Virgin (15 page)

“But what could possibly be more useful? Look at Dax. He has one, and he’s able to earn a living with it. Goes anywhere he wants, sees places we can only imagine. I want that kind of life for myself.”

“Believe me, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” said Dax. “It gets boring and lonely after a while. Just try this, please. Say ‘I don’t want it, and I don’t need it.’”

He felt a hand touch his arm as Ava spoke up. “Excuse me?
You’re
bored and lonely?”

Dax’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t realized she was standing right behind him—and in a dress like that, she would have affected him from across the street. He’d nearly choked to death when he’d walked into the lounge and only covered it up at the last second by clearing his throat and sounding like a dictator. He’d been trying not to stare, but it was nearly impossible. His eyes simply wouldn’t cooperate. “I’m… just trying to make a point,” he said. “This usually works…”

“Only if you do it right,” came an amused voice. Threldigan was approaching, a long black cape swirling behind him, flashing his charming smile on the group.

After slapping Dax on the back in greeting, the dark-skinned Mordrial flung his cape around Ava and pulled her to his side. “And what have we here? A lovely Aquerei maiden? So far from water? We must remedy that. Everyone follow me!”

***

Ava had Threldigan pegged for precisely what he was the moment she laid eyes on him—a charming man who saw every woman, no matter how insignificant, as a prize to be won. Not that many would mind being his target. Lithe and handsome with a narrow mustache above a sensuous mouth, he had thick, curly black hair, intelligent eyes, and a killer smile—in short, the kind of man any woman would adore to have in pursuit of her.

Not that it mattered one iota what she thought of him. He was pleasantly charming, but falling in love with him was out of the question.
I am resisting such things and going back to Rutara to live a normal life, hopefully with Russ.
Maybe if she told herself that enough, she would believe it, like the “I don’t need it and I don’t want it” mantra for surviving Rhylos with her finances intact. Still, she hadn’t missed the scowl on Dax’s face when she suddenly became the center of Threldigan’s attention. Perhaps a bit of competition would keep them busy enough that she wouldn’t be tempted by either of them. Maybe.

Threldigan’s cape seemed to shield Ava from the advertising bombardment, enabling her to view the city more objectively. The streets weren’t paved with gold, but the sheer expense of it all was incalculable. With buildings that shone with excellent design and even better maintenance, Rhylos was as clean and perfect as Luxaria was rundown and filthy. Daylight might have altered that perception, but the city at night was nothing short of spectacular. Though Ava was certain that there were shadier neighborhoods somewhere—there
had
to be—this was not one of them.

***

Dax couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d been afraid to lay a hand on Ava for fear of offending her, and now there she was, snug in Threldigan’s arms within moments of his arrival. And she was smiling at him too. It just wasn’t fair!

“I told you so,” Waroun said. “Once Threldy gets hold of them, you don’t stand a chance, Captain.” He walked on ahead, happily popping his fingertips off his bony little ass—an ass that Dax felt like kicking all the way to Rutara and back. “Hey, Threldy!” Waroun called out. “Know any hot, desperate Davordian girls?”

“A few,” Threldigan said with a chuckle. “Want me to fix you up?”

“Immediately,” Waroun replied.

Judging from his muffled speech, Waroun’s tongue was already swelling at the thought. Dax’s dick, on the other hand, was as soft as ever, but his temper was rising rapidly.

“Oh, Dax,” Threldigan said, pausing for moment. “That reminds me. Did I tell you that some friends of yours are here on Rhylos?”

“Friends?” Dax echoed cautiously.

“Fellow refugees,” Threldigan replied. “They’ve got a thriving business too.”

Dax was almost afraid to ask what it was, but Ava did it for him.

Threldigan grinned at her. “What sort of business do you
think
three healthy, unattached Zetithian men at the peak of their sexual prowess would have on a world such as this?”

“They’re selling
themselves
?”

Threldigan nodded. “Damn straight they are. Got the coolest place you ever saw. You’ll have to see it to believe it.”

“Who—oh, let me guess,” said Dax. “Onca and Jerden?”

“You got it. Tarq is with them too.”

He was a little surprised to hear that Tarq was included, but all three were disgustingly handsome devils and avid womanizers. They’d made no secret of what they wanted to do when let loose on an unsuspecting galaxy filled with willing females.

“They can barely keep up with the demand for their services,” Threldigan went on. “The ladies have to sign up a year in advance to spend a couple of hours with one of them.”

Dax felt like throwing up. His only consolation was that if they were booked that far ahead, they wouldn’t be able to fit Ava into their schedules. Not that she would want to—at least, not with Threldigan sweet talking her; he’d have her in his bed in no time, and Dax would be left out in the cold. He shook his head and walked on. He needed help, not competition.
What was I thinking?

Threldigan was an excellent guide, pointing out the more prominent landmarks and attractions, and Ava drank it all in. Every species in the galaxy was represented, including a few who were undoubtedly purebred Aquerei. Their eyes were much larger and the webbing in their fingers more pronounced than Ava’s, but that was nothing compared to their hair. The individual hair shafts were much thicker, came in a wide variety of colors, and waved and rippled like clusters of sea anemones. Ava thought it looked sort of creepy and was thankful that her Terran blood had been able to tone it down a bit.

There were many Twilanans, their brightly colored robes billowing out behind them as they walked, and several other species she couldn’t identify. They passed a large group of Drells, but Quinn had already gone off on his own. Kitnocks were scarce, as were Norludians, but Davordians with their luminous blue eyes were everywhere. A few dinosaurlike Darconians lumbered past, followed by some six-fingered, flat-nosed humanoids who otherwise appeared Terran. The males wore pants that were open at the crotch, and each of them led a scantily clad, collared female by a leash attached to his wrist.

“Statzeelians,” Threldigan reported. “The guys are real assholes. Without a woman to keep them in line, they cause all sorts of trouble.” Ava’s eyes widened as one woman began stroking her man’s exposed penis when he threatened to slug a persistent salesman. “Works like a charm,” Threldigan noted as the fellow immediately became more docile.

While this behavior was certainly very strange, it wasn’t the most eye-opening, as Ava noticed that clothing—on any species—appeared to be optional. Ava wasn’t bothered by it, but felt that some should have been more discreet, particularly when a woman with four sets of breasts walked by. Her outfit made Ava’s dress seem saintly, and Diokut snickered as she passed them, while Teke began cracking his knuckles in earnest. Ava glanced over at Dax to see his reaction, but he was still wearing a scowl and wasn’t even looking in that direction.

There appeared to be no law against the public drinking of alcohol—a popular intoxicant on nearly every world—but drinking yourself into a stupor wasn’t tolerated. Ava saw more than one unfortunate soul being rolled onto a pallet by the clean-up droids and then floated away—presumably to a place where they could sleep it off.

“You can get as drunk as you like,” Threldigan said in response to her query, “but you aren’t allowed to clutter up the streets.”

Speeders of all shapes and sizes zoomed past, but most people were on foot. The leisurely pace was best for seeing the sights and enabled customers to be drawn into the various shops with greater ease. Many services were free of charge—you could have your hair styled or your nails done for nothing—yet Ava could see that it was merely a ploy to sell you some product or other. If you were very careful, you could exist quite nicely on no money at all, Threldigan said, but the trick was in not being lured into buying something else.

“I once had my shoes remade for free and wound up buying a new coat to go with them,” he said with a chuckle. “I did like the coat, but since it’s never very cold here, I’ve yet to wear it.”

“Then why do you wear the cape?” Ava asked.

Threldigan grinned. “To look more like a magician,” he replied with a sweeping flourish, “but also to ward off evil.”

So, there
is
something special about the cape!
“There is evil here?”

“Oh, yes,” Threldigan replied. “A great deal of it. One must exercise constant vigilance.”

Ava chuckled. “Sounds more like Luxaria all the time.”

“There are many similarities. It simply looks nicer and has a few more regulations.”

“And the cape protects you?”

Threldigan nodded. “Watch.”

With that, he removed his arm from her shoulder. “Walk on ahead of us as though you were alone.”

Ava did as he instructed. Within moments, a smelly Cylopean fell in step beside her. “A lovely female all alone,” he cackled. “You require an escort. Allow me to offer my services.”

Ava shuddered and stepped sideways to avoid him, but he grabbed her arm, clinging like a leech. “Don’t touch me,” she ordered. Despite her words, the Cylopean persisted. She heard a growl nearby, which the Cylopean ignored.

“Ah, but your beauty calls to me. I cannot leave you alone. Unless, perhaps, for a price?” His dark, beady eyes narrowed as though assessing her inherent worth.

Ava knew she should have been frightened but only felt anger at the man’s audacity. “Are you saying I have to
pay
you to leave me alone? I’d much rather take a swing at your big, ugly nose.”

“That would not be advisable.” The Cylopean reached for her pendant with a clawlike hand.

Threldigan was quick to react, but Dax was faster. With one punch, he had the Cylopean sprawling in the street. “Get lost,” he snarled.

The Cylopean scrambled to his feet and scuttled away.

“My hero!” Waroun exclaimed in a worshipful falsetto.

“Shut up, Waroun,” Dax snapped. Scowling at Threldigan, he added, “No more demonstrations.” He grabbed Ava and pulled her against his hip. “You stay right there and hold on to me—and do
not
let go.”

Threldigan was laughing, but Ava’s heart was pounding. Being shrouded inside Threldigan’s cape hadn’t affected her in the slightest, but Dax… Oh, yes,
he
was the reason. He was too close. Too strong. Too tall. Too…
everything
. Her arm around his waist felt very natural, but his body heat lit a fire that raced from her fingertips all the way to her center and back again. She even felt a pulsation in her hair.

Gritting her teeth, Ava silently recited the prayer her mother had taught her so many years ago—with a few minor alterations:
Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil…

Evil? Dax wasn’t evil. He was simply the temptation to turn her aside from the path she had chosen. The right path. The
only
path—

No, it was a really
stupid
path, she decided as she rested her head against his side. Never, never,
never
had she felt like this when walking with Russ—but temptation
should
feel good, shouldn’t it? What would happen if she were to give in to it? Would a lightning bolt strike her from out of the blue? Would the earth open up and swallow her? Would she be deluged in a flood and drown? No, wait, she couldn’t drown. That was one destiny that fate
couldn’t
throw at her, but it was just about the only one.

But what if Dax was her destiny and the others merely the mistakes to which everyone is entitled? The indecision was driving her crazy. Why couldn’t there be a voice from on high to tell her that, yes, Ava, he is the one…

“There he is!” a woman’s voice shouted. “He’s the one!”

Ava was snatched from her reverie as Dax stiffened beside her. “Oh,
no
,” he groaned. “Not now!”

Chapter 10

Dax’s past may have come back to haunt him in the form of two irate hookers, but at least they didn’t appear to be armed. They were still mad, though, and it didn’t take a mind reader like Threldigan to figure that out.

The brunette looked as though she’d like to conjure a weapon out of thin air, while the blonde obviously intended to castrate Dax with her bare hands. Waroun was hopping up and down with glee, Threldigan was laughing his ass off, the two Kitnocks seemed puzzled, and Ava merely said, “Oh, let me guess… These are the ones who almost turned you into the Great Eunuch, right?”