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  “My father was talking about the conditions in the Bat mines and reforms for the D’jeering prison colonies. These are the insurgents’ major issues, and we may be able to strike an accord if Dad can find solutions to the problems. Have you ever been to D’jeering?”

  Ja-hun froze in the middle of tying the sheet around the rod. “Briefly.”

  Jackpot! She’d found a sore point and recognized a touch of bitterness in that one word. “You were a prisoner there,” she guessed. “Was it as awful as they say? How did you get out?”

  “I was there in an undercover capacity.” He began knotting the other side of the sheet, which hung crookedly over the window in a peacock blue fall of silk. “When that job was finished, I was hired by Crin-tai.”

  It was more information than she’d expected him to reveal. Leelah was thrilled. “What was it like, working for someone like that?” The tycoon’s reputation was legendary. Everyone knew his legitimate businesses masked the illegal activities that had built his financial empire.

  “That job was just like this one. I kept him safe.”

  “Bet he didn’t look as good as me in his underwear though,” she teased, hoping to lighten him up a little. In the viewable sliver of his profile, she caught the glimmer of a smile.

  Ja-hun stepped away from the window, but kept his back turned to her for another second. When he faced her, his expression was schooled to blankness again.

  “You are one tough nut to crack.” She blocked his way, standing right in front of him. “Come on. Stay and play a game of jabarta with me. Just one or two and I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

  “I don’t want to play a board game.” His black gaze pierced hers, and suddenly his words seemed to have another meaning.

  “What do you want to play?” she murmured, pressing her hands lightly to his chest.

  “Nothing.” He grabbed her wrists as though to push her away, but stopped with his fingers encircling her slender wrists, thumbs rubbing lightly over her pulse points. “I don’t want anything from you.” His voice was hoarse.

  “Your eyes say something different.” She rose up on her toes, bringing herself even closer to him, her lips near enough to kiss if he wanted to. “It’s all right. I want it too, and no one has to know.”

  His fingers clenched her wrists like manacles, tight enough to hurt. “No.”

  “Is it rape if a girl forces herself on a guy?” She leaned into him, pressing her body full length against his and covering his mouth with hers. His lips were still tight, resistant. She licked them until they were soft, pliant, and open beneath hers. “Better,” she whispered against his mouth before kissing him again.

  He released her wrists, and his hands slid all the way up her arms and around her back at the same time she slipped her arms around his neck. She tilted her head to kiss him more deeply, her tongue teasing between his warm lips and touching the tip of his.

  For another moment he passively accepted her kiss, then, with a soft groan, he came alive, grasping her back to pull her even tighter to him and attacking her mouth with his. His fierce hunger was like a jolt of pure adrenaline to her, and she yielded to the force of his assault, opening her mouth wide and letting him plunder it. As much as she loved to boss a man and wind him around her finger, she also loved to surrender control. Ja-hun’s powerful embrace and desperate kisses set her on fire, and her body melted and molded to his.

  Her head spun at the speed with which things had escalated from discussing window dressing to her bodyguard sweeping her off her feet and carrying her to bed. He tossed her on it and in the same movement unbuttoned his shirt just enough to pull it over his head. Then he peeled off his undershirt so she could at last see the hard muscles she’d felt twice today.

  Oh, Goddess, they were worth the wait.

  His body was smooth and hairless and an even golden-tan all over. The plane of his chest was flat, and his nipples were little brown buttons just begging to be tweaked and pinched. His shoulders and arms had nicely delineated muscles that flexed with each movement as he unfastened his pants. She could use that flat, hard stomach as a tabletop, and imagined the delicacies she could eat off it if he gave her the chance.

  Her gaze followed the thin trail of hair leading from his navel down to the waistband of his trousers just as he opened the fly and pulled his trousers and underwear down his hips. His erect cock sprang forth from the tangle of black hair at the juncture of his thighs. It angled toward her, the head flushed a deep reddish purple and the shaft ridged with veins and vibrating with life.

  Leelah caught her breath and licked her suddenly dry lips. His penis was thick, big, long, and, most importantly, alive. This was going to be so much better than her vibrator. She lay quietly on the bed, watching him wrestle his way out of his clothes so fast it made him clumsy. He almost fell as he dragged his trousers down his legs while shedding his shoes and socks at the same time. She smiled.

  When he was completely naked, Ja-hun stood beside the bed for one long moment, staring at her body and her face with hungry eyes as if he might devour her. Mm, she wanted to be devoured.

  She stretched her arms above her head, making her breasts thrust provocatively, and lowered her eyelids halfway. A smile still curved her lips. “What are you waiting for?”

  What am I waiting for? For my brain to turn back on and pull me away from the edge of madness.

  But he really didn’t want to be interrupted from what his body had every intention of doing, so he kept the forward momentum going, climbing on the bed and straddling her soft, fragrant body, so cushioning yet solid beneath his. He lowered his face and kissed her soft, willing lips. Once more, their tongues darted in and out of one another’s mouths in a game of tag before settling into a lingering exploration: slow, sinuous, sultry.

  When finally he drew away, they were both breathless. He pressed a tiny kiss to the corner of her mouth where a curve creased her cheek then moved down to her throat, brushing his lips over the smooth column. Her heart beat in the hollow between her collarbones, and he paused for a moment with his lips pressed against it, savoring the frenzied pulse that told him how turned on she was.

  He licked the line of her collarbones, then moved down her chest to the round swells of her breasts. The flesh was so soft and sweet scented he wanted to bury his face in her cleavage and stay there. Peeling back the cups of her bra, he revealed the erect nipples he’d admired and did what he’d dreamed of doing since he first saw them. He gripped one carefully between his teeth and nipped.

  Leelah let out a gasp and arched her chest toward him, her hand slipping into his hair to hold his head to her.

  His cock throbbed and ached from brushing against her velvety thighs. He was fully aroused and ready to thrust inside her. Willing his erection to subside at least a little, Ja-hun sucked her nipple into his mouth and rolled his tongue over it. He gripped her other breast, testing the weight and texture in his palm before tweaking the rosy bud between his thumb and forefinger. The sound of her throaty moans sent a renewed wave of desire through him, and he thrust against her leg.

  Switching sides, he sucked the hard bead of her other nipple into his mouth while his hand slipped down her taut stomach and beneath the elastic of her panties. Her pussy was smooth. The petal folds of her vagina parted at the pressure of his fingers. Oh, she was so ready for him. When he inserted a gently probing finger inside her pussy, her inner muscles clamped around it, enveloping it in heat and wetness.

  She moaned louder and arched her pelvis toward his touch. When he glanced up, her eyes were closed and her mouth open in a perfectly round “O” that made him want to kiss her again. She managed to look sweet and wild at the same time, young and innocent, but with an adult woman’s assuredness in her sexuality.

  He concentrated on thrusting his fingers in and out of her body, then moved them up to her clit to tease and torture it until she was writhing. At the same time, Ja-hun thrust steadily against her thigh. His body felt like the gas-bu
rning engines in old vids of auto races, revving and revving before the flag dropped and they flew down the track with a thunderous roar that was somehow more satisfying than today’s silent vehicles. He had to let loose soon or he’d explode before he crossed the starting line.

  Abandoning her tit, he reached for her panties and pulled them down her legs.

  Leelah popped the clasp on the front of her bra and slipped it down her arms. She lay back, completely nude and as beautiful as a sun goddess. Her brown and gold hair fanned around her head on the pillow, and her topaz eyes gleamed as she gazed up at him. Her lips were parted, pink tongue darting out to wet them. She spread her legs wide apart and reached for his body.

  Ja-hun nestled between her legs, his weight braced on his arms, and reached down to guide his cock to her opening. As he pushed inside, her body swallowed him up, the tight channel engulfing him. He groaned loudly and rammed deep. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman, two years or maybe more ‑‑ before his stint in D’jeering, back when he was still a killer. Back when he was a robot. Eliminating a man, eating a meal, or fucking a woman had all been simply objectives to accomplish. As for taking emotional pleasure in a female, it had been even more years than he could remember since he’d felt that. But this…this was close to heaven.

  “Hey.” Her soft whisper caused him to open his eyes. “Look at me. I want you to see me while we do it.” The intensity of her gaze captured his. He couldn’t have looked away if he tried. She held him prisoner in those golden depths like she’d cast some magic spell on him, and down below he slowly withdrew his length, paused, then pushed back into her velvet warmth.

  “Mm.” Her moan caressed him. Her hands slid down his back and gripped his ass, pulling him even deeper as she raised her knees and wrapped her legs around his. “Right there.”

  In and out, he stroked in slow, easy glides. Although he longed to buck and plunge, he needed to make it last because he knew this could never happen again. But for these few minutes, he could submerge in the pool of her eyes and relax. Pretend he belonged somewhere for the first time in his life.

  Inside, her muscles clenched around him, gripping him tight, and she lifted her hips to meet his every thrust. Her eyes became unfocused, and she exhaled a soft “Hnh.”

  He moved faster, unable to contain himself any longer. The tension that had grown in him since the first moment he’d looked at Leelah coiled tighter. He grunted as he rammed into her hard, and the whimpering sound of pleasure she made spurred him on.

  “Ahhh, Ja-hun.”

  The sound pushed him over the edge. His balls drew up, and his cock swelled within the confines of her heat until it spilled over. Bursts of pleasure shuddered through him. His low, protracted groan contained all the frustration he’d held inside, not just a release of sexual strain, but of emotions he’d repressed for far too long.

  His thrusting slowed and stilled, but he was fairly certain Leelah had come the moment she gasped his name. His eyes were closed now; he’d lost contact with her at the moment he came, and he bowed his head to her shoulder and pressed his face into her skin.

  Her hands stroked up and down his back, and she made soft, murmuring sounds in her throat. He never wanted to leave her embrace. Had she felt something, too, something beyond a bodily function, or was the shining moment of connection between them only in his imagination?

  He came back to reality with a thud. Goddess, what was he thinking? Of course it was only a fantasy. He was her protector, and she was a young woman with a crush and a healthy libido. He didn’t mean anything to her. She didn’t know him at all, and if she did, she’d probably kick him out of her bed.

  Ja-hun pulled away from her and got up. He reached for his pants and began to put them on.

  “What? Can’t you stay and cuddle for a little bit?” Her hand fell on his shoulder.

  He shrugged it off. Her cajoling voice was dangerous, likely to pull him right back into the rumpled sheets beside her.

  He wouldn’t turn around and look at her as he put on his shirt and picked up his shoes. “This was very wrong. I apologize.”

  “No, it wasn’t. How can you say that?”

  “I’ll send Nigeri or one of the others to guard you. Please don’t run away again before they get here.” With that, he closed the door behind him.

  Chapter Four

  She couldn’t believe he’d run out on her, especially after that intense moment, that flash of…something that had passed between them right there in the middle. Or maybe it had only been in her mind. She’d imagined a connection while he’d felt nothing special at all. Leelah swallowed down the pain that thought brought her.

  But even if it had only been sex to him, it was so wrong to just finish up and run. No one had ever treated her so rudely. She jerked her top over her head and tugged it into place, zipped up her skirt, and searched for her favorite pair of sandals.

  It was morning, actually nearly noon, and she was still fuming about Ja-hun’s behavior the previous night. Before she opened the door to go out into the hall, she paused a moment with a hand pressed against it. Would he be out there, or was he still hiding, leaving another guard in his place? If he was there, how was she going to play this? Light and breezy, strident and shrewish, or dry and sarcastic?

  “Open,” she ordered the door then walked into the hall. Ja-hun was there and rose from his chair on her arrival. “Well, good morning.”

  He didn’t say anything and barely nodded. His gaze was pinned somewhere above her left shoulder.

  “So that’s how it’s going to be? Back to being the rock-man?”

  “I can’t become involved with a client and do my job effectively. I would end my employment with your father, but I still believe you may be in danger, and I want to do what I can to help.”

  “Well, that’s sweet.” She folded her arms and tried to keep her voice lightly ironic rather than heavy with bitterness. “I’m touched.”

  He cleared his throat. “For the rest of the time I’m on this assignment, I will maintain a professional distance. I’m here to guard you, not ‑‑”

  “Not fuck me? Let me just say you did a very thorough job of keeping a very close, personal eye on me, so thanks.”

  “I’m sorry.” His voice was low, and his gaze focused on the floor. “I appreciated those minutes more than you know. Thank you.” He sounded so sincere it actually made her chest tighten even harder, and her eyes betrayed her by welling with tears.

  “Whatever.” She moved past him quickly and brushed a hand over her eyes. I’m not done with you yet, mister. I can hear it in your voice. There is something between us, but you’re afraid to admit it.

  “Hey, Nin,” she greeted the cook when she reached the kitchen. “Don’t bother getting anything for me. I can make my own breakfast.”

  “I wasn’t going to.” The older woman shot her the same evil-eyed glare she did every morning Leelah cruised into her kitchen closer to lunchtime than breakfast. “I’m no short-order cook.”

  Leelah grinned. The byplay with Nin was a part of her morning, like a daily cup of chamti. Despite the cook’s complaints, she always kept a pot of chamti warm until whatever time Leelah arrived for her morning meal. There was a basket of muffins and a bowl of fruit on the counter. After choosing grapes and a muffin, she carried her plate and cup out to the garden, Ja-hun trailing behind her.

  The weather was cooler than yesterday, but still sunny. She walked the stony path between glowing flowerbeds and past copses of decorative trees to her favorite bench under the arching rose arbor. She settled herself on the seat and set her plate beside her.

  Glancing up, she saw Ja-hun had taken a position several yards away, his back to her, his posture erect and ready to spring into action. Good Goddess, did he think kidnappers were going to spring out of the bushes in her own garden? The sun shone on his smooth black hair, glossy as a raven’s wing. It had slipped so cool and silky between her fingers last night. How she longed to touch
it and tug on it again. She sighed and turned her attention to her cherry muffin.

  But right away her focus drifted back to Ja-hun, picturing him without that suit coat on ‑‑ the broad shoulders, narrow waist, tight ass, and muscular legs. Actually, she’d only viewed him from the front. She needed to see him naked again so she could take a long gander at his rear.

  “This is ridiculous!” she burst out. “At least come over here and talk to me. Have a grape. They’re delicious.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, his sharp profile outlined against dark foliage. The strong nose and chin and those gorgeous cheekbones seemed more statue than man. She wanted to close her eyes and study his features with her fingers, as if she could learn more about him that way.

  “Come on,” she wheedled as he hesitated. “You don’t even have to sit by me. Just come over here.”

  Like a fish on the line of her voice, she reeled him in. He walked closer and stopped a few feet in front of her. She held out a hand with a few Kachiri grapes, and he shook his head. “No, thank you.”

  With a shrug, she put them into her own mouth, the rich sweetness popping on her tongue as she chewed and swallowed. “You’ll be escorting Father and me to the ball tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, let me get this straight. I’m confined to the house on a daily basis. You think shopping or my friends’ beach party is too dangerous, and yet we’re going to the biggest social event of the year with hundreds of people in attendance. That doesn’t seem unsafe to you?” What was she saying? She was going to talk him right out of allowing her to attend the NewEarth Ball.

  “Your father has made it clear this is an important event for both of you, politically as well as socially. Besides, the security at the Gravatz is irreproachable. You aren’t the only important dignitaries who will be there.”

  She fluttered her eyelashes at him and put on a breathless baby-doll voice. “Will you be right by me all the time to protect me?”