Virgin (13 page)

Dax winced as Ava cleared her throat audibly. She had to know
exactly
what that stuff did to a person, but, thankfully, she didn’t comment on it. “I don’t mind going to Rhylos. But what’s so special about it?”

“It’s the hellhole of the galaxy,” Dax replied.

Ava snorted. “I thought that was Luxaria’s claim to fame.”

“Rhylos is a very exciting world,” Teke said eagerly. “They have entertainments that are not to be found anywhere else. It’s a sparkling, delightful, beautiful place.”

“And you can lose your shirt there,” Dax muttered.

“Not to mention your balls,” Waroun added with a smirk.

By this point, Dax was sure steam was coming out of his pointed ears. “Waroun, will you please not—”

“Very funny story about Rhylos,” Waroun said with undisguised glee. “The world where the Great Virgin almost became the Great Eunuch.”

“No wonder you don’t like the place,” Teke observed with a shudder. In the typical male reaction to such things—along with all the other men present—he crossed his legs as if to hide the family jewels from any would-be predators.

Ava began giggling. “You guys just kill me. The mere mention of castration has you sucking up your—”

“I am
not
sucking up my balls!” Dax snarled. “In fact, I’ll—” He stopped short, suddenly realizing that the best response to that would have been none at all.

Waroun obviously didn’t agree. “You’ll what?” he cackled. “Show them to her?”

Dax was gritting his teeth so hard, he was afraid he’d snap off the tips of his fangs. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’ll show her anything she likes, but either way, it’s none of your damn business, Waroun!”

His remark had a surprising effect on Ava. She let out a gasp and lurched forward, grasping the edge of the table.

Waroun’s head snapped up as his bulbous eyes swept over Ava with frank fascination. “Was that an orgasm, dear?”

“N-no,” she stammered, reaching for her glass of iced tea. “Just got a little choked.”

“On what?” Waroun pursued. “You haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t always have to eat something to choke,” she mumbled, taking a sip. Her hair immediately began rippling like a wind-tossed sea, and it was all Dax could do to keep from leaping up to delve into it with both hands. His mouth began to water, and it wasn’t because he wanted food; the need to taste her was so overwhelming that his next breath came out as a loud purr.

“Kots has given you Aquerei water again, I see,” said Quinn. “Wish it did that to
my
fur.”

“He must be making the tea with it,” Ava said. Blushing, she made an attempt to control her tossing locks. Dax’s eyes followed her hand as it smoothed out her hair and then slid past her neck, drawing attention to her crystal pendant.

Swallowing hard, he blurted out, “Nice necklace.”

“See now, that didn’t hurt a bit, did it?” Waroun chuckled.

Dax gave his first mate a dirty look as Ava, ignoring Waroun, replied simply, “My father gave it to my mother before I was born, and she gave it to me when I turned sixteen.”

“Aquerei stones are known for their quality,” Quinn said.

“An heirloom, perhaps?” Teke inquired.

“I don’t know if you’d call it an heirloom,” Ava replied. “And I doubt that it’s very valuable.” Tilting her head back, she held the stone up to the light for closer inspection. The sparkle and color of it rivaled her eyes. “According to my mother, my father wasn’t what you’d call rich.”

“Still, it
is
very lovely,” Quinn went on.

“I’ve hardly ever worn it,” Ava said. “In fact, Lars didn’t even know I had it—at least, I don’t
think
he did—or I’m sure he would’ve tried to sell it.”

Dax found this curious. “You were with him for five years and never wore it?”

Ava smiled, and Dax immediately felt another purr rising in his throat. That tiny taste of the cream was making control difficult.

“It wasn’t Lars I didn’t trust,” she said. “Not at first, anyway. It was everyone else on Luxaria. Though now that I think of it, I can’t recall
ever
wearing it before.” Her slender fingertips grazed her sleeve. “I’ve tried it on, of course, but never had anything this nice to go with it.”

As if he’d needed reminding about the frankly seductive dress she wore. Dax closed his eyes and counted to ten in an effort to control the impulse to pounce on her. He’d only made it to five when he had to open them again as Kots set another plate in front of him. Terran food, he noted. Eggs, bacon, toast… nothing that would hide Sholerian cream—unless the toast had been buttered with it.

“Well, we’re very glad you have it now,” said Waroun. “You are a vision.”

Waroun was really laying it on thick. With a quelling look at his partner, Dax made another attempt. “It’s like your eyes.”

Ava glanced up as though startled by his comment. “What, the dress?”

“No,” he replied. “I mean the stone.”

Their eyes met across the table, but for Dax, she might as well have been sitting in his lap. He couldn’t look away, couldn’t blink, could barely breathe…

When she spoke at last, her voice was only a whisper. “Thank you.” Those fabulous eyes held his for a moment before she looked down at her plate, blushing once again.

Dax couldn’t take it anymore. He wolfed down his food and then, after making a brief apology to the group at large, mumbled something about having work to do and departed for the bridge. His only consolation was that he hadn’t run from the room.

***

Ava watched him go. Breakfast wasn’t even officially over, and he’d already walked out on her twice. Good. That was very, very good. If only the mere thought of him showing her his dangly parts hadn’t triggered an orgasm.

Because that was exactly what it had been; one giant whale of an orgasm. That was two orgasms he was responsible for now, and he’d never even touched her. She’d heard that such things were possible but had never believed it until now. She went back to picking at her breakfast while Waroun rattled on about this “Threldigan” that they were going to be picking up on Rhylos.

“He’s a Mordrial,” Waroun was saying. “Very interesting species.”

“Never heard of them,” said Teke. Quinn shook his head.

Waroun lowered his voice before adding, “They have…
powers
.”

“Really?” Teke leaned forward, resting his flat chin on his fingertips. “How so?”

“It’s different with each of them,” Waroun replied. “Some can control the elements, others can read minds, and some can do both. Jack Tshevnoe’s got one of them on her ship. Her name’s Tisana, and she calls herself a witch, but she’s actually a Mordrial/Terran cross. She can control fire and communicate telepathically with animals.”

“Handy woman to have around,” Ava commented.

“Just don’t piss her off,” Waroun warned. “She could roast you alive with one glance.”

Ava doubted that they would ever meet, so she let this one pass. “And what can Threldigan do?”

“Not sure,” Waroun replied. “He’s very secretive. Makes the little gadgets that Dax carries around with him, and he pops up just when you least expect him, but other than that…” Waroun stopped there, shrugging his bony shoulders.

“So,
he’s
the magician, then,” Ava said.

Waroun nodded. “One helluva ladies’ man, too. Could charm the scales off a Darconian.”

“And he does this by reading minds?” Teke suggested.

“He’s never admitted to it,” Waroun replied. “But that’s my guess.”

Ava could see why someone who could read minds would want to keep quiet about that particular talent. It was the sort of thing that could get you into all sorts of trouble if you delved into the wrong brain. Still, for knowing the right thing to say to a woman, it would give any man a tremendous advantage over his fellows, no matter
what
he looked like.

“Handsome bloke, too,” Waroun went on. “Women naturally flock to him.” With a nod toward Ava, he added, “Watch yourself around him. He’ll have you forgetting about Russ in no time.”

As it happened, Ava was already having a hard time remembering Russ, and she hadn’t even met Threldigan yet; Dax was doing a fine job all on his own. Still, she’d had her fling with a bad boy, and this Threldigan guy sounded like another one she should steer clear of on general principles.

She took another sip of her Aquerei tea, deciding she liked the way it made her hair flutter. It was a nice sort of tickle, after all.

Like Dax would be. If there was ever a man who could get under her skin and stay there, it was this dangerous, alluring Zetithian. She couldn’t see living with him, though. Ava was an earth and water girl; living perpetually aboard a ship wasn’t the kind of life she aspired to, but then, Luxaria hadn’t been the ideal world for her either. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone swimming and often longed for the sea.

“What about Rhylos?” she said. “Do they have any beaches?”

Waroun smiled wickedly. “Lots of beautiful white sandy beaches.” Smacking his lips, he added, “All nude beaches, too.”

“You
have
to be nude?” Ava gasped.

“No, but nearly everyone is,” Waroun replied with a snicker. “What happens on Rhylos stays on Rhylos.”

Ava sat in stunned silence. For spontaneous swimming, the idea of shedding your clothing and jumping in had a decided appeal, but she wasn’t sure she wanted other people watching. Then she thought about swimming with Dax, and every female organ she possessed did a backflip and her hair made a move she’d never felt before.

“Did you see that?” Diokut exclaimed. “Her hair curled!”

Waroun chuckled. “So it did.” Cocking his head curiously, he said, “You see me naked all the time, so you must be thinking about feasting your eyes on the Great Virgin.” Nudging her with his sharp elbow, he added, “You are, aren’t you? That tall, sexy Zetithian with all of his goodies hanging loose and his tight buns right out there in plain sight?”

Ava’s reaction was uncontrollable. She’d never known her hair to reflect her moods before, but there seemed to be no stopping it now. It felt as though it tied itself into tight knots before springing back to its original style. “Must be this water,” she mumbled. “Thought I told Kots not to give it to me anymore.”

“You did,” Waroun said, “but he seems to have forgotten. Not that the rest of us are complaining.”

“Is he always so… underhanded?”

“Kots always tries to give you what you want—whether you’ll admit to it or not—and sometimes he confuses need with want.”

“So you’re saying I need it?”

Waroun shrugged. “Need… want… it makes no difference to Kots.”

She studied the glass. It looked like ordinary iced tea, but the effect on her was anything but. “What happens when other species drink this stuff?”

“It’s an intoxicant,” Waroun replied. “Like wine.”

“Ah,” said Ava. “I wondered why it was bottled—and so expensive. We certainly didn’t stock it in the bar where I worked.”

“No hangover, either,” said Waroun. “And not addicting or harmful, like some other substances.”

“I’d like to try some,” said Diokut. “Why doesn’t Kots ever give it to me?”

“Therein lies a great mystery,” Waroun replied.

“I guess you’d actually have to ask,” Ava suggested.

Teke laughed. “Perhaps Kots deems you to be too young.”

Diokut frowned. “But I am of age!”

“Perhaps not in his estimation.”

With a resigned sigh, Diokut resumed eating his breakfast. Ava ate her fish and drank the tea without further comment, doing her best to ignore the havoc it wreaked on her hair. She wondered why Dax even bothered to fuss about the Sholerian cream. There was simply no arguing with Kots. He always managed to get the upper hand in the end.

Chapter 9

There was no arguing with Kots when it came to her wardrobe either. This was something that Ava had already come to accept, but after taking a quick shower just prior to their landing on Rhylos, she opened her closet and nearly went ballistic. The only things in there were a pair of shoes and a skimpy aquamarine dress that looked like something a hooker would wear. Nothing else at all. Not even underwear or stockings. About the best she could say for it was that the shoes were comfortable enough for strolling around the town. Tossing the dress on the bed, she slammed the closet door and yelled for Kots.

Within a few minutes, the droid arrived and hummed into her room, even though the door had been closed and locked.

“I can’t wear this, Kots. I need something else.”

Kots let out a sharp buzz and began to leave as quickly as he came.

“No, really! I can’t do it!” Dropping her robe, she slipped on the offensive dress and wrapped it around her. “I mean, look at it! It’s only got these two dinky little snaps holding it together. I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t fall off before I leave the ship!”