Free Halt by Viola Grace

Chapter One
     
     
    Tazzy settled in to the comfy couch and watched the men who worked at this establishment as they rubbed up against the women with an eye toward intimacy.
    Tazzy sighed, it was her first off day since she had arrived on Decolian 12, and her co-workers had insisted that she get a feel for the local entertainment. A male Companion bar was just the thing to work the kinks out or perhaps to try a new one.
    “You are enjoying yourself, yes?” Yuula blinked her wide serpentine eyes.
    “I am. It is very different from what I had anticipated.” That much was completely true. She watched the men flex and strain in the gravity columns, their muscular bodies gleaming as they twisted and danced under the pressure generated by the magnetic waves.
    Servers glided through the crowds on silent feet, offering refreshments to the women watching the show and bestowing light caresses as they passed the on-lookers.
    It was a lot more interactive than she had anticipated, but Tazzy had a job to do, and she was going to do it.
    She reclined in her chair and sipped her drink. Her target wasn’t on the floor yet, so she had time to kill. While she was technically enjoying a day off, her work as a peacekeeper never truly ended. The royal family had made it clear that retrieving one of their own would be appreciated. It had altered her choice of day-off activities in favour of seeking out the missing prince.
    “I am so happy that you agreed to join me today, Commander.” Yuula was shifting sinuously in her chair in time to the music.
    “I don’t know how long I am staying.”
    Yuula looked at her with a piercing gaze. “Oh. He is loose again.”
    “Indeed. This is the most likely location.” Tazzy sipped at her drink and shifted her thighs together slightly. It was an indicator of arousal, and it might just get her the attention of her target. As a signal, it was effective, three of the men straining for the female focus suddenly gravitated toward the VIP seating where Tazzy was sitting with Yuula.
    Tazzy kept her composure as Yuula stroked, petted and caressed the males within touching distance.
    The next wave of males came forward, and Tazzy sighed at the pretty image that Sollas made in his mask and little else. His pale skin camouflaged the developing musculature underneath, but he was definitely a fair match for the other dancers.
    His dark sapphire gaze skimmed over the crowd, and when she lifted her fingers, tapping twice on the table, he came over with a swagger and a grin.
    She gestured for him to have a seat next to her and he obliged.
    He lifted her hand to his lips. “Thank you for your summons, gracious lady.”
    Tazzy smiled as he made contact. “Thank you for noticing.”
    Yuula blinked in surprise and turned to the ranks of young, fit men making their rounds, effectively cutting Tazzy off from the room at large.
    Her Companion stroked his finger up and down the bare skin of her arm. She had deliberately worn a dress that exposed quite a bit of skin. Her target’s habits were legendary. He wouldn’t be able to resist touching, and now that he had, he was hers.
    She smiled and threaded his fingers with hers. “It is time to leave, Sollas.”
    He jerked back with wide eyes; violet crept in behind the mask, making his gaze more vivid. “How do you know my name?”
    “I have sacrificed a day off to find you. While the visuals have been very entertaining, this is not my normal scenery. Shall we?”
    Tazzy rose to her feet and held her hand out to him, using the chemical bond that he had initiated with his kiss on her skin to pull him with her. The tiny loincloth was made of a deep blue fabric with a shimmer that complimented his eyes and the sweep of his hair.
    “Management won’t let you take me.” He stumbled along with her, his arm around her shoulders as they walked.
    “They have already been given their orders. You will be given a robe, and we will simply leave via the same entrance I arrived at.