Free Discovery (Hybrid Book 1) by Emma Jaye

said quickly. He needed to be conscious to see where he would be held, in case he escaped.
    “Sorry, but we can’t take the chance of you being difficult again. Besides, it looked rather uncomfortable when you did it to Tenset’s new property. He filed ownership papers for an animal matching Chesara’s description this morning.”
    Connor only had the chance to struggle briefly, as the larger guard put him in a headlock and the other swiftly pressed the hypo to his arm. As he spiralled down into darkness, the last thing he saw was Tamas watching him with a slight smile.

CHAPTER 8
    C hesara shifted towards the window of the carriage, and away from the increasingly attentive Lord Tenset. The attention and flirting was fun to a certain extent, but she was also painfully aware that she didn’t know the limits, or the rules of the game on this planet. Most of her information came from Terra Prime entertainments, and she was well aware that they might not be entirely realistic or applicable to this situation. Sex was considered both a recreational and procreational activity by both sexes on Terra Prime. However, those that over indulged were frowned upon, much like any other possibly addictive activity such as gambling or drug taking.
    Being deceptive to a sexual partner was far more of a social crime than having multiple partners who knew they were merely enjoying the other’s body. Those rules might not apply here, and if she created a diplomatic incident, Connor would be furious.
    Watching the world go by out of the carriage window, silently as the shadows lengthened would undoubtedly be a safer option than sparring with Tenset. He was obviously far more experienced at this game, and she hated being at a disadvantage. And she’d remain at a disadvantage for the rest of her life if she always ran away from situations such as this.
    Pushing down her nerves, she decided that this could actually be a useful experience. ‘Chaperone Connor’ wasn’t around, and it was unlikely she’d come across Lord Tenset again in her life. Therefore, if it all went horribly wrong, she wouldn’t have to relive the experience every time she saw him. Maybe it was time she got a little experience with interpersonal relationships that didn’t involve work, or Connor. Other people had physical relationships just for fun, so why shouldn’t she?
    How long did they have for ‘fun’ before they got to the Palace and the boring reception? If she timed it correctly, their arrival might stop anything going too far.
    Shuttle ports were quite a distance from the main centres of population, in case of accidents, so she knew the journey wasn’t going to be a matter of minutes, but they’d been travelling for half an hour now, and it was getting increasingly dark. Something started to niggle at the back of her mind. Although they were currently travelling through a dense forested area, they’d passed cultivated fields nearer the shuttle port. The ride of the carriage was certainly getting a little rougher. Was the palace not in the main city?
    She was about to ask, when a particularly large bump had her steadying herself with a hand to the side. She pulled it back quickly when it didn’t connect with the seat cushion, but with a firmly muscled thigh.
    “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you.” She felt her face heat and hoped that the rapidly lowering light levels and her complexion hid the blush.
    “That’s a shame, because I know I’d enjoy it if you did decide to ‘grab’ me. In fact, I’d quite enjoy a little ‘grabbing’ myself.”
    A half smile curled his lips before he leaned closer, until his lips were only a hair's breadth from hers.
    This is moving a little fast, she decided. Is he only going to kiss me?  Or do a little ‘grabbing’? After a brief moment of panic, she realized that she wasn’t entirely against the idea.  He was a handsome, experienced man, and although he was clearly irritatingly aware of that fact,