Surrender

Surrender Alvania Scarborough (c) 2006 ISBN 1-59578-279-6

Surrender Alvania Scarborough Published 2006 ISBN 1-59578-279-6 Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2006, Alvania Scarborough. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in the United States of America Liquid Silver Books http://LSbooks.com Email: [email protected] Editor Tina Burns Cover Artist Will Kramer This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Dedication To my father who always said ‘dreading is worse than doing’ and my mother who reads everything I write. Thanks so much for your support and love.

Chapter One “The Void. Ships stray in, never to return,” Riana intoned in a dark, melodramatic voice. “A lot of rot if you ask me,” she snorted. “Rumors, lies and innuendos planted by some unscrupulous trader to keep others out of the area.” “So you keep saying,” her best friend Sharri quipped from the vidscreen. “Well, it’s about time you listened to me.” Riana grinned at Sharri as she drummed her fingers on the console and leaned back in her chair. “Like I listened to you that time we visited the pleasure planet, Oras?” “Phfff.” Riana dismissed Sharri’s question with an airy wave of her hand. “So I made a little miscalculation. We got out of there with no harm done, didn't we?” “If you call leaving naked, three jumps ahead of one very angry officer, no harm done, then I guess you could say so.” “She had no reason to issue that warrant for my arrest.” Sharri lifted one perfectly arched brow. “You were caught in a compromising position with her favorite lieutenant,” Sharri reminded her. “The woman had her eye on him and you swooped in and stole him from under her very nose.” “He was showing me a hand-to-hand combat technique,” Riana sniffed, her chin raised. “Uh huh. As I recall, you were touching the lieutenant with more than just your hand.” Riana couldn’t keep up the indignant act and started laughing. “You should have seen her face. I don't know which she wanted more, to glare at me or stare at the good Lieutenant's very visible, very fine assets.” “Seriously, Riana, I worry about you. You can't keep hopping from planet to planet searching for some mythical paradise. It's going to land you in serious trouble one day.” “I promise not to go out of my way to look for trouble.” Riana drew an X over her chest and tried for a reassuring smile, but the frown knitting her friend's brow didn't go away. “The problem is you don’t have to look for trouble, it just seems to find you.” “Relax. You worry too much. My gut instinct tells me that this is going to be my most profitable trip yet.” “Your gut instinct is going to get you knee-deep into some major shit.” “Trust me.” Riana tapped a key, ending the communication. She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the console and stared at the blank vidscreen. Sharri worried too much. Already this trip had been extremely profitable. She had half-a-dozen trade contracts safely stored on data node and several new products residing in the hold. Best of all, she’d managed to trade for a map of the Forbidden Sector, better known as the Void, nearly six weeks ago. Rumors and legends abounded about the Void. Reputedly, any ship that entered its boundaries never came out. Lost forever. Never to be heard from again. Gone. Or so they said. Snakebird pucky. The ships either got caught in the ferocious storms that her sensors could pick up from almost half a parsec away, or found some of the fabled planets hinted

at in ancient texts and kept their mouths shut. Planets where treasure was supposed to drip from the trees like drops of rain. Not that she believed in the tales of treasure. Exactly. One had to wonder, though. Riana slid a slender volume bound in real leather towards her. She opened it to the middle, handling the fragile pages with reverence, until she came across the now-familiar intricately-detailed drawing of a dragon, its wings an iridescent wash of color, the body done in faded tones of jewel colors. She loved old books, the kind you could hold in your hands, could smell the scent of paper and leather, could feel. Riana brushed her finger over the drawing. She still couldn’t believe that a map of the Void was in a centuries-old book of erotic romance. Did Mia Gorganos, a shrewd trader in her own right, have even the slightest idea of what she had sold her? Somehow, she doubted it. Riana settled back in her chair, determined that this time she would unlock all of the dragon’s secrets. Hours later, just as she was once again ready to admit defeat, one detail on the star map stood out. The same small anomaly she’d stared at a hundred times before. With one finger, she canted the left bottom corner down a fraction. Her heart began to pound. Unable to believe her eyes, she compared what was on the monitor to the dragon map again. Then a third time. Goddess. If her calculations were correct, she was only two weeks from the nearest planetary system depicted in the illustration. Riana closed her eyes. She’d done it. She was the first trader in … Goddess, she didn’t know how long … to successfully navigate the Forbidden Sector. Let Sharri say ‘I told you so’ now. But, somehow, the victory fell flat. Riana stretched to ease her aching back muscles and closed the book. Was Sharri right? Was she searching for paradise? Had she really spent the last ten years going from one planetary system to another searching for something that didn’t even exist? Was her restlessness, her inability to stay in one place more than a sennight, her constant yen to find new excitement, nothing more than a convenient excuse to avoid recognizing her discontent? She tapped her thumbnail on her bottom lip, considering the possibility. Perhaps there was a grain of truth in what Sharri said. Maybe she was looking for something, but she’d be willing to bet her new trade contracts that it wasn’t paradise. No, if she were honest with herself, she’d admit she was looking for something much more basic than that. She was looking for a place to belong. Riana winced inwardly at her own deliberate blindness. She’d taken great care to hide from the truth. What other explanation could there be? Goddess knew she’d had enough hints. How many times had she fallen asleep and dreamt she was doomed to wander from planet to planet? Oh, she’d managed to tell herself it was just fatigue and then she’d drag Sharri off to some pleasure planet or find a little adventure on her own. Those dreams weren’t the worse, however. Oh, no. The dreams that really unsettled her were the ones where she’d settle down with a man and raise a family. In her dreams he was always the same: blond, tall, and treated her like a queen. In short, the perfect

man. Riana snorted in self-disgust. Yeah, right. As if a man like that would look at her twice. She could fight like a man, drive a harder bargain than a pleasure planet hostess negotiating price for one of her whores, and had more scars from her ‘little adventures’ than most warriors gained in a lifetime. Still, the question nagged at her. What would it be like to actually belong somewhere, to someone? She scowled. The Goddess take Sharri for raising these doubts in the first place. A shrill alarm jarred Riana out of her uneasy musings. Her ship shuddered. Nearly thrown out of her chair, she desperately reached to disengage the autopilot. Before her fingers could key the command, the gravity cut out and she was thrown violently against the bulkhead. **** “Surrender.” A deep voice murmured the command in Riana's ear as hard hands wrapped leather manacles around her wrists. Groggy, disoriented from the crash of her sleek, small ship, the word was slow to penetrate. When it did, pure instinct took over. Riana slammed her knee upward, catching the man beside her on the side of the head. He grunted, his fingers slipping from the buckle on the manacle. Riana scrambled to her feet, ignoring the burning pain in her knee. Swinging her hand in a downward, backhanded fist, she caught the man just below the temple, rocking him back on his heels. Not giving him a chance to recover, she pivoted on one leg, the heel of her other foot aimed with deadly precision for the leather-clad warrior's throat. She might have succeeded if the ship hadn't shifted without warning. Riana lost her balance and landed heavily on the floor. The breath knocked out of her, she couldn't summon the necessary strength to fight when he covered her body with his. The metallic studs on his gauntlet bit painfully into her breastbone and his hand circled her throat, the threat obvious; cooperate or be choked. Long, silky hair, as dark as his expression, brushed her cheek, the side of her neck. His scent, hot, exotic and all male, enveloped her. Riana shivered. His forearm slid up slightly. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes met his. She had just enough time to realize his eyes were the color of antique gold before she felt a round, metallic object just below her ear, a jolt of pain, and then nothing. **** She awoke cold, so cold. Wind whipped by her body, hitting with stunning force between her parted legs. What the—? She was naked! She jerked her wrists up to cover herself. They wouldn’t move. Panic clogged her throat and she went lightheaded. That scared her even more. Mustn’t panic. She took several deep breaths. Slowly, bits and pieces of the storm, the crash and the huge warrior

who demanded her surrender, returned until she remembered everything. She almost wished she hadn’t. Then she chided her momentary cowardice. She’d been in worse predicaments and survived. Like the time the pirates along the Ivory Lane tried to steal her cargo. Not one item in her hold had been lost. So what if she had a few, alright, several scars as a permanent reminders? She’d won. Okay, she was tied to an aircycle. A state-of-the-art aircycle. She breathed a tiny sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t stranded on some backwater planet without the means to contact Sharri. Even if she couldn’t return to her ship right away, she’d have a chance at accessing a comm device. Her lips thinned. Damn ion storm. It came from out of nowhere throwing all of Midnight Mischief’s systems into overload. Her throat tightened at the thought of her baby damaged, perhaps beyond repair. No, she mustn’t think that way. Escape. Concentrate on escaping. Riana tilted her head back, trying to find a familiar pattern in the stars. A lump settled into her stomach. Everything looked strange, distorted. Why hadn’t she spent more time memorizing the area instead of reading that damn novel over and over and daydreaming about its hero? So what else? If only her mind wasn’t so fuzzy. Her mouth was dry, too. Did she have a concussion? Riana accessed her damage. Outside of a headache, probably the result of the second knock on her head, she had none of the other signs of a serious head wound. That meant the effects of the crash were only temporary. She shut out the pounding in her head and glanced at her surroundings. Riana had the impression of trees flying by, but it was so dark she couldn’t make out any distinct details. There was a minute change in the aircycle’s inclination. Someone not intimately attuned to a ship’s roll would have never noticed. Riana noticed. The ‘cycle leveled out and stayed that way. Instead of the darker shadows of trees, there was a sense of openness. Desert or Plains, she thought, and closed her eyes. Only to have them fly open. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” she choked out, only to have the force of her rage ruined by chattering teeth. “Let me go!” She tugged at her bonds, but this time her captor had taken more care in securing her. Not only were her ankles bound to the 'cycle's struts, but her arms were pulled back and fastened behind her captor's hips, snugging her in tight against the vee of his thighs. “Do not take that tone with me or Punishment will be much worse.” “Punishment? What punishment? I haven't done anything wrong,” she hissed, twisting her wrists even though she knew she couldn't get free. Goddess Zaida save her, she'd fallen into the hands of a barbarian. Think, Riana. Think! “Since you are an offworlder, I will explain this one time. You broke a Rule, therefore you must be Punished.” “What rule? Damn you, make sense!” “You tried to escape.” His voice, dark, rich as chocolate, made her think of warm beds and hot sex.

Goddess, she had lost her mind. That was it. She'd been knocked senseless from the rough landing and was dreaming all this. Her teeth slammed down on the tip of her tongue as the 'cycle hit a pocket of air. Pain, sharp and immediate, made it clear this was no nightmare. “You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding. Of course I tried to escape. I woke to you shackling me. What did you expect?” she demanded, as it sank in her captor was serious. She tried to twist so she could see his face, but he moved his chin from the top of her head and rested it on her shoulder, preventing her. “You must learn such actions are unacceptable.” His lips tickled her ear, but it was the calm, even tones that riveted Riana's attention. One, large hand left the handlebars. Riana tensed. He toggled a switched on the dashboard, putting the ‘cycle on autopilot. Riana couldn’t tear her gaze from his leather-clad hands, watching them the way a trapped gizal watched a water serpent. Both hands now free, he removed the black leather glove from his left hand, and then his right, the action slow and deliberate. On the back of his right hand a ragged scar started at his middle knuckle and snaked its way past his wrist to half-way up his arm. Fear chased up her spine. His hand bumped her bound wrists as he tucked the gloves into his belt. One large hand came around to cup her right breast, the heat from his callused palm after the cold wind was exquisitely painful. She bit back a moan. “Don't.” His thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple. Riana gave a startled yelp and tried to lean away from his touch. He hadn't really hurt her, but the threat of pain was just below the surface. His touch eased and he rotated her nipple, pinching and pulling at her sensitive flesh. He covered the distended nipple with his palm until her flesh heated, creating an oasis of warmth from the cold. His left hand cradled her other breast, mirroring the erotic action of his right hand. Riana felt her breath quicken. Shivits, she was beginning to respond. She straightened her spine with a snap and tried to scoot backwards. All she succeeded in doing was lodging herself more intimately into the vee of his spread thighs. She shot forward again. Captive, unable to evade his touch, Riana waited for his next move, her heart beating in a harsh, staccato rhythm. Her captor removed his right hand from her breast, only to return almost at once. He circled her nipple with his wet forefinger. A muffled cry of protest slipped past her hard won control. The bastard had wet his finger. The cold air rushed over the now wet flesh causing her nipple to pucker painfully. “No,” she moaned, wriggling desperately against the icy chill. He removed his left hand and treated that breast to the same sensual torment. Riana tried to brace herself, but it was useless. A half sob escaped her clenched teeth. He smoothed his palms down her ribs, outlining each ridge with a delicate precision. He paused half way down her side, then retraced his path. Chills chased over her skin as the rough tips of his fingers explored a scar—a savage reminder of a run-in with a Delvidian snakebird—with surprising delicateness. The slow

seduction after the pain was enough to begin to drive her from her mind. His hand began moving again, lower, lower, until he grazed her stomach with a light touch. The nerves beneath his palms fluttered, setting off sparks that went straight to her core, and to her horror, she felt her sex grow wet with desire. She squeezed her eyes shut. Don't think about what he's doing to you, she mentally chanted over and over, only to be distracted by a heated moan. The betraying sound had come from her lips. Focus, Riana. Focus on what you’re going to do to him once you get your freedom. She'd kill him. A slow and horrible death. She savored the thought of taking her time, enjoying each second of his demise. Maybe she’d feed him to a snakebird when she was done. He slowly, erotically, separated the swollen petals of her labia, shattering her concentration. The cold wind became an icy whip that flicked her clit to greater arousal. Her lower body became a study in heat and cold. Goddess, she was going to die from the pleasure. The wetness between her legs became a flood. She lifted her hips, frustrated to the point of screaming when she discovered she was too tightly bound to move far enough to brush her throbbing clit against his teasing fingers. “Oh, Goddess, help me,” she moaned as a relentless tide of desire rushed over her. His roughened fingertips moved a fraction of a centimeter closer to her clit. “Please.” He moved his fingers over her clit, caressing her, stroking her distended tab of flesh, using her juices as lubricant to smooth the way. “Yes. Oh, yes,” she hissed in unbearable relief. He shifted behind her, placing his mouth on the side of her neck and bit gently. A shiver slid down her spine, heightening her enjoyment. A part of her was stunned at her reaction, amazed at her lack of protest at having a complete stranger take control of her body. He began to suck on her neck and his hand moved up to cup her breast, ensnaring that shocked part of her in passion. Riana arched her spine, throwing her head back, encouraging him to continue. He pressed his thumb against her slit. She began to burn deep inside her. She smelled her own arousal. The light, musky fragrance embarrassed her as nothing else had, not even her nudity. He moved his thumb only to slip a finger inside her, thrusting it in and out while his thumb flicked against her clit. The burn became a furnace as he slipped another finger inside and stretched her, testing her tightness. Colors shimmered behind her closed eyes. “More, please, more,” she breathed over and over. Her hips lifted and fell, matching the rhythm of her captor's invading fingers. He removed his hand and leaned back until he was no longer touching her. Dazed, it took her a moment to realize the meaning behind his action. The huge warrior had no intention of giving her fulfillment. “No!” Her scream ripped through the night, only the vast indifference of space hearing her cry of rage. “Damn, you! Why are you doing this to me? I did you no harm. All I did was crash on your planet. On my world, we help stranded visitors. I'm a trader,

for Goddess sake!” she stormed, only half aware of what she was saying. Inside, the fire of passion burned; outside, the wind turned the proof of her arousal icy, mocking her uncontrolled response. “You are no longer on your world. You are in Nexar.” They were the first words he had spoken to her since he began teasing and tormenting her. Riana sucked in a breath and forced herself to regain a modicum of control. “You will pay for this outrage. I swear I will make you pay.” Her overheated body began to cool off, and shudder after shudder ripped through her. “No. You will learn your place. How difficult you find your adjustment is purely up to you.” His hands slipped between her thighs again. “No!” Riana screamed. He ignored her. Her nerve endings roared to life. The muscles in Riana's stomach clenched in protest. Goddess, this couldn't be happening. The folds of flesh between her legs, soft and moist, plumped with immediate arousal. Riana slammed her legs together, but it was a futile gesture as the saddle of the aircycle kept them obscenely wide. Fury and panic hit her, laying waste to any semblance of control. She jerked, this way and that, struggling to rip her bonds loose. Her captor let her wear herself out, his hands between her legs the entire time. Sobbing for air, awash with humiliation, Riana breathed brokenly, “Who are you? Answer me!” He remained silent. “Damn you, the least you could do is tell me your name.” His response was to slip his finger, slick from her body, inside her. Time lost all meaning. Her captor brought her to the brink of fulfillment, time and time again, only to deny her release. Her own broken sobs and pleas rang in her ears. Lost in the sensations her captor had aroused, Riana was only vaguely aware of the aircycle slowing to a stop. Every nerve in her body quivered with influx of sensory overload. Even the touch of the breeze was painful. “Please, no more,” she begged as she felt movement behind her. He freed one of her hands and placed it on his groin. He wasn't the slightest bit aroused. It was the final humiliation. He leaned forward. “I am Darias, your master.” **** Darias sat in his office, his gaze shuttered as he stared out the window at the light, almost bluish-white sky. Drought ravaged the countryside. Heat shimmered off of the parched ground while, nearby, the Grangian mountain range took on a silvery green hue, not the rich, vibrant green that was its normal appearance. The thick walls of the keep kept the room comfortably cool, though. Darias frowned. Nexar needed rain. The largest of the three country-states on the planet Tarbos, the prolonged dry spell was having a disastrous effect on its economy. Even the crystal birds refused to sing.

A hot, spicy breeze blew through the partially open window, ruffling the piles of reports on his desk that demanded his attention. He ignored them, turning his mind toward his latest problem. His men were afraid he was going soft. The cause? One slender woman whose head didn’t even come up to his shoulders. He pinched the bridge of his nose. So much for his plan to find ease from his duties in her soft, rounded body. Riana had been nothing but trouble since he took her off her ship. She questioned everything. Down to the clothes she was to wear. According to her, they were obscene. Obscene! Women had worn the silk tunic and trousers for centuries. Riana had practically lectured his ears off on a woman’s right to decide what she would wear. He had to admit, though, he’d taken the coward’s way out and escaped to the stables to avoid her sharp tongue. What he should have done was Punish her in the garden. Made her see that it was not a woman’s place to tell the male what she would and would not do. He pushed back his chair and began pacing the room. Krel, she even had the nerve to comment on his decision not to seek trade negotiations with the Far Islands. The woman hadn’t even been in Nexar for three sevendays, and she believed herself qualified to second-guess his policies. Still, he had not Punished her as severely as he should have. He told himself that because she was an offworlder, it was alright to make allowances for her, but he was beginning to wonder if his men had a point. Perhaps he was too soft with his little slave. The mutters from his warriors were fast turning to rumbles. He was going to have to quell the unrest, and quick, or there would be revolt. He sat back down in the chair, determined to find a course of action when there was a knock at his office door. “Enter.” Gaith, his first-in-command, strode in, shutting the door behind him. Darias sighed. From the look on Gaith's face, Darias was certain he was about to confront him regarding Riana. “You've got to do something about her,” Gaith said bluntly. He was right. “Not you, too.” Darius stifled a groan and leaned back in his chair, regarding his friend. “She's inciting Bryta to rebellion. I had to Punish Bryta in the garden last night.” Gaith paced in front of the desk before dropping into a chair opposite Darius’ desk. He ran his hand through his short brown hair. “Bryta is an obedient woman. She'd never think of defying me if it wasn't for your slave.” “What did Bryta do?” His brow rose. The garden? As far as he knew, Gaith's Punishments had always been rather mild. The other warriors occasionally teased his friend about his partiality toward his woman. Gaith looked away, a deep flush creeping up his cheeks. “She informed me in the Great Hall, in a loud and clear voice no less, that I was wrong not to listen to her advice. She went on to say my opinions on a woman's proper place were backward and asinine.” “And how is this my slave’s fault?” But Darias already knew. He'd been given the same pithy lecture several times. He could practically hear her instructing Bryta in her offworlder ways.

“None of this discord between me and Bryta occurred until after you brought her here. And I've heard several of the other warriors make similar complaints. She's disruptive, Darias.” Gaith thrust his jaw out. “You've got to bring her in line before she causes serious problems. You've got to control her.” The door to the office burst open. Riana stormed in, looking like she wanted to kill someone. Her target became clear when her furious gaze settled on Gaith. “How dare you do that to Bryta?” She planted her hands on her hips, her eyes snapping with green fire. Darias got the distinct impression it was so she wouldn't strangle his first-incommand. “You humiliated her. Have you no feelings?” Gaith stood up, his face dark with anger. Darias placed a restraining hand on Gaith’s arm before his friend did something that would require his vengeance. “Be quiet, Riana.” Riana turned on Darias at his quiet command. Even the tips of her hair quivered with her outrage. “As for you, how can you allow this? I knew you were a barbarian that first night, but I didn't realize you could be this cruel.” “Leave us,” he directed to Gaith. The warrior gave one short nod and turned on heel and left. “Well?” she demanded. “I’ve been too lenient with you.” “Hah! You call forcing me to wear these too lenient?” She swept her hand down indicating the open leather brassiere, worn over a spidersilk blouse that lifted and separated her breasts. “And these?” She tugged at her belle trousers, the open girdle riding low on her hips, cupping her intimately before trailing between her legs, accentuating the rounded curves of her buttocks. What was she babbling about? The outfit was no different from that any other woman wore. He frowned as he couldn’t help but notice the defined outline of her nipples beneath the spidersilk. She glowered at him. “If that wasn't bad enough, you expect me to have no opinion.” “You have no opinion. You are a slave.” Her eyes sparked with rage. A rage that threatened to burn him. Darias shifted his legs under the desk as desire made his breeches too tight. “A woman's place is not to say anything, but to accept and learn from her transgressions,” she quoted, her voice tight. “I know, I know. You've tried to get me to accept that drivel before.” Darias shoved to his feet. He planted his hands on the desk. She tossed her head, jolting her hair free of its confining tie. For a moment he was distracted by the sight of her burnished copper hair. He ached to bury his hands in the waterfall of curls, letting it slide over his body. He’d bet his contract with the builders’ guild it was softer than the finest spidersilk. Darias fought the aching need with anger. “Take care, Riana, not to push me too far. Until now, I've tolerated many of your lapses.” “Tolerated many of my lapses? Is that what you tell yourself, my lord? Is that how you appease your conscience? The truth is you punish me for the slightest reason and

then disappear for a couple of days. Do you do that so you don't have to face me the next morning? Do you fear having to look into my eyes and admit you wronged me?” She tilted her head and waited. When he didn’t say anything, she circled the desk and jabbed him in the chest with one finger. I do it so I'm not tempted to take you to my bed and make love to you until we both forget our positions. The admission was like a shock of icy water over Darias. Instinctively, he sought to deny it, to make excuses. Of course he found her desirable, but she was just a slave. He couldn't, however, lie to himself. He never had before, and he wouldn't start now. The truth was he made himself stay from her bed as long as possible before giving into his need because he was afraid she'd make him throw tradition to the wind and make love to her in ways that were forbidden. It was also the reason he left the keep after Punishing her; he was weakest then. Riana was bright. Once she figured it out, she'd seize the chance to use his desire against him. He grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from his chest. His men were right. Riana had too much power over him. If he let her, she would make him soft. “Go to our garden and await me there.” Pure fury flashed in her eyes before she shuttered her gaze. “I thought you were many things, my lord, but I never took you for a coward.” Her spine straight, her head held high, she turned and left the office, slamming the door behind her. His resolve hardened. It was time Riana accepted her place in Nexar society. **** The sky filled with a last blaze of glory before darkness, softening the garden with its lengthening shadows. Riana rubbed her arms and paced the gravel walk of the garden. She was under no delusions about what was to come. Only this afternoon she'd learned about the Punishment Stone. Punishment in the garden was reserved for serious offenses. Bryta had refused to talk about all the details, but the strain in her friend's eyes and her obvious discomfort several hours after punishment, spoke volumes. She’d been outraged on her friend's behalf, and tracked Gaith down in Darias’ office. What good had it done? Had she expected him to apologize to Bryta? To admit he'd wronged his mate? A wry smile twisted Riana's lips. The sun circling Nexar would go nova long before either of those things happened. Her anger had overruled her good sense. Time and time again, she'd told Bryta and her other new friends not to outright defy the system. That working quietly was much more effective. So why couldn't she heed her own advice and hold her tongue on occasion? She wiped her palms against her thighs. Because she couldn't resist the urge to make Darias see that many aspects of Nexarian society were archaic, not to mention downright barbarous. Like their concept of Punishment. After listening to the women speak of trying to please their masters, seeing the resignation on their faces at their inability to do so, Darias’ refusal to even consider the possibility of change became even more infuriating. So she'd encouraged the woman to quiet resistance. Now she had to live with the fact that her meddling directly caused Bryta's punishment. And the fact that Bryta did not hold her actions against her only deepened her sense

of guilt. Somehow, someway, she had to gain access to her ship. It was tantalizingly close, stored in a makeshift shed inside the keep's walls. Once she inside the ship, being recaptured wasn't a concern—Bryta had told her of Gaith's complaints at the warriors' inability to open the craft. Even if the ship was too damaged to be space-worthy, she could still hold off the whole of Darias’ army for the length of time it would take to contact Sharri and wait for rescue. If the Goddess was with her, however, damage to the Midnight Mischief systems would be minimal, something she could fix herself. Her hands clenched. Krel take Darias for keeping tabs on her whereabouts every nanosecond of the day. A chill that had nothing at all to do with cold, slid down Riana's back as the sun dropped below the horizon. Think, Riana, think. There had to be a way to get past the guards and aboard her ship. Even more importantly, she had to find a way around Darias. He would leave the keep in the morning. He always left after a punishment. Her stomach tightened. Punishment. Just the memory of the last time sent tendrils of panic crawling through her. The sheer humiliation of not being able to control her responses filled her with repugnance. She’d always prided herself on her control. Yet tonight’s punishment promised to be so much worse, than the others. She couldn't get Bryta's strained expression out of her mind. But his leaving the keep was her only chance to slip aboard her ship. She inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. So be it. She hadn't planned it this way, but she'd be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity that it offered. All she had to do was endure tonight's punishment. She scrubbed her palms against her trousers again. Once off this benighted planet, she'd find some way to help Bryta and the other women—and make Darias rue his decision to take her captive. Riana inhaled again, hoping to calm her nerves. A myriad of sweet, spicy fragrances swirled around her, but they didn't have a calming effect. Tiny flutters of disquiet continued to play havoc with her stomach. Goddess, she hated waiting. She heard the quiet snick of a latch closing, and then footsteps crunched on the gravel until they were directly behind her. She tensed, knowing to whom they belonged. Steeling herself, she turned and faced the royal chambers. Darias took her by the arm, leading her deeper into the garden. He turned into an alcove that Riana had thought a dead-end. Now she saw that a small path wound around the tall, shrub wall. Disquiet became outright dread when what Bryta called the Punishment Stone loomed into view. Hewn of a smooth, pure white stone, it was carved into the curved shape of a reclining bench. Her gaze landed on the sight of thin leg supports, complete with stirrups and cuffs, sending her nerves fluttering into hyperspeed. “Privacy shield.” An electronic crackle and a muted shower of sparkles caused the fine hairs on her arms to stand up. Darias continued walking until he was a meter in front of her. The crisp, controlled movements of his lithe, muscular body spoke volumes about his determination to punish her for her infractions. “I thought the whole point of this exercise was to shame me before all?” Riana

cursed her quick tongue. Striking out when scared was a bad habit of hers. Another thing that Sharri had warned her was going to get her into trouble. He waited a long heartbeat before answering. “It is against custom for a Punishment to be observed by outsiders.” He paused again. “They will hear you.” A glint of light from around his neck caught and held her gaze. Suspended on a leather thong, the carved fireice gemstone—his badge of rank—caught the diluted light of the moon and gleamed like the eyes of a panthra cat. She shivered, that small wink of light nestled in the hollow of his throat somehow ominous. “Like Zaida they will,” Riana shot back, hoping they weren't idle words. Nexarian punishment was all-too effective, she'd learned. “Fight me and I will take your Punishment into the daylight hours.” Pure panic unfurled and rose in her throat. His tone broke no argument. Her plans to use Darias’ absence after punishment flew to the four winds. She had to escape now! “Shield down.” Nothing happened. Riana backed up one step, then another. “Shield down.” She hated the slight note of hysteria in her voice. “It is keyed to my voice alone. Try to go through it and it will render you unconscious. Lights on.” Inside the dome formed by the shield, darkness gave way to a diffuse glow. Darias removed his heavy black cloak, and slung the garment over a bush. Riana backed up a pace, but was only too aware she had no place to run. He turned to her with a look of determination. “Remove your clothes.”

Chapter Two She stood there, panic in her ice-green eyes. Her hands clenched and unclenched by her sides as if she wasn't quite sure whether to flee or lash out in a futile attempt to stop him. Good. Finally, she understood the enormity of her error. Mayhap, his life could get back to normal. Her gently-rounded chin came up and determination filled her eyes, replacing the fear. Admiration for her strength of will caught Darias by surprise. He didn't want to admire her willfulness. She disrupted the lives of his men with her offworlder ways. She disrupted his life. All he could think about when he was around her was the softness of her skin, her quick mind, the way she always smelled faintly of flowers. He could not control his reaction to her. When he was away from her, all he could think of was burying his face in her hair while he buried his cock in her warm body. The woman was dangerous. She had to learn to accept the ways of Nexar. She had to learn to accept her place in his life. It was regretful that meant subduing her fiery spirit, but temper it he would … for her own sake. “Remove your clothes.” Her fingers went to the clasp of the brassiere nestled between her breasts. An image of those long, slender fingers wrapping around his cock stilled the breath in his chest. He banished the thought with enormous effort. “I didn't take you for a coward or a weakling, Darias, but I guess I was wrong on both counts.” Slowly, as if she was undressing for a long awaited lover instead of for her master intent on punishing her, she pushed first one strap and then the other one off her shoulders. The provocative garment slid down her arms and onto the ground. “You fear what your warriors will think of you if you allow a woman the freedom to express her opinion. You're afraid they will believe you weak. Worse, you believe it makes you weak. How is it that such strong warriors…” Her fingers moved to her blouse and, one by one, she slipped each tiny button free. “Such obviously superior warriors such as the men of Nexar, have reason to fear the influence of such an obviously inferior species as women?” Darias caught tantalizing glimpses of her breasts from her open blouse. His mouth went dry and he had to pry his gaze from the pale flesh. “The men of Nexar treat women as if they possess no feelings, no thoughts other than those of their masters. For a moment, the blouse caught on her elbows, then it hit the ground, a soft, silken puddle on top of the brassiere. His breath lodged in his chest as the muted light of the Punishment Stone revealed her breasts in all their glory; full, heavy, the tips darkly flushed. His lungs burned until he finally remembered to breathe. “Now, why do you suppose that is?” He couldn't even remember the question as she toed off the soft leather sandals while

one hand toyed with the tie at her waist. His cock stirred. It was a moment before it sank in that she was still speaking. “Could it be because they are afraid of facing the fact that women are every bit as intelligent as men?” Darias couldn't take his gaze from her hands as she slowly tugged on the ends of the tie. “Or maybe they don't want to have to face the fact that they've been abusing the entire opposite half of their race just so they can get their jollies by dominating them? Just think of all those rules you men make up on the spur of the moment. What chance does a woman stand of not running afoul of them?” The blood in his veins heated with a mixture of anger and lust. How could she do this so easily to him? “Mind your tongue.” She gave him a patently fake innocent look. “Oh, sorry. Did I express an opinion? I forgot. Women have no thoughts of their own.” She shimmied her hips and the silky material of her trousers slithered to the ground, pooling around her feet. Riana stepped out of them, moving to stand beside the inner-lit stone with an elegance not at all affected by her nakedness. “I guess you are just going to have to punish me. Oh, wait. You are already going to punish me because I questioned the fairness of Nexar's ways.” “You never know when to quit, do you, slave?” He had to regain control. Somehow, someway, Riana had wrested it from him, became the one who teased the other past endurance. His back teeth clenched at her unmistakable disdain. Fury rushed through his veins. In the back of his mind, he knew that he shouldn't be feeling fury. He had taken the suppressant, he shouldn't be feeling anything. He was past caring. Suppressant or not, she needed to learn her lesson. He allowed a grim smile to curve his lips as he closed the distance between them. He didn't stop until the rough weave of his tunic brushed the tips of her breasts. “But you will.” His voice was a barely audible growl. He gripped her waist, and lifted her effortlessly onto the curved seat of the stone. He pushed against her shoulders with gentle relentlessness until she was in a reclining position. The malleable stone allowed him to position her arms and legs into any position he desired. He fastened her left wrist in the padded cuff beside her head. He leaned across her, deliberately brushing his chest against her breasts as he fastened her right wrist in a similar position. He placed her feet in the stirrups and fastened the padded cuffs around her ankles, ignoring the faint tremor of desire in his hands. He paused before fastening cuffs up high around her thighs. He didn’t want Riana to lift up more than a few centimeters from the stone while he was Punishing her. Darias stepped back from his handiwork. She was spread out before him, her knees raised and splayed wide. She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip, her eyes gleaming with a subtle sexual excitement. He relished that look, knowing before the night was over she would be screaming for satisfaction. A satisfaction that only he could grant her. One that he would not. By morning, Riana would have learned her lesson.

Darias leaned over her, touching her navel with the tip of his tongue. A soft shudder ran through her. Gods. She was so damn responsive. The soft, feminine fragrance of her arousal teased his senses. A tingle of warning lifted the hair on the back of his neck. He squelched it, licking a line up her ribcage to just below her right breast. He sucked the skin where her breast joined her torso between his lips, worried it gently with his teeth. He could control this. Her heartbeat sped up. He smiled, then moved to the other breast, lavishing it with the same treatment. He lifted his head slightly and blew on her wet skin, tracing the outline of each breast with gentle puffs of air. Her nipples tightened and she arched her back, offering them to him. He moved away. Her eyes shot open, her pupils large and unfocused. “I can smell how much you want me,” he crooned. “Call out for me to suck your breasts. For me to put my mouth on your nipples and pull them inside to my heat. Yell for me, my little slave.” Her gaze sharpened abruptly. “No,” she said with a betraying quiver in her voice. He touched one finger in the wetness between her legs, a fleeting, almost-there touch and smiled. “You will.” He licked and placed small, stinging kisses starting at her wrists, trailing to the soft inner skin of each elbow, and then to the vulnerable flesh where arm met shoulder. He followed the line of her neck and circled her ear with the tip of his tongue before darting inside for a fleeting taste. He felt more than heard the moan that vibrated in her throat. The light flowery scent of her wove into his very being, calling to him, teasing him. Darias shook his head to clear it. He had to keep his attention on the point he was making. He was her master. She must obey him in all things. He skimmed his hand down her side, his work and war-roughened fingertips barely grazing her skin, then back up, circling her darkened aureoles. Chill bumps followed the faint trail his fingers had left on her skin. She tried to lift, again, tried to coax him into taking her into his mouth. He moved away and looked down at her, waiting for her to open her eyes. She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. He gripped her chin, and brought her face back to his. “Ask me.” “No.” Zedpher's balls. The woman had more will than most of his warriors. “I won't take your breasts into my mouth until you scream to the stars for me to taste you.” “I'll survive.” But will I? Darias closed his mind to that line of thinking. Perhaps his warriors were right. Perhaps she held too much sway over him. His jaw tightened. He would crush this weakness. Riana would learn her place. Once more he moved to stand between her legs. She was wet. Feminine juices flowed out of her, seeping into the crack of her ass and glistening on the illuminated rock. Satisfaction speared through him, he would prove who was master here tonight. He

spread the lips of her labia wide, running one finger from one end of her weeping opening to her clit. His wet finger circled her clit, the roughened skin of his finger teasing it. He dipped his finger inside her body. The hot, wet tissues of her inner muscles clamped down on him, trying to pull him further inside. He held his finger perfectly still against the pull. “Nooo,” she moaned before she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Light glistened on the flush and plump petals of her labia, on the engorged clit fully out of it hood. Aching need swept over Darias in spite of the suppressant. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face between her legs, to taste the salty sweetness of the flood of wetness weeping from her opening. He wanted to sweep her up in his arms and tossed her onto his mattress; bury his cock to the hilt so that his balls slapped her ass with each hard thrust. The sheer force of his need to take her in ways he’d never even dreamt of before shocked him. Instead, he grabbed his slipping control and nipped the inside of her thigh. Her inner muscles began to quiver around his finger. The line of her slender body stretched taut, and she shook. He withdrew from her. “Goddess, no!” Her shout echoed into the night. “Darias, don't stop now,” she panted. “I'm so close to coming!” He slid his finger from her, then placed his hand over her stomach. “You will not come because I forbid it.” Beneath his palm he felt tiny shudders and waited until they subsided. Not giving her time to catch her breath, Darias lowered his face between her legs, nipping the curve of her ass before lapping at her juices. With the methodical thoroughness that was an intrinsically part of his nature, he tasted every part of her sex. He took the swollen fullness of one fold of her labia between his teeth and tugged gently. Her hips jerked. She tugged at her restraints. “Damn you, Darias, don't do this to me. Don't make me burn like this without giving me some relief.” Her labia still between his teeth, he flicked his tongue back and forth against her captured flesh. He plunged two fingers deep inside, not pausing in his sensual torture, curving them and raking them gently against the walls of her vagina. Shivers ran continuously through her, getting stronger and stronger with each stroke of his fingers. Only when he felt her orgasm inexorably building did he stop. Darias lost count of the number of times he had her on the edge of an orgasm, only to halt before she flew over. Lost in her taste, in the power he had over her, he exulted in the way her hips would strain toward his mouth, the way her thighs quivered and tensed, the way she tossed her head back and forth, moans and pleas pouring forth. He covered her clit with his mouth, worrying it with his teeth, then soothing it with his tongue. He plucked at her nipples, taking the hard nubs between the tips of his fingers and rolling and pinching them. Her body arched as much as her restraints would allow her. Incoherent pleas and threats for him to let her come poured forth from lips swollen and red from her own teeth. The sun was part-way above the horizon when it slowly penetrated the fog in Darias’

head that the time for Punishment was already past. Straightening, he looked down at Riana. Sometime during the night, he had stretched her arms above her head and maneuvered the stirrups so that her legs were up in the air, her feet behind his head. Her labia was flushed darkly red with arousal. Her scent was on his hands and on his face. In the cool, fresh air of the new day, all he could smell was the extremely female smell of Riana. She stirred. Her lashes lifted to reveal passion-dilated eyes. She wet her lips. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “One day you will regret taking me as your slave.” He stood there another moment, looking at her, then loosened her bindings and turned on his heel and left without a word. It wasn’t until he reached the door to their quarters that he realized she had never asked him to suckle her breasts. **** Darias tightened the girth on Shagra with a savage tug. The chelan snorted his displeasure over the inconsiderate treatment. A pang of guilt smote Darias and he patted the heavily-muscled neck of his mount. “Sorry,” he muttered. The surprisingly delicate head nudged him in acceptance of his apology. It wasn't his old friend's fault that he was in such a foul mood. No, that fault lay directly on the slender, seductive shoulders of his slave. Less than an hour ago he had left her too exhausted and too sensitized to even close her widely-splayed legs. Darias shifted uneasily. He couldn't escape the feeling that he was the one who had lost that battle, even though Riana's pleas had echoed throughout the center courtyard of the keep. Several of his warriors had given him approving smiles as he made his way to the stables, despite the fact he did not have Riana on display in the Great Hall as was custom. Darias had ignored them all, intent upon escape. He grimaced. Like a defeated warrior, he was slinking away from the scene of battle, escaping to lick his wounds and regroup. He needed time to think, time away from Riana before he gave into the overpowering urge to fuck her until they were both too tired to continue their private war. He needed time away from her to regain his control. Not even to Gaith could he admit just how wrong Punishment had gone last night. A warrior was supposed to remain aloof while punishing his woman, distant from the very arousal he was forcing on his woman. Several times he had almost brought Riana to culmination. Even now he was not certain how he had had the presence of mind to refrain. It had been too damn close. He bent and scooped up the saddlebag, slinging it over Shagra’s broad back. The aircycle was faster, but this morning for some reason the rhythmic gait of his chelan appealed. He secured the saddlebag. Several days in the mountains ought to clear his mind and allow him the distance necessary to understand just what Riana did to him. Understand and control his mad impulse to lose himself in her heat and her scent. Gathering the reins, he swiftly mounted and turned his mount's head toward the huge gate. The sun had not even cleared the walls of the compound. The day was still cool, with the moistness of night lingering. Darias knew that within a couple of hours, every sign of coolness would be burned away, leaving the scorching heat of the drought and he

didn’t want to be caught in its furnace blast. They had gone no more than three steps when he heard Gaith shouting. He sighed, reining in Shagra and waited for his first-in-command to catch up with him. “Darias.” Gaith ran down the steps of the keep. “My lord. Hold.” The warrior caught up with Darias and slid to a halt, putting one hand on the chelan's shoulder. “What is it?” Hard impatience laced his voice. He didn't care. He wanted to be gone before Riana had chance to recover enough to taunt him with her body. “Trade strike,” Gaith answered succinctly. “Shevets.” Gaith turned and started toward the stable without looking to see if Darias followed. “The builders' guild refuses to start any new work, or complete any work in progress. The shopkeepers' guild says that the agriculture guild has been taking advantage of the drought and eating into their profit. The artisans' guild is vowing they will…” Darias halted Gaith by holding up one broad hand. “Do they understand the magnitude of a strike during a drought? The economic repercussions for everyone?” He swung down from his mount, anger simmering just beneath the surface. “They understand that without their cooperation, the economy will fail. They understand that gives them power.” Gaith began unsaddling Darias’ mount. “Have you discovered which of the Guilds is behind this strike?” Darias was already striding back toward the keep even as Gaith slipped the bridle off the chelan and turned the stallion into a stall. “Not yet.” Gaith fell into step along side Darias, his usually cheerful face, grim. “They could hold you hostage to their demands.” The smile Darias gave his first-in-command made the other man fall back a pace. “Only if they are determined not to live.” Darias pulled open the massive wooden door to the keep. “I want you to call together the leaders of all the Guilds.” He stifled a sigh and turned back to his friend. “And bring Riana to me in the Great Hall.”

Chapter Three Riana kept her eyes defiantly high fighting a rising tide of humiliation as she worked her way through the throng of people in the Great Hall. It had been three days since punishment in the garden and Darias was still in the keep. Why didn't he leave? Not that Riana saw much of him. Other than ordering her to attend him in the Great Hall the morning after, he'd kept conspicuously busy. Coward. She was still riled over the degradation he’d put here through that day. Darias had put her on display beside him in the Great Hall on the dais like a prime riding chelan on a Gregorian auction block. She’d been force to display the lingering agony of unfulfilled desire while the warriors in the wall watched, not trying hide their satisfaction. That ridiculous excuse for an outfit she was required to wear had served a dual purpose; to reveal her continued arousal and to prolong it. The soft silk rubbed against her distended nipples, kept them in a state of arousal, while the open girdle that rode low on her hips and trailed intimately between her legs, not only accentuated each rounded curve of her buttocks but stimulated the tab of hidden flesh. Darias had given her no place to hide. Worse than facing the warriors and servants, however, was facing the women. Despite her vow to remain silent, her screams and pleas had echoed from the battlements. She hadn't been able to help herself she’d been so frantic with the need for release. Each and every one of them understood intimately what she was experiencing. Their pity was unbearable. Riana’s hands clenched at her sides and her throat ached anew with the urge to rage at Darias. He'd wanted to make it clear to warriors and women alike, the price she'd paid for not conforming to Nexarian ways. What he hadn't counted on was setting fire to her desire for revenge. Riana now wanted more than escape, she wanted vengeance. Ripples of excitement fanned out from the knot of men in the center of the Hall. The ripple became a wave and, amidst the cacophony of male voices, Riana heard just one word clearly, “Challenge”. She turned to the nearest woman. “What's going on? What is this about a challenge? Who is being challenged?” she whispered. Three weeks ago she wouldn't have even thought about lowering her voice, but her punishment three nights ago had managed to teach her a measure of caution if not resignation. “A Battle of Honor is going to take place.” The woman bowed her head, using her hair as a shield. Riana realized she was afraid to be seen talking to her. “A what?” “A Battle of Honor. A warrior has taken exception to the Supreme Chief's order. A warrior has foolishly allowed his anger to better his judgment.” “You mean that because some warrior has spoken his mind, Darias is going to fight him?” Riana asked, incredulous. “It is a matter of honor. A challenge has been issued and must be answered.” Riana was still busy trying to take in what she'd just learned. “So what you are

telling me is Darias, the Supreme Chief,” she corrected, “would lose face if he allowed a challenge to go unanswered?” “The Supreme Chief’s word is law, but, unlike, his father, he allows the Challenge. He maintains his authority while showing he respects disagreement.” “I see.” Riana tapped her bottom lip with the tip of one slender finger. “Tell me. Are women allowed to watch a Battle?” “Yes. It is encouraged as a Battle of Honor is meant to be observed by all.” “Come on. Let’s go.” Riana slipped between two hulking warriors, intent on finding a more advantageous site from which to view the match. “This is something I wouldn't miss for all the profit in a hold.” As luck would have it, she found a spot right up front. Riana claimed it despite several disapproving looks from nearby warriors. A circle roughly ten meters in diameter was cleared. Darias and his opponent stripped to the waist. Gaith attached a small, circular device to each man’s back. “What are those?” Riana asked, as the other woman came up beside her. “When a man's shoulders are pinned to the floor, they signal the end of the match.” “Hush, women.” A warrior standing next to Riana barked out the order. She shot him a resentful glance from under lowered lids, but continued watching in silence. The challenging warrior started the match with a lunging punch, which Darias easily sidestepped. Punch after punch, the challenger attacked Darias and it soon became apparent that Darias’ opponent was woefully outmatched. Darias moved with a smooth grace that was beautiful to watch. No needless energy was expended as he circled the larger man, seeking an opening. He soon found it and lashed out with a lightning quick left. The man's head snapped back. Darias closed in, and hefted the other man over his shoulder. The man landed, stunned, on his back. A high pitched electronic signal marked the count. On the eighth count, the man staggered to his feet. Two more lefts, and then a right, and the man was out cold, the device on his back bleating out a continuous signal. “Remove him. When he wakes, tell him he is no longer a part of my personal guard. I will not have a man abuse his power.” Darias glared at the crowd. “Gaith, tell his concubine the Council will find her a new master. Until such time, she may stay in the keep.” He stalked through the crowd until he reached the open door to his office on the left side of the hall. The sound of the door slamming behind him as he disappeared inside echoed all the way to the high ceiling. “This was over a woman?” Try as she might, Riana couldn't keep the total disbelief out of her voice. The warrior who had shushed her before, aimed a disdainful glance down at Riana. “This isn't over a woman. This is over disobedience. The warrior, Maric, shouldn't have questioned his leader.” Riana ignored his admonishment and let a long, slow smile curve her lips. Now Darias would pay. **** Darias stood beside the bed, staring at Riana as she slept. How did one woman have such influence over him? Even after spending long hours contemplating that very question, it was as incomprehensible as ever. Less than a quarter of a cycle ago, the plight of Maric's woman would have gone

unnoticed by him. What a man did with his slave was his own business, so long as she was not physically harmed. But when he had heard Maric offering the services of the woman as part of a business deal, rage had flared swift and hot. Part of it stemmed from the sheer misery he saw on the woman's face, most of the blame for his actions, however, fell squarely on the shoulders of the woman sleeping so peacefully in his bed. She'd made it impossible for him to ignore such behavior. Life was much simpler before her ship had crashed. He reached out and drew a strand of her hair between his fingers. Spidersilk spun by the finest artisans on the Far Islands and smuggled into Nexar by Zarcasian pirates wasn't this soft. Fanned out against the space-deep blue of his pillows, the rich color of her hair glowed like the heart of an ember in the dim light offered by the single, lit lamp. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't come. He found couldn't stay away. Darias undressed slowly, keeping his gaze on Riana all the while. He could do this, take his pleasure yet remain in control. The night in the garden flashed through his mind. Then, even with the suppressant, he’d come dangerously close to losing himself in her body. Tonight would be different. Tonight he’d prove exactly where her place was and who commanded her body. And his. When he was naked, he pulled the sheet down to the foot of the bed. He put one knee on the bed, but hesitated to get fully on the bed. Krel, he wanted her. So much it scared him, yet he couldn’t help but touch her. He unlaced the ties of her nightdress, carefully so as not to wake her, and opened it, his breath catching in his throat from the vision of her naked flesh. Her firm breasts were just large enough to fit into the palm of his hand. He cupped one in his right hand, her skin pale and smooth compared to his. It felt so right. She shifted and sighed under his touch. Darias slid his hand down, slowly opening the gown as he went. Riana moved her legs restlessly, opening them even though still asleep. The triangle of darker red hair and the deep shadow between her slightly parted legs, sent blood coursing through his veins. His breathing became fast and unsteady. He lowered his head and touched his mouth to the side of her neck. Her scent filled his head. She smelled like the crystal flame, a rare flower that bloomed only at night around a single, high mountain lake deep in the heart of the jungle. A scent that was both provocatively sweet and woodsy. He braced his hands on either side of her body, trailing his mouth to the hollow of her throat. Darias wasn't sure he would survive this slow, steady conquest, but he intended to try. More than that, he had to prove it to himself. He placed wet kisses down to between the soft mounds of her breasts. He raised his head and blew across her breasts. Her nipples hardened immediately and she moaned. Darias drew one nipple into his mouth, and sucked. He moved his hand between her thighs. Krel, she was wet already. Then it came to him what he was doing. His head reared back and he gritted his teeth as he fought for control. No, he would not behave in this manner. He was Supreme Chief, not some untried youth who could not tame his hormones and hold to Nexarian law. A

law created centuries ago so that men would not succumb to the debilitating lure of women. Riana's hand came up to cup his head in sleepy protest. He resisted her urging to lower his head again. “Darias?” She lifted long lashes, revealing a questioning gaze darkened with passion. Darias covered her mouth with his, stilling the question. Her tongue tangled with his. Her hand unerringly found his maleness and began caressing him. Darias nearly shot up off the bed. He removed her hand from his member, twining his fingers with hers, and pinned her hands to the mattress. She nibbled on his neck and her foot rubbed up the back of his leg. He slid down her body, ignoring her murmured objection that changed to a purr when he placed his mouth on the back of her knee and painted intricate patterns with his tongue. She curled her leg up and over his shoulder, opening her to him completely. The spicy scent of her arousal was the most potent aphrodisiac he'd ever experienced. Darias forgot about making slow love to Riana, he forgot about making the point to her that he was in control, he even forgot the most basic tenet that decreed such things were not allowed outside of Punishment. All he knew was that he had to have her. He drew her clit into his mouth, circling it with his tongue before sucking strongly on it. He tested her readiness, slipping one finger into her moist heat. Her sheath closed, tight and hot. He couldn’t wait any longer. Threading his fingers through hers and pressing them to the sheet on each side of her head, he surged up over her body and thrust his cock into her in the same motion. Riana's hands tightened around his. He pumped in and out of her sex, lost in the feel of her welcoming warmth as it clung to his flesh. He felt his balls draw up tight. Krel, no. No. Not yet. Darias gritted his teeth as the base of his spine tingled, warning him of impending release. “No,” he groaned as he lost the battle and his release poured forth. He collapsed, spent. Head next to hers on the pillow, he drew labored breaths into his lungs. Hot puffs of air heated his ear. He grinned, his earlier ire wiped out by the realization she was just as exhausted. She wriggled. Darias realized he was too heavy for her and rolled to one side, a forearm over his eyes. A niggling awareness of having failed somehow jarred his contentment. He frowned. He’d just had the best sex of his life, what could be wrong? A yawn cracked his jaw. Tomorrow. He’d work it out tomorrow. **** Riana awoke after a restless night. For a while last night, she'd been certain there was something different about Darias. He'd seem more vulnerable. She snorted silently. As if there was anything vulnerable about the man. All he cared about was his own pleasure. Look at the way he turned over when he was finished, making her feel for the first time she truly was his slave.

Staring at the carved ceiling, Riana went over her plan to goad Darias into accepting a challenge. It was risky, but she was counting on his belief that all women were intrinsically weak. He stirred beside her. Riana closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She waited until he was out of bed and almost dressed before she spoke. “Why are the men of Nexar so afraid of women?” His head shot up and Darias pinned her with a molten-gold gaze. “You asked that during your Punishment. Where did you get such a ridiculous notion?” Darias finished buckling his weapons belt around his waist. “It's obvious. Why else would you reduce women to slaves?” “All women are not slaves,” he refuted, staring down at her from his great height. “You,” he pointed out, “are a slave. Bryta is not.” Riana lowered her lashes so he wouldn't see the barb had gotten under her skin. “Explain the difference between my position and Bryta's.” She traced a fold in the blue, almost black, spidersilk sheet. The silk retained the warmth of his body and smelled of sex, evoking memories of him. Inside her. Hot. Hard. Moving. Her stomach muscles clenched and she resisted the temptation to fan her face. “Bryta belongs to Gaith; she is above you in rank.” Darias seemed to think that finished the conversation. He sat down and tugged on his boots. “I belong to you. And what good is rank without the power to back it up? Bryta may not issue even the smallest command to a male, any male. All she is allowed to do is relay her master's orders.” “She is a woman. It is not her place to issue commands.” He bent and laced the left boot. Riana got the impression he was avoiding her gaze. She almost laughed aloud at that thought. Darias was too arrogant, too certain that his way, Nexar's way, was the only way. “I ask again, if the men of Nexar are not afraid of women, why do they keep them enslaved?” Darias stood up, his hands on his hips. “The men of Nexar fear nothing.” A muscle in his jaw jumped. “Don't push your luck, Riana. I have been patient with you.” Riana looked down and subdued a quick flare of anger. “I have no wish to Punish you. Keep fighting and you’ll force me to act.” “Prove it,” she taunted, glancing up and snagging his eyes with her own direct gaze. She let the sheet slip lower, revealing her naked chest. She felt a surge of triumph as his gaze lingered on her breasts. “I challenge you to a Battle of Honor.” “I don't need to prove anything.” The warm gold of his eyes turned hard with warning before he began lacing the right boot dismissing her argument. “Then you are afraid to accept my challenge?” Riana sat up and the sheet fell to her waist. His head snapped up, and he straightened. “You test my indulgence!” “You fear losing to a woman.” Her statement hung on the air. “I accept your challenge.” Riana pushed back the covers, and stood. She skirted the bed until she was a heartbeat from Darias. “If I lose, I will acquiesce to your ways. All of them,” she

emphasized. “I will not flout your commands, resist your orders, or insist women be treated the same as men. But if you lose, if you lose then you agree to issue the command that the men and women of Nexar reverse roles. Men will be subservient to women in all things. They will have exactly the same rights and privileges that women currently endure.” Riana paused, her gaze locked with Darias’ molten one. “Do you still accept my challenge, or would you rather back out?” she taunted softly. “Be in the Great Hall in two hours.” He turned on heel, and stalked out. **** The Great Hall was packed. Riana stood next to Bryta and stared at the enormous monitors lining the upper walls of the Hall. “What are those for?” She angled her chin up at the walls. “They connect all of Nexar with the Great Hall. Bryta stammered, wringing her hands. “The entire country-state is watching the Battle,” she whispered in awe. “Are you sure challenging the Supreme Chief is wise? When you lose, he'll be very angry. He might even make Punishment public.” Her voice so low, Riana had to lean down to hear her. “Have faith in me,” Riana admonished her friend. “I won't lose.” Her confidence was placed on more than the mere fact that Darias underestimated her ability. She had a trick up her sleeve, one she wasn't prepared to share even with Bryta. “I have survived a public punishment before, my friend. If worse comes to worse, I'll survive this one.” Bryta was already shaking her head. Tears welled in her large, soft grey eyes. “The Garden Punishment was not public.” She swallowed, fear making her voice tremble. “Public Punishment is reserved for the greatest crime, a direct affront to a master's honor. It is a master's right to demand that Punishment be held in the Great Hall, before all of Nexar.” Riana turned slowly to face her friend. “You mean punishment in the garden isn't considered public punishment?” Her chest tightened as she waited for Bryta's answer. Bryta shook her head. “Public Punishment is not only held in the Great Hall, but is broadcast throughout Nexar. The woman must disrobe under the eyes of all the warriors. She is then strapped onto the Punishment Stone and must endure Punishment from sunrise to sunset. If her master deems it appropriate, Punishment may continue through the night until the following sunrise. She must stay in the Great Hall, unclothed, until all signs of Punishment have faded. Only then is she allowed to dress. A master can cast off a woman after Public Punishment if the offense is severe enough.” A delicate shudder ran the length of Bryta's spine. “You do not want to be cast off.” Goddess, bearing the humiliation of punishment in the garden was hard enough. How would she survive public punishment if she failed in her challenge? Riana lifted her chin. There was only one option. She would not fail. Across the circle, the crowd parted and Darias strode through. He wore only his breeches and, around his throat, the fireice badge of rank that proclaimed him Supreme Chief. He paused beside Gaith and slipped the pendant off, passing it to him. “All will be well, Bryta. Trust me.” Riana couldn't take her eyes off Darias. The man really was a magnificent beast. She smiled thinly. Soon he would be a caged beast. The small woman put her hand on Riana's shoulder for a fleeting moment. “I hope so

or I will share Punishment with you.” For the first time Riana realized that by standing beside her, Bryta was declaring her loyalty to her as well as defying the Rules. The muscles in her face tightened. She wouldn't let her friend down. “Darias, you should Punish the woman and forget this nonsense.” Gaith's shout rang out over the crowd. Darias turned slowly. “Do you question my handling of my slave?” “Of course not,” the warrior dismissed impatiently. “But you've allowed this woman, an offworlder at that, to set a bad precedent. She doesn't stand a chance, but by giving weight to her challenge the seeds of rebellion may be sown.” “Do you so fear one woman?” Riana started, realizing Darias was using her argument against his own warrior. The warrior flushed. “No. I apologize.” Darias turned back to the center of the circle, his gaze finding and locking with hers. He walked until less than a meter separated them. When he spoke, his words didn't carry past her ears. “I will make Punishment private if you cease this foolishness and apologize in front of my warriors.” She answered him with a backhand across the mouth that split his lip. Darias wiped the smear of blood away, then stared at the drop of bright red glistening on his fingers. He lifted his gaze, utterly impassive. “I'll take that as a no.” He lashed out with his forearm. Riana blocked the blow, but the force of it nearly broke her arm. She knew she couldn't allow this fight on his terms. Physically, he was much stronger. She was quicker, however. She also possessed another advantage. Despite having shown some skill at fighting during their first meeting, Darias wouldn’t see past his preconceptions of her gender. She fully intended to make his blindness his downfall. Seven weeks of inactivity took their toll, however. Within minutes, her breath labored in her chest. Sweat dripped into her eyes. Impatiently, she shook her head, clearing her vision. To her disgust, Darias had barely broken a sweat. Her arm ached from his first blow and her right thigh burned with pain from another. But, she thought in grim satisfaction, he was no longer smiling. Twice, she had taken him down to the mat. She circled him, giving herself a minute to catch her breath. Suddenly, she dropped to the floor, sweeping her left leg out in an arc. The maneuver caught Darias right behind the knee. He landed on his back. She was on him in an instant, an arm across his throat, cutting his supply of oxygen. The electronic signal beeped the count. “Concede?” she panted. “No,” he bit out, and wedged his arm under her throat. Instead of shoving her onto her back, he smiled. She knew then that he was playing with her, allowing her to hope she could prevail. It was an effective tactic. Or would have been if she didn't have a trick of her own up her sleeve. Her heart beat painfully in her chest and her lungs laboring for air. Would it work? Even if it did, how long would it immobile a man the size of Darias? She sent a quick prayer to the Goddess Zaida then leaned in closer until her mouth was right next to his ear. “You will.” She moved quickly and pressed a thumb on each side of his neck.

She saw the quick flare of rage and desperation in the amber eyes as Darias realized his muscles were paralyzed. She grinned and straddled his massive chest, pushing his shoulders flat to the floor. She leaned down and took his mouth with hers in an unmistakable gesture of victory. Dead silence filled the Great Hall as the electronic signal shrilled the final count. Warriors stared, unable to believe their eyes. Their Chief had been defeated—by a woman. Slowly, gaining momentum a little at a time, a cheer arose, until it filled the cavernous room. At first it was a few voices, then a few dozen, finally several hundred feminine screams filled the air. Riana lifted her mouth and opened her eyes. She stared down at Darias, into a gaze the color of tarnished gold. Male musk rose from his hot and sweaty body. A fierce rush of arousal hardened her nipples and pooled between her legs. “You lose,” she whispered next to his ear. She lifted a lock of damp hair from across his eyes with her mouth. The black hair felt like spidersilk on her lips, stirring the lust already simmering in her blood. “No,” he rejected, his voice a harsh whisper. Denial sparked his golden eyes, making them burn. She reached down and took his lower lip between her teeth. She tugged sharply, and was rewarded with his sharply indrawn breath. “Admit it. You lost. According to the terms of our wager, the winner owns the loser, body and soul. Say it,” she ordered. She could see Darias’ inner struggle, could feel his need to deny reality. She also saw the moment when honor won. “I'm yours.” “Louder. I want every one of your warriors to hear you.” Dull color stained the hard cheeks. “I belong to you.” “Body and soul,” she prompted. “Body and soul, I belong to you.” His roar drowned out the sound of the women cheering. Silence once more descended. “Again.” “I belong to you, body and soul.” Riana dipped her head and kissed Darias for all to see. It was a mark of pure possession. Her tongue darted inside his mouth and danced over the ridges in the roof of his mouth. Shivers raced over the exposed flesh of his chest, and a deep shudder racked his muscles. His hips flexed involuntarily. Riana pulled back, and he groaned. Riana stood up, and held one hand down to Darias. He stared at it for a moment, then back up at her before finally placing his hand in hers. His huge paw swallowed hers as she helped him stand. He stumbled for a second, before finding his balance. Within minutes, the full effect of the nerve pinch would wear off. She owed the good Lieutenant a bottle of his favorite wine. She smiled. Perhaps she'd get Sharri to deliver it for her. “Do you uphold your end of the wager or are you without honor?” she goaded when he remained mute. The cords in his throat pulsed violently at the taunt. He turned to the crowd. “I give you the Supreme Chief of Nexar.” Muted rumbles threatened to get out of

control. Darias raised his hand. Riana was impressed with the quick obedience of his warriors, especially considering the circumstances. “I gave my word. Nexar is no longer ruled by men. We will obey our women and give them the same respect we have commanded.” He held his hand out to Gaith, a silent order to hand over the Badge of Rank. Only Riana saw the fine tremor in his fingers as he slipped the pendant—a dragon in flight, gaping jaws open in a roar—over her head. Darias slowly knelt before her, his head bowed. Riana stared at the lowered head. She'd done it. She was free. The women of Nexar were free, chattel no more. “Kneel to your masters, men,” she ordered, her command ringing from one end of the Great Hall to the other. One by one, resistance and resentment eloquent in the posture, the warriors of Nexar went down on bended knee in front of the women. “From the day forward, wife, not husband, will rule the home and the land. If currently a leman, she may chose a husband from any single man she pleases. A man is not allowed to serve two mistresses, but a woman may have a husband and as many slaves as she wishes. The current Laws and Punishments will hold sway, only modified to reflect the change of status.” Riana looked up, acknowledging for the first time the vidscreens that connected the rest of the country-state to the Great Hall. “No man is too lowborn, nor too highborn to be exempt from this decree.” “Now, clear this hall. Go home and prepare to greet your new mistress in a manner that befits her station. Before you leave, turn over your Badge of Rank to your wife or mistress. Unclaimed men give your Badge to Bryta, my first-in-command.” Riana turned toward Darias. “Go wait in my chambers until I send for you.” A muscle jumped in his jaw as he spun about on heel and stalked with the grace of a hunting panthra to the stairs. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the Great Hall was cleared of men and Riana sat, ensconced, in Darias’ chair at the head of the Council table. She stroked the aged, gleaming wood of the arms. The chair felt good, almost as good as her chair on the Midnight Mischief. She'd done it. She'd really done it. She now ruled Darias instead of the other way around. She allowed herself a moment to savor that fact. A babble of feminine voices assaulted her ears as the women in the room tried to get her attention at one time. Unfortunately, that meant she also ruled Nexar. A plan. She needed a plan. Biting her lip to keep the incipient panic from erupting into full-blown, I-want-to-leave-the-planet-now, panic, Riana decided to tackle the situation the same way she would when planning an extended trade mission. One step at a time. The first step was to learn as much as possible about the running of Nexar. She flashed the women a reassuring smile and prayed they couldn't see her pulse tripping at light-speed. “Now, first and foremost, we need to familiarize ourselves with the rules governing Nexar.” She tapped at the keyboard embedded in the table. Large letters flashed across the recessed screen: ACCESS DENIED. PASSWORD REQUIRED. “Does anyone know the access code for the computer?” Bryta, on Riana's right, cleared her throat. “No.” She glanced at the other women,

encouraged by their silent support. “The Supreme Chief, I mean, Darias was the only one with full access.” Of course he would. The man was a flipping control freak. Chagrined at having to asking for his help this early in the game, she motioned to a tall statuesque woman. “You, there, by the door. Escort Darias to me.” Riana was furious with herself. Where were her brains? She should have realized Darias would never leave a system as important as the government’s computer unprotected. She should have gotten the password before dismissing him. Sharri would laugh herself silly at her predicament. She'd often chided her for being too-detail oriented. Bootheels rang out against the stone, loud in a room filled with slipper-clad women, as Darias strode into the huge room. He bowed his head as he came to a halt. The gesture stopped just short of insolent. “You sent for me, my lady?” Even his question, on the surface proper, spoke of his controlled rage. “What is the access code for Nexar's main computer?” “I am a slave, my lady, and unworthy of such knowledge.” “Until an hour ago, you were Supreme Chief and the only one with the knowledge.” Riana began drumming her fingers on the chair arm. His eyes focused on the betraying gesture. She stopped immediately. “An hour ago I was not a slave.” “You gave me your word as Supreme Chief and warrior to obey.” “As slave I have no knowledge of the information you request. As warrior, it is my duty to deny you that information.” “Was your duty,” she reminded him. “You are no longer a warrior, but a slave. My slave.” Several men drifted in from the hallway, no longer trying to remain unobtrusive. The anticipation from both the women and men around her simmered on the air. The women, aware that his actions were a deliberate affront to her authority, were waiting to see if she had the nerve to punish him as he deserved. The men, on the other hand, silently smug at Darias’ use of his new slave status to thwart her, were anticipating her failure in this, her first real challenge as Supreme Chief. Well, they would just have to wait. Despite the men of Nexar beliefs that women were weak, she was more than up to this game of wills. “Wait for me in the garden,” Riana continued with deceptive gentleness. She glanced at the two strapping women standing on either side of Darias. “Escort him to my garden and stand guard.” She had the pleasure of seeing pure rage spring to life in his gold eyes before he could control it. She watched him leave, admiring his arrogance even as she vowed to crush it out of him. “Does that mean we can't get in the computer system unless he gives us the password?” one woman asked. “No.” She thumped her clenched fist on the arm of the chair. “I should have foreseen this.” She took a deep breath. “We'll get into the computer system. It'll just take us a little time.” But how? She was conscious of the eyes filled with trust looking in her direction. She couldn't let them down. The solution came to her in a flash. “Of course! My ship.” “Riana?” “I'll use my ship's computer to interface with this one. Come with me.” Excitement

raced through her veins. Now, if only the Midnight Mischief wasn't too badly damaged. Riana mentally crossed her fingers. **** Her hopes rose as she surveyed her vessel. It was even better than she'd dared dream. Apart from some minor hull damage, her ship was in remarkable condition. The fierce ion storm had not seriously impaired the outer structure. Riana placed her palm next to the hatch. A prickle of energy washed over her, the automated intruder defense—activated the minute she physically left the ship—checking her bio-signs against those in its memory banks. That tingle would knock an unauthorized person unconscious. The door slid open with a mechanized hiss. The new members of the Council crowded around outside the door, not able to muster the nerve to enter. Riana hoped their timidness soon dissipated or the men would walk all over them, Darias’ decree notwithstanding. Inside, items were strewn everywhere, including her precious bound books. Tenderly retrieving her favorite, The Damsel and the Dragon, she held it against her chest as she gathered the rest and crossed to the helm. Her arms full, she surveyed the array of equipment for external damage and found none. “Computer, status.” “Memory wipe to historical database 0115, files damaged in geological database 7114. Anti-grav system unstable due to partial loss of programming,” came the masculine voice of her computer, Barney. Damn. It had taken her two weeks and fifteen thousand credits to wheedle the historical data on the Kalipse star system. Difficult, secretive and paranoid, the Kalisids were masters at creating several of the unique sexual toys her customers craved. But one had to approach them properly. One misstep in the complicated, two day greeting ceremony and you were out. “What about the rest of the systems?” “Nominal,” Oh well, once she shook the dust of this planet from her feet, she could hunt down the good Lieutenant and again prevail on him to use his sources to obtain the information she needed on the Kalipse system. Dumping the armload of clothes, holobooks and assorted other clutter on the chair, Riana paused only long enough to send a message to Sharri that she was okay and would contact her soon. Spotting her palm computer still in its docking station, she disconnected it and exited the ship, the ancient book tucked securely under her arm. “All right, ladies. Now we see just what secrets the men have kept from you.” She held up the small computer held up in a sign of victory then led the small procession back to the Great Hall. Less than an eye blink after connecting the computer to the terminal in the Great Hall, she had full access. Page after page of Rules, Punishments and Exceptions appeared on her screen. It was amazing the amount of detail that went into governing the behavior of women. More than went into governing the entire country-state, that was for certain. One section in particular caught her eye. “Why that sorry bastard,” she muttered, staring in disbelief at the screen. “He made me believe he was unaffected by the punishment.” She looked up. “Did any of you

realize that the men take a potion before punishment?” All the women looked puzzled. “A potion to make them immune to sexual stimulation during punishment?” she clarified. They shook their heads. “It is the reason they are able to remain detached during punishment.” Riana watched as anger replaced puzzlement in the women’s eyes. She could almost see the fire shoot from them. Riana ducked her head to hide a grin. She had a feeling she need not worry any longer about the men walking all over the women. Maybe she ought to be more concerned about the men. She had a sneaking suspicion they were in for a pretty rough time. She snorted. Served them right. The women looked from one to the other. “Where do we get this potion?” Bryta asked the question Riana could see on all their faces. Her friend, it seemed, had been reluctantly elected spokeswoman for the group. Riana allowed a slow grin to spread across her face. “We already have it.” She took pity of their confusion. “The Badges contain the suppressant. No wonder they were so reluctant to hand them over. They were probably scared to death we'd discover their secret.” She began chuckling as the irony of the situation hit her. The symbol of the women's new power also held their most powerful weapon of punishment. “Can you just imagine the thoughts that must be zipping through their skulls? How uneasy they must be, knowing we are attempting to break through the computer’s guards?” “I'll make Timoth more than uneasy,” one woman muttered before a slow smile of anticipation curved her full lips. “I just bet you will.” And she wouldn’t be alone, not if the expression on the faces of the other women was any indication. **** Well into late afternoon, Riana put a hand on her lower back, and stretched. Massaging the sharp pain in her back from sitting too long, she stared at the computer screen. Well, well, well. No wonder Darias had been so adamant about not approaching the Far Islands. She tapped one finger on the console and considered the implications of what she'd found. She’d stumbled across a hidden, triple-protected folder. Intrigued by the care he’d taken to protect and hide the folder, she’d spent over an hour unlocking his security. And discovered his very interesting personal journal. “Bryta, have you heard of a leader called Saria?” She kept her voice low, not wanting the other women to know just yet what she’d discovered. Bryta looked up from her own computer terminal, a frown of intense concentration on her face. “Hmm? Saria? No, I haven't. That doesn't sound like a Nexarian name.” She pushed a key and minimized the ledger she'd been studying, devoting her full attention to Riana. “It isn't. It's the name of the Supreme Chief of the Far Islands.” Her face cleared. “That explains it. No man here would have such a feminine sounding name.” “Saria is a female.” “But that can't be. You said Saria was Supreme Chief.” Riana tapped the computer stylus against her bottom lip. “I did, didn't I?”

“But that means…” “Yep. The Far Islands' leader is a woman.” She made a note on her palm computer to contact Saria about commerce between their two country-states. “Men own women. It's impossible.” “Evidently, not all women. Not for a long time, perhaps a century or more, if the journal is accurate.” “And Gaith knew this?” Sharp hurt darkened Bryta's fine eyes. “Maybe. I don't know. It is entirely possible he didn't. The men of Nexar believe women incapable of running a household, much less an entire country-state. To discover that the Far Islands, a land with more natural resources than Nexar, is governed by a woman would run contrary to every belief they hold dear.” Her hand slowly closed into a fist. “Darias, however, did know. I'm willing to bet the entire cargo in my ship's hold that it is the reason he refused to consider trade with the Far Islands. He couldn't trade with a woman on equal basis and keep the respect of his warriors.” Her knuckles shone white as she clenched her fist tighter. “And, more than that, he dare not let word spread that the women of the Far Islands are free.” Bryta’s gaze homed in on her hand. One finger at a time, Riana forced her hand to relax until it lay flat on the polished wood. Precisely the reason he'd come down on her so hard when she'd persisted in suggesting that he open trade with the Far Islands. He'd known she'd have seen the implications immediately. Stubborn, stubborn man. “What do we do now?” Determination tightened Riana's delicate jaw. “I want this knowledge kept strictly between you and me for now. Not even Gaith is to know. As for the rest, we learn. It is a given the men will not aid us so we study the ledgers, journals and whatever else we can get our hands on. Also, I'm willing to bet you women know more about the men's goings on than you, or they, believe.” She leaned her elbows on the table, bringing her face close to Bryta’s. “While you haven't been allowed to make any decisions, you've had the day to day running of your homes and, in most cases, have worked side by side with your husbands or masters in their guild businesses. At the very least, you all must have absorbed some working knowledge from your men.” She glanced about, checking to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. Everyone seemed absorbed in what was on their own computer screens. “Nexar needs outside trade. Darias saw that the economy is slowly stagnating and the drought has only made matters worse. That is why he was negotiating with Trinearia. But to be frank, I'm hesitant to continue to deal with the Northern Continent.” She hesitated, and then lowered her voice still further. “From all I've learned so far, Trinearia is even more backward in its beliefs than Nexar. They might choose to attack if they learn women are in charge. On the other hand, it's bad business to approach the Far Islands from a weakened position. We have to appear strong. If they believe we don't know what we're doing, we'll lose any advantage we might have.” Abruptly, she pushed back her chair. Riana rapped once on the polished top of the table to get the other women’s attention. “All material will be made available for any woman who wishes to study it. I'd advise everyone to study it thoroughly. You and the other women are now the owners of the estates and businesses. Unless you wish to fail,

you need to make yourselves familiar with the day to day running of the properties. Each woman will assume her husband's rank and responsibilities. Those without husbands, get with Bryta so she can assign rank.” From the corner of her eye, Riana saw Bryta's reaction. The other woman's eyes kept growing larger until they were in danger of popping out of her head and she grew so pale that she feared Bryta might faint. Under the buzz of conversation, Bryta turned to Riana. “You cannot be serious.” She twisted her hands together, but Riana could still see they were shaking. “I can't do this.” “Yes, you can. Gaith was Darias’ right-hand man. You learned more from him than you think. Besides, you're smart and quick to learn. You know these women, Bryta. You know what they're capable of, what their faults are.” She rushed to finish when Bryta opened her mouth to continue her objections. “I have faith in you.” The other woman's mouth shut with an audible little snap. Her back straightened and her head came up. “You may rely on me.” “I will.” They shared a smile before Riana turned back to the Council table. “We will meet again in three days and formulate a comprehensive plan for opening negotiations with the Far Islands. Until then, ladies.” Riana walked at a sedate pace, her beloved novel under her arm and a smile on her face, until she was out of the Great Hall. That low-down, space-sucking, son of a garbage scow. Riana stalked up the wide, winding staircase. He'd known all along that women could be more than slaves. It made her want hit something, preferably his thick skull. She felt like an utter fool. Somehow, it'd been easier to rationalize his behavior when she believed it the legacy of a planet stuck in some barbaric past. Hah! To think she'd convinced herself that she could open his eyes and make him see women as partners rather than just slaves. Now, even her victory this afternoon was tainted. In the back of her mind, hidden even from herself, had been the desire to prove the women just as capable as the men. A fact he already knew, but refused to admit. No, Darias wasn't trapped by ancient customs, he clung to them with all his enormous strength and willpower. Once in the chamber she shared with Darias, Riana crossed to the table on her side of the huge bed and tucked her book inside carefully. Closing the drawer, she pondered her next move and tried to get a hold on her temper. Even though Darias had lost the competition, he still considered himself in charge. His attitude showed that clearly enough. What she needed was something to catch his attention, made him feel as helpless as she had. A wicked thought crossed her mind. Dare she? The old-fashioned bell pull on the wall caught her eye. Why not? He certainly hadn’t hesitated to humiliate her. She walked over and gave it a hard tug that reflected her mood. Seconds later a servant knocked hesitantly at the door. “Come in.” A tall brunette opened the door. “You wished for something, Supreme Chief?” “Yes, I wish to have new clothes fashioned for my slave.” She gave a detailed description of what she wanted. The woman's eyes got larger and larger, then began to sparkle. “I want them delivered to my quarters by sunrise tomorrow. Can you manage that?” “Oh, yes, ma'am.” She almost tripped over her feet backing out the door, so great

was her hurry. A dangerous smile shaped Riana's lips as she turned to double glass doors leading to the garden.

Chapter Four Darias stopped prowling the moment Riana appeared in the secluded Punishment alcove. He almost didn’t see her. A cloak covered her from throat to ankle. Only the pale flash of her face and the muted fire of her hair gave away her presence. He couldn’t prevent his low growl of rage. “End this farce. A warrior should not be Punished like a woman!” She nodded at the two women, dismissing them as she continued her slow, deliberate pace until she was several steps inside the perimeter of the force field. His spine stiffened as she studied him with an impassive gaze. “I see.” She tapped her bottom lip with a finger. “So what you are saying is that the men of Nexar do not honor their pledges?” “You impugn my honor?” Outrage vied with fury, but he quelled both with much effort. “Me? Impugn your honor?” She arched an elegant brow. “I have no need. You demonstrate quite well how highly you regard 'your honor'.” Darias inclined his head, acknowledging the hit. “I bow to your will.” “In all things?” she drawled, removing the concealing mantle and folding it carefully. Beneath she still wore the tunic and belled trousers she so hated. He was surprised she hadn't already changed into clothes from her ship. “In all things,” he confirmed, unable to prevent a bitter twist to his lips. “Privacy shield.” Darias started, then gritted his teeth and hoped she hadn't noticed the small, betraying movement. She had. “Did you believe I would forget to change the voice command?” She smiled, a slow, provocative lift of her lips. “Not on your life. Go ahead, try and see if you can deactivate it.” He remained mute, refusing to perform for her amusement. “Ah, well. It was just a thought.” Riana placed her mantle on a bush. The very same bush he'd thrown his over. Darias didn't miss the symbolism of the act. She strolled over to the Punishment Stone behind him. “Lights.” She stroked the seat, and then raised a delicate eyebrow at him. The command was clear. “You seriously don't expect me to cooperate?” he growled, still furious at what he saw as a trick on her part. “Do not take that tone with me or punishment will be that much worse.” She threw his words back at him, pure rage erasing her impassive demeanor for an instant. Almost immediately, she had herself back under control. Darias was stunned. He'd realized she had refused to accept her status as slave and had found it difficult to adjust to Nexarian ways, but not even after her challenge this afternoon had he understood just how deep her resentment ran. “Remove your clothes.” Darias stared at her for a long moment, honor struggling with the need to overwhelm her, take back his proper position. Honor won. Still keeping his gaze locked with hers, he

kicked off his boots, then unlaced his tunic and pulled if off over his head. Tugging at the strip of leather that secured his breeches, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pushed them down, stepping out of them in one lithe movement. He stood there, hands held out at his side, bared for her inspection. “My lady,” he mocked, “I hope you approve of what you see.” “Get on the Punishment Stone.” Her tone was remote, almost indifferent. If a tiny part of him had believed she wouldn't be able to carry out Punishment, that part died the moment she snapped the padded ankle cuffs closed, and drew them tight so quickly after he was flat on his back. “Place your arms above your head.” Seconds later, the wrist cuffs were in place. Riana moved to stand between his splayed thighs. Darias was acutely aware that she had an unobstructed view of his body. His knees were raised and his thighs spread wide, held firmly in place by the leg supports and cuffs. Thin braces of the same malleable stone cradled each cheek of his ass, leaving it accessible. He knew that no matter how much he struggled, he wouldn't be able to move. Never had he felt so open … so vulnerable. Riana ran her hands up the insides of his thighs, her touch just ruffling the hair on his legs. Despite the circumstance, the light stroke of her fingers was unbelievably erotic, his body responding reflexively. Darias tried to slam his legs shut but, restrained, couldn't. “Damn it, just get it over with!” Still with that barely-there touch, she slid her hands up, skirting his groin, skimming the muscles of his abdomen, until her hands rested on the swell of his chest muscles, the edge of her palms right below his nipples. He shivered as the heat of her palms contrasted sharply to the cool night air caressing his body. He stared at her in the dim light. What was she thinking? Did she really intend to carry all the way through with her threat of Punishment? Darias found that not knowing the answers to the questions left him feeling unexpectedly powerless. Was this the way she had felt when he Punished her? Darias’ heart stopped, stuttered, then began beating faster as she slid her hands the fraction of a centimeter needed to cover his nipples. Her warm palms cocooned his nipples in softness. Heat blasted his skin as she began rotating her hands gently, then faster and harder. His teeth closed on his lower lip as he fought to close his mind to the effect her touch was having on him. Riana deserved her Punishments. She had broken Nexar's Rules. As Supreme Chief, it was up to him to maintain order. Allowing her actions to go unpunished would have invited rebellion among the women. Punishment had incited Riana to rebellion. Darias shook his head to clear it of the traitorous thought. He was allowing her arguments to sway his thinking. That mustn't happen. Not if he wanted to regain leadership of Nexar. He had to concentrate on finding a flaw in their bargain before his world crumbled about them. Once she accepted she couldn't win, she'd see the wisdom in their ways. Her hands slowed, began moving in small, evocative circles. His nipples beaded in response. Darias cursed as he felt the unmistakable stirring of his sex. He gritted his teeth and willed it to go away. Spread open to her gaze as he was though, there was no way to hide his reaction. Dammit, he refused to give her the satisfaction of succumbing to

Punishment. He was a warrior. He ruled his body, he was not ruled by it. Riana pinched his left nipple without warning. Air whistled from between his teeth and he arched against his restraints. She rolled the hard nub between her thumb and forefinger, and tugged gently. Sweat popped out on his brow when she left off her teasing and trailed her hand down his chest, to his abdomen, just below his navel. Darias tensed, unsure what Riana intended to do next. He sucked in a breath when she pulled lightly on the line of hair that led to his groin. His cock swelled to his utter dismay. Riana locked her gaze on his, lowered her head and engulfed the head of his cock with her mouth. No! He would not allow her to do this to him. Closing his hands into fists, he strained against the restraints holding him. Muscles bunched and burned, the cords in his neck stretched taut, Darias fought with all of his considerable strength to rip apart his bonds. He was a warrior. He was stronger than Riana in every way. He had complete control over himself and his world. He would not respond. Her tongue swirled around the tiny slit that bisected the tip. Hot. Wet. Teasing. “No,” he groaned, furious with his body's betrayal as his hips surged upward, craving the feel of her warm cavern swallowing the entire length of his shaft. Sheer frustration tore through him as Darias found he couldn't move more than a few centimeters. Her hair, the color of banked flame in recessed lighting of the garden, cascaded across his thighs, the mass caressing his tense muscles with tantalizing softness. He rolled his head against the stone in mute protest. How was it possible that she made him forget his vow to resist with just a few touches? Her soft fingers cupped his balls, massaging them with an arousing gentleness. Darias forgot his own question as she weighed each interior sphere. His eyes slid closed and his breath came raggedly from between slightly parted lips. Cold air hitting his erection brought Darias abruptly back to awareness. “No. Don't stop,” he protested without thought. She couldn't stop, not when he was so close to coming. Never had he been so fiercely aroused, so quickly. He squeezed his eyes shut, poised painfully on the edge of fulfillment. One more moment, all he needed was just one more moment. He opened his eyes. Riana straightened, her hips brushing the insides of his thighs. Even to his own ears, his breathing sounded harsh on the night air. The moon, hung low and huge in the night sky and brighter even than the light from the Punishment Stone, starkly illuminated his body and fell on the delicate strength of Riana's face. She stared back, her expression utterly dispassionate, reminding him forcibly of the precariousness of his position. She wasn’t going to let him come. She'd bring him to the brink of climax, time and time again, only to keep him there. Darias lost control. “Damn you! You can't do this to me. The Punishment is for women, not warriors,” he raged.

A slow smile spread over Riana's face. Dread filtered through his rage as he realized he'd roared the words. Everyone in the keep was now aware he was being Punished. Scalding heat crawled up his neck, to his face. Before he had a chance to recover his control, Riana slid one finger from the top of his buttocks, to the heavy sacs hanging between his legs. She traveled back the same way, just as slowly. His breath hitched in his chest at the implicit threat in the gentle glide of her finger. She wouldn't! Not even in Punishment was such a thing allowed. She would not dare… His mind refused to finish the sentence. Riana dipped the tip of one finger inside. She would. He bucked up against his restraints. Gods, no. Desperate, he struggled to get free, to find the control that used to come so easily to him. He felt her other hand at the bonds securing his thighs. All of a sudden, his hips shot up, escaping her scandalous touch, only to have his cock engulfed by her mouth. The ridges of her teeth raked gently the entire length as she swallowed him. His cock brushed against the back of her throat. Krel, that felt wonderful. Instinctively, he sank back down so he could pump himself into her mouth and claim the release she was determined to deny him. Only to be shocked into stillness. Her finger invaded his ass a little deeper this time. No, it wasn't proper, he thought, his wits scattering to the night winds at the sensual burning of the intrusion. He tried to find his tongue to tell her so, but it was stuck to the roof of his mouth. Gritting his teeth, he flexed his hips upward. Relief mingled with disappointment when the provocative movement stopped and her finger slipped out. His relief was short-lived when, again, her mouth closed over the head of his cock. Her tongue caressed the ridge running along the underside of his cock. Darias froze. Soon the wet heat of her mouth became too much to stand. The need to move, to rock his cock in and out of her lips, became overwhelming. He withdrew. Her finger was waiting to tease him. Unable to control the rhythmic thrust of his hips, he groaned as raw, unadulterated pleasure raced through his veins. It no longer mattered that what she was doing was sinful. All that mattered was the sensation of wet heat of her mouth, the burning fullness in his rectum, and the unbearable tightness of his balls. She moved back one step, no longer touching him anywhere. Cold currents of air brought reality crashing down. A shudder swept through Darias as she once again left him teetering on the brink of fulfillment. His muscles ached and his blood thundered in his ears. Before he had chance to gain even a semblance of control, Riana feathered his body with light, expert caresses. Words of need, begging even, sprang to his lips. He closed his eyes, his entire being on fire with the need to spew himself inside her. He was a warrior. He would be victorious. The struggle inside Darias became an outright war.

“I will get even,” he hissed as he realized this was one battle he was going to lose. She laughed softly. Darias squeezed his eyelids tighter, hating Riana and hating himself for the words that broke involuntarily from his throat. “Please, Riana. Let me come. Krel, let me come.” Her tongue swirled around and dipped inside his navel, simulating the rhythm of lovemaking. The small action pushed him over an invisible edge. “Please, Riana. Let me come!” he roared, the demand echoing into the night. “You can't do this to me.” His voice dropped to a guttural whisper. “You are driving me mad.” Her answer was to deliver a little bite to his inner thigh. Immediately, her tongue soothed the small sting. Desperation welled up in him. Nothing he could say would sway her. Riana was intent on keeping him on the pinnacle of sensation, and refused to let him fall. She tongued his nipples and then blew on them. The icy touch of air after the warmth of her mouth drew his nipple into a bead so tight that it was painful. He groaned. She raked the edge of her teeth over the tight nub. The muscles in his stomach clenched in need. Latching onto the vulnerable skin in his armpit with her mouth, she pulled strongly. He jumped. His balls tightened and drew up like they were connected on a chain. Chills chased across every centimeter of exposed flesh. Krel! Where had she learned to do that? She feathered kisses just above his hip. A muscle jumped under her delicate touch. His mouth went dry and Darias strained against the need to shout. He would not give in again. “Have you ever been fucked in the ass, Darias?” Shocked at the blunt question, he met her cool gaze. He wet his lips and struggled past his need to explode to shape an answer. “No.” “Did you know there is a set of nerves there that can bring a man to orgasm?” Her fingers, those slender, nimble fingers, tapped out a tattoo on the rock-hard muscle of his upper thigh. “Do not,” he warned thickly. “Ah, but that is the joy of being the one with the power. I can do whatever I want.” Deep, abiding anger burned in her ice-green eyes. “All you have to do is obey.” “Do not,” he croaked again, scandalized at the thought she would actually fuck him in the ass. Surely it was only a threat. She wouldn't really, not there. Tease him with the possibility, but not actually carry it out… She grasped both of his knees and pushed the stirrups higher until his knees were drawn back toward his chest. The Punishment Stone, designed for just such maneuvers, locked automatically into place the moment she let go. Moving from between his legs, she went to her cloak and removed something from its pocket. She was trying to break his will. Even with that knowledge, he couldn't help feeling extremely vulnerable with his legs up, and his ass exposed completely to her. He wasn't a particularly modest man, but Darias found that with the choice out of his hands, he was exceedingly uncomfortable with his nakedness.

She walked back between his legs and held up a small bottle for his inspection before pouring a small amount of oil in her hand. Her hand encircled his cock and smoothed the oil up and down, from base to tip. His cock hardened even more from the oil-slick stroking. She wasn’t going to follow through with the implied threat! He relaxed even as his sexual tension went up another notch. She paused and poured some more oil in her palm. A groan worked itself up from his depths. Krel, a couple more strokes and he'd come. Her hands, soft and slick, slipped down and massaged his balls instead, cupping and weighing them, paying particular attention to the spot right behind his scrotum. His heart pounded in his chest and stars shot behind his closed lids. He was going to win. Whether she wanted him to or not, he was going to come. She released him. His eyes shot open an instinctive protest on his lips. “Don’t stop.” A bead of pre-come leaked from the tip of his cock. She caught it on the tip of her tongue. It was one of the most erotic sights he'd ever seen. Why had he not let her suck his cock before? Maybe later, once he'd regained control of Nexar from Riana, they'd explore some of the things she'd done to him tonight more fully. Perhaps some things in Nexar should change. Maybe some things didn't have to be confined to Punishment. Every muscle in his body was so tight he ached. Again, she tipped oil into her palm. “Yesss,” he growled, more than ready to spew his seed. She let the oil trickle from her palm, down over his balls, lower, to the tight sphincter between his cheeks. His breath snarled in his throat. He waited in an agony of suspense for her to take his cock in her hand again. Her finger circled that forbidden part of his body. Light, teasing pressure that woke nerve-endings he didn’t know he had. His cock jerked. Drops of pre-come dripped on his stomach. She worked the oil past the tight muscles and into his body. Darias fought the restraints with all of his strength, acute embarrassment flooding his senses. It was futile. He was hers to do with as she pleased. Round and round, she circled the tight hole, slowly exerting ever more pressure. Her finger slipped inside to the first knuckle, and then deeper. A shaft of pure pleasure took him by surprise as she found a certain spot and rubbed. Nestling her face against his inner thigh, she grinned at him as she worked another finger into the tight passage. “Ah, you like that I see. I thought you would.” Her fingers began moving rhythmically in and out. He closed his eyes as the pleasure grew more intense. “Look at me.” She had to repeat it several times before he was able to obey. “What do you want?” “I don't understand what you mean.” Was that his voice, thick and hoarse with desire? “Tell me what you want.” She prodded that bundle of nerves again. “Do you want

me to let you come?” Her fingers began moving faster. He was so close. “Krel, yes! Don't stop. Fuck me, Riana!” Her fingers slipped out complete. He tightened his muscles, trying to pull her back inside. “You only get to come if I allow it. And I am not letting you come. Tonight is not about your satisfaction. Tonight you get a taste of your punishment.” **** Night reluctantly began to give way to morning. Pale pink touched the wisps of clouds floating across the pre-dawn sky. Riana trailed one finger up his abdomen and between his pecs, not stopping until she touched his lips. Even the light caress was almost too much for Darias to bear. He turned his face away. He didn’t escape that easily, however. She tapped his lips to get his attention, then stroked his cheek in slow, soothing motions. Darias rolled his head back, the very effort causing a small moan to slip out. Riana leaned over him until her mouth was beside his ear. Her warm, moist breath heated the inside of his ear as she spoke. “I am Riana, your master.” **** Darias became aware of sunlight and a gentle breeze that swirled around his nipples and ran the length of his penis. His nipples, ultra-sensitive, puckered painfully. His cock, still erect, quivered as nerve endings jangled unpleasantly. He slammed his thighs shut. He groaned at the fierce rush of sensation. Even if it wasn’t forbidden for a warrior to seek self-relief, Darias knew he could not have borne even the lightest brush of his hand against his over-sensitized cock. A cold shower. Maybe a cold shower would help. He staggered to his feet. Each step a study in concentration, Darias slowly made his way from the alcove into the chamber. All around him was silence. Only then did he realize how late it was. He glanced about to make sure he was alone. He was. Thank Krel he didn't have to face Riana yet. He'd kill her if she gloated at his condition. He might kill her, anyway, for shaming him. The shower didn't help at all. By the time he reentered the chamber, Darias was considering lowering himself to ask for an analgesic. Anything to stop the flood of sensation snaking through his blood. The door to the chamber opened without warning. Darias didn't have time to cover himself. He flushed as Gaith, his former first-in-command, entered. “Darias, Riana commands that you attend her immediately in the Great Hall.” Gaith kept his gaze locked onto the floor. Oddly enough, his consideration embarrassed Darias all the more. Darias thought about refusing, but the memory of Punishment changed his mind. He shuddered to think of the effect of another session so soon on his over stimulated body. He cleared his throat, the taste of capitulation bitter on his tongue. “I need a few

minutes to dress.” Gaith nodded and quietly shut the door. Darias looked around for his breeches and tunic, dreading the thought of leather against his hypersensitive nerves. A scrap of gold cloth on the bed caught his eye. He picked it up. The gold and leather thong was unmistakably an undergarment. The cloth, barely big enough to cover him, was formed to cup and accentuate his genitals. Darias dropped it as if it had burned him. He turned to the rest of the outfit, a black spidersilk tunic and breeches. Against the dark blue bedspread, the outfit looked exotic. Folded neatly beside them was his warrior's outfit. Riana was taunting him with a choice. Darias seriously considered donning his old outfit. He'd feel like a fool, trussed up in that bit of nothing. And Riana knew it. She wanted him to choose the leather and give her another reason to Punish him. Slowly, he reached for the thong. She'd have to do better than this. If she wanted war, he'd show her war. Not only would he win at her game, he'd give her a defeat from which she'd never recover. His breath hissed between his teeth as he slid the confining material over his erection. The back of the thong slid into the cleft separating his buttocks, each movement recalling the erotic glide of her fingers. He stepped into the black breeches, hoping the dark material was cut full enough to conceal his erection. To his shock, the front was cut so that his balls and shaft were outside. Clothed in gold, his erection stood proudly, and publicly, at attention. Darias set his mouth in a grim line and reached for the tunic. Beneath it was a leather harness. A mocking imitation of the clothing he'd forced her to don. She would allow him no modesty. She intended one and all should know his shame. Riana would pay. Both for last night and for the indignity she was forcing upon him in this excuse for clothing. Darias was studying his reflection in the mirror when Gaith poked his head back inside. “You were right, Gaith. I should have made her rue her impertinence in challenging her position. I underestimated her resolve.” “It is too late for regrets. The honor of Nexar must not be tarnished.” “Tarnished? No, I will not tarnish it, but I will find a way to recapture it.” “You have a plan?” Darias smiled into the mirror at Gaith, a wolfish showing of teeth that revealed the ruthless warrior. “Do I not always have a plan? They are women. What do they know of running an estate, much less a country-state? Faced with the enormous tasks involved, they will naturally turn toward the men.” He shrugged with patently insincere regret. “Unfortunately, we are but slaves, unable to advise.” Gaith began smiling back. “At first, our refusal to help could mean repercussions,” Darias warned. “We must all be prepared for the consequences.” His glance flickered down his own body making clear his meaning. “But, sooner or later, they will see the folly in their actions and beg us for help. Then we will set our terms. We must stand firm, as one, otherwise, the plan will fail. See to it that word is passed to all the men.” He turned, his arm held out to Gaith.

Gaith clasped it, sealing the pledge. Darias stepped into the hall, still burning with rage, but a controlled rage with purpose now. He refused to be dragged before Riana like a recalcitrant servant. Each step became an agony of arousal. The combination of gold silk sliding across his erection and the tug and pull of the breeches kept his desire at a fever pitch. They were almost to the first set of stairs when, to his discomfiture, he saw Gaith's woman advancing toward him, with her was a brunette Darias didn't recognize. The women didn't even have the decency to look elsewhere, but boldly lowered their gazes to his groin. When they looked up, both wore identically amused expressions. Darias cursed beneath his breath as a furious blush heated his cheeks. Never in his entire life had he been so publicly humiliated. He felt a muscle in his jaw pulse. The women stopped in front of them, forcing them to halt. They were beginning to draw attention of several servants and slaves. “My lady.” He inclined his head at both women, but refused to look directly at them. “Why are you not in the Great Hall?” Bryta directed her question toward Gaith. Beside Darias, Gaith stiffened. “We are on our way there now, my lady.” Darias noticed that Gaith also kept his gaze directed over the tops of the women's heads. “You are late.” Bryta's grey eyes were hard. “We will discuss this, too, tonight.” She swept past them, her chin haughtily in the air. “I take it you are not in her best graces?” Darias asked as they continued downstairs. Gaith's hands clenched and unclenched by his sides. “I am to wait in our garden. It seems gardens have become a popular place of late.” He lifted a wry brow. “What did you do?” “Somehow she found out that my Badge contained a sexual suppressant. She was furious,” he admitted. Darias didn't have to wonder how Bryta found out. He knew. Riana. No wonder she had not been sidetracked by her own desire as she aroused him last night. He wondered how she had discovered the secret of the badges. How she found out matter little, what mattered was the fact she knew. And, that, by now, probably all the women in the keep knew of the suppressant the men took before administering Punishment. That left him and the other men with one less method of manipulation. He recalled Riana's anger. “Do not discount the depth of your woman's fury,” he advised. “Nor the effect of detachment during Punishment, even though you know it is artificial.” For the first time, Darias began to question that aspect of Punishment. Nothing had prepared him for the profundity of his shame when Riana had remained indifferent to his uncontrolled desire. Nothing. “Do not worry. By the time evening approaches, her fury will have died. Bryta is a gentle soul. She is not like Riana.” Gaith's confidence worried Darias. “I think we have all underestimated the women's resentment. It would be dangerous to continue to do so.” Their conversation came to halt as they stood in the archway of the Great Hall. Women jammed the huge room and he realized Council was in session. It seemed to Darias that all eyes turned toward him as Gaith escorted him forward to Riana. The first step of his plan was to push her off guard by not giving her any reason to Punish him.

He stopped in front of her and knelt without being prompted. She ignored him for several seconds. When she finally deigned to look at him, her green gaze was impassive. The explicit memory of Riana remaining completely unaffected as she caressed his body slammed into him. Right then and there, he made a vow. When Nexar was once again in his hands, he would see that the suppressant was destroyed. It was obvious now that the harm it did was more powerful than the point it made. “I see you decided not to shame me today.” His ears burned at the public rebuke. “No, Lady.” “Good. Stand up and face the Council members.” Darias’ head shot up, a protest on his lips. Riana watched him, a faint smile on her lips. Grinding his back teeth together, he did as commanded, feeling totally exposed. He stood rigid, his hands at his sides closed into fists. “Tell the Council you regret your impudence and have learned your lesson.” “I have learned my lesson, and regret that you think I was impudent.” Fury roughened his voice. Despite his best intentions, he couldn't resist the jab. “Stand beside me until business is concluded.” She let the small defiance go. What she meant was stand there for all to see his shame. Be a lesson to the other males of the world. If the former Supreme Chief was not above chastisement, then neither were they. It was, he admitted silently, a masterful statement of power. The day wore on. Darias found he had trouble concentrating as, every once in a while, Riana would brush the backs of her fingers against his still painfully erect cock, or press her shoulder against his hips. Subtle, but effective, reminders of last night. At last she seemed to lose interest in taunting him, allowing his arousal to fade until he was only semi-erect. Late in the afternoon, he finally relaxed, his muscles no longer tightening against unexpected jolts of pleasure. Only to jump as Riana, in full sight of anyone who cared to look, cupped his ass in one hand. Shocked, he darted a glance down to hers. Riana's eyes were slumberous with desire. She stood up. “The meeting is adjourned.” Her hand still on his ass, she urged him forward. Darias heard soft laughter, and the back of his neck grew hot. All too well, he understood. The suppressant had worn off. Riana intended to have sex with him. Right now. And she didn't care who knew. Darias found he did. **** “Take your clothes off.” Riana was already shedding her clothes with haste. When Darias hesitated, she quit working on her clothes, and began on his. “Hurry. I want you now.” She tore the tunic in her haste. “This minute.” She shoved down his breeches, her mouth open against his chest. He smelled clean with a faint tang of musk. She was burning. Between her legs, her panties grew wet. She sucked harder, rewarded with his sharp intake of breath, then tore her mouth away to taste his stomach, licking and nipping at the corded muscles. “Hurry, Darias!” Impatient, she gave one hard shove.

His feet tangled in his breeches and he toppled backwards onto the bed. Riana followed, straddling his hips. She didn't even bother to remove her opened shirt. Her mouth fastened on the flat copper disk of his nipple. Raking the beaded nub of flesh with her teeth, she gave it a small, sharp bite before running her tongue over the small hurt. Darias went as still as death beneath her. It took Riana a second to realize he wasn't responding. She lifted her head. “What is it? What's wrong? I didn't really hurt you, did I?” “Why are you Punishing me?” Riana moistened her lips, not sure she had heard correctly. “Punishing you?” His eyes searched hers. “You are using your mouth on me.” “So?” “Such methods of arousal are reserved for Punishment.” Riana dropped her head onto his chest. She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. She lifted her head as she put her finger on something that had been bothering her since being stranded on this benighted planet. “Is that why you didn't kiss my breasts whenever we had sex? Or use your hands to arouse me?” Riana couldn't keep the incredulity from her voice. For a race that used sex as a punishment, they were oddly reticent when it came to foreplay in making love. “It is forbidden. Custom reserves such intimacies for Punishment.” “Well, I hate to tell you this, but your customs are about to change.” She sought the leather thong about his waist and tugged it off in one swift motion. “Lie back and close your eyes. Tell yourself you have to submit to my desires. I don't care. Blame it on the suppressant—another of your charming customs,” she reminded him sarcastically, still smarting over her previous punishments. A blatantly sexual smile curved her lips as she ran her hand the length of his cock. The muscles in his legs became rock hard. She smiled down at him. “Just don't tell me you don't want me. It's kinda hard to hide the proof.” Riana was determined to arouse him to the same fierce level that she had last night. Only this time she was going to give him satisfaction. A satisfaction that would blow his narrow Nexarian mind. Her insides quivered with need. First she had to find a way to control the blasted aftereffects of the suppressant. She was so hot already, it was a wonder she didn't incinerate them both. “You truly are not Punishing me?” His deep, midnight dark voice thrummed through her. More liquid gushed from between her legs. If he could do that with just his voice, Goddess help her if he should actually touch her. His rough warrior hands closed on her waist before she had even finished the thought. Riana arched her back, shamelessly offering him her breasts before she remembered she needed to stay in control long enough to show Darias the error of his ways … and to teach him things that would make his eyes cross. Licking her lips, she took his hands in hers. She guided them to the thick spindles on the headboard. “Grab them and don't let go,” she commanded. “Riana,” he growled, wariness returning to his voice.

“Trust me, Darias. This is not about punishment.” His hands flexed under hers and she held her breath as long moments dragged by. Then, with a reluctance he wasn't even trying to hide, he did as she bid. She favored him with a brilliant smile. “Last night, you enjoyed it when I took you into my mouth, didn't you?” His eyes darkened. “Last night is better off not mentioned.” Goddess, but the man could be contrary. Even now, after swearing on his honor to obey her in all things, he balked at answering a tiny question. “I am your mistress, Darias, and I command that you answer me truthfully.” Pure resentment edged his expression. She could tell he was thinking about defying her. She pinched his nipple. Behind her, she felt his cock twitch in response. A small breath huffed from between his lips. His lips tightened. “Yes.” The man could give an Antarian cargo leech lessons in tenacity. Well, he would learn why there were no Antarian cargo leeches on her vessel. She could be every bit as tenacious as the vicious little creatures when she was set on something. “Yes, what? You enjoyed it a little? Or you enjoyed it a lot?” She drew the tip of one fingernail down the middle of his chest, to his navel. He gasped. She dipped her finger inside. “I enjoyed it a lot,” he grated out, his hands tightening on the spindles. Riana was intrigued by the dusky color that surged into his cheeks at the admission. Why, the man was embarrassed! She thought about pushing him further, but then decided against it. Her aim wasn't to infuriate or humiliate Darias. She let her satisfaction sound in her voice. “Good.” “Why good? Ah, Krel,” he groaned as she licked her way down to his navel, only to tease him with the thrust of her tongue there. “Ah, Krel,” he groaned again, “Don't.” “Don't what?” she murmured, letting her breath send chill bumps across his flesh as she spoke. She tasted him again. “Don't continue?” She thrust a little harder. “Don't stop?” She loved the way he was so responsive to her. Why had it taken her so long to figure out why he didn't caress her when making love to her? So much time wasted. So much needless frustration. “Don't stop,” he grated, arching his hips. “I have no intention of stopping.” His skin was slightly salty and all male. His taste could be addictive. Reaching his groin, she kissed the base of his cock. It swelled further. He moaned and tightened his grip even more on the sturdy spindles. They creaked. Riana wondered vaguely if the beautiful wood headboard would survive. Ah, well. As the new Supreme Chief, she could always commission a new bed if it didn't. One that was much stronger. Settling herself between his splayed legs, she studied the thick member she held in her hand. Talk about your works of art. It was beautiful. Long, thick, the skin as smooth as spidersilk over hot titanium, its head dark and flared. A drop of moisture formed at the tiny eye bisecting the head. Unable to resist, Riana collected the pre-come on the tip of her tongue.

Darias shuddered. A matching shudder of pure longing arced through Riana. She forgot she was teaching Darias about foreplay. She engulfed the head of his cock between her lips, letting her teeth rake him lightly. She sucked on him before running her tongue around the cap. His strangled moans of encouragement went straight between her legs. She wanted to keep tasting him but her need was too strong. In one move, she sat up and sheathed inside her. Goddess, he was so large. It took her aback each time that he entered her how he stretched almost to the point of overfull. Unable to help herself, Riana began sliding up and down his cock. Need spiraled tighter inside her. Because of the aftereffects of the suppressant, her climax started almost immediately. She screamed as the orgasm tore through her in wave after wave. Collapsing upon Darias’ chest, aware that he hadn't come but already half asleep, she mumbled, “I'm sorry. I'll do better next time.” **** “I've contacted Saria,” she said. “You what?” Riana stared at the canopy above her, her arms behind her head. Her body was tired, no, more than that. Even after her nap, she was exhausted. It was more than another, longer, bout of sex. A vague sense of dissatisfaction gnawed at the edge of her consciousness. Riana shook off the strange mood, putting it down to another aftereffect of the suppressant. “I contacted a representative of the Far Islands. They've agreed to meet with our trade representative.” The sheet pooled around Darias’ waist as he surged upright. Riana was momentarily distracted by the sight of his hard body. On the other hand, maybe her problem was she wasn't tired enough. “How did you get past my safeguards on the computer system?” He didn't give her the chance to answer. “And how stupid can you be?” he bit out. A shaft of sunlight burnished his skin, highlighting muscles sculpted by work and warfare. Her sex heated and swelled in response, distracting her. Damn, why did everything about the man make her want to jump his bones? She was worse than Belzidian hissing cats, which stayed in perpetual heat unless pregnant. His words sank in. Her gaze jerked up to meet his furious one. “Stupid? You want to talk about stupid. Stupid is refusing to trade with a country-state because it is governed by a woman. Oh yes, I know that Saria is a woman,” she said as his eyes abruptly shuttered. “It took me less than,” she snapped her fingers under his nose, “that once I hooked up to my ship's computer. And stupid is not putting the needs of your country before prejudice.” “The Far Islands has goods and resources that Nexar needs.” Riana continued her litany, ticking them off on her fingers as she spoke. “It also is a large, ready-made market for Nexar's products. Did that make a difference to you? No,” she answered her own question. “Instead you decided to trade exclusively with Trinearia, a country poorer in goods, resources and population.” “I couldn't.” The quiet admission halted her tirade. Riana sat up and hugged her knees. Not

looking at him, she asked, “Why?” Darias glanced out the window, seemingly finding the cloudless sky fascinating. “You know why.” “I want to hear you say it.” He looked at her then, his amber gaze bitter. “Because it would eventually mean the downfall of our society. Once the women learned there was another way of life, they wouldn't be satisfied until they had it for themselves. And because my warriors would never tolerate dealing with a woman as an equal, at the very least it would have meant war. The warriors would have seen it as their duty to return the women of the Far Islands to their proper place.” “And you. Do you also see it as your duty?” She held her breath. She was asking about more than the Far Islands, and they both knew it. His gaze didn't waver. A pulse in his throat throbbed strongly. “The matter is out of my hands now. If the men don't already know the Far Islands is ruled by a woman, they soon will.” He had evaded answering her question. Which, in and of itself, was an answer. Disappointment cut like a knife. “So nothing has changed?” “No.” Riana wasn't sure, but she thought she detected a note of regret in his dark voice. Probably her imagination. Darias, like her, would never accept his place as slave. If she ever forgot that, she would be right back to where she started—his possession. Her work was cut out for her to get him to change his mind, to agree that women were not only capable of running their own lives, but deserved the chance to do so. Riana lifted her chin. “So be it.”

Chapter Five It started out as a simple request. “Please get me a copy of the contract you were drawing up between you and Trinearia.” “Do you not know how to craft a trade contract?” Riana’s head snapped up from perusing the document on the table in front of her. She was sitting at the huge table in the Great Hall, surrounded by the new heads-ofhousehold of the local Guilds. The entire cavernous hall went quiet at Darias’ question. Though he had not shouted, his voice carried easily to the far corners of the Great Hall. Riana was excruciatingly aware that the busy hive of men seeing to their needs stopped their work. A hush of anticipation fell on the room. “What did you say?” Surely he would not take their battle for dominance public again? “I asked if you knew how to craft a trade contract.” He was. His tone reasonable, Darias glanced about at the other women at the table. “As Supreme Chief, surely you understand such a basic day-to-day necessity?” The women seemed to shrink in on themselves. Around the room, Riana heard a few uncomfortable mutters of agreement as he managed to sow seeds of doubt with just a few words. She also saw satisfaction glint in more than one male’s eyes. “You were the one to declare to everyone that the women were as capable as the men. If that is the case, why do you need the contract that I, a mere male, created? Are you saying that you, the Supreme Chief, need the help of a male slave?” “Actually, I wanted to see the document to see how much damage control I needed to worry about,” she drawled, inwardly furious at how quickly Darias had managed to undermine the confidence she had taken such pains to instill in the women. She pushed back her chair and stood. She had to regain the advantage. “Unless, of course, you are afraid to reveal just how inept a trade negotiator you were?” A slow smile curved his lips. Riana wanted to smack it off his face. “Of course,” he murmured, skepticism in every line of his powerful body. “I can see where that would be a concern. I will get it for you immediately.” Darias had won that encounter, Riana acknowledged ruefully. All she could do now was regain lost ground. And make sure he never caught her unaware again. Riana watched as Darias sauntered away, arrogance in every stride. Her hand began tapping against her leg rhythmically. His obstinacy was endangering everything she was working to build and the blasted man knew it. Oh, she was well within her rights to take him out into the garden tonight but… “I’d rather spank his bare ass until he can’t sit down,” she muttered. “What?” Bryta’s scandalized tone jerked Riana’s head up and she realized she spoken aloud. Her cheeks heated. “He’s driving me crazy.” Even to her own ears, she sounded defensive.

“You wouldn’t, would you?” Bryta’s gentle eyes were huge. “Well, why not?” Why not indeed. No law stopped her from enacting her own flavor of punishment. The more she thought about it, the more determined she became. Darias knew he had earned a Nexarian punishment and was prepared for it, but how would he react to an old-fashioned, butt-burning spanking? “Children are spanked, not warriors.” Bryta was clearly distressed. “They are when they stop behaving like warriors and start acting like unthinking children. Darias would rather endanger the entire country-state’s future than concede that I, a woman, might have some good ideas for getting us out of this economic slump.” “But … but on his bare,” Bryta glanced around and lowered voice to a whisper, “ass?” “Exactly.” “Are we allowed to do such a thing?” Her friend wiped her hand on her pants leg nervously. “Bryta,” Riana said patiently, “the men no longer rule us. We rule them. We can punish them as we see fit. I don’t know about you, but I find the Nexarian method of punishment limiting.” She watched Darias cross over to Gaith. The two men spoke, occasionally glancing her way. Gaith turned away, but not before Riana saw the satisfied smile shaping his mouth. Her anger ratcheted up another notch. Riana narrowed her eyes before she smiled, a slow, evil lift of her lips. “Darias.” His shoulders tensed, then he turned and faced her. “You can retrieve the contract later. Wait for me in our chamber.” Without a word, he did as she asked. She knew what he was thinking and had to admire his nerve. She wasn’t sure she could face punishment in the garden as equitably. Not since he’d punished her that last time. Too bad she wasn’t punishing him in the garden. Mad as she was, Riana couldn’t help but admire his firm ass as he walked up the stairs. The man did have one very fine set of gluteus maximus. Riana gave him just enough time to contemplate what he thought was coming, then followed him up the stairs. **** Darias paced the bed chamber restlessly. Stopping behind a chair, he gripped the padded back and glanced over his shoulder at the peaceful garden behind him. The flowers dipped and bowed under the sapping heat of late afternoon. This damned drought showed no signs of breaking. One glass door was partially opened, allowing a hint of a hot, fragrance-laced breeze to waft into the room. Darias could hear the sound of distant voices floating up as people went about their business. Krel, he hated waiting. Almost as much as he had come to hate the hidden alcove in the garden. From the position of the sun, he’d have at least two more hours before Riana strapped him down on the Punishment Stone.

Darias closed his eyes and swallowed as a shudder worked its way down his spine. He wasn’t a coward. As a warrior, he’d faced death and had his share of wounds. As Supreme Chief of Nexar, he’d had to make some hard decisions; which man to send on a suicide mission, whether or not to sentence a man to death, and so on. But nothing he’d faced as either warrior or Supreme Chief garnered such a hard knot of dread in his stomach as contemplating the Punishment from one offworld woman. Making that walk to the hidden alcove needed more resolve than facing the best trained Trinearian warriors. His plan to take back control of Nexar was full of risks, risks that would result in Punishments such as this one. He knew and accepted that fact. Still, while willing to bear the Punishments in order to succeed, Darias couldn’t prevent a pulse of apprehension. It left a sour taste in his mouth. As Supreme Chief, he was required to present a front that allowed no hint of fear or uncertainty to show. As a warrior, he had trained himself to do what needed to be done in spite of any inner fear he might feel. But as a slave, all he could do was submit. The bedchamber door opened and closed softly. His fingers bit into the cushion as he faced the woman who now had control over his entire life. She had come sooner than he expected. Contrary to his earlier musings, Darias found he was not relieved to have Punishment start early. “Punishment does not start until the sun sets.” Darias wanted to swallow his tongue. You never, ever let an enemy know you were nervous. Riana strolled fully into the room. Not looking at him, she removed her leather jacket and placed it on the end of the bed, taking the time to arrange it just as she wished. Finally, she met his gaze from across the room. “Punishment starts when I say it starts.” Her voice softened. “And ends when I say it ends.” “Nexarian tradition dictates…” Krel, could he stand Punishment starting hours early? It was bad enough when darkness cradled the alcove, but broad daylight? When he could see the sky above him and know hundreds of people were about in the castle and its grounds? That hundreds more would hear every cry he uttered? Darias wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could remain silent. That first night of Punishment in the garden had proved that. “Screw Nexarian tradition. I am starting a new tradition.” Her voice hardened abruptly. “Take your breeches down.” “Excuse me?” Confused, Darias stared at her. “Do not make me repeat myself.” “I—I do not understand.” She wanted him to walk naked to the Punishment Stone? In daylight? Riana crossed to stand in front of him. The light floral scent that was hers alone surrounded him, teasing his senses. Her eyes were deeply green and hard as fire crystals. “You deliberately sought to derail the ability of the women to take charge of their businesses.” Her voice lowered. “You deliberately undermined my authority in front of not only the men, but my women. You’re an intelligent man, Darias. You knew there

would be repercussions.” He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yes.” “You knew that meant punishment.” Her eyes held his, refusing to let him look away. Darias had never seen such seething anger in her. Not even when he’d refused to give her the access codes to the main computer system. The lingering effect from that Punishment had lasted for days. Even now, the remembered humiliation of having his Punishment publicly known, created a dull burn in his cheeks. What would Riana meet out this time? “Is part of your Punishment making me walk naked through the garden where anyone in the adjoining gardens could see me?” Just the thought brought chill bumps to his flesh. “You misunderstand. I am not using the Punishment Stone this time.” Before Darias had chance to recover from that statement, Riana spoke again. “Lower your breeches.” He started to protest, but the expression on her face stopped him. Slowly, his hands went to the waistband of his trousers. One by one, he undid the tabs. Unable to help himself, he began breathing shallowly. Slipping his hands inside, he pushed the silky material down his hips, to his knees, where they fell to the floor, pooling around his ankles. “Now the thong.” His cock quivered and lengthened. She wasn’t going to Punish him. Had Riana finally understood her place in Nexarian society? It would be just like her to make him sweat, even as she recognized his authority. Deep satisfaction started to settle inside him. He would be magnanimous. He would keep Punishment private. Darias reached for her. “Put your hands back at your side.” She barked the order, taking a step back. Darias blinked, his hands falling obediently to his sides before his conscious mind even had chance to register the command. “I did not tell you to move.” She pressed the tip of one nail against his breastbone. “You do nothing without my permission. Is that clear?” Darias set his mouth and refused to answer. Riana dragged her nail across his chest to the small, masculine nipple barely hidden by his tunic. Right in the center of the nipple, she pressed hard. The sharp, sensual pain took his breath. Darias wet his lips. “I understand.” “Remove the thong.” The minuscule garment landed on top of his pants. Darias immediately put his hands back to his sides and waited. “Lean over the chair and grip the armrests.” The chair had a high back that came just above his waist. Not wanting to obey without an explanation, but reluctant to push this new Riana too far, Darias did as he was told. The position brought him up on the balls of his feet. “Good. Now spread your legs.” He moved until his feet were shoulder-width apart. “Wider,” she commanded. A shot of pure fear closed his throat at the vulnerability of his position. Scorched into his memory was the feel of her fingers playing with his anus during his Punishment in the

garden. The act was forbidden, whether in Punishment or in sex. That fact hadn’t stopped Riana then. What was to stop her from doing worse now? Darias cursed the oath that bound his hands. He could not make a physical move against her. From his position, bent over the chair, he couldn’t see what she was doing. The not knowing gnawed at him. To his chagrin, he felt his cock swell and harden. His balls tightened. He could hear the rustle of her clothes as she moved away from him. What was she doing? There was a knock at the door. His heart stilled. If she opened the door, whoever was there would have a clear view of him bent over the chair, the thin tunic the only covering over his ass. The door opened. Darias tucked his chin against his chest and strained to hear the conversation, but could only make out a vague murmur of voices. He heard the click of the door latch again. The muscles in his back relaxed. Darias jumped when Riana placed her hand on his lower back. He hadn’t heard her move. Thru the sheer silk, the warmth of her hand burned his skin. His heart began beating harder as she smoothed her hand down, over the curve of his ass to the bottom edge of the tunic where buttock and thigh met, and stopped. He was acutely aware that the tips of her fingers were centimeters from his naked balls. Millimeter by millimeter, she pulled it up until it rested half-way up his back. His ass was now totally exposed. The sharp swat on his ass took him by surprise. “What the…” Instinctively, he started to straighten. Another blow caught him smartly on the other cheek. The power in her slender hand surprised Darias. “Don’t move.” “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. His ass stung. Darias was furious. How dare she treat the Supreme Chief in such a manner? “Punishing you.” “Like Krel you are!” Another, harder, smack landed on his ass. “Shut up. You knew there would be consequences.” “I thought you’d Punish me in the garden. I refuse to be treated like a child!” Her hand landed on the sensitive area where thigh and buttock met. Darias gritted his teeth at the burning sting. Enough. He was a warrior. The Supreme Chief. He would not tolerate such disrespect. “First you objected to being punished like a woman, now you object to being punished like a child. It is time you realize you have no say. I make the rules. Not you. No, don’t say a word. One more syllable out of you unless I ask you a question and I will have you tied over that Stone you’re so intent on using and I will beat your ass until you can’t sit for a fortnight. Is that clear?” When he didn’t respond, she hit him again, two hard blows, in quick succession. “I said, is that clear?” Darias ground his teeth together. “Yes. I. Understand.” He answered when another stinging slap landed on his ass. He could do this. While humiliating to be spanked by a

woman, and though his ass stung and burned with the heat of the blows, she wasn’t really hurting him. “You will stay in this position until I tell you to stand. If you move before I tell you to, your lesson will begin all over again.” Smack. Darias nearly shot upright. At the last minute, he regained control and gripped the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white. That definitely wasn’t her hand. A series of hard randomly spaced blows forced a grunt out of Darias. He couldn’t anticipate them. Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack. “You will never again attempt to undermine my authority in public.” Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack. Darias tasted blood as he bit his lip at a particularly hard slap. He would not make a sound. He refused to give her that satisfaction. “Our battle stays between the two of us.” Darias had trouble catching his breath as she let loose with a flurry of spanks. The sound of wood meeting the tender flesh of his ass and thighs resounded in his ears. Krel! His ass was on fire. “If you ever take our private struggles public again, I will strip you bare and spank you raw in the middle of the Great Hall.” Shevets. The woman had the arm of a warrior. Darias couldn’t believe her strength as she pounded his ass with unflagging fury. Smack! A small groan leaked past his control. Sweat popped out on his forehead. Another groan slipped from between his teeth. At last she stopped. Darias sagged in relief against the chair. He was peripherally aware that the muscles in his arms were trembling as he pried his fingers from the chair. Still, he didn’t straighten. He would not tempt fate by moving until she gave him permission. He was a strong man, but he didn’t think he could stand another go around. A gentle hand brushed damp strands of hair back from his face. He closed his eyes and tilted his head until his cheek was nestled in the palm of her hand. Riana pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. “Stand up now.” Darias’ lips tightened in pain as he complied with her command. And it was a command, for all of its softness. “Turn around.” His erection had wilted as the spanking grew more intense with each stroke, but now, as her body brushed his as she leaned down to grasp his thong, it resurrected. Darias blushed. And then cursed himself silently. Never, not until he met Riana, had he blushed in his adult life. Krel, he couldn’t even remember blushing as a child. He flinched as she pulled the material up around his hips, settling the thin strip between the heavy muscles of his butt. Even the lightest touch sent jarring needles of pain radiating out from his abused cheeks. She took her time adjusting his cock and tight sacs

into the cup of the thong. Darias couldn’t look her into the eye. Surely it wasn’t normal to get aroused so easily after having your ass blistered. Was it? He stifled a moan as she leaned down again, her body sliding along his as she slipped his trousers up his calves, to his thighs and then over his hips. The small quirk to one corner of her mouth told Darias that she was well aware of her effect on him. He hissed as the sheer silk molded the cheeks of his ass and the back of his thighs. Riana followed the contour of muscle with her hand, from his waist down to his thighs, and back up again. He didn’t make a sound, but a bead of sweat ran down between his shoulder blades as he tried to summon control. . “Do not make me spank you again.” Her voice was a caress when she spoke, a contrast to her words “I don’t like causing you such pain, but I will not tolerate your outright disobedience.” She stepped back. “Come, it is almost time for the evening meal and I have a great deal to accomplish before then, thanks to you and your friends.” Another hot breeze ruffled the sweat-dampened strands of hair clinging to his neck as he started to follow Riana. For the first time it sunk in that his bare ass had been exposed to the outside the entire punishment. **** Riana sat at her desk in the privacy of her office, her hands clasped before her on the glossy surface. They were shaking, she noted in detached interest. Oh, dear Goddess, what was happening to her? Truth was she liked spanking Darias. Liked see his ass glow brighter with each stroke of her hand and hairbrush. Liked hearing the little intake of air every time a blow landed. She was still wet. What was happening to her? In the past, she’d played with a little light bondage and spanking. Nothing too heavy. It hadn’t particularly aroused her, not even when she’d spanked the handsome Lieutenant after he’d spanked her. So why had spanking Darias aroused a raging need that burned even now, hours later? Why did she want to turn Darias over her knee and show him the difference between punishment and play? Riana didn’t have the answer, but she knew she ached to spank his ass before fucking his brains out. Anger had dictated her punishment this afternoon. That, and the need to knock Darias off-balance. She couldn’t just command him to strip and lay down over her lap. Could she? **** “Sit, Darias. You need to eat.”

He looked uncomfortable. There was a long silence. “I would rather not.” It was the dark color highlighting his cheekbones that clued Riana in to the problem. “Oh.” “I will eat later.” He kept his voice low so that no one else at the table could hear. She did the same. “Sit. Once we return to our chamber, I will put a cool cloth on you.” “I cannot.” Riana could tell the words were torn from him and he hated the fact he had to confess to a weakness. She hardened her heart. He needed to learn he was no longer in control. She was. “You will.” Shooting her a dark glare, Darias sat. His discomfort was obvious to her. A quick glance around the table made it clear that others were also aware of his problem. Riana sighed. She should have realized Bryta would have told the women what she planned. She would have to have a talk with her First. Bryta needed to learn that it was not necessary to spread tales of her every act. Still, it wasn’t a bad lesson for Darias to digest. He started this public tug of war. Let him feel its consequences. A hint of color stayed under his skin as one of his former guards placed a plate in front of him. From the man’s dark scowl, he, too, was aware of the nature of Darias’ punishment. And was embarrassed by it. Good. Let the men have second thoughts about following Darias’ lead. Though Darias didn’t shift a muscle throughout the dinner, Riana sensed his continued discomfort as she and the women hashed out what they wanted from a trade contract. Finally, she decided to take mercy on him. She stood. “We will continue this conversation in the morning.” She held out her hand. “Come, Darias. It is time we retired.” There were a few knowing titters as Darias rose. A muscle flexing in his jaw, he managed a polite nod to the women. Behind his back, Riana grinned. If the man’s spine got any straighter, it was going to snap in two. Oh, he hated that others knew of his unconventional punishment. Perhaps he would think twice before challenging her in public. Back in their chamber, Darias stood by the bed, his hands clenched into fists. Riana sighed. “Undress, Darias, so I can access the damage.” “I am unhurt.” He glared at the wall, refusing to meet her gaze. “I will check. Your spanking was over hours ago and it still hurts for you to sit.” His gaze slid to hers, then away. “I am fine.” “I want to make sure I didn’t injure you.” “I am fine,” he repeated stubbornly. Riana sighed, loudly. “You will remove your clothes and lay across the bed. Either you do it willingly or I will have you stripped and restrained.” A mask of arrogance fell over his face. He looked directly at her as he stripped. Darias lay, face down, across the huge bed, resistance in every long line of his body.

The man wouldn’t give the slightest millimeter. Riana’s gaze dropped to his bottom. She barely restrained a gasp. His ass was still red and blotchy from the blows of the hairbrush. It was also puffy and swollen. She hurriedly crossed to his side. Distinct blistering as well as faint bruising was clearly visible. Sitting beside him, she touched one blister with a gentle finger. “I did not mean to hit you so hard.” Regret formed a nasty knot in her throat. No one had ever roused her rage to the point she lost control. No one except Darias. “Didn’t you?” She placed her hand over one cheek, unable to believe the heat that still radiated from it. “No.” “You wanted to Punish me. You did.” Riana tenderly stroked the abused flesh. “Yes, I wanted to punish you. I never intended to injure you.” He shifted beneath her hand. Riana traced the outline of a bruise forming on the tender flesh where thigh joined buttock. “Stay there. I will be right back.” Riana hurried into the bathing chamber and soaked a cloth in cold water. She glanced in the mirror, not liking the person she saw there. Never again would she let rage control her to the point she didn’t realize the damage she was doing. There was little comfort in the promise. Wringing out the cloth, she returned to Darias. Placing it over his abused rear, she smoothed a wrinkle from the wet material, grateful Darias couldn’t see her face. It was hard to look at him while the evidence of her rage was under her hand. “Why did you tell everyone what you did to me?” His words were muffled as he rested his face on his crossed arms. Riana was appalled that he would think she would do such a thing. She opened her mouth to defend herself when common sense stilled her tongue. Of course he would believe she had deliberately made his punishment known. It was tradition in Nexar to make punishment public knowledge to reinforce the effect of the punishment. Even if that punishment was untraditional. She took a deep breath. Perhaps it might be better to let Darias think she told everyone, but she wasn’t going to do so. “I didn’t. Bryta overheard me muttering to myself.” “Are you telling me the truth?” He turned his head so that his eyes glinted from beneath his arm. “Yes,” she said simply. After a long moment, he said, “Thank you.” **** She hadn’t bragged about his Punishment. Although his pride stung just as fiercely as his flesh with humiliation at having it common knowledge that he’d had his ass spanked like a child, he found his anger with Riana lessened by the fact she hadn’t intentionally disclosed the Punishment.

The woman was addling his brains. How else to explain the fact that he had to constantly remind himself that she was in the wrong. Or to explain the way she made him forget the teachings of a lifetime. He felt the wet cloth lift, then return, the cooler side against his hot skin. Darias buried his face in his arms again, so that Riana couldn’t see his expression. Or be forced to explain to her why the spanking had aroused him. Still aroused him for that matter. The bed moved slightly as Riana left. He heard running water and knew she was refreshing the cloth with cold water. He almost moaned when the cold cloth settled over his ass. Damn, that woman packed almost as much power in her arm as he did. He would never have believed it if he hadn’t experienced it firsthand. He found the thought unexpectedly appealing. Women were weaker than men. Women needed to be guided Women needed to be protected from themselves. Women needed men to protect them from the harsher realities of life. Riana had defeated him in ritual combat. Riana had introduced him to pleasures he hadn’t known existed. Riana refused to accept his protection. Riana refused to play by the Rules. Riana had whipped his ass. Darias shook his head, confused. He couldn’t figure her out. How was he supposed to return things to normal if she made him want the forbidden? An unbidden groan broke from his throat as her soft hands started rubbing his sore ass in slow, soothing circles. “What are you doing,” he managed, swallowing another groan. “Putting a salve on you to ease the pain.” She rubbed some more. “Is it working?” “Umm. Don’t stop.” The words were out before he could stop them. He tensed, expecting her to take advantage of his weakness. He should have known better. Riana never did what he expected. “Good.” She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on one cheek of his ass. Darias nearly swallowed his tongue. “Shh. Don’t say anything. Just lie there and let me make it feel better.” Darias’ last thought before he fell asleep was that a spanking might be tolerable if this was the end result.

Chapter Six Riana placed one finger on the line to hold her place. She had shut the door to her office and decided she deserved a little peace and quiet after the hectic morning. She’d decided to reward herself with The Damsel and the Dragon. She was at her favorite part. She’d already read the book so many times that she had the passage memorized. Danella’s heart beat faster in fear. The dragon was approaching. He would kill her. Ranuld laughed mockingly as he turned in the doorway of the tower room. “You should have accepted me in your bed, my lady. Is your virginity worth the price of your life? As my wife you would at least live. As the dragon’s whore your fate is death once he is tired of you. Perhaps come morning you will not be so defiant. Unless, of course, you kill the dragon.” He tossed a jewel-encrusted dagger on the floor, at her feet. His laughter rolled over her as she heard the door close and the turn of the key. The whoosh of wings filled her ears and nearly stilled her heart. One moment the room was empty save for herself, the next a huge beast settled in front of her. The creature was beautiful, in a terrifying way. Its scales were iridescent blues, greens, and purples. Its wings a shimmering, almost gossamer, wash of silver, gold and bronze. But it was the creature’s eyes that held her attention. They were pure silver. If Danella didn’t know better, she would almost say they were filled with sorrow. The urge to stroke his muzzle, to erase that look of intense sadness, had her taking one step toward the creature. The dragon’s head snaked forward. Its tongue flickered out, tasting her cheek. She screamed. The great, gaping jaw moved, working awkwardly. Frantic, Danella bent down, her eyes never leaving the beast, and she scrambled for the dagger. She had to kill him before he killed her. The dragon watched her with almost intelligent eyes, its gaze following her every movement. In the silver depths of its eyes, Danella saw acceptance. The dragon lowered its head, presenting the vulnerable spot where spine joined skull. It waited. Riana fingered the Badge of Rank around her neck. Lifting the emblem of Darias’ house, she studied it closely for the first time. The dragon, carved in precious fireice, was an exact duplicate of the illustration in her book. Was it possible that some long ago author from Nexar had written the novel? If so, life then had been much different. Nothing in the book hinted that women were without rights, considered little more than property. But, she supposed, it was remotely possible. Ah, well, that was a mystery she’d never solve. The history recorded in the computer didn’t go back that far, and she’d found no evidence that any literature from that era survived.

She smoothed the tip of her finger over the words, lingering on the description of the dragon. In some ways, Darias reminded her of the dragon. He, too, was trapped. Oh, not in the body of a beast, but by tradition. But at least the dragon had wanted to return to the form of the man. Darias enjoyed being the beast. He liked having the power to punish, to rule. A frown creased her brow. In the last five sennights alone, she’d had to punish Darias in the Nexarian way several times. Oh, he’d been careful not to push so hard that she punished him in the garden, or spanked his ass in the Great Hall like she’d threatened. Still, he’d managed to organize the men and headed the effort to undermine the women’s attempted to function as heads-of-household. He was just sneakier about it. Darias seemed incapable of accepting change. Riana shut the book and leaned back in the chair. But was that strictly the truth? While it was true that Darias was dedicated to toppling her from the position of Supreme Chief and setting about the roles of men and women as he felt they should be, Riana had noticed a few changes. For one, Darias no longer automatically dismissed her observations. He’d even agreed with a few of her ideas on restarting the economy. Not, Riana thought with a wry twist to her mouth, her decision to contact the Far Islands, however. He was still dead set on preventing that from taking place. For another, he wasn’t so quick to throw tradition in her face during sex. If she didn’t know better, Riana would think Darias was rethinking his position on what was and wasn’t allowed. She grinned. If she didn’t think it would give him heart failure, she’d introduce him to a couple of the more exotic toys in her hold. There was this one paddle that… Riana wriggled in the chair as she grew warm between her legs. Why couldn’t she get the thought of spanking Darias out of her mind? So it made her hot. She’d be a fool to think he’d want to go over her knee after the way she’d blistered his butt. Although… He had gotten an erection when she brushed his cock right after the spanking. Surely that had to mean something. Riana licked her lips. Did she dare try? What if she was mistaken and he hated her spanking him? And what if he didn’t? **** The lights in the bed chamber were dim. Darias paused before shutting the door behind him, suddenly uneasy. Had Riana found out about his little sabotage with the computer system? Did she know that he’d tucked the trade agreements away in hidden files? Krel, he hoped not. She might make good on her threat and beat him in the Great Hall. At the very least, it would mean a Punishment in the garden. Worse than that, it might mean she knew how to undo the damage. “Riana?” No answer. “Riana?” Where was she?

Soft cloth suddenly covered his eyes. Instinctively, his hands went up to remove it. “No. Hold still.” Her voice was soft in his ear. Her breath warmed the side of his neck. Her scent surrounded him. “Riana, what are you doing?” His mouth went dry and his body tautened. “Hush, slave. You must obey my every command.” Her tone was stern, but her hands were gentle as they knotted the piece of silk behind his head. Excitement rushed through Darias’ blood. He felt her hands on the leather harness on his chest, felt the tug on the buckles as she worked each one. A muted thump, and it was on the floor. Her thumbs brushed his nipples, once, twice, three times. Light touches, never long enough, never hard enough. His nipples pulled tight into hard nubs. The hot heat of her breath bathed the puckered flesh through the sheer silk of his tunic. Darias thought he’d go out of his mind. He waited, breath bated, for her to move that final fraction and cover his nipple with her mouth. She grabbed the hem of the tunic and pushed it up, dragging the material with delicate roughness across the muscles of his stomach, to his chest. “Yes,” he murmured, wanting nothing more than to take her head in his hands and guide her mouth to his chest. But Darias didn’t move. She hadn’t told him he could use his hands. Mayhap she wouldn’t care, but Darias was in no mind to have her stop now. Not before he saw where she was taking him. Sex with Riana since she became Supreme Chief had been an eye opener. Things that had heretofore been reserved for Punishment became an intrinsic part of sex. Darias had never realized that having a woman use her mouth on him could be so pleasurable. His breath came faster as he felt the warm brush of her breath against his stomach. His muscles contracted sharply. The tip of her tongue traced the outline of the shallow indent in his stomach before dipping inside. His hands came up without thought, holding her head between his palms. “Hands at your sides.” His fingers tightened at the sharp command before, with a frustrated groan, he complied. He could feel her smile against his stomach. The urge to ignore her, to take what he wanted, was stayed by the even stronger urge to see how far she’d take him this time. He was embarrassed by his need to submit, to give up all control to Riana. Darias soothed his pride by telling himself he was honored-bound to obey. He’d given his word. His word was his honor. She licked a delicate path up his stomach, tiny, wet touches that ruffled the line of hair that led to his groin. He forgot about why he was standing there obeying her commands, forgot about his honor. All he wanted was for her to trace that line of hair down, down to where his erection was swelling, to where his balls ached with anticipation. Almost as if she could read his mind, Riana went the opposite direction. “Contrary wench.” He didn’t realize he’d spoke aloud until soft laughter washed over his ribcage. “Do you want more?” Her lips moved on his skin as she spoke. Darias stifled another groan. If he said yes,

would she drive him crazy? Her tongue skipped up and down the ladder of his ribs. “Yes. I want your mouth on my cock.” The words burst out of him. Krel. Had he actually said that? Had he really asked for an act that was reserved for Punishment? He stiffened, mentally trying to pull back, to regain control. Her teeth closed about one distended masculine nub, nipping daintily. Air hissed from between his teeth. As if that were a signal, Riana began a concentrated assault on his senses, licking, nipping and sucking at his chest. His heart thundered in his chest, stuttering when she found a particularly sensitive spot. “Take your tunic off.” Darias didn’t even think. He ripped the flimsy material in half with a quick pull, dropping the ruined garment in a careless heap on the floor. “Well, that’s one way, I guess.” Unable to see her expression, to judge if she were amused or irritated at his impatience, Darias stilled. Please, may she not stop. Her hand cupped his genitals, testing their weight, the extent of his need. Behind the blindfold, his eyes closed in relief. “You’ve been very bad. Ruining your clothes.” His eyes shot open. “You need to be punished.” Punished? His heart jumped even as his cock grew harder. Was she serious? Would she really Punish him for such a minor infraction? Her hand squeezed in warning. “Do you not?” Darias cleared his throat. Should he agree or disagree? Was she truly angry or was she playing one of her games with him? The not knowing added an extra fillip of excitement. She squeezed again, a little harder. “Yes.” It was all he could manage, and barely that. Darias didn’t recognize his own voice, rough and hoarse as it was. Her hands settled on his hips and Darias let her lead him, trusting that she wouldn’t let him trip over anything. Vaguely, he recognized the extent of that trust, but then pushed the disturbing thought away. His world narrowed, became the heat of her hands through his silk breeches, the sound of his breathing, harsh and uneven, in his own ears, and her warm, womanly scent that filled his nostrils. They stopped. Darias heard the give of the mattress and sensed, rather than felt, that Riana had sat down on the bed. His heart skipped a beat and then his pulse began thrumming in his ears. “Remove your breeches.” His cock quivered. Encased in the thong and showcased by the black silk of his breeches, Darias knew there was no way she could have missed the betraying reaction. His hands went for the blindfold. “No, leave that on. I like the fact that you know, but can’t see me watching you

undress.” Her voice was husky, but firm. Darias was somewhat reassured by that subtle evidence of her arousal. Darias spread his legs for balance as his hands went to the waistband of his breeches. Leather brushed the outside of his thighs. He was standing between her spread legs. Fire raced through his blood at the image that formed in his mind. His fingers fumbled in his eagerness. Krel, he was acting like an untried youth. Still, he couldn’t seem to grasp hold of his composure. He untied the lace closing his breeches, loosening it enough to slide his breeches down his hips. “No. Unthread the lace. Slowly.” Slow. His blood was on fire and she wanted slow? He inhaled in an effort to do as she asked. It wasn’t easy. His every instinct roared at him to shuck his clothes and then throw her back on the bed and bury his throbbing cock in her woman’s wetness. Darias tugged the lacing through the eyelets, a faint tremor in his fingers, one end at a time. At last he was down to the bottom two eyelets. His cock, still constrained in the thong, pressed upwards, rubbing against his hand. Even that small contact was almost too much. He started to rip the last of the lacing free, then stopped. If he didn’t do exactly as he asked, would she end this tantalizing game? The faintest of pressure tickled his balls. “Slowly,” she reminded him. A shuddering breath leaked from his chest. Gripping the bottom of the lacing between thumb and forefinger, Darias pulled. Slowly. He gritted his teeth as the silk tie twined around his aching cock. Each tug on the tie, tugged on his cock. Darias nearly lost it. The moment the tie came free, he dropped it with an audible sigh of relief. His breeches dropped as far as his knees, prevented from going any further by his spread legs. Her hands were there immediately, silently telling him to shift so she could ease his breeches the rest of the way down. He did as instruction, acutely conscious of the fact that his cock must be mere centimeters from her face. From her mouth. He swallowed a groan. Krel, he wanted to feel the warm, wet depths of her mouth around his cock again. Wrong or not, Darias knew he’d kill for the opportunity. “Now the thong.” He was shoving the indecent scrap of material over his hips when he stopped abruptly. It just occurred to him what had happened the last time she had given him a similar set of instructions. She’d blistered his ass so hard that he bore the marks for over a seven-day. Nerves he hadn’t known he possessed set up a dance in the pit of his stomach, vying with an equally disconcerting excitement of once again baring his ass to her stroke. His cock had no such qualms. It leaped to attention. Filled with an unsettling mixture of trepidation and lust, Darias shoved the thong down and stepped out both breeches and thong. A drop of pre-come beaded on the head of his cock. “Use your hand to pleasure yourself.”

Darias was taken aback. “I cannot,” he automatically protested. She made her displeasure with his refusal clear with a light swat on his thigh. Another drop formed. “You can and you will. My will is your will. Now, pleasure yourself.” Feeling acutely self-conscious, Darias took his rock-hard cock in his hand. Selfpleasuring was against the Rules. His throat worked as he struggled to do as commanded against years of training that a warrior never touched himself. He circled the base of his cock, his hold light. He moved his hand in a tentative stroke and nearly gasped at the shaft of pleasure that ripped clear to his spine. He gripped tighter, his stroke firmer now. His palm was callused, the skin rougher and so very different from the feel of Riana’s hand on his flesh. His head arched back as he instinctively twisted his hand just beneath the cap of his cock. His breath came faster. Pre-come was leaking steadily from the slit bisecting the head of his shaft. With the blindfold over his eyes, it was easy to forget he had an audience watching him experiment with the forbidden. Until she spoke. “Use your thumb and spread the pre-come around the tip.” For some reason, that seemed more intimate than stroking himself to culmination. “Riana, please.” He couldn’t finish his plea. “Are you disobeying me?” Darias wet his lips, tempted to do just that. Finally, he gave a small shake of his head. “Then do it.” His entire body felt hot. Darias wasn’t sure if it was shame or lust. He nearly cursed at the bolt of sensation that tightened his balls up high against his body when he rubbed the slippery fluid around the swollen head, his touch awkward. “Stop.” He froze. “Take one step forward.” He shuddered when he felt her small hand circle his cock, right behind the engorged head. When she tasted him with the tip of her tongue, he couldn’t prevent the jerk of his hips. Or the strangled moan that escaped his lips. Riana took her time cleaning him and capturing each drop of pre-come as it emerged. Darias could no more have stopped the rhythmic thrust of his hips than he could the drought. Just as he was about to explode, when one more delicate lick of her tongue would send him over that precipice, she drew back. “Enough.” To his chagrin, her voice sounded normal. “You may not come before being punished.” Abruptly, he realized that his arousal, this entire seduction, was part of his Punishment. Fury, hot and immediate, blazed. A measure of control returned. His voice icy, Darias let his scorn pour over the woman in front of him. “Think what you will of Nexarian ways, of Nexarian traditions, of me, at least I never misled you. You always knew the line between sex and Punishment.” “You think that was about punishment?” She sounded amazed. Then she burst out laughing in what seemed to be true amusement. “Ah, Darias, I am so going to enjoy

teaching you the difference between play and true punishment.” “Over my lap,” she ordered, all traces of laughter gone. “What?” Still trying to absorb the implication that this was play, not Punishment, he was slow to comply. “That has earned you ten more strokes.” His cock leaped in response. “Riana,” he began. “Mistress,” she corrected. Darias tamped down the feeling that he should be fighting her, refusing to obey, and agreed. “Mistress.” Rising excitement chased away his fury. “Mistress,” he tasted the word on his lip, discovering that he liked it a little too much, but continued anyway. “Mistress, I—I’m not sure what you mean.” He hated feeling so unsure but he needed to know. “Are you saying this is not Punishment?” She sighed. “Then let me explain. This is not Nexarian punishment, but I am punishing you.” Krel, the woman could make his head hurt faster than a fall from a wild chelan. “For ripping my tunic?” he asked, needing clarification. Was she going to spank him or not? “Goddess, you could take the fun out of a three-day layover on a pleasure planet. Look, don’t think, just feel. You don’t have a choice, slave. Let go of the reins, Darias,” she whispered. “I command you.” Darias took a deep breath. Tonight he was slave and she was mistress. He wouldn’t think beyond that. The tension flowed from his body, to be replaced by another, different, kind of tension. He bowed his head. “Yes, Mistress.” She took him by the hand and guided him down over her lap until he was stretched out, full-length, on the bed. His erection pressed into the leather of her pants. The feel of the leather against his skin, after weeks of wearing silk, was somehow exotic. As was the fact he was naked while she was fully clothed. “Put your palms down on the bed, next to your head.” The muscles in his back tensed. He almost shot off the bed when she ran her hand up the inside of his thigh and cupped his balls. She tapped the inside of his thighs. “Spread your legs a little. Yes, like that.” The cheeks of his ass clenched in anticipation. Oddly enough, Darias found that being unable to see heightened sensation as well as jangling every nerve in his body. She kept her hand between his legs, petting him and soothing him. Darias relaxed, his breathing evened out. Smack. He jumped, his fingers tangling in the spidersilk sheet. Krel, he’d forgotten the woman could hit almost as hard as he could. Another open hand smack set fire to his ass. “You have been bad. You know what we do to bad slaves, don’t you?” “You spank them,” he gritted out from between clenched teeth as a flurry of blows landed. “That’s right. I spank them.” His ass burned and stung. And with each blow, his erection got harder. His nipples pebbled against the spidersilk sheets. Darias wanted to move, to rub them against the

sheets, gain some relief from the sensual ache. She stopped, her hand resting on his butt. “No.” Krel, she couldn’t leave him like this, his ass on fire, his cock even hotter. Darias heard the rustle of the sheet, then silence again. Crack. “Krel!” he roared when he regained his breath. “That hurt!” Almost before he was done speaking, the hot shards of pain turned into something else. Something that was centered in his balls and cock. His fingers dug into the sheets. Crack. His ass clenched and released in the simulated thrust of lovemaking with each blow as it landed. A part of Darias was appalled that he had absolutely no control over the action. The other part didn’t give a damn. His heart was thundering in his chest, his breath was labored, as if he’d spent hours battling, by the time the rhythmic lift and fall of her arm quit. He lay there, trembling and close to erupting in a mind-blowing climax, when she leaned over him and whispered, “Take me.” Darias exploded off the bed, his arm about her waist, sweeping her beneath him all in one move. His other hand tore at the fastenings on her leather breeches, opening them and peeling the pants down in desperation. He managed to get them off one leg. In the next breath, he was buried inside Riana to the hilt. It was like drowning in liquid fire. He pounded into her, incapable of even the smallest amount of finesse. With each thrust, his ass burned hotter, until he was engulfed in fire; his cock, his ass, her sheath. Darias sank his teeth in her shoulder, hearing the material of her blouse give way beneath his assault. Her nails dug into his sore ass, pushing him over the edge. **** The sound of Riana’s soft laughter roused Darias. “What?” He lay on his side where he’d landed after the mind-blowing orgasm, his arm over his eyes. He didn’t so much as try to crack an eyelid. It was too much effort to move his arm. Hell, he might not ever move again. “This.” She tugged on something tangled in his hair. The blindfold. He was still wearing the damned blindfold. He ripped it off, and glared at her. “You didn’t have to use it in the first place.” Her amusement didn’t fade. “Are you trying to tell me you didn’t enjoy it? That not being able to see what was going to happen next didn’t add a little more excitement?” She had him there and damn well knew it. Darias couldn’t truthfully tell her that wearing the blindfold hadn’t aroused him to another level altogether. But he damn well didn’t have to admit it. Silence, he decided, was best in this case. She smiled knowingly. He shifted, and his butt protested. He winced. “Turn over,” she ordered immediately. “I want to make sure the paddle operated as it

was supposed to.” Resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t let up until he did as she asked, he turned over. “Ow.” A shock of pain followed the light press of her fingers. His cock stirred. “What did you use on me? I know it wasn’t the hairbrush this time.” Even the slightest touch of her hand elicited that stab of pain. And the shot of arousal. What in the name of Tartarius had she used on him? He reached behind himself, and felt for damage. Heat poured off his skin. Pain, then arousal. “A stim paddle.” She leaned down and brushed her lips over one abused cheek. Darias jumped. He would never get used to the way she touched him wherever she felt like. “What’s a stim paddle?” Riana bit, just a scraping of her teeth. His ass clenched. The pain was sharper this time. So was the response of his cock. He breathed deeply, attempting to control the budding erection. He wasn’t in any shape for another bout of sex. It might just kill him. “It’s a paddle that has micro nodes that emit electrical stimulation to the flesh being spanked. It stimulates both the pain and pleasure nerve endings without real damage. The effect is only supposed to last a few hours.” “A few hours!” He turned so that she could see his glare. She smirked back, unrepentant. “Yep.” “It hurts!” “It’s supposed to. Would you rather I use my hairbrush?” “That is not what I mean, and you know it! You said we were playing. Play isn’t supposed to hurt.” All of a sudden, Darias wanted to fight and he didn’t know why. “What’s the matter, my dragon? You liked the way it hurt a little while ago,” she pointed out. She tapped his ass. He thrust against the sheet before turning over, away from her touch. Pain and lust rolled over him. He flipped back onto his stomach. The back of his neck reddened when she laughed. He turned his head away from her. She seemed to realize he was truly upset. Her expression softened. “Darias, the stim paddle won’t leave any marks. No one will know what we did.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Play can be anything that two people want. Don’t be embarrassed because you enjoyed what we did.” He was acting like an idiot. Darias shifted to his side and propped his head up on hand. If she could act like it wasn’t a big deal, so could he. It was then he noticed the bruise forming beneath the tear in her shirt. Shocked, he touched it with one finger. “I hurt you!” Keeping his touch exquisitely gentle, he moved her shirt out of the way. There, in the top of her shoulder, was the imprint of his teeth. At least he hadn’t broken the skin. The observation failed miserably to console him. “I liked it.” His gaze shot to hers in disbelief. “It’s true. At that moment, the feel of your teeth was exactly what I needed.” Dazed, he stared at the evidence of his uncontrolled passion.

Not saying a word, Riana stripped off the rest of her clothes. Still silent, she turned on her side to face him. Darias took her in his arms, pressing a tender kiss over the mark before covering it with his palm. Her hand cupped one cheek of his ass. There was the familiar jolt of pain, followed by an equally strong jolt of lust. Darias ignored both. A man could get used to falling asleep like this.

Chapter Seven …The dragon lowered its head, presenting the vulnerable spot where spine joined skull. It waited. Hand trembling, she lifted the dagger, steeling herself to plunge it into the beast. A breath shuddered out of the beast at the action. It sounded like a mournful sigh. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t kill the beast. Not even to still the heart-rending pain in his silver eyes. His? The sudden sure conviction that the dragon was more than an unthinking beast settled into her mind and refused to go away. He looked up. The silver eyes blazed. His muzzle gaped open in blatant threat. Her heart stuttered and then lodged in her throat. Her hand tightened on the dagger in her hand. “Yes. Kill me. Kill me before I kill you.” She froze as the words formed in her brain. But the thought wasn’t hers. It was the beast’s. “No!” She threw the dagger across the room. It hit the wall before falling to the floor. “Foolish woman. Now you will die.” The silver eyes glowed with rage and pain. Where her courage came from she could not say, but Danella met the fury of the beast with calm command. “You will not hurt me. You will obey me.” “Obey you?” A mask of arrogance settled over the scaly face. “I don’t take commands, I give them.” How could she have been so blind? The silver eyes, the air of arrogance. She’d seen them before, in the painting that hung in the solar. The man haunted her dreams. Lord, warrior… slave. His name was Morganth. He was Ranuld’s older brother. How had he come to be trapped in the body of a dragon? The mystery intrigued her, but not as much as the man, himself. A man who bowed his head to no one. A man that mastered all he saw. Except… A man who would submit his formidable will to her in the bedroom. Hers. Hers to tie to the bed. Hers to tease and torment. Hers. His cock. His balls. His ass. Just remembering her dreams caused her pussy to swell and grow moist, her nipples

to contract and harden. A fire burned in her belly. But first she had to make him accept he belonged to her. Riana slowly closed the book. Swiveling the chair, she looked out the open window. The grass was dry and brittle, the plants wilting. In the distance, the range of mountains shimmered, blue and cool, in the mid-afternoon heat. It was an illusion, she knew. The entire country-state was suffering the effects of the drought. She took a deep breath of the hot, dry air and released it slowly. Darias refused to acknowledge that he belonged to her. Until he accepted that, he would continue to fight her. A part of her enjoyed the battle between them … but not in the bedroom. There, she would rule. Her mouth set in a firm line. Darias would submit, even if it took upending him over her lap every night. A slow, sensual smile relaxed the tight lines of her lips. She would make sure he enjoyed every slap of her hand, whether he wanted to or not. It was time to take the play between them to a new level. Riana tapped one nail on the supple leather of her short skirt. Although, play was not exactly the correct word. Ever since she’d used the stim paddle on Darias, he’d defied her more and more, determined to gain back the control he’d lost to her. He liked, no, craved, what she did to him in the bedchamber and that, she realized with a flash of insight, terrified him more than the idea of having his butt blistered in the Great Hall. Regaining his position of Supreme Chief translated to regaining control of his responses to her. The struggle between them, though, was played with certain, accepted rules. No longer were outsiders brought into it as each attempted to outmaneuver the other. A small smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. Though Darias would sooner be trampled by a wild chelan than admit it, he took care to avoid pushing her to the point of spanking his ass in real punishment again. Thus the battle between them had become a delicate balancing act of defiance and dominance. Even in the bedroom. Since that night she used the stim paddle, he’d forced her to make him submit to her demands. But she could sense him struggle against the desire to simply hand her complete control over his body and responses. And that caused her to see how far she could push him. It also forced her to realize something else. She loved dominating him. Perhaps she should be disturbed by that revelation, but it was somehow as if her time spent as his slave, subject to his whims and punishment had set something loose in her. Something that craved having a strong man surrender to her on the most basic level there was between a man and a woman. She shifted in her chair. Goddess, what did that make her? She’d never gotten her jollies by beating a man, or by being the one in total control. Being in Nexar set free a side of her that she had kept hidden from even herself. A side that she liked. Perhaps too much. She waited to feel uncomfortable with that thought. All she felt was the tingle of

excitement at the coming conflict. She set the book on the polished surface of her desk. She would start today. Now. Filled with renewed determination, she went in search of Bryta. **** Her heart pounded and her throat was dry. Could she do this? Could she take their relationship this far? Up until now the lines were drawn along comfortable boundaries. Daytime was for battle of ruling the country-state, night for their private battle. An intimate time of hot, sweaty sex and cautious sharing of thoughts and dreams. Was she about to ruin everything in her desire to dominate this one man? The door to the bedchamber opened and her spinning thoughts screeched to halt. Surreptitiously, she dried her sweating palms on the midnight spidersilk of the comforter. “You wanted to speak to me?” There was just enough taunting arrogance in Darias’ tone to straighten her spine. She lifted her chin and put a chill in her own voice. “Come here.” Caution flashed across his face, to be replaced almost instantly by a slight smirk. He shut the door behind him, then sauntered across the room, deliberate swagger in his walk. She could tell he believed they were about to have another discussion about his attempted disruption of the running of the household, but it was equally clear he wasn’t truly worried. After all, it was before the midday meal. She allowed a slow smile to curve her lips. His stride faltered. Darias recovered almost immediately. He stopped in front of her, hands behind his back as he inclined his head with mock deference. “Bryta said you wanted to see me. How may I serve you, Supreme Chief?” Riana ground her teeth together, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how irritating the appellation was becoming. He had taken to using the formal address at every turn. He did it just to annoy her and, blast him, it worked! The glint in the eye said he knew it. Time to remove that smugness. Riana put her hands behind her, crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back casually. She knew the position threw her breasts into prominence while her crossed legs hiked up her skirt to show a shadowed glimpse of her moist pussy. His cock twitched. “Unfasten your breeches.” He licked his lips, his gaze darting up to hers before being drawn back to that shadowed vee between her legs. “Now!” Her voice cracked into the silence. His fingers shot to the fastening of the silken trousers. The material dropped to the floor with a sensuous rustle. All the while, his gaze didn’t budge. “Remove the thong.” His lips were parted slightly, and his breathing increased. He did as instructed and his cock sprang free, fully engorged and eager. She paused to admire it; long, thick and pulsing with need. At the base, her hand would not close all the way around it. “Riana, it is day and Nexarian tradition doesn’t allow…” “Silence!” The command hung on the hot and heavy air. His mouth snapped shut and

his gaze finally met hers. Something he saw in hers filled his with wariness. Rising, she strolled around him. She touched the tip of her finger to the bulbous head of his cock. It jerked. His chest heaved. “You may not speak until I give permission.” “You’re joking.” A scowl wiped some of the lust from his expression. “I refuse…” “You have earned your first punishment.” His mouth opened and then snapped shut as her meaning penetrated. Was she talking about punishment like when they were doing love play, or was she referring to bent over the chair, ass-on-fire spanking of real punishment? Riana knew it was the uncertainty of the answer to that question that stayed his objection. She wasn’t in a hurry to ease his mind. Continuing her slow rotation around him, she trailed her finger over his hip, to the small of his back. She traced an intricate pattern there with the tip of her nail. He shivered. Power surged through her. She could make this massive warrior shudder with the touch of a finger and force him to obey against his natural dominant instincts. She continued walking until she was standing directly in front of him. Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “New rules. One, whenever we are private you will be naked at all times unless you are preparing to leave the room.” His jaw clenched, but his erection didn’t wilt. “Two, when alone, you will not speak unless I give you leave. If you have a question or feel the need to talk, you must first ask my permission. I may or may not give it.” Riana could feel moisture seeping down her inner thigh. She pushed the knowledge of her arousal to the back of her mind and continued with laying down her rules. “Three, you will assume a respectful stance whenever I enter the room.” A dark flushed burned the high masculine curve of his cheek. “Permission to speak?” The three words sounded dragged from the depth of his soul. She repressed a grin and nodded regally. “Permission granted.” “What do you consider a respectful stance?” Defiance practically dripped from the carefully-phrased question. She let it pass for now. “You will clasp you hands behind your neck and widen your stance until your feet are spread further apart than your shoulders. Your gaze will remain lowered until I give you permission to meet my eyes.” Anger, raw and pure, flashed in his golden gaze at the instructions. Riana decided to push even harder. “If I command that you present yourself, you will spread your feet apart as far as they will go, bend over from waist and, using both hands, spread the cheeks of your ass so that I may see everything that belongs to me. “Krel if I will!” “You have now earned your second punishment.” She took a step back. “Remove your tunic.” His hands clenched at his sides. Riana lowered her voice until it was whisper-soft. “If you make me tell you a second time, you will receive a third, more severe, punishment.” She kept her expression stern with an effort, refusing to allow him to see her uncertainty. If he defied her on this, used his strength to back that refusal, she would lose. She wasn’t a fool. She knew the only thing that had kept him in line up until now was his word. He’d rather die than break it. The question was, could she make him want

to submit more than he wanted to defy her? Not knowing the answer dried her mouth to the point she couldn’t swallow and caused the blood in her veins to move with a slow, heavy pulse. His hands went to the hem of the sheer tunic. Her knees went weak with relief. Her gaze was drawn to his erection. Despite his very real fury with her demands, he swelled even more and a drop of pre-come clung to the small slit. She ached to taste it. Instead, she moved over and sat on the bed. “Across my lap.” Shoulders stiff, his movement lacking his usual warrior’s grace, he laid himself across her thighs, resentment in every taut line of his back. Riana took a moment to admire the breadth of his shoulders, the flex and play of work-hardened muscles, and the involuntary clenching of his buttocks. She smoothed one palm over the tight curve. The impulse to sink her teeth into that firm muscle, to taste him, made her withdraw her hand and fist it. Keep your mind on the goal, his surrender. “Do you know why I am giving you this punishment?” “Because I spoke without permission, Supreme Chief.” The man had truly managed to turn those two, tiny words into the ultimate insult. She smacked his butt, hard enough to sting, but not hurt, to show she was aware of what he was doing. “Correct.” Without warning, she started to spank him. Each blow was seemingly random-placed. Some were harder than others, but always the intensity increased. His cock jumped against his thigh and he buried his hands into the spider-silk comforter. Several minutes later, his ass was bright red and there was a growing wet spot on her thigh. Her free hand rested on his back and she could feel the thunder of his heartbeat. He was close to coming. She stopped. He shifted and for a moment she thought he might protest. “You may get up now.” He head spun around and she read shocked disappointment on his face before his expression hardened as he rolled to his feet. Oh, yes. The man understood exactly what the real punishment was going to be. Riana stood, smoothed her skirt, and walked to door. Once there, she glanced back. “You may return to your duties.” **** “Darias?” “What?” he barked, turning to glare at Gaith as the other man approached. His mood was foul. His ass still stung with an irritating persistence while his cock refused to believe it wasn’t going to be buried in Riana’s hot pussy. Not that he blamed it. He was having trouble believing it himself. “We have a problem.” Gaith shifted, his gaze somewhere over Darias’ left shoulder. Obviously his First knew of the punishment and was trying to spare him. An equal amount of embarrassment and fury stiffened his features. Riana would pay for his shame. He shoved his chagrin away and glanced about them. Several people were in earshot. He motioned for Gaith to precede him into an empty room. Pulling out a chair,

he straddled it, allowing no sign of his discomfort to show. He nodded his head. “Sit.” Gaith’s swarthy skin darkened and he stared at the wall. “I’ll stand.” Darias looked closer. The other man shuffled his feet and couldn’t quite hide his wince. A muscle in his jaw twitched and even more color seeped into his cheeks. The signs were familiar. A muscle began to jerk in his jaw. Krel, the woman was infecting the other women with her offworlder ways. With an effort, he brought his attention back to the matter at hand. “What is the problem?” “They discovered our stealth program.” “Did your Punishment have anything to do with that discovery?” “No.” “Do they understand the program is designed to copy, then corrupt certain files?” “Yes.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Krel. Can the day get any worse?” Gaith met his gaze squarely. “Bryta knows I planted the program.” Darias went very still. “And?” “Public Punishment tonight.” Darias exploded out of the chair. “No. You were under my orders.” “You can’t stop Punishment.” He sounded resigned and that infuriated Darias even more. “I will take your Punishment.” “You cannot. I told Bryta you were not involved.” “You should not have done that.” He slashed the air with his hand. “I am your commander.” “And I am a warrior. I knew the risk I took. Regaining control of Nexar is worth any Punishment.” “Is it worth your relationship with Bryta?” A frown creased his friend’s brow. “What do you mean?” “Will you be able to forgive her a Public Punishment?” Garth’s hands fisted until the knuckles turned white. “I do not know.” **** “Call Bryta off.” The door to his office slammed into the wall and rebounded. He caught it in one hand without looking and shut and locked it. He was pleased to see Riana jump at the explosive sound. She looked perplexed. A slight frown creased her delicate brow. “What do you mean? Call Bryta off what?” “Don’t.” He stalked across the plush rug and planted both hands on the desk. “Play.” He leaned in until he was looming over her. “With me.” He enjoyed the flash of feminine fear in her green eyes. She straightened slowly, her fingers gripping the edge of the desk. She licked her lips. “I’m not playing with you. What are you talking about?” “Gaith and his Public Punishment.” Was that surprise in her eyes? He narrowed his own. “Make her call it off.”

“The manner of punishment Bryta uses is between her and Gaith.” “You can stop it.” The green eyes suddenly gleamed like fireice. “I seem to remember a similar conversation between us. I also seem to remember punishment in the garden.” “Don’t obfuscate this conversation.” He leaned in even closer. Close enough that he could smell the floral scent of her perfume, and the underlying scent of woman. Despite his anger, his cock reacted. “I demand you call a halt to the Punishment.” She stood and leaned in until they were nose to nose. “You demand?” she inquired, her voice very soft. “You do not have the right to demand anything.” A smile curved her lips, but there was no amusement in her eyes. Much to his disgust, a spark of caution flared to life. If he had learned one thing over these past weeks, it was that her will was every bit as strong as his. And that included the will to punish him for what she considered infractions. “We are private.” The non-sequitur threw him. “What?” “Do you need a reminder of the rules?” she purred. Blood pounded in his temples. For a moment, Darias actually thought in his fury he might burst a vein. “We are not in the bedchamber,” he grated out. One eyebrow arched. “Did I confine those rules to our bedchamber?” “Yes! You sai…” Abruptly, he recalled her exact words. Krel. She said when they were private, not when they were in the bedchamber. He ground his back teeth together until his jaws hurt. “What is rule number one?” Straightening, she crossed her arms under her breasts. His wayward cock didn’t seem to recognize the danger in her stance. That he’d be naked whenever they were private. Darias turned on heel. Krel if he’d play this particular game. His hand was on the door latch when she spoke. “I do not give you permission to leave.” His grip tightened until the crystal and metal bit into his palm. He considered unlocking the door and leaving anyway before giving an imperceptible shake of his head. He still had to get her agreement to stop Gaith’s Punishment. If that meant he had to abase himself, so be it. The decision made, he walked back to the desk. Still, he couldn’t help the tension in his shoulders, or the shudder in the pit of his stomach. His gaze went to the window behind Riana, its shutters thrown wide. “What is rule number one?” His gaze shifted from the unshuttered window, and its implication, to the icy green gaze of the woman behind the desk. Displeasure radiated from her slim form. Was it her intention that someone see his humiliation? He swallowed, a mixture of apprehension, fury and lust swirling in his blood. “Whenever we are private I am to be naked.” She again lifted that brow. The question it asked was explicit—why was he still wearing clothes? The turbulent mixture of emotions caused a faint tremor in his fingers as they went to the fastenings of his clothes. That small, betraying motion stiffened his resolve as nothing else could. Defiant, his gaze fixed on hers, he stripped both the harness and tunic over his head and tossed them to the floor. His boots and breeches followed. Completely naked,

he stood in front of her and gave a mocking, half-bow. “Mistress, I bow to your wishes.” “I begin to think I am too lenient. I gave you only three rules to remember. After forgiving your lapse on rule one, how do you repay me? You flaunt your defiance of the other two rules. Perhaps you need a reminder?” There was an underlying note of real anger in the soft tones as she massaged the spot between her breasts. As much as he ached to test her, to see how far he could push her before her control broke, Darias knew he’d have to make amends or he’d have no chance of getting her to intercede in Gaith’s Punishment. His cock jerked in disappointment. He hid a grimace. What was it about the blasted woman? She’d loosed something in him that embarrassed him just to think of it. The orders, the rules, the—heat crawled up his neck—bare-butt spankings, he resented them with a fury that burned his gut, even as they aroused a need that scorched through each and every nerve ending. He was a warrior, leader of one of the most prosperous countrystates on the world. He was born to rule, to dominate everything and everyone within his sphere of power. Except Riana. With an ease that was almost humiliating, she commanded his obedience and punished disobedience with a swiftness and thoroughness that brought a reluctant respect. Resentment burned to ashes under the fire that heated his blood and pooled in his groin every time she compelled his obedience or laid him across her lap. Or when she fucked him, breaking every Nexarian rule or tradition there was. He couldn’t understand what had happened to him. Nothing was the same since he captured her. Slowly, he clasped his hands behind his neck and widened his stance. He had to make her listen. “Mistress, may I speak?” His heart pounded and his cock throbbed when she trailed the slender tip of one finger from her full bottom lip, over the rounded curve of that stubborn chin, to the deep cleft between her breasts. She came around the corner of the desk until she was standing beside him. Darias kept his eyes glued on the sunlit patch of garden outside the huge double window. She reached out and cupped his balls. His penis jumped and a bead of fluid glistened on the bulbous tip. “Your body doesn’t lie. It knows who its Mistress is.” She tightened her grip. Darias grunted. “Unlike your mind.” Her same hand caught the bead of come before it could fall to the floor. Unable to help himself, he followed that glistening drop as she brought it to her lips. The tip of her tongue came out and tasted it. He groaned, wanting to draw that finger into his mouth. Nibble on it. Suck on it. Until her feminine cream ran down her thighs. “You may speak.” He blinked, unable to switch chelans that fast. He reran her words through his head. Struggling for control, he cleared his throat. “Um, Bryta intends to Punish Gaith in the Great Hall tonight. I ask that you intervene

and get her to change her mind.” “Why should I do that?” She traced idle circles on his flank, making it nigh impossible to catch a thought and hold it. “Because the blame is mine.” The slow, sensual caress paused for the barest moment, before continuing. “And why is that?” He clenched his buttocks together when her touch feathered the crease separating his haunches. “He was following my orders.” The tips of her nails dug into his lower spine. “And? What orders was he following?” His hands flexed once, the only sign of pain he allowed himself. “I’m sure Bryta has already told you.” Silence. He reminded himself that he needed her cooperation. “I told him to hack into the computer system and upload a stealth program.” Darias could feel the weight of her displeasure in the air. She was furious. Riana didn’t have to say a word. He braced himself for Punishment. How severe would it be this time? To his surprise, she walked around and sat in the chair behind the desk. Swinging the chair to the side, she indicated a point about a meter in front of her. Darias obeyed her silent command to stand there. The window was on his right side. The bright sunlight highlighted his raging erection. He did his best to ignore it. “And what would you have me do?” He couldn’t tell her thoughts by her voice. “Allow me to take Punishment in Gaith’s place.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. Sunlight glinted off the leather of her boot as she swung one foot with idle contemplation. “Present yourself.” Darias couldn’t believe his ears. Surely she wasn’t really asking that of him? “Now.” She was. Jaw locked, a wave of heat stinging his neck and face, Darias turned slowly, his hands moving to clench the cheeks of his ass. Just as slowly, he bent over, making the dark, tight ring clearly visible to her. “Move your legs farther apart and lean down more.” When he had power back, Public Punishment would be the least of her worries, he vowed, even as he obeyed. “More. Until your chest touches your legs.” Oh, yes, he was going to enjoy making her pay for this humiliation. Bent over like he was, legs spread widely apart, his hands holding open the cheeks of his ass, Darias couldn’t ever remember feeling so vulnerable. Not when she first Punished him in the garden. Not even when she first bared his ass over a chair. He was excruciatingly aware that from her position in the chair everything was visible to Riana. His anus, his balls, the pulsing head of his cock as it leaked a steady stream of pre-come. He stayed that way for what seemed like forever. “You may take Gaith’s Punishment.”

Chapter Eight By the time she entered her chamber that evening, Riana was weary to the bone. Her talk with Bryta had been enlightening. Far from coming to accept the reversal of roles for the men, Darias had stepped up the campaign to undermine and erode the women’s grasps on both the businesses and estates. If she had not thought to link her ship’s computer to Nexar’s, in all likelihood Darias would have succeeded. As it was, there was much work ahead of them to repair the damage. Bryta hadn’t wanted to stop Gaith’s public punishment. Riana sighed. For such a gentle woman she had a streak of stubborn that rivaled her own. Only reluctantly had she conceded that Darias bore more blame than her mate. She straightened her slumping shoulders when she caught sight of Darias standing by the glass doors, then realized he hadn’t heard her enter. She took the opportunity to study him. One hand rested beside his head as he stared out the open door into the garden. There was a pensive look to the strong, masculine features. As she watched he closed his eyes for a moment. She thought she saw a flash of pain on his face but couldn’t be sure in the subdued lighting. She wanted to cross the space separating them and wrap her arms around him and lay her head against his broad back and tell him she understood his actions. But she couldn’t. The lines between them had been drawn the moment he put those thrice-curst manacles on her wrists. She’d lose not only the hard-wrought respect she’d wrested from the warriors, but of the women as well. More importantly, Darias would see it as a weakness, a sign that women were inferior to males. Sometimes she just wanted to get in the Midnight Mischief and fly away. Away from Nexar, away from the Void. Just … away. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. The women needed her and, without being overly arrogant, Nexar needed her. She had to see this through. Lifting one slender hand, she rubbed the hollow spot in the middle of her chest that seemed to creep up on her every now and then. She shifted the long, thin case she held in her other hand and closed the door with an audible snick. Darias’ shoulders stiffened before he turned to face her. Tension carved grooves around the sensuous lines of his mouth. “I am ready for Punishment in the Great Hall.” Until that moment, Riana had fully intended to punish Darias before all, warm his ass and then make him cry and plead for fulfillment before both the women and the warriors. Now that the time was at hand, she at last admitted the truth to herself. She couldn’t do that to him It would abase him in the eyes of his warriors. And in the eyes of the women. Never again would they see the man that had been Supreme Chief, who had ruled with honor according to Nexarian tradition and by their rules. Sure, she disagreed and downright hated some of those traditions and rules, but they had governed Nexar for over a millennium. Punishing him in the Great Hall would strip all dignity from him. She kept her expression contained, not allowing even the slightest hint of her turmoil

to show as she considered her course. He had to pay for his actions and the punishment could not be a light one. The offense was too serious and too many knew of it. So what…? Just that quick, the perfect solution came to her. She turned it over in her mind, considering all aspects. Yes, it would work. A knot that she hadn’t been aware of until that moment, relaxed in her stomach. “Remove your clothes.” Surprise flashed across his face. He started to speak, then stopped. She could see the wariness in his eyes as he tried to guess what she meant to do. She let him wonder. Piece by piece, his clothes dropped to the floor until he stood before her splendidly naked. “Do you mean to make me walk naked to the Great Hall?” The words sounded torn out of him. “We’re not going to the Great Hall.” Tension seeped out of the massive shoulders. “We’re going into the garden.” The tension returned. “Punishment will be private, then?” “Not quite.” He opened his mouth, but she forestalled him. “No more questions.” She crossed to the bed and laid the case on it and opened it. When she turned, she held a paddle, about half a meter long and the width of his palm. She motioned for Darias to go into the garden. He headed for the alcove without further direction. Even though the night was warm, almost hot, chill bumps lined his skin. It was amazing the way she could almost see into his mind, hear his thoughts. She didn’t have the slightest doubt what was going through his mind right this minute. He was wondering if anyone was watching him walk, naked, to his punishment. For a Nexarian, that was the ultimate humiliation. As a race, they repressed their sexuality, only letting themselves explore the more adventurous aspects of sex during punishment. It was even more restrictive for a warrior. Warriors were forbidden to embrace their sexuality. All their energies were directed toward work and fighting, not the weakening emotions of passion. How would he handle what she intended to do next? Was she pushing him too hard? Would he break his oath to obey her? Stilling the flutters in the pit of her stomach with a surreptitious deep breath, Riana could only wait and see. Her bond on Darias was mental, not physical. Would that bond hold? Affecting a confident air, she stopped in front of the Punishment Stone. Unlike the first night of punishment, tonight the moon was full. She smoothed a hand over the warm stone. “Lights.” Immediately, a muted glow radiated from the stone, supplementing the moon's brilliance. “You Nexarians are amazing. Somehow, you’ve crafted a stone that is malleable, able to take whatever shape is needed. Yet, you created it as an instrument of punishment instead of pleasure.” She shook her head, knowing that the light of the moon and the artificial light of the alcove found the red highlights in her long hair and turned it into a waterfall of liquid fire. Now that she was here, her doubts fled. She felt confident and in control. “Tonight, that suits my purpose.” Adjusting first the wrist cuffs and then the ankle

cuffs, she patted the seat of the smooth, white rock. Lips a tight line, Darias started to slide onto the stone. Riana quickly corrected him. “No. Not on the Punishment Stone, over it.” He went still, then licked his lips. “Over it?” “Yes.” When he was lying, face-down, over the end, she fastened the wrist cuffs so he arms were pulled taut over his head. Next she moved his legs so they were spread far apart, feet planted firmly on the grass, and then cuffed his ankles. “What of the privacy shield?” She heard a note of panic that she knew he wished wasn’t there. Good. Perhaps before the night was over he’d realize she was up to any challenge he threw out. “Not tonight. Tonight your punishment remains open to all who wish to see or hear.” She canted her head to one side, a bit of her anger from this afternoon resurfacing. “What do you think? Will the women stand in their gardens in hopes of a glimpse of your punishment? Will they bring their men with them? Or will the garden, itself…” she swept her hand in a circle…”protect you?” Only she knew that everyone was within shouting distance of the Great Hall, waiting for her to bring Darias down. Let them wait and let Darias wonder. He didn’t answer. She fought to subdue her anger. Rage would not rule her. She would not injure Darias this time. Picking up the stim paddle, she calibrated the controls on the handle. Darias thought he knew what to expect, but this stim was different in one very important aspect from the paddle she’d used on him in bed play. That stim paddle was designed for pain-pleasure. This paddle was designed for those that gained their pleasure from pain. It stimulated the pain nerve endings alone. She finished fiddling with the controls and double checked her settings. Satisfied that it was on a level where she could use enough force to heat his backside without bruising it, while still keeping the neuro-pain below an intolerable threshold. “You asked to take Gaith’s punishment and Bryta agreed to leave the manner of that punishment up to me. This is what I choose.” She stood behind him and slightly to one side. Riana took a moment to admire the picture he made with the taut, muscled buttocks bared for her pleasure. The internal light from the stone backlit his heavy sacs. Shaking off the need that swelled to life at the sight, she made her voice brisk. “I will give you ten strokes of the stim paddle on this setting before giving you ten more on one-quarter setting higher.” Still within safety margins, but the result were sure to stay with Darias for days. * That was all the warning Darias got. At the first stroke, he gritted his teeth to hold back a startled yelp. Krel, this was much worse than the previous play with the stim paddle. This burned like fire without the mitigating rush of pleasure to follow. By the fifth stroke, he was panting in an effort to contain the pain. By the eighth, his palms were biting into the smooth stone of the arm rests. Ten. He only had to get through two more. He could do it. He was a warrior. Then it was over. His breath caught in his chest at the sharp jolt of pain when she laid one hand on the curve of his ass. Just as quick, she removed it. “You may rest.”

Neck muscles aching from strain, he let his forehead dropped to illuminated stone as he breathed in through his nose in measured breaths. He squeezed his eyes and then blinked rapidly. Getting his ass beat was bad enough, but the dispassionate tones Riana was using cut far deeper, inside, where it didn’t show. Always before, under the commands, under the anger, he could sense her arousal, her enjoyment of his response to her. Not tonight. And he didn’t like it. The sharp crack of the paddle hitting his ass caught him off-guard. “Shevets!” The curse hissed from between his teeth. Pain radiated up his spine and down to his toes. Four more strokes in rapid succession had him biting down on his lip, determined not to make another sound. That satisfaction he would not give her. The last five strokes followed in short order. Somewhere, in the haze of pain, he realized that unlike the first ten, these strokes had not been delivered in an even-spaced, deliberated manner. In silence, she unfastened the cuffs and went inside. Darias was much slower to follow. Every movement was reflected in renewed fire in his ass. When he entered the chamber, the lights were off and Riana was in bed. Darias stretched out on his stomach on top of the covers. Part of him expected Riana to move next to him, cup his ass in her palm and soothe him even as she aroused him. She didn’t. He fisted his hands in the bedding to keep from touching her. Hours later, she slipped from bed and left the chamber. For the first time since Riana arrived in Nexar, Darius once again felt totally alone. **** “Darias, Nexar needs the Far Islands. They have a viable, expanding economy and are eager for new trade partners. Furthermore, unlike Trinearia they are not looking for an excuse to invade. You know as just as well as I do, if not better, that if Trinearia senses just how bad the situation is here, they will declare war.” “We can manage them. We always have,” he argued, frustration clear in his midnight voice. “That’s why you did no more than make the most tentative of contact with their representative?” she challenged, bounding out of the chair. Stubborn, stubborn man. It had taken her less than a day to see that Darias, for all of his talk, had been reluctant to respond to Trinearia’s overture. Hands on her hips, she dared him to speak plain. “If you had more experience in negotiating trade contracts, you’d understand my strategy,” he drawled, making her want to smack him. Understand the art of negotiating, she snorted. She’d cut her teeth on the life of a trader. “Look, I have more exper…” A knock on the door cut off her sharp retort. The door opened and a woman walked in. “Sharri! You made it.” “You rang?” An impish smile lifted the brunette’s lips. She hurried around the desk and hugged her friend. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered, fighting back an unexpected rush of tears. “Come, let's go to my chamber.” She grabbed the brunette by the arm, then stopped at the door to level a hard glance at Darias. “We’ll finish this conversation later, Darias.” Riana was excruciatingly aware of the Sharri’s worried glances as they traversed the

stairs and long hallway leading to her chambers but, for the first time in their long relationship, didn’t try to make light of her friend’s concern, Once inside her chamber, Riana hesitated, not sure of the best place to hold the type of talk she needed. Then, with a mental shrug, she decided she might as well go for broke and have it in the garden—the site of her and Darias’ most tumultuous encounters. She needed to someone to talk to, to sound out her jumbled thoughts so she could make some kind of sense of them, and there was no one better than her best friend. Sharri looked around with appreciation. “I can see why you wanted to stay. This place is incredible.” She touched one tiny flower, its translucent amethyst petals chimed with a clear crystalline note as she stroked it. She bent down and inhaled the sweet spicy fragrance that was released. Walking a little further down the graveled walk, she stopped and cupped a spectacular red blossom in her hand. Her eyes were bright when she turned toward Riana. “So, are you going to tell me what's going on? Your message sounded odd but when I hurry here I find you…”She waved a hand around. “…amidst this.” “I'm not sure where to start.” Riana scuffed the toe of her boot in the gravel, making intricate deigns in order to avoid meeting her friend's eyes. How could she hope to explain that she'd allowed herself to not only be captured, but kept as a slave? Restless, she began walking toward the back of the garden. Sharri caught up with her. “You can start by telling me why they call you Supreme Chief.” “I won the right to rule Nexar in a battle with Darias.” “That magnificent specimen I barely had a chance to glimpse in your office?” She sounded amazed. “I don't believe it. You battled him? Hell, girl, with a man who looks like a fallen god, you are supposed to make love, not war! Besides, he's built like a Hsadian battle cruiser. It'd take a sun going nova to defeat that man.” Riana felt a hint of humor lighten her mood momentarily. “I told you the Lieutenant was teaching me a combat technique.” Her smile became an outright grin. “He was a very good teacher.” Her smile faded when she came abreast of the path leading to the hidden alcove. “I bet,” Sharri said dryly. “The next question is what were you doing battling him?” “Remember when you told me that my gut instinct was going to get me into trouble one day?” Her friend nodded, dawning understanding in her brown eyes. “Well, one day arrived with a crash.” She took a deep breath and stiffened her spine. Sharri was her best friend in the whole galaxy, but revealing even to her what had taken place in this garden was, well, it was humiliating. Chewing on her bottom lip, she seriously considered turning around and going back inside. Before she could give into the urge, she headed down the path to the Punishment Stone. Her friend followed then came to a startled halt. “What is that?” “That is a Punishment Stone.” “It looks like something from the fantasy room in Madame Bulivae's pleasure palace.” “Trust me. It's no fantasy, but a fantasy warped into a nightmare.” Birds sang cheerfully from the concealing foliage, mocking Riana's memories of Darias’ punishment of her. Broodingly, she stared at the white stone. She thought punishing him here would make the memories go away. It hadn't.

Shaking off the unpleasant recollections, she sat on a weathered boulder. That blasted stone symbolized everything that was wrong and twisted in Nexar; pleasure used as punishment, an entire half of a population bound and forced to be submissive to the other half. Even their economic policies were subjugated to their beliefs that women needed masters. “So, tell me.” Sharri traced the curve seat of the Punishment Stone. Riana could see the question in her friend's eyes as she fingered the leg cuffs. A sigh worked itself up from her depths. “Right after talking to you, I got caught in an ion storm and crashed near those mountains.” Riana tilted her head, indicating the range of mountains to the North. “To make a long story short, Darias found me and made me his slave.” “You? A slave? How in the name of the Goddess Zaida did that happen?” Sharri held up one slender hand when she opened her mouth to speak. “Do not give me the abbreviated version. I want details.” A wicked grin curved her lips. “I especially want to know what being the slave of that magnificent specimen entails. Is he well hung?” “Sharri!” She was unrepentant. “Well, is he?” “I'm not going to kiss and tell,” Riana said primly. “Since when? You told me about the Lieutenant. About Cragor on Altair Eight and what about…” “Stop. You know perfectly well I didn't have to tell you a thing. You were there!” She just grinned. “Darias, Riana. I want to know about Darias.” Riana glared at her. “You and he have one thing in common. You're both as persistent as Antarian cargo leeches. All right, I'll tell you about Darias. And, no, I'm not going to tell you if he is well hung!” “If you're not going to tell me if he's well hung, then at least answer one question for me.” “What?” she asked suspiciously. It wasn't like Sharri to give up so easily. “How do you use the Punishment Stone?” Although it wasn't easy, Riana managed to ignore her friend's teasing, knowing that Sharri was using humor to help her get through this. “Darias is stubborn, smart and strong. He is also wrong headed about the place of women. Did I mention stubborn? Anyway, Nexar is, or rather, it was completely male dominated. Men held all the power and didn't hesitate to punish a woman if she was even perceived as stepping out of line. You would not believe the rules they set in place for women. And they added more anytime they felt like it,” she grumbled. “Punished? How?” Heat flooded her cheeks and she turned her face away from her friend's gentle gaze and toward the last glow of light on the horizon. When had it grown so late? A fragrant night breeze caressed her hot cheeks. Even though the sun had set, the breeze still carried the warmth of the day. How to explain to Sharri? How to tell her that sex was used to keep a woman in line, not by merely asserting dominance over her, but by using her very sexuality against her? How to explain the utter humiliation of wanting a man to the point of madness while he remained detached? Abruptly, a hoarse cry of rage shattered the night. “For Krel's sake, Bryta, please!”

Sharri spun about, her eyes searching the garden alcove. “What in the name of the Goddess was that?” “Punishment,” Riana replied succinctly as another cry of fury and need echoed on the night. “Bryta, don't stop! No! Damn you! I'm begging you to let me come!” In the light of the huge, newly risen moon, her friend's eyes were shocked. “That is the punishment? And you were Darias’ slave for several weeks?” Riana gave a slow nod of her head. Her throat tightened and her eyes burned when Sharri held her in a silent hug of sympathy. “So how is it that the roles were reversed and you became Supreme Chief and Darias your slave?” “For all their faults, Darias and the men of Nexar hold their honor dear. I learned that he could not refuse a Battle of Honor.” “Even from a female slave?” “Well, from a female slave who practically accused him of being a coward.” “You didn't! Riana, the chance you took! He could have killed you.” A wry grin tugged at the corner of her lips. “No, I knew he wouldn't kill me. After all, that would deny him the opportunity to rub my face in his superiority. Not to mention taking me down a peg by public punishment.” “Public punish—No, don't tell me. I don't think I want to know. So what are you going to do now? You can't stay here and play Supreme Chief forever.” “I can't leave. Not yet. The women need me.” “I can understand that.” Sharri spoke slowly. “After what you've told me, I realize they need guidance. I even understand why you wanted to take revenge on Darias, but it's been several weeks now and he's still your slave. That is so not like you, Riana.” Riana bit her lip, unable to meet the other woman's eyes. “At one time I would have agreed.” She stared down at her locked fingers. “I'm not the same person you once knew. I've changed.” She pushed aside the vague sense of hollowness that was sneaking up on her more and more often lately. Darias and she were locked in a contest of wills. Showing him the slightest sign of weakness would be disastrous for the women of Nexar. Oh, sure, she could fly the Midnight Mischief from this planet, forget that Nexar or Darias ever existed, but the women would pay for her actions. No, the only thing her conscience would allow her to do was to stay and make sure they were never again enslaved. And the only way to do that was to force the men of Nexar into admitting they were wrong to totally dominate women. Her friend's gaze was searching. “Are you sure?” An inexplicable sadness filled Riana. “Oh, yes,” she whispered, “I'm sure.” Of that she didn't have the slightest doubt. What she wasn't sure about was how to change the men's attitudes. Each day was a struggle to keep ahead of Darias’ and the other men’s plan to retake power. At one time, she had half-hoped that things were changed between her and Darias. The way they had once fallen asleep in each other’s arms, a sense of peace between them, had made her believe that Darias was at last beginning to understand. Now, everything was turned about. Yeah, they still had sex, but something was missing. She pushed until he submitted, but even the joy in that was gone. And spanking? She pushed both hands in her hair and gripped the strands. Never for play anymore.

Never for pleasure. And even if she was successful in changing the mindset here in Nexar, the damage between Darias and herself was done. An ache deep inside started at that knowledge. Standing, she cradled a crystal ice blossom on the palm of her hand. Even that gentle touch caused a delicate chiming. So much beauty in Nexar. Would she ever be able to forget? There was a heartbeat of silence. To her relief, Sharri didn't pursue the topic any further. “What can I do to help?” Shaking off the wistful yearning that things could be different, Riana turned her thoughts toward business. “Saria, the leader of the Far Islands, has agreed to meet with a trade representative from Nexar. I can't go. Things are still too unsettled here for me to leave. I can't send any of the women. For one thing, they don't have the skill or experience to deal with such a delicate issue yet. For another, if the warriors learn that Darias kept from them the fact that a woman rules the Far Islands, they might well decide that since he deceived them on a matter of such importance, they don't have to abide by the wager he made with me. It's a fine line to walk. I can't keep the women in ignorance forever, but sharing the news that another country-state has long had women rulers might well lead to the women of Nexar again being reduced to the rank of slave. That is why I need you to negotiate on the behalf of Nexar. Will you?” “For you, not for Nexar, I'll go.” Sharri started to leave, then turned back. “So, when are you going to tell them?” “I don't know,” she whispered, “I just don't know.” Again, Sharri started to leave only to stop. “Riana?” “Yes?” “Have you truly changed, or are you just still angry?” Her words hovered on the air as she left before Riana could find a response.

Chapter Nine Riana propped her elbows on the desk, fingertips against her brow, and regarded Darias. He stood before her, a relaxed arrogance in his stance. “What did you do with them?” A faint headache throbbed in her temples. His face was expressionless. “Do with what?” “Don't play the innocent with me.” She shoved the chair back and got to her feet. “The trade and service agreements between the Houses and the Supreme Chief. All of the hard copies are gone. So are the Guild agreements.” He lifted one black brow. “You believe I took them all?” Riana moved until there was only a hands-breadth of space between them. She was a tall woman, but still she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. This close, she could smell his unique scent, wild like that of a panthra and all male. Between her legs, she could feel moisture gathering. It wasn't fair the way he could make her respond even when she was furious with him. But, fair or not, it was undeniable. Riana wet her lips with the tip of her tongue as she sought to counter his pull on her senses. Darias’ eyes darkened to tarnished gold. Her mind went blank. What had she asked him? Oh, yes, the trade agreements. “Not personally. However, I do believe you coordinated the timing of their disappearance.” Her ire returned. “You knew, because of the damage done by your stealth program, that we'd need this hard copy information when a deal between the Far Islands and Nexar is signed. You hoped to sow discord among the Houses. The men are already whispering that I'm showing favoritism to certain Houses and that, without the agreements, who's to say whether I'm abiding by what's already been decided.” Riana had to admire his cleverness. He'd waited until the negotiations were well under way and couldn't be postponed or called off without weakening their position. By choosing this moment, he could stir internal conflict, jeopardizing not only the trade summit but the stability of her rule itself. “Where are the trade agreements and who took them?” “If I knew where they were and if I knew those involved, do you truly believe I would tell you?” She didn't argue with him. It'd be useless, she knew. Instead, she placed her hand on his chest, directly over his heart. “This deserves punishment in the Great Hall. You understand that.” Beneath her palm, his muscle tightened. He stared over her head. A muscle jerked in his jaw. “You are Supreme Chief.” Riana felt like shaking him. Why couldn't he see he was forcing her to punish him? If he would just admit who all was behind the documents' disappearance, maybe she wouldn't have to punish him as severely. She glanced up at his set face. No. He would never yield. Her dragon would rather face punishment than give up trying to get Nexar back. Darias felt it was his duty to return Nexar to the men's rule. And, Goddess only knew, the man held true to what he considered his duty. Riana rubbed her chest with her free hand, trying to get rid of the heavy lump that had formed in the

vicinity of her heart. “Don't make me do this. Don't make me punish you.” “You are Supreme Chief,” he repeated. She closed her eyes briefly. So be it. Riana opened her mouth to order him to wait in their chamber until she called him to the Great Hall. Have you truly changed, or are you still angry? Sharri's question popped into her head from out of nowhere. Her hand, still on Darias’ chest, curled slightly. Oh, Goddess, she was using the same arguments to punish Darias that he had used to justify his behavior to her. Except in her case she didn't even have the excuse of tradition to blame. Shocked, she realized her fury at her treatment hadn't died with time. Instead, it had simply disguised itself behind such euphemisms as teaching him a lesson when, in reality, she was looking for a way to gain revenge and to force Darias into conceding complete defeat. But Darias wasn't a one-dimensional man, concerned only with enslaving women. His journals and concern over his people proved that. No, he was a man fighting to hold onto a way of life in the only way he knew how. Change meant tearing down the fabric of structure that held his society together. Darias didn't think he was capable of change, but he was. Look at his defense of Jayna, his former personal guardsman's woman. And look at his leniency—by Nexarian standards—with her. That hollow feeling that was with her all the time now, swelled, until it almost swallowed her. She had allowed her anger and humiliation to reshape her into someone she abhorred. Okay, so maybe her behavior at first had been justified. The only way Darias was ever going to truly learn Nexar needed to change was to experience life as a slave himself, but it was inexcusable to continue to look for reasons to treat him thus. This, though… This had gone far beyond dominance and submission between a woman and a man. For all her silent assurances to herself to the contrary, she had tried to compel Darias into total submission, both in and out of the bed chamber. Look at the way she had made him present himself to her in the office. She swallowed a bitter taste. That had been about humiliation and control, not about mutual pleasure. Truth was, she had used it to punish him for not backing off of the battle between them. For playing the game just that bit better than she had. Gall burned the back of her throat as she admitted the rest of the truth. It was about hurting him as he had hurt her by—after all they'd done together—still refusing to acknowledge her skills and strengths as worthy of his respect. It was a hell of a time to realize she didn't want to subjugate Darias. At least not outside of sex, she qualified with a spurt of honesty. In that, his submission suited her just fine. As it did Darias if only he was willing to admit it. Outside of their private relationship, however, she wanted them to be partners. Equal partners. The admission filled the hollow in her chest, making her whole and free for the first time in a very long time. Free of rage, free of bitterness … just free. A small smile lifted one corner of her lips. She knew the perfect place to start initiating the changes. His skin heated the sheer spidersilk of his tunic. Riana trailed the tips of her fingers

down lower, lower. Darias’ breath caught. She felt an answering flutter of desire in the pit of her stomach as she unbuckled the leather harness, taking a moment to trace and admire the way it defined the muscles in his chest. “What…” His throat worked strongly and his voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat and started over. “What are you doing?” “What does it look like?” A sensual amusement spilled over inside Riana and warmed her the way nothing had in a very long time. Even as a slave, Darias was almost always in control of himself, of his emotions. Only during punishment did that immense control slip. And during sex. He'd obviously been braced for punishment so her actions now caught him off guard. He wasn’t sure what to make of her. Of her actions. Punishment or play. She could see the question swirling in the tarnished gold of his eyes. Good. The confused desire she saw in his eyes was exactly what she wanted. She needed to keep him guessing if she ever hoped to succeed in her new plan. The leather harness dropped to the rug. Working her fingers between the fastenings of his tunic, she began stroking the warm flesh of his chest. He shuddered and caught her fingers, stilling them. “You plan to Punish me outside of our quarters?” he sounded strained. “No.” “This is some new way to torment me, isn't it? You’re going to make me think you aren’t angry at my actions and then Punish me,” he grated. Beneath her touch, fine shivers coursed through his strong form. “Does it feel like punishment?” she murmured. “No. Yes. I don't know.” He closed his eyes and arched his head back as she slipped her hand free of his and traced feather light circles down to his abdomen. Riana slowly unfastened the toggles of his tunic, placing a small kiss on each new bit of skin revealed. A breath shuddered out of him as she reached the waist of his breeches. Hard hands bit into her shoulders Riana couldn't tell if he was trying to stop her progress, or urge her on. She had the strong suspicion he wasn't sure, either. She lifted her head. “Do you want me to stop?” Her heart beating furiously in her chest, she waited for his answer. One hand tangled in her hair, Darias pulled her head back until he could look down into her eyes. His gaze searched hers. “I should. This is wrong. I shouldn't allow you to touch me like this, not outside of our chamber. Not if you're not Punishing me.” “Are you going to tell me to stop?” Riana pressed harder. She had to hear him admit he wanted her to continue. Later, she didn't want accusations that she'd forced him. The gold eyes blazed with a molten desire. “No. Krel, no. I just hope for both our sakes you aren't toying with me, Riana,” he groaned, before drawing her mouth back to his stomach. Triumph soared in her. Her dragon, whether he realized it or not, had just willingly relinquished a part of his precious self-control to her. Without coercion.

Her favorite love scene from The Damsel and the Dragon popped into her mind. Oh, yes. If that didn’t make him forget his own name, nothing would. Her tongue darted out, tasting him. Riana relished his mutters of encouragement. The clean, masculine scent that was Darias’ alone rose to envelop her. She stepped back and unfastened her blouse, one button at a time. Her hands then went to her snug-fitting trousers. Kicking off her boots, she shimmied out of the pants, leaving herself clad only in a pair of sheer lace panties and a shirt that barely covered her hips. Closing the small distance that separated them, she knelt before him, aware that each movement caused her blouse to alternately conceal and reveal her unbound breasts. She unlaced first one of his soft boots and then the other, tossing them aside as she removed them. Her hands on the outsides of his calves, she slowly stood, trailing her hands up his legs as she rose. Her hands cupping his hips, she just stood there for a moment. The evidence of his arousal was unmistakable. The spidersilk breeches and thong shaped him so lovingly that she could even see a tracing of the veins beneath the velvetsoft skin of his erection. Slipping her fingers beneath the waistband of his breeches, she slid them, one centimeter at a time, down over his hips. He stepped out of them as they fell to the floor. Darias was left standing, magnificently male and in his prime, clothed in that bit of an excuse for an undergarment. Riana licked her lips, unable to take her eyes off his maleness. She was ruefully aware of the tremor in her hands as she reached for the scrap of gold cloth. He was so aroused that the material covering the tip of his cock was practically transparent from the moisture leaking from the small slit. His cock tumbled into her waiting hands as she eased it down his hips. She closed her hands about him gently. Air hissed from his lungs as she reverently traced one finger along the underside of his cock, from the base to the head. A drop of milky fluid pearled on the tip. His hands became fists at his sides when she lowered her head to lick it off. Not quite sure whether it was her idea or his, they fell to the floor. Her hands entwined with his, she straddled Darias’ hips. “Let me show you the way we make love where I come from.” “Have you fucked many other men?” At the dark note of jealousy in his voice, she smiled. “None like you.” She lowered her head and covered his mouth with hers before he could inquire further. Any other man that had gone before in her life no longer mattered. The only man that mattered now was Darias. With a jolt of surprise, she realized Darias was the only man she could ever envision mattering. Somehow, someway, despite his treatment of her and her fury at him, feelings for him had crept up on her. She refused to put a more precise name than that to the emotions. Her tongue slid along the seam of his lips, asking permission to enter. Cautiously, he opened his mouth. His tongue tried to tangle with hers. She evaded it, instead stroking the roof of his mouth with short, heated licks. His hands tightened around hers, his big hands swallowing hers. Encouraged, she explored the dark recesses thoroughly until they were both panting, unable to get enough oxygen into their lungs. She broke the kiss to suck on the lobe of his ear. Fine chill bumps chased down the exposed flesh of his chest. She felt his muscles gather, preparing to roll over and take control.

“No, don't,” she said, stopping him with a gentle touch. “Let me. Let me show you what it's supposed to be like. Pleasure.” She placed a light kiss under his jaw, a shiver of her own working its way down her spine at the feel of the beard-roughened skin beneath her lips. “Mind blowing.” She placed another in the hollow of his throat “Breathstealing.” She dipped her tongue into his navel “Pleasure.” For a moment he didn't move. She almost sighed aloud, wondering if after the last several weeks, Darias couldn't bring himself to trust her enough to give himself over into her keeping. Then he shifted, opening his legs. Tension she hadn't been aware of seeped out of her body. She couldn't help the brilliant smile of relief she flashed in his direction. “Leave everything to me.” A wry smile tugged at his lips. “Have I done anything else lately?” But there was no heat in the statement, rather a sardonic amusement that seemed directed toward himself. She ruffled the hair on the inside of his thigh with her palm and all amusement vanished, replaced by desire. His eyes darkened and he shifted his legs, urging her hand higher. She moved a fraction of a millimeter and was rewarded by heated words of encouragement. She leaned over him. Her hair slipped off her shoulders and brushed his shaft. His sudden intake of breath slid down her spine and heated the pit of her stomach. Riana was acutely aware of her own arousal, the wetness and growing ache between her legs. Her hair tangled in the thick thatch at his groin, like strands of fire against the midnight sky. The differences in their bodies fascinated her. Where she was smooth, he was lightly ruffled with dark hair, where she was soft, he was hard. So hard, she marveled, taking his length in her hands, testing its strength. “Take me into your mouth,” he rasped, moving restlessly on the deep burgundy carpet. “Are you sure?” It went against his custom, she knew. She had teased him into demanding her mouth, driving him out of his mind with need until he didn’t care whether it was forbidden or not several times, but she wanted more than that now. And, she found she couldn't bear the thought he might regret his actions later. Sudden doubts about her tactics rose. While she'd wanted him to lose his selfcontrol, she didn't want it at the cost of his pride. He cupped the back of her head, urging her down. “I'm sure I'll burn up if you don't.” It was all she needed to hear. She closed her mouth on the tip of his cock, running her tongue beneath the extremely sensitive flared cap. He arched, his hand clenching in her hair. She cupped his balls, gently squeezing the hair-roughened sacs. “Krel, Riana!” She ran her other hand up and down his length, slowly … gently. Her mouth followed, never in the same pattern, never with the same pressure. Tiny beads of moisture appeared on the tip of his cock, and Riana licked them off. She turned her head to nip his thigh.

He yelped and lifted her up, over his body, his mouth seeking and finding hers. Riana took his lower lip in her teeth, and tugged. His groan vibrated through her. She slid down his body, conscious that she was leaving a trail of evidence of her desire on him. She scooted back until his heat and hardness prodded at the sensitive opening of her pussy. She stilled, savoring the sensation. His fingers closed on her hips in an almost painful hold, easing her slowly onto his erection. Breathing hard, her head pounding with the force of her desire, she grabbed his hands and put them on her breasts, silently urging him to explore. It wasn't her head pounding, but the door. Riana collapsed on Darias, uncertain whether to keelhaul someone or laugh to keep from crying. Her forehead against his chest, she muttered, “If it isn't important, I will keelhaul them.” The door handle turned. Goddess, she couldn’t remember if she had bolted the door or not. “Wait! Don't come in!” That was all she needed, to have one of the women walk in on her and Darias. He'd never forgive her. “Riana, I’m sorry to disturb you, but Myrta of the Woodworking Guild needs to speak with you.” “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you in the Great Hall.” “Yes, Supreme Chief.” Riana finally recognized the voice. It was Jayna and she sounded harried, but not upset. Riana could well understand that. Since the destruction of the contracts on the computer and then the disappearance of the hard copies, the select group of woman she had picked to recoup from the loss had been running their asses off. Somehow, they were managing to stem the damage from the rumors of favoritism while piecing together new contracts. Of course, if she could recover the original contracts, a tremendous amount of pressure would be off all of them. And now one of the shrewdest women in the Guild wanted to talk to her personally. Myrta must have been born with the blood of a merchant in her veins. If the woman hadn’t been causing her so many headaches, she would have admired her skill and tenacity in negotiating. She silenced a sigh as visions of spending the afternoon making love to Darias dimmed. Ah, well. The demands of power. A wicked grin curved the corners of her mouth. There was still that fifteen minutes. She got up, motioning Darias to stay as he was and walked to the desk and rummaged in a drawer. The thing about being a successful trader or Supreme Chief, was the ability to go with the flow and change plans when the original was no longer feasible. She had been a very good trader. “Close your eyes.” Subtle tension rippled through that magnificent length of his body, but he did as commanded. It was a good thing his eyes were closed. Somehow she didn’t think it was dignified for the Supreme Commander to be caught drooling over a naked body. Not even if that body sported eight-pack abs and an erection that could bring an entire pleasure planet to its knees. Said erection quivered, then jerked when she moved closer.

Oh, yeah, she had plans for that later. Long, slow, hard plans. “Turn over, but keep your eyes closed.” He rolled over, grimaced, lifted and adjusted himself before laying face down again. Umm. The back view was just as luscious as the front. She knelt beside him. “You’ve been a very bad boy.” His shoulders tightened. “You broke all three rules. Not only were we private and you made no move to disrobe, but you spoke without permission and did not assume the stance.” She trailed a nail down the line of his spine to the dip just above the swell of his buttocks. “Now, what should I do about your transgressions?” Her tone was light, but with a note of sternness threading through it. She was his Mistress and in this arena she would command his obedience. To both their satisfactions. She heard him swallow. “Permission to speak, Mistress?” “When I ask you a question, you may answer without first asking permission.” “Yes, Mistress. Spanking. I deserve a spanking.” Heat and embarrassment laced the deep, rich voice, roughening it and sending it spiking straight to her clit. She squeezed her thighs together. “Hmm.” She cupped one cheek of his ass, the tips of her nails digging into the crease. A silent threat of punishment if he didn’t please her. “I think you are right. A spanking to warm your butt and to remind you to remember the rules in the future.” She landed a solid blow with an open hand. He grunted and the smell of hot, male musk swirled and mingled with the scent of the garden in the warm, heavy air. Not until his ass was a pleasing shade of vermillion did she stop. His heavy breathing resounded in the room. Riana lick her lips, struggling to get her own arousal under control. Blood thrummed in her veins, hot, heavy and filled with life. “Spread your legs,” she commanded, her voice deeper than normal. He swallowed audibly, then slowly moved his legs apart. “Present yourself” His breath hitched. “Mistress?” “Do it, Darias. Do not make me punish you.” His hands shook as he slowly moved them to the cheeks of ass and spread them. His face stayed turned toward the window, his hair hiding his expression. The back of his neck turned bright red, a shade almost deep and hot enough to match his ass. She traced the flush with a touch meant to both soothe and arouse. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to the small of his spine, then to the tender spot where buttock and thigh met. Her lips felt the heat from her spanking. Sitting upright, she poured the oil she’d retrieved from the desk into the palm of one hand. The heady scent filled the air. Tilting her hand over the start of the crease separating the heavy muscle, she let it trickle and run down to his tight ring of muscle. The muscles of his ass clenched and his fingers dug into the well-spanked cheeks. “That’s it,” she praised, her voice husky with desire. “Don’t move. You are so beautiful. You shouldn’t be embarrassed.” She dipped her fingers in the oil and swirled one around that forbidden hole. “You belong to me. Everything. Here.” She kissed his neck, all the

while rimming the tender ring with the tip of her finger. “And here.” She nipped the heated swell of his haunch. “And most definitely here.” She pressed an intimate kiss to that dark, hidden spot, allowing the tip of her tongue to stray out and stroke him. He jumped. “Riana!” “Don’t move,” she reminded him. She rested her cheek on the back of one of his hands, and tipped the bottle of oil, pouring a bit more. As she let the lubricant dribble from the bottle, she pressed the tip of her finger inside. The oil followed. Hot. So hot. He tightened around her finger, an instinctive resistance to the intimate invasion. She used sharp edge of her teeth on his inner thigh, right next to his heavy balls. He jumped, startled from her bite, and relaxed his muscles. She slipped the small device she’d retrieved with the oil into his anus. Immediately, he tightened, but it was too late. The small anal egg was in. Riana sat up and patted his butt. “Mistress, may I speak?” “You may.” “What the Krel is that?” A chuckle slipped out. “That, is an amordido. Unlike other anal eggs, once inside the body it expands to fit the wearer.” He stiffened. She patted his butt again. “Don’t worry. Not in an uncomfortable way.” She grinned. “But you will definitely feel its presence.” Unable to resist, she tugged on one of several small chains attached to the egg resting in the crack between the cheeks of his ass. He jolted, a tremor running the full length of his spine. She gave another, lighter, tug, loving the way his buttocks clenched and released and his shoulders twitched. “These remain outside your body.” “What,” he licked his lips and started again. “What…? I mean, it feels like every nerve in my body is being shocked.” “Does it hurt?” She tugged on a different chain, already knowing the answer. His body arched. “No,” he moaned. “Feels good.” “Each chain is a different length and at the end of each chain is a small sensor that resonates to a person’s bio signature.” She leaned down and nipped the curve of his ass. “Your bio signature. It’s designed to tease with varying pulses of energy, never bringing you to culmination, but on the edge of it.’ “You mean it’s designed to torture,” he ground out, his hips flexing on the soft, burgundy carpet. “Exactly.” She smiled against the heavy muscle, then sat up. She gave his luscious ass a swat. “You may turn over and open your eyes.” He turned and settled carefully onto his back, avoiding her gaze by covering his eyes with his arm. Riana chuckled. She probably should make him quit hiding and face her, but she decided he’d had enough unusual experiences for one afternoon. Besides, the fifteen minutes were nearly up. She gathered her clothes and began dressing, unable to sneak a peek at Darias. He

was on the floor, one muscular arm still flung across his eyes, his flagrant erection reaching almost to his belly button. “I have to leave. Stay here as long as you need. I’ll leave orders that no one disturbs you.” He didn’t speak, but his lips tightened. Riana knew just how he felt. Moisture slipped down the inside of her thighs and it was all she could do not to squeeze her legs together. Putting the oil back in the desk drawer, she saw the soft leather folded inside. She fingered it. In the back of her mind was the half-formed thought to give it to Darias. She shook her head decisively. No, she wanted the time to enjoy his reaction. And his appreciation. Hand on the doorknob, she said, “Wait for me in our chamber. I'll be there as soon as I can get away. And Darias?” His chest stilled as he waited for her to continue. “All I want you wearing is your skin.” **** Bryta cornered Riana as she started up the winding staircase several hours later. Her head throbbed. She was in no mood for any more crises. She'd settled a dispute between two women—each insisting they had sole right to the same man—before it came to actual bloodshed. The man in question had been quite smug over the fact that women were fighting over him until he realized both harbored some very significant grudges, then he'd been glad to have Riana decree that neither woman owned him. He'd gone, displaying amazing gratitude, with Jayna, Riana's new Captain of the Guards. Then there had been bickering over whose House sat closest to the Supreme Chief's chair during the meeting Riana had hastily called in regards to Trinearia's insistence on continuing trade negotiations. After that had come the meeting with Myrta. Riana pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Goddess. That woman was a born trader. Riana rubbed her temples and waited impatiently for Bryta to catch up. “Whatever it is, can't it wait until morning? It's after two in the morning and I'm tired.” And Darias was waiting in their chamber. “What in Krel's name did you do to Darias? Punish him outside your chambers?” Bryta sounded scandalized as she stopped directly in front of her. “Of course not.” With a hard stab of guilt, she remembered the day she forced him to present himself in the office. It took a considerable force of will to subdue the flush that tried to stain her cheeks. “You did something to him. I saw Darias and Gaith speaking outside your office. It was obvious he was in,” she paused delicately, “some discomfort. Discomfort that wasn’t there when he went into your office.” Riana sighed as she realized what had the other woman so agitated. She glanced about and realized they couldn’t have any privacy where they were. She sighed and, taking the blonde by the arm, steered her back down the stairs and into the office. Once inside, she shut the door behind them. Motioning to the scroll-backed chair in front of the desk, she made her way to her own chair, casting a longing glance at the spot where she and Darias had started to make love. Seated, she leaned back and eyed her friend. “Bryta, let me ask you something. It’s personal,” she warned. “You may ask what you like. You’re my Supreme Chief,” Bryta said, her straight

back telling Riana loud and clear that she was not about to be easily mollified. “I’m not asking as the Supreme Chief, I’m asking as your friend.” Riana rubbed her eyes and wished she was in bed, with Darias. “Do you enjoy sex with Gaith?” The blonde’s face turned fiery red. “I don’t mean to embarrass you,” she hurried to assure her friend. “It’s just that I’ve not noticed any particular,” she hesitated, searching for the right word, “closeness between the men and women here in Nexar.” Bryta cleared her throat and studied her locked fingers. “I enjoy sex the nights after punishing Gaith.” She peeked at Riana from between her lashes. “Not any other time?” Dismay and sadness for her friend lodged in Riana’s throat. The blonde shook her head. “No. Once or twice, while I was still Gaith’s woman, I almost did. But then Gaith would finish and I’d be left more frustrated than before.” Her blush deepened until Riana wondered that it didn’t scald the other woman’s cheeks. “What do you mean about closeness?” “On most worlds sex, or making love, is something to cherish and anticipate. For men and women.” Bryta looked astonished. “You’re joking. Women actually look forward to that?” “That,” Riana confirmed dryly, “is not usually associated with punishment. Until I came here, sex was joyous.” “You’ve had other lovers?” Awe echoed in her voice. “That’s not the point. My point is the men of Nexar have mucked up a perfectly natural act.” She drummed her fingers on the desk as she considered how to go about righting the situation. The running of the country-state and her battle of wills with Darias had consumed all of her time and her plans to educate the women of Nexar had somehow fallen by the wayside. Well, it was time she remedied that. Riana leaned down and opened a drawer in her desk. She'd gotten some items out of the hold of the Midnight Mischief after her encounter this afternoon with Darias, hoping to entice him into trying them out. That was after the nooning meal and before she had to deal with another petty squabble between two Houses. One by one, she began putting the items in the drawer on the desk. Bryta’s eyes opened wider and wider at the obvious use of some of the articles. Riana smothered a grin, not wanting to her friend to think she was laughing at her. Bryta touched a long string of metallic spheres with a tentative finger. Riana got the feeling if she yelled ‘boo’, she’d have to scrape the other woman off the ceiling. “What are these?” “Wa’Shin balls. They can be used for men or women. They vibrate, enhancing pleasure.” Bryta's mouth dropped open in a perfect ‘O’. She closed it with a snap. “You don’t mean you … I mean, you aren’t telling me that you put them…” She shook her head. Riana nodded, solemnly. “That’s exactly what I mean. Here,” she tossed the Wa’Shin balls toward Bryta. “Try them. You might even want to let Gaith experience them.” “And this? What is this for?” Her shyness forgotten, Bryta sat forward, prodding a

squat glass jar containing a thick blob of gel. “It’s goldjel. It shapes itself to the man and pleasures him.” “You mean it’s alive,” she squeaked, yanking her hand back. “Don’t worry,” Riana soothed, “goldjel is harmless. If you’re uncomfortable with it, why don’t you choose something else? Perhaps, the sonic nipple clamps or…” She held up an iridescent blue and green feather. “This. Go on,” she encouraged, “experiment.” “Oh, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t know how.” But she cast a longing glance at the array on the desk. “I’ll tell you a secret.” Riana leaned over the desk and lowered her voice. “Use the same repertoire as when you punish Gaith, only instead of taking the suppressant and remaining detached, participate. Bring both yourselves to fulfillment.” “Are you sure it’s allowed? I mean, isn’t it forbidden?” She looked torn. A smile curved Riana's lips because she knew then that half the battle was won. “It was. Under the men. However, the men are no longer in charge. I don’t see why we can’t change things to suit ourselves. Do you?” A slow smile of agreement spread over the other woman’s face. “You’re right. You are absolutely right. We now run Nexar. We can invent a new custom if we wish. Goddess knows, they didn't hesitate to invent a new Rule whenever it suited them.” She took a deep breath. “You weren't punishing Darias, were you?” “No,” Riana confirmed gently, “I wasn't.” “Did he mind? Outside of the bedchamber, I mean.” Her face turned almost painfully red. “No, I don't think so, but I let the choice be his. He had to agree or I would have stopped.” Riana didn't intend to say more. Some things were private between a man and a woman. Awareness crept into Bryta’s eyes, and she nodded. The small, fragile-looking woman stood, hesitated a moment and then scooped up the Wa’Shin balls, the sonic nipple clamps, and reached for the container of goldjel but paused, hand in mid-air. “Are you sure you want me to have these? They are yours.” Riana waved her hand. “Take them. I have a whole hold full of such things. You know,” she said slowly, as the thought came to her, “you might even consider starting a new business with me. After all, I have a hold full of cargo and Nexar has a country-state full of new clientele. Why shouldn't we go into business together? Just think of the possibilities,” she urged An intrigued expression flashed across the other woman’s face. “I'll consider the suggestion.” Bryta paused at the office door and threw an impish smile over her shoulder. “Tomorrow.” “Bryta?” She waited until she turned back and threw her second-most favorite novel to her friend. “Here. Read this. It might give you some ideas.” She grinned as Bryta tucked the book close against her chest before scurrying out the door. Well, there was no going back now. She put the rest of the toys back in the sample case and headed for the Midnight Mischief. For better or ill, she had now set things in motion.

Chapter Ten Darias spun about on one heel and confronted Riana when she opened the heavy door to the bedchamber. His face was strained. “You lied to me.” Riana tossed the small bag in her hand onto a chair and rested one shoulder against the door, surveying him wearily. It was clear he was furious. “How, exactly, did I lie to you?” She really was too tired for this. With Darias, it was one tiny step forward and then a giant leap back. “You told me that what happened in the office wasn't about Punishment. What would you call it if not Punishment to leave me unfulfilled? In front of my warriors?” A muscle jerked rapidly in his cheek. “Bad timing?” She gave a slow smile as it sank in why he was enraged. “And so will you before the night is over.” He stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Riana was beginning to wonder the same thing. Goddess, she was slow. With the history between them, she should have expected this. Straightening away from the door, she removed her cloak, tossing it on the end of the bed. His expression turned distinctly wary. She sighed inaudibly. It occurred to her that nothing she had said earlier this afternoon had made a lasting impression on Darias. One step at a time, she reminded herself, it would take one step at a time before she could ever hope to win his trust. “I'm sorry you thought that. That was never my intention.” She touched the tips of her fingers to the pulse throbbing in the side of his neck. He flinched, and turned his face away. “No? The first time you Punished me, you made certain my shame was paraded before all. Today you made certain everyone knew I had been called into my … your office and then aroused me until I couldn't think straight and put that … thing in me. You left me in that condition for all to see.” The sheer raw power in the low words raised the hair on the back of her neck. But it was the pain buried beneath the harsh whisper that caused her heart to ache. “Darias, I'm sorry.” She cupped his cheek in her palm and slowly, steadily turned it toward her. His eyes were shuttered, but betrayal radiated out from every pore of his being. “Truly I am. I wouldn't have left you if my duties hadn't intruded. I admit I had a plan, but it had nothing to do with humiliating you.” His expression remained unyielding. She drew a deep breath, hoping to loosen the knot in her chest. She had to get him to believe her. While she loved being able to make Darias submit in the bedchamber against his deeply-ingrained instinct to dominate every situation, she gained the most satisfaction from the knowledge that he wanted it as much as she did. If she couldn’t convince him of the truth of her words, something infinitely valuable would be gone from their relationship.

“Look, when you first captured me, you made no secret of the fact that you had punished me. When you punished me in the garden you demanded I come to you in the Great Hall. The clothes you forced me to wear hid nothing of my state and the ordeal I'd suffered. You wanted everyone to know I'd been punished as a further humiliation and as a warning not to transgress again. You made sure that the women knew I'd been punished. A way to keep them in line, but you also made sure your warriors knew. Proof that you could keep your slave in line.” She rubbed her thumb over his bottom lip. “I think I hated you then. I know I wanted to kill you. Instead I decided to reverse our roles. You were to suffer everything at my hands that I had suffered at yours. Including the complete and devastating knowledge that while I couldn't control my response, you were indifferent.” “That was a mistake. The practice should never have been instituted,” he said, his voice tight. The frank admission surprised Riana. “You mean that?” “Yes. I … realized the first night in the garden just what kind of damage the suppressant caused.” She drew his bottom lip down, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the soft interior. “Progress. If you can admit that, then you should also be able to admit that you suffered no more at my hands than women have suffered at the hands of the men of Nexar for centuries. I stayed within Nexarian Rules when punishing you. The Rules of Nexar men and the Rules of their Supreme Chief. Well, part of the time, anyway.” She tried a small smile. His expression never lightened. “Those Rules were never meant to apply to men,” he ground out, eyes blazing pure gold. “And they never should have been applied to women,” Riana snapped back, anger getting the better of her for a moment. “I don't know what they were meant to accomplish in the beginning, but I do know that over the years they evolved into a practice no woman could hope to live up to. Any transgression, even the smallest, was punished. And to make it worse, transgressions were whatever the man decided they were. The woman had no way of protecting herself. The man, on the other hand, had absolute power. The system corrupted the relationship between men and women. Haven't you ever wondered why the men of Nexar make rules women can't help but break? That maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with the fact that the full experience of sex is reserved for punishment.” “Then why are you perpetrating what you consider an abomination?” he shot back, snatching her hand away from his mouth. “Because it is your system. Why should the women be the only ones to suffer? Why shouldn't men have to experience what life as the ruled is like here on Nexar?” Her chest heaving, Riana paused to rein in her emotions. She continued more slowly this time. “And because I wanted revenge.” He opened his mouth to speak, but Riana rushed to continue. “Did you really think the women accepted their way of life without ever questioning whether they deserved their lot? That thoughts of revenge never entered their minds? Women didn't respect the men of Nexar. They feared them. Putting the women in charge, allowing them to mete out punishment in accordance with the laws that had ravaged

them, gave them the opportunity to get even. More than that, it let men get a taste of what it was like being totally without power.” He turned and wrapped one large hand around the bedpost and stared down at the sheets. “So the scene in the office was just another way of getting revenge?” Pure frustration shot through Riana. His head was as hard as a krakel lizard's. “No! Revenge had nothing to do with my actions this afternoon.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Then why did you want my arousal to be public?” “I didn't even think about that aspect at the time,” she said with complete honesty. But she should have. She should have remembered how repressed Darias was about sexual play. Though it hadn't been her intention, she had left him aroused for all the keep to notice. A cool breeze blew in from the open doors leading to the garden. The sweet, spicy fragrances gave her an idea. Riana held a hand out. “Come with me.” “To where?” “The garden.” He stiffened, the hand about the bedpost tightening until his knuckles turned white. “You intend to Punish me.” It was a flat statement of fact. Riana kept her hand out. “Answer me this. When I punish you, is the pleasure from the beginning tinged with pain? Oh, not physical, but mental.” His glance questioned her meaning. “You know it is. Even though the acts themselves inflict no harm, the stimulation quickly becomes intolerable. As it is meant to.” “Exactly. Now answer me this. This afternoon, was anything I did to you painful? At least a pain you didn't crave?” She ignored the dark flow of blood that tinted the high cheekbones. “Did I take the suppressant before starting to caress you? Did I hold myself separate from you?” “No.” Some of the resentment faded from his eyes as doubt seeped in to replace it. “Have I demanded that you stand in the Great Hall displaying your arousal to the court?” “No.” An indefinable relaxing went through the massive frame. “Then take my hand and trust me. If only for tonight.” Her breath lodged in her throat, she waited. He looked into her eyes, then looked down at her hand. Taking one step forward, he reached out and his hand, large, hard and callused, engulfed hers. She released the breath she’d been holding in a tiny rush. Feeling light, almost giddy, she led him to the garden door. On way past the chair—the same one she had first spanked him over—she picked up the small, black bag and then led him outside. She still felt tension in his body, but at least he was following her willingly enough. It would do for now. Night had cloaked the garden in shadows, letting the more bashful shrubs and flowers scent the air with a delicate enchantment that went unnoticed during the day, when the magnificent trees and flowering bushes reigned supreme. Their feet made a slight crunching noise on the path leading to the Punishment Stone. The closer they drew to the stone, the more tension stiffened Darias. “Trust me.” She sensed his conscious effort to relax. Next to the stone, she drew him

to a halt. Placing the bag at the base of the carved, white rock, she put the palm of her hand over his heart. It was pounding inside his chest. “Privacy shield.” The muted crackle of the electrostatic shielding sounded like a roar of thunder in the silence. His heart actually stopped. “Sound shield.” Beneath her palm, his heart began thumping again. She leaned forward, putting her mouth over his nipple and sucked, drawing silk and flesh into her mouth. “You're wearing your tunic,” she whispered, before latching onto his nipple again. Darias knotted his hands at his sides, and threw his head back. “I wasn't until three hours ago.” Against the soft skin of her stomach, his cock stirred. A tiny grin lifted the corner of Riana’s mouth at his defiance. “I'll forgive you this time.” She stepped back, anticipation of the night ahead tightening the muscles of her lower stomach. Darias groaned. “No, not yet.” “Don't worry,” She leaned down and ran her hand over the stone to activate it. “I'm not going anywhere.” The stone became luminescent. In its gentle glow, every expression that flitted across Darias’ face easily visible, yet they were still wrapped in the intimacy of the night, safe from prying eyes or ears. Her hands went to his leather harness. She unbuckled it, sliding it off his shoulders until it dropped to the ground with a soft plop. Next she drew the silk tunic up, over his head. The small, masculine nipples hardened as the breeze, cool compared to the dry heat of the day, brushed over them. “I love your body. So strong and warm. Sleeping next to you is like basking in the summer sun.” She flicked her tongue over the center of his magnificent chest. Chills that had nothing to do with being cold chased across his skin. She smiled against his chest. She worked her way down his chest, stopping her to taste his small, male nipples, there to drag her tongue down the ladder of his ribs until she reached his navel. Dipping her tongue inside the small indention, she mimicked the act of love. His hands came up to fist into her hair. Turning her head until her cheek rested against his muscled abdomen, she inhaled, bringing his scent deep into her lungs. He scent was so pleasing, so arousing; wild, clean, male. Her sex creamed. Taking one last deep, breath, she sat back on her heels and unlaced his breeches and slipped her hand inside, cupping him intimately. He pulsed and throbbed in her palm, a subtle promise of ecstasy to come. She slid the breeches down over his muscular buttocks without resistance. Darias stood clad only in another gold thong and sun-darkened skin. He made an abortive move toward her when she stood. His arms dropped back down to his sides, his fingers twitching. His chest expanded and contracted with each rapid, shallow breath. With the need to strangle her or to cover himself? A full-blown grin curved her lips. She put one finger under the waistband and tugged. “A tad upset with me, were you?” “Yes.”

The word was stark, unadorned, wiping the smile from her face. His eyes glittered with some undecipherable emotion. Putting one hand behind his neck, she pulled his face down to hers. “Maybe I'll let you convince me to forgive you for defying me,” she whispered against his mouth. A mixture of need and desire turned his eyes to molten gold. Fascinated, she almost forgot her plan to seduce him and was, instead, almost seduced. Wrenching her gaze from his, she knelt before him. The scrap of material did nothing to hide the strength of his erection. It emphasized his maleness quite nicely. Riana shaped its length with her hands, loving the contrast between the smooth silk and the heated flesh beneath. Her breath came faster. Each glide and pull of the silk under her touch elicited a deep, guttural groan from Darias. She felt herself grow damp between the legs, her body tingling with desire. His hands tightened in her hair, urging her closer yet. In the faint light issuing from the stone, she glanced up the length of his body then, slowly slid the gold silk down his legs. Fine shivers racked Darias, the muscles of his stomach taut, his eyes were closed and the tendons in his neck stood out. She parted her lips and blew gently on the tip of his erection. * Darias tightened his thigh muscles, bracing himself before he collapsed with pleasure. A wave of heat surged up his cock, followed by gentle ripples of contractions. He swore he felt her mouth on his swollen flesh, even though she had yet to touch him there, If this was Punishment, it was like nothing he'd felt before. Riana sat back on her heels, then rose to her feet. Intense disappointment washed over him. He opened his mouth to ask, to plead if necessary, for her not to stop, but tiny eddies of pleasure coursed over his nerve endings, making speech impossible as she took the tie from her hair and wrapped the length of silk about his cock. When she let go, the cool silk slithered to the ground, causing his cock to jerk in reaction. A prickle of unease cut through the sexual haze when she twined her fingers with his and led him directly to the Punishment Stone. She pushed him backwards until he stood between the polished stone leg supports. A low growl of protest rumbled from his chest. “Trust me.” Those two tiny words hovered in the air between them. He stared at her for a long minute, searching her eyes, trying to see to her soul. Was she just leading him on, adding a different cachet to the Punishment? She'd spoken of her rage as a slave, as his slave. Did she want him aroused and willing, nay almost mindless, only to take pleasure in his defeat? Was this the ultimate Punishment? Her gaze met his unflinchingly, her brilliant green eyes warm with desire. She didn't try to hide her feelings, hide the fact that she wanted him. The fine lawn of her blouse revealed the hardened points of her breasts. Could he trust her? Had she told the truth about this afternoon? Still holding her gaze, Darias settled on the Punishment Stone, putting his feet in the

stirrups and his arms above his head. The stone, instead of being cool from the night, retained the heat of the day. Krel help them both if she were lying. Memories of his first night out here as slave flashed through his mind as he lay there, spread for her view. The utter helplessness, the rage, the bitter taste of surrender. He buried the memories with a tremendous effort of will, but he couldn't escape the feeling of being completely exposed, both physically and mentally. That sense increased when she snapped the padded cuffs around his ankles and wrists. Darias waited. A blindingly brilliant smile lit her face. She leaned down and kissed his inner thigh. “Why the cuffs?” He forced the words out of a dry throat. “Trust me,” she whispered against his skin. Before he could find the words to make her explain her actions, she moved to stand between his legs. She ran her hands from his ankles to just where her knuckles would brush the heavy sacs, and back down again. The touch was light, barely ruffling the hair on his legs. It was driving him insane. Just when he didn't think he could stand it anymore, she slid her hands up until the edges of her palms were right below his nipples. He sucked in a breath and forgot to let it out. Earlier, she'd compared his heat to that of the sun. She was wrong. Tonight it was her warmth he craved, her warmth that warded off the chill of the night and set him to burning. Shadows cloaked her face, veiling her in mystery. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling. Or if she was even feeling anything. Why was she just standing there? The material of her snug breeches rasped against his thighs, making him acutely aware she was still fully dressed. He stared at her, trying to read her expression in the dim glow provided by the stone bench, but his body blocked most of the light. She shifted her hands suddenly to cover his nipples, not moving, she just rested her hands there. Air rushed out of his lungs, the demand for release, building all day, shot to an almost unbearable pitch. “Please, don't stop.” His plea hovered on the air, shocking him into awareness. Uncertainty again sliced through his excitement as the ugly suspicion that Riana was toying with him, demanding his trust, as some new kind of Punishment crept in and refused to go away. His throat worked but no words came out. Then she rotated her palms in slow circles. Without warning, she pinched one nipple. Darias arched against his restraints as she tugged on the hard nub. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he felt the gentle pull all the way to his balls. She trailed her hand down his chest, then lower. A deep groan from the center of his being caught in the back of this throat, every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation. She tangled her fingers in the line of hair that led to his groin. He sucked in a breath. Though he didn't think it possible, his arousal swelled still

further. A cloud scuttled from in front of the moon, allowing him to see Riana's face in detail. Her gaze locked on his, she lowered her head and engulfed the tip of his shaft with her mouth. He arched upward as far as his bonds would allow. Hot. Wet. Teasing. Her tongue swirled around the tiny slit that bisected the tip. He felt a prickling of familiarity as he surged upward, craving the feel of her warm mouth swallowing the entire length of him, while sheer frustration tore through him as he found he couldn’t move more than a tiny fraction. Her hair, the color of flame even in moonlight, cascaded across his thighs, caressing his tense muscles with tantalizing softness. His eyes slid closed, but that nagging sense of familiarity strengthened, became impossible to ignore. Her soft hands cupped his balls. His hands clenched on the hard stone. She rolled the smaller, inner spheres. Darias slammed his head back as he arched his neck. Krel, he was as hard as the smooth stone, but unlike the stone he could pleasure her. If she’d just let him. Cold air hit his erection. His eyes snapped opened. He was poised painfully on the edge of fulfillment. Clouds once again masked Riana's expression in shadow. She stood between his legs, close enough that he could feel the heat from her body, feel the brush of her breeches over his arousal. But she still didn't say a word. All at once that odd feeling he’d been having became clear. Riana was recreating his first punishment, here, in the garden. Harsh breathing echoed in his ears. Distantly, he realized it was his. But this time was different. Each action eerily echoed those of Punishment, but each action was also subtly different. With each touch, with each caress, she let him know that this time she wouldn't leave him unfulfilled. All he had to do was believe in her. Everything else faded away until all that was left was Darias and Riana. He stared into her eyes. Could he? Did he dare believe that this time was different? Heart thundering in his chest, Darias relinquished the last essence of his control. He relaxed and gave a small nod. She slid one finger from the top of his buttocks, to the taut sacs hanging between his legs. His breath hitched as the gentle glide of her fingers traveled back the same way. The heavy muscles of his buttocks clenched on the anal plug as she neared forbidden territory. He wasn't ready for this. Every fiber of his being rejected the light caress. The plug had kept him aroused and heavy all day. His breeches had only served to highlight the evidence of his need. Every step, every movement making him aware of the intimate invader. Tartarius, just standing still the thing made its presence known. She pressed her cheek against his belly. “Not tonight,” Riana whispered. She tugged on the plug. His untried muscles fought the pressure. He arched against the pleasure mixed with not quite pain.

She continued to pull until it was all the way out. He felt empty once it was gone. Lost. Which was strange since he hated the loss of control it represented. She unbuckled the bonds restraining his legs. Then, leaned up, over his body and released the cuffs around his wrists. Her slight weight against him was an exercise in exquisite torture. His hips flexed upward involuntarily. Face to face, this close her fragrance filled his head. It was more than the perfume she wore, though Krel knew that was erotic enough, it was the clean, feminine smell that was Riana's alone. To the day he died, he knew he'd be able to recognize Riana by her ultra-feminine scent. “Haven't we done this before?” he asked, his voice rough and raspy but filled with humor. She grinned, a pure mischievous curve of her lips. “You finally figured it out, huh? For a Supreme Chief, you're kinda slow on the uptake.” “Supreme Chief no more. Now I'm a slave.” But there was no bitterness to the statement. Oh, he still hated his position, but he'd reluctantly come to the conclusion that Riana was right; he had suffered no more under her hands than she'd suffered under his. “Ah, that explains it.” She wriggled back down his body. “Maybe I should have given a more explicit demonstration of my intentions.” Her eyes glinted. The ridges of her teeth raked the entire length of his penis sending cold chills chasing down his spine, yet conversely flooding him with a scorching heat. His heart thundered in his chest as he fought to hold still, to enjoy the slow, erotic torment for as long as possible. Soon, though, the wet heat of her mouth and the knowing caresses of her hands became too much to endure without moving. The urge to rock in counterpoint to the glide of her mouth, the stroke of her tongue won. Raw, unadulterated pleasure raced through his veins as he began a dance as old as time. “Krel, yes!” He shaped her head with his hands, holding her still as his hips rhythmically flexed. Hot release poured forth. A hard shudder racked him and he gave a gut-wrenching groan. His hands fell to his sides. Darias didn't think he could even raise his head. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the bone-deep sense of completion that had left him spent and replete. He summoned enough energy to speak. “Another demonstration like that and I won't see dawn.” Riana smiled, a look of pure, female satisfaction on her lovely face. “Trust me.” **** Deep gold touched the horizon. Darias pushed a wisp of tangled hair off Riana's face. The Punishment Stone was damn uncomfortable. Then again its design was never meant for two people. He drew one finger over her high cheekbones to her full bottom lip. She sucked in the tip of his finger. His lower body stirred in response. Impossible. After last night it should have needed a full month to recover. Riana straddled his hips and trailed kisses between his pecs down to his navel. She

dipped her tongue inside and his body roared to life. Then again, around Riana he'd been known to be wrong before. The sun was just creeping above the walls of the keep when he was able to speak again. “Why the cuffs?” he asked, truly curious. “You hated the punishment.” He nodded. “I didn't want you haunted by memories of what I did to you here, what you did to me. I wanted you to remember the pleasure we gave each other.” “Couldn't you have just told me your plan?” She shook her head, amusement flaring in her eyes. “If I've learned one thing, it's that the men of Nexar are as thick as Anjarian mud. And their leader is the worst. You needed proof.” She waggled her brows. “Besides, I suspected I needed a captive audience when I opened my little bag.” Darias scowled, his pride pricked by the implication he was afraid of anything. “We can get along without any tricks from a bag. Last night proved that.” His curiosity piqued, however, he couldn't resist asking, “What's in the bag? You didn't take anything from it last night.” “Because I got distracted.” Riana hopped down from the stone. She had to steady herself with one hand on his stomach for a moment. “If we can get along without the bag, I guess you don't need to see what I had planned for this morning, hmm?” She scooped up her clothes in one hand and the bag in the other. “Shame. The feather is my absolute favorite.” The words floated over her shoulder as she strolled up the path leading to the bedchamber. Her lushly curved derriere disappeared from view. Feather? What could she do with a feather? Darias exploded off the bench, determined to find out. **** Riana was just rounding the last curve in the garden path when Darias came racing up behind her. Sending a provocative glance over her shoulder, she took off. In less than three strides, Darias was upon her, sweeping her up in his powerful arms. Laughing, she wound one arm around his neck and cradled the black bag to her abdomen with the other. “I thought you were worn out.” “I recovered.” “Um, so I see. Does this mean my little bag interests you after all?” Beneath her bottom, she could feel his staff stirring. “It means you interest me.” Darias buried his head between her neck and shoulder, and nipped sharply before laving the small wound with his tongue. Something inside Riana melted. To her amazement, the heat from his mouth seemed to have a direct connection to her sex. She grew moist. Darias sucked, using his teeth and the tip of his tongue to worry the sensitive skin over the pulse thrumming in the side of her neck. Wriggling in his arms, trusting that he wouldn’t drop her, Riana turned until she could nuzzled the spot where arm and chest met, drawing the tender flesh between her teeth.

The arm holding her trembled and hot air gusted just below her ear. Clutching her tighter against his chest, Darias hurried into the bedchamber, tossing her onto the bed. Riana giggled, giddy with how her plans had been fulfilled beyond what she’d imagined. “Laugh now, wench, we'll see who is left smiling and who will be too tired for even such a small movement,” Darias growled, one knee on the mattress, his hands splayed on each side of her head. “Promises, promises,” she taunted, loving this playful side of Darias. For a minute, regret at the time they'd wasted, each trying to conquer the other, washed over her. Riana shoved it away. She couldn't change the past, but she could change the present. She reached for him. Her hip nudged the black sample bag, reminding her of her plans for the items inside. She rolled quickly from between Darias' caging arms. He straightened, one knee still on the bed. Facing him, she unlatched the bag. Instantly, his face tightened. Something inside her chest clutched and ached. Despite his surrender earlier, it was obvious he still didn't fully trust her. “Even after last night,” she said quietly unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. “Even after everything we shared, you still can't bring yourself to trust me, can you?” Her hands shook, and she gripped the smooth moika leather of the bag to still them, waiting for an answer she already knew. His golden gaze was turbulent. He opened his mouth, then closed it. A muscle in his jaw worked. His need to give himself over to her, to experience everything she could show him, vying with his inbred modesty and his hard-learnt lessons in obedience and punishment. Slowly, his eyes lowered to her hands as they rested on the sample bag. “I believe you were going to show me why the feather is your favorite.” His lashes lifted, meeting hers. Darias shifted and settled onto his back on the soft mattress, keeping her mesmerized with nothing more than his molten gold gaze. He lifted his arms over his head, gripping the carved wooden spindles of the headboard and spread his legs, his eyes never wavering from hers. Her breath stilled, caught in her throat. He’d given her the ultimate gesture of trust a Nexarian male could offer a woman. Tears burned her eyes even as a trembling smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “I think it only fair that you get the chance to decide for yourself if the feather will be your favorite.” His eyes heated as he understood her unspoken message. That, although he had made himself completely vulnerable to her of his own free will, the decision whether to continue would remain his. An utterly masculine smile, full of hunger and sex, curved his lips. “Then, by all means, let us see what is in your bag of tricks.” Feeling incredibly light and happy inside, she turned a decidedly wicked grin on the man splayed so openly for her pleasure. “Are you sure you're strong enough? I mean, after last night, are you sure you're not too … exhausted?” He frowned, an affronted expression crossing his face. She smiled. Teasing Darias when he was serious was fun, but teasing Darias when he

was in a playful mood just might be addicting. “Woman, it would take more than one night of unbridled sex and two black bags to exhaust me!” Riana giggled. Actually giggled. Pushing the black bag ahead of her, Riana crawled up the bed until she was between his legs. Her breath snagged in her throat. His shaft was full and hard and as she watched, it swelled further. Perhaps the man wasn't exaggerating. Perhaps, despite her best efforts, last night hadn't tired him out, after all. Sitting back on her heels, she studied the man sprawled before her. His eyes glinted from between thick, black lashes as he stared back. Arms above his head, the silky, dark hair under his arms was revealed. Heat pooled low in Riana's belly. The sight of the dark tufts was unbearably erotic— and utterly vulnerable. She swallowed, trying to ease her dry throat. Goddess, the man was gorgeous. The urge to take taste him, to take his cock between her lips until he was arching and pleading with her to take him deep inside her body, was overwhelming. She licked her lips and tamped down her desire. First play, then they could get down to some serious fucking. Riana cleared her throat and wrenched her gaze from the temptation before her, focusing on the contents of her bag. What to choose, what to choose. Ah, yes, the aforementioned feather. She couldn't ignore that. Taking the half a meter long iridescent feather from the bag, she set it to one side. Darias’ gaze followed her every moment. She suppressed a grin as she tried to picture his reaction to some of the more exotic items residing in her sample case. No, better not. Not yet, at least. Best to start slow. Her brow creased before it cleared. Her hand closed about a short, squat jar. Ah, just the thing. She hoisted the goldjel like a victor hoisting a banner. “What is that?” There was a catch in his deep voice. Was it worry or curiosity? “This,” she twisted off the lid and dipped a forefinger inside, “this is goldjel.” She watched him closely for his reaction and gave a tiny, silent sigh of relief when confused amusement slid into that golden gaze. “I can see the gel is gold, what I want to know is what it is used for.” He frowned. Riana couldn't restrain another giggle. Her hand flew to her mouth. A giggle! She who never giggled. Then again, she couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. That in this, at least, Darias was willing to put aside their fight and put his trust in her. If that wasn't worth a little giddiness, then nothing was. Crooking her finger, she scooped some of the viscous gel out of the jar and let it ooze back down. “No, goldjel. It is from the Beta Epsilon system.” He eyed it suspiciously. “What does it do?” She widened her eyes in feigned innocence. “Why, how would I know? After all, I'm just a poor female.” She scooped up more of the gel, this time letting it slide down her finger toward her wrist. “Riana,” he drawled in warning, his hands squeezing the spindles harder, as if he had

in mind something else he'd rather wrap his hands around. She scooted closer. “Rather than trying to explain, let me demonstrate instead.” A small puddle of goldjel pooled in her palm. Riana took his straining cock in her free hand and held it steady while she dribbled the thick gel over the head. Immediately, the gel hugged the hard male flesh, coating the entire flared cap. Darias’ hips jerked. His eyes widened and his mouth worked around words that wouldn't form. She smiled wickedly as she upended the small jar and let the goldjel slide out. With a seeming mind of it own, it shaped itself to Darias’ cock and balls. “Krel, it acts as if it is alive!” “It is.” “What?” he bellowed, his hands turning loose of the spindles. “Easy,” she soothed, putting a hand on his muscled abdomen and patting him. “It won't hurt you.” She glanced from his hands to the spindles. With obvious reluctance, he renewed his grips on the thick, polished wood. “Goldjel has a natural affinity for male pleasure, instinctively knowing a man’s threshold of pleasure and holding him there.” She arched an eyebrow as something occurred to her. “Darias?” “W-What?” A subtle tremor went whet through his strong limbs as the goldjel vibrated with a low-level intensity. “You do know why I was in this sector when the ion storm caused me to crash on this planet, don't you?” Odd, but despite weeks in Nexar and the intimacy between them, Riana wasn't sure if he knew such a basic thing about her. His head arched back and his throat worked. Finally, he gritted out from between teeth clenched with pleasure. “No. It didn't matter. I had you. What you did in the past, was in the past.” Riana didn't know whether to kiss him or smack him. Exasperated, she put her hands on her hips. “The past was the past? Darias, you are an arrogant dragon.” Laughter bubbled up. “But you are my dragon. Well, whether you want to know or not, I'm going to tell you.” “Could we talk about this later?” His hips pumped and the goldjel pulsed. He sounded strangled. “You were going to teach me about the feather.” “I still am.” She picked up the feather and ran her hand up it, ruffling the soft edges of the vane. “I'm a trader. I go from sector to sector looking for new goods to sell and offering what I have to anyone who is interested.” She brushed the tip of the feather over his lips. His eyes shot open, surprised at the tingle the feather in its wake. He wet his lips. “What does that have to do with the feather?” “Guess what I trade?” “Feathers?” His gaze went unfocused as she trailed the tip of the feather down over his chin and throat, to the point between his masculine nipples. She could tell he wasn't really interested in her answer. He was intent on the so-light touch. She tapped it against his breast bone to garner his full attention. “Feathers, goldjel, Wa'Shin balls, sonic nipple clamps, stim paddles.” Riana shrugged. “Whatever I think I can find a market for.”

He looked up, a myriad of expressions crossing his face. Disbelief, curiosity, arousal. Riana wondered if he even remembered to breathe. “You have a business selling such things? To men?” “And women. Not everyone is like Nexarians. Most people think of sex as something mutually pleasurable and are not afraid to experiment.” Abruptly, he pinned her with a hard gaze. Even though he still gripped the headboard, she had the sudden impression of danger. She went perfectly still. “Have you experimented?” She licked her lips and tried to think of a way to explain. “I've never experimented with anyone that means as much to me as you do.” She suddenly realized it was true. The other men had been fun, but that was all. Whenever she moved on, she looked back with no regrets. Leaving Darias, on the other hand, would wrench something from her soul that couldn't be replaced. He must have read the truth in her eyes for the battle-ready tension left his muscles. His mouth quirked up in a self-deprecating smile. “My body is yours.” She wanted more. Riana felt like she had been slammed by a piece of space junk. Why hadn't she seen that before? She wanted more than his body, more than his willing cooperation to experiment. She wanted his heart. It was only fair seeing as how he had hers. When had love crept up on her? Was it when she realized that Darias truly cared for his people—men and women? Or was it when he broke the traditions of a lifetime to please her? Her lips firmed as the stubbornness and determination that Sharri had often lamented would get her in trouble, rose to the forefront. No matter. She would work on his emotions with the persistence of an Antarian cargo leech sucking energy from a ship. The man was already drawn to her against his will. She would build on that until he realized he loved her. And she knew just how to start. Dragging the edges of the feather across his skin, she circled the flat disk of his nipple. It hardened under the light torment. “Krel! What is that thing? It feels like small jolts of energy brushing my skin.” “Don't you like it?” But she already knew the answer. He couldn't hide his response to the twin assault of feather and goldjel. “Do you want me to stop?” “Krel, no!” he gasped as she brushed the feather over the other hard nub. “Then you don't mind if I do this?” As if she were painting a masterpiece, Riana drew intricate patterns over the tight muscles of his abdomen. “Or this?” She tickled his inner thigh before moving the feather to the sensitive area behind his knee. Each touch, she knew, teased his nerve endings to a higher level of arousal. The goldjel began to glow as it, too, increased its energy. Fascinated, she watched as Darias’ balls tightened and drew closer to his shaft. Hard breaths escaped his lips. He sounded as if he had fought an army as he gasped out, “I wouldn't want to hamper your experimentation.” His back bowed. Riana heard a muted hum as the goldjel increased its energy output yet another level

higher. She ran the feather over his buttocks as his hips left the mattress. A strangled groan echoed on the air as he pumped his hips helplessly, the goldjel absorbing his come. He was beautiful in release. He gleamed with sweat, the light defining each hard plane of his body. She was tempted to sit there and watch him, but, before the stimulation could become uncomfortable instead of pleasurable, she removed the goldjel and replaced it in the jar. A sheen of sweat covered Darias’ body. She leaned down and tasted the salty flesh of his stomach with the tip of her tongue. Turning her head, she rested her cheek on his heaving belly. At last his breathing evened out. Darias cupped the back of her head in one large hand. “I think I like your feather.” She kissed his belly button. Taking a deep breath, she pushed upright. The muscles in her stomach quivered at what she was about to do. She only hoped she wasn't pushing Darias too hard, too fast. “Do you have faith in me?” “Haven't I just proved that I do?” He grinned. “To both our satisfactions?” “Turn over.” He did so immediately and without hesitation. Awed by his trust, she pulled a small bottle of oil from the case. Pouring a small amount in her hand, she warmed it between her palms. The exotic fragrance of rantatia wood filled the air. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she curved her hands over the heavy muscles, loving the feel of his strength beneath her palms. Pressing her thumbs to each side of his spine, she dragged them down to the small of his back. Putting more oil on her hands, she sensuously massaged the sensitive area before letting her fingers drift lower. He stiffened. “No.” Snuggling her cheek on the curve of his flank, she pressed tiny kisses against his skin. “Please.” She had to get him to agree, to erase the memory of his punishment in the garden and the fiasco from yesterday. “You promised you wouldn't,” he grated. “I promised I wouldn't last night,” she corrected. “This won't be like it was in the garden, I promise. This will be different.” She almost said, trust me, but this time Darias had to come to that choice on his own, without any prompting from her. “I can't.” “Because I did it during punishment or because it caused you embarrassment yesterday?” Tears burned her eyes. Tears she refused to allow fall. He turned over. He lifted his hand, cupping her face and catching one glittering drop on his thumb. “No. No to both.” He sucked the tip of his thumb into his mouth, taking her inside him. Riana thought her heart would melt even as the ache in her chest refused to go away. “I just can't.” She produced a wobbling smile. One step at a time. Maybe one day he'd trust her as he had in the office. Trust her to remove the other memory. “Turn over.” Even to her own

ears, her voice was smoky, sensual. He met her eyes for a long moment before he abruptly rolled to his stomach. She pressed her thumbs on each side of his spine, loving the firm, glide of strong muscle under oiled skin. She skimmed her thumbs, framing the deep indent, down until they met as the start of the powerful muscles of his buttocks. He tensed. She smoothed her hands back up to his shoulder blades. There, she spread her fingers. He was so broad she didn’t even begin to span the breadth of his massive shoulders. A delicious heated tingle puffed the lips of her pussy and started a trickle of moisture down the inside of her thigh. He made her feel so small, almost dainty. A wry smile lifted the corner of her mouth and she almost snorted. Dainty! Life as an independent trader didn’t have room for dainty. You had to be self-reliant and able to look after yourself. To give as good as you got. And she could. She had the scars to prove it. But, against Darias’ size and strength, she felt feminine and all female. She loved that. Almost as much as she loved the fact that all that power and strength submitted willingly to her. Leaning forward, she kissed the spot between his shoulder blades, then just under the left one. Tightening her thighs against his haunches, she slid sensuously down until she was sitting just above his knees. Her breath caught as her pussy dragged over the sculpted perfection of his ass. She poured more of the oil in the cup of her palm, rubbing it between her hands to warm it. Placing a hand on each buttock, she savored for a moment the flex of the powerful muscles beneath her touch. She nipped the curve of his ass. Her lips stilled on his skin, she murmured, “You’re built like a warrior, all clean lines and strength.” “I am a warrior.” His voice was deeper, hoarser. Her hands continued rubbing and stroking, testing the resilience of his inner thighs and then the softness behind his scrotum. He spread his legs a bit more, silently encouraging her to further exploration. Sitting up, she ran her hands back up, this time letting her thumbs trace the seam of his buttocks. He tensed, an almost imperceptible tightening of his muscles, so slight that she wouldn’t have even noticed if her body hadn’t been hugging his. “Mmm. I know you are.” Pretending she hadn’t felt his reaction, she slid her hands down again, this time dipping a little deeper into the crease separating the cheeks. She paused, her thumbs on each side of his anus. “You pleased me last night.” He’d done more than please her. She’d pushed him hard, teased him with the threat of punishment, only to show him that if he gave himself to her, trusted her, she would give him pleasure that a Nexarian couldn’t even begin to imagine. She should be satisfied. But she wasn’t. For there was that last bit of his trust she didn’t own. Most women wouldn’t mind. As his Mistress she wanted Darias, cock, balls and ass. As the woman who loved him, she wanted him heart, body, mind and soul … and his complete trust. No, not until she had that would she be completely satisfied. Nor would he. “When you trust me, really trust me” Her touch light, she ringed the tight opening

with the pad of one thumb. His cheeks clenched, trapping the motion. “I will take you here.” Not giving him time to protest, or to say anything, she swung her leg over him and cuddled next to Darias. “But not until you trust me.” Darias pulled her close, next to his heat and power. He didn't say anything, just pulled her hand over until it cupped his rear. She sighed, not sure if they were ever going to get to that point. One of them was going to have to compromise. **** Darias woke up, a contented groan on his lips as he rolled over noting that Riana was already up and about. How did the woman do it? She'd worn him to a nub. Not even his most vigorous work out with Gaith had stolen his energy this much. He grinned, then again, he'd never felt the need to wrestle with Gaith all night. Pulling himself upright against the headboard, he yawned and scratched his stomach. His hand froze mid-stroke. There, on the foot of the bed, were his well-worn leather breeches and work tunic.

Chapter Eleven Three weeks later Gaith had a dark frown on his face as he hurried down the wide staircase. “We need to talk.” Not giving Darias a chance to say anything, he hauled him into an empty room and shut the door. Darias crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Well?” “Our plan is not working!” Pure frustration glinted out of his first's eyes. Darias looked closer. The fine silk of Gaith's tunic was sticking to his back. He glanced away quickly as the man's buttocks clenched in a rhythm he immediately recognized. Darias fought the flush creeping up his neck as he remembered some of his encounters with Riana's 'toys'. At least the leather breeches she’d returned to him hid the effect of her mischief better than the silk slave trousers had. It was odd, really, how quick Bryta had been to adopt Riana's ways and attitude, but still insisted on keeping Gaith in the revealing clothes. In fact, he was amazed at the dominant tendencies all the women showed. Despite his belief the women would soon crumble without the men to guide them, they were not only showing themselves as capable of running a business but of not hesitating to keep their men in line. A grudging respect filled Darias. “Perhaps we need to rethink our plan.” The words were out of his mouth before he even realized what he was going to say. “We need to take control from the women.” There was a pugnacious thrust to Gaith's jaw. “You would have us break our word?” Though the admonishment was mild, deep chagrin flashed across the other man's face. “No, of course not. It's just that everything we try the women find a way around. I just heard that the trade strike is over. All of our planning, all of our interference, all of our Punishment was for naught! Bryta is even selling,” he hesitated, “things to the other women! She should be Punished.” A surge of impatience went through Darias. “Have you not had your fill of Punishment? Perhaps if we men had listened to our women instead of seeking ways to keep them subservient, we wouldn't be in this predicament now.” Ignoring the shock on the other man's face, he turned to leave, needing some time alone to think. “Riana is opening Nexar to traders from out of the sector.” Looked like he wasn’t going to be alone after all. **** “You can't be serious!” Darias stormed into the Great Hall, his expression as dark as the storm clouds outside the huge windows. Riana sighed. Somehow he'd heard about her plan to open trade with select offworld traders. She settled deeper into the elaborately carved chair. A hush fell on the chamber.

Several of the nearest women, members of the Council, turned expectant faces in her direction. The men, who had been quietly going about the business of seeing to the council members' needs, froze. “You can't seriously intend to invite outsiders to trade with Nexar.” “Why not?” she asked mildly. “Nexar needs an influx of both goods and money to pull it out of the economic slump.” “Outsiders will ruin Nexar with their ways.” Darias continued up the steps until he was standing less than a hand's breadth from Riana. “I forbid it.” A collective gasp went up from the interested spectators. Riana heard a tap, tap, tap. Annoyed, she looked around for the offender, then realized she was drumming her fingers on the polished arm of the chair. She forced herself to stop. “You forbid it,” she repeated slowly. She began tapping the toe of one foot. “I will not allow you to pollute my country-state with the insidious customs of offworlders.” Thunder rumbled in the distance. Riana forgot about their audience as she leaned forward. “Your country-state is slowly stagnating to death. You know I speak the truth. I've read your journals. You were looking for an industry capable of making the transition from agriculture to industrial more viable. But there wasn't one at hand, was there? People were leaving the land, but Nexar had little else to offer.” “I would have found a solution,” he gritted from between clenched teeth. “I agree. The question is … would you have found it in time?” His slashed his hand in the air. “Inviting people unaccustomed to our ways will not cure our woes.” Pure fury ignited inside Riana. She stood up. Darias was one step below her. It put them nose to nose. Riana waded in. “Your ways? Your ways?” she yelled. “Your ways made slaves of women. Your ways kept you isolated as a people. Your ways pitted man against woman, made it illegal for a woman to offer her opinion.” “I noticed it never stopped you,” he drawled, insolence in his very bearing. “Because I was not imbrued in your ways!” She shoved on his chest. It was like trying to move a mountain. “You adopted our ways quick enough when it suited you,” he shot back. “You Punished me when I voiced an opinion, refused to let me voice a say!” “I'm letting you have a say now, aren't I?” she fumed. “And I don't hear one constructive word out of your mouth.” “Would you listen?” he shot back. Riana leaned closer to hear the question. She didn't hesitate. “Yes.” “Even if you don't like what you hear?” “Yes. Even if I don't like what you have to say.” The silence in the chamber became deafening. Riana looked around. They were the cynosure of every eye in the place. “What are you people looking at?” she demanded, exasperated. You couldn't even have an argument in this place without all knowing about it. She grabbed Darias by the arm. “Let's go into the office where we can speak in private.” She glared at the closest group of offenders. “Maybe then we can work something out we can both agree on.” ****

Riana turned the key in the massive, old-fashioned lock in the office door. She rested her forehead against the cool wood, hoping it would soothe the throbbing in her temples. She placed both palms flat against the door and let it support her weight. What was he thinking? “Why did you give me back my leather breeches?” It was the last thing she expected to hear. Her hand dropped from the wood and she rubbed it nervously against the side of her leg. “You don't have any idea?” “No.” “Because I knew how much you hated the slave pants.” Would he understand the significance behind the action? Would he understand it was her way of trying to compromise? Of trying to find a way to work together instead of locked in battle? Breath lodged in her throat, she waited for his response. She heard Darias crossing the room, and turned. He stood in front of the huge glass windows overlooking the gardens, staring outside. Lightning split the air and rain slashed the panes of the glass. The hard lines of his face were stark. He nodded. She couldn’t read him at all, his face closed, impassive. “You serious about finding a solution? Together?” He tilted his head toward the closed door and the Great Hall. She walked over beside him, but she didn't touch him. “I'm serious. The problems of Nexar are complex. I don't mind admitting I need help. You are an able leader, Darias. You pinpointed the problems and were systematically solving them. It wasn't your fault that you inherited a stagnating economy and a society biased against a large portion of your population.” “Maybe. Maybe not.” He braced one hand against the sill. A bolt of lightning highlighted the old scar that went from his middle knuckle to well past his wrist. He was also a warrior. A man more accustomed to fixing a problem than dwelling on what had gone wrong. Something she would do well to remember. “But it is my fault that I didn't even realize there was something wrong with the old system.” He turned his head and met her eyes. His golden gaze tarnished with pain. “We treated women with less respect than our animals. I treated you with less respect than my chelan. I trust his instincts. I would allow him to refuse a command, certain he had a reason, yet I would not even listen when you tried to explain your position. I hurt you.” Riana crossed her arms under her breasts and stared with blind eyes at the sporadic drops of rain. “Yes, you did. I recovered quickly from the pain of punishment, but it took much longer to recover from the pain of humiliation.” She swallowed the tightness in her throat. “That's why I hurt you every chance I got.” Darias caught her chin on the edge of his hand. “I understand. I thought I understood it the other night, but I didn't. Not really. Not until now. Where do we go from here?” “We learn to be a team. I won't say I won't ever be tempted to punish you. I have a temper. But I won't. You have my word.” “Your warriors will never tolerate a slave advising you.” The corner of his mouth tipped up in wry acceptance of the fact. “They will if I treat you like a true mate.” “They'll revolt,” he warned.

Riana considered his words. “I don't think so. Look at how your warriors reacted to learning Saria of the Far Islands was a woman. Once they saw firsthand the advantages of trading with the Far Islands, they did little more than grumble. Granted, it helped that Sharri brought the profit from our goods and a wide range of sample trade goods available from the Far Islands back first. They respect you, Darias. Enough that they trusted you to turn over control of the entire country-state to the women. “Also, I'm given more latitude because I'm not from your world. Besides, the women are more pragmatic than the men.” His expression darkened. Don't look so offended,” she told him, amused. “It's the truth. They know it is just a matter of time before you’d find a way to overthrow me.” She laughed at the look of shock on his face. “Did you think I wasn't aware that I couldn’t hold out forever against your plans? You men were doing everything in your power to see to that we failed. You were certain that governing a household, much less a country-state, would tax us beyond endurance and we'd be relieved when men once again assumed the reins of power.” “We were that obvious, huh?” He sounded more admiring than chagrined. Riana frowned at him. “I wouldn't say obvious, exactly. It's just that I knew you'd never concede defeat. Not completely.” “How?” he asked, sounding curious. “We're a lot alike, you and I. In your place I would never give up,” she said simply. “I still don't like the thought of opening Nexar to offworlders.” He stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand. “Look at the trouble of allowing just one to stay has caused.” She circled the wrist of the hand cupping her face. Her fingers barely fit around it. “We can go slow. Open a few of the most profitable markets first. Trust me.” His gaze softened, became intent. “I do.” A warm glow settled around her heart. She basked in it for a long moment. “And I trust you.” She allowed a slow smile to curve her lips. “Did I tell you I found something that might be even more,” she paused meaningfully, “stimulating than a feather?” A flame kindled in his eyes. “I thought the feather was your favorite. I must admit I'm rather fond of it myself. It had applications I never dreamed possible.” An answering heat melted her insides. She cleared her throat. “Um. The feather has its uses, I agree, but I think I found something even more versatile.” Riana sauntered over to the desk, a provocative swing to her hips. “It just so happens I have it here.” “In the office?” “Interested?”“ “Do I get a turn this time?” he asked, his hands already on the laces of his old tunic. A trend the rest of the women were slow to adopt. Maybe once she and Darias began working as a true team that would change. She grinned, picturing the men’s relief at pitching the revealing thongs and leather harnesses. Riana pursed her lips and pretended to think. “Well…” “Teamwork,” he reminded her before dropping the tunic to the floor and starting on his breeches. The soft leather did nothing to hide his growing arousal. Desire made her mouth go dry. Riana licked her lips. “I think that might be arranged.” She fumbled inside a drawer, not taking her eyes of Darias as he shed his

breeches. Her hand closed around the leather binding of a book. The Damsel and the Dragon. She started to lift it out, then changed her mind. She didn’t need the dragon in the book. Not when she had her own, real live dragon. Maybe she’d give the book to Bryta. She closed the drawer. A private smile lifted her lips. Perhaps after she and Darias had recreated all the love scenes. She opened a different drawer. Her hand closed about a length of soft material, and she held it up. “A piece of cloth?” She drew the deep amethyst material through her fingers with deliberate slowness. “Any ideas yet?” * Darias smiled, a slight curve of his lips. “Oh, I think I can come up with one or two.” And three and four. He sank to his knees on the rich, burgundy rug, taking Riana with him. Slowly, he reached out and closed his hand over the material, right above hers. Just as slowly, she released it. Curious, Darias studied the cloth. In some ways it reminded him of the colorful, armlength scarves the women wore in the open-air markets, but there was an odd metallic sheen to this material. He hefted the scarf, surprised to discover it was as light as a leaf on a breeze. Darias squeezed it, liking the sensuous feel of the material against his palm. He nearly dropped the cloth when it seemed to pulse in response to his touch. “It's alive!” Riana gave a throaty murmur of amusement. “No, it is responding to the biochemical signals in your skin.” She walked two fingers up his thigh until she was touching both him and the cloth. “Different emotions give off different biochemicals, and no two people's biochemical signatures are the same. The cloth simply reacts.” Darias was utterly conscious of her light touch on his hand. It was amazing how a simple touch from this woman could send heat coursing through his veins. The scarf grew warm, as did his simmering blood. “Take your clothes off.” He wanted, no, he needed, to see her fully. “Take them off for me,” she murmured. All too aware that his hands were shaking, he placed the scarf around his neck. He fumbled at the first fastener of her tunic, muffling a curse when he heard the unmistakable sound of cloth tearing. The back of his neck heated with embarrassment. Krel, this was so much easier when she was in charge. “Hurry.” Her breathy plea erased his discomfort. Within moments, he had the tunic off and discarded on the floor. His hands on the waistband of her breeches, Darias paused. Sucking a deep breath between his teeth, he dropped his head and fought for a measure of control. “Darias?” “Shh, it's alright. I'm not going anywhere.” He had to do this right. Too often in the past, he'd taken while holding part of himself back. This time he was going to give. As much as he loved her taking control, it was her pleasure that was paramount now.

Keeping one hand on her waist, he scooted until he was behind her. He slipped off the leather tie holding her hair, freeing the glorious mass to fall in a living river of color. He removed the scarf from around his neck and, carefully lifted her hair and slipped the scarf around hers, leaving the ends to dangle over her breasts. Each intake of air, each movement, caused the ends to brush the tips of her breasts. Still on his knees, he pulled Riana between his spread thighs. Sliding his hands around his waist, he opened her breeches. Brushing the dark red triangle between her legs with the tips of his fingers, he began placing tiny kisses down her spine. Every so often, he tugged on her hair with his lips, just to see the shiver race down her spine. Riana moaned when he reached the small of her back, the sound vibrating a responding chord deep inside him. She began a primal rocking motion. He caught her hips and held her still as he painted an intricate pattern at the curve of her waist. No longer sure who he was teasing the most with the slow seduction, and at the end of his control, he lifted her slightly and shoved her breeches down over her firm bottom and off her legs. She tried to turn in his arms. Darias refused to let her, tucking her back firmly between his knees. “My turn,” he reminded her, barely able to form the words. Darias drew his hands up, over her flat belly, to the slight ridges of her ribs, up until he had trapped the silky material of the scarf between his palms and her breasts. The material heated and pulsed. Riana gave a quivery little moan of desire. In a heartbeat, he had lifted Riana up and around, so that she was straddling his waist. His mouth closed over her breast, pulling strongly at the taut nipple. Riana's head tilted back and her fingers bit into his upper arms. She moved restlessly in his arms. The fragrance of her arousal filled his senses. Holding her tight against him with one arm, he used the other to lower her to the floor, following her down, his mouth still at her breast. He pulled back, looking at his handiwork. The crest of her breast was flushed a deep red, furled and begging for more kisses. Satisfaction roared through him. He didn’t even try to hide his arrogant smile. She glanced at him from between lowered lashes. The heat in her gaze was enough to set him ablaze. He stared at her, unable to get enough of her honest need. Even as he watched, the amethyst material covering her breast seemed to take on a silver shimmer in the muted light of the storm. Taking one end of the material in his hand, he drew it down her body, his gaze locked with hers. Her breath caught and she arched under his ministrations. Darias lifted first one leg, and then the other, placing them over his shoulders, leaving Riana wide open to his touch. He waited, giving her time to object. She smiled at him. His heart stopped in his chest at the implicit trust in her smile. Light as the gossamer wings of a honeybird, he slid the scarf from around her neck, over her breasts, and down

her stomach. His mouth followed the same path. Beneath his lips, he felt a muscle in her stomach contract sharply. Her scent filled his head. Could he do this outside of Punishment? Could he put his mouth on Riana, arouse and fulfill her? His mouth went dry, a lifetime of tradition shouting a warning in his head. Telling him he was weak to choose a woman’s pleasure over his duty as a warrior. Riana shifted, and her hands came up to cradle his head. He figuratively turned his back on the voices of the past. Weak to give her pleasure instead of humiliation? To take his own in her arms? He hadn’t known what true strength was until he tried to master Riana and instead discovered the steel in her spine. Discovered what love felt like in her arms. He froze. He squeezed his eyes shut. He loved her. A chill deeper than any he'd felt before, washed over Darias. After all he'd done to her, trying to crush her spirit, humiliating her in front of not only his warriors, but her friends, how could she ever love him back? Krel, the Gods could be cruel. Love wasn’t an emotion Nexarian custom encouraged. Strength, loyalty, duty. Yes, they were all concepts drilled into him since a child. But not love. Darias wanted to rage, to slam his fist into something. To find a woman he loved only to learn his own actions had ruined any chance of gaining love in return… “Darias?” Riana breathed, naked hunger in her sultry tones. He shoved his despair aside. He’d deal with his revelation later. Now, now he would give her this. Stretching the material between the soft folds of her feminine flesh, he pulled it taut. He closed his mouth over both Riana and the material. Little currents eddied out, sending jolts of pleasure from his mouth to her. “Darias!” Riana screamed as her body began tiny, internal convulsions. He took his time loving her with his mouth, despite her pleas and demands to finish it running his tongue from the cloth-covered swollen nub to her opening. Darias felt her unmistakable reaction as wave after wave of powerful shivers quivered inside her. “Darias!” He pressed his tongue deep inside her opening. Riana fell completely apart. Darias made sure he was there to catch her. **** His heart was pounding against her ribs. Riana pressed a kiss on the inside of his arm. “For a beginner, you learn pretty quick.” He gave a laugh that turned to a stifled moan as she wriggled to get more comfortable. She realized Darias was still aroused. She lifted her upper body, holding it slightly away from his. “Now it's my turn. What would a spanking feel like with this,” she slid the amethyst scarf across his chest, “draped over your ass?” she asked in a deep, sensual whisper as she wrapped it around his cock and tugged softly. His heartbeat jolted, then accelerated.

She leaned forward to taste one nipple. Riana slid her mouth to the hollow of his throat, lips parted slightly so the edge of her teeth scraped his skin. She tasted salt as the tip of her tongue stroked the firm flesh. She sucked on his neck, an erotic tug that sent a hard shudder the length of his spine. “Stay right there,” she muttered. Crossing to a desk, she retrieved her book. Tapping one slender finger on the leather binding, Riana tried to get calm the erratic beating of her heart. She reached for the cutcrystal decanter Darias had kept on the desk and poured a glass of deep, red wine. Control. She took a sip, letting the spicy, fruity flavor burst over her taste buds. She needed to regain control. Her emotions were too close to the surface to conceal. She wanted, ached, for that last, tiny little part of Darias. It went deeper even than obsession. No, it was much more fundamental than that. “Riana?” The deep, rough, utterly masculine tone went straight to her pussy. Schooling her expression, she turned. And nearly dropped the glass of wine. Darias was kneeling on the floor, his forehead touching the carpet. Large hands, tanned and rough and scarred from work and war, held the cheeks of his ass apart. She swallowed, her eyes filling with unfamiliar tears. Throat tight, her mouth opened but words wouldn’t come. “Riana … Mistress, please take what belongs to you. Everything that belongs to you.” Riana pulled herself together. Crossing the small space separating them, she laid one hand on his thick wrist. She was proud of the calm, steady cadence to her voice. “Do not move.” Stroking the hair-roughened skin of his wrist, she asked softly, “Are you sure? Once you give yourself to me, I will not allow you to change your mind.” “I'm sure.” She gave one last, soft, lingering stroke to his wrist as she trailed her fingers to the small of his back. There, she rested her palm. “Tell me.” He didn’t pretend that he didn’t understand exactly what she meant. “I want you to take me, cock, balls”—a fine quiver rippled under his skin…”ass. Any way you please.” “What if I want to take you hard, slam a cock as large as yours into that tight hole and make no concessions for the fact you ass is virgin?” Another one of those subtle, barely there shivers. “Yes, Mistress. I trust you to see to my needs.” It was what he didn’t say, that her heart heard. One tear slid down her cheek. She moved away, sat down in the chair behind the desk. The view was extraordinary. But it wasn’t the view that heated her insides and melted her heart. Darias trusted her. Really trusted her. The ultimate Alpha warrior willingly gave his body, his pleasure and his emotions into her keeping. Darias was hers. As she was his. Crossing her legs, she steepled her fingers beneath her chin and tasted the words

again. Darias was hers. “Spread your knees one meter apart.” He immediately complied. The position opened him to her completely. She could see his huge balls and a good portion of the long, heavy, fully erect cock. And the small, dark opening. Long minutes passed. She could tell by the stiffening in the broad shoulders that a mixture of lust and fear had taken hold of him. She let it build. Finally, she rose and retrieved the small bottle of oil she kept in the right-hand drawer. And one other item that she placed on the scarf that trailed between his spread knees. Coating her fingers, she played lightly around the ring of muscle. It squeezed tight. She smacked his ass, a light, stinging pop that heated rather than punished. “Mine.” She heard him swallow. “Yours, Mistress.” Riana probed the tight ring with the tip of her index finger. His breath became rushed, light. He started as she eased one finger inside, deep inside. Instantly, her finger was engulfed in heat. Riana closed her eyes as her own need built again. But first she must see to his. A small, not altogether comfortable smile, curved her lips. A second finger joined the first. His breath became small pants. Beneath the surface of his skin, one quiver joined another. He was apprehensive. Riana saw more than he would have been comfortable with had he known. This was the giving up of control on a level that Darias both craved and dreaded. They both knew that once he permitted this act, no, surrendered willingly, nothing would be the same. He’d belong to her—in her mind and, more importantly, in his. In that moment, Riana knew she understood Darias better than he understood himself. That was okay. She was there to catch him when he fell. Contentment mixed with arousal. This is what had been missing all these sennights since she gave Darias the new rules. Why she hadn’t enjoyed his surrenders, his sensual punishments, as fully as she should have. Even tonight, when he'd been pleasuring her, she’d kept an emotional distance between them. The deepest, most basic level of her soul had recognized the edge of cruel punishment she’d used against them both. Her anger and need for revenge had ruled. She carefully stretched the virgin tissue, slowly pumping her fingers in and out. Small grunts and moans kept rhythm with her. Scissoring her fingers in his ass, she poured oil directly in the dark opening with her other hand. Not for the world would she abuse his trust by truly hurting him tonight. Only when both fingers slipped easily in and out of his flesh, did she add a third finger. He jerked. “Mistress?” Uncertainty darkened his voice to pure midnight. “Shh.” She twisted her fingers, stretching him further. “Relax, my warrior.” This time, when she thrust inside slowly, she made sure she pressed the bundle of nerves in his hot channel. “Ahh. I don’t think that’s helping me to relax.” He gave a strained chuckle. She touched the bundle of nerves again.

He groaned, the muscles of his sphincter clamping down on her fingers. She retrieved the item off of the scarf. The night of the semi-public spanking in the garden, she’d been unable to sleep after she’d finished punishing him. Restless, discontent, an unaccountable sensation uncomfortably close to guilt driving her, she’d left their bed and gone to her ship. Once there she had programmed his measurements into a machine she’d traded for on NAXH281. What had emerged was a work of art. It was a dildo like none else in the galaxy. Almost an exact duplicate of Darias’ cock, down to the veins roping the velvet-soft length. Embedded in the bio-synthetic flesh were nerve-endings that transferred sensation from the smaller cock at the other end. As she fucked him, she would feel each clench of muscle, each ripple of response and, when she came, a warm viscous oil, much like a man’s sperm, would eject inside his body. Since the morning she'd given Darias back his leather breeches, she’d kept it in the desk, hoping against hope that one day he'd allow her to use it, but reluctant to push. Now she was free to satisfy them both. This time she lightly scraped her nails over the bundle of nerves deep inside his ass. He groaned. His body gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat. A bead rolled down the valley of his spine. She caught it on the tip of her tongue, taking that tiny part of him inside her. A flash of lightning gleamed off of his powerful flanks, brining to light his masculine beauty, muscles shifting and sliding under the skin of his back, his cheeks clenching and releasing against the pleasure. Pulling her fingers from him, she teased the opening, rimming it with a barely-there pressure. His buttocks tightened, capturing the motion. She probed again, testing the tight ring of muscle. “Riana. Mistress,” he groaned, a deep, guttural sound that she was sure he wasn't even aware of making. Leaning over his back, she put her mouth next to his ear. “Do you want this?” She let the words heat his skin, sending a cold chill across his flesh. “Do you want me?” “I think I might die without you inside me.” There was a touch of humor in the strained tones. And a wealth of need. She stood up and stepped into the harness containing the dildo. Riana hissed as the replica of his cock slipped into her heated channel. She gnawed on her lip. Krel, she had to make this good for him. Her hands shook as she tightened the leather straps of the harness. Oh, krel, she was going to blow this. Her control was shot to Tartarius. Riana stiffened her knees. No, she refused to fail. She moved behind him. She placed her hands on the powerful haunches. Ever-so-slow, she eased the head of the cock against the small hole. The lubricant made it easy to slide the tip into his heat. A hiss of pleasure escaped her as the nerve-endings in the cock in Darias transmitted the sensations directly into her pussy. “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?” she panted. Goddess, if this was what a man felt when he made love to a woman, it was a wonder anyone ever got out of bed. “Hurts. Burns.” He sucked a deep breath, his muscles quivering against the invasion.

She pushed a little deeper, unable to help herself. His fingers dug into the plush carpet. “Bad?” “Unhh.” He pulled forward and just as quickly pushed back. She leaned forward, pressing her mouth just below his shoulder blade. Heat and wet satin. He tasted totally male and all Darias. “Bear down,” she whispered. “It will help.” She pulled out and, just as slowly, pushed back in. Over and over. Each time a little deeper. So hot. He was so hot inside. Was that how she felt to him? Her hips found a rhythm. “Does it still hurt? Is the burn too much?” Her cheek resting against his back, she could barely catch her breath. Heat and clean, male musk surrounded her. She inhaled, taking his scent deep inside her lungs. Deep inside her. “Yes.” She stilled. “Do you want me to stop?” “Krel, no! Don't stop. The burn … the stretch.” He pushed back. The sensual groan sending wonderful little chills down her spine and jolt of electricity to her clit. “Feels … good,” he panted. Turning her head, she spoke against his skin. “Tell me what you want.” Darias grew still. He swallowed, then looked over his shoulder. His golden gaze, hot and molten, met hers. Lightning split the sky. The huge room became an intimate cave. Rain pounded the windows. The rich burgundy carpet reinforced the impression. In the flash of brilliant white light, she saw the desire in Darias’ eyes … and something else. “I want you to love me.” The storm receded, the Great Hall just outside the locked door disappeared. All that mattered was Darias and the vulnerable need she saw reflected in his eyes. “I do. I think I've loved you from the moment you honored your word to turn leadership over to me.” A deep quiver ran through him and his muscular arms, holding both their weights, trembled. “Thank Zedpher for that. I was certain that you could never return my love.” Relieved laughter bubbled up inside Riana, both muting and highlighting the sensual tension. “Not a chance. You should have had your first clue weeks ago, when I found excuses not to punish your deliberate insolence. You and your men continued to delete records, pretend ignorance and generally made things as hard as possible for me and the other women. Didn't you ever wonder why I let you get away with it so often lately?” “Krel, no. I was too busy being confused. You had me so that I didn't know if I was coming or going. I couldn't figure out what you were going to do next. You weren't acting like a man in your position would.” Riana nipped a shoulder blade with sharp, white teeth and drummed her fingers on his hips. “In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not a man.” “Oh, I noticed all right. That's what caused half the problems.” She lifted one brow. “Only half?” Riana flexed her fingers and gave a slow, wicked grin. “Surrender?” “Only to you.”

The End About the Author: Hello. I’m a chronic fantasizer who couldn’t resist continuing my favorite stories in my head until discovering the pure joy of creating and writing stories of my own. Being from the Outer Banks of North Carolina provided a rich background for a dreamer. Who could hear tales of pirates, ghost ships, and supernatural happenings and not wonder what if? I hope you enjoy entering my world, if just for a little while.

Meet LSB Authors At The House Of Sin Lsbooks.NET We invite you to visit Liquid Silver Books LSbooks.com for other exciting erotic romances. MOLTEN Silver Edgier, naughtier – from Summer 2006 Featured Series: The Zodiac Series: 12 books, 24 stories and authors Two hot stories for each sign, 12 signs The Coven of the Wolf by Rae Morgan Benevolent lusty witches keep evil forces at bay Fallen: by Tiffany Aaron Fallen angels in hot flight to redeem their wings The Max Series by JB Skully Meet Max, her not-absent dead husband, sexy detective Witt, his mother… And many, many more!