“Well, of course his wife doesn’t bother! What woman would accept such a thing quietly?” Sera wanted to punch Giles Stander’s testicles so hard he choked on them. Men!
Ash nibbled on her shoulder, and she sighed quietly.
“A man wouldn’t have need of that many women if he had you. It takes two men just to keep you satisfied.” Brandt had the gall to wink at her, and she raised a brow at him.
“He wouldn’t need to have that many women if he cared about satisfying any one of them. A real man doesn’t need all that.”
Ash kissed her forehead. “Back to business for a moment, if I may. If Giles is indeed feeding information to the Imperialists as our evidence suggests, and if he’s getting help, also as our evidence suggests, Perry has a lot of opportunity. I don’t like thinking about anyone in my Family being involved, and I can’t imagine why Perry would do something so heinous, but it’s something we must think on.”
“I’m sorry, Ash.”
“We’ll deal with this tomorrow. After we take care of our woman again.” Brandt touched Ash’s arm briefly.
Ash chuckled softly and hummed his agreement as he nuzzled her neck.
“I’m boneless. Exhausted. I need sleep.”
Which didn’t stop his nuzzling of course, it only brought Brandt up to do the same on the other side, and she closed her eyes, letting herself fall into sleep.
Chapter 15
Ash awoke early and stretched. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been so damned relaxed, especially on an op. On quiet feet, he padded out of the bedroom. Her scent still lingered on his hands, on his lips. Where it belongs, he thought as he took a shower.
He shaved, not wanting to scratch her with his beard growth, pulled on a pair of pants and headed into the common area to order in some breakfast.
It wasn’t until he’d opened up his communications folders that he wanted to hit something. His cousin Perry had run straight to the Family with news of Sera. His father and uncle had both written him angry missives defending poor Kira’s feelings in the matter at being exposed to a fallen woman in such a way.
He wondered if it was the normal interference or if Perry had something to hide and was trying to divert attention away from himself.
Whatever the case, he dashed off a quick text to his father, ignoring his uncle for the time being, reasserting his right to make his own choices. The Family made its profits, political alliances had been made and he’d done his duty. He didn’t plan to be answerable for his private life at this point in his life.
There were several invitations for Sera to accompany different groups of concubines on sightseeing trips that day. Taking a quick glance through, he saw the two most likely to have Giles Stander’s concubine attending and made a quick mental note to talk with her about it when she woke up.
“Morning,” she said in a warm, sexy voice as she entered the room. She wore a robe tied loosely around her waist, and her hair was bound in an intricate braid. The scent of her soap and shampoo tickled his nose.
He rose and took her into his arms, swaying with her for long moments until she smiled against the bare skin of his chest. He’d missed that lighthearted love they’d shared.
“Good morning to you. I’ve ordered some breakfast for us. You have several invitations for social engagements today. You’re a very popular woman, it seems.” He sat, pulling her down with him, and she peered at the screen to view her mail.
“Some of these girls grate on my nerves, Ash. But I suppose if I can’t be with you and Brandt all day, I’ll find the company of Tifrit Alder’s concubine, Rina, and her group amenable. It is a shopping trip, after all.”
She quickly sent a note back indicating she’d attend and her regrets to the others before he spun her around and nuzzled the hollow of her throat. “Well now, hello.”
Her hands moved up his back and over his skull, caressing, kneading, tracing the tattoos. “I’ve missed this part of you.”
“I’ve missed having you love me this way.”
“So smooth.” She pressed kisses at each temple and then traced her tongue over the top of his head. So ridiculously simple but totally erotic that she’d find him that attractive.
A knock sounded on the door, and he groaned.
“Sit, I’ll get it.” She stood, but he moved past her quickly.
“I don’t want to share your beauty with anyone else right now. I’ll get the door.” Her laughter accompanied him as he opened up to the delivery staff, who set up a very large, very fine breakfast in their interior courtyard.
When he went back to get her, Brandt had come in, and she stood behind him brushing and braiding his hair. It wasn’t an act, the way she touched Brandt, ministered to him with such a small thing. She clearly wanted to take care of him, loved it even. Brandt’s eyes were closed, his face totally relaxed. Ash had seen a snarl of bloodlust on that face, had seen him in a killing rage, and no shadow of that man existed in the presence of their woman.
Her hands moved slowly, rhythmically, as she brushed, long strokes through Brandt’s dark-as-deep-night hair. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes halfway closed as she held the brush.
The moment was so intimate in its normalcy Ash felt a tightening in his gut, touched beyond measure by both of them. What he had with her wasn’t conventional, but it was right. And it just made sense to have Brandt there as well. Not between them but with them.
When she finished, she leaned down and kissed the top of Brandt’s head.
“Thank you, sweet.”
“Breakfast is ready,” Ash announced, and they both looked to him with a smile. Inside him there was no pang, no fear there’d be nothing left for him once Sera gave Brandt her attention.
The filtered light from the glass of the dome above them shone over her as she tipped her head toward it, eyes closed. Funny, this toughened soldier would look so at home in the guise of a creature of indulgence. Ash made a promise to himself to show her more luxury after this was over.
“Did Sela tell you she’d be heading out on a shopping expedition later today?” Ash said it casually, but Brandt’s eyes lit a moment.
“You’ll need to replace a few things we so oafishly destroyed in our eagerness to get you naked,” Brandt teased.
Like a cat, she stirred, stretching in the sunshine before reaching over to pat Brandt’s hand. “Don’t worry, I will.”
“Be sure you do. I wouldn’t want anyone to think we didn’t spoil you enough and try to steal you away.”
When her spine stiffened, Ash sighed. “He didn’t mean it that way, Sera. It was a Sela comment, also urging you to not hesitate to spend credits to fit in. Gods know both Brandt and I have them, but this is also our cover. Neither of us thinks you’d leave us for another male with more money.”
Brandt took her hand and kissed it, and she nodded slightly, her spine loosening a bit.
She nibbled on a piece of fruit. “There’s no one in this ’Verse who can compare to you two. Thank the gods, because I don’t think I could handle any more of you.” She winked and laughed.
Calls started coming in shortly after they’d finished eating as other men of powerful Families began to awaken. Brandt and Ash might be posing as indulged sons of powerful Families, but the need to constantly network was a reality. And in Nondal, it would be done without females unless the males needed to show off their prowess in some way other than financially.
Because of how society worked in Nondal, a certified chaperone showed up some hours later to collect Sela for her outing. Someone had come over to do her hair and makeup, and she wore some complicated getup that barely covered her but concealed enough to make a man curious as to what was beneath the fabric.
She took Ash’s credit chip with a wink, and he pulled her against him, letting her feel just what she did to him. Needing her to know.
“Mine. Now, buy some pretty wrapping for your pussy. I don’t have to tell you to stay alert, but I expect you to be safe today.”
“Me as well.” Brandt strolled to them and embraced her from behind, kissing her neck.
“You two will rumple me,” she said without even a small amount of annoyance in her tone.
“I like you rumpled,” Brandt said as he nipped her earlobe.
Ash sent a look to the chaperone, who lowered his eyes, and she was gone, swallowed up by a bevy of chattering women.
Sera wanted to die. These women would be the death of her. How they could stand themselves, she didn’t know. But one thing she did know was that among Rina’s little group was Giles Stander’s alpha concubine, Delia. Sera figured it would be so and had taken a calculated risk in accepting this particular invitation. Rina’s keeper was a powerful man, not the most obviously so, but the one with the most financial power based on gaming and other gray market areas not so closely regulated by the Federation. They’d move in the same circles, and Stander would want his females moving with ones like Rina.
“You are quite fortunate to have two such gloriously masculine protectors,” Delia said as she tossed an obscenely expensive gown at the clerk.
Sera smiled serenely as she fingered the undergarments, selecting several things to entice her men with.