“Proper? Here it is,” he pointed out. “ButI’m not trying to embarrass you. You asked me a question and I gave you anhonest answer. If you want to go through with the deal, we’ll have to dowhatever Lady Tam-tam wants. It’s up to you.”

“Maybe…” Trin bit her lip. “Maybe she doesn’t wantmuch—just something romantic. Like you holding me, the way you did last night.”

“Maybe,” Thrace acknowledged although hecouldn’t help hoping for a little more. Not that he wanted to make Trinuncomfortable or take what she didn’t want to give, but even now her scent washot. She might not know what she wanted, but her body clearly did.

“Or maybe we can pretend—act like we’redoing…whatever it is without actually doing it.” Trin was beginning to soundmore hopeful.

Thrace shrugged again. “It’s worth a try.”

“All right, we’ll do it.” Trin lifted her chin. “Ineed this deal to go through. Normally I would never consider anything likethis but since you don’t mind…”

“Not a bit,” Thrace growled. He took her hand inhis. “Didn’t you hear me tell Lady Tam-tam there was nothing I wouldn’t do foryou?”

“But…” Her cheeks got flushed. “You were justtrying to charm her when you said that.”

“I was telling the truth,” Thrace said quietly. “I owe you agreat debt, Trin. One I can never truly repay. I’ll do whatever ittakes…whatever you want to get this done. And I’ll do it with pleasure.” Heraised her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm gently. Gods, he loved kissingher soft little hands. He just wished he could kiss the rest of her as well!

“Thrace…”Her dark eyes were wide and uncertain. “I—”

“Forgive me, my lady, but the dinner chime rangfive minutes ago. If you don’t hurry you will be late.”

It was one of the door guards, dressed in his orangeand purple uniform. He bowed low and indicated the broad golden archway at theend of the room which most of the other mistresses had already gone through.

“Oh, of course. Thank you.” Trin nodded inconfusion and looked at Thrace.“I guess we’d better go.”

“I guess so,” he said. But he couldn’t helpwondering what was in store for them later that night. And if Trin would allowherself to enjoy it.

Chapter Eighteen

The head dining table was at the far end of thelong, high-ceilinged rectangular room. Two long tables ran the length of thevast hall and all the other mistresses were already seated along them withtheir slaves.

Trin and Thrace had to walk all the way fromone end of the banquet hall to the other with everyone staring at them. Trincould feel her cheeks heating as they strode down the narrow isle between thelengthy tables but she kept her head high and her shoulders back. She refusedto be embarrassed by a lot of women she didn’t know and didn’t care about—atleast, that was what she told herself.

“Ah, my dear—here you are. I was beginningto get worried!” Lady Tam-tam said when they finally reached the head tablewhich was covered in a gold lace tablecloth and laid with gem encrusted gobletsand plates. Lady Tam-tam was seated on a vast golden throne-like chair right inthe center of the table.

There were chairs on either side of her, but theyweren’t normal plasti-wood ones like the kind the other mistresses and slaveswere seated on at the two long tables. Instead, the chairs at the head tableappeared to be a kind of high-backed sitting swing made of padded mesh andsuspended from the arching ceiling above. Trin saw, with some dismay, that thechairs were meant for two—but not to sit side-by-side. No, the arrangementappeared to be much more…intimate than that.

From what she could see, the body-slave sat in theswing first and leaned back against the padded mesh and then his mistress satin his lap. It looked rather awkward for the few couples who didn’t appear towant to be together or touching but there were several mistress and slave pairsseated around Lady Tam-tam who seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Oneof them was a little blonde mistress and her slave seated directly to Trin’sleft. They were giggling and snuggling like a pair of love birds, obviouslyperfectly comfortable in the strange swing-seat.

There was an empty swinging seat to Lady Tam-tam’sright, right beside the giggling couple, but when Trin moved to go to it, theirhostess raised a hand to stop her.

“Wait, Lady Trin. Through some oversight by thedoor guards I don’t believe you were announced as we came into the receptionhall.”

Trin’s mouth went dry and her palms began to sweat.

“Oh, well that’s all right, Lady Tam-tam. I don’tmind, really,” she said, trying to smile.

“But I do.” Lady Tam-tam got a mulishexpression on her face. “You’re my special guest—you must be announced!And there is no time like the present. Guard!” she said and one of the guardsin orange and purple livery rushed over at once.

“Yes, my Mistress?”

“Announce Lady Trin at once. Yes—right here willdo,” indicating the open spot in front of the table. “And see that you speaknice and loudly so everyone can hear.”

Trin had never been a particularly shy person butshe felt she wanted to melt into the ground when the guard turned and bellowed,

“Announcing Lady Trin, the special guest of ourhostess and the mistress of all our hearts, Lady Tam-tam of Dreaming Hills!”

Trin made a brief bow to all those assembled butshe knew she couldn’t be seated yet. Thrace was standing right besideher, waiting for her signal. But somehow she couldn’t give it.

“Well, go on my dear,” Lady Tam-tam hissed behindher. “Have your love-slave make obeisance to you. Then the feast can begin.”

She looked at Thrace, her heart pounding. Goddess,I can’t do this in front of all these people. I can’t…

Thrace seemed to understand her trouble—the way she wasfrozen to the spot and unable to move, unable to give him the correct signal tomake obeisance to her.

“Mistress,” he murmured and bent towards her. Butinstead of getting on his knees at once, he leaned forward and cupped herbreasts. Bringing them to his mouth, he laid a soft, gentle kiss on eachnipple, making Trin bite back a gasp. His breath was hot through the thin laceand her nipples, already erect from the slight chill in the air, were suddenly tight,aching little points at the ends of her breasts.

From behind her, she heard Lady Tam-tam give amurmur of approval but Thracewasn’t done yet—he knelt before her and put his hands on her waist. He lookedup at her, holding her gaze with his own, and then pressed his mouth carefullyto the tiny triangle of turquoise lace at the center of her mound.

This time Trin couldn’t stop the moan that escapedher as his hot breath caressed the curve of her sex. She could feel his openmouth pressing against her outer pussy lips and his eyes were half lidded withdesire as he looked up at her and kissed her—kissed her as though he wished thepanties weren’t in his way.

Trin wanted to look away but she couldn’t—she wascaught in that silver-blue gaze and unable to get free. As he nuzzled close andpressed deeper so that she felt her pussy lips parting under the thin material,she couldn’t help remembering the things he’d said about tasting her, about howhe longed to lap her juices right from the source…

“Th-thrace,” she gasped, almost unable to get thewords out. “That’s enough.”

He ended the kiss with obvious reluctance and roseslowly to his feet. Then he took her by the shoulders.

“Never enough, Mistress,” he growled, his eyes burningwith lust. “It’s never enough with you.” Leaning down, he pressed a soft,open-mouthed kiss to her lips before taking her hand. “Come, it’s time we wereseated.”

Trin followed him in a daze to the swinging seat onthe right of Lady Tam-tam and the left of the blonde mistress and her slave.