Free Broken Vision by J.A. Clarke

only two thin layers of cloth between them, which made her realize that someone had
removed all her clothes again. She didn't even want to think about that.
    The scent of tiug was stronger. His body heat licked her hip and reached out tentacles to
places deep in her body. She squeezed both eyes shut again.
    "I had this fascinating vid conversation with the proprietress of the club, Mistress
Gloriana."
    He picked up her hand and cradled it between his. The simmering heat in her body erupted
into a conflagration.
    "Yes, Mistress Gloriana found it quite interesting that the staff of Janas Corporation was
unaware of their leader's change in marital status, and she was also quite indignant that the
Counselor of Pallas Four hadn't seen fit to announce her marriage partnership to the populace of
Pallas Four. Protocol and ceremony are very important to Mistress Gloriana, as they should be." He
chuckled and squeezed her hand. "She didn't place all the blame on you, you'll be happy to know. I
received a thorough scolding on that one as well. But she has taken it upon herself to disseminate
the news in an appropriate way."
    Wonderful. Just what she didn't want. But the image of the club proprietress scolding
Alerik Mariltar was intriguing. She chose to focus on that in a desperate attempt to ignore his
thumb, which was stroking the top of her hand. It didn't work.
    His thumb stroked. Her hand was limp with pleasure. The rest of her body, traitor that it
was, strained with yearning for the same treatment. Alerik was silent.
    The silence stretched until she couldn't bear it anymore and cracked open an eye again. His
head was bent a little, his expression thoughtful, his gaze focused on their joined hands.
    He was quite beautiful, she realized, with a little jolt. His dark hair, burnished with a tinge
of deep red, was trimmed closely to shape of his skull. His facial features were strong but evenly
proportioned. He had the classical Mariltar profile--straight nose, square chin, full lips. In this
contemplative mood he'd fallen into, his chin dimples were nowhere in evidence.
    She was seized by an urge to reach out and run her hand over the smooth, rounded
contours of his arms and chest. He had minimal visible body hair. Silk wisps spread across his
chest and framed the small hard nubs of his nipples. The hair darkened and thickened where it grew
in a narrow line down beneath the waist of his pants.
    Her gaze drifted back up over the flat, hard planes of his stomach and the muscles of his
chest. It was like he was built with body armor. There was no softness to him at all. Her hand not
held captive between his itched again to test him, to see if he was as hard, yet silk-smooth as he
appeared.
    She looked up. Hated heat flooded her face. He was watching her study him. His mouth
twitched. His dimples appeared.
    "If you keep looking at me like that, Green Eyes, I'll have to do something about it."
    She snatched her hand away. "Don't delude yourself. Where am I?"
    "Governor's habitat on Pallas Five. We all decided you needed supervision."
    "All? Who's all? Alerik Mariltar dictating his desires and expecting everyone else to go
along?"
    This close to him, she saw with fascination a shadow of some emotion deepen the sapphire
of his eyes and temple mark, but his chin dimples remained firmly in place.
    "Not at all. It was the consensus of Gloriana, the medtech here on Pallas Five, Corenna,
Drakal and myself."
    "Huh. Well, with the exception possibly of Gloriana, I can't imagine why anyone's opinion
should possibly matter to me. I'd like to go home, please."
    Alerik shook his head. "You are such a rebel. But this time you don't get a choice. Medtech
Sumnuer wants you on bed rest for a couple of days."
    "I feel perfectly fine." She couldn't stay here for two cycles. She couldn't. She wasn't sure
how long she'd been here already and she had an imminent mission to undertake, the details of
which might already be lodged in her personal comm unit.
    "That