Page 9

She could also see why Andethor had chosen this spot. As he sat lazily in the chair, with a pair of dark, ridiculous glasses on, he could scope out the entirety of the area while looking like they were merely relaxing after their trip to the planet.

The main part of the center of the space was taken up with gambling.

Table games that looked similar to what she’d seen on earth, with couples around them gambling, laughing, cheering, and talking.

Andethor had explained that they weren’t gambling for money, but as a way to add to the excitement of their trip.

Apparently the prizes for winning had to do with things one wanted their partner to do for them.

Music filled the area, coming from the other large area past the gaming tables, where a sultry singer performed on stage and couples danced on a dark dance floor. The floor was ringed with smaller platforms where exotic dancers performed to the music.

The only other thing of note was a large bar area in the corner opposite where Andethor and Julia were settled. Servers constantly went back and forth, bringing drinks from the bar to other parts of the area.

“ Come up here. I want you on my lap,” Andethor said in his bored Savis voice, and Julia nodded, slowly rising to her feet, trying to hide the wince.

Forty-something knees weren’t great at kneeling on for an hour.

“ Yes, sir,” Julia said in her soft plaything voice.

He opened his arm, and she settled across his lap, her arm slung over his shoulders, her legs across his thigh.

One of his hands immediately buried itself in her hair, and she did her best not to moan when he gave it a little tug.

His other hand rested high on her thigh, on her bare skin where her short skirt had ridden up.

Andethor tilted his head to the side. “You know what I like, toy,” he said, guiding her face to the side of his neck, and she immediately started nuzzling and kissing just below his ear.

She was rewarded with a low growl that may or may not have been in character.

“ Fuck,” he muttered, and she knew then it was Andethor and not Savis saying it.

He cleared his throat, squeezing her thigh.

“That’s our man. By the big card table with the Cenilax dealer.

Wearing black from head to toe like an asshole,” he said in a low voice, gripping her hair, gently tilting her head so she could see while making it look like he was positioning her the way he desired.

She spotted him. Like the Paraxians she’d seen on Asterion Station before, he had bright white hair and tawny skin.

Dressed, as Andethor had pointed out, in a black suit, black shirt.

But where the Paraxians she’d seen were often lean and powerful, this one looked almost sickly.

He had a too-thin, pinched look about him.

He was focused on the cards the dealer was passing out to everyone at the table.

“ You often wear black from head to toe,” she murmured, gently nipping the side of his neck, and he grunted.

“ Yeah but I make it look good,” he murmured while rubbing her thigh, still gripping her hair. “Don’t I?”

She laughed softly, licking just below his ear.

Why did he have to taste so good? She could have spent hours nuzzled there, kissing and licking and nibbling him, hearing him groan for her, listening to those shaky breaths as she affected him.

“ You do. And you already know that,” she murmured against his skin. He squeezed her thigh in response, and she felt the effect she was having on him pressing into the back of her other thigh.

“ Gonna need a cold shower when we get back to our cabin,” he muttered.

She laughed softly. “Want me to stop?”

“ Fuck, no,” he growled, gripping her hair a little tighter, and she laughed against his skin.

Just a role. Playing a role. Helping Andethor.

She was very, very helpful.

Even she could barely take herself seriously. She sucked on the skin just beneath his earlobe.

“ I don’t see a partner with him.”

“ No. But, he can pay for a few hours of fun here if he wants it. And, some people prefer that. The excitement of paying for it, of having a new plaything every few hours if they want it.”

She nodded. “What do you think of that?” The question was out before she even knew she was asking it.

He squeezed her thigh. “Not for me. I did it once when I was young and stupid, just because it seemed like something to try. No challenge in it, no fun. And there’s something depressing about a woman pretending to enjoy your touch so you tip her better.”

She squeezed his side. And here they were, pretending.

Except… not. She very much liked his touch.

She pressed a soft kiss to his earlobe, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly against him.

She saw it at the same moment he did, probably.

Their target winning a hand, and then pointing at one of the women gathered near the Cendilax table dealer.

The dealer nodded and gestured for the Tilesian female the Paraxian had pointed at to join him.

The Paraxian wrapped his arm around the Tilesian’s waist and they moved toward where she and Andethor were sitting.

Andethor bent his face down, burying it against her hair, squeezing her when their target and his partner sat on a plush sofa a few feet away from theirs.

“ Sorry about this, Jules,” Andethor said, and before she could ask what he was apologizing for, he was picking her up, turning her so she was facing him. He set her down so she was straddling his lap, and then he was whipping his glasses off and burying his face between her breasts.

Her mouth fell open in shock, and Andethor gave a small, frustrated-sounding groan as he held her tight.

She massaged his shoulders, staying quiet, knowing he was trying to hear whatever the Paraxian might be saying.

She watched as Andethor reached up smoothly and tapped the area behind his ear, then went back to squeezing her against him, nuzzling his face between her breasts.

She kept kneading his shoulders. It occurred to her that she should probably be reacting in some way to him, but then she realized anyone looking at her would probably already be able to see that she was enjoying it far too much, having him like this.

His hands squeezed and kneaded at her lower back, and when they fell to her ass, squeezing greedily, she couldn’t help the tiny whimper that escaped her.

Damn, his touch… strong, firm hands gripped her cheeks and she got the immediate sense that he knew exactly how to use those hands on a woman.

He squeezed again, and she pressed her lips together.

She watched him as he turned his head, just a little, so he could see the Paraxian.

Of course, turning his head put his mouth against the side of her breast, and she nearly cried out in pure, agonized need when he kissed…

then softly sucked the side of her breast.

He was working, she reminded herself. Playing a role.

So hard to remember with his mouth and hands on her like this…

He gripped her ass harder and pulled her tighter against him, and she got a clear reminder that it wasn’t all acting as his hard length pressed against her body.

He only held her there for a second, almost as if he wanted her to know what this was doing to him, and she couldn’t help paying him back in kind, grinding against that hard, thick bulge for just a moment, drawing a hungry growl from the spy.

“ You’re killing me, Jules,” he whispered, not for the first time.

“ Consider it payback,” she whispered back, continuing to knead his shoulders. He gave her ass a little pat, then moved his hands back up to her lower back. They went quiet again, just another couple lost in the experience of being close to each other.

She hoped he was at least hearing something helpful.

She was learning that Andethor was excellent at giving back massages as his hands traveled up and down her back, kneading, massaging, and rubbing the tension away.

By the time the Paraxian and his partner left, she felt nearly liquid, warm and sleepy, so relaxed she could have curled up in Andethor’s lap and slept.

He gently hugged her, then looked up at her after the Paraxian was gone. “I’m sorry, Jules. And thank you,” he said softly, his bright amber gaze meeting hers. “I got…uh. Too free with my hands and other things there and you deserve better.”

More cracks formed around that iceberg around her heart. She could practically hear it now.

“ We both got carried away. I’m sorry, too.”

He gave a little shake of his head, then took a breath. “The good news is, we can hide away in our cabin for the rest of the evening.”

“ Great. A shower, some food, and relaxing on one of those overstuffed chairs sounds perfect right now.”

Andethor nodded, flashing her a smile before standing, picking her up with him and carefully setting her on her feet.

“Come on, toy. I hope you don’t plan on sleeping tonight,” he said in his Savis voice, and then he was pulling her through the casino, then finally outside.

She was surprised by how much time they’d spent in there; the sun was setting, and the sky was a gorgeous peachy-pink color, fading to deep purple.

Andethor guided her to a transport, and then they were traveling back to their cabin.

Neither of them bothered speaking. In Julia’s case, she was somehow both mentally and physically exhausted, just from those few hours of playing his plaything.

And, what do you even say to a friend after you just teased them by grinding on their lap?

Only she could manage to get herself into a situation like this one.

When the transport stopped in front of their cabin, Andethor helped her out, and they both sighed in gratitude when the door of the cabin closed behind them.