“This is no small room.”

“That’s true,” was all she said.

She could have added that since her fembair sometimes liked to sleep with her, she’d almost been forced to get the adjustibed to keep from being crowded out of her own bed. But she didn’t want him to realize that this wasn’t a temporary room for her. And remembering why she didn’t brought back some of her fear.

“Falon-”

“It drives me wild to see you in my colors.”

Shanelle sucked in her breath and tried to push away from him. “I’ll certainly never wear white again.”

“I have doubts it will make a difference, not until I become used to you, and maybe not even then.”

She understood that loud heartbeat now. And she’d gotten nowhere from trying to get out of his arms. In fact, they were drawing her closer instead, and too swiftly she was tasting his lips again, and the soft warmth of his tongue. He wasn’t hurting her, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind that he would. Still, her blood liquefied and raced in the meantime, and it wasn’t long before she was kissing him back, uncaring of what would follow, uncaring of anything other than the sweet desire he’d ignited so easily.

To pull the tied knots of the scarves at her shoulders down her arms was to have the whole top of the chauri collapse to her waist. When Shanelle became aware that this had been done, it was too late to protest. Hands on her sides lifted her until she knelt on her knees on either side of Falon’s hips, and his mouth closed over one breast, his tongue stabbing at the hardened nipple. The feeling so weakened her that she had to wrap her arms around his head. And then he was sucking- too hard.

“Fal-on!” she said on a rising note.

The pulling eased instantly, his mouth leaving her altogether as he pressed his face between her breasts. “I will control it, woman, I swear I will.”

It absolutely horrified Shanelle to realize he was actually fighting for that control. He might as well have lost it, for the results were the same. The sweet pleasure she’d been feeling made way for returning fear that leaped into full-fledged panic. She pushed, but his arms were now around her lower back and hips, pinning her to his chest, and all she could do was strain her shoulders away from him.

“Falon, let me go-please.”

“No.”

There was no room for argument in that answer. His inflexibility infuriated her.

“You can’t keep doing this! I have rights-”

“As do I. Whose rights do you think will take precedence?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What is this, ‘Might makes right?’ ”

He shook his head, grinning. “You gave me the right to join with you, woman, which I have not in actuality done yet. I believe you called it-talk.”

She flushed to remember her earlier boldness. And she’d thought he hadn’t understood?

“Whatever you think I gave you, Falon, I’m taking back. I made a colossal mistake, but I’ve already paid for it once. Twice is out of the question. Now let go of me before I scream my head off.”

“Then scream,” he challenged. “I will simply silence you by kissing you.”

She just hated it when people called bluffs without the least hesitation. She did want to scream, but in rage. But even that might bring a servant- then her father. And she could just guess how that would turn out. But where did that leave her?

He’d mentioned kissing. Now she noticed him staring at her lips and she tensed, snapping, “Don’t you dare!”

He sighed and began pulling her closer. “It is a mistake to let a woman argue when she cannot win-”

“Do you need assistance, Shani?”

They both turned to see that Corth had entered the room. Shanelle’s relief was overwhelming. Falon’s body stiffened to steel.

“Yes!”

“No, she does not,” Falon growled, and to Shanelle he said, “Tell him to leave.”

“No.”

“Then I must make him.”

“You’re welcome to try.”

She was delighted to have this opportunity to throw those particular words back at him, but he wasn’t. “Your stubbornness becomes annoying, woman. Were you mine, I would not allow it.”

With that he set her on the floor next to him and in one fluid movement rose to his feet, his sword clearing its scabbard as he did. She hadn’t been expecting that. Corth was supposed to remove Falon from the room, physically if necessary, not have to defend himself with a weapon he’d never been programmed to use. For Stars’ sake, this wasn’t a killing matter.

“No, wait!” Shanelle scrambled to her feet and placed herself in front of Falon. “What the devil do you think you’re doing?”

“Making him leave, as I was goaded into doing.”

She blushed furiously. “I’m sorry for that. I shouldn’t have used your words. But he can’t leave now. He’s heard me ask for help, and his programming won’t let him leave until he gives it.”

“Then I must change his mind.”

“Change his-Falon, he’s an android. It isn’t possible-”

“I care not what race he is. He interferes, and this I will not stand for again.”

He started to set her aside. She gripped his sword arm with both hands, understanding now that he was apparently missing a pertinent point.

“Falon, androids are machines! Corth isn’t real, he’s a machine, but he still means a great deal to me. And if you destroy him, I-I would never forgive you. He’s been with me since I was born. My father had him programmed to protect me, so it would be impossible for him to leave me here with you now. Besides, he doesn’t know how to use that sword he’s wearing. He only has skill in weaponless fighting. It would be like attacking a helpless child. You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

An expression of keen frustration came over Falon’s features. “I have no qualms about destroying machines, if indeed he is one, but I would not destroy something that you care for.” He put his sword away, proving that she hadn’t been detaining his arm the least bit. “You mentioned a father. Where might I find him?”

Shanelle’s mind drew a total blank for a moment. “He-he’s not here.”

Falon suddenly grinned at her. “It is becoming easier to determine when you lie, woman. You must remind me to break you of that habit when you are mine.”

She gritted her teeth. “Will you go now?”

“Against my better judgment, I will allow you your way a second time.” And then his eyes dropped to her breasts, still exposed. “But not again. Next time we meet, I will know the means to make you mine.”

Falon arrived late to the dinner, but no one remarked on it. Had he not been expected there, he would not so easily have left the woman with her android. But he knew where he could find her now, which relieved his mind on that score. And he suspected her father was also a guest of the shodan, and so accessible, which put him in an agreeable frame of mind.

He was eager to speak with Dalden about them, and to find out how soon a meeting could be arranged with the woman’s father. But first he had to greet his hosts.

Challen Ly-San-Ter offered him no surprises. He was as could be expected of a man who had been a shodan for more than twenty years, a warrior’s warrior. He was also a man who had the misfortune of having to deal with the visitors all these years, but had not let them change him in any way. And like almost all Kan-is-Tran warriors, his emotions were so well contained as to be practically nonexistent. The Ba-Har-ani had always envied the Kan-is-Tran warriors that ability, which they had yet to completely master themselves.

Challen’s lifemate, now, was a definite surprise. Prepared to dislike this female who had opened the planet to an invasion of sky-fliers, he found her to be gracious, soft-spoken, and he could not get far beyond the fact that she was an incredibly beautiful woman. He could no more resent her for being a visitor than he could his golden Shani.