Free The Price of Pleasure by Joanna Wylde

paperwork. He didn’t have time for this.
    “That’s perfect,” Dani replied with a serene smile. “Devora finishes her current contract in six days. The timing couldn’t be better.”
    Her words hit like a punch to the stomach. Devora’s current contract? An icy rage washed over him. Devora was his . He couldn’t stand the thought of her having previous clients, but for all he knew she was fucking some man at this very minute. It was intolerable. He couldn’t allow this to happen–he wasn’t going to let another man touch her. Ever.
    The ferocity of his thoughts startled him. Why should he care if she slept with another man? After all, she was a pleasure worker; it was her job to give pleasure to whoever paid for her services.
    The very idea made him cold.
    “Unacceptable,” he told Dani in a grim voice. “Her other contract must be terminated immediately. When I leave today I’m taking her with me.”
    His answer seemed to startle Dani, who frowned at him.
    “Seth, I can tell you’re very interested in Devora, but she has obligations. She simply isn’t available to start her contract until you leave the station,” she said.
    “I want her now,” he replied, eyes hardening. “She’s coming back to the hostel with me tonight. This is not negotiable.”
    “Seth, I’m so very sorry, but Devora is not available to return to the hostel with you this evening,” she said unblinkingly. The grim countenance that had frightened a thousand imperial soldiers was having no effect on her. “Devora is extremely interested in making this contract with you work, but she isn’t going to be able to join you until you start your trip. If you can’t agree to this, then I’m afraid Devora will need to break off contract negotiations.”
    Seth had always liked Dani, but the time had come to put her in her place. He was commander of Discovery station, and he would be taking Devora home with him.
    “I do not wish to do this to you, Dani,” he said tightly. “But I am the military ruler of this station. My forces occupy every corridor, and I am ordering you to hand over Devora or face the consequences. They will not be pleasant.”
    Dani stiffened, placing the contract carefully on the table. She didn’t reply for moment. Then, carefully folding her hands neatly on the desk in front of her, she said,
    “Seth, I feel it is my duty to remind you that not only am I pleasure worker negotiating a contract for Devora, I am a fully licensed member of the Pleasure Guild. You may not realize this, but Guild Houses such as this one are not merely places of business. They are sovereign Guild territory, and enjoy full diplomatic immunity. At this point in time, the Guild and the Saurellian Federation enjoy a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding. This relationship may be jeopardized if you choose to forcefully remove a woman from Guild premises without Guild support. Is this something you really wish to do?”
    Her expression didn’t change, but her eyes had become as hard as his had. Seth was livid.
    “Don’t play these games with me, Dani,” he said coldly. “I’m better at them than you are, and you could get hurt.”
    “It’s not about me, anymore,” Dani said tightly. “This is about diplomatic immunity and Guild sovereignty. To date, the Guild has not opted to take sides in your little conflict with the Empire. We find that neutrality is better for business. Once you breach that neutrality, we could change our minds. I think you’re too good a commander to allow that to happen over something as unimportant as a personal pleasure contract.”
    She had him, Seth realized. He could easily tear apart the house to find Devora, but doing so would be criminally irresponsible if it drove a wedge between the Saurellian High Council and the Guild. There was no justification for allowing his private battle to hurt his people.
    Nodding tightly in agreement, Seth stood up so abruptly that his chair fell