He’sright. It’s just once…just to get this deal done. And no one back home has toknow about it.

Trin felt a surge of gratitude for the big Havocfor bringing her back to herself. She lifted her chin and stopped staring atthe mesmerizing and obscene sight of his shaft pressed against her pussy, thethick shaft parting her pussy lips and rubbing against her slick core. I’mthe captain of a star ship, a businesswoman, occasionally a diplomat. I’vedealt with strange foreign customs before—I can deal with this too.

She just wished that the strange feelings she hadwhen Thracetouched her intimately would stop. All of her calm and self-possession seemedto leave her when she felt his big, warm body next to hers. It made herdoubtful and unsure of herself in a way she hadn’t been since adolescence. Whydid she feel this way when he touched her?

Of course, she had no answers. All she could do wascover her lap and the embarrassing sight of his shaft pressed against her witha napkin and try to sit rigidly still, not moving an inch.

“There—now that you’re settled comfortably we canenjoy the first course,” Lady Tam-tam remarked. “We’re starting with nectarpods from Rigex—have you ever had them, my dear?”

“No.” Trin cleared her throat. “No, I haven’t. Butthey sound tasty.”

“They’re actually quite bland,” Lady Needra saidfrom her left. “But they’re worth trying anyway.”

“I see,” Trin said, not seeing at all. A serverreached over her shoulder and placed a heaping spoonful of waxy white podsabout as long as her little finger in front of her.

“There now—eat them up,” Lady Tam-tam directed.“And remember to feed every second one to your love-slave. That’s how we dothings here,” she explained, smiling. “On the rest of Yonnie Six, the slave hasto feed the mistress. Here we turn things on their head and the mistress feedsthe slave.”

“So delightfully subversive,” Lady Needraremarked, popping a pod into her mouth and reaching back to feed one to Yorthas well.

“It certainly is,” Trin said, and she wasn’t justtalking about the dinner. She picked up a pod with her fingers, since that washow everyone else was eating them, and put it cautiously into her mouth. Ittasted vaguely sweet and when she bit into it, a gush of bland, waxy liquidsquirted across her tongue. Ugh! It wasn’t very pleasant but Trin hadeaten worse when stores got low and they were stuck in deep space without aport nearby. She chewed and swallowed dutifully and then picked up a pod to feedto Thrace.

“How is it?” he asked as she twisted carefullyaround to place it between his lips.

“Not the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” Trin saidunder her breath. “But it’s edible. Open up.”

He parted his lips obediently and accepted the waxypod. He made a slight face when he bit into the pod but he chewed and swallowedwithout complaint. Trin took another pod for herself and gave another to him.Soon the little pile was gone and the second course, which consisted of a pileof steaming purple mush, was being served.

Trin picked up a long handled instrument whichlooked like a tiny silver shovel and got a bite of the mush. But before shecould taste it, a shadow fell across the table.

“Forgive me, Lady Tam-tam, for my tardiness,” adeep voice said.

Trin looked up startled and saw a male almost astall as Thracestanding across from her. He had broad, muscular shoulders and black hair witha reddish tint. His eyes were the same strange color—caught somewhere betweenmidnight black and scarlet and a small, cruel smile hovering around his lips.

Unlike the other males in the room, who were allslaves, he was fully dressed in black trousers and a scarlet tunic that lookedexcellent against his dark tan skin. A black cape that swirled around his broadshoulders and tall black boots that ended above his knees completed the outfit.

“Oh, Lord X—how nice of you to join us,” LadyTam-tam fluttered. She turned to Trin. “This is the male I told you about—he’sthe ruler of a small planet in the Degas system. Isn’t that unique?”

“Very,” Trin agreed, though she could scarcelyimagine a whole planet ruled by a male.

“Introduce me to your ravishing friend, I beg you,Lady Tam-tam,” Lord X said, smiling at Trin. “I’ve never seen such lovely skintones—truly her beauty is unmatched.”

“Well, this is my special guest, Lady Trin,” LadyTam-tam said. “This is her first time to Dreaming Hills but not her last, Ihope.”

Lord X held out his hand and Trin reached outdutifully to take it. There was something about this male she didn’t like,though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. His touch was cold and when hekissed the back of her hand, his lips were like ice. The chill of his skinbelied the heat in his eyes when he looked her over, his gaze lingeringoverlong on her barely covered breasts.

Trin shifted uncomfortably. Why did it make herfeel so strange to have him look at her? His eyes were hungry as he raked hisgaze over her body. No other male had ever looked at her like that but Thrace.But she didn’t mind when he did it. Or rather, it made her pulse race and herbreath come short but it didn’t repulse her. It was different with Lord X. Itfelt strange…wrong.

Apparently Thrace didn’t like the way the newmale was looking at her either. With a low, possessive growl, he sat up straighterin the love seat and cupped her breasts with his big hands, effectively hidingthem from sight.

“Thrace!”she exclaimed. The sudden movement had caused his shaft to shift against herand the heat of his hands against her nipples sent a bolt of sensation throughher.

“It’s all right, little mistress, your slave issimply protecting you from prying eyes.” Lord X nodded and gave her that coldsmile again. “I don’t mind—I’ve already admired your beauty.”

“My lady’s beauty is not for you,” Thracerumbled, frowning at him.

“Thrace,you can’t talk to Lady Tam-tam’s guest that way,” Trin admonished him, thoughshe privately agreed with the big Havoc and was relieved to have her breastshidden from the strange male’s sight. “What brings you to Yonnie Six, Lord X?”she asked diplomatically, looking up at him.

“Why, dream gas, of course. Yonnie Six has the onlydeposits of it in the known universe, making it incredibly rare and valuable.Most places, like the area around Opulex, they have to mine it. But here on thelovely Lady Tam-tam’s estate, it comes right out of the ground on its own.”

“It does? I didn’t know that.” Trin looked at theirhostess.

Lady Tam-tam nodded. “Oh yes, my dear. In fact,Dreaming Hills is built right over the largest natural deposit of dream gasever discovered. Lord X here is interested in exporting it to other planets. Ofcourse, no one in Opulex will deal with him.”

“Because of my misfortune to be born male insteadof female.” Lord X made a sorrowful face. “But if I wasn’t male, how could Iappreciate all the lovely females in the room?”

“You don’t have to be male to appreciate the femaleform. Females can love other females,” Trin said flatly. “It’s done quite oftenin places such as Zetta Prime.”

“I know I certainly appreciate your form, mylovely.” Lord X gave her that slow, cold smile. “Even if Lady Tam-tam decidesnot to deal with me, I’ll consider this trip to be worth it, just to see suchyour exotic beauty.”

Trin could feel the rumbling beginnings of a growlbuilding in Thrace’sbroad chest again.

“That’s a lovely compliment,” she said neutrally.“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord X. I wish you success in all yourendeavors.”

“In other words, I am dismissed. Very well…” Hebowed elaborately. “I am too late for dinner, anyway. Perhaps I’ll see youlater at the dream-sphere fountain.”

“The what?” Trin asked but Lord X was alreadywithdrawing, his black boots ringing on the smooth stone floor.

“The dream-sphere fountain,” Lady Tam-tam said.“It’s on the back grounds—near the place where the dream gas emerges from itsvent. We’re going to adjourn there after dinner. I do hope you and yourlove-slave can be there? I’m only inviting a select group, of course.”