Coming Together: Special Hurricane Relief Edition (27 page)

"You
are Melna," I said, "but know it as a slave name."

"I
am Melna," she said. "Thank you, Master."

I
pulled some sleeping furs from the couch and threw them to the floor
at the foot of the couch. "Lie on the furs," I said. "Put
your arms above your head and spread your legs." I watched as
she laid herself down, obeying my command exactly. The curly triangle
at her groin seemed damp in the lamplight. She smiled nervously up at
me as I stood above her.

"Are
you going to touch me, Master?" she whispered. I lay beside her,
resting on my elbow and held my hand just above her breast. The
nipple was erect, engorged. I waited, and she moaned, arching her
back, thrusting her breast into my hand, the nipple hard against my
palm. I squeezed and caressed the delicious curve of her, stroking,
moulding her, my hand hard against her softness, warrior and maiden.

She
moaned, pushing herself against my hand. "Oh yes," she
cried softly, "touch me, please, touch me."

"As
a slave girl?" I said.

"Yes,
yes! As a slave girl."

I
stroked down her breast, across her belly, then up again, to her
other peak, stroking, squeezing, moulding, then down my hand moved
again, caressing her belly, her hip, her thigh, even down to her
knee, then up again, a long, slow caress to again mould her breast.
She shuddered, her body flushed, her breathing quick, feeling my
hardness against her thigh. I let my hand move down her again, but
this time let it move across her bush, springy, soft against my hand.
This time I let my fingers play with the very core of her, feeling
her heat, her wetness, hearing her gasp as my fingers moved across
her secret place.

"Take
me, Master," she cried, her voice urgent, "take me as your
slave!"

I
moved over her, as hard as I had ever been, and pushed slightly into
her. She gasped, shuddering, but her hips pushed up at me. I took her
slowly, almost gently, pushing against the brief obstruction of her
virginity, sinking suddenly into her as her resistance was torn away.
Her bound hands came up, around my neck and she pulled me to her as
her hips pushed back against mine and she reared up in the passion
and heat of the moment. She excited me beyond restraint and my hips
pushed my heat and hardness into her, hard, rhythmic, but no less
urgently were her hips working against mine, pushing her softness,
her heat, her very core against me.

With
a cry of triumph, I came, even as she screamed her surrender to me,
her belly rippling, her core contracting rhythmically about me,
drawing me, emptying me, leaving me drained as her eyes rolled up and
she fainted, overcome with the heat and the passion and the torment
of the moment. Gently, I loosened her arms from about my neck,
removing the binding fibre from her wrists. I withdrew my dwindling
self from her, easing her to her side, drawing the furs about us as I
took her, Lady Melna, no longer virgin, red silk now, as I took her
into my arms, holding her. The rain pattered against the shutters as
I lay holding her, wondering.

Long
moments later she stirred, startled, relaxing as she realised where
she lay. She twisted around in my arms, facing me, reaching up shyly
to kiss my lips.

"I
did not know it could be like that," she whispered.

I
kissed her. "It was only a small climax," I said. "Were
you truly slave it could be twice, five, even ten times stronger, if
you were in the arms of your true master."

"I
could not bear such ecstasy," she said.

"Yes,
Melna, you could. Were you slave it would be expected of you."

She
laughed, soft, low. "I begin to understand why the slaves who
serve the guards seem so happy even though they have nothing, not
even a rag, to call their own." She kissed me again. "Tell
me, Master, have you had many women?"

"Curiosity
is not becoming in a kajira," I said. I kissed her. "But I
will answer you. Do I include slaves?" I said, laughing.

"How
many without?" she said, a soft smile on her face.

"But
three, and you the third."

"Their
station?"

"One
was the daughter of an Ubar," I said. "I learned later that
she took every new guard to her bed, at least once."

"I
do not think I would like her," said Melna, frowning.

"I
think she courted slavery, for she took to walking the high bridges
without escort, until one night, a tarnsman, outlaw, no doubt,
without insignia, a tarnsman made his strike and took her. She was
never seen again. Not free. Perhaps somewhere she serves as his naked
slave."

"And
your other free woman?"

"The
wife of a merchant. He was ever away from their holding on business.
She was very discreet, but most appreciative of my attention."

"A
lucky woman, as I may now testify," Melna said, her smile warm.
She kissed me again, softly. "And how many slaves have you had?"

"In
truth, I do not know. Perhaps eighty, perhaps a hundred."

"Do
you mind my asking these questions?" she said.

"You
are free, and I have no reason not to answer," I said. "Were
you truly slave, I would tell you again that curiosity is not
becoming in a kajira."

"And
then you would not satisfy my curiosity?"

"I
might, if I was feeling indulgent, but perhaps not."

"May
I ask another?"

"Ask."

"Did
you enjoy having me?"

"Of
course. What man could fail to enjoy a woman who gives herself
freely?" I smiled at her. "And what of you? Did you
experience pleasure?"

"Incredible
pleasure. Even the pain of surrendering my virginity served only to
heighten my pleasure, knowing that I was giving pleasure, too."

"Ah,"
I said, "your virginity. Excuse me, please, for what I am about
to do." I reached down and quickly, sliding my finger between
her nether lips, took on my finger her fluids. She moved, startled, a
squeak escaping her lips. I held my finger before her. "Look,"
I said, "see there? Your virgin blood, on my finger, mixed with
the juices of our joining. Were you slave, I would make you taste
yourself." I moved to wipe my finger but her hand caught mine.
Slowly, her eyes holding mine, her breathing rapid, she delicately
extended her tongue and licked the fluids from my finger.

"I
asked to serve you as a slave," she whispered. "It is
fitting." She moved to kiss me again, warm and wet, heated. I
lay back and she moved further, to look down upon me. "If I were
truly slave, what would you wish, or expect, of me now?"

"Now?"
I said. "Perhaps to lick at me, and kiss me, perhaps to kiss my
weapon of love, to encourage my virility, that I might take you
again."

"Like
this?" she said, licking and sucking at my male nipples, kissing
my chest, kissing my shoulders, running her tongue down my chest,
across my stomach, pointing her tongue and pushing it into my navel.
I chuckled and she flashed a sweet smile at me, dishevelled with our
lovemaking, looking even more desirable now than when she had first
revealed her body to me. This was a new Lady Melna, freed of some
inhibitions, enjoying that freedom. I gasped as her tongue moved the
length of my maleness, and gasped anew as her lips closed delicately
about it. She was inexperienced, clumsy even, but the touch of her
mouth excited me, and I could feel myself hardening. She looked up at
me, startled, withdrawing, her face alive with curiosity as she
regarded me, her fingers around me, feeling me hardening at her
touch.

"So
soon?" she whispered.

"Your
touch excites me," I said, drawing in my breath with a gasp as
her mouth closed over me again. In short moments I was hard, wanting
her. Her mouth left me, only to return in a kiss. She sat back on her
heels, knees spread in the position of a pleasure slave. I wondered
if she knew.

"I
kneel to you, as a pleasure slave, Master," she said. She knew.

I
laughed. "How is it that you, a free woman, know the positions
of a pleasure slave?"

She
smiled. "It is as well for a free woman to know something of
slavery. Consider how close I came to it. Knowing something like this
could mean the difference between being slain and living, albeit as a
slave." She reached out a gentle hand and caressed the full,
hard, length of me. She released me and sat back on her heels, her
knees apart, her hands on her thighs, palms up. "May this slave
serve her Master again?" she said.

I
took her and threw her to her back on the furs. She gasped, throwing
her legs apart as I knelt between them. I entered her forcefully,
showing no tenderness. I took her, giving her no option in the
matter. Her fingers were claws in my back as I thrust but she was
pushing back at me, her hips lifting her to me, her mouth a snarl as
we rutted, human animals, feeling only the lusts of mating. With a
cry of triumph I came, even as I felt her shake beneath me in her own
involuntary release, a tight scream escaping her lips, teeth clenched
in a rictus of carnal pleasure. Sweat was on us as we stilled,
pooling between our bellies, standing out on our brows. Carefully, I
eased myself from her, moving to my elbow beside her, looking down at
the supine loveliness of her. She smiled.

"Master
is vigorous."

I
laughed. "Melna never needs fearing being slain if she ever
falls slave in truth."

"Were
my responses adequate, Master?"

I
looked at her for a long moment. "More than adequate." I
bent to kiss her. "I have had trained pleasure slaves who did
not give me the pleasure that you did." I stood, and held out my
hand. She took it and I pulled her to her feet. She stood, naked,
lovely, still breathing heavily, nipples engorged, sweet flesh
flushed, her hair tousled.

"I
think it time for the Lady Melna to return to her quarters," I
said.

She
frowned. "So soon, Han Lero?"

"I
wish to leave early, and do not wish to disturb you."

"Your
very leaving disturbs me most, Han."

"My
place is in Ko-Ro-Ba, not here."

"Take
me with you."

I
shook my head. "I cannot."

"Then
let me sleep beside you, so that I may bid you farewell at morning."

"Does
no-one wake you?"

"A
house slave, at the sixth hour." She smiled. "As long as I
am in my own bed then, no-one will have seen anything."

I
reached out and took her into my arms. "Very well, Lady Melna of
Rorus, share my furs."

"Gladly
will I, Han Lero, Warrior of Ko-Ro-Ba."

It
was a peaceful, gentle sleep. As a trained warrior I knew I could
awaken myself on a cue and I knew when I opened my eyes that it was
yet some time before the sixth hour. Lady Melna was awake, lying on
her side beside me, her eyes on my face. As I saw her, she smiled,
soft, sad.

"Good
morning, warrior."

Saying
nothing, I reached for her and she moved eagerly into my arms,
raising her lips for my kiss. We made gentle love this time, slow,
rising to a shared heat that carried us over into mutual ecstasy.
Tears were streaming down her face as we separated, but she shook her
head when I made to speak, moving rapidly from the bed, picking up
her robe from where it still lay beside the door and, almost running,
left me alone. I stared at the closed door for a while, then sighed
and began to prepare for my departure.

The
kitchen was quiet, but food and drink were quickly put before me. The
rain which had started during the night was constant now, rattling
the shutters. Tullius's new slave, Julie, came in, naked, save for
her collar, wrapped in a warrior's cloak. She made to kneel when she
spotted me but I gestured for her to continue.

"My
thanks, Master." She began to gather food together, putting it
in a basket.

"How
is your new master, this morning?" I said.

Her
smile was radiant. "Most vigorous, Master."

"Hasten
back to him, slave," I said, laughing.

"As
fast as I am able, Master," she said, scurrying out with her
basket.

Claudius
Flavius came in then, grinning as he spotted the departing Julie.
"Tal, Rarius," he said.