Free Steel Dominance by Cari Silverwood Page B

men were renowned for their fanatical devotion to rules. Whatever did Dankyo mean by discomfort?
    “Present her.” The rough order was stated by a man behind her.
    “You may look,” Dankyo said. “So that it won’t surprise you.”
    A woman squeaked, and cloth rustled.
    At the sight of the slave lying half naked and legs spread on a cleared table, Sofia tensed.
    Oh-oh. Not good. This is not a friendly game of doctors and nurses.
    The girl’s Master placed a hand on her abdomen. “See. It is all in order.”
    The man peering at her crotch adjusted his spectacles, then rubbed his beard. “Yes. Let it be recorded as so.” His blue robe nearly swept the floor. Tucked into the cloth wrapped about his waist was a small curved knife. Beyond him, and a few yards back, were three armored soldiers. And past them, she glimpsed the female guard of the emperor-bey as she paced a step closer and stared.
    They turned to her. All her blood rushed somewhere else. On her knees with men staring down at her, make that three with Dankyo, and they had some sort of inspection in mind.
    “Present the slave,” snapped the janissary.
    Dankyo stood. The bulk of him unfolding next to her both reassured and frightened her. She dug her fingernails into her palms. Don’t annoy this official, please.
    Clearly there was some rule to do with slaves, and they expected her to qualify.
    “I am not from Byzantium and am merely visiting with my slave. She does not have the clitoral ring as do your slaves.”
    Cold dread danced down her spine. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they intended.
    “Ah. I see.” The janissary frowned while tugging at his beard. “I understand, but you must go through the correct procedures. First the inspection. Then the form will be reported, and thence and thereafter you may ask for your slave to be excused. Yes?” He sneaked his eyebrows upward as if asking, but already he gestured at her. “I see she is collared at the neck, so that will be recorded. The table is best. Have her lie back. I may not handle your slave, so you will please arrange her body.”
    Desperate to see some way out, she shot a look at Dankyo.
    He shrugged. “She will do this. Then it will be over, and you may go your way.”
    “Of course, sir. Thank you for being reasonable. First, though.” He handed a clipboard over. “Fill in the details, names and so on.”
    As Dankyo scribbled details on the form, she fought off a rising tide of panic.
    Oh God. My clitoris? They want to look at that? Stay calm. Ride the wave of serenity or something. Calm, calm, calm.
    If she found out later that she could have avoided this, she would do something dreadfully fatal to Dankyo.
    Having handed back the form, Dankyo sat on the divan once more, then said coldly, “Lie back.”
    His tone speared panic into her middle until she remembered they were pretending. He couldn’t reassure her, not properly. Couldn’t be seen to be other than her Master.
    Have I fallen into some hole that leads to hell?
    The table had been cleared and cleaned long ago. Feeling like the next meal for a pack of wolves, she lay back on it, then realized she had to take off her harem pants for them to see whatever it was they had to inspect. Her face heating with a raging blush, she made to wriggle off her pants, but Dankyo flattened his hand on her stomach.
    “Let me help.” He placed a finger on her forehead to make her stay prone, then waited, searching her face. “Are you ready?”
    The others vanished from her sight. Not wolves, just one man, Dankyo, a man who desired her. Everything would be fine. If she trusted him. If.
    In that moment, she understood, this had become so much more than his surface question. She slowly nodded.
    Then he reached under the jingling silver chains at her waist to roll down her pants. His fingers brushed her bare skin, sketching in wisps of lust that writhed deep. He touched her again as he skimmed the cloth over the curve of her ass and