Free Pharon's Demon by Anne Marsh Page A

near as satisfying as skin-on-skin sex. And it was nowhere
near as satisfying as hot, wet bump-and-grind after some alpha male
paddled her ass in retaliation for theft and then stuffed her sex
so full of hot, juicy cock that the come leaked out of her all the
way back to Zemelda. She squirmed, just thinking of it.
    “So tell me my mission,” she demanded. The
unspoken words last chance hung in the air, but it was
easier to pretend if some things remained unsaid.
    “Have you heard of Zeberget?” The director
cued a series of images on the computer screen. She hadn’t, but
that lack was apparently about to be remedied. “It’s a small, arid
planet that belongs to the Pharon dynasty. It takes weeks to get
there, even traveling as fast as you can. No stops,” he warned,
clearly familiar with her usual behavior. Damn. So much for
visiting the pleasure quarters of Rtut.
    “What do they have that the Family wants?”
She’d have to go fetch whatever it was that They wanted, but good
intel was not to be sneezed at—and the Director’s was usually of
the highest caliber. Which made it interesting that he suddenly
looked uncomfortable. “Spill,” she coaxed when he hesitated.
    “Zeberget is known for its mines, with
several veins of topaz running deep below the planet’s surface. The
raw stones from the mines are worth fortunes by themselves and the
Family wants you to retrieve a bag of uncut stones. Because the
stones are shipped off-surface as soon they are brought up from the
mines, you’ll need to go down into one of the shafts and cut out
your own stones.”
    “That’s it?” It sounded too simple. There
would be armed guards and all the difficulties of arranging
transport, but this sounded like an in-and-out sort of an
operation. And completely uninteresting.
    The Director shook his head—this must have
been the good part he’d hesitated to disclose. “The problem with
Zeberget is that the Pharon dynasty apparently has some sort of
deal with the underworld demons.”
    Underworld demons were definitely more
interesting.
    “The demons guard the mines.” Images marched
across the screen as he clicked his pointer. A stark, hot desert
world in full summer bloom against a jewel-blue sky. The harsh jut
of volcanic mountain peaks. A few clusters of peach-colored
buildings with soft swooping curves and arches, sweltering in the
arid heat, followed by the generous spill of white sand against the
welcome edges of the ocean. All lush and exotic. If she’d been in
the market for a vacation, she would have been all sign-me-up. What
she didn’t see, however, were any pictures of the hot underworld
demons. That was an interesting omission.
    “You’ll go in by spaceship,” he continued.
“Be prepared for a water landing. We’re not sure what sorts of
creatures live in the oceans on Zeberget, but be prepared for
trouble.”
    “And once I’ve landed?”
    “A local will guide you to the closest mine
shaft. The Pharons have a few caretakers living on the surface.”
The Director stopped the slideshow on the picture of a pink-colored
masonry building with a domed roof. “The guards, however, live
belowground. Above ground, there’s not too much to worry about
besides the occasional sand storm or scorpion.”
    Wonderful. Why had she been chosen for
this job?
    “I understand,” she said, because that was
the correct answer, and snapped her handheld closed. The Director
transferred the files from his computer to her device before
standing up.
    “Good luck,” he said.
    “Thanks.” She turned for the door. Let’s
get this show on the road.
    “Bennu.” He said her name with an audible
sigh. “Don’t get caught this time. The Family won’t give you
another chance.”
    Sure she wouldn’t. Using sex to finesse your
way out of a bungled bit of thievery didn’t seem fair. It was just
her luck she was so damn good at it.
    She gave the Director a cheeky salute and
made a beeline for the docking stations and her