knowing grin. “The other women are in the outer cave. Take your pick of my ladies, Sir. They are ready to give each of you a tour of our facilities and make sure you get whatever you want while you’re here.” Romair glanced at the woman and then looked at Bolsh. “I thought you would lead the tour.” “You would rather an old fart like me show you around? Or one of these lovely ladies?” Romair straightened. “We aren’t here to get laid,” he hissed. Bolsh looked for a minute like he’d been punched in the gut. He teetered, albeit briefly, before reaching for the nearest fountain. Romair wasn’t sure if any office in New Tasman had as many fountains in it as this cave did. Bolsh ran his hand through water flowing out of the mouth of a naked woman, carved in seductive position, on her hands and knees with her mouth opened. The way the water flowed from her mouth made it appear she sucked on it—like a woman would a dick. Not exactly the kind of statue an overseer would have in his office. Although it fit Grayn Bolsh. Bolsh patted his neck. His gills hung, sagging under his ears. Bolsh was a hell of a lot older than he wished anyone to believe. More than likely dyed hair and some surgery took a good ten years off him. A mixture of disgust and pity hit Romair. Shara had worked fucking hard—they all had—to make South Passage what it was today. This lame excuse for a human wouldn’t destroy their efforts with his sleazy presence and pretentious display of wealth. And he had the nerve to complain about a detour due to lack of funds. Bolsh quickly regained his composure, a hint of something almost evil glowing in his eyes. “Did I suggest sex to anyone, Commander?” he asked. “If the women distract you so badly that you can’t keep your cock soft, then by all means, I’ll be honored to show you around.”

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“Watch your fucking mouth,” Cary said, almost snarling. He took a step toward Bolsh, who held his ground. Romair held his hand out, blocking his third commander. “Start the tour,” he ordered Bolsh. Several hours later, Romair couldn’t have been happier to swim through New Tasman water again. He needed to change clothes, bathe, get the stench of Zeal Current off his skin. He’d swum before in the mountains that were now their newest city. Yes, the place held some shady business. It always had. Somehow Bolsh had managed to make the place even less appealing. Enough of Grayn Bolsh. He had a meeting with his leader. The lights in the ocean would dim soon. It was almost the end of the day. He hurried to his small apartment, deciding he’d prepare his report on Zeal Current in the morning. After stripping out of his clothes and sinking into the warm water in his pool in the kitchen, Romair grabbed his phone. “Shara.” He paused at the soft sound of her voice when she answered. He needed to keep his mind on business, and not how her husky tone sounded similar to how she sighed when he stroked her gills, or licked her pussy. “I’m just finishing up here.” She sounded pleased to hear from him. “How was your visit to Zeal Current?” “About what I expected.” He stretched in the water, turning the faucet to circulate hot water through the pool. His cock grew hard and he closed his eyes. He’d wanted to talk to Shara all day. Now he ached to see her, spend time alone with her. “Meet me in an hour in the fifth channel,” she said quietly. “There are a few things I need to finish up here.” She hung up without saying goodbye. Romair let out a frustrated sigh, dropping the phone on the floor by his pool. His sudden infatuation with Shara needed to end. In an hour they would take on a mission that would change history. He slid under the water, remembering his glimpse of the surface. The more water they had the better. After a quick scrubbing to rid himself of the algae of Zeal Current, he’d go over the supplies they would take with them. Focusing on that would do him a lot better than dwelling on what Shara would look like with his cock sliding in and out of her. His phone buzzed as he climbed out of the pool and he grabbed it without checking to see who the caller was. “Hi, sexy.” The female on the other end wasn’t Shara. He fought to switch gears. Although he mentally organized their trip to the surface, keeping his thoughts off Shara had been impossible. He scrambled to figure out who called him. “Are you in the mood for some company tonight?” the female purred. It was Lona, the waitress down at Swimmers. He hadn’t been in there this week, although usually he frequented the place after hours. Lona had put the moves on him

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ever since she started working there. And he hadn’t stopped her. He remembered her trapping him outside the bathrooms the last time he’d been down there. She’d pulled her shirt up and offered him a view of her oversized breasts. They’d been soft and plump, with nipples so large they’d filled his mouth. She told him she got off on public sex. He wondered if she’d ever pull a stunt like Shara had. “Can’t tonight,” he told her. “They’ve got me working.” “Too bad. A few of us were going to head down to the deep channels later, get in some kinky action. Give me a call if you get done working.” She hummed in his ear and he wouldn’t be surprised if she masturbated while talking to him. There were no regrets when he hung up the phone. That almost startled him. Granted, heading to the surface was definitely an adventure he’d never pass up. But that wasn’t it. Several of the ladies at Swimmers often flirted with him. His reputation for enjoying sex that went beyond the boundaries of what many considered normal always grabbed the ladies’ curiosity. Most of them steered clear, leery of what he might want them to do. But the more adventurous ladies swam forward, willing and eager to take him on. What surprised him was that he had no interest in joining Lona. Large-breasted women always turned him on. Shara certainly didn’t have large breasts. Daring women, those willing to confront him and proposition him even after knowing his reputation, usually got his attention. There was no way Shara didn’t know about him and she’d never approached him that way. In all the years he’d known her he couldn’t remember ever having a sexual conversation with her. Shara was all about improving South Passage, fighting for their rights, making the world better and stronger. Maybe because she hadn’t sought him out, because she didn’t want him when it came to relieving her sexual needs, maybe that’s what had grabbed his attention. Romair loved a good challenge. Possibly sex had become too easy for him to get. The excitement of it hadn’t dwindled. He couldn’t admit to that. There had to be a reason why he was so entranced with Shara all of a sudden. He sighed. He’d discovered Shara had a sexual side to her that bordered on the extreme. And he’d learned by accident, not because she’d shown him willingly. The truth of the matter was that upset him. Now he seemed determined to show Shara that sex with him would fulfill her more so than with any other guy. But why was he so determined? The lights on the tran-bus filtered through the dirt-filled water as Romair slowed and let the ship slip into neutral. There were no lights in this part of the ocean. An undeveloped area, other than the beacons. He’d had nothing other than preprogrammed coordinates to help him find the spot where the rift in the ocean had been. He’d picked Shara up and the two of them had left New Tasman without a word to each other. Actually, up until they reached the outer edge of Australia Sea, she’d been

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on the phone with Jain going over what would be discussed in a meeting the next day. She’d hung up the phone as he slowed the tran-bus. It was obvious Jain didn’t know Shara was on her way to the surface with Romair. Shara hopped out of her seat, her excitement making her anxious. She started adjusting her water-pack on her back before he’d positioned the tran-bus. “If you carry the supplies to set up the tarp over the entrance, I can carry the water.” Her back to him, she looked down at the small pile of items he’d organized before picking her up. Her close-fitting dress ended several inches past her ass. Long athletic legs, slender and perfectly shaped, were more than a distraction. “I think if we can get a secure roof over our heads tonight, we should be able to stand on the surface long enough to get some good readings.” He stood, straightening his uniform while she kept her back to him. The dress she wore clung to her damp body. Her ass was small, tight with just the slightest curve before her long legs appeared. Shara didn’t have the kind of body he usually went after. She turned, glancing at him briefly, studying his face. Looking away, she focused on their supplies, her expression almost discerning, as if she’d seen into his thoughts in that brief moment and wasn’t pleased. He watched her dress stretch against her small firm breasts when she adjusted a strap over one of them. She wasn’t real curvy. Shara was tall, athletic, her body toned from years of fighting and aggressive swimming. A true warrior, but definitely not the kind of woman who usually made his cock hard. She looked down and damp strands of her hair covered part of her face. Unable to stop himself he reached out and brushed her hair to the side. She looked up quickly, her black eyes searching his expression. “Get your gear ready, commander,” she said sternly. He brushed his thumb against her cheek. Her expression hardened, yet her skin was so soft. He caressed it, everything inside him hardening with an eagerness he hadn’t felt in ages. “My gear is ready,” he said, and let his fingers stroll around her neck to her gills. She backed away from him, almost tripping over the supplies behind her. He grabbed her, pulling her to him. “Why are you doing this?” she asked as her hand slid up his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her to him and lifted her face so he could kiss her. Damned good question. The only way to get answers sometimes was to do a little exploration. She didn’t fight him when he brushed his lips over hers. “Because I want you,” he whispered into her mouth and then devoured the taste of her. She groaned into his mouth. Her head fell back, her long slender neck stretching invitingly while he cupped her cheeks. So soft yet with such inner strength. Shara was a

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more complete package than most women. Granted, he hadn’t always taken time to learn a lot about women he’d been with in the past. Kinky and willing were often the only traits he’d sought out. If he wanted intellect he’d turned to— His thoughts froze. Breaking the kiss, her heavy breathing torturing his chin, his cheeks, he stared down into her smoldering dark eyes. When he’d wanted to talk, figure something out, explore something on his mind that bothered him, he’d turned to Shara. Her lips were moist, parted, and she looked damn eager and willing. Why hadn’t he seen the fire that burnt out of control in her before? She wrapped her hands around his wrists. He still cupped her face and she didn’t pull him away. “You simply think you’ve found something that you didn’t know was there before,” she told him, her voice huskier than usual. “Maybe it would be best if you just think of me as the woman you’ve always known.” “Forget I saw you fucking two men last night?” She bit her lip and this time did pull his hands from her face. “Yes,” she said quietly. “So now you admit the obvious?” He saw the worry that suddenly crossed her expression. And he wasn’t sure he liked the determination that took its place when she straightened, taking a deep breath and then stepping carefully away from him. She adjusted the straps on her shoulders. His heart tightened painfully in his chest when her fingers trembled as she brushed a damp strand of hair to the side of her face. “I’d hoped you’d let the issue die.” She bent over in front of him, picked up his water-pack, and handed it to him. Damn. She gave him almost a sad look. “But since you haven’t, I have no choice but to make it an order. Forget you saw what you did.” “Forget I saw your lack of satisfaction when two men fucked you?” Her jaw dropped. “Are you ordering me to forget that you crave sexual satisfaction and haven’t received it?” He grabbed the back of her head, dropping the water-pack she’d just given him. Yanking her to him, he exhaled when her firm body pressed against his. “I don’t think so, Ma’am. That is an order I won’t follow.” He crushed his mouth over hers, preventing her protest when he demanded she open for him. Her mouth was so fucking hot. Her tongue small and wet when she touched his. Fire boiled inside him. He’d show her what he’d just figured out. Damn. It was so fucking obvious. She’d always meant the world to him. The one thing they’d kept from each other—their sexual passion—was the link that would bond them together. He tasted her desire. The way she explored his mouth, she knew her order was one she couldn’t abide by either. No matter what they told each other, what they tried to

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believe, the truth was right here. It was in how they touched each other, how they tasted each other. Her fingers traveled up his arms, to his neck, climbing and strolling over his skin closer to his gills. She wouldn’t take control of this moment. He knew it was in her nature, the way she responded to any situation. But not this time. She craved true sexual satisfaction, to be fulfilled and brought to that place he doubted any man had taken her to before. He saw now that Shara would truly be happy when she let go, when she trusted another to know what would please her. He moved his arms, forcing her arms down, and cupped her breasts. Her nipples grew harder than rocks instantly. She didn’t make a sound. Her body stiffened. She held back the passion her body craved releasing. Romair released her mouth, wiping her wet lips with his thumb. He stared down at the need dripping in her torn expression. “Shara,” he whispered. “Look at me.” “I am.” She stared into his eyes, her lips pursing, looking like they needed to be kissed again, for a long time. “You’re holding back.” He ran his fingers down her cheek and let one finger travel the length of her long slender neck. “How long will you hold back the fire inside you?” She attempted a laugh. “Maybe I’m just holding it back from you.” “I’m the only one who can release it.” He ran his finger over her left gills. A cry ripped from her. Shara staggered, grabbing his shirt while she fought not to fall into him. “That’s it,” he whispered, slowly dragging his finger over the slender slits behind her ear. It fluttered, almost opening, responding to the small gentle touch. “The surface,” she cried, her lashes fluttering over her eyes. She couldn’t finish her sentence. He stroked her gills, creating enough space between them to see her nipples pucker so hard they looked like rocks thrusting against her dress. He touched one, circling it with his finger. “The surface has been there millions of years and won’t disappear on us.” He wouldn’t let this moment pass. She let her head fall back and he quickly shoved the water-pack off her shoulders. It fell with a thud behind her. He wouldn’t let the noise distract her. Reaching around her, he unzipped her dress, pulling the zipper down her spine with a quick, fluid movement. She snapped her head up, defiance strangling the fire that still burned in her gaze. She grabbed her dress. “Don’t fight it. Be the great leader in a minute. Be yourself right now.”

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The fire disappeared. Damn if that didn’t piss her off. He knew it the instant it was out of his mouth. She slapped his hands off her. “I am me always,” she hissed. “Being a leader is who I am.” She hit her chest with her fist. “No one tells me to let go of who I am.” He grabbed her. She wouldn’t put a wall up between them. Not after he’d seen what she was capable of, what she craved. She struggled and her dress slipped from her shoulders. “Let it go.” He grabbed her wrists when she tried stopping the material from sliding down. “Don’t stop being who you are. Not for me.” Holding on to her wrists, he moved her hands to her sides. Her dress slid down her, stopping at her hips. Firm round, small breasts appeared before him. His insides hardened, while his mouth went dry as he stared at her. A wonderful color washed over her cheeks, a delightful pink that flushed her skin down her neck. What a wonderful contradiction. Shara could climb onto a table in a crowded bar and fuck two men at the same time, but alone with him, exposing her breasts made her blush. He loved it, absolutely fucking loved it. “I’ve always been myself around you,” she whispered, not meeting his gaze. She twisted her hands in his grip until he let go. “We all have a private side to ourselves though. Just because you let your reputation float through the ocean doesn’t mean I want to do the same.” He grabbed her dress, which was crumpled at her waist, and pushed it down her hips. When he let go of it, it fell to her feet. She stood before him naked, except for white underwear that barely covered her pussy and rode high on her hips. He wrapped his fingers around the small bit of material and his cock swelled until he worried he’d explode while he pulled them down her legs until they pooled at her feet. He stood slowly, every ounce of his blood pulsing in his cock. Romair wrapped his arms around her, wishing his own clothes would simply disappear. His cock throbbed hard and heavy in his shorts. It was crushed between them, pulsing while a pressure built inside him that made it hard to think straight. God, he ached to fuck her.

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Chapter Six Ever since Romair had picked her up, one thing had repeated itself through her mind like a mantra. When I fuck you, it will be because you ask me to. Romair told her that when they’d been in the storage cave. And she hadn’t been able to get his words out of her thoughts. It would be stupid having sex with Romair. They couldn’t have a relationship. He was her First Commander. It just wasn’t proper. She’d worked too hard to get where she was right now. Having sex like this, with him, could make a terrible mess of things. And how would it screw things up? His hard body touched her everywhere. Standing naked in his arms while he was fully dressed turned her on more than she’d imagined it would. “Do you trust me, Shara?” he asked, his voice deep and husky as he lowered his head and nibbled at the nape of her neck. Lust-filled fog drowned her thoughts. “You know I do,” she barely managed to say. Tingles rushed over her skin when he scraped her collarbone with his teeth. His tongue left a moist trail against her overheated skin. “Nothing will happen to your reputation. If you trust me then you’ll always be safe.” He lowered his head, latching on to her nipple and sucking it into his mouth. Electric currents shot through her body. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad fucking Romair. He’d just promised her discretion. Not that she’d thought he’d blab to anyone if they did something together. There would be the challenge of him trying to take the upper hand with her. He’d try to manipulate her decisions, feeling he had some right if they fucked. But she could handle that. She’d put willful men in their place before. In the end, they all swam respectfully by her side, not trying to take the lead. “It’s not a matter of trust. It’s a matter of respect.” She ran her fingers through his thick, dark red hair, holding his head to her breasts while he sucked and nibbled her tender nipples. “I’ll still respect you in the morning,” he chuckled, his mouth breathing fire into her flesh. There was no reasoning with him right now. And with what he did to her, she didn’t exactly feel like presenting arguments as to exactly how he would behave in her presence if they did fuck. His cock danced inside his shorts, torturing her even further with quick jerks and spasms. She stretched her fingers over his back. Solid muscle twitched under her palms.

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Raw, untamed power radiated off him. God, she would enjoy the hell out of fucking him. And she knew adrenaline coursed through both of them right now. All day long she’d anticipated the swim to the surface. She’d rolled ideas around in her head as to what they’d find up there. She’d gone over in detail how they’d set up the equipment, how fast they’d have to work under that unbearable heat and blinding light to get the job done. Cooped-up energy rode hard through both of them at the moment. A good fuck before heading out would probably make her a hell of a lot more levelheaded. She inhaled his all-masculine scent. Holding him to her, she saw the top of his head, how broad and well sculpted his shoulders were. There had never been a damn thing wrong with Romair. Even when they were a lot younger, before he’d completely filled out, he’d been one of the sexiest men she’d known. But giving in to him, giving him what he wanted, which was her complete surrender, was almost more than she could manage. Letting him go and demanding they begin their mission didn’t really appeal to her either. He’d brought her this far, turned on the desire that now coursed in her veins. If she fucked him, could she convince him it was just casual sex? A release two people who’d known each other forever needed so that they could take on a mission never before attempted in South Passage? His hands were almost dry when he caressed her ribs. He brushed his palms over her skin, sending a wicked chill racing inside her. He gripped her hips and pressed his fingers into her skin, holding her firmly in place while his mouth moved down her body. “Oh God,” she whispered, anticipating where his mouth would go. If he ate her out again she’d die, absolutely fall on top of him and crumble into a mass of smoldering need. She still tingled inside when she thought of how he’d taken her in the warehouse. The pompous ass! He’d made her feel so damned good and had left her wanting—no, needing—more of him. His breath scorched her pussy. She fought to focus. His mouth wasn’t an inch away from her. She stared down at him, watched him while he positioned himself in front of her. She’d never imagined a man could be on his knees in front of her and still appear so very much in charge. He gripped her hips, holding her, which was a damned good thing at the moment. Thick, dark red hair bordered his brow. His lashes were more brown than black and fluttered over his eyes. His mouth parted, moving closer to her cunt. Goddamn. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, willing him to move closer. All he had to do was close his mouth around her clit, run his tongue over her pussy, and she’d explode. Those small acts by him would relieve all the pressure built inside her. He just needed to do it. He needed to move. She dug her fingers in deeper. 64

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Romair looked up at her. “Is there something you want?” he asked, his breath torturing her shaved skin between her legs. “Fuck you,” she growled, instantly realizing he taunted her on purpose. Son of a bitch! He was good. He’d brought her to boiling point. His cock was so hard it almost stuck a hole through his shorts. Yet he remained in control, demanding she surrender to him, ask—beg—for him to please her. “Is that a request?” His gaze burned her alive. “I won’t beg.” She clenched her teeth together, fighting not to do just that. He looked at her pussy. His fingers trailed a path over her flesh. They were dry now. Her skin itched. But the throbbing inside her was too distracting to think about water. All she wanted was his mouth on her clit. Just for a moment. She’d come quickly. Silently, she pleaded with him to satisfy her. “You don’t have to beg.” He brushed his lips over the sensitive skin just above her clit. A growl tore through him. He tortured himself as terribly as he did her. “Ask me to suck on your pussy.” “Please,” she breathed, uttering the one word before she could stop herself. It was all Romair needed. He clamped his mouth over her clit, his heat enveloping her quickly. His tongue touched the extremely sensitive swollen nub and fire exploded in front of her. Romair released the dams he’d created. He’d brought her to this point, creating a need for him that outweighed her ability to think straight. His tongue danced over her flesh, parting the folds of her pussy, and then burying his tongue deep inside. He lapped at her juices, drank all she offered. He was like hot velvet soothing an itch she hadn’t known was so desperately ignored until now. She clung to him, every muscle inside her quivering while she fought to stand. She prayed he’d never stop. It felt so damned good. “Mmm.” She licked her lips. He was so skilled! He kneaded her flesh with his fingers and stroked her with his tongue. And as quickly as she’d exploded when he touched her, another pressure built, threatening to tear her apart. She wanted to watch him. Her vision blurred while she fought to focus on his intent expression. His eyes closed while his mouth worked magic on her. Finally she let her head fall back. Nothing had ever felt better. Romair gave her more pleasure than she’d had in months—maybe longer. She remembered what he’d said to her yesterday though. He wouldn’t do anything unless she asked. It was obvious what he was doing. He wanted her submission—wanted her to give up control. Why that mattered so damned much to him, she had no clue. But giving him his wish, even if it were just sexually, would be a mistake. She sensed it. Her skin was dry. Tingles rushed over her. And it wasn’t just because she was about to explode.

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More than anything right now she wanted to give in to him. She wanted every bit of him, filling her, fucking her until she couldn’t move. It wouldn’t surprise her a bit if Romair was better than any man she’d ever been with. God. More than anything she wanted to experience that for herself. That terrified her. Scared the piss out of her. Letting go, letting someone else run the show, went against everything she believed in. It went against everything she’d worked so hard to accomplish. Romair must have sensed that her thoughts drifted. He thrust his tongue inside her then pulled it out and brushed it over her soaked flesh. His lips closed around her clit and he sucked, not too hard, but just right. All thoughts left her as the new pressure he’d created inside her broke free, like a rush of water set free from its captor. “Oh my God,” she cried out, digging into his shoulders as she fought to hold on. But he took her over the edge. Her world turned sideways, then seemed to drift around her in slow motion. Her pussy throbbed a mile a minute when Romair stood, his strong arms around her before she could fall on her face. His cock was so hard she made room for it between them, scared she might hurt him if she leaned too hard against him. Her legs trembled, the afterwaves of her orgasm still tumbling through her. “You know I won’t,” he began, his voice a scratchy whisper. She looked up at him through a fog of lust and need. Her come made his chin shine. The way his eyes glowed with need warmed every inch of her. In spite of how desperately he needed to be inside her, he’d hold back unless she told him it was okay. “I know,” she whispered, realizing she was still in charge. Even though he wanted her to ask him, had made that a requirement to their lovemaking, it still gave her the feeling of power, of being in control. “Fuck me, Romair,” she demanded. With a movement so quick she barely saw him do it, his shorts fell to the floor. He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on top of his shorts. Shara’s mouth went dry when she looked down at his cock thrusting between them. Romair was built better than any man she’d ever seen, ever imagined. And she’d fantasized about him more than once in her lifetime. Chest hair tapered to a narrow line that went down the center of his abdomen. It was dark, almost black, unlike the dark red hair on his head. Tight coarse curls surrounded his shaft, which sprang from him, eager and pulsing with a need she knew matched her own. She reached between them, touching the tip of his cock, then running her hands down the length of his shaft. “Shara,” he growled, warning her how close to the edge he was. She imagined his self-control was stronger than he let on. “Sit down,” she instructed, her pussy filling once again with come, with anticipation of feeling him inside her.

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Romair moved her, taking her by the arm as he stepped over their supplies and sat on the bench seat in the back of the tran-bus. Still holding her, he pulled her to him. She straddled his thick legs. Muscles rippled all over his body. The perfect warrior, toned and built. Over the years she’d seen most of him, just never every inch of him on display as he was now. “That’s it, baby, sink down on me,” he said, taking both her arms and helping her adjust herself over him. Her pussy pushed against the top of his cock. Heat flared inside her when he slowly entered her, stretching her. He was even thicker than he looked. She accommodated him as her soaked muscles quivered around his cock. Slowly, so slow it was fucking torture, he glided into her velvet heat, filling and stretching her until she sat on him, impaled by his cock. “You wish to lead,” he began, meeting her gaze, “then you ride me. Take charge and make us both come, Shara.” She didn’t answer. And she wished he hadn’t spoken. His words stole that command away from her. He allowed her the position of command, as if it was his to give. She closed her eyes. There were no words to answer. Thinking about that now would ruin the moment. All she could do at this point was obey, and slowly begin riding his cock. That hard-as-rock thickness filled her better than she’d been filled in a long time. He stroked every muscle, hit every tormented spot. She gripped his shoulders, feeling his muscles twitch under her fingers, and moved up and down over him. Her leg muscles quivered, straining as she kept the pace slow. It didn’t matter that her muscles cried out and constricted as they burned. She let her head fall back, arching into him while stroking her insides with his cock. His large hands gripped her small breasts, squeezing and tugging on them while she rode him. He lashed at her nipples with his tongue. His breath was like fire on her skin. Again the pressure grew, creeping inside her. Her palms glided over his shoulders. Muscles bulged and when she touched them they quivered. “You need water,” he whispered, his voice obviously strained. When he leaned to the side his cock impaled the side of her pussy wall, stabbing into tender muscle. She cried out, the sensation so intense it almost paralyzed her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she didn’t see him lift the hose attached to one of the water-packs. He squeezed water from it, pouring it down her front. The cool sensation as water sunk into her pores, lubricated her skin, sent a new energy rushing over her. She cried out. He poured water over both of them, soaking them, invigorating both of them, but obviously him as his cock seemed to double in size inside her. “Oh, hell yeah,” she murmured, latching on to the sides of his head and covering his mouth with hers as she began riding him harder.

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He groaned into her mouth, but she didn’t care about words any longer. She bucked against him, moving with energized speed while friction grew between her legs. No amount of water would put out that fire that surged to life, building and growing, spreading inside her until she knew she would explode. Water dripped down her front, the tiny paths tickling the underside of her breasts, and then her ribs. She loved that sensation, always had, of water creating tiny crisscrossed lines down her body. Add that to how his cock stretched her, hitting that remote spot that put her over the edge, and she was in heaven. If her legs would hold out she’d keep up this pace for hours. But it was more than her straining leg muscles that ended her moment of complete and total pleasure. As much as she loved how he caressed her inner muscles, the intensity of it was too much. The swollen tip of his cock brushed against her most sensitive spot just right. Wave after wave of need and lust exploded, soaking both of them. Every muscle inside her spasmed. Her heart hammered in her chest so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. She gripped rock-hard muscles, holding on while she rode out the large waves that rushed through her. It was too much. She felt as though she would die, crumple over on top of Romair and then simply melt at his feet. She grumbled something completely incoherent, while every inch of her quivered as she came. “My turn, dear,” Romair growled and grabbed her hips. She opened her eyes, slowly lifting her head off his shoulder and seeing the determination strained in his expression. He held her in place, suddenly thrusting upward, pushing his cock deeper and deeper inside her. He would fucking split her in two. And he held her so firmly she couldn’t adjust the position to ease the intensity. “God. Romair.” She couldn’t handle him. He was too much. He gritted his teeth, almost looking like he snarled. She drowned in those dark eyes. It was as if he pulled her into him. She should look away, keep the sex casual, but she didn’t have the strength. The way he held her, there was no way she could move. Her legs were stretched over his. He had a hold of her hips. But it seemed like he held on to more of her than that. She drowned in his gaze. It was terrifying and exciting at the same time. Sex had never felt so personal. He drove his cock into her soaked pussy until finally a roar ripped from him and he exploded inside her. For a long moment she sat there, feeling his cock quiver inside her before it began to relax. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back, and she studied his face. She’d known him since she was a teenager, and had seen many sides of him. Once or twice she’d feared he would want to run South Passage. He had what it took. She’d give him that. But he’d stayed by her side, never questioning when she made it clear that leading South Passage was her goal. He’d backed her, supported her, agreed with almost all of her decisions. She studied the hard contours of his face, the way his cheekbones were broad, the long length of his nose. There was that small scar on the side of his upper lip. A dark

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shadow that would be whiskers if he didn’t shave soon spread over his jaw. She liked his slightly unshaven appearance. It added to his masculine look. Made him look rough, someone to reckon with. He could so easily appear intimidating. He was taller than most men, broad-shouldered and muscular as hell. And that dark red hair that fell just past his ears was damned thick. Just looking at it made her fingers itch to comb through it. She almost reached up and touched him but then stopped herself. This wasn’t an intimate moment. This was Romair. He was her First Commander, her friend. And unless she wanted to view the most incredible sex she’d ever had as a mistake, the best thing to do was quit drooling over how damned sexy he looked right after fucking, and get her ass in gear to head to the surface. Her legs trembled when she stretched and attempted standing. She forced herself to keep moving and let his cock glide out of her. She never felt so empty when a cock left her after good sex. “Can you stand?” Romair sprang to life, moving quickly and holding her when she straightened. “I’m fine.” She didn’t push away from him but turned instead, making a show of searching for her clothes. Why did she suddenly feel so damned awkward? She loved having sex with strangers. There was never any uneasiness afterwards. Maybe it was because she knew Romair so well, and wouldn’t be leaving him now that they were through. There was no running away to the safe haven of her normal life this time. Damn. She led one fucked-up life. The thought hit her with a nerve-racking revelation. As much as she enjoyed sex, she’d always managed to have it with people who had nothing to do with her everyday world. Romair had just screwed up her pattern. She didn’t know how to react to him now and she didn’t like that feeling. “Just fine?” There was a teasing note in his tone. She bent over to pick up her dress. For some reason, embarrassment burned at her cheeks. She kept her back to him. “Do you want me to sing your praises?” “You were fucking awesome,” he said, praising her first. He took her dress and straightened it before lifting it over her head. When she was forced to turn and look up at him, his relaxed smile suddenly made her feel foolish. They were friends. Somehow she’d suddenly given him power of the opponent, when that wasn’t how it was. He so easily told her he had a good time. There was no pressure here, nothing to fear. She wouldn’t regret what they’d just done. It would make things too hard between them. And she didn’t want that. Romair was her First Commander, her friend. They’d just had sex and she could handle that. “I think you already know how good you are,” she told him, grinning and adjusting her dress, which had almost dried, over her damp body. “But you were awesome, too.” She watched him put his clothes on. For such a large man he moved easily, seeming very much at ease while she couldn’t figure out why she was all thumbs. She was the 69

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leader. She gave the orders. But he organized their equipment, turning her to put her water-pack on her back, and then helped her with her belt before putting his on. It would have taken her a lot longer to get them ready to head to the surface. “Ready to make history?” he asked her, and pushed the button to open the door. “Let’s head out.” She adjusted the camera she’d brought on her belt, anxious to record every minute they spent on the surface. His excitement was contagious. She quit worrying about any repercussions fucking him might bring on. They had a job to do, a surface to explore. That was all she’d think about for right now. Water swooped around them when the outer door slid to the side and pulled the two of them into the dark ocean. Immediately flipping on her light, the first thing she saw was the bulging curves in Romair’s arms. He held his location in front of her, turning on his own light. He focused it on the enlarged tear in the ocean wall. There was no longer light coming toward them. Shara kicked closer, using the beam of her light to create a path through the floating debris around them. It would be fascinating if the cycles of day and night on the surface matched the calendar of South Passage. All of Undrworld used the same calendar, the same currency, and had since the beginning. History books were pretty cut and dried about the matter. Something teachers taught students at an early age, reciting the incarnation of Undrworld in a daily lesson and then being done with it. Lights synchronized to the Undrworld standard time came on in the morning, dimmed in the early evening, and converted to night lighting while they slept. It wasn’t something Shara had thought about much, until now. Romair wrapped his arm around her when they reached the surface. She looked at him, his face inches from hers. He brushed his fingers through her floating hair and gave her a small smile before looking above them. Again the sensation of losing her equilibrium, of being sideways and then suddenly floating upwards, took over. The temperature in the water soared, almost burning her gills. She took slow, soothing breaths, straining for oxygen while her legs intertwined with Romair’s and they kicked until they broke through the water. Her first gasp of air scorched her throat and she coughed painfully. “Let’s move quickly,” she whispered, disoriented by the darkness that greeted them. Even without the blinding light, the intense heat instantly burnt her face, her neck and her shoulders. She felt too tight. When she moved her body under the water, it took effort to glide her arms and legs through the almost boiling water. Romair let go of her, although hard-packed muscle seemed to touch her everywhere, and pulled the large tent they’d brought through the water. He dumped it down on the ground outside the small hole they bobbed in. Dust rose up around it, filling the air quickly. Both of them broke into a fit of sneezes.

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“The ground is too hot to touch.” Shara got her bearings, although floating in such a close area next to Romair with him continually touching her everywhere made focusing on what was around them even more challenging. As if the intense heat, eerie darkness, and dirt-filled air weren’t enough. The pale blue tent lay on the ground almost at eye level with the two of them still in the hole of water in the ground. It fell with the opening to the tent facing away from them, and they struggled with it before getting it turned around. “If we can open it and spread it over the ground, we can climb out on it.” Romair sounded winded. “Agreed.” There was no way not to touch the ground around them. It burnt her arms, the sand sticking to her flesh and instantly itching and tormenting her. Romair didn’t complain, but then he wouldn’t. Sand stuck to their faces and hair before they finally had the covering off the tent. Shara bobbed underwater. In spite of how hot it was, it still aided in getting the itchy sand off her. Romair did the same and then with a quick thrust, pushed himself onto the tarp and out of the water. He turned and held his hand to her. In the next moment, the two of them stood on the surface. Shara was awestruck. All she could do was stare at the land her ancestors were from, land she’d believed all her life wasn’t inhabitable. For the most part, the people of Undrworld had forgotten about it, as if it no longer existed. But it did. It was the shell that held their world together. And this small tear, this burst in the seam that contained their world, allowed them to see where once they had all come from. She stared in awe through the darkness at the flat sand that seemed to spread forever in all directions around them. Then slowly, she looked above her. “Holy shit. Romair. Look.” She realized then that they still held hands and pulled hers free to point above them. A blackness that spread further than the ground filled her view. White shimmering light sparkled from millions of different locations above them. “It’s the sky,” she said, furiously searching her memory for that one lesson she’d had as a child where the teacher explained how Earth was a planet. “And all those lights. I can’t remember what they’re called.” “Stars,” she said, whispering so as not to disturb the magical scene displayed before them. For a moment she almost forgot how blisteringly hot it was. “You paid more attention in school than I did.” He nudged her arm playfully, which made her skin itch. “That’s because I was the good girl. You were the troublemaker.” He lowered his head, catching her attention when he grinned at her in the dark. She gazed up at his powerful-looking face. She didn’t remember if she’d ever seen him with dry hair. The color lightened a bit and his hair seemed to fluff around his head. She imagined she must look a sight. She ran her fingers over her head, her hair feeling strange. It was dry.

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“You still look good,” he said, reading her mind. “All dried out?” She shook her head. “Humans used to live like this, you know.” “Apparently some still do.” He looked around them, squinting at the darkness. “Looks like our hole opens into an unpopulated part of the surface.” “You sound disappointed.” She followed his gaze, turning to take in more of the darkness around them. Her skin began itching from droplets of water and although her dress had dried and hung too loose on her body, moisture appeared on her skin making the material cling to her in spots. She looked down at herself. “I’m wet.” “My forehead is wet, but the rest of my face is dry.” He rubbed his hand against his face and she looked up at him. She couldn’t tell in the dark so she touched his face too. He was right. There was moisture, like droplets of water, beading on his skin above his eyes. She believed him that it hadn’t been there before. He lowered his hand, watching her while she brushed her fingers across his face. She hadn’t meant it to be a sexual act. But when he looked at her, heat that had nothing to do with the temperature outside, began smoldering inside her. She pulled her hand away, rubbing her fingers together, still feeling the wetness that had been on his skin. She touched her own face, feeling the wetness now above her lips. “It’s salty. This is fucking weird. How are we wet without water?” “I have no idea. But speaking of which…” He adjusted the tube on her water-pack and let some of the water soak her front. She took the tube from him and drank from it greedily. It was still cold and tasted better than any water she’d had in a long time. He did the same and she watched the trails of water cause his chest hair to cling to his body. God, he was fucking gorgeous! Water soaked his dry shirt, once again allowing her to see the strong outline of his torso. He splattered water over his arms, his head, and his face, and then took his fingers and splashed water in her face. “You’re drooling,” he accused. “Am not.” She looked away from him quickly, wiping the water over her face. “You wouldn’t offend me if you were.” “I’m sure.” It was too damned hot to begin a conversation on how his body appealed to her. Especially with her insides still tingling from such awesome sex. She wasn’t used to discussing sex after having it. Besides, they had work to do. “Help me spread this tarp out better and then let’s get this tent set up. We have no idea how much time we have before it’s light up here again.” “If our clocks have managed to remain synchronized to the days and nights of the surface, then I’d say we have all night.” He didn’t argue with her though. They stepped around each other, being careful not to step off the light blue tarp as they spread it out next to the small hole of water. Several times they stopped and soaked themselves with water. The next step was the tent, which went up rather easily. 72

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The ground proved solid enough to drive the poles into. By the time it stood though, creating a roof for them to stand under with walls of fabric that they opted to keep pinned out of the way so they could see around them, Shara worried she’d pass out from the heat. She sat down on the tarp, draining the water from her water-pack over her head. They’d accomplished what they’d planned for the evening, but there was no way she could call it a night and head home. She reached for her light and the metal burned her skin. “Ouch,” she yelled, quickly pulling her fingers to her mouth. Romair stripped his shirt off, dunked it in the water at the entrance to their world, then pulled it out dripping wet and handed it to her. “Wrap this around your hand and then hold it.” She nodded, fighting not to stare at his now bare chest. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been so distracted by so many rippling muscles before. Wrapping his wet shirt around the light, she picked it up again and turned it on, shining it into the darkness around them. “Oh hell, look.” Her heart moved to her throat as she stared at the buildings that they hadn’t noticed in the darkness.

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Chapter Seven Romair stared at the tall, straight structures. His heart rose to his throat and began pounding furiously. He’d hoped for a bit of excitement up here. And a pang of disappointment had hit him when all appeared barren. But now, staring in the direction of Shara’s light, the water dripping out of his skin no longer bugged him. They had to figure out a way to explore. The buildings were less than a mountain’s length away. In daylight, their makeshift campsite would easily be noticed. Advertising the entrance to their world wasn’t what he had in mind. “We need to tear down the tent before it’s noticed,” he told Shara, turning to grab the pole next to him. “You’re right.” She ducked when part of their makeshift roof slanted toward her. “Somehow I want to document this before we head back to the tran-bus.” He grabbed the tent roof so it wouldn’t hit her and folded it backward then worked the poles back out of the ground. As much as some excitement on the surface brought out the adventurer in him, he wouldn’t jeopardize South Passage. Allowing Shara to swim into danger wouldn’t be an option either. Nonetheless, his heart thumped with excitement. It would kick ass to learn something newsworthy about the desolate surface of Earth. It had already been proven that life existed up here, but to document it, prove it to South Passage, would put him down in the history books. There were worse ways to be remembered. He reached for Shara’s light, unable to touch his and not having anything else to wrap around it. She stood slowly, pulling the light to her so he couldn’t take it. “There’s got to be a way we can walk on their ground.” She stared at the town and slowly let the light travel from one building to another. “Shara. I can’t allow you to explore that place.” He knew she’d argue. But damn it. She led South Passage, and he’d sworn when he took on duties as First Commander that he’d protect her with his life. He planned on doing just that. “We know this is here.” She waved toward the community, looking up at him. “We can’t just swim away and ignore it.” “I wasn’t suggesting we should ignore it.” He fisted his hand by his side so he wouldn’t reach up and stroke her face. So much determination made her expression glow. She was passionate in anything she did. He shook his head, looking over her head at the backdrop of the quiet town. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and now that he knew where to look, he could see the silhouetted outline of them without the 74

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light. Not to mention he would drown in her black eyes if he kept looking at her. “But there’s no way you and I are going to float over there.” Shara made a very unladylike snorting sound. She’d relaxed with him again, her mind obviously distracted by their discovery. He’d felt her nervousness as soon as they’d finished fucking and knew it wasn’t from anticipation over coming up here. He didn’t like the way she’d started ignoring him, tuning him out after they’d dressed. He more than disliked it. It hurt, damn it. They’d known each other forever. She had no right to treat him like some stranger who’d just serviced her and should now be on his way. Now for the first time since they’d had sex she once again acted like herself. Again he wished—no, craved—to touch her. Just the touch of her dry hair against his fingers. He ached to smear the beads of water off her forehead, to run his hand over her soft flesh. And he would touch her again. Damn, it better be soon. Her uneasiness had filled the tran-bus before they left it. The fact that she had seemed irritated after they’d fucked bugged him. Especially since he couldn’t wait to take her again. For now, he’d keep those thoughts, and his hands, to himself. They had business to tend to. “We’re not floating anywhere up here in this desolate place.” She scowled at the hose to her water-pack that hung over her shoulder. “We need more water. And now that we know what’s up here, we need a plan of action.” “What we need are better supplies.” He wrapped the tent back up after collapsing it then pushed it into the small water hole. It bobbed at the entrance to their world. Shara scanned the rest of the desolate area around them. “Yeah. We need a way to move over this ground without setting our feet on fire.” Lights appeared from the buildings, shining in their direction. They waved in the heat coming off the ground, heat that seemed to soak into him, making it damned hard to breathe. “Oh shit.” Shara doused her light, turning quickly and running into him. He didn’t give thought to pulling her into his arms, his senses going on red alert as he stared into the faint beams that came from the community. “I’d guess your light has been noticed.” He pushed Shara toward the water. “Time to get back to the tran-bus.” “Agreed.” She pushed the tent down that bobbed at the entrance and then jumped in on top of it. In the next minute she disappeared. Romair slipped into the water, pulling the tarp over the ground and then dragging it in with him. He sat there at the edge, his legs soaking up the warm water, and stared through the darkness toward the lights. What kind of people lived up here? And to think for thirty-four years he’d lived in South Passage, directly underneath this town. They knew nothing of his people, and he knew nothing of them. His stomach twisted with a mixture of emotions. That was about

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to change. He knew it. He felt it to the core of his bones. They not only made history tonight, they were about to change how his people viewed their world. They definitely weren’t alone. “It shouldn’t be too hard to create something that goes over our feet,” Romair suggested once they were back in the tran-bus. Water never felt better as it dripped down his body. They’d taken their time gathering the drifting supplies they’d thrown into the hole before returning to the ocean. Both of them had dried out too quickly on the surface. That was a problem he didn’t have a ready answer for. “I need time to think.” Shara didn’t look at him but settled into the passenger seat. “Take me home and we’ll discuss this more tomorrow.” Romair stared at the back of her head, running his hand through his wet hair. He was still a bit overheated from the surface but that didn’t bother him as much right now as what to do about Shara. The last thing he wanted to do was take her home. “Shara.” “No.” She sliced her hand through the air, turning her head slightly, as if she already knew he would bring up her behavior after they’d had sex. She might not want to talk about it. But he sure as hell did. He moved closer. She wouldn’t block him out, or refuse to discuss something before she knew for sure what he meant to bring up. She glanced up at him with a worried expression before looking down at her lap quickly. He fought the pain that swelled inside him. She would just as soon forget what had happened between them before they went to the surface. Like hell that would happen. “Shara,” he repeated, taking her chin and forcing her to look up at him again. She glared at him angrily. He ignored it and the frustration that coursed through him that she’d look at him like that. “We had some incredible sex. Don’t try to deny that.” She grabbed his wrists, trying to make him let go of her but he simply tightened his grip. “Now isn’t the time to talk about this. I have a job to do. All that matters right now is the surface. Now take me home, Romair.” “Now is exactly when we’ll talk about this.” He pulled her out of her seat, grabbing her arms and fighting the urge to give her a quick shake. “We both have jobs to do. That doesn’t change the fact that something just happened here. Something you aren’t going to block out and ignore.” “It was sex, Romair. Hell, you have it all the time. Don’t make an issue out of it.” She glared at him but then looked down. He caught something in her expression—fear and uncertainty. He doubted it had anything to do with what she’d do next concerning the surface. If a lady gave him the brush-off after sex he let her go. Not that it happened too often. Hell. He couldn’t

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remember when it had last happened. But he knew that’s how he’d react if a lady didn’t want to see him again. He wouldn’t press the issue. There were plenty of willing women swimming out there. An unpleasant sensation gripped his insides. A frantic unpleasant feeling that if he honored her request to not make an issue out of it, he’d never touch her again. “Talking about it is hardly making an issue out of it.” He fought for words to convince her they hadn’t made a mistake in fucking. “You enjoyed fucking me as much as I enjoyed you. And we’re going to do it again.” She looked up at him wide-eyed. “This is exactly why I don’t have sex with anyone I know.” “Why is that?” He did give her a little shake before he could stop himself. He wanted to yell at her, get her to climb out of the damned shell she had clamped around her. “Are you so terrified that someone might know the real you?” “You do know the real me.” She chewed her lower lip, and lifted her gaze slowly to meet his. “Everyone has parts of them they keep to themselves, Romair. There’s nothing wrong with that.” “And there’s nothing wrong with exploring something if you like it.” He let go of her arms and then stroked her damp cheek with his knuckles. She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. “We can’t explore anything. Now take me home, please.” She sat back in her chair, looking straight ahead. Damn her for being so stubborn. He took his seat, gearing up the tran-bus and then turning it around toward New Tasman. He’d take her home, but he’d be damned if he’d leave her alone. In spite of their silent ride across the ocean, he had to believe that she didn’t want to be left alone. No woman reacted to sex the way she had with him, and then truthfully told him she didn’t want it again.

***** He woke up the next morning to his phone buzzing next to him. “Yes?” he said without bothering to see who called, and then cleared the sleep out of his voice. “Get moving, man.” Jolen didn’t sound much more awake then he felt. “We’re headed back to the ocean tunnel. I got a report just a bit ago that one of our men detected some kind of anomaly out that way.” Romair kicked the covers off and sat on the edge of his bed. He glared at the clock. The morning lights wouldn’t come on for another hour. He stood and poured water over his head while heading to the bathroom. “What kind of anomaly?” he asked.

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“I’m not sure. The guard wasn’t sure. There’s something floating out there. I told him to keep an eye on it, keep his distance, and not make an issue out of it until we were out there.” “Did you call Shara?” “She has her phones transferred to Jain.” Jolen’s voice faded a bit as static made it sound like he was in his tran-bus and floating through a thick school of fish or something. “But I left word with Jain to have her contact us. I didn’t tell her why.” Romair nodded, staring at himself in his bathroom mirror. He’d love time to soak in his pool and wake up a bit but his life didn’t always allow such simple pleasures. “I’m headed out. Are you headed that way?” “Yup. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” “Meet you out there.” He would have done better swimming and catching his own breakfast, and growled at the indifferent teenager when she shot his meal through the tube to him— finally. The tube latched on to the side of his tran-bus and he pushed the lever to allow his bun and caffeine to slide in next to his driver’s side. Tossing the bun to the seat next to him, he gulped down half his drink and then burped as the carbonation hit him. It would take a few cups of caffeine to unfog his brain. But he’d have to make do this morning with fast-food service. Traffic seemed to be way too thick this morning and he cursed as he maneuvered his way around an early morning wreck. He nodded to the officers swimming around the wreck before accelerating once he was safely out of traffic. New Tasman seemed to start its day earlier and earlier every year. Everyone was out to make a buck. He finished his caffeine by the time he was in open sea and crunched the cup before laying it next to his bun. By the time he’d passed all rural traffic heading into town for another day’s work, it dawned on him that he had company. He grabbed his phone and punched Shara’s number in while staring at her tran-bus that approached alongside him. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, intentionally lowering his voice. He’d been told more than once in the past that his deep tone was quite a turn-on. “Do you have any reports in on this anomaly?” she asked, her tone crisp and all business. He looked away from her tran-bus, unable to see her through the windows of her ship anyway. The wave of disappointment he’d experienced last night now turned into a challenge. He’d take her on and show her he wasn’t worth ignoring. All he had to do was figure out how to do that. He frowned and focused out his front window. The water grew darker as they reached the outer edge of the Australia Sea. If he hadn’t seen her at Venezuela’s Private Club he’d guess his reputation scared her away. Not every lady could handle his demanding sex drive. But he’d seen a new side to Shara. One he had to explore.

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“No reports in.” He flipped his computer on and set it to scan the area. “Jolen had early shift and called me when one of the guards reported seeing something out here.” “That’s what happened here. Right now I don’t want any other guards out here until we know what we’re dealing with.” “I can have as many troops here as needed in less than ten minutes if you decide otherwise.” He slowed when he spotted the back of Jolen’s tran-bus. One other ship floated nearby—the guard who’d called in seeing something unusual. “Do you think we’re going to need troops?” Shara didn’t like that idea. Her tone grew real quiet, the way it did when she worried about something. “If you spotted something strange outside your town, what would you do?” He stopped his tran-bus behind Jolen’s and glanced out his side window at Shara’s tranbus when it floated in alongside him. Jain glanced his way from the driver’s seat and then turned her attention to Shara. It figured the two of them would be together. Not that he minded. Images of her riding back with him seemed rather appealing. Shara sat in the passenger seat and turned her head slowly, looking at him. Her large black eyes were almost perfect circles with long black lashes fluttering over them. He knew how soft her creamy white skin would be under his fingertips. He rubbed his hand over his leg, itching it, while the sudden urge to have her in his arms overwhelmed him. Her expression didn’t change. She didn’t hurry to look away from him yet didn’t appear pleased to see him either. Casually, she brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear. When her mouth moved, he realized she had her earpiece on and spoke on her phone. Who was she talking to? This was fucking ridiculous. The possessive streak that rose like a deadly predator inside him would die a miserable death at this rate. He looked away first. Maybe he should just take her words at face value and let her go. They’d had some damn good sex. But they’d been friends for years. Just enjoy the memory and give her what she wants. Don’t bring it up or think about it again. Damn. He got out of the driver’s seat and turned, staring at the random supplies he hadn’t bothered to put away or deal with the night before. Maybe some of them would help with their work this morning. Although first of all, he needed to know what they were dealing with. “Jolen,” he said into his phone, adjusting his own earpiece so he could talk handsfree. “Have you seen this anomaly yet?” He glanced down at the empty water-pack that he’d slipped off Shara’s back last night before fucking her. Scowling, he looked away. Forget about her! Like hell!

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“I’m staring at it right now. Head over here to my tran-bus.” The excitement in Jolen’s tone was contagious. “On my way.” Romair headed out his side door, impatiently waiting for the door behind him to close so the outer door would open. When it did, he embraced the torrent of water that wrapped around him, pulling him into the sea. He hadn’t told Shara he was heading out. Although according to his job description, he was First Commander, free to explore and defend and use his own discretion under all circumstances. What he should have done was call her and tell her to keep her ass put. Another line in his job description, written up thanks to the ever-organized and efficient personal aide, Jain, was to protect and defend his leader at all costs. He had no problem heeding his duties to the fullest. He turned when he spotted Jain and Shara kicking toward him and straightened, drawing a line through the water with his open hand. Stay! The universal underwater sign language was rather effective. That or the scowl he gave them. He doubted it was the latter—not with those two. The two of them halted and he had to give Jain credit for her lack of explorer’s blood because she seemed eager to follow his suggestion. Both women straightened in the water and Shara glared at Jain when her personal aide held her hand out in front of Shara, blocking her. Shara fluttered less then twenty paces from him, her body upright as she slowly kicked her long, willowy legs. The dress she wore today floated closely around her body. Damn, she looked fucking hot! He pointed a finger at both of them, and then sliced the water with his hand again, stressing that they stay put. He would find out what they were dealing with before his leader got any closer. Before she could glare at him any longer, he turned from Shara, kicking toward Jolen’s tran-bus. Shara ached to discover what was in the water as badly as he did. He didn’t blame her a bit for that. But her position required her protection. Even if she didn’t hold her rank, he’d fight to protect her anyway. Coming around the side of the tran-bus, it hit him that he’d always had a special place in his heart for Shara. They’d always been close—close friends. He shook his head that the obvious would seem so clear at such an odd moment. She’d always meant the sea to him. That’s why he had no problem fighting to help her lead South Passage. He believed in her, knew what she was capable of, respected her and for the most part agreed with her. Now add damn good sex to that list and he’d found the perfect woman. Figures she’d been right under his nose all along. He came up toward the front of the tran-bus and saw Jolen inside pushing buttons on his computer. Jolen glanced at Romair then nodded toward the front of his ship. Romair looked ahead of him at a small shiny object floating in the water. He straightened and kicked to stay in place while pulling his light from his belt.

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Debris from the recently dug-out tunnel floated around the dark warm water as he beamed his light at the thing. It was square, silver, the light bouncing off it and giving it the illusion that it glowed. He noticed a small wire floating away from it and followed it with his light. It led toward the tunnel. Looked like someone might have dropped something down the tunnel. The wire led him to believe they wanted it back. But what the hell was it? His heart beat anxiously as he swam a bit closer, deciding that was the only way to find out. He kept his light on it, studying the contraption that appeared to be some kind of camera. Well, damn him and the entire Australia Sea. He ran his hand over the hard metal when he got close enough. It wasn’t much bigger than one of their computers. The thing was obviously from an advanced society. And his guess was that it recorded images that were being sent back to someone on the surface. He ran his hand along the wire and tugged. Whatever secured it at the other end had a good grip on it. Lowering his light, he turned back to look at Jolen. His friend was no longer in his ship but swam toward him. The two of them tugged on the wire but couldn’t loosen it. If they were going to take the silver box thing back to the tran-bus with them, they’d need to cut the wire. At this moment, he wasn’t sure he wanted to do that. But did they want the people on the surface knowing anything about them? Damn. He sure as hell wanted to know more about them. Tapping Jolen on the shoulder, he gestured toward the tran-bus. They turned in time to see the women swimming toward them. Instinct took over with no warning. The possessive predator who ached to surface came forward with a vengeance. He kicked toward Shara, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the tran-bus. She fought him but he was stronger. He’d bet that thing recorded everything it saw in the water. And he wasn’t ready for whoever it was up there watching them to get a good look at his woman. What the fuck! His woman? Okay—his leader. His friend. Damn. The jury was still out and the way she fought him at the moment… Either way, he wrapped his arm around her waist when she struggled, and held her to him while she protested until he could hit the button on the side of the tran-bus to open the side door. Bubbles rose around him while she cursed at him in the water. It was probably a damn good thing all he heard were sounds that were far from articulate. All four of them couldn’t fit in the small space between doors at the same time. He pushed Shara in with him and the door slid shut while water drained out through the escape. As soon as the inner door opened he pushed her inside and was on her heels so the door could close and the other two could enter. “Would you quit fucking manhandling me?” she complained the second they were alone in the tran-bus.

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“I doubt it,” he told her honestly. He didn’t add that he would when she started behaving. Now wasn’t the time for an argument. “I think it’s a camera,” he said when she would have assaulted him for his honesty. “My guess is whoever spotted us last night found the entrance to our world and sent that thing down here to explore. There’s a wire on it that Jolen and I couldn’t pull free without breaking it, that leads into the tunnel.” Shara turned and looked out the front windows as the door slid open behind Romair, and Jolen and Jain entered. “You think it’s recording us? Who sent it down here though?” Water dripped down her hair and the side of her face. There was a slight upturning of her nose and her lashes were long and thick with water clinging to them. But it was the fiery passion in her dark eyes as she stared out the front windows that turned Romair on the most. No matter if it were kinky sex, or an adventure into the unknown, Shara embraced it with the same energy. An insatiable desire to experience and take on what she hadn’t done or lived through before. A bead of water created a path down her neck. He loved that long narrow neck. She sucked in a breath, focusing on the object floating outside. Her dress clung to her small, perky breasts and her nipples puckered against the material. It was as if he could see her thoughts churning. She weighed what little knowledge they had and fought to make a decision. She looked sexy as hell doing it, too. “Whoever is up there sent it down here.” He met her gaze when she looked at him and fire burned inside him while he got lost in her beautiful eyes. “I’m sure we could tear that wire free from it,” he suggested. “I know we could.” Jolen seconded the idea. “It’s either they learn about us. Or we learn about them.” Shara nodded. “Go get it,” she told them.

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Chapter Eight Shara watched her scientists hover around the contraption they’d brought over to Command Central. She crossed her arms, pacing the length of the large cave and staring without paying attention to the handful of monitors that were hooked to the walls. Damn Romair for grabbing her like that out in the ocean. He had no fucking right to physically assault her. And that’s what he’d done. He’d never treated her like that before. Possibly block her way. He’d argue with her. But his hands had been all over her. Every inch of her tingled. He was fucking strong as hell, taller than most men, and damn, he was aggressive as hell. She turned her attention to the team she’d quickly assembled to dissect the camera-computer-thing—whatever it was. She didn’t need to be dwelling on Romair right now. They were on the verge of making contact with a race of people very different from their own. She should be brainstorming, figuring out their best method of approach, deciding how and if they should be the first to make contact. Instead she stood there with her pussy throbbing, wondering when she would fuck Romair next. She wouldn’t. Plain and simple. And she’d told him that. Obviously he listened as well as her body did. “What do you think?” she asked, walking around the table where her top scientist, computer specialist, and programmer worked together. “We already know our technology came from them.” Pinta Moar, the best programmer in the Australia Sea, straightened and rolled her shoulders as she looked at Shara. An older woman, her gray hair almost buzzed to her head, she gazed at Shara with eyes that appeared to gray along with her hair. “But to have the opportunity to see the direction they’ve gone with their technology. This is amazing.” The three specialists had almost come in their pants when Shara contacted them, telling them of their discovery, and asking them to form a team to figure out what, exactly, they had found. The excitement still glowed in all their faces. “What baffles me is their lack of understanding of some of the most simple procedures, while they appear to excel beyond our technology in others.” Griy Froan, her top computer specialist, didn’t look up but instead bent over, peering inside the silver metal case, and pointed to the mechanics inside. Shara bent over the table as well, staring inside at the wiring and hardware inside the casing. Griy continued, “Your guess was correct. This is a camera with a transmitter, so whoever was at the other end monitored what they saw until you cut the line.”

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Shara replayed quickly all events the thing would have recorded up until the minute Jolen and Romair cut the wire and brought it back to the tran-bus. She couldn’t imagine how they would have interpreted the almost scrimmage that had broken out between her and Romair when he dragged her to the tran-bus, preventing her from seeing the object at all until it had been brought to her. They probably viewed them as barbaric. She cringed inside, aching to kick Romair if he was anywhere near at the moment. Probably a damn good thing she’d assigned her First Commander to oversee the guards that she now had stationed at the entrance to the surface. “It’s hard to say how long it transmitted though.” Deen Caryn glanced at Griy as he picked up a piece of the hardware they’d taken out of the silver casing. “None of their equipment is compatible to work in the water.” “That would make sense if they don’t have water on the surface.” Shara remembered her brief glimpse of the dry, parched land that had almost boiled her alive. “Do you think they got any images at all?” “That’s what we’re about to find out.” Deen was a good-looking man, and smiled at Shara as he nodded to the hardware that Griy held in his hand. “This discovery of yours will launch a sea of excitement in the scientific community. I hope you’ll allow us to explore this further with our colleagues.” Shara knew all of them ached to brag to their peers about this project. They all looked at her anxiously, waiting for her response. She glanced over at Jain, who as usual remained in the background, quiet and usually forgotten by everyone else around her. Shara knew her aide heard every word said. Jain gave her a pensive look and moved in closer, knowing her opinion was suddenly needed. “Forming a small team to officially explore the surface and make contact with the people up there might look really good on your record,” she said quietly, glancing at the dismembered piece of equipment on the table. “The fact that they sent down exploratory equipment and not hostile weapons suggests they are as curious about us as we are about them.” “You said you could tell what they recorded and transmitted?” Shara looked at Deen. She agreed with Jain completely, in fact, couldn’t wait to return to the surface and seek out these people who appeared as educated and curious as she. They would have to be cautious about this though. Already she imagined what the press would do with this. And there were always gloryseekers who would try to gain access to the surface on their own. She’d gone over all the files on what had happened with the West Passage, and the East Passage. Greed and manipulation existed everywhere. And the surface had no water. Her passage wouldn’t be destroyed by people on the surface suddenly going nuts and digging holes into her sea just for their water. “Let’s find out.” Deen held up the small box he had in his hand, carrying it like a rare jewel over toward the wall.

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The others followed and Shara moved in next to him, watching while he hooked several wires up to it and then pointed to the small monitor in front of him. “If we are right about our compatibility, whatever was transmitted should replay for us right here.” He pressed a few buttons while the others crowded around him. The screen was dark, the images murky, but within a second or two into the recording, it was obvious they were watching a tran-bus move toward them in the water. Static broke up the images, and it went black a few times, but she bit her lip when first the guard who’d discovered the camera appeared on screen, and then a few minutes later, after more disruptions and the screen going black a few times, Romair appeared on the monitor. Shara stared into his intent expression, the way his dark red hair floated around his face as he appeared to look directly at her. His hand reached out, and her heart fluttered as if she half expected him to touch her in the next instant. She sucked in a breath when the screen went black. Once again her insides soared with need just seeing his muscular body floating so close to her. She fought not to let her sudden uproar of emotions be detected on her face. Although the small group of scientists around her probably wouldn’t notice their leader almost coming while she stared at her First Commander. God. She needed to do something to get him off her brain. The images disappeared and more static appeared. There was a flash of several hands, more than likely Romair’s and Jolen’s, and then their backsides appeared as they swam away from the camera. That would have been the point when they swam toward her and Jain. She squinted at the monitor, searching for any indication that she’d been caught on film, but the screen again went black. “It was still recording at this point,” Griy offered. “I’m pretty sure what it’s transmitting is images of the sea. Their technology, like we mentioned, hasn’t mastered how to case equipment so that it will work properly in water.” “I’m actually surprised it didn’t short out before this.” Pinta moved away from the group first, picking up the silver casing and turning it around in her hands. “Water so easily filled this box. The metal isn’t that sturdy. And there are seams in it. Rather odd, actually.” “Imagine an environment so hot and with no water.” Deen turned away from the monitor. “They developed their technology so it wouldn’t overheat.” “Fascinating,” Pinta muttered, staring at the empty casing as if she’d never seen anything more glorious in all her life. They would be lost in a scientific debate if Shara didn’t keep them on topic. “Form your teams if you like,” she told the three of them, grabbing all their attention. They looked at her as if she’d just told them they could have a party. “I want you to choose your best people, only those who can be trusted to keep this project secret for the time being. We are not going public with this. Is that understood?” All of them nodded their consent, eager to explore further and willing to agree to any measures in order to do so. She had to trust them. If any of them defied her, or if 85

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word leaked out, she’d have their heads. The seriousness that made their smiles fade let her know they got the meaning of what she implied. “If I suddenly have gloryseekers ransacking the surface, or trying to create more holes in the Australia Sea, I’ll have your heads.” Threatening them might not be necessary, but none of them disputed her comment. She needed them to see how serious this was. “Get your reports to me as soon as possible,” she added, smiling at them. “And good work.” They all started whispering among themselves as she nodded to Jain and left the team to their work. “We’re going to form a small group to head to the surface,” she told Jain when they were alone in the narrow hallway that led to the channel. “What are your intentions?” Jain sat down next to Shara as they reached the edge of the hallway. Shara kicked her legs slowly in the water, staring at it and imagining a world where there was no water. None of them would last half a day in such a place. But the surface would more than likely kill for a fraction of the water they had here. “They know we’re here and we know they’re up there. We have to make contact, or we’ll sit and worry when they will approach us.” And if she had the upper hand in the introductions, then she’d be able to feel out what these people’s intentions were with the knowledge that they now knew where unlimited amounts of water were. She parted ways with Jain shortly after that, needing time to think through how they would plan their first meeting with the people on the surface. Obviously swimming into their city wasn’t an option. She’d send them a message, but exactly how would it get there? South Passage Express probably didn’t include the dried-out surface in their routes. There was so much she wanted to know about them before making contact. And she’d have to figure out how to gain that knowledge. Just appearing in their town and introducing herself as the leader of a Passage they’d never even heard of didn’t sound like the best strategy. Alone in her tran-bus, she maneuvered around the edge of New Tasman, her mind spinning with different possibilities on how best to make contact. There weren’t any references, any previous files—nothing to study or go by in order to make her decision. What contact Undrworld had with the surface had been initiated by people on the surface. There was no record of her people seeking them out. She was on her own here. What kind of government ruled them? How would they react to meeting each other? Already she’d sabotaged equipment they’d sent down. That much told her they were explorers just like she was. They had a hunger to know about her people. But what did it tell them about her? She’d taken their equipment. Although if the situation were reversed, she wouldn’t hold a grudge if something she left on the surface disappeared. Actually she’d expect it. 86

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Reaching the edge of New Tasman, she gazed out at the open sea in front of her. Wild and untamed, she loved this part of her world. South Passage had so much to offer, so much room for them to grow, to explore—and suddenly they had an entire world above them swimming at their door. Well, not swimming. They would walk, or drive. She’d learned that much from reading the files that already existed on the surface. Another thought hit her. They had to know by now that she’d taken their camera. What if they tried sending down another one? Or some other type of equipment? She’d left Romair and his men out there, watching to see if they’d make another move. He would contact her if something happened. Her heart quickened at the thought. Damn him for coming on to her so hard ever since discovering her the other night. Her escape—her outlet and release—had been sabotaged. At least she knew right now he was occupied, busy with monitoring the entrance to the surface. He wouldn’t invade her space right now unless he had news for her. And then he’d call her. Reaching down to the small compartment in between the seats, she opened it, and then stuck her hand toward the back and pulled out the false panel. The fake hair of her wig tickled her skin as she pulled it out. Her heart thudded heavily, thumping in her gills and her throat, as she stared at the silky black straight hair that tumbled over her hand. She hesitated for a moment. Although he had no right, Romair made it damned clear if she went back to the Venezuela’s Private Club he’d have her ass. It would serve him right if she ignored him. Like he could just boss her around. The chances of him learning she went were very slim though. She had him tied up at the outer edge of the Australia Sea. He wouldn’t simply swim off a job. As many times as she’d been out there, she’d worn a different costume every time. Not once had she been followed. No one gave any indication they knew where she went. And she’d never been gone more than an hour. Escaping from all her responsibilities helped her stay sane. Time to swim a different path, let her hair down, or disguise it as the case may be. Getting rid of some sexual energy helped her think more clearly. It was always the case. Some damn good sex and then she’d be able to take on the issue of how best to approach the surface. Did she dare go back to Venezuela’s Private Club? Already she realized she headed her tran-bus in that direction. Just an hour of time alone, time in the arms of a stranger. Easy sex with no foreplay, no emotions or feelings wrapped up in it. That’s what she needed. No complications. No strings attached. No one swimming after her making demands on her life afterwards. Her body tingled while she maneuvered through the backwaters of Zeal Current. Maybe she could find a tall, powerful man this time. She wanted someone with muscle, with plenty of hair on their chest. Someone strong and aggressive. Maybe she’d ask him to toss her around a bit, get a bit rough with her.

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Like Romair had earlier in the ocean outside the tran-bus. “Damn it.” She rubbed her eyes, his dark eyes suddenly staring at her in her mind. That slightly crooked smile, with the tiny hairline scar on his upper lip, seemed to be smirking at her. It was as if he grinned in her head, knowing he tormented her thoughts. Hell, he did more than that. Her entire body tingled, pulsed, dried out too quickly as every inch of her began to itch. An itch she worried only Romair would be able to scratch. “Damn it. Damn it.” She hit her console. There was no way she could start something with Romair. “There’s no way,” she repeated out loud. She slowed the tran-bus, realizing she’d been flying through the water at a perilous speed. Suddenly getting to Venezuela’s Private Club didn’t seem like it would take the edge off the way she needed it. She needed a sure thing. What if whoever she chose at the club didn’t satisfy her? It would be an hour wasted. Damn Romair for showing her how well he could take care of her cravings. He was her First Commander. She worked with him every day—worked closely with him on many days. They’d known each other forever. “He’s like my best friend,” she said quietly to the open sea that spread out in front of her. It hit her so hard for a moment she didn’t breathe. Her heart pounded in her chest, growing heavy until it hurt. The reality of it was so simple, hit her so easily, she didn’t understand why she hadn’t figured it out immediately. Romair was the perfect lover—perfect for her. And he’d been right by her side all along. It had been her own damn pride, her need to show the sea around her that she was perfect, prim and proper, everything they needed to lead them. Not once had she let her guard down, shown anyone—not even her closest friends—what she craved deep inside. Never had she voiced to a soul that hard, wild sex kept her sane. Yet Romair and Jolen stumbled onto her secret. And Romair wouldn’t leave her alone now that he knew. “He wants more.” And she needed more. But how much more would be enough? She chewed her lip, slowing further until finally she turned her tran-bus around. Her blood chilled when she realized another tran-bus followed her in close proximity, slowing and taking the wide angle to turn around when she did. She’d been so damned lost in her thoughts she hadn’t bothered to look down at her monitor. Quickly punching buttons she let out a sigh of relief when the tran-bus registered as one from New Tasman. No one would be suspicious of her cruising around the edge of their newest community. But then her heart lodged in her throat. She recognized the coding her computer detected on the ship following her. It was Romair.

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Her tracking devices were turned off. Her communications were down. She always shut everything down when entering Zeal Current, a habit she’d started long ago when she first started going to Venezuela’s Private Club. There was no way to trace her. No one would know she came here. A safety precaution, except for Romair. He would be highly suspicious of any story she gave him as her reason for being out here. If she’d had a bit more time, she’d have reached the small bay where she rented the tran-bus she always took to the club. Her own tran-bus would have been docked and out of sight. But he’d seen her, and there was no way she could carry through with her plan now. Who knew how long he might have been trying to contact her? Well, he hadn’t tried calling her private phone. It rang at the same moment that thought ran through her mind. Her fingers trembled when she grabbed it. And that pissed her off. Like hell he would make her quiver in fear, like she’d been caught swimming where she shouldn’t be. He fucking answered to her, not the other way around. And she had just been caught where she shouldn’t be. Damn him. “Mind telling me what you’re doing out here?” His deep baritone sent shivers rushing over her flesh. Her mouth was suddenly almost too dry to speak. She grabbed her water, gulping it down while some of it spilled down her neck. The moistness did nothing to stop her skin from itching. “What the hell are you doing here?” she countered, quickly stuffing her wig back in its secret compartment and then grabbing another bottle of water. “You’re boarding this ship, or I’m boarding yours. Those are your choices.” Fire burned inside her. Anger and excitement trembled through her so hard she could barely navigate her tran-bus. Her pussy throbbed to life. Sexual need coursed through her. She’d been on her way to Venezuela’s Private Club and hadn’t been this excited. Romair showed up, and every inch of her screamed for him. God. She was a goner. She twisted the lid off the bottle and poured its contents down the front of her dress. The damn water did nothing to put the fire out that coursed through her. “I’m in charge here. Not you.” She’d be damned if she’d let Romair know how he made her feel. She couldn’t. Not just like that. Never had she just swum up to a guy and announced that she needed him. She’d never needed anyone. “You’ve turned off your tracking, disabled your communications. It’s just you and me out here. You want to see which one of us is stronger?” “Fuck you.” She didn’t deserve his talking to her like that. “Yup.” Oh hell. She threw her phone into the seat next to her. He couldn’t threaten her if she didn’t listen. But outrun him? Her hand was on the controls. That would look 89

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fucking pretty. The leader of South Passage hunted down by her First Commander— Yup, that would go over like a bowl of rotten fish. Something crashed into the side of her tran-bus. Shara about fell out of her chair. “Fuck!” she screamed, grabbing the console so she wouldn’t fall on her face. It seemed like the floor came up to greet her. Then everything steadied. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He’d latched his tran-bus on to hers. Her heart thudded painfully in her throat. Romair meant business. And he was bigger, and stronger, than she was. He’d connected their tran-buses. They latched together at the doors, allowing whoever was on board one of them to enter the other. That was, if she released the latch. She heard him pounding on her hull. Something told her if she didn’t let him in, he’d shoot a damn hole in the side of her tran-bus. Dealing with his rage wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind to clear her head before heading back to New Tasman. She stood and hit the button next to the door. Romair pushed his way in before it opened all the way. “Going somewhere?” he hissed, grabbing her by the neck and pushing her back against the wall before she could stop him. She wrapped her fingers around his thick hand. Water dripped off his body. He must have raced out here to still be so wet and have traveled this far in the tran-bus. Her gills pulsed at the thought of how he’d figured out where she’d headed. “Let go of me.” She wrapped her hand around his fingers, which were dangerously close to her gills. He wasn’t hurting her. Outrage lined his expression though. Pushing him too hard might not be in her best interest. But damn it. He was out of line. Not to mention he sure as hell wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Insubordination had never been one of Romair’s downsides, unless he was really and truly pissed. She’d just never seen that anger directed at her. Romair let go of her so quickly she almost stumbled. He ripped his shirt off, tossing it to the side. Not once did he take his gaze from hers. Way too much muscle suddenly filled her vision. Damn it. Dealing with that seductive body might be harder than dealing with his wrath. “How were you going to tell them to fuck you tonight?” he asked, his jaw clamped down as he spoke. He reached for his shorts next. Shara stared at him. He was fucking undressing right in front of her. Each piece of clothing almost shredded from his body and then tossed to the side while he continued glaring at her. But the way he spoke to her, his tone accusatory as if she defied him by taking off for some downtime. He didn’t fucking own her. Set aside for one damned minute the fact that she was his leader—his boss—he had no right to chase her down and then yell at her, manhandle her.

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“Why did you leave your post?” she shot back at him, fighting to keep her attention focused on his face and ignore the bulging muscle that almost had her drooling. God. He stepped out of his shorts. Romair stood before her naked. She forgot about his face. His cock thrust toward her, swollen and rock-hard. “Maybe I had an urge to suddenly fuck someone really…really hard,” he growled. His tone didn’t make him sound seductive. Not once in her life had she been scared of Romair. Her mouth went dry. She needed water. Her pussy throbbed. Damn. She needed that cock. She closed her eyes, like diverting her attention would stop how hard her pussy throbbed. Every ounce of moisture in her body pooled between her legs. Closing her eyes wasn’t enough. She turned from him, needing distance. Her legs wobbled as she moved toward her seat to grab her water. Romair’s hands gripped her shoulders, kneading, rubbing her through her dress. The damned material did a lousy job of shielding her from the heat he sent rushing inside her. “Where were you going to tell them to fuck you first?” he whispered in her ear. His cock thrust up against her ass. Shara choked on the water. Swallowing suddenly seemed an act she’d forgotten how to do. “I hadn’t decided what I was going to do.” She held her head high. God. She was fucking losing it. But she’d be damned if he’d see how easily he could turn her into a pool of dripping lust. He yanked her dress up and just as quickly pushed her underwear down so that it trapped her legs together. Apparently he didn’t plan on stripping her and sending her clothes flying. Instead, he used them to confine her. Just lovely. Like she wasn’t having trouble standing on her wobbly legs without him trapping them so she could barely move. “You hadn’t decided?” He pushed his cock between her legs, pressing it into the entrance of her tight ass. Every muscle clamped around him. She fought just to breathe, relaxing for him was out of the question. “You hadn’t decided whether you were going? Or you hadn’t decided how you wanted to be fucked?” “I turned around. You saw that.” She couldn’t think straight with his hard shaft shoved next to her ass. And damn him for putting her on the defensive. He moved his cock, pushing it farther between her legs so that it almost sank into her soaked pussy. “Why did you turn around?” His breath tortured her gills. 91

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“Because.” Her world seemed to turn sideways on her. His cock slipped into her pussy, barely entering her. But then he pulled it out, moving it again so that it pressed against her ass. He pushed against her back. Long, strong fingers stretched between her shoulder blades, burning her flesh. He pressed into her back, shoving her forward. She grabbed both seat so she wouldn’t fall on her face. Reaching down she struggled with her underwear, working to force them down so she could move her legs. “Leave them,” he growled over her, his hand branding her back with heat that made every inch of her itch and burn. It wasn’t heat like she’d experienced on the surface. This heat burned from the inside out, setting her on fire. Her pussy was swollen, aching and throbbing like she hadn’t been fucked in ages. God. How the hell had he put her over the edge like this within a matter of minutes? “Why did you turn around?” he asked again. “I changed my mind.” She almost yelled at him, annoyed with this slew of questions. “Okay? I turned around because I changed my mind.” “Tell me why.” His tone didn’t change. His cock pressed against the entrance to her ass but then he moved it again, sliding it farther down her until he slipped into her soaked heat. She fought the overwhelming urge to force herself back on him. He teased her with more cruelty than she could handle. As if anticipating her actions, he grabbed her dress in the middle of her back, holding her in place and forcing her to remain bent over. He pushed his cock slightly inside her pussy and then pulled out, again sliding it back toward her ass. She squeezed her eyes shut, aching from head to toe and knowing she’d slip out of the realm of sanity within seconds if he kept this up. “Tell me why you turned around.” His damnable calm tone seemed to float in the air above her. “I don’t know,” she cried out, her body starting to shake with need that coursed inside her, pounding with so much pain and pressure she just knew she’d pass out any moment from it. “I think you do. And you’re going to tell me now. Why did you decide not to go to Venezuela’s Private Club?” Damn him. Damn him for making her think. Damn him for not fucking her. Damn him for making her form words and tell him her thoughts. He pressed his cock into the entrance of her ass. Fire burned inside her as the tender nerve endings tingled and screamed to life. “Because,” she said, her voice wavering. She sounded like a whimpering idiot. Fuck him to the end of the ocean for controlling her like this. “What I do is none of your

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business,” she shot out, fighting to gain some semblance of control over a situation she was afraid she’d lose. And how would she lose? If she gave in, he’d fuck her. Right now that sounded damned good to her. Once again he moved his cock, again gliding it over her smooth flesh, using her own come as lubrication. And hell, she was soaked enough from his torture that she swore it dripped along her inner thighs. “You didn’t want strangers fucking you today?” he taunted her, ignoring her accusation that her life was none of his business. Damn him for teasing her body to the point that she ached to beg him to put her out of her misery. If that weren’t bad enough, he manipulated her thoughts until she was sure she bordered on insanity. He let his cock glide into her heat, barely stretching her pussy with his swollen tip. Hard as a rock, his cock jerked against her sensitive skin. This time she did thrust backward. His hand on her back pulled hard enough on her dress to stop her that it almost choked her. Not like she could breathe anyway. “Romair,” she yelled. He pulled his cock out of her pussy. When he pressed it against her ass the moisture of her come made it easier for him to push into the sensitive flesh. Her tight hole stretched while heat soared to dangerous levels inside her. “Maybe you just didn’t want to be fucked. Is that it?” “No.” She could barely hear him. It took too much concentration to focus on the meaning of his deep baritone. The throb in her gills, her chest, her pussy, was louder than a drum line in her head. “You’d turned off your tracking. No one could communicate with you from Control Center. I doubt they’d call your personal phone without notifying Jain or me or Jolen. So I don’t think you turned around because of business. None of us have tried to reach you until now.” He spoke so calmly, as if they sat around a meeting table analyzing the day’s events. She hated him for being so calm while he’d turned her body into a smoldering field that would probably put the temperatures on the surface to shame. His cock was dangerously close to impaling her ass. Sensitive nerve endings screamed from the intensity of it. Shara gulped in a breath, opening her eyes, which blurred as she stared at the lower half of the console. He had her pussy and ass throbbing so hard she made no attempt to clear her vision. What was he saying? “I don’t know,” she told him, knowing she’d break down and cry any second if he didn’t start fucking her. “Yes. You know. Tell me why you turned around.” “I just did.” “This soaked cunt of yours needs a good fucking. You didn’t turn around because you weren’t horny.”

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“No.” She’d agree with him there. Come soaked her pussy and ass. It soaked the inside of her legs. It had to soak his cock. She was hornier than she ever remembered being in her life. He pulled his cock away from her ass and she exhaled so hard the room turned sideways. She gripped the chairs on either side of her, the muscles in her arms straining. Her legs shook but he kept the pressure on her back with his hand, making it impossible to straighten. She barely focused on her position though. Again he pushed at the entrance of her pussy. So much moisture made him slide a bit farther inside her. She cried out when he began entering her and then stopped. His cock pulsed as her swollen pussy desperately tried to pull him in further. It was no use trying to move. He held the back of her dress firmly and even shaking her ass back and forth did little good. She prayed the view tortured him. The calmness in his voice irritated her. Fuck him for remaining so calm when she was about to lose her mind, to pass out, or both. “Why did you turn around, Shara?” “Because of you,” she yelled, fighting to look over her shoulder. He stood tall behind her. She managed to focus on bulging muscle, on his powerful arm, on thick hair that curled over smooth skin. “I wanted you,” she mumbled, giving in. There was no way she could fight him and win. He drove into her with so much force she about fell over. She lost her grip on the chairs and screamed when his cock seemed to impale her clear up to her throat. “Good girl,” he breathed, his tone changing to a huskier, sexy sound that stroked her outsides while his cock stroked her insides. He moved quickly, hard and fast. His cock was like steel, so long and thick. He filled and stretched her, taking all she had and pushing for more. No one had ever fucked her like this. So much confidence, aggression, power. He hit her exactly where she needed it, taking all she had and demanding more without stopping for a second. She exploded, crying out, trying to form words and failing miserably. Her insides flooded with lust. It dripped down her legs, soaking both of them. Yet he showed no mercy. “Is this why you turned around? This is what you need, isn’t it?” His voice was strained. “Yes.” She nodded, her hair falling over her damp face, clinging to her cheek. “Has anyone else ever made you feel like this?” She shook her head, not bothering to try and speak. He fucked her harder, building speed while his hands moved to her hips, holding her in place while he impaled her with more speed than she knew a man capable of. Her hands slipped over the chairs. He grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall forward. Yet still he let her have it until she came again. And then he pulled out of her.

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“Romair,” she cried, her pussy burning and pulsing so hard she felt it through every inch of her body. She reached for the console so she wouldn’t tumble to her hands and knees. Powerful hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her backward. She was like a fish out of water in his arms. Her muscles twitched and quivered so badly she couldn’t stand. He turned her around and wiped the hair from her face. Holding her against his rock-hard chest with one arm, he grabbed a bottle of water and opened it with his teeth. Before she could speak he poured it over her head. That felt almost as good as him fucking her. She raised her face to the flow of water, allowing him to soak her while she closed her eyes. “Take your dress off,” he told her, releasing her while she wiped water from her eyes. She stared at him, her entire body numb. He still looked determined, possibly angry—she couldn’t tell. He held on to his cock, which was swollen and covered with creamy white come. Her breath caught in her throat while she let her gaze travel over him. Magnificent and powerful—he’d make one hell of a nasty enemy. Romair wasn’t her enemy though. In fact, he was one of her best friends. “Why did you chase after me?” She couldn’t read him. And she wanted to. She wanted to know his thoughts, the reasoning behind his actions. What made him this primal? What had motivated him to suddenly chase her down, disregarding orders to remain and patrol the far edge of the sea? Her tummy twisted with apprehension when he didn’t answer right away. His brows closed together and he frowned down at her. It wasn’t often someone made her feel uncomfortable. She didn’t know why, but it bothered her how he looked at her. He seemed disappointed, like he hadn’t expected her question and was upset that she’d asked it. She fumbled with her dress, her body shaky from just being fucked so hard. In spite of how he’d made her come several times in a row, pressure built inside her. She raised her dress over her head and then dropped it unceremoniously next to her on the floor. Her breasts swelled, aching and tender. Her nipples puckered the second they were exposed. She licked her dry lips, aching for more water even though droplets of it tickled her flesh as they created paths down her body. “I chased you because I knew where you were going,” he told her finally, his words cold and flat, lacking emotion. “Come here.” Romair had guessed her actions and stormed after her in order to stop her. His hard expression showed her that opening up and telling her that fucking someone else might hurt him was something foreign to him. She’d thought of the many women he’d been with, the many times she’d heard of his sexual adventures. Like her, he shied from relationships, simply enjoying the sexual encounters and getting out before anything serious came of it. His actions spoke louder than words. He swam after her. He wanted her. And damn it, she wanted him.

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He reached his hand out, holding it in front of her. She stared at it before slowly placing her hand in his. He pulled her to him but instead of holding her, cradling her in his arms like she thought he would, he guided her to the back of her tran-bus and pushed her to the ground. “How did you know where I was going?” She hadn’t known she would go there until the last moment. His body brushed against hers, the bristly hair on his arms and chest tickling her skin as he guided her to the ground. He rolled her over, pressing against her shoulders until she lay on her back, staring up at the intent look on his face. “We have a lot weighing on our shoulders right now,” he said quietly, his tone suddenly soothing, understanding. “Sometimes an escape makes it easier to think clearly.” Did he know her that fucking well? Or was it that he was the same way? Her thoughts swam incoherently inside her head. She didn’t want to dwell on them right now. That escape he mentioned sounded a hell of a lot better, and a lot easier, than talking out what motivated their actions. He ran his hands down her front, brushing his fingers over her breasts. She arched into his touch. The look of anger, of determination, hadn’t been completely because of her actions. He carried the burden of what would happen next in South Passage too. She realized at that moment that she wasn’t alone in making the next move. Every action that happened, how they’d deal with the surface, weighed as heavily in his mind as it did hers. This was their water, their home, every move they made affected all who lived here. He wanted each move to be as successful as she did. “You searched for an escape too.” “I searched for you.” He met her gaze. The fiery passion she saw there stole her breath. “And I’ll be damned if you go to that place again without me.” He grabbed her legs, pulling them up and stretching them apart at the same time. His cock almost seemed harder and bigger when he eased slowly inside her and began fucking her again.

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Chapter Nine Romair drove deep inside Shara. She was so damned hot, so fucking tight. In spite of her craving for a wilder sexual life than many women craved, she didn’t fuck that often. Her muscles constricted around him, squeezing the life out of him. And the way she looked up at him, her long fingers strolling up his arms, as if she cherished the way he took her. Her legs rose up his sides, allowing him better access to that hot fucking cunt of hers. He stared at the lust swimming in her eyes. Her brown hair clung to the sides of her face, wet and sticking in thick strands against her cheeks and down her long neck. Her breasts rose and fell as she gasped for air. There was a rosy hue to her cheeks, darkening as she peaked, her body tightening as she prepared to come again. He pulled out just as she exploded, looking quickly at her shaved pussy as come squirted out of her, soaking her thighs and streaming down her ass. “Look how you come for me,” he said in total admiration. He’d never seen a woman explode the way she did. “Why did you pull out?” she complained, twisting underneath him as her body shivered. He loved her need to fuck. More than loved it—craved it. When Jain had checked in with them, asked for an update, he’d learned she’d parted ways with Shara. Instinct took over. He hadn’t been sure. Maybe she’d gone home, or to Control Center to check in with the crew who worked on the camera they’d brought in. He’d left Jolen in charge of the guards, not saying more than a few words to his friend before bolting out of there. He hated the thought that Jolen understood how desperately Romair needed to know where Shara was. It wasn’t something he’d allowed himself to think about too much. He’d just acted. “You never told me where you’d planned on being fucked,” he said, pushing feelings he didn’t understand to the back of his head. Right now all he’d think about was satisfying Shara so thoroughly that she wouldn’t regret turning around. She’d told him she’d changed her mind about the club because of him. He’d make damn sure she knew she’d made the right decision. “I’m going to make sure every inch of you is satisfied.” He grabbed his soaked cock, her come coating every inch of his shaft. His fingers glided over his swollen flesh. The pressure growing inside him would take over if he didn’t concentrate. Already he ached to come, to explode and fill her tight body with everything he had. “Fuck me, Romair,” she whispered, and he shot his gaze to hers.

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She rested her legs on his shoulders and stroked her breasts as she looked up at him. “Your ass needs attention too,” he told her. “Relax and breathe, and don’t close your eyes.” He remembered watching her at Venezuela’s Private Club when the two men had fucked her. The look on her face, like she imagined herself somewhere else, had torn at him. Never would she look like that when he took her. He would have her attention. Shara would know it was him inside her, him making her come. He wanted to see the pleasure on her face when she exploded for him. She let out a breath, not taking her gaze from his. While she relaxed her body, everything inside him hardened in anticipation. He loved taking a lady in the ass. The tightness of it, the way her muscles clamped around him harder than any pussy could master, brought him to a peak that just couldn’t be found any other way. Most women who came to him knew his fetish for anal sex. Hardly ever would he fuck a woman without wanting her ass too. Too many times when it came to this part of fucking, he sensed they were resigned to it, just because they knew he wanted it. He searched Shara’s expression as he positioned himself next to her tight little hole. She was so damned wet he’d slide inside her easily. She wet her lips, staring up at him. He held his position, pressing against her entrance slightly, feeling her muscles begin stretching for him. “God, Romair,” she cried out. “Quit torturing me. Fuck me now. Please.” The dam of resistance crashed inside him. He let go of his cock, easing himself inside her ass. She sucked in a breath, holding it only for a moment before blowing it out, forcing herself to relax and take him all the way. “Hell yeah,” she breathed, grabbing his arms, pulling him toward her while her ankles dug into his shoulders. “That feels so fucking good.” “Shara,” he growled, the heat of her ass burning him alive as he sank deep inside her. Her eyes fluttered shut but then opened quickly, as if she remembered his request and fought to honor it. Satisfaction like he’d never known before swarmed inside him. She watched him, never looking away. He’d built speed before he’d realized he’d done it, fucking her hard and fast while her heavy breathing matched his. And he drowned in her gaze. The fire that tore through him matched the heat that flushed her face. She was so damned sexy. Her hair tousled in wet strands around her face. She glowed while water slowly dried over her shoulders, along the slender nape of her neck, and across her small perky breasts. Her nipples were hard as tiny pebbles. Her hard tummy was taut. She didn’t push against him. There was no strain in her expression. She truly enjoyed what he did to her as much as he enjoyed doing it. Not once did she beg him to come and end the experience. Where the hell had she been all his life? 98

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Swimming right alongside him—that’s where. And that’s where she’d stay. He’d fucking see to it. The weight in his cock grew unbearable. Her ass muscles clamped around him while she sucked in a breath, suddenly crying out and tossing her hair over her face when she turned her head from side to side. She did look away from him. But she came. She came while he fucked her ass, the intimate intensity such an awesome experience for her that she exploded from the pleasure of it. He couldn’t hold back any longer. “God. Woman.” He gritted his teeth, his own explosion flooding through him. Pulling out as his cock grew, he grabbed it as his come shot from him, soaking her tummy and pussy. His vision blurred, the intensity of his own orgasm almost too intense. And she looked mighty fucking hot with his come laced over her smooth flesh. She let her legs fall from his shoulders and her feet thumped to the floor. Slowly she rolled to her side, and he caught a smile on her face before she turned her head from him. He’d pleased her. Not that he hadn’t satisfied other women. He knew he was a damn good fuck. That wasn’t it. His insides swelled from the afterglow of good sex but there was something else there too. Satisfying her felt better than he’d ever felt after fucking a lady. He’d never paid too much attention to the emotions that could go along with good sex. What surged inside him now was too strong to ignore though. Making her happy satisfied him as much as fucking her had. “Can you stand?” he asked, again shoving the thoughts that swarmed in his head out of the way. “I’m not sure.” She almost chuckled, but then turned her back to him when she moved to sit. “We need to talk, Romair.” The happiness that swam inside him faded quickly. He didn’t like the sound of her tone. He stood and grabbed his shorts then took another bottle from her case and opened it. A few gulps didn’t settle the apprehension that gripped him. She stood and accepted the bottle when he handed it to her. He watched her pour water down her front, washing his come from her body. When she looked up at him, the glow of sex still flushed her cheeks. “You can’t just leave your post and come chasing after me.” She set her jaw, her lips pressing together as her mouth formed a flat line. He knew that look. Determined and ready to fight if need be. The outrage that had consumed him when he took after her was gone. He wasn’t in the mood to fight. “Don’t go places you shouldn’t and we won’t have any problems.” She puckered her lips, studying him for a moment before looking away. “What’s going on here?” she asked quietly.

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His defenses automatically shot up. She wanted to talk about their feelings. About his feelings. She hadn’t expressed any interests other than craving sex. But she demanded more from him. He knew why. He’d put his thoughts out to float in front of both of them when he hauled ass across the sea after her. He dressed quietly, not sure how to answer her question. What sucked was how obvious the answer was. She wanted his thoughts put into words. If he told her she appealed to him, that he suddenly had rather possessive thoughts whenever he looked at her, then he set himself up to be shot down. Rejection was never something he’d dealt with well. It was easy telling a lady he didn’t want a commitment. Hearing someone tell him she didn’t want anything other than sex, and possibly not always from him, was new territory that he wasn’t sure he wanted to explore. She pulled her dress over her head and then dampened it with the remaining water in her bottle. “I have a job to protect you,” he began slowly, searching his thoughts as he tried putting them into words. “If you crave fucking strangers so badly, from now on you’ll have an escort.” “You raced across the Australia Sea because you were doing your job,” she stated blankly, straightening and smoothing her hair as she looked up at him. Her dark eyes were unreadable. “Sure.” He didn’t like not knowing what was in her head. But he’d never tried pulling thoughts from a lady. Having her body had always been enough. All that had ever mattered was her complete submission. He cleared the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t fight him but relaxed against him, staring at his chest. He ran his finger under her chin and she looked up at him, her lips parting. Brushing his mouth over hers, warmth soared inside him when she opened to him. He kissed her slowly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. She’d already told him she turned around because she wanted him. Her actions now confirmed there was interest. Telling her he needed her, wanted her more now than he’d ever wanted another woman, might not be too painful. He nipped at her lips and ran his tongue to her chin while she let her head fall back. That long slender neck of hers drove him wild. He could feast on her, take her again, but she had to be a bit tender. “Maybe it was more than doing my job.” It was like he stepped into a rough sea, exposing himself to the mercy of turbulent water without seeing the predictions of what would happen next. His insides hardened with trepidation. Shara pushed away from him. “Maybe you were.”

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She turned, walking toward her driver’s seat. The trepidation turned to gross uneasiness that broke out all over him with a nasty chill. He didn’t like the direction he feared things were heading. “And why now, Romair?” she asked, biting her lip when she turned toward him. She didn’t look at his face though. “Why all of a sudden when we’ve known each other forever?” “I know you better now.” He saw where she headed. But how did he explain there was no mutual attraction for him with another woman if he believed she wouldn’t submit to his sexual needs? “You mean you know more about me.” When she looked up at him her expression hardened. There was pain there. It sent his insides spinning out of control. Before she sent him away, he had to put a stop to this. “I’ve never made it a secret as to what kind of man I am. I want—no, I need—a woman who will submit to the type of sexual pleasure I enjoy. You’ve always known that about me.” “Which is exactly why I’ve always steered clear of you.” She turned from him, sitting down in her driver’s seat. “And if you hadn’t seen me the other night, we’d still be just friends.” “And that’s what you want? Things as they have always been between us?” She nodded fiercely without turning around. She was fucking lying. And it was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that. He had known Shara for years though. Challenging her into a corner just made her come out fighting. If that was what she wanted to believe, he’d allow it. But not for long. He wouldn’t be able to stand it if she kept this up for long. He turned, pressing the button on the wall, and the door where their tran-buses connected opened silently. He returned to his tran-bus, not saying another word to her. And in fact he didn’t say another word to her over the next day. Not by choice. And not seeing her started pissing him off. Orders came through via computer transmission to take a small crew into Zeal Current and oversee how they’d established their law enforcement. It was a bullshit mission. Romair took fucking rookies who barely knew how to work their gills and worked with them all damned day explaining how best to run the city. This wasn’t work for a First Commander. She’d shipped him out so she wouldn’t see him. Day lights had been turned off for a few hours when he finally swam to the door to his apartment. “Have you heard?” Jolen appeared on his viewing screen when Romair decided to take his call. At least one of his friends he’d known for years was willing to talk to him. “I haven’t heard fucking shit.”

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Jolen chuckled, laugh lines appearing at the edge of his eyes while he looked more like he sneered instead of smiled. For Jolen, that was as close as it got to looking happy. “Yeah, I heard you got shipped out with the minnows. How’s ZC?” “Fuck you. What’s going on?” Romair grabbed a caffeine out of his cooler and switched transmission from his kitchen to his bedroom as he walked in and flipped on lights. Jolen’s ugly mug now appeared on the screen on the wall at the end of his bed. “Shara sent a crew up to the surface to do a bit more exploring. We now have surface clothes and one of their transportation vehicles.” “She fucking did what?” He almost crunched the bottle of caffeine in his hand. “Did she go up there?” “Nope. Actually I haven’t seen her. Jain oversaw sending a small group up there. I wasn’t chosen. From the list, she sent guards who have good swimming records, but are disposable. That’s between you and me though.” Which was exactly what he would have done. He chewed on this bit of information. “So what’s the next plan of action?” “Hell if I know. No one tells me shit.” Jolen grinned at him. “Like I said, Shara’s kept a low profile. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s been brooding in her home all day. Didn’t see her down at Command Center once today.” Jolen gave him a knowing smirk. He ran his hand over his head, doing a pathetic job of looking innocent. “If she’s sending another group up to the surface in that clothing to use that transportation vehicle, I’d sure like to be on that list.” “You and me both,” Romair mumbled. “Any word on how we’re going to keep from melting alive up there?” “They’ve got that transportation thing, I think it’s called a car, or something like that, over at Control Center. It took a helluva tran-bus to get it there too.” Jolen shook his head, making it look like he’d witnessed the whole thing. Which probably he had and tried to make light of it since he knew Romair had been shipped out. “They’re loading it down with water and apparently the inside stays colder than the temperature outside. Sounds like the folks living up there don’t like the heat much either.” Romair wasn’t in the mood for being spoon-fed the facts. “When is she sending people up there? And who’s on the list?” Information he should fucking be overseeing, not hearing secondhand. Jolen’s smile faded. “Look, man, I’m just giving you the shit as I know it.” He sounded wounded. Romair didn’t give a rat’s ass about Jolen’s feelings right now. “When?” he barked. “First thing in the morning. And that’s what I heard from Jain. The list of who’s going up hasn’t been released yet. I swear, I haven’t seen Shara all day.”

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“Okay.” Romair walked out of view of the screen and quickly changed clothes. He was Shara’s fucking First Commander, one of two. Jolen had the facts, but she wouldn’t hide from both of them, and make decisions without consulting them either. “What are you doing?” Jolen asked. “Getting my name on that list. Care to join me?” If Shara wanted them to be just like they always had been, then she better get ready for company. “I’ll meet you over there.” Jolen cut transmission before Romair could curse him out for reading his thoughts. Romair’s eyes burned. It had been one hell of a long fucking day, which possibly added to his grouchiness. When Shara proved not to be home, and didn’t answer her phone when he called her, his grouchiness elevated to being just plain pissed. He wouldn’t think about where she might be. She’d made it clear it was none of his fucking business. He stormed into Control Center with Jolen at his heels and let himself into the secured part of the cave. Both of them outranked everyone in this mountain. And although the entire night crew watched them warily, Romair offered no explanation when he filed the order that the car be delivered to the corner of the sea first thing in the morning. He and Jolen would head to the surface. He signed the order himself. Shara could just confront him about it if she didn’t like it. And he had a feeling she wouldn’t care for it one fucking bit. Surprisingly, he slept well and was out the door before the morning lights were turned on in the sea. He climbed out of the tunnel and walked along the narrow path toward the restricted area of Control Center. As he entered the large cave, a handful of technicians talked at once as they loaded the car onto a large cargo tran-bus. Looked like everything was ready to go. And no sign of Shara. Where the fuck was she? Not his day to worry about it. But damn. Seeing her right now would really get his day off to a good start. Even if she were grouchy with him. It wouldn’t be the first time. “I have some supplies for you.” One of the newer techs, a young lady who wouldn’t last an hour if he tried fucking her, grinned up at him as she brushed a wet strand of brown hair behind her ear. “These are called sun glasses. Everyone wears them on the surface and it will hide how your eyes look different.” She reached up without asking and slid them onto his face, her body close enough that her breasts brushed over his chest. She smiled shyly. The lady had no idea who she fucking messed with. And with them on he could hardly see a damned thing. “They go over your ears like this,” she said, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. She adjusted them behind his ears, letting her fingers stroke over his gills.

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He watched her suck in her lower lip. He knew an invitation when he saw it. She brushed her fingers down his neck to his shoulders and then backed away a step, as if remembering there were other people around them. She picked up a few other pieces of equipment and he took the glasses off. He couldn’t see a thing with them on. “We’d like you to wear this transmitter,” she said, glancing at the glasses in his hand and then staring up at him. She was short, a cute little thing with brown hair longer than Shara’s and much larger breasts. Her dress was conservative, the typical style most women who worked in there wore. He hadn’t seen her around before though. The way she looked at him, he’d be willing to bet she knew a hell of a lot more about him than he did about her. “It will be safest if it’s attached to your skin.” He glanced over at Jolen who’d already stripped out of his shirt while another tech attached a similar device to his back and at the top of his shoulder. The woman in front of him looked like she might start drooling just at the thought of him partially disrobing in front of her. Well, might as well make at least one woman happy today. Romair pulled his shirt off and swore she hissed under her breath as she held the transmitter in her hand. For a moment she stared at him, holding the device in the air between them. “Where did you want to put them?” he prompted her, wondering if she might come just standing there watching him. “They…they go on your back and on your shoulder.” When she glanced at his face her cheeks had turned a wonderful shade of pink. Yup. She wouldn’t last an hour with him. He’d tear her up before he even came. He fought a grin, turning around so she could attach one of them to his back. Her fingers brushed over his shoulder blade, stroking him more than he was sure was necessary. “Okay,” she said, walking around him with the other transmitter in her hand. “And this one goes right here.” She pressed it on his front, just below his shoulder, again her hand lingered a bit longer than needed. “I’ll be here when you get back,” she whispered, and then bit her lip as her gaze traveled down him. “Good,” he said, and almost cursed when she looked up at him and smiled. “I’ll need someone to take these things off me.” She took his shirt from his hand and straightened it before handing it to him. “My name is Payla. I just moved here from the outer sea.” A country girl—and drooling over him like that. Maybe she really didn’t have a clue who he was—or what he used to demand of women. Used to demand? He pulled his shirt over his head. Seems it had been made quite clear to him that he was still a free agent. There were no ties on him. He could swim wherever the fuck he wanted to swim. Only place that appealed to him was floating after Shara. Yet she’d

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made a valid point. One he should give some thought to. Would he be kicking after her if he hadn’t seen her at Venezuela’s Private Club? Payla had said something. He frowned, wondering again where the hell Shara was. “What?” he asked. Payla didn’t seem to notice that she wasn’t the object of his attention. “I said the transmitter on your back lets us know where you are at all times. And the one on your front allows you to communicate with me if you want.” “How does it work?” He looked down at his shirt, which now covered the flat disc she’d pressed to his skin. She touched his wrist, pressing her wet fingers against his flesh and then lifting his hand that held the sunglasses. “There’s a microphone right here.” She brushed his skin as she pointed to the part that would cover his temple. “We’ll hear everything you say.” “I’ll be sure and watch my language.” She laughed, sounding rather young, and smiled broadly up at him. Payla definitely knew nothing about him. Innocence shone through the glow in her eyes. She sucked in a breath, forcing her large breasts to press against her damp dress. Tiny nipples puckered when she giggled. Next to him, Jolen cleared his throat and Romair glanced his way. Like anyone needed to warn him about the young technician. Other than understanding the equipment she gave him, he had no interest in her. “Would you like me to show you how the car works?” She still held his hand, and he wondered if she meant to guide him across the cave to the large tran-bus that now held the surface vehicle. “Romair,” Jolen hissed, looking over the shoulder of the tech who worked with him. Romair made a face at him. He wouldn’t humiliate the lady. But Jolen didn’t need to advise him on how to handle curious young women. Nothing about her appealed to him. Even if she’d heard rumors, or possibly been warned to steer clear of him and the danger appealed to her innocent mind, there was nothing Payla had that he wanted. Maybe he was getting old. Big tits, a willing smile, perfect curves and a curiosity he could tame in a heartbeat used to be all it took to get him riled. Now small, perky breasts distracted his thoughts. Defiance and a firm unwillingness to submit to a damned thing he said had his cock throbbing. Where the hell was Shara? “I’m sure both commanders would like to see how the car works.” Shara appeared at his side. Jolen gave him an I tried to warn you look. Payla gasped and let go of his hand. “Ma’am Dar. I’d be honored to explain everything to them.” Completely oblivious to the tension that suddenly dripped in the air, Payla grinned broadly up at him and then turned toward the large cargo tran-bus. 105

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“That didn’t take you long,” Shara hissed at him and then left him standing next to Jolen as she followed the young technician. “What the hell were you doing?” Jolen asked under his breath. Romair watched Shara’s ass twitch as she stormed away from him. “Getting someone jealous, it looks like.” He left Jolen standing there, following his pissed-off leader, and feeling the best he’d felt all morning.

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Chapter Ten “Grayn Bolsh has sent you a transmission.” Jain pulled her out of her thoughts. Shara glanced over at her aide, who punched away at her computer while Shara navigated her tran-bus toward the outer edge of the Australia Sea. She was in no mood to talk to Bolsh right now. Whatever complaint he had, or favor he wanted, would just have to wait until she got back to her office. “Let him know I’ll get back to him at my earliest convenience.” Jain nodded, acknowledging the transmission and sending the message. “He says it’s urgent that you speak with him immediately.” “I’m sure it is.” She didn’t want to talk to him right now. Or anyone for that matter. She’d made a damn fool of herself in Control Center a bit ago. Snapping at Romair when that young little slut had her hands all over him had looked anything but professional. Like she cared what woman had her hands on him. God. Who the hell was she fooling? Not a damn soul. Not even herself. She did care. And ever since she’d told Romair that he came on to her only because he thought she somehow fit into his category of woman now, she’d been miserable. It was true though. She kept reminding herself of that. They’d known each other for fifteen years, since she was a teenager. And not once had he hit on her. Romair had been right. He didn’t give anyone indication that he was someone other than who he was. Romair was wild, sexual, adventurous, and always had been. She’d known that about him since she was a kid. Not once had he made a move on her in all the years they’d known each other. He’d always been there. They’d always been close. And she’d always liked him—as a friend. No matter the few times she’d wondered what he’d be like. Especially after hearing some new story about him. And there had been plenty over the years. She’d fantasized about him. More than likely most women had. She couldn’t really blame the young technician for coming on to him. What woman wouldn’t? Did she want a man like that in her life? After all she’d accomplished. As far as she’d come. She was the leader of South Passage. Someone like Romair swimming by her side would create way too much scandal. She slowed the tran-bus when they reached the edge of the sea. There were over a handful of tran-buses surrounding her, all of them there to launch the exploration of the team to the surface. A mission Romair instigated behind her back.

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Not that she hadn’t planned the mission. But sending both of her First Commanders to the surface bothered her. Under normal circumstances they would have discussed it first. Which was exactly why seeing someone she was so close to was idiotic. She’d held on to that rule for years. Sex only with strangers. It was safer that way. This mission would be dangerous. They could get hurt. And there weren’t two better men more trained to handle the job. She’d die if something happened to Romair up there—to either of them. Jolen was a good man too. But her heart hadn’t quit racing since she’d woken up this morning and learned that Romair had scheduled the mission that she’d started the night before. And she hadn’t planned on sending him up there. But taking him out would make him look bad. Damn, he better watch his ass. “The miners have the second tunnel prepared and we’ve got a request in to start the process of sending the car back to the surface.” Again Jain was punching away at her computer. Shara had insisted on driving, something Jain usually wanted to do simply because she thought it looked better for their leader to be officially escorted anywhere she went. But there were going to be multiple transmissions sent in launching this mission and Jain would need all her attention on her computer. She didn’t look at Shara before she started typing again. “Have them get started.” Shara guessed Jain already had sent out the order for them to do so. Her aide nodded again. “Do you want to talk to Romair and Jolen before they go up?” This time Jain did look at her. There was something different in her usually relaxed expression—concern maybe, possibly even compassion. Shara never took time to speak off the record with Jain. As closely as they worked together, Jain always kept her mind on business, which made her a perfect aide. But now she stopped typing, giving Shara her attention. “I can swim out and oversee the car being sent up if you like,” she said quietly. “That is if you want to speak to either of them.” Shara sighed. She almost asked if she was an open book, but that wasn’t the kind of relationship she had with Jain. Nor did it seem fitting to start talking like that to her now. Getting personal with people she worked so closely with only brought on trouble. “I need to know everyone is clear on what we’re doing here.” There were several guards in one of the tran-buses, a handful of technicians in another, the large cargo tranbus that held the car, and Romair’s tran-bus along with hers. “Assign the guards to their stations. We’ve got a lot going on and I don’t want anyone showing up out here while we’re busy. Get confirmation that all equipment is working properly, and I’m sure Romair and Jolen know what they’re doing.” But she’d talk to them anyway. After leaving Control Center last night, she’d used one of her disguises and had made a special trip to the southern part of Australia Sea. 108

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Returning to Venezuela’s Private Club had lost its appeal. Other than the fact that Romair would be more than pissed off if he learned she went there again, ever since she’d put Bolsh in charge of Zeal Current, showing up there, no matter how well she disguised herself, was even more dangerous now. The danger of her adventures had its appeal. But putting her career at risk, swimming into waters that could seriously jeopardize her position as leader, wasn’t worth the sex she enjoyed there. So she’d taken time to try and set up another secret meeting place. Somewhere where she could enjoy two men. Her biggest weakness, and one she knew Romair hadn’t figured out. And if he did? Would he want to share her? She shook her head, fighting to change the direction her thoughts had just headed. She wasn’t his to share. She’d seen to that night before last when she’d told him they would remain just friends. It really was the smartest decision. And all the way south, to the remote rural community where she knew a place where men and women swam together, sharing each other, she’d fought to convince herself of that. If only she’d succeeded. Sitting in the small swimming hole might have actually been a good time if she’d managed to get Romair out of her head for more than a second. “Do you know if they have the directions of where we want them to head once they’re up there?” she asked. That was one thing she had plotted out before Romair had taken matters into his own hands and decided he and Jolen would be the ones swimming to the surface. “They should. I can find out.” “Send them over here.” As much as her stomach twisted just thinking about seeing Romair, she wouldn’t dodge one of her First Commanders. “I’ll go over everything with them before they swim up there.” “I’ll meet you out there soon.” Jain stood and left without ceremony, the door to the tran-bus sliding silently closed behind her. She pulled up the map that Pinta and Deen had created for her of the surface based on what they knew. She wished it were more foolproof. Unfortunately, the only way to properly map the surface was to explore it. She jumped when her console buzzed, letting her know the outer door to her tranbus had just opened. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she grabbed her water, gulping it down as the inner door slid open. Jolen strolled in, dripping wet, with Romair behind him. She put on her best face, hoping she looked excited and at ease with both of them. “Ready to make history?” she asked, making eye contact with both of them. “I’m ready,” Jolen said, winking at her. “Yup.” Romair ducked his head and moved around Jolen so that he stood behind her.

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“This isn’t the best, but here is what we came up with based on what we know.” She pulled up the map of the surface. Romair leaned over her, taking the computer from her hands. She inhaled his scent. Chills rushed across her skin as water from his body dripped on her head, her shoulders and her arms. “We’ll be closer to the town when we surface,” he said over her shoulder. “That doesn’t give us much time to learn how to drive that thing.” “You don’t have to go up there if you don’t want to.” Looking up at him was a mistake. His dark eyes burned into her soul, grabbing hold and not letting go. Instantly her body reacted, a hard heavy throb in her pussy stealing her breath. She hated that he could make her feel that way just by looking at her. “We’re going,” he told her, never looking away. She looked away first. “Deen did his best to make sure the vehicle you’re taking up there is in top working order. We really couldn’t test drive it, but from what we have on file, it’s got a pedal to make it go, one to make it stop, and a circle controller for the driver to navigate it.” “I can drive anything.” Jolen looked over Romair’s shoulders at the directions. “What do we do once we get to this town?” “I just want you driving through it, observing, and then returning. Under no circumstances are you to get out of the car. Not until we know more.” “Sounds easy enough,” Jolen said then hit Romair on the shoulder. “I’m ready when you are.” Romair handed her the computer. “Let’s go.” They swam alongside each other toward the group that surrounded the large cargo tran-bus that had hauled the car through the water. It sat at the entrance of the new tunnel they’d created so that once Romair and Jolen were in the vehicle, doors would open, and if all went well, they’d drive it onto the surface. The tran-bus wouldn’t handle surface temperatures for too long, according to her scientists. It would move on to the land long enough for the car to drive out, then would have to immediately retreat into the water. She floated next to Jain, watching the back of the tran-bus. All she would have was the signal from her men once the vehicle left Undrworld. Her heart weighed heavy. She worried for the safety of both of them, for the success of the mission, and it bothered her that Romair barely gave her a look before disappearing into the tran-bus. Which was what she wanted. God. How many times did she have to remind herself of that? Having an affair with her First Commander would be disastrous.

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The cargo tran-bus jerked in the water. Shara floated sideways from the quick current that hit her. She adjusted to the sudden flow, keeping her eye on the tran-bus. She prayed they drove safely onto the surface. Jain grabbed the equipment she’d had in her hand when the current hit. It floated between them and she took it and then nodded to Shara. Now they monitored, and prayed all went well. The heat through the windows scorched Romair’s arms. Cold air blew on him from vents but it simply added to the tightening he felt all over his body. “Lovely place, isn’t it?” Jolen asked, grabbing his glasses and holding them to his face. “I’m sure I could master driving this thing if I could see where the fuck I was going.” “Push on the pedal with your foot.” Romair reached down and tugged on the cloth wrapped around his foot. Most damned uncomfortable thing he’d ever worn. “I know what to fucking do.” Jolen lurched the car forward then almost spun it in a circle. Romair cursed, grabbing the handle next to him. “I can fucking see that. From what I can see that is.” They drove around in a circle a few more times while Jolen let out a stream of curses before he seemed to get the hang of driving the car. The back of the car had another seat in it, longer so that more than one person could sit back there if necessary. Several boxes toppled forward while Jolen took a crash course in driving on the surface. Bottles of water rolled around on the floor. Romair grabbed one of them and opened it with his teeth, then splashed the contents over his body. The air blowing from the vents dried it quickly. “Can we confirm these transmitters are working?” Jolen asked. He gripped the wheel in front of him with both hands, leaning forward and squinting out the front window. They began a slow trek across the barren ground toward the buildings that seemed to wave in front of them. The buildings, like the ground, were tan and looked cracked. That anything survived under these elements amazed Romair. He ran his hand over the disc that still clung to his skin just below his collarbone. “Okay. I hear you.” Jolen looked over at Romair. “Test your transmitter.” “Talk to me if you can hear me.” Romair squinted at the town as they neared it. “How are you doing?” Shara asked. He was surprised to hear her voice. “I’m fine.” He pushed his fingers against the side of his glasses, anxious to hear her voice better.

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“That’s good.” Her voice wavered, or maybe he imagined it. She paused though as if she meant to say something else and didn’t. “What do you see up there?” She spoke louder this time. He pictured her straightening, getting tough and shoving all feelings she had for him—and he fucking knew they were there—out of the way so she could do her job. Well, they both had jobs to do. He’d deal with her feelings toward him later. “One hell of a dried-up surface,” he told her and thought he heard her speaking but she wasn’t clear. Maybe he was on some speaker so everyone in Control Center could hear him. He hated not knowing for sure but it made sense that he would be. “Well, hell. How do we get into the town?” Jolen complained. “We’ve reached the town,” Romair told Shara. “What do you see?” she asked, her excitement obvious. “There are bars that we can’t drive through that appear to surround the buildings. They weren’t obvious until we got this close. It’s like the town is closed to keep outsiders out.” Which meant that whatever might exist in this desolate land the people of this town viewed as dangerous. He glanced out his side window. There wasn’t shit other than dried-up land as far as he could see. “Obviously there’s a way in and out or they wouldn’t have been able to send the camera down the hole.” “Agreed. We’re circling the town now.” Or as close to circling as Jolen could master. He turned the vehicle so he wouldn’t run into the bars that blocked the town from them and almost ran into them. When he stopped the vehicle to prevent crashing, the two of them almost flew through the front window. “Okay. I have confirmation that we now have a transmitter planted on the surface,” Shara’s voice softened, like possibly she was alone now, or at least no one was nearby. “Some of the files we went over from when West Passage made contact with the surface showed they had success with tapping into computers on the surface. We’re trying it here. I should be able to get you a lot more information here soon.” She paused for a minute. “Are you still doing okay?” she asked even more quietly. He answered just as quietly. “I’m fine, Shara.” Jolen looked over at him and then grabbed the side of his glasses, trying to cover the microphone lodged in them. “You’re talking to Shara? I got that hot little technician that was making the moves on you.” Jolen looked ridiculous when he waggled his bushy eyebrows. They were barely visible over the top of his dark glasses. “I’m sure I can go pull her off monitoring the transmitter we’ve placed on the surface if you’d rather talk to her,” Shara joked with them, her light comeback sounding

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just like she had when she’d bantered with the two of them over the years they’d swam together. He grinned, remembering how feisty she’d be, and how ruthlessly she’d always tormented both of them over the various women they spent time with. “Stay right where you are, Ma’am Dar.” He glanced through the tall metal bars built into the ground. A gate of sorts was just ahead. And there were men standing at the gates watching them. “I’d say it’s time to put that transmitter to work, Shara. We’ve got company—and they’re flagging us down.” He watched the gates open and two men, who appeared to each carry black instruments he guessed were weapons, moved to stand in front of them. “Shit,” Jolen said as he fought to slow the car before running the two of them over.

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Chapter Eleven Shara stared at the equipment on the wall, her heart pounding a mile a minute as if she were the one about to be captured. The throbbing in her gills made her neck ache while she struggled to hear everything going on with Romair and Jolen. Romair’s breathing grew heavier, apprehension running through him as hard as it did her. She swallowed hard, wishing she’d fought him, taken a stand and refused to let him go to the surface. Holding on to the small earpiece that picked up their transmissions and recorded what they said, she pushed it hard enough against her ear that it hurt. If she could crawl through it and be there with Romair, help ensure they remained safe… This damned thing between them—or that almost had been between them—hell. If something happened to either Romair or Jolen, she’d never forgive herself. “What are you picking up?” She turned around, her skin tingling all over while it seemed to stretch over her bones uncomfortably. “This is amazing!” Deen Caryn flashed white teeth when he smiled and then nodded at the monitor in the wall in front of them. “They are a completely computerized society. We can learn so much about them.” “Can you break into their transmissions?” Shara asked. “I’m not sure,” Deen said, pushing a few buttons. “We sure can try.” Pinta’s expression glowed as if she’d just been given a new toy. She hurried around Deen, shaking her hands in front of her while she mumbled to herself. “We’ve got two men next to Jolen’s side of the vehicle.” Romair spoke in a hushed tone, his voice chilling her blood. “They want him to get out and talk to them. Give us some information now, Shara.” She fought not to scratch at the tingles that rushed over her skin. She frantically looked at the monitors, which displayed images so foreign it would take time to decipher what they looked at. They didn’t have that kind of time. “Try real fucking hard,” she told Pinta. “Romair tells me they have two men who’ve stopped them just outside the town and want to talk to them. I want to know their orders right now.” “Yes, Ma’am Dar,” Pinta mumbled, her fingers flying over the keys in front of her so quickly Shara couldn’t keep up with what she did. “They’re armed.” It was Jolen who spoke in her ear now. He didn’t sound happy. “Shara, we’re going to have to get out and talk to them.”

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Her mind raced. They had to improvise until they had facts. She rubbed her arms, fighting to come up with a good plan. “Tell them you’ve been wandering through the…” She scanned the screen in front of her, reading quickly about local news reported in a town called New Queens. “You’ve been wandering through the dead lands and you’re thankful to find New Queens.” There were muffled voices Shara couldn’t pick up. She closed her eyes, lowering her head while she pressed the earpiece into her ear. She wanted to scream at everyone in the cave around her to be quiet. Even the hum of equipment annoyed her. For the life of her, she couldn’t pick up what was said other than when Romair or Jolen commented. “Where are we from?” Romair whispered in her ear, more like hissed. Tingles shot over her flesh, torturing her. Romair and Jolen were in trouble. “I need names of any surrounding towns,” she told the people working the equipment. “Anyone, give me the name of a town somewhere.” “I’m not seeing anything,” Deen said. Both Deen and Pinta worked the computers in front of them frantically, their fingers tapping over the keys in an uneven rhythm. “There’s no other town nearby,” Shara said, hating the desperation that made her skin crawl. “We traveled with a group across the dead lands,” Jolen explained, his tone surprisingly jovial. He made it sound like he was happy to see them. “A few days ago we went our separate ways—had an argument over the right direction to take.” He laughed easily. “I have to say we’re damned glad to see you.” Again the men from the surface spoke and she couldn’t catch a word they said. “I can’t hear them, Romair,” she whispered although it wouldn’t have mattered how loud she spoke. “Hell, man. We don’t have papers. Not a damned thing. You wouldn’t believe it out there. We’re lucky we’re alive and talking to you now.” Again Jolen laughed, and whatever the men said to him made him laugh louder. God, she’d give him a medal of honor if he pulled this off. And personally apologize for the years she’d given him grief for his carefree attitude. “The water?” Romair spoke now. The men must have spotted the boxes of water in the back of the car. She paced behind her crew, frowning at her feet as she listened in on the conversation. “I doubt it’s registered too. We didn’t pay for it. Let’s just say we accepted it as a parting gift from the people we traveled with. They weren’t exactly the type of folk we wanted to stay with long.” Romair had picked up on Jolen’s lighthearted manner of speech. She wasn’t even there and didn’t feel half as calm as the two of them sounded. She glanced up when Deen and Pinta started talking excitedly amongst themselves.

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“What?” she demanded, searching the monitors around them. Jain entered the Control Center with a few of the technicians, including Payla, who’d practically thrown herself at Romair earlier. Shara didn’t like her. Not the way she smiled, how she walked. Just watching her irritated her more than she’d been a moment before. “The transmitter seems to be sending a strong signal.” Jain was her usual softspoken self but there was a glow of excitement that made it look like she almost smiled. “It’s working perfectly. And look at this.” Pinta grabbed a nearby bottle of water and poured it over her hands and then wiped her arms as she stood back and smiled at Shara. “I think we’ve found the communication center for their town. They use a duplex system. It’s not too complicated really.” “Let me see if I can get audio for all of us.” Deen adjusted several knobs on the console next to his keyboard and static burst through the speakers. “Give me a second,” he insisted. “They’re taking us through the gates,” Romair said quietly into her ear. “Are you doing okay?” God. A foreign people who lived in a world almost uninhabitable to them led him away and he worried about her. Her heart swelled so quickly she couldn’t catch her breath. She’d fight and kill to make sure no harm came to him. More than anything she wanted him back. Needed him back. “Worry about your own ass, Commander,” she ordered, as her voice cracked from the intense emotions she couldn’t control. Romair, or was it Jolen, chuckled in her ear. She licked her lips. She envied the adventure they were taking on but was scared to death for their lives. What the hell would the people on the surface do if they discovered where they were from? Voices crackled through the speakers. “We’ve got it,” Pinta shouted with excitement. Shara listened while two men discussed strangers entering their cities. One man gave the other man orders to confine and detain them until they were matched on the system. “What the hell does that mean?” one of the technicians behind Jain asked. “Find out what that means.” Shara already had Plan B spawning in her brain and pulled Jain to the side, letting the others fuss over the computers while she put some room between her and the rest of them in the large cave. She spoke quietly when she had Jain alone. “I want you to arrange a contact meeting with the leader of that town, New Queens. I’m going to speak personally to him or her.” “Good idea. But we have another problem.” Jain glanced over at the group who worked around the computers and then met Shara’s gaze. “It appears Grayn Bolsh has made his own tunnel to the surface.”

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“What?” Shara yelled loud enough that everyone turned around and stared at her. She’d have Bolsh’s ass on a platter if he fucked this mission up in any way. “Stop him immediately and secure that tunnel.” Jain nodded and Shara guessed she’d probably already done that. “When I got the news I sent over a handful of guards. They just checked in and the tunnel has made a fairly decent-sized pond on the surface. Since the land up there isn’t accustomed to water, it’s corroded quickly and enlarged the tunnel so that we have quite a gap now to the surface. They tell me the glare from the sun up there is making it almost impossible to see what they’re doing.” “Shit.” This was the last thing she fucking needed. “Secure control of Zeal Current. Take Bolsh into custody. He’s jeopardized the safety of South Passage and I don’t need his crap right now.” “I’ll get right on it. But I’m sure with that much water bubbling over their land, those people will spot it soon.” Jain stared at her, the ramifications of what she said hitting Shara like a brick to the head. “I want that meeting with the leader of their people immediately.” Jain nodded and hurried over to the group at the computers. “I heard part of that.” Romair surprised her when he spoke in her ear. “Where are you now?” Shara walked across the Control Center, heading toward the door that led to her private office. She did a lot of formal meetings here although when given the choice, she’d always preferred the comfort of the office at her home to work. There wasn’t time today to leave the mountain and head across New Tasman to her own mountain. She pushed the pad on the damp wall and the door in front of her slid opened quietly. “They took us from the car. Right now we’re in a small square room that appears to be made out of some kind of wood. Shara, I’ve never experienced drier air. Everything is dry, the floor, the walls, the furniture. There isn’t a drop of water anywhere.” “You don’t have any water?” She tensed as she walked around her desk and pulled up the flat computer housed there then adjusted the monitor so she could see. She stared at the small waterfall in the middle of the room for a second, the quiet trickling as water pumped through a hole in the floor and flowed over the small sculpture, something she’d never paid a lot of attention to. The stone walls around her shone with dampness. Her desk, her chair, everything was moist. In their world, water flowed nonstop no matter where they were. Imagining a world without that seemed cruel, a terrible existence. How had these people survived all these years up there? “There’s a small silver bowl housed in a tiny room off this one with water in it. It will do for now.” Jolen’s voice broke through. “We’re locked in here. So much for them believing we were harmless travelers.”

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“As soon as you have someone of authority arrive, you’re going to tell them where you’re from. Pretending you’re someone else will raise even more suspicion in these people and that’s not the kind of introduction to us that I want them to have.” “And you think they’ll be glad to meet us?” Romair didn’t sound too convinced of her idea. “I think they’ll take you more seriously once they know where you’re from. Let them know you wouldn’t give away your true identity to guards. You didn’t want suspicion racing through their people. A good leader will respect that.” “Assuming they have a good leader,” Romair said. “That’s what I’m about to find out.” She linked her computer to the one out in Control Center. It took forever to load and she waited impatiently until the screen appeared before her. “We’ve broken into their communication system. If their leader orders anything that jeopardizes you, I’m sending in troops to get you out.” “I’m not worried. I know you want me back,” Romair said quietly. She stared at the screen in front of her, looking at a transmission from a people she knew nothing about. There was enough information here she could study for days and still feel she didn’t know everything about the surface people. She didn’t read any of it. Romair’s words soaked deep into her soul. The tingling still bugged her skin. But a warmth covered it, making her heart weigh heavy in her chest. The dull throb in her gills matched the one in between her legs. “Yes,” she said. “I do.” Jain entered the room a few minutes later, distracting her from thoughts she hadn’t expected to hit her. This mission had to be successful. But for more reasons than making her look good, or for preserving the security of South Passage. All of that mattered. Protecting her people and their way of life meant more to her than anything. But Romair accepted what she’d been fighting to deny. For years she’d cared about him. They’d swum side by side almost since they were children. Always close to each other, no matter how tough things got. Now he was in more danger than he’d possibly been in his entire life. Her world caved in around her with that thought. No matter the risk, she’d see to his safety. Living without him near her would be unbearable. She grabbed the water Jain offered her and downed it quickly. Romair meant everything to her. Yes. He’d come on hard once he’d learn the secret of her sexual adventures. But that knowledge simply bonded them closer together. And she didn’t want that bond severed. She’d told him she did. She tried believing if she continued having sex only with strangers her life would be safer. But safe didn’t necessarily mean happiness. And no one had ever made her happier than he had. Damn. Was this love? “We’ve sent a transmission to their government office.” Jain pulled up a chair opposite Shara and opened her computer on the other side of the desk. She stared at it

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while it booted up. “They answered immediately. Give me a minute and I’ll send our communication with them so far.” This was it. The moment of contact. Shara straightened in her chair, finishing off the rest of the water and then adjusting her earpiece in her ear. “Someone’s coming into the room.” Romair barely whispered while keeping her up with what went on at his end. “If you take off your glasses, you realize we’ll lose each other.” Shara clicked on the file when it appeared on her screen. Jain’s communication with their people so far was now in front of her. She read over it quickly. “I’m not going to lose you, Shara. No matter what.” Romair spoke with strong conviction and he wasn’t just talking about their transmission. “If you two start having phone sex, I want in on it.” Jolen’s quiet chuckle made it hard for her not to smile. “Behave, commanders. Both of you.” She fought the smile that tugged at her lips. Leave it to Jolen to find amusement in such a serious situation. “Aww, Ma’am Dar. You’re no fun,” Jolen whispered in her ear. She swore Romair growled. A strange screen appeared in front of her, a blue background with red and white stripes crisscrossing over it. “We have connection,” Jain told her, adjusting an earpiece to her ear. “They have you live out in Control Center. We’re monitoring everything. Go ahead when you’re ready.” Shara cleared her throat. Everything she’d worked for her entire life seemed to peak at that very moment. There could be no better goal accomplished than making contact with a new people. The pattern in front of her disappeared and she found herself staring at a young man, possibly not much older than she was. For a moment she stared at the image, guessing he studied her as she did him. His skin was dark, almost as dark as night water. Pale hair and eyes—eyes that were too small—stood out against his dark skin. He smiled, his teeth almost glowing in front of her. “I am Joseph Kennedy, Prime Minister of New Queens.” He wore a dark blue jacket. It covered his entire torso and there was another shirt on underneath it. Amazing, considering the temperatures up there, that he seemed covered with clothing. “We are honored to make your acquaintance.” She wondered if that were true. “I’m Shara Dar, leader of South Passage. And Sir Kennedy, the honor is ours.” Getting rid of these formalities couldn’t happen soon enough for her. Jain glanced at her. “We’re picking up a mixture of signals. Our guess is he’s being advised what to say.”

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They would brainstorm on why that might be later. Right now she’d have to swim to the core of the situation. “South Passage? I admit you have us at a disadvantage. Where exactly is this South Passage?” He looked down at something. Either a computer or notes put in front of him distracted him briefly. “South Passage makes up a fourth of Undrworld. And believe me, Sir Kennedy, I feel like I’m swimming alone here too. We swam in to you quite by accident.” She needed his trust. But damn it, he annoyed her. More than anything it pissed her off that he continually glanced away as if someone put words in his mouth. “New Queens is the only city in all of Old Australia. Other than scattered villages, the dead lands have no other official government. Exactly where are Undrworld and South Passage?” Possibly the surface didn’t have the same links to computers throughout their world like Undrworld did. Maybe he didn’t know that West Passage had already made contact with surface people. She frowned, her gills pulsing while her tummy twisted. This wasn’t a mistake. Making contact with new people could only advance them as a society. She believed that with all her heart. “We are underneath you, inside Earth,” she told him, and watched when he turned to look away from the screen. She took advantage of the moment and glanced at Jain. “Do you think they didn’t know we existed?” she asked. “That’s everyone’s guess out in the other cave.” Jain listened to whoever spoke in her earpiece and nodded. “He’s definitely got a team around him. They are trying to break into our transmission to gather more information about us.” “Trusting bunch,” she muttered, shifting her gaze back to the man on her screen. “Although we’re doing the exact same thing.” Odd how humans sought each other out openly with questions, yet on the side fought to gather the answers before they were offered. “Trust is earned.” Jain’s quiet comment was well taken. “We would request a personal visit,” Joseph Kennedy told her, his expression one of shock and curiosity. He either had no clue they existed, or doubted what she said. Something told her for the time being, mentioning Romair and Jolen might not be in her best interest. She’d have them learn what they could without giving away their identities if at all possible. “Romair,” she whispered, turning her head so that a strand of damp hair fell over her earpiece. “Can you talk to me?” She smiled at the man on her monitor. “We’d be honored to meet with you personally.” “Yes. Jolen and I are listening,” Romair said. “Our visitor was just this cute little thing bringing us some kind of food. We’re still trying to figure out what it is.”

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“They’re all cute little things to you,” she said under her breath. Romair chuckled. “Some cuter than others.” “If you’d give us directions, we will visit your town.” Joseph Kennedy nodded to someone off screen. “Are you far away from us?” “Technically, the tear Bolsh made in the ocean wall is closer to them than the tunnel we created,” Jain offered. “It might be more of a strategic advantage to meet them there. We could defend our main city better if they only knew of that one entrance to South Passage.” “Good thinking.” Shara nodded when a side note popped up on her screen. Her crew in the main cave of Command Central sent her a message with written directions from New Queens to that location. She read over it quickly. “Romair, you two hold tight for a while. Learn what you can about these people. If you can’t get out of there within an hour or so, we’ll get you out.” She gave her attention to Joseph Kennedy. “Actually we aren’t far from each other at all. When would you like to arrange this meeting?” “When the sun first rises in the morning would meet our schedule nicely.” Shara guessed that would be tomorrow morning. “I look forward to meeting you in person, Sir Kennedy.” “You are not meeting him without me there,” Romair growled into her ear. She had a feeling he would say that.

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Chapter Twelve Romair paced the length of the small room. Being locked up didn’t suit him at all. It was time to get the hell out of this waterless hellhole. He grabbed the gold-colored knob on the door that they’d seen turn when the young woman had brought them food over an hour ago. These people had no idea how to treat visitors to their town. “Think we can break out of here?” he asked, turning the warm metal from side to side in his hand. “You know we can.” Jolen still picked at the food on the tray. Like it would taste any better if they played with it for a while. He walked into the small, attached room, leaned down to cup water out of the silver bowl attached to the floor, and splashed it over his arms and clothes. The water had a foul smell to it, but at least it kept them moist. Leaving the room, Jolen entered it and did the same. The two of them then stood side by side, staring at the door. “Kicking it down is an option,” Jolen offered. “Yeah and sounds a hell of a lot more fun than simply twisting that handle off.” “It doesn’t seem to be electronically operated in any way.” “I didn’t notice a lot of security when they brought us in here either.” Romair grabbed the handle again, twisting it with all his strength. It didn’t budge. “Allow me,” Jolen offered. “Be my guest.” Romair was more than anxious. He hadn’t heard a word from Shara in almost an hour. She’d told him she needed to head over to Zeal Current and work on security. On her way there, they’d lost their connection. She’d moved too far away from them. Her reasons for being there were strictly business. He knew that. Nonetheless, ensuring protection of South Passage, and protecting Shara, was his job. They’d explore this fucking place on their way out of it. Right now, he had a woman heading into a town that was less than scrupulous. No matter that he knew her mind focused on matters of government right now, that nagging sensation in the back of his head that she went there for sex too, kept biting at him. For a big man, Jolen moved as easily on ground as he did in water. He jumped up and kicked the door handle with his foot. The round metal thing went rolling between their legs to the other end of the room. Romair stared at the hole and splintered wood. “That was easy,” he muttered. “Now for the hard part.” Jolen pulled the door toward them.

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The two of them stepped out into the narrow hallway they’d been escorted down when they arrived. There was no noise behind any of the closed doors on either side of them. If they had others locked up as well, they were a docile lot. At one end of the hallway the door led to a larger wooden room. Their clothcovered feet echoed over the floor. They were level with the ground but for whatever reason, it sounded hollow underneath the floor. Maybe the ground was too hot to build their rooms directly on it. He’d worry about why they built their structures the way they did later. Romair stared at the closed door at the end of the hallway then looked the other direction. “We know there are people in that direction,” Romair said quietly, staring at the door they’d entered when they first arrived. “What do you say we try door number two?” “Works for me. As long as we get out of this suffocating air, I’m good to go.” Jolen followed him down the hallway. Romair tested the door at the end of the hall and the handle turned easily. He pushed it open to find another hallway. Just lovely. His skin itched so bad it burned. The water dried over him like he was as parched as the land they’d traveled on to get there. If they could find their car, get to the water in the backseat, if it was still there, he might survive getting back home. They heard voices, and Romair stopped, patting his belt, which amazingly they hadn’t taken from them when they were locked in that room. Both of them were armed, and they had contact with Control Central. He’d lost communications with Shara, but if needed, someone would know if their lives were suddenly in jeopardy. His mouth was as dry as the dirt on the ground when he swallowed. And he’d swear his gills were sealed shut from the tightness of his skin. “I don’t understand the orders either,” someone said from one of the opened doors down the hallway. “You want to question instructions sent directly from the Prime Minister?” “Nope. Lose your job and you’re cast out to one of the villages,” another person said, sounding disgruntled with the fact. “Which is where those two are probably from if you ask me.” “I’m sure they are. And personally I don’t blame a soul for trying to get back in the gates.” “It’s our own hides we have to watch out for. Show any compassion and we risk all we have for our families. You have a wife and kids just like I do. The orders are to send them out of the city.” “Just seems wrong not to hear their side of the story before casting them out. That’s all.”

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It was an older and a younger man who spoke, and obviously they weren’t worried they were being overheard. “Listen to me, Johnson. I like you. My wife likes your wife. Take my advice. Don’t get sentimental with anyone who’s brought in here. If you start caring about every man, woman, and yes, even children, that you are ordered to cast outside the gates, you’ll find yourself and your family out there with the dingoes and no water too. Do you understand me?” “Those two didn’t look like they were starving. Sometimes I wonder if half the rumors of the villages are true.” The older man sighed. “Don’t let me be the one to put out the dreams of the youth. Just hear my words, Johnson. That’s all I have to say. We have orders to take those two to the gates, and that’s what we’re going to do.” “Did you see all that water they had in the back of that car? I couldn’t afford to buy that much water for my family on a month’s salary.” “I know. The price of water is ridiculous.” There was movement inside the room and Romair and Jolen moved to the side, pressing themselves against the dry, hard wall. The roughness of it burned Romair’s skin. Maybe they’d find out where that water had gone if they could stand there unnoticed a bit longer. “Okay. I’ll go get them. Might as well get this over with. We still meeting down at Harvey’s for lunch?” the younger guy asked. “I can’t today. Got to take my kid to the dentist. The wife is working overtime and can’t get out for lunch today.” “If you want, go ahead and take off then. I’ll handle this.” “You don’t want any help with those two?” the older guy asked. “Johnson. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” There was the sound of paper shuffling. “I’ve got the orders. I’ll be damned if I do anything to jeopardize what I’ve got. Don’t worry about me.” Romair tapped Jolen’s arm and backed out of the hallway. Jolen gave him a funny look when Romair gestured for him to follow him back to the room. They retreated quietly, reaching the room and closing the door just as they heard the door open at the end of the hallway. Romair grabbed the door handle they’d broken and slid it through the hole. It wobbled there, unwilling to stay now that the door was cracked. “What the hell are you doing?” Jolen hissed. Retreating had never been one of his strong points. “Shh.” Romair put his finger to his mouth. “We can work this guy. Watch.” The door handle fell to the ground again when Johnson pushed the door open. “What the fuck?” He looked startled for just a minute before pulling his weapon and pointing it at both of them.

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Romair put his hands out in what he hoped looked like an easy surrender. “Forgive us for trying,” he said, smiling. “No one breaks out of here.” Johnson looked stunned to see the handle rolling in a half-circle back and forth on the floor between them. “Where did you think you were going?” “Honestly, we wanted our water.” Romair studied the young man’s face. He was almost a foot shorter than Romair and Jolen, with less than half the muscle build. A puny runt, to be honest. His skin was dark, almost brown, and his pale eyes and hair were probably the result of a people who lived under these extreme living conditions. He’d be able to take the guy down himself, even if he weren’t armed. He held his hands out to either side of him, looking at the weapon in Johnson’s hand that was pointed at his chest. Granted, a flesh wound would make it a bit harder to get the hell out of here. “We won’t give you any trouble,” he told him. “I know you won’t. Let’s go.” Johnson’s tone was cold, unlike the friendly tone he’d had with the older guy in the office when Romair and Jolen had been listening. “Where are we going?” Jolen asked. Johnson didn’t answer the question, but instead moved into the hallway and gestured with his gun for Romair and Jolen to leave the room. “Try anything and I will shoot. Trust me on that one.” They walked through the building and then outside. Even with the glasses, the sudden glare was blinding. Johnson didn’t seem to notice it but poked Romair in the back when he hesitated. Romair growled, looking over his shoulder and down at the small man. Johnson didn’t wince, didn’t appear intimidated. That earned him some respect. “That way,” he told them, gesturing with the gun. The fucking heat burned through his skin and seemed to set his bones on fire. Jolen ran his fingers over his arms, looking like he ached to scratch his flesh off his bones. Romair knew the feeling. They needed to get out of the glare and heat quickly or both of them together wouldn’t be able to handle this little man. Maybe Johnson knew that. At the back of the building, Romair spotted the car they’d driven over the dirt—the dead lands—to get there. He started toward it. “Don’t think so.” Johnson nodded toward another vehicle, a blue car that appeared to shine more than the one they’d been in. “There’s water in that backseat we need to get.” Romair fought not to sound desperate. Arguing in this heat would make him that way. “Yeah, right. It’s long gone, my friend. Confiscated as evidence.” “You would store water in a world where you have none?” Romair didn’t believe him but quickly noticed that these people went around gathering evidence against

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someone similarly to how he’d handle it. Maybe they weren’t as different as he’d initially guessed. “Get in the car.” Johnson didn’t answer his question. Johnson stood outside the car while Jolen then Romair climbed into the backseat. It was a confining space and the two of them almost had to double over, and crawl to fit their large bodies into the limited space. Johnson shut the door on them, something clicked inside it—a lock, Romair guessed—and then walked around the front of the thing to climb in behind the controls. “That water really get put in lockdown?” Jolen asked, leaning forward behind Johnson. The small man played with the controls, bringing the vehicle to life and immediately tickling their skin with cold, almost moist air. “It’s history. I wouldn’t even think about it.” He tossed back a half full warm bottle of water. Romair caught it and pulled the white cap off with his teeth. “We need more than this,” he told Johnson, pouring half of it over his shirt. Johnson laughed. “I just gave you my ration for the rest of the day. You’re greedy motherfuckers, aren’t you?” “Your ration?” Jolen poured the other half on his thick chest. Johnson turned around, giving each of them the once-over. He stared at their wet shirts as if he’d never seen anything more ridiculous in his life. “Where the hell are you two from?” “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” Romair muttered, his mouth dry and only part of his skin feeling a bit of relief. The rest of it felt like it would peel off his bones at any moment. “Try me.” Johnson took another look at them and then turned around, adjusting himself behind the round wheel before slowly moving the vehicle backward. He was a hell of a lot better driver than Jolen. Jolen gave him a side-glance. Shara said to let these people know where they were from. But this could be their ride out of here. If they handled matters properly. “What are villagers?” Romair asked. Johnson drove down a narrow road covered with white pebbles and stopped the car too quickly when they reached a larger road. “What?” he hissed. He looked wide-eyed at the two of them through a mirror attached to the ceiling next to him. “What the hell kind of question is that?” Romair shrugged. Johnson didn’t make the car move. He stared at the two of them then looked over his shoulder at them. “Take off the glasses,” he ordered.

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Romair didn’t take his gaze off Johnson as he slowly lowered his glasses. In spite of the fact that the buildings cast long shadows, blocking the direct glare, he squinted and fought to focus without them. “Holy shit!” Johnson’s jaw dropped. “Who? What the fuck are you?” “Human—just like you.” Romair quickly slid the glasses up his nose. “Like hell. You’re mutated somehow.” “Actually yes. But it happened after World War Three. We live underneath you.” Johnson stared at him. It was as if Romair had just spoken in a different language. “Maybe you should keep driving,” Jolen suggested, nodding in front of them as a car stopped in the road running perpendicular to them, its driver looking rather impatient. Johnson snapped his head around, nodding to the other driver as he pulled the vehicle out easily and turned onto the wider road. Romair studied the various-sized buildings, all appearing to be connected to each other, lined up on either side of the street. Most of them appeared to be made out of the same material. White squares cemented together gave each of them a strong, indestructible appearance against the harsh environment they endured. People walked in front of the buildings—lots of people. They didn’t speak to each other. Everyone seemed to hurry. Not that he blamed them for being anxious to get the hell out of the burning heat. Very few of them smiled. The sobering atmosphere didn’t let off a friendly appearance. If anything, without any knowledge of these people, he’d guess them suppressed. Their blank expressions, their unwillingness to look at each other, not even a nod of greeting, suggested suspicion, fear. Jolen tapped his arm. “Look at the poles where the streets meet,” he said quietly. Johnson glanced at them through the mirror. Romair let the little man draw his own conclusions and focused his attention back out the window next to him. He rubbed his fingers over his arm, his skin so dry the itching and burning proved a threatening distraction. Focusing on their surroundings, he found the poles Jolen mentioned. The town seemed broken up in small squares, divided by roads the cars drove on. The roads crisscrossed each other and when they did, on each corner, tall poles stood. On top of each pole were what looked like cameras. “Everyone is being watched,” he whispered. “What are you two saying back there?” Johnson asked. “Are those cameras?” Romair asked. Johnson glanced up at the pole when they drove through the intersection. “Why would you ask about security?” “And you are part of this security, I take it?” Romair pushed to get as many answers as he could. “I’m an enforcer. You two really aren’t villagers, are you?” 127

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“We told you where we’re from,” Jolen told him. Johnson slowed the vehicle when another car crossed through the intersection. “You definitely look different. I’m supposed to dump you outside the gates, but now I’m not sure.” “What happens if you don’t follow orders?” Romair asked. Johnson frowned, his small eyes squinting when he stared at him in the mirror. “You make it sound like you want to be put out.” “You took our water. We can’t stay here much longer without any.” Jolen rubbed his arm and then made a fist as if fighting the urge not to scratch harder. “Where we come from, we’re accustomed to a much different living environment.” “Oh yeah? How do you get to this place?” Jolen met his gaze. Saying too much might cause them more grief than they needed right now. Romair looked at the small man in the mirror. “We could take you there.” Johnson laughed. “I’m not going out the gates—just you two.” “Have you ever been out there?” “Hell no. Are you kidding?” Johnson sounded truly surprised by the question. “No respectable person leaves New Queens.” “Then how do you know what’s out there?” Jolen asked. “There is nothing out there.” Johnson sounded so convinced of that fact that neither of them questioned him. From what they’d seen, Romair wouldn’t argue that fact. “But there are other cities on the surface? You aren’t the only one.” Jolen leaned forward, putting his hand on the seat by Johnson’s back and searched the front of the car. “Are you sure you don’t have any more water?” “No water. And of course there are other cities. Just none nearby. Only the villages are out there. And last I heard, they weren’t doing too well. My advice to you two would be to quit with questions that would get you in further trouble. Not everyone would be as understanding as me.” “But you’re putting us out. We don’t have to worry about anyone else, do we?” Romair asked. “I’m just following orders.” Johnson grew quiet. They reached the edge of the city. The tall intimidating gates that bordered New Queens appeared ahead. The road they drove on ended at the gates, with endless land spread out in front of them. Parched and dead, it was a very unappealing sight. Two guards at the gate, dressed in black with their skin almost as dark, stepped forward to the car when Johnson slowed. He pushed a button on his door and his window disappeared as it moved quickly down inside the door. A wave of suffocating

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heat wrapped around them. Romair inhaled the heat. It burnt his throat, while his skin stretched so tightly he swore it would peel off leaving muscle and bone. “Open the gate,” Johnson said without preamble. He lifted a small metal item off the dash and showed it to the guard. Whatever it was, the guard simply nodded after glancing at it, and gestured to the other guard who walked in front of the car and pulled a handle to release the gate. It slid back slowly. “Good luck to you two,” Johnson said, then opened his car door and stepped outside. He pulled open the door next to Jolen and pointed his gun in Jolen’s face. “Get out,” he said quietly. Both of them climbed out of the small backseat. Romair stared at the gun in Johnson’s hand, and then into the small man’s eyes. He swore he saw regret, or something akin to that, but then the emotion disappeared and the man’s expression went blank. Johnson gestured with his gun toward the gate. “Out.” Damn fucking friendly people. Heat beat down on his shoulders, frying him alive as Romair walked out the gate with Jolen at his side. There was no reason to look back as the gate clamped shut behind them. These people were paranoid of their own shadow. No matter that they’d shared they were from a new land, fear gripped the people of New Queens harder than the heat did. Johnson probably would keep the conversation he had with them in the car to himself simply to avoid bringing attention to himself. Romair almost felt sorry for the small man. Almost. Heat tore through his skin with a cruel vengeance. Focusing on anything other than surviving the journey home right now would be too much effort. “Control Central…Shara…anyone there?” His fingers were damp, his entire body seemed drenched, although it wasn’t water that covered him, as he pressed the side of his glasses to his head in an effort to hear who might answer. “We’re here.” It sounded like Deen Caryn, although he wasn’t sure. The heat soaked through his brain, attacking him like a cruel drug. It was hard to see, hard to think, and hard as hell to fucking breathe. Jolen trudged along beside him, sounding like water rushing through a tunnel when he breathed. God. Water. Focus on the matters at hand. “We’re right outside the city of New Queens and on foot. Give us directions home.” He walked. Without direction, and barely able to see, he kept his legs moving. Walking forward, sand and dirt weighing down the cloth wrapped around his feet, he focused his thoughts on Shara. He pictured her swimming alongside him, the way her hair floated around her face, her always determined and focused expression. Her long,

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willowy legs moved so easily through water. And the dresses she wore, always conservative, practical, clinging to her wet body. “Stand by,” Deen told him. “We’re working to get a lock on you now.” He wasn’t standing anywhere. They continued walking. His feet grew heavier. The sun beat down on him, in spite of the long shadows in front of them. It was like his skin had shrunk over his frame, stretching painfully. God, he swore it would crack and break any moment. Dwelling on it would make matters worse. “Where’s Shara?” he asked Deen. “You’re breaking up on me, Commander.” Deen sounded like he spoke through a tunnel. The intense heat obviously was too much for transmission devices. “We think we have a lock on you. Can you hear me? If you can, the entrance is about five miles southwest of you. We should have a better lock on you as you approach.” “We’re on foot with no water. It might be a while.” “Oh shit,” he thought he heard Deen say. His question about Shara went unanswered. He and Jolen walked. The ground appeared before them in waves. He’d never experienced more intense heat in his life. It seemed his skin fried to his flesh. Yet stopping would make it worse. They walked alongside each other, no longer talking, just walking. His skin burned. Looking down at his arms, through the wavering heat, he swore layers of flesh flaked from his body. The ground seemed to come closer, and then turn sideways. There was sand in his mouth, dirt covering his face and digging into his shoulders. And Shara was somewhere in Zeal Current. He doubted she took enough guards with her. It was dangerous water over there. Knowing Shara, she’d take it on without thought to her safety. That was how she was. Feisty and always looking for a challenge. Why hadn’t he seen how deeply those qualities ran in her all these years? If anyone asked, he’d say he knew Shara Dar well— very well. Yet he’d never explored the one part of her that he viewed as a woman’s most important quality. If they weren’t up for a sexual adventure, he wasn’t interested. All those women—what a waste. None of them came close to anything Shara had to offer. His cheek burned, itched. His skin melted off his body. “Shara,” he whispered, his throat too dry to get her name out. “Shara,” he repeated again. The ground underneath him seemed to vibrate. He needed her. Ached for her. No one answered him. They didn’t hear him. Everything around him went dark.

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“Shara,” he muttered again. Strong fingers bit into his flesh. He struck out, blinking. When had he closed his eyes? And his glasses—they’d fallen off his face. The brightness around him had faded but the heat—that fucking heat. He’d kill to make it go away. “Can you stand, man?” a man asked. He spoke with an odd accent. Romair didn’t dwell on that. Where the fuck were his glasses? “My glasses,” he growled, deciding not to fight the hands that helped him stand. “Give them their damn glasses.” A woman snapped at someone, sounding aggravated, like a nagging wife. He hated women like that. Someone shoved his glasses in his hand. Maybe she was okay for a nag. He rubbed his eyes, his skin burning and dirt and sand scratching his eyelids and cheeks. Even with the glasses on he blinked a few more times before noticing the group of people standing around him—and holding him up. He shrugged his shoulders, twisting away from their grip. “Would you look at the size of them?” the woman said. He scanned the people surrounding him—four men and a woman. More surface people stood around him and Jolen. He glanced at his friend. The oversized brute almost hung over two of the men. For some reason he wanted to chuckle. If the lot of them were here to attack, even passed out, Jolen took on his fair share. “Who are you?” he asked. The woman laughed. “Just the question we were about to ask you, mate.” “I’ve never seen a man like either of these two,” one of the men, who wasn’t suffering the burden of holding Jolen up, said. “And their eyes. Did you see their eyes?” “Aye. I saw them. Where are you from, man?” The woman put her hand on her hip and gave him the once-over. “I’d remember a place that built them like you.” Jolen grumbled and suddenly looked like a fish out of water. He arched against the men holding him up, sending the three of them crushing to the ground. Romair grabbed his friend. He about passed out moving so quickly in the intense heat. “It’s okay,” he told Jolen, grabbing his arms while staring into his face. Jolen’s usual white face was blotched with red, streaked with dirt, and his eyes were puffy. Romair wondered if he looked half as bad. “I can’t fucking see,” Jolen growled, his voice sounding like he’d been screaming for the past few hours. Romair glanced around him, found the glasses half buried in the sandy ground. He grabbed them, shook them off and put them on his friend’s face. Jolen looked meaner than a motherfucker as he stared at the small group surrounding both of them. “Here, boys, have a tip on me.” The woman walked up to them and held up a dark, dirty bottle. She grinned, and Romair took a good look at her for the first time.

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Jolen grabbed the bottle from her and tipped it to his mouth, letting what appeared to be water drip down his chin and neck as he gulped. “Greedy ass,” the woman said, laughing and snagging the bottle away from him. She slapped Jolen on the arm. “You’re wanting to drink like that, my dear, and you’ll be putting out.” “God, Eliza, you slut,” one of the men behind Romair complained. “Like hell I am,” Eliza said, winking at Romair. “I get paid for what I do. Sluts do it for free. You think I’m stupid? You’ll be thinking otherwise when you want my water…or anything else for that matter.” She had a singsong way of speaking, almost melodic. Her dark skin looked leathery and her stringy, light-colored hair had streaks of darker hair running through it. She wasn’t exactly ugly, or possibly she wouldn’t be with a good bathing. Either she, or all of them, had a rather ripe smell to them. For all Romair knew, it might be him who stunk. He smiled back at her when she offered him the bottle. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, toasting her before gulping at the warm, foul-tasting water. It cleaned out his throat, and dried instantly into his burning flesh. “Ma’am?” another guy behind him said and let out a hoot. Eliza slapped at the bunch of them and then joined in laughing. “Just call me Eliza. And what are your names?” “I’m Romair Tosk and this is Jolen Ald. Are you from New Queens?” The four men and Eliza laughed even harder. Eliza wrapped her dark fingers around his biceps. The shirt she wore was about the same color as her skin, and clung to rather full breasts. They hung low and heavy and bounced easily with her laughter. “Anyone from New Queens is in New Queens. The rest of us are not.” She looked in the direction of the city and spat. “And good riddance to the lot of them.” The men around her cheered their agreement. Obviously none of these people had a problem with being on this side of the tall, metal gates. “And you two,” she’d sidled up to Romair, now holding on to his arm with both hands as she began leading them across the dry ground. “Pray tell, where might you be from?” “South Passage,” he told her honestly. “Never heard of it.” She stroked his biceps with her fingers. “Where’s that?” “Underneath us.” She stopped walking. The rest of them did too. The cruel sun had reached the horizon and cast long shadows over her face when she looked up at him. Her eyes were a mixture of blues and greens. She searched his face, pressing her chapped lips together while she tried to determine something about him. One thing he was pretty sure of, none of them were armed. If these were the villagers he’d heard reference to, they obviously wandered the dead lands, making ends meet any way they could. Not so unlike the existence he and Jolen and Shara had 132

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endured for a number of years before the war. Just because a person looked like a crook didn’t necessarily make them a bad person. He’d wait to pass judgment. Apparently Eliza came to the same conclusion. She began guiding him again, leading the rest of them as she picked up pace and moved easily across the hard ground. “And what is this home of yours like?” she asked. “It’s all water.” The men behind him exploded with laughter. “All water?” “What the fuck? You’re bonkers, I say.” Eliza snapped at them, shushing them with a look to kill. Whoever, or whatever, she was or did, Eliza carried some weight among them. The men grew silent, although someone muttered something under their breath that he didn’t catch. Eliza ignored it, and turned her attention to Jolen. “You live in this city of water?” she asked him, as if she needed a second opinion. Jolen let his gaze travel down Eliza, as if the small-eyed woman with large sagging breasts actually appealed to him. Romair admitted both of them had done worse over the years. Her skin-colored shirt tucked into pants that had been cut off just past her ass. Her legs were thin, almost too thin, but dark with skin that looked rough and weathered. Her feet were bound with cloth that tied at her ankles. “It’s more than a city,” Jolen told her, his tone dropping a bit. “Maybe you’d like to see it?” Her smile faded. Jolen could do that to people. In spite of the red splotches that covered his bald head and face, the man was damned intimidating to anyone who didn’t know him well. Muscles bulged in his chest and arms—muscles the wimpy men surrounding them wouldn’t have no matter what effort they put into it. Eliza wrapped her other arm around Jolen’s, keeping Romair in her grasp too. “You two come with me tonight. I want to hear more about this city of water.” “Eliza,” one of the guys complained from behind them. “Hush. They are staying with me tonight. You’ll have to wait your turn.” She laughed easily, looking up at both of them. Romair shot Jolen a glance over her head. The small woman guided them across the land, and at this point he wasn’t sure the direction they should be heading anyway. After collapsing, and then being revived by these wanderers, he was a bit disoriented. “Which direction are we walking?” he asked. “Toward the village, darling,” she said. “But which direction?” “Oh. Well, west I guess. Were you two heading somewhere?”

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Jolen gave him a look. Obviously Eliza didn’t believe they were heading home. Either that, or she wasn’t too bright. The way she kept the men in line behind them, he doubted she was that stupid. “We were trying to go home,” Jolen told her. “Well, if you live underneath us, why didn’t you just start digging?” It was a damn good question. And when she laughed easily, Jolen and Romair couldn’t help laughing along. “I hadn’t thought of that,” Jolen told her. For such a small woman, she moved quickly. Romair fought not to let the heat get to him while she led them over the hard land. Everything around them looked the same—grayish-white, hard-packed land that spread out in every direction. When it faded from his line of sight, it seemed to just climb into the sky. He couldn’t see a clearcut line of where ground ended and sky began. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen in his life. In spite of the pain and misery that racked his body, he was one lucky son of a bitch to walk on the surface of Earth. “You two going to make it?” she asked. They had walked a while without talking, and Romair continually fought the sensation that the ground would come up and hit him in the ass. “Where are we headed?” Jolen coughed, his voice dry and raspy sounding. “To the village, of course. Can’t be out in the dead lands once it’s dark.” “Why not?” Romair asked her. She gave him an odd look. “I’m not going to believe you if you tell me you’ve never heard of the dingoes.” “Dingoes,” he repeated, staring at her. There was no need to tell her he’d never heard the word mentioned in his entire life. Obviously his expression was clue enough. Eliza shook her head, seriously looking baffled. “I’m starting to think you are from underground. Damn. A place that is all water with no dingoes. Maybe I should go home with you, instead of you going home with me.” She laughed at her own joke and hurried them through the growing darkness. “We’re supposed to find the opening to our world a few miles from here.” Romair searched the land around them. Darkness seemed to be settling in too quickly. “You won’t find anything tonight. We’ll get you to your home in the morning,” she assured him. A group of rough-looking structures were almost on top of them before Romair noticed them. Made out of cloth, and uneven scraps of hard, sharp-looking objects, this place looked nothing like New Queens. Where everything there was sectioned off in orderly squares, the odd-shaped structures here were built up in no particular order. Immediately, several other people came toward them, talking at once. Eliza hushed them without explanation, saying simply their trip had been unsuccessful and she’d introduce her visitors in the morning. Romair and Jolen found 134

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themselves escorted inside a cloth-like structure where neither one of them could stand up straight. “Sit. Both of you.” Eliza made herself busy, lighting a small lamp and then gathering a few supplies. Romair and Jolen sat on the hard ground. It was all Romair could do not to fall over. In spite of how miserable he was, he could barely keep his eyes open. They burned with a fierceness he’d never experienced before. Falling on his side sounded like it might be just as painful. His skin burned so terribly the thought of anything touching it made his skin crawl even worse. Eliza reached for something from one of several boxes that lined her cloth wall, and produced a bottle. She pulled the lid and leaned into Romair. “Here. Drink.” She held the opening to his lips. Romair gulped like a starving baby. When she tried pulling the bottle away he grabbed her wrist, tilting it further and letting the water spill over him. Eliza laughed. “Have it,” she told him, letting him take the bottle. “There’s more where that came from.” She pulled out another bottle and gave it to Jolen. He downed half of it then poured the rest over his head. “More.” He almost begged. She moved between them, scooting closer on her knees. Her fingers strolled up Romair’s leg, feeling like tiny knives scraping against his burnt skin. She glanced from him to Jolen, wiping water that had dripped to his chest onto her fingers. She sucked the water off, making a show of slowly moving her finger in and out of her mouth. “Someone will pay for this water,” she whispered suggestively. “Give me more water and you can have whatever you want,” Jolen told her. Romair looked at his friend. He needed that water desperately just to think clearly. But put out for it? With Eliza? Sex was sex. He’d had that outlook most his life. Fucking one woman wasn’t much different than fucking another. He took in the small-eyed woman with her large breasts stretching the soiled material over the ample flesh. She grinned, very satisfied with the answer, and turned to crawl back to the box, giving a very appealing display of her ass. Sharing her with Jolen wouldn’t be so different from times in their past when they’d passed around a lady or two. The torn shorts she wore rode high on her ass, the material barely covering her pussy. Her legs were thin, and slightly spread, offering invitation that either of them could do what they wanted. She turned, pulling out a couple more bottles, and scooted back in between the two men. Jolen grabbed one of the bottles from her, and she fell into him, laughing. He wrapped his arm around her, filling his hand with tit, while pulling the lid of the bottle off with his teeth and drinking like a drunk man.

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“Will you join us?” she asked, holding the other bottle to Romair. He reached for it. “You two have your fun,” he said quietly, and then drank the foul-tasting water, wondering where Shara was.

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Chapter Thirteen “Romair, are you there?” Shara asked for about the hundredth time and then sighed as her heart constricted painfully in her chest. Where the fuck was he? She never should have gone out of range yesterday. Preparing Zeal Current for the visitors from the surface had been imperative though. And she’d been challenged more than once organizing troops without her two First Commanders. If something happened to either one of them, she’d never forgive herself. “Still no luck, huh?” Jain drove the tran-bus through the quiet waters toward Zeal Current. Few people were up and swimming at this early hour. She pushed several buttons on the dash. “We’ve got two units of guards with us. Second commanders Morn and Kale report all are ready.” “Very good.” She had to keep her thoughts focused on this morning’s agenda. With twenty guards per unit, she should be more than armed. The last thing she wanted was controversy. There were no references, nothing to go by in how matters such as this had been handled in the past. Shara swam in very uncharted waters. And she did it alone. The morning lights wouldn’t turn on for another hour. But she wanted to be prepared. She’d tossed and turned all night last night. Wondering where Romair was, what he was doing, and how this morning’s meeting with the leader of the surface would go, made sleep impossible. She ground her teeth, too many possibilities swimming in her head. If she didn’t stay focused, everything would go wrong. Although with the amount of guards swimming with them, she doubted there would be trouble. Organizing them had been a bitch. And it wasn’t her job to do it. Romair and Jolen should have been swimming at the lead. But they weren’t here. All because Romair took matters into his own hands and arranged for the two of them to visit the surface. Of course, she could have overruled his decision. It was in her power. But she hadn’t. He’d demanded she submit to him, become his woman, and she’d turned him down. Then ignoring the pain of her decision, she’d swum away and fought to put him out of her thoughts. It hadn’t worked for shit. Now he might be hurt, or worse. She pressed her earpiece to the side of her head, her fingers touching her gills. Remembering how his rougher caress had sent her over the edge, she struggled to hear something, anything. The transmission either had been shut down, or they were out of range. She pushed several buttons on her console. “Control Central,” she requested. 137

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“Yes, Ma’am Dar,” Pinta Moar said in her crisp tone. “Do we have an open transmission still with Romair and Jolen?” “All systems show a live signal, there just isn’t anyone there. My guess is they are out of range.” Pinta confirmed her fears. “Let me know if anything changes.” She mumbled her thanks and switched her signal back to Romair. “Are you there?” she asked, although she knew he wasn’t. Her heart ached. So many years they’d been together and she’d never seen him for what he was. If he would just come back, give them a chance. She needed him, and not just to run her military. She needed him. No man fulfilled her, challenged her, understood her, the way Romair did. Why hadn’t she seen it sooner? The pain refused to subside. The tran-bus slowed, and she watched the other cargo and military tran-buses floating around the large opening toward the surface. The remote corner of South Passage, just outside Zeal Current, was buzzing with activity. “I’ve got a transmission coming in from Grayn Bolsh.” Jain tapped her fingers over the keys of her computer on her lap. That didn’t surprise Shara. She looked at her own monitor, and accepted the pending transmission. “I’m a little busy right now, Bolsh,” she told him without formalities. “I’m sure you are.” His coarse lack of respect didn’t surprise her. “You humiliated me by having me taken into custody, but I’ll forgive you that fit of yours and give you an update before you meet these surface people.” She scowled at Jain, who quickly changed over her own transmission so she could listen in. The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk to this jerk. He could swim away and never come back and it wouldn’t ruin her day a bit. She’d thought making him overseer of Zeal Current would benefit the wildlife that swam over here. If he were her only mistake while leading South Passage, she’d be doing okay. She didn’t honor him with a response. And he didn’t wait long to continue. “I know you’re meeting with the Prime Minister here soon. He’s a figurehead, which makes it appropriate that our leader of South Passage would grace him with an audience. Once you’ve chatted with him, I’ll fill you in on the details concerning the rights of the water. He’ll try to make arrangements, but just assure him all rights are already established.” “What the hell are you talking about?” Shara pressed her fingers to her forehead, feeling the throbbing increase while he rambled in her ear. “He’s insulting you,” Jain whispered. Bolsh chuckled. The slimy eel made her skin crawl. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Just smile and let them take pictures. Since this is Zeal Current water, we’ll handle all the business matters at this end.” “All of this is South Passage.” She fought to remain calm. “You’ll handle no matters. Is that clear, Bolsh?”

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He remained silent only for a minute, unfortunately. “If you want your First Commanders back, you’ll do exactly what I say. Am I being clear enough for you?” he hissed into her ear. She’d had enough. More than anything she wanted to scream at him, demand he explain what the fuck he’d just said. Giving him that power would only make him happy. “You’re fired. Is that clear enough for you?” She was damned proud of how calm she sounded. She looked over at Jain, who watched her closely. “I’ve just seized control of your office.” She cut transmission before he could respond. “Quickly, send a handful of guards to him. Lock him up until I have time to deal with his ugly ass. And send one of our meanest interrogators to him to learn what the hell he just meant about Romair and Jolen. I want answers now.” Jain didn’t answer but quickly pressed buttons, speaking in her usual quiet tone as she issued the orders. If Bolsh had anything to do with Romair and Jolen disappearing, she’d take his fat ass down herself. His gills would never open properly after she was done with him. “I’ve got another transmission,” Jain told her. “We’ve got guards on the surface. They are telling me we’ve got company already.” It shouldn’t have surprised her that the Prime Minister would show up sooner than the arranged time. She nodded, moistening her lips and then standing. “I’m ready,” she told Jain, and headed toward the door. Jain hopped up after her, and joined her when the inner door opened. “We’ll have guards around you at all times,” she began, sounding like she was explaining instructions for some ceremony. “I want you fully surrounded so that no matter what angle anyone comes from, you’re protected. Stay within the circle of them.” “We’ll be fine,” Shara told her, patting her arm as water filled up around them and then pulled them out into the water. In spite of her growing fear that Bolsh had something to do with Romair and Jolen disappearing, unbridled excitement poured over her as she swam toward the large hole in the ocean wall. History was being made in paramount proportions. As she swam, media flashed camera shots at her from all angles. Something this huge would be on the news throughout Undrworld before the day was half over. Of course there were snags. Big, bad snags. Bolsh had instigated something. He hadn’t torn into the ocean wall simply to explore. There was profit in this. She imagined he saw dollar signs floating out his ass at the thought of taking on a world starving for water. The damage that would be done to his own home in supplying them with water wouldn’t cross his mind. And she knew this would be an issue. Meeting these people who lived without water, would mean they would want water from South Passage. She couldn’t exactly

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stop it from flowing through the cracks and tears already created in her ocean walls. Sure, they could patch the holes. But more would be dug. It was human nature. As soon as she had Romair back by her side, and Bolsh out of her fucking hair, they’d work on policy so the surface could have more water. She had no intentions of being stingy. But she wouldn’t be cheated. And she wouldn’t lose her man. Damn him. He better fucking be alive. As they neared the hole, a handful of guards surrounded her. There was no way to tell if the day lights had turned on or not without looking at the time. The radiance glowing through the opening to the surface blinded her. Jain took her arm and shoved a pair of glasses into her hand. The things were godsends. Staring into that bright light a second longer would have sent her headache escalating off the charts of pain. Something splashed into the water above her. Waves rippled around them and the glasses barely helped in allowing her to focus. Everyone around her moved so quickly she couldn’t get a good view. The guards around her pulled their guns. Chaos seemed to erupt like an explosion and several hands grabbed her, pulling her to the side. It took a minute to focus through all the movement. Two large objects broke the glare from the light at the entrance as they floated toward them. The guards moved in around them and then she saw the objects being pulled closer. Oh God. Oh shit. She yanked herself free of the grasp of a guard and Jain, and kicked furiously. Romair and Jolen had been dropped into the water. Or they’d fallen, or something. Neither one of them looked that good. But damn. She’d never seen a better sight in years. Ignoring the multiple flashes from cameras as the media struggled to get around the guards, she grabbed Romair, pulling him into her arms. At first he didn’t seem to move, but then slowly, his arms wrapped around her, and then his grip tightened. When his mouth found hers, nothing else mattered. Her surrender and gratitude swam inside her so fast all thoughts of what anyone might think or say, swept away so quickly she couldn’t even remember why it had ever mattered. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, tangling her hands in it. He impaled her mouth with his tongue. His body pressed hard against hers as he held her in a death grip. Hard muscle stroked every inch of her. His legs kicked slowly against hers. The world floated away for a moment while the man she loved held her close enough that their hearts beat as one. It took more strength than she wanted to manage to break that kiss. She stared into his dark eyes, seeing red streaks over his cheeks, on his forehead and neck. Physically

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he’d suffered on the surface. Who the hell wouldn’t have being up there as long as he had? But damn if he didn’t look sexier than she’d ever seen him look in her entire life. And the way he looked at her, knowing her thoughts, sensing her emotions, the warmth that rushed through her didn’t have a damn thing to do with the intense light coming from the surface. He smiled, the small scar on his lip adding to the crooked grin he gave her. Allknowing, very satisfied, looking more sure of himself than she’d ever seen him look in her life. With one look he let her know he understood her thoughts, and was damned glad she’d finally come to her senses and understood she was right where she belonged. Guards pushed around them while the media fought to get a better angle on the two of them. Damn his smug look anyway. Their public display would hit the news just as fast as meeting the Prime Minister from the surface would. She ran her fingers down his cheek and then looked over at Jolen who floated next to him, grinning like a fucking idiot. Cameras blinded her worse than the sun when she pulled him into her arms and hugged him too. Good Lord. The press would have a swimming fiasco over this one. Jain wrapped her fingers around Shara’s arm, she knew the touch without looking. Her personal aide was all business, tugging on Shara and guiding her away from too many inquisitive reporters. When they kicked toward the surface, Romair and Jolen were on either side of her—where they belonged. She gulped in hot air and wiped water from her face, looking around at the surface. Guards had put up a canopy over the small pond of water. Netting fell down the side of it, adding additional protection from the incredible glare. She floated in water that probably was a good twenty feet in circumference. Bolsh had created quite a gap between their world and the surface. But the setup her guards had created made the setting almost pleasant, a bit warm, but much more tolerable than her first experience up there. Romair instantly demanded to be briefed by one of the second commanders. He glanced at her when she looked at him, but then someone else grabbed her attention and she looked past him. On the edge of the water, sitting and splashing with grins that made them look like children, were three people. Obviously from the surface, their smiles faded when Shara and the rest surfaced. Two men and one woman stared at them. The woman shaded her small eyes with her hand, and looked at all of them. There was no fear, just intense curiosity. She slowly stood, tight shorts and a shirt the color of her dark skin clinging to her damp body. The men with her stood also, looking a bit more worried than she did. “My sexy men have returned. And I’ll be damned if you weren’t serious. These are your people?” the woman asked. Shara found ground under her feet and stood, walking toward the woman. Her sexy men? Was this the person responsible for keeping Romair away from her? 141

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“I’m Shara, leader of South Passage,” she said, unable to stop anger and confusion from gripping at her harder than the heat did. “And you are?” “Hi there, sweetie. I’m Eliza.” The woman pulled on her shirt, showing off very large breasts that hung a bit low on her chest. She smiled, offering a full view of her brown crooked teeth. In fact, everything but her hair appeared brown. It was very lightcolored and hung in strings over her thin shoulders. The lady was far from pretty, but there was a glow in her eyes that grabbed Shara’s attention. “I admit I thought these two hunks had a bit too much of the sun last night when they babbled on about their world of water. No matter how long I bathed them and wet them down,” she gave Shara a knowing wink, “they never changed their story. And look at you—here you are. Damn good to know you.” Eliza stepped forward, wiping her hand on her shorts and then sticking it out toward Shara. “Are all your men built like these two?” she asked quietly. Shara wanted to dive into her and beat the crap out of her. The smug look on Eliza’s face, the way she drooled over Romair and Jolen, drew something forward that was hidden deep inside her. Something ugly reared its head. She didn’t like how it made her feel, but anger swarmed inside her too hard to recognize it. “Thank you for returning our men to us,” she said quietly, managing to maintain her role as leader. Inside though, pain stabbed her like a knife in the back. Once again she listened to a woman share with her how wonderful Romair or Jolen was. Time repeated itself again. Yet this time the pain dove so deep she couldn’t catch her breath. The glow in Eliza’s face, the way she devoured the men with her gaze, that hungry look on her face for more—it told it all. And she’d just kissed Romair in front of every media person in South Passage. How could he make such a fucking fool out of her? He said he wanted to be with her. He told her he wanted her. And she’d believed him. This surface woman didn’t know her. Eliza had no idea Romair had thrown his attention her way. She turned, catching Romair’s gaze when he turned away from his guards. Her expression must have made it clear what she thought. He sobered instantly. Jain almost hugged her side though, sticking to her like glue. Shara tried turning on Romair but her personal aide clamped onto her arm, almost forcing her not to move. “No scenes,” Jain hissed in her ear. Not once had Jain ever told her what to do. Her aggressive tone brought Shara pause. Jain was right. Right now, with history being altered in South Passage, she couldn’t do a damned thing about her personal emotions. She sucked in a staggered breath, and held her head high. If she didn’t look at Romair, possibly she could get through this initial meeting without kicking his ass. 142

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“Are you from the city called New Queens?” Her tone was a pitch higher than it usually was, and she shoved her anger to a deeper place in her heart, forcing a wall around it. Shutting it down. Eliza laughed. “If you’re from New Queens, you are in New Queens,” she told Shara, as if that answered the question. “We didn’t detect any other cities. Please tell me about your home.” Shara mastered her soft, professional tone, running her hands down her quickly drying dress. “Well, listen to you, talking to me like I’m someone.” Eliza beamed with pride and looked at the men who stood silently behind her. She looked back at Shara, still grinning and showing off her brown, uneven teeth. In her own way, she wasn’t that ugly of a woman. Damn her anyway for being so awestruck with Shara. Again she reminded herself now wasn’t the time to think about what Romair had done with Eliza. She had a Passage to lead, new land and people to explore. All that mattered right now was her work. If she repeated that to herself maybe a hundred times or so, she might get through this meeting. “We’re villagers, people who don’t rate living in New Queens. It was my parents who were sent out the gates when I was too young to remember. My father lost his job and couldn’t find another. There’s a time period you can go without a job in New Queens before they determine you unfit to live there.” Eliza shared this information as if it were common knowledge. Her smile never faded as she stood, sweat dripping down the side of her face, and talked willingly about her life. Shara gestured to a slightly deeper part of the pond. “Please come sit and talk to me. I’m not accustomed to being out of water for that long. We might be cooler if we sit.” Jain snapped at a few of the guards who stood around and immediately bottles of water, nice and cold, were produced and offered. Shara indicated the men behind Eliza be given water as well. The sun began rising, flooding its cruel heat and light through the netting that fell off the side of the roof they’d built. The cold water tasted better than any she’d had in a long time. Eliza and her men looked like they’d been given a gift worth the price of gold as they opened their bottles of water. And in all truth, in this world, water was a rare treat. It was amazing watching them cherish each swallow as they drank. “Sitting in water, drinking water, who would have thought it?” Eliza grinned at the surrounding group of guards and media. Flashes went off. The media had worked their way to the surface. And the official meeting with the Prime Minister hadn’t even started. The leader she spoke to over transmission probably wouldn’t be too impressed with these villagers. Not if the words Eliza said held any accuracy. But then she hadn’t doubted her when she’d implied what she’d done with Romair and Jolen the night before. Again pain shot through her and she fought to make the wall around her heart a bit stronger. 143

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Why should she doubt this woman’s interpretation of how their society was set up? “Someone’s coming.” One of the reporters standing in the small crowd surrounding Shara and Eliza made the announcement with some excitement. Instantly flashes went off again, almost in unison, the clicking sound of cameras advancing and instant pops of bright light surrounding them like small explosions. A long black car approached over the dead lands. Shara didn’t have a clear view and stood reluctantly from the comfort of the water. People surrounded her but Jain insisted everyone stand to the side. Her request was quickly honored by the guards, who created a wall, blocking the media from standing in front of her. Romair moved next to her and ran his fingers down her back. Her skin crawled from his touch. Well, maybe it tingled. No. It crawled. She wouldn’t be moved by his public show that there was something going on between them. Her heart beat way too hard inside the strong wall she’d built around it. His hand rested on the lower part of her back. If it stayed there another minute she’d pass out from the heat of his touch. She couldn’t stop herself from looking up at him. His dark eyes burned hotter than his touch. “You look good enough to eat,” he whispered for her ears alone, so softly his mouth barely moved. Her lips parted, a rebuttal right there on the tip of her tongue. Put him in his place. Let him know that regardless of what South Passage now thought of the two of them, that she wouldn’t be played the fool. Somehow the damned words tangled up in her mouth. She stared at him, fighting the spell he’d suddenly put over her. Focus on the huge-breasted woman standing in front of her. See how Eliza undressed him with her eyes, as if she already knew what lay underneath. Accept the truth that Romair was a ladies’ man, had always been, and always would be. It wasn’t in him to commit for life. “Would you look at that,” Eliza said, sighing. Shara snapped her neck, turning her attention quickly toward the villager. For a moment she almost forgot that she led South Passage. She was their leader. There was no way she could make a scene at this delicate moment. “Now it’s clear to me why you turned me down flat, gorgeous,” Eliza whispered, speaking loud enough for Shara to hear. “You’ve got yourself a lady, don’t you?” Shara almost staggered. Eliza’s words hit her hard enough to steal her breath. The long black car stopped just outside the makeshift tent that covered the small pond. A hush fell over everyone when the back door opened, and a man Shara didn’t recognize stepped out and searched the small group of people standing in the water. More than likely he was one of Joseph Kennedy’s guards. Another man stepped out from the other side of the car. Their small eyes squinted against the bright sun. Shara stepped forward, her mind spinning so hard while she tried focusing on her duties.

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Romair hadn’t fucked Eliza. Her heart swelled with so much happiness, breathing became a chore. She gulped in a breath of the hot air. “I am Shara Dar, leader of South Passage,” she told the two dark-skinned men. The two men stared at her then the one closest to her stepped to the side to allow another man to exit the car. This was Joseph Kennedy. She recognized him immediately. “Welcome to the entrance of South Passage,” she told him, nodding slightly. “Allow me to welcome you to the surface of Earth,” he responded, returning the nod gallantly. His expression then hardened, and he whispered something to his guard. Joseph looked like he was returning to the car, but simply bent down and said something to someone else inside the car. Another man joined them in the heat. He stepped around Joseph Kennedy—maybe Jain had been right, maybe Joseph was just a figurehead. “We’ll ask the villagers to step out of the water. You’re invading on an official matter here. Step out of the water, or you’ll be escorted back to your village at gunpoint.” The small-eyed man speaking scowled at Eliza and the two men with her. His dark skin seemed almost red, making his blond hair look white. “Boys,” Eliza whispered, spreading her hands out to either side of her, palms up. She didn’t take her gaze off the man who’d just spoken. “I saved your asses last night. I think it’s time I called in the favor.” Shara stepped forward, placing her hand on Eliza’s shoulder. It was bony, small. She swore Eliza trembled under her touch. She lived in a world Shara didn’t understand, but she’d learned enough to know Eliza’s life was suddenly in danger. This woman might have kept Romair alive last night. A favor was owed. “I’m interested in learning about all of the people in your world. I have no problem with them staying.” “We are here on business matters,” the red-skinned man told her. “The villagers will have no part of this.” “Business?” Shara asked. “What business is that?” “We’re here to take the water.”

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Chapter Fourteen “You took our water and our car, and cast us outside your city gates.” Romair took a step forward, putting Shara behind him. “If it weren’t for these people, we’d be dead.” Whoever this motherfucker was, he had no problem speaking for his leader. Shara could fumble her way through many tight situations. He didn’t doubt her ability to handle these surface people. But she didn’t have all the facts. He did. “These people can stay right where they are.” He didn’t take his gaze from the smaller man standing outside the tent, his face growing redder by the moment. Joseph Kennedy stepped around the other man. His smile was as fake as anything Romair had ever seen. The empty glaze in his eyes didn’t impress Romair. Either he didn’t like his job, or was just an idiot. Or quite possibly both. “Shara Dar, we have no intention of throwing insults. What my advisor means is that we’d be honored to meet privately with you.” Shara moved to stand next to him and glanced at Jain before giving him her attention. “I’m not sure we should take them to New Tasman until we know their intentions,” Jain said quietly. “I’d have to agree with her.” Romair glanced at the men from New Queens, willing to let them stand under the sweltering sun and suffer while they calmly discussed things while standing in the water. “They’ve already told us they want the water.” Shara frowned in their direction and then looked behind her at the villagers sitting in the water. None of them looked up at her but instead whispered quietly among themselves. There wasn’t animosity like Romair had seen in her expression when she first met Eliza. She looked preoccupied though when she glanced up at him. “It seems wrong to keep water from these people who are suffering without it. But I won’t have South Passage jeopardized by draining water from it.” “Whatever decisions we make, they know the water is here,” he pointed out. Jolen grunted his agreement. “They’ll need to be watched.” “Clear the water of all the media. Give me a handful of guards. I’ll meet with both groups—the villagers and the Prime Minister. We’ll at least have first contact out of the way and can get a feel of who we’re dealing with.” Romair’s head spun and his body ached when several hours later he finally enjoyed being home. Shara ordered them both to the doctor, ignoring their complaints. She’d left them, seeming distracted and distant. Once he finished getting poked and probed he’d headed toward his home. Being alone right now didn’t suit him though. 146

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He pulled his phone from his belt, pushing Shara’s numbers. “Where are you?” he asked, when she answered. “Home,” she told him. “But…” “Tell me when I get there.” He hung up on her before she could come up with some excuse why he shouldn’t come over. He needed to see her. It took her forever to open her door when he pushed the button. He’d begun thinking of beating the damned thing down when finally it slid open and she stood before him. Wearing a simple dress, which ended at her thighs and showed off her long legs. Her brown hair dripped water down her breasts. He watched the trail create a line over one nipple before meeting her gaze. “Busy?” he asked. She stood to the side, silently giving him permission to enter. “I was listening to the meeting we had earlier with Joseph Kennedy,” she said. She sounded tired. But she looked charged with energy. She walked away from him, heading into her kitchen where she must have been before he interrupted her. Stepping into her shallow pool she waved toward her kitchen counter that lined the opposite wall. “Help yourself to a drink if you like.” “I’m sure it will be the first of many meetings. We have new people on our borders and policy, along with new laws, will have to be made.” He hadn’t gone there to talk about the surface. Shara nodded, sitting in the water and then leaning back on her elbows. She let her head fall back, closing her eyes. Her long athletic body stretched out before him. God, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. All he could do was stand there, staring at her. Afraid to move and disturb the wonderful picture laid out before him, he simply enjoyed her while she relaxed before him. “When you made plans to go to the surface without confirming it with me first,” she began quietly, not raising her head or moving. “I took off south of here, and went to another place I’d heard of.” She paused, licking her lips, and then slowly raised her head and looked at him. The torment in her dark eyes tore at his soul. “I planned on finding another place like Venezuela’s Private Club—a place you wouldn’t know about.” Everything inside him hardened. He’d tried calling her. She hadn’t answered. And it had been in anger that he’d initiated him and Jolen heading to the surface without clearing it with her first. She told him this now for a reason. He held his tongue, not moving or saying a word so that she could say her piece. Fear wrapped around his heart that she’d take this conversation in a direction he wouldn’t be able to accept.

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They were meant for each other. And the last thing he wanted to do this evening was battle with her just to prove that to her. He was tired, sore, and simply wanted her—every inch of her—wrapped around him willingly. “I found the place I’d heard about, and spent some time there watching people have sex.” When she swallowed, her slender neck tightened, stretched slightly. What he wouldn’t do to rake his teeth over that smooth skin, and torture her gills until she collapsed against him. She chewed her lower lip, watching him. If she wanted a reaction to her words, he wouldn’t give it to her. Not until he’d heard all she had to say. And there was more. It scared him to death. But there was more she had to say, and he’d hear every word of it. “I didn’t participate. I could have. I was well disguised and again in an environment where my identity wouldn’t be discovered. But I left.” She frowned at him. “Do you want to know why I left?” “Yes.” And he wanted to know why the hell she went in the first place. He forced his anger down, fighting to stay calm and let her speak. She pushed herself off her elbows and cupped her hand, pouring water over her legs and watching the drops fall on her skin. She didn’t look up when she continued. “Because I wanted you,” she said quietly. He stepped into the water, moving before he realized he’d done it. “There’s more,” she said quickly. Silently she ordered him not to approach. Something bothered her. Her pain wrapped around him, sinking in heavily. His heart thudded in his chest and he ached to touch her. More than anything, whatever bothered her, he wanted to take from her. But he’d let her say what she wanted to say. And then whatever it was, assure her that all was okay. It would be okay as long as they were together. “Go ahead,” he told her, standing in the water at the edge of her pool. She sat in the water before him. Slowly she raised her head, looking like whatever she wanted to say next might be harder than what she’d just shared with him. He held his breath, fighting not to move. “When we first went to the surface earlier today and I met Eliza, I believed you’d fucked her.” “I never—” “She made that clear. But it’s what I believed. Romair,” she said, sighing, and a tear welled in her eye. “How are we ever going to trust each other? We know so much about each other, our love for sex, for different partners. But without trust…” He let out a long breath, the fear that almost suffocated his heart flowing out of him quickly. Moving before she demanded he remain still, he went down on his hands and knees, crawling over her and forcing her to lean back. “You just told me that you didn’t do anything when you went searching for a new place to have sex—that you couldn’t. When I was with Eliza in her home, I could have 148

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had sex with her, but I didn’t. That is new behavior for both of us.” He stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his hand. “Shara, I’ve never held out for a woman before. Not once. But I’ve fallen in love with you, and knowing that you held out and didn’t explore your sexual desires without me proves the desire to trust is there.” “We love each other,” she whispered, searching his face. God. Everything inside him exploded. He pulled her to him. She cried out when her body slammed against his. Maybe he should be gentle. The moment was tender. But damn it if he didn’t need her, every inch of her. She gripped his shoulders and ran her fingers down his arms. He made love to her mouth, pulling her closer. Gentle simply wasn’t an option. She’d had things she’d needed to clear between them. He’d given her that space. But nothing would keep them apart. Not a damned thing. Trust mattered in any relationship. Which was exactly why he’d avoided getting involved with any woman. Being monogamous had never appealed to him. If she wanted that, or if she wanted to sneak off to explore sexual adventures, he could handle it either way. As long as they were together. One thing he knew, without hesitation, was that he’d found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. No other woman mattered. The only one he craved being inside was her. He found the zipper at the base of her neck and pulled it down her back. The wet material clung to her body, but he pushed it over her shoulders, yanking until it wrapped around her waist. “Off. Take it off.” He nibbled at her cheek, ran his tongue along the length of her chin. She struggled with her dress, lifting her ass off the floor of her pool so that she could push her dress down her legs. He grabbed it from her and tossed it to the side. Straightening so that he kneeled in front of her, he almost tore his clothes from his body. All blood drained from his head, creating a pressure that took over. His cock swelled painfully. “You scared me when you kissed me in front of all the press,” she whispered, running her finger down his chest and then stroking the length of his shaft. She was making it damned hard to talk. He gritted his teeth, enduring the sweet pain she inflicted as she barely touched him. “I have no problem announcing to South Passage that you’re my woman.” He grabbed the back of her head, tangling her wet strands around his fingers. “Because that’s what you are, Shara. You’re mine. I love you.” “I love you, too, Romair.” She let her head fall back when he tugged on her hair. “I never would have known it would feel like this.” He agreed with her there. Pushing her back so that she lay in the water, he pushed his legs between hers and nibbled on one of her hard nipples. She arched into him, bringing her legs up and stroking his outer thighs as she groaned happily. She ran her

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fingers over his back, through his hair, touching him everywhere, caressing and stroking as he licked and nibbled on her nipples. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted herself up so that her pussy brushed against his cock. Fire burned inside him. He lowered himself over her, unable to hold back. As badly as he needed her, he wanted inside her, to feel her heat wrapped around him. Water splashed over them when he thrust deep into her velvety heat. “God. Yes,” she cried out, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. Her neck arched, so perfectly long and narrow. Water splashed over her face, while her hair floated around her. There was never a more perfect view. He grabbed her legs, lifting and spreading them so he could fill her completely. He buried every inch he had deep into her fiery pussy. Moist heat wrapped around his cock. Her tight muscles constricted against him. She’d suck the life right out of him. His body was too tired to fight her. “I can’t…” He didn’t want to rob her of her pleasure. She opened her eyes, smiling while water drifted over her face. “You already have,” she whispered. “You’ve given me all of you. And it feels so damned good.” She wasn’t lying about that. Her pussy muscles stroked his cock. Inside his fogged brain he understood her meaning. But the sensations that tore through him made it impossible to tell her how right she was. He sank inside her one more time. Just a bit more. He fought to hold back the pressure that screamed for release but her pussy tortured his cock. He watched her small, round breasts move up and down while he built the momentum. Her nipples puckered perfectly and her mouth formed a small circle. He loved how the water covered her face, how her hair floated around her, how she stared up at him with more love than he’d ever experienced in his life. Lost in her beauty, the dam inside him erupted. He came harder than he had in a long time. Exploding deep inside her, his body tensed. When he meant to let her know how much she meant to him, a growl tore free from deep inside him and he arched over her while he cried out and released everything he had. His arms trembled, no longer willing to hold him up. Afraid he’d crush her, he slid out of her faster than he wanted to and collapsed in the water next to her. She rose up on her arm, leaning over him and gently stroked his chest. A few spots on his body pulsed, tender from the intense heat he’d endured on the surface. But it didn’t bother him. Happy and sated, he relaxed in the water while she softly ran her fingers down his chest. “Think you can handle being married to the boss?” she asked quietly. Water ran over his face, and he relaxed further so that he was almost completely submerged in it. Marriage had crossed his mind but he’d hesitated. It was a giant step and he didn’t want to scare her by bringing it up too quickly. Committing to Shara didn’t bother him in the least. He smiled, keeping his head above water just long enough to answer her. 150

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“I can keep you in line,” he assured her, and then relaxed, letting the water cover his face and staring up at the most beautiful woman in all of South Passage.

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About the Author All my life, I’ve wondered at how people fall into the routines of life. The paths we travel seemed to be well-trodden by society. We go to school, fall in love, find a line of work (and hope and pray it is one we like), have children and do our best to mold them into good people who will travel the same path. This is the path so commonly referred to as the “real world”. The characters in my books are destined to stray down a different path other than the one society suggests. Each story leads the reader into a world altered slightly from the one they know. For me, this is what good fiction is about, an opportunity to escape from the daily grind and wander down someone else’s path. Lorie O’Clare lives in Kansas with her three sons. Lorie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Also by Lorie O’Clare Cariboo Lunewulf 1: Taming Heather Cariboo Lunewulf 2: Pursuit Cariboo Lunewulf 3: Challenged Dead World Elements Unbound Fallen Gods: Jaded Prey Fallen Gods: Lotus Blooming Fallen Gods: Tainted Purity Fallen Gods: Embracing Temptation Full Moon Rising Issue of Trust Lunewulf 1: Pack Law Lunewulf 2: In Her Blood Lunewulf 3: In Her Dreams Lunewulf 4: In Her Nature Lunewulf 5: In Her Soul Sex Slaves 1: Sex Traders Sex Slaves 2: Waiting For Yesterday Sex Slaves 3: Waiting For Dawn Taking It All Things That Go Bump in the Night 2004 anthology Torrid Love: After Dusk Torrid Love: Caught! Torrid Love: The First Time

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com