Speaking of Thrace, he had apparently foundhimself a pair of sleep trousers to wear in the old clothes left by TheAlacrity’s last owner. He had taken a pillow and a single thin blanket and waslying quietly on the floor at the foot of her bed.

Trin had been relieved to see that he was wearingmore than the tiny, thin towel he’d been holding around his waist when he cameout of the shower. She’d been seeing him shirtless for days now and she’d evenhandled his “equipment” when he was chained down and needed help to relieve himself.But back then she’d been thinking of him as just a big, not-too-bright animal.

Now she saw his intelligence and admired hisbravery and sense of humor. She was, she realized, beginning to know him as a personand that changed the way she felt about him. Seeing him naked or almost nakedmade her feel…strange. And the idea of letting him see her in a similar stateof undress was also uncomfortable. She’d been glad the room was dark when shecame into the sleeping area, her thin robe belted tightly around her to keepfrom revealing anything. And also glad that his bare, muscular chest was mostlycovered by the thin blanket.

Not that she cared for the male form, she toldherself. But when he’d come out of the shower and she saw him standing there sotall and massive with the wide planes of his bare chest and broad shouldersbeaded with water, her stomach had done a funny little flip. Only becausehe’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye, she told herself uneasily,remembering it now. With those sculpted abs and his long, muscular legs he’sa damn near perfect specimen. Lady Malroth is certain to be impressed.

But no matter how much she tried to tell herselfshe was only admiring him in a purely artistic sense, it couldn’t be deniedthat her stomach had never done that funny little flip when she saw a nakedfemale. Her lack of reaction to others of her sex had led her to believe thatshe might be mostly asexual. Indeed, though she enjoyed playing with herclitoral stimulator, she never fantasized about other women or anyone else asshe did so. She simply enjoyed the pleasurable sensations of the buzzing littlevibrator until she reached a gentle orgasm and drifted off to sleep.

So why did she feel so strange when she watched Thracemove around in that tiny, thin towel? Trin had no answer. But the memory of hisbig, muscular body, nearly naked and beaded with water certainly did somethingfor her. Maybe it was because he was so big or so different from her. Hewas hard where she was soft and his voice was so deep…it was strange but justthe thought of him lying there at the foot of her bed was almost enough to warmher up. Almost.

Trin shivered again.

“Goddess, I’m so cold. What’s wrong with me?”she muttered, burrowing deeper into the covers.

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you,” a deep,familiar voice murmured from the darkness.

“What?” Trin sat up, shivering. “Thrace? I thought you were asleep.”

“Nah. I’m just lying here listening to you thrasharound trying to get warm. But you’re never going to manage it.”

“What? Why not?” Trin demanded. “And how do youknow, anyway?”

“I know because I know about passionberries—they’re native to my home world. You’ve still got some of the residuefrom that sip of wine you took in your system. The cold you’re feeling is anaftereffect and it’ll probably last for a few hours, if not the rest of thenight.”

“The rest of the night?” Trin felt a surge ofdespair. She needed to sleep so she could wake up fresh and start preparing forthe ordeal ahead of her on Yonnie Six. She had no time for lying in bedsleepless and besides, she felt like a block of ice. The cold wasn’t justuncomfortable—it was downright painful. “What can I do about it?” she demanded,pulling the thermal blanket closer—not that it did any good. “Since you know somuch about passion berries.”

“Nothing,” he said flatly. “There’s nothing you cando.”

“Well, then what—?”

“But there’s something you can let me do.”

“What do you mean?” Trin felt uneasy.

“You can let me hold you. The passion berrycompound demands physical contact to counteract its symptoms. That’s how I wasable to warm you up before—by holding you.”

Trin vaguely remembered waking up and findingherself held in the big Havoc’s lap. He’d put her down pretty quickly,however—before she could start feeling too awkward. But now he was asking toget into bed with her and hold her in his arms. It seemed dangerous somehow,and not just because she was worried about having to use the pain collar tokeep him in line.

He was silent for a long moment as she thought aboutit. Did she want to do this? Did she dare? Did she dare to let him climb in herbed and press his big, muscular body against hers? His big, muscular, warm body, whispered a practicallittle voice in her head. That’s the operative word, Trin. It may be awkwardbut at least it’s warm.

Butwhat if he tries something? Like the things he was talking about while you hadhim chained to the cot? a voice in herbrain demanded. What are you supposed to do then?

The thought gave her pause. As intriguing as shewas beginning to find Thraceand the male form in general, she still had absolutely no wish to be penetratedby a male. Ever.

“If you’re worried, I’ll try something, don’t.” Hisvoice was calm and matter-of-fact in the darkness. “I told you I don’t takefemales against their will and besides, you’ve got the remote.”

Trin cleared her throat.

“Of course I’m not worried about that,” she lied.“It’s just…I only have on one of my night dresses—the kind you said botheredyou so much. I just thought—”

“That I wouldn’t be able to control myself if Ifelt your body pressed to mine with only a thin little scrap of fabric betweenus?” He gave a rumbling laugh. “Don’t worry, Mistress, I know my place. And wemales aren’t nearly as animalistic as you’ve been led to believe. I can reignmyself in.”

“Well…” Trin still hesitated but the cold wasspreading and now her teeth were starting to chatter. “A-all r-right,” she saidat last. “Come here. But if I ask you to l-leave and go b-back to the floor, Iexpect instant obedience.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he murmured. And then he wassliding into bed, under the covers beside her and gathering her into his arms.

At first Trin stayed curled in a protective ballwith the pain collar remote clutched tightly in one hand and held to her chest.It seemed the most prudent thing to do and besides she felt awkward anduncertain, allowing a male into her bed no matter how valid the reason.

Thrace didn’t seem to care about her awkward pose. Hesimply gathered her close, wrapping his long arms around her and holding her tohis chest. His body heat went to work on her at once and little by little, Trinfelt her frozen extremities starting to thaw.

At last he spoke softly in the darkness.

“It would be better if you’d relax a little. Ifyou’d come a little closer I could warm you to the core—that’s what you need.”

Trin did long to feel the delicious heat shefelt coursing through her arms and legs warming the rest of her.

“Well…all right,” she said at last. Slowly andcarefully, she allowed her body to unknot.

“That’s good,” Thrace murmured. “Now, here…” Hedrew her close to him, her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around herin a firm but loose hold that clearly let her know she was free to go at anytime. He pressed his legs to the back of her thighs and knees and settled hersecurely against him, so that her head was resting on his muscular bicep.“How’s that?” he murmured.

Trin hardly knew how to answer. The sensation ofbeing held by the huge Havoc was both odd and comforting at the same time. Shefelt completely surrounded by him—cradled and protected by his big body. Itreminded her of being a very young child because that was the last time in herlife she’d been small enough for another person to so completely surround andcradle her.