The Perfect Prince (3 page)
Read The Perfect Prince Online
Authors: Michelle M. Pillow
“Not even a droid?” Morrigan insisted.
“No,” Nadja gulped. Her eyes roamed over the fluttering tents in the distance, unable to meet the woman’s probing gaze. Morrigan seemed very adept at reading people.
Shivering, she lied, “I was always too embarrassed to go to the clubs and try one. But I’ve seen pictures. Do you think that these guys are … shaped differently?”
“I haven’t given it much thought,” Morrigan admitted. “I think that galaxy law requires the species to be, uh, physically compatible before they are matched up.
Otherwise, the marriage would do no good. Besides, I hate to sound crass, but the whole point of this is so they can propagate their species.”
“I suppose,” Nadja answered, not relaxing one bit at Morrigan’s cold view of their situation. She gripped her goblet and began to gulp more of her wine. Without having to be asked, a servant was right there to refill it for her. She gulped that cup too, much to the man’s obvious pleasure.
“Did you ask any of the others?” Morrigan inquired when the servant had retreated down the table. “Have any of them said anything about not being with a man before? Or maybe having been with a man?”
Nadja was confused and shook her head in denial. “We’ve never discussed it.”
“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Morrigan insisted with a smile. Nadja barely saw it. “I hear several of the women have had their virginity replaced. So it can’t be that bad, can it? It hurts for a second, but no more than the series of shots we got on the way here.” “I suppose you’re right, though I hadn’t heard that,” Nadja admitted.
Nodding her head in agreement, she tried to calm down. It wasn’t working. She was too scared. She had to go back to the ship before it was too late. She had money in her bag and could easily pay for a return trip. Once there she could find another ship to take her somewhere else--anywhere but here.
“Oh!” Nadja gasped and stiffened. She was too late. The men had arrived.
Instantly, she picked the green-eyed barbarian out from the crowd. It was as if he sensed her, finding her along the table and coming for her directly. The wine swirled in her head and she again swore she was going deaf.
Where there had been silence over the festival grounds, music again filled the air.
Its low rhythm was as sweet as a warm spring sun and as gentle as the wind’s caressing kisses. One by one, the prospective brides fell silent. As they watched the Qurilixian bachelors in wonder, the handsome warriors made their way to stand below the tables.
Their eyes scanned and quickly fixed upon the woman of their choice.
Nadja gasped, her heart fluttering, as the green-eyed giant of a man came before her. The crystal pulsed, doing something to her will. It was like a fog descended on her brain, consuming her with liquid and fire, tearing down her inhibitions and resolve. She tried to fight it. She tried to turn away from those probing green orbs. It was no use. He was there and he was looking at her as if she already belonged to him.
The man leaned forward and her breath caught. When he smiled, a light-hearted ardor that drew her in, she nearly swooned. Her fingers began reaching for a drink, anything to keep her from jumping up and discovering if his lips were anything like she imagined. Her hand never made it. His mouth parted to speak and her hand fell down to the table.
“I am Olek, bride,” he whispered, making sure there was no mistake about why he was there. He had come to claim her. “Come.” Nadja didn’t refuse. How could she? Those eyes, they commanded her with a soft magic. She saw kindness in them and relaxed. Maybe his build meant he worked hard for a living. He could be a carpenter or a farmer. He might not be a warrior at all.
Thought helped to calm her fear. When he smiled his seductive smile, her fear returned tenfold.Olek took her hand in his. His warmth seeped into her suddenly chilled fingers, shooting sparks of snapping fire up her arm. She let him lead her around the edge of the table. Magic filled the air with a spellbinding force, controlling her as she dutifully followed Olek’s command. Her body shivered in anticipation, but the feeling was overshadowed by an intense fear of not being able to live up to his expectations. Surely a man like this would be used to women in his bed. Would he expect her to know what to do? Would he be ashamed of his choice when she didn’t even know how to return his kiss? She walked silently behind him. Given ample view of his strong backside, her mouth went dry and she couldn’t look away. The muscles in his hard thighs pumped with each of his graceful steps. Her eyes followed them up as his flesh dipped beneath the loincloth. She had seen naked men before when she watched her father perform surgeries.
She knew that men's privates came in all different shapes and sizes. She hoped this one came small. Looking at his broad shoulders, so intimidating, she swallowed. Very, very small. He took her through the campsite, past a row of pyramids. Nadja could see the other women ducking into the various tents with hardly a protest. She heard laughter drifting about on the breeze from the married couples in their own celebration. The fire still burned brilliantly. Music played faster, encouraging the couples to dance in joyous celebration.
Suddenly, Olek stopped next to a green tent and Nadja almost bumped into him.
He turned, giving her troubled expression a laughing grin. He tilted his head to the inside of the tent. Softly, the burr of his accent rolling over her in a wave, he urged, “Come, bride.” Again, she couldn’t deny him, moving to dip under the tent’s green flap, which he kindly held up for her. However, as she drew near him, she smelled the warm oil on his glistening skin, mixing with the natural scent of man. Nadja was sure this was as close as she had ever been to a conscious man before--especially one so inadequately dressed.
Weakly, she faltered, glancing up into his eyes. Before she knew what was happening, a strong hand was coming up to her face, gently cupping her cheek. The touch was fire to her flushed features. Her lips parted with a ragged, scared gasp. Olek took it as an invitation he wouldn’t dare to refuse.
Nadja almost screamed in fright when he tried to kiss her. Dodging under his arm, she darted inside the tent. Olek grinned, though his eyes were baffled. His look resembled that of a stalking beast readying to go after his prey, relishing the anticipation of the hunt.
He absently let the tent flap fall shut behind him as he followed her inside.
Nadja froze mid-step as she looked around. The red earth floor was covered completely in soft furs. It cushioned her feet beneath her slippers. Below the center point
of the pyramid was a high platform bed, which required a step to climb onto it. Silk hung down around the sides, stirring delicately in the torchlight like soft white clouds.
Nadja recoiled from it as if it was covered in poison. It hit her how intimate this night really could be. Stumbling back, she bumped into a wickedly hard chest.
She jolted in fright, scurrying away from the solid, warm muscles. Her eyes spun, taking in the three corners. In the first, there was a bath drawn, the steaming water coming out of the basin. A sweet perfumed scent rose with it. Folded towels, bath oils, and rinses were neatly arranged at the side.
The next corner had a table full of chocolates, fruits, and cream sauces. One long bench with cushioned seats went along the side, resembling a couch. An earthen wine jug was set in the center. Feeling the heady consequences of the liquor she drank too much of at the feast, she turned her head away.
The third corner, behind the bed, was harder to see at her angle so she ignored it.
Feeling rather than hearing Olek coming up behind her, she panicked. Swirling on him, she held up her arms and backed away.
Merriment poured from his eyes and she blushed profusely to see it. He held back, standing tall as Nadja’s eyes moved to study him. Before she realized it, her gaze was traveling a seductive journey of discovery over his taut chest. Already his small nipples were hard buds of desire. His flesh dipped in all the right places only to raise and swell with each of his shallow breaths. There was no fat on his chiseled form. She bit her lips, absently chewing at it as she looked.
His broad shoulders carried his thick arms with ease. They were arms that could crush her if he so choose. The metal band on his bicep would have fit on top of her head like a crown. Looking closer, she saw that it was the shape of a dragon that wound around his arm.Blinking, she looked at his covered face. He did indeed appear bold and strong like a dragon.
“Are you pleased?” he asked unflinchingly when she didn’t move. Again, his smile was elegant and light. This was a man who laughed often.
Nadja blinked. To his delight, she colored even more. He took a step forward, moving as if to touch her. Her words stopped him.
“No,” she shot, her eyes narrowing in fright. Her breath deepened, as she ordered anxiously, “Just stay back a moment.”
His head cocked to the side, waiting for her command.
Nadja took a deep breath, trying to control her undisciplined heartbeat.
“I don’t think there is a need to do any of….” She gulped looking around to the bath and then to the bed. Shivering, she took hold of her thoughts. She tried to lift her hand and grew frustrated by the binding straps. With a frown, she began tugging the belt off her arms. “I mean to say, I know the tradition of this night is to prove yourself a worthy mate by a display of your….”
His brow lifted, she saw it shifting beneath his mask. He watched her free herself from the arm ties, liking the way her breasts bounced with her jerking movements. She left the ties to hang at her waist.
Swallowing over her embarrassment, she croaked, “.…prowess.” A grin spread wide over his amazingly firm lips. Those lips weren’t fair. No man should look that delectably tasty. Nadja made a small sound of distress before continuing.
“I am telling you, there is no need for that. I am not concerned with….” Nadja felt like kicking herself. Her words sounded weak and trembly. Her voice was coming out in hot, breathless pants. What was he doing to her? She felt on fire, like she needed to take off her clothes. Her skin was flushed, starting to sweat. Absently, she fanned her face, trying to concentrate.
Olek watched his lovely bride carefully, enjoying the way her lips sucked in between her teeth, as she tried to get out whatever it was she was trying to say. Her eyes kept dipping to his fur loincloth, as if trying to see through it. Yet, her fingers threaded in front of her, as if ready to strike him if he were to try and pounce on her.
Forgetting where she had left off, she repeated, “I am not concerned with your prowess … ah!”
Olek whipped his loincloth boldly from his hips and dropped it to the fur-lined floor. He stood naked and proud before her. His feet parted. His arms fell to the side as he held still, inviting her to look her fill of him.
Nadja’s lungs inhaled a chestful of air, cutting off her words. Her blue eyes rounded into large spheres.
Nadja couldn’t look away. Her face paled to see that the size of his mild erection was very much in proportion to the rest of his oversized anatomy. Her fingers stretched, insanely eager to touch it, to have it touch her. The center of all her aching and wonder began to throb, getting scorchingly hot at the idea. She’d dreamt of such things, on those lonely nights far away from any spaceport.
To her mortification, an extremely playful grin spread over his mouth when she didn’t turn away. His hand found hold on his naked hips, his fingers tapping lightly against his flesh.
Nadja gasped, panted, gasped again. His hand lifted and she thought he would touch himself. She waited to see what would happen when he did. She had read once that men could harden themselves at will. She was disappointed for he only scratched his stomach and lowered his fingers back to his hip to wait.
Olek couldn’t help himself. He let loose a very arrogant, low masculine chuckle.
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