“Not your fault,” Thrace rumbled, answering herthough she had been mostly talking to herself. “It was that damn dream gas. IfI had to guess, I’d say the red kind makes you horny as hell. No wonder LadyTam-tam wanted us to try it.”

“But I’m one of the Unpenetrated,” Trin exclaimed,lifting her head to look at him. “And I didn’t even care! In one more minute Iwas going to…going to…” She blushed, unable to go on, unable to say how she hadlonged to join with him, to have his body pressed to hers, filling her, fuckingher…Wrong…so wrong…

“I know. Me too,” he said softly, looking into hereyes. “I wanted you so fucking badly I thought I was going to die. Never wanteda female like that before. Ever.”

I’venever wanted a male at all. Notbefore tonight. Not like that.

But she couldn’t say it out loud. Neither could shekeep looking into his eyes—her stomach did a slow flip at the intensity of hisgaze.

“I…” Trin dropped her eyes. “I just…”

“Wasn’t your fault,” he said again, when shecouldn’t finish her sentence. “It was Lady Tam-tam.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Trin asked as hecarried her into their suite and kicked the door shut behind them. “Why is shelike that? Wanting to watch people…embarrass themselves like that?”

Thrace sighed and sat down on the edge of the sleepingplatform, still holding her in his arms.

“My guess? She’s lonely. She lost her ownlove-slave cycles ago and she still misses him. She wants to relive what sheonce had with him by watching other people do the things she loved to do withhim—a vicarious thrill. Sad, but it’s all she has left.”

Trin looked up at him, surprised at his insightfulanalysis of the situation.

“You almost sound like you don’t blame her for whatshe made us do. Or…almost made us do.”

He frowned. “No, I blame her all right. I neverwould have forgiven myself if I’d hurt you. And that fucking gas made me so hotI couldn’t see straight.”

“Me too,” Trin confessed in a low voice. “I…I neverwould have done…what I did otherwise.” Suddenly she realized he was stillholding her and she sat up and slid off his lap, putting some much neededdistance between them.

“I know you wouldn’t…Mistress.” Thrace sighed and looked away. “Sowhat now? Do you want to keep playing her game or give up and go?”

“You mean…” Trin put her arms around herselfprotectively. “You think she’ll want to see more? Even after that display weput on by the dream-sphere fountain?”

“Especially after the display we put on.” Heraised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you hear her? ‘You should avail yourself of thebathing facilities’ he mocked in a surprisingly good imitation of their hostess.“‘A nice hot bath and massage should make you feel like new again.’”

Trin was torn between laughter and anxiety.

“My Goddess, you’re right,” she whispered. “She allbut ordered me to take a bath.”

“No, she ordered me to give you abath,” Thracecorrected her. “The question is, do you want me to? Or do you want to go?”

Trin bit her lip. “If we go, everything will all befor nothing. Lady Malroth will make sure I can never trade on Yonnie Six againand there’s no other market for Jaxite crystals. I’ll lose TheAlacrity and all my crew will go begging.”

“Well, you’ll get to keep me, at least.” Thracegave her a crooked little smile.

“That’s right.” Trin sighed. “You won’t let me giveyou your freedom until the debt is paid.”

“Damn right, I won’t.” He frowned. “Not that Icould ever really fully repay you. But this is a start at least.”

“So…” Trin bit her lip. “You wouldn’t mind…”

“Trin…” Thrace cupped her cheek and lookedinto her eyes. “You’re not seriously going to ask me if I mind washing you andrunning my hands over your sweet, naked body, are you?”

Trin drew a deep breath and lifted her chin. Timeto speak bluntly. “I know you don’t mind but will it be safe to do this?Especially when you…desire me the way you say you do.”

“Don’t worry,” Thrace said, frowning. “That wasjust the dream gas. I can control myself, no matter how badly I want you.” Helooked into her eyes. “You can trust me, Trin,” he said softly. “I’ll nevertake what you don’t want to give.”

“Good. That makes me feel better.” She sighed.Everything to do with males was so complicated! Even back when she was stilltrying to date her own sex, she’d never felt the need to have a conversationlike this. But Thracewas so huge—so much bigger and stronger than her it seemed necessary. Especiallynow that he was no longer wearing the pain collar. Not that she felt like heneeded one but still…

“Well then…should we begin?” He rose from thesleeping platform and sketched a little bow. “I’ll run your bath, shall I,Mistress?”

“Yes, I…I suppose so.” Trin bit her lip as hedisappeared into the fresher. Was she actually going to get naked into a warmbath and let the big Havoc run his hands all over her nude body?

From inside the fresher, she heard water begin tosplash in the tub.

Oh Goddess, it seemed she was.

Chapter Twenty

The water was steamy and just this side of too hotbut Thracedidn’t think Trin would mind. She was going to need to be relaxed to let him dothis and the heated water swirling around her should do the trick. He hoped,anyway. He couldn’t wait to touch her…to run his hands all over her warm,naked, soapy body but he knew how nervous she was about it.

Soon the big black marble tub was filled with hotwater and pale pink bubbles. These had come from a softly floral scented bathsolution he’d found on the sink. It smelled good so Thrace had dumped it in and thiswas the result. He hoped she liked it. Surveying the bubble filled tub, henodded to himself and went to get her.

Trin was sitting on the side of the sleepingplatform biting her lip, her legs tightly crossed and her hands clenchedtightly in her lap. The look on her face said she wasn’t looking forward tothis…not one little bit.

Thrace felt his heart twist in his chest at her obviousanxiety. Gods, he wished she could just relax and enjoy this! More thananything he wanted to bring her pleasure, wanted to serve her as a reallove-slave would serve his mistress. He wanted to caress her, to soothe her, tomake her so relaxed she purred under his touch and moaned for more. But couldhe do it?

I’mdamn well going to try! He sworesilently to himself that he would wipe that nervous look off her lovely faceand replace it with one of bliss if he possibly could. He wanted to make this anight she would always remember…a night she would never want to forget.

“Mistress?” he said softly and she looked up with astart. “Mistress,” he murmured again. “Your bath is ready.”

“Oh…all right. Then I guess I’d better…” She gotoff the sleeping platform and started to undress but Thrace stopped her.

“Let me,” he murmured. “Let me do everything foryou, tonight. Let me take care of you.”

Trin looked at him wonderingly, her face suddenlyclear.

“You really want to, don’t you? This isn’tjust an act to you.”

“Of course I want to.” Thrace tried to make his wordslight and teasing. “I’m your slave, Mistress…your love-slave. And a good slavealways wants to take care of his mistress.”

Before she could reply, he was unfastening thestraps that held her dress in place. He unsnapped the front panel of lace whichcovered her breasts and let it hang free and then pushed the rest of the gowndown her full hips to puddle in a small heap at her dainty feet.

Trin shivered and crossed her arms over her breastsprotectively but she made no move to stop him when Thrace knelt at her feet and hookedhis fingers through the thin strings that served as the sides of her panties.Slowly he drew them down, revealing her warm, ripe pussy at last.