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She squeezed his hips, softly nuzzling him back. This was the dangerous part of what they were doing. It would be so easy to fall for him, to end up like some lovesick teenager watching the door all the time, waiting for the days he finally came back to the station.

Before she could go too far down that path, she heard the door open and felt Andethor tense. He shifted into Savis mode immediately, throwing a roguish grin at the Paraxian when the councilmember looked at them.

“ Ah, look, toy. It’s the lucky male from the beach,” he said in his ridiculous Savis voice, and she ducked her head shyly, looking at both of them from beneath her lashes. “She enjoyed watching your Cendilax friends,” Andethor explained.

The Paraxian laughed. “Ah, a dirty little toy. Nothing better in the universe than one of those. And this one has the body to back it up.”

She was watching Andethor, saw him keep that same slimy grin on his face, even as she felt his body tense beside her.

“ I mean, the tits alone are… mmm,” the Paraxian said, and she kept her gaze down, reaching over and gently rubbing the base of Andethor’s spine, willing him to stay in character. As tense as his body had become, she was half-sure he’d throttle the Paraxian where he stood, blowing their cover.

“ They’re the best thing about her,” Andethor said, looking at her with the bored, petulant gaze he wore so easily as Savis. “Well, that and what’s between her legs.”

The Paraxian laughed. She knew it was all an act. An act she’d agreed to, but damn if she didn’t feel ashamed anyway, her stomach clenching as she did her best to stand there submissively and take it.

“ Holes and tits. That’s all they need to have,” the Paraxian said, and Andethor/Savis laughed, nodding enthusiastically. The Paraxian was looking at her in a way that made her want to take the longest shower of her life. “I don’t suppose you share, do you, friend?”

“ I think we can work something out,” he answered, and it took everything in her power not to react. She knew Andethor would never let the slimy politician touch her. And if he ever did, she’d happily reward the dickhead with a broken finger our two, and maybe a broken nose to go along with it.

“ My day just started looking up,” the Paraxian said, his gaze raking over her body as she stood next to Andethor.

Andethor gave him a grin that matched the Paraxian’s sliminess.

“Loaning her out is fun. Keeps her in her proper place,” he said in that grating Savis voice, and the Paraxian laughed, nodding.

“What do you say friend? A drink, setting some rules to this agreement?” he asked, gesturing to the small bar at the edge of the beach.

The Paraxian kept his greedy gaze on her, nodding.

Andethor wrapped a hand around her upper arm and tugged her toward the bar, the Paraxian moving to her other side as they walked.

Andethor chatted with him, slowly rubbing gentle, soothing circles on her skin with his thumb.

It was shocking, honestly, seeing him in action like this.

He slipped into the Savis persona like it was a second skin.

If she hadn’t just been talking to him about wanting to get off of this planet, she’d think he was having the time of his life.

The two males chatted like they were the best of friends, mostly about how fantastic the planet was.

They got to the bar, and Andethor gave her arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze as they stepped into the dark interior.

A glance around showed that, like many of the public places here, there was a large open area, and, off to the sides, arch-shaped doorways that led to private rooms. The Paraxian gestured toward one of those, and Andethor/Savis nodded enthusiastically.

They made their way into the dark room. There were a few wall sconces with violet, gauzy fabric, and Julia knew it was intended to give the room a sultry feel, but it just felt menacing, somehow.

They got settled at the small table with its gleaming stone top, ordered drinks, and, once they were served, the server closed the heavy drapes over the doorway behind her.

Oh, Andethor was smart. She had no doubt he’d known about these rooms when he’d suggested getting a drink here.

“Why don’t you come sit on my lap, sweet thing. Stars, I love human girls,” the Paraxian said, throwing a grin Andethor’s way. Andethor met her gaze, and it was clear he was giving her space to decide. She raised her gaze to his, and whatever he saw there drew a grin from him.

“Go ahead, toy. Make our new friend feel welcome,” Andethor/Savis said, and Julia stood up, giving Andethor a look she hoped he’d read as well as the last one, and she settled on the Paraxian’s lap, straddling him.

He laughed, a slimy, self-satisfied sound, resting his hands on her hips.

She kept her gaze down while she got into position.

From what Andethor had told her about this particular politician, he liked to bolt when he felt cornered.

So, he wouldn’t be able to bolt.

Julia hooked her legs around the sturdy legs of the chair he was sitting in and gripped the back of his chair with her hands, making it seem like she was wrapping her arms around him. The back of the chair was metal, solid bars.. perfect for holding onto.

Once she had her hands and legs secure, she looked up at him and smiled, and he seemed taken aback by it, his hands pausing as he fondled her hips.

“And, there we go. Stop touching her, or I’ll break every bone in your hands,” Andethor said, in his own voice, not the Savis persona.

The Paraxian froze, going still under Julia as he dropped his hands.

Andethor stood up, and she felt the Paraxian tensing beneath her.

She tightened her grip, just as he tried to stand up, ready to bolt just as she’d guessed.

Andethor clamped a hand down on his shoulder, helping Julia keep him in his seat.

“You’re a hard person to reach, Councilmember Xiaron,” Andethor said, keeping his hand clamped firmly on the Paraxian’s shoulder. “Almost like you’re trying to avoid something.”

“This is illegal. You have no rights here, Bellarian!” Xiaron hissed, and Andethor smiled. Not his usual smile, and not the slimy, self-satisfied smile of Savis Eletath. No, this smile was pure, cold confidence, with more than a touch of menace to it.

“Neither do you,” Andethor said quietly.

“Places like this? Outside of the jurisdiction of any planetary government? Anything could happen to you, and no one would blink an eye.” The Paraxian was still now, but Julia didn’t ease her grip on the chair.

If he got scared enough, he still might try to bolt.

“You have no power over me,” Xiaron snarled.

“Don’t I?” Andethor asked in a purposefully innocent voice.

“Nothing illegal about pleasure planets. You know that,” Xiaron said.

“Nothing at all. Good thing that isn’t what I have on you. I do think there are a few deals you’ve made that you wouldn’t want your fellow councilmembers to hear about. Including the one behind why you’re holding up approval for joining the Alliance.”

Xiaron tried to play it off, rolling his eyes, but Julia didn’t miss the way he swallowed. Something similar between this alien species and humans, she guessed. Nervous, hard swallows, as if he might be sick.

“I have all the evidence I need. It would be enough to remove you through the proper channels. But we both know that takes time, and your people need to be in the Alliance now. You’ve made enemies.”

“Thanks to you and the fucking Altarians,”

Xiaron muttered.

Andethor shook his head. “We both know that’s not why, but it’s okay.

I know you can’t stop yourself from lying.

” He paused, just looking at the Paraxian.

The silence in the room turned from uncomfortable, to awkward, to downright oppressive, and Andethor just continued to stand there, cold, calm gaze on his prey.

Julia was just thinking she could probably relax her grip, and maybe even get off of the Paraxian’s lap, when she felt him tense, and then he was trying to push his way out of his chair, doing his best to dislodge her from his lap.

She held fast, grateful she kept up her strength training even after going into retirement.

Andethor exchanged a glance with her, and she caught a hint of humor in his gaze.

The sexy bastard was enjoying this. She practically laughed, but it didn’t seem like the right time.

Andethor clamped a hand on the Paraxian’s shoulder again, then added a hand on his other shoulder, holding him down.

“Stronger than she looks, isn’t she?” he said quietly.

“I’d behave if I were you. It’s been a long couple of days and you really don’t want to irritate us any more than you already have. ”

“What do you want?” Xiaron finally growled, giving up, glaring at her as if she’d personally landed him in this predicament. She smiled, and he looked away in disgust.

“You’re singlehandedly holding up your people’s entry into the Alliance.

The Paraxian people overwhelmingly want the protection the Alliance offers.

The Alliance wants Paraxia’s technological talent.

And we know you’re only holding out because you’ve been paid to stall, by an entity who doesn’t want you to join. ”

“I don’t know—”

“Don’t play dumb. And don’t worry. We already know who your contact is. All you need to worry about right now is yourself, and what your next step is.”

“And if I don’t do what you want?”

“If you don’t…” Andethor patted his shoulder, almost as if he were a friend. “If you don’t, your people will find out about every shady deal you’ve done, every time you put your own barbaric greed over the good of the Paraxian empire. I guess, when that happens, you might decide to just run.”

Andethor met her gaze, then bent, so his mouth was close to Xiaron’s pointed ear. “If you run. I will find you. And you won’t like what happens when I do.”

He stood up straight, then gave Julia a small nod.

She got up, patting Xiaron’s shoulder as she did, standing next to Andethor as he watched Xiaron rise from his seat.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go home, now.

You’ll call a special session of the council.

And you’ll give your unequivocal support to joining the Alliance.

If I don’t see that exact news on my feed in the next…

” he pretended to consider for a moment, “twleve hours, as time is told on Paraxia, you can kiss the opulent little life you’ve stolen for yourself goodbye. ”

She’d been at war. She’d fought. And she’d never seen the kind of hatred in anyone’s gaze before that she saw in Xiaron’s at that moment. It was a look of bitterness, of rage, of a caged beast who knows it’s been defeated.

He tossed a glare her way for good measure, then stormed out of the room.

They gave it a few moments, and then Andethor turned to her.

The cold, hard gaze was gone, replaced with the personality she was used to seeing from him.

And even though he looked at her with warmth, with concern, there was an uncomfortable twist in her stomach.

She’d seen so many personalities from him, just in the last hour and a half.

Slimy Savis. The cold-hearted spy. And now the Andethor she knew, or thought she knew.

Was any of it real? He was clearly a master at getting what he wanted from people, of being who he needed to be to get what he wanted. She’d been with someone like that before, and she believed the persona for far too long.

“Hey. What’s going on?” he asked quietly, concern in his dark gaze. Of course he’d picked up on her discomfort. He paid attention.

He was trained, and paid, to pay attention, she thought, before she could shove the thought aside.

“Nothing. I’m fine. Glad that’s over, though,” she said with a soft laugh, trying to keep her voice light. He furrowed his brow, watching her. “What do you think? Can we get out of here?”

“Back to the cottage?” he asked, and she nodded.