Reclaiming Mystique (SpaceStalker Saga Book 2) (23 page)

“Jace, I—”

“No, not now,” he said shaking his head. He opened the door and led her down the hallway with him. “Now the crew is going to Vembi for some much needed relaxation. You’ve always wanted to see other planets, yes?” he asked. At her nod, he continued. “Well, I’ll be your tour guide,” he said. “And I’m going to make sure you see the best of Vembi,” he murmured with a smile, the action not quite reaching his eyes.

“Okay,” Naria replied hesitantly. It was not as if she could deny him. Jace spoke the truth. She could only hope he would be understanding when she refused to tell him anything of substance.

They approached the control room to the others all present. “Mikhel,” Jace beamed. “You look good,” he said.

Mikhel smiled.“I feel great and ready for some, ah, relaxation. Nesham says he and Carinna will be staying aboard to watch the ship.”

Naria watched as his eyes lit on Carinna but he did no more than study her with masculine appreciation. Nesham’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Mikhel, but the large Fenturi only smiled and slapped Nesham on the back.

The others all had smiles on their faces and Naria could only conclude that Jace had briefed them on Mikhel’s health and loss of memory about Dark World, for no one said much more about his recovery.

“We’ll be back in a day or so. We’ve got our communicators. Nesham, should anything happen, alert us right away,” Jace commanded.

Nesham nodded solemnly. “Sure thing, Cap.”

Jace shook his head. “Fine then. We’ll be taking the shuttle,” he began but quieted as he realized no one was listening to him. All eyes had turned to Naria once she stepped from behind him.

“Yanvi’s Heart,” Castor exclaimed ending on a whistle. “Those clothes didn’t look half as good on that Vembite I brought on board,” he said as he stared at Naria in awe.

She blushed but felt some relief that Jace hadn’t been responsible for the clothing. She felt slightly uncomfortable at being the object of such scrutiny however.

“Castor,” Jace growled and frowned at him.

Castor blinked and smiled ruefully. “Sorry, Jace. But I think it would be best if we headed down to the planet now, don’t you?”

Naria saw Jace grumble and intentionally insert himself between her and Mikhel as they seated themselves in the shuttle.

“So when did you come aboard?” Mikhel smiled at her as they made their way to the planet.

“Uh, the other day when you touched down on Rovi for repairs,” Naria smiled, remembering the memories she’d left Mikhel with to cover some of his missing time.

“Really?” Mikhel asked and scooted closer to her. Naria saw Koneru grinning as watched Mikhel with her.

Jace, however, didn’t seem to be amused. “She’s off limits, Mikhel,” he said softly.

Mikhel grinned. “That so, Jace?”

“That’s so,” Jace answered firmly.

Castor and Koneru started laughing and Naria could only stare around her in puzzlement. Apparently the good mood and thoughts of physical pleasuring made men irrational, she thought.

She felt Jace tug her closer to him and looked up in surprise. Then Mikhel chuckled and she noted the dark look on Jace’s face grow darker.

“Jace?” Naria asked. He said nothing but kept her close.

The rest of the short trip passed in comfortable silence as everyone thought about the pleasures to come.

***

Vembi

Naria was beside herself with excitement, pushing away thoughts of Jace’s forthcoming interrogation. Vembi, she thought. The Systems center for hedonistic pleasures, and the only other Nearworld she had truly wanted to see sat within her grasp.

She turned to look out the portal and stared in wonder at the violet haze surrounding the planet. As they moved easily through the atmosphere and touched down, she smiled to see that they had entered during the daylight.

Castor parked the ship and the crew left as one. Apparently the men had been here before because they moved with purpose towards a large, heavily crowded club lit above with a sign showing colorful images of… she gasped.

“Yes,” Jace chuckled in her ear. “It’s a pleasure club. Let’s go see, shall we?” he said and drew her along behind the others.

Castor entered and immediately drew a flock of pleasurers to him, apparently familiar with the ladies. He soon disappeared in the dim club. Koneru stood with Mikhel, sizing up the room.

Naria could only stare around her. This first visit to Vembi had definitely knocked her for a loop. The place was very large and dim. They had moved easily past a group of people still waiting to enter when the large Meklen outside the club had waved at Jace and bid them enter. She noted several Meklens acting as security, a perfect choice due to their brawny bodies and intimidating presence.

She moved slowly with Jace as he dragged her towards a brightly lit bar across the room. They passed several tables crowded with all manner of System inhabitants. She noted that Mikhel and Koneru had left them and wondered where they’d gone.

As if sensing her thoughts, Jace pointed towards a dim corridor to their right. “The private rooms are back there,” he said. “For anything you want done,” he smiled grimly.

He ordered them something to drink and carried their glasses to a nearby table that happened to open for them.

Naria glanced suspiciously at the departing occupants. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she could have sworn she heard a whisper of thought leave Jace’s mind. Shaking her head, she looked around her again.

“Have you ever had Bitter Blue before?” Jace asked and swallowed a mouthful of the blue ale before him. She shook her head no. “Try it. It’s slightly bitter, hence the name,” he grinned.

Naria drank and found to her surprise that she liked it.

“Good eh?” Jace asked. “Well, this is pleasure central,” he remarked. “Look around you, Naria. For this place is the heart of Vembi. You’ve got your drinks,” he pointed to the crowded bar occupied by two six-handed green aliens serving drinks faster than clients could purchase them. “You have your gambling,” he pointed to another section of the club where all manner of creatures shouted and fisted at their wins and losses.

Her head perked up, though, when she heard the music begin.

“And you have your sex,” Jace murmured. “That’s the Vembi Five,” Jace said with a smile as he watched her reaction. “The Five play the most… interesting, shall we say, tunes.”

As the band began to play, Naria watched as the group of individuals standing before the stage settled to sit upon the ground. She noted the ground covered by a soft cushiony floor and wondered at that before the music’s volume increased, pulling her attention.

Jace shifted in his chair and moved closer to her. “Watch the audience,” he said into her ear and Naria had to refrain from shivering at his warm breath on her body. She watched as the band continued to play, the sounds growing louder. The crowd on the floor began groaning and thrashing and Naria leaned closer to see what they were about. The dim smoke in the club made it hard to see but Naria managed to make out… a naked man?

“This is the open orgy that takes place during the band’s sequences,” Jace explained into her ear. “The frenzy of music incites their lust. More speakers vibrate the floor, causing the participants to engage in liberating expressions of intimacy.” She could feel him smile against her ear. “Want to try it?” he asked in a low voice.

Naria drew back in surprise. The scene before her grew clearer as the fog drifted. A horde of people engaged in openly carnal sex on the floor while others around them watched.

“You can either watch, participate, or get your sex in one of the private rooms in the back,” Jace said as he watched her face. Naria couldn’t help but stare in fascination at the lack of inhibitions of the crowd engaged on the floor. “The crew normally goes in the back, though I think Mikhel once took on a group of women on the floor.”

“A group?” Naria squeaked. She couldn’t help herself. The actions around her made her feel too warm, too needy as she continued to imagine herself with Jace in such intimate positions. On Dark World, the pleasure most of her people suffered had a dark bend to it. But here, the pleasure seemed bright and glowing, as if a healthy aspect of life.

“Hmm,” he smiled and his eyes glowed as they covered her body. “It’s an experience,” he said and Naria’s eyes narrowed at his implication. “Hey,” he held up his hands laughing. “I was young once. My point is that for a sensual race like the Fenturi, this place is ideal for what ails you.”

Jace finished his ale and urged her to finish hers. “But come now, this isn’t all that Vembi has to offer,” he said and escorted her out a back door. He nodded to several patrons he appeared to know and Naria found herself wondering irritably just how often he visited this place.

He walked her down a crowded street where they passed several games of dice, cards and a few exhibits of natural lovemaking that drew quite a crowd. Jace, however, seemed unphased by any of it. He watched Naria as she stared in astonishment around her. They walked slowly and Naria knew she would never forget this planet.

She had never imagined that sex could be accomplished in so many ways with so many variations. “Are they really…” she faded in amazement as she stared at one act on the side of the street.

“Yes, they really are,” Jace grinned as they passed four individuals engaged in intense acrobatics that looked extremely uncomfortable for the women. He led her away from the crowded public throng on the street and back from the center of town.

“Where are we going?” she asked, wanting to see more. She didn’t necessarily need to see more sex acts, she thought, her body aroused at the sights she’d seen and the heat from Jace’s body walking so close to her. But she wanted to see more of Vembi.

“There’s a place you’re going to love,” he said mysteriously. He led her towards the outskirts of the city where large trees loomed overhead and the sound of trickling water could be heard beyond the loud shouts and voices behind them.

They walked into the woods and Naria began to feel slightly uneasy. Jace kept shooting her odd looks and she felt too open away from the crowds behind her. They pressed deeper into the woods, the sunlight fading through the canopy of trees as Vembi night approached.

“Jace?” she asked quietly, trying to tug away from his arm.

His grip tightened but he only walked faster. “Don’t worry, Naria,” he said. “Nothing’s going to hurt you,” he promised and stopped walking.

Naria gasped as a small wooden house suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “What is this?”

“This is where we get to know one another,” Jace said quietly. “We’re not leaving here until you tell me the truth,” he said, his dark eyes blazing. “Now please, Naria, after you.”

-14-

Naria stood still inside the doorway, not moving until Jace thrust her into a large couch inside the room.

The cottage had more space than she had thought with a large bed on one wall facing a comfortable seating area. To the rear of the house stood a small cooking area complete with a table and chairs. In the middle of the table sat a bottle filled with wine.

Jace gave her a hard look warning her not to flee while he moved to grab the bottle and two glasses. Then he motioned her to pick up the glass he’d handed her and drink. He sat next to her, facing her on the soft couch lined with Pithan silk.

He took a drink and breathed deeply. “Now, Naria,” Jace said as he opened his eyes. “I want to know exactly what you’ve been hiding from me.”

Naria stared at him and shrugged, noting that his attention left her gaze to fasten to her ample breasts exposed by the deep ‘v’ of his shirt that she wore. Feeling uncomfortable, she clutched the shirt to her and sipped nervously at her wine.

“Jace, I’ve told you the truth,” she said, and even to herself sounded unconvincing.

“Really?” he murmured and scooted closer to her. “Why don’t we link our thoughts together then, so I’ll know what you’re thinking,” he said with a sharp smile. “I have no problem showing you what’s in my thoughts,” he said in a husky voice. As he moved towards her, Naria noted the telling evidence of his desire straining at his trousers.

“Jace,” she warned scooting back until she reached the arm of the couch. He moved until he was fairly on top of her.

“Tell me, Naria,” he said softly as he poured her another glass. In her nervous state, she had drained hers quickly. “Where do you come from? And why were you really on Dark World?”

Naria felt her breath grow short at his close proximity. Her thigh touched his and she tried to move away but he pressed closer. He put a hand on her leg to still her movements and she froze at the electric heat surging through his palm on her thigh.

“I, I told you, I’m from Seven,” she said and licked at her lips.

Jace’s eyes followed the motion and he smiled. Good, he thought. She intended to make things hard for him. Hard, he thought with a laugh. More like throbbing and needing. He intended to get his answers from the little liar and much, much more.

He ran his hand over her thigh, wanting to groan at the pleasure touching her silken skin afforded him. The short skirt moved up as she sat back and he could almost envision the dark ‘v’ of hair covering the sweet, honeyed core of her.

He released his hold on his glass and joined his other hand, lightly stroking her from the top of her thighs to her knees. He would have moved his touch more intimately into her but she had her legs locked together tightly.

“Naria,” he chided, noting her swiftly rising and falling breasts. His eyes narrowed, pleased to see he wasn’t the only one affected. “We both know you’re not from Seven.”

Knowing she wanted him made him work that much harder to keep his control. Walking with her through Vembi had been excruciating. Every sexual act they’d witnessed had put him in mind of himself and Naria. He could see her full, ripe lips closed around his shaft, could feel his pulsing body explode as she tightened around him. He knew she felt the same, could see the taut arousal of her nipples jutting through her shirt and in the steady throbbing of her pulse.