“Hello, Luther,” Roman intervened in a slightly stern voice before I could give the wretched human a piece of my mind. “I have personally secured Hope’s services for a Royal Treatment as a gift to Mr. Aldriss who is both my friend and one of my best clients. Her time is already reserved and paid for in full.”
“A Royal Treatment?” Luther sputtered, a horrified look on his face. Once again, he stared at Hope with murder and betrayal in his eyes. “That is out of the question. She’s not suitable for such services to Mr. Aldriss. I will refund you and send—”
“What you will do is stop testing my patience,” I snarled. “I care not what other females you deem more suitable. If they are so great, send them to your other clients who will thank you for it. I have the female I want, right where I want her. Unless you would rather go perform on that stage?” I asked, turning to Hope.
She firmly shook her head, the intense look in her eyes all but pleading for me not to let her go. The furtive glance Hope cast towards Luther only seemed to increase the fear steadily rising within her.
“But—”
“Mr. Stromland,” Roman interrupted before Hope’s boss could spew more nonsense that would have made me lose the last shreds of my already frayed patience, “what seems to be the problem? Are you preventing one of your Indentured Servants from providing your more lucrative services to impede her ability to repay her debt?”
“What?! That’s preposterous!” Luther exclaimed, his pale skin turning crimson in either outrage or shame at being caught, although I suspected it was a mix of both.
“I would certainly hope not,” Roman said in a hard voice. “Although, your insistence on denying her a visibly mutually consensual deal in favor of lesser services raises questions.”
“I was merely trying to ensure Mr. Aldriss experiences the best that my house has to offer,” Luther snapped back defiantly. “And how do you know she’s an Indentured Servant? I certainly do not advertise it anywhere,” he asked Roman before casting an accusatory look towards Hope.
“Her collar did,” I said rising to my feet, while still holding her tightly against me.
Luther had the good grace to look embarrassed for yet another display of his stupidity. Nevertheless, my gaze flicked towards the sturdy but rather plain collar around Hope’s neck. This mark of Luther’s ownership on her further fueled my anger.
“Now if you are done meddling in our affairs, Hope and I have places to be.” I turned to Roman, ignoring Luther babbling some lame apologies. “I will see you later, my friend.”
“Enjoy yourself,” Roman said with a naughty smile.
“I intend to,” I replied with a predatory smile.
But even as I turned back to my female, I didn’t miss the encouraging look Roman gave her. I wasn’t half as brilliant as my son, but it didn’t take a genius to realize Roman’s gift had been motivated by far more than giving me a fun ‘roll in the hay’ as he loved to put it. That particular human saying made no sense, but then that species as a whole gave me headaches.
Since I’d joined Ravik’s Council, learning to interpret people’s true desires and motivations had become almost second nature to me; an essential skill to help defend him against those who sought to usurp his throne. I was getting a pretty good idea what Hope, my little Vaya, truly wanted. If she proved herself to be half as delectable as she’d let me glimpse earlier and, above all, if her boast proved true, I’d be a fool not to reap the sinful benefits of making her wish come true.
One arm possessively wrapped around her waist, hers around mine, I let Hope guide me through the holographic curtains to the hidden corridor where the elevators to the private suites were located. The smell of her fear receded, taking on the spicier aroma of excitement and anticipation. But it was the scent of her arousal I wanted filling my nose again along with the sound of her raspy voice whispering my name.
As soon as she finished selecting our floor on the lift’s interface, I towered over her, invading her personal space, a famished look on my face. She swallowed hard, stepping back until the cabin’s wall prevented any further retreat. Pressing my palms against the wall on each side of her head—caging her—I leaned forward, my gaze locked with hers. Hope’s breath caught in her throat, yet it wasn’t fear that burned in her eyes as they flicked between mine.
“I’m going to do very naughty things to you, Hope,” I whispered in an almost threatening voice before claiming, at last, what I’d wanted since she’d sucked on my lower lip.
She immediately responded in kind when my mouth pressed against hers, and her lips willingly parted under my tongue’s imperious demand for entry. It invaded her mouth as a conqueror, demanding complete submission. Once more, she complied, her hands timidly caressing my abs. The damn female was intoxicating, perfect in every way. I wanted to drown in the divine nectar from her lips but, too soon, the chime from the lift announced we had reached our destination.
Breaking the kiss, I took a step back, freeing her. Hope bit her bottom lip while giving me a nervous smile, and then, tucking a lock of her silver hair behind her ear, she circled around me to leave the elevator. My female walked ahead to one of the luxury suites on the penthouse level. Her hips swayed with each step. The sensuous curves of her body and the plump globes of her round behind taunted me through the sheer fabric of her dress.
Like a hungry predator, I followed in her wake.
Chapter 2
Hope
Krygor was terrifying: a massive beast of a giant with a fearsome face that should have me cowering in fear. While he undoubtedly intimidated me, he also made my toes curl with excitement. Having grown up on Guldar, I’d naturally developed a taste for big, brawny males as our men tended to be. But this Braxian took it to a whole new level. He could break me with a flick of his hand, and yet, I’d never felt so safe with a male. That Roman had chosen him for me undoubtedly played a role in easing my worries. However, it was the gentle way Krygor handled me that mainly silenced my fears.
When he’d first laid eyes upon me, his shocked, almost angry expression had been both confusing and frightening in that he might not want me. I still couldn’t understand what had triggered it. Did I remind him of someone? Either way, I wouldn’t stir that potential krillik’s nest. Right now, Krygor fiercely lusted after me, and I would fan that flame in the hope he’d keep me.
As much as I had loved him flexing his insane muscles before Luther, my wretched boss would find ways to make me pay for that humiliation, even though he’d brought it upon himself. However, even without Krygor talking back to him, Luther would want to punish me for letting another man have what he considered his.
When I first started working for him, Luther had not allowed me to have sex with any of the customers, even though that was the only sure way for me to repay my debt to him in a timely fashion. As I didn’t actually want to have random strangers rutting over me, that had suited me just fine. He’d justified this rule by stating that my ‘unusual’ pussy would give away my identity and risk me getting dragged back to Guldar. But then he’d made sure to cash in as often as possible on the clause allowing him to bed me at no cost to him.