An Unexpected Return by Jessica E. Subject Page B

your betrothed, you must decide her fate.”
    Just as he’d hoped.
    He stuck out his chest, attempting to appear noble while his insides jumped for joy. “Since Madelia deflowered herself with my gentleman of the bedchamber, she shall be bound to him for the rest of her life.”
    “Then let it be so,” the king proclaimed.
    Benignus grinned. He finally had the woman he’d always wanted. Aris yearned to find an ounce of his friend’s happiness.
    “Gentleman of the bedchamber, my ass. More like jack-off partner,” Madelia muttered. “At least he knows how to fuck,” she said, tossing her comment in Aristides’ direction.
    Thornton and the doctor appeared at the door, panting like Terran dogs. “Is everything all right, Your Majesty?”
    Time to go . He refused to stick around for Ben’s betrothal ceremony, for surely they would have another woman for him by then, too.
    “Prince Aristides, where are you going?”
    Shit ! He refused to turn around and acknowledge his father’s question, for the man would never chase after him. And the two men who would still had to catch their breath.
    Aristides rushed to the south wing and down a flight of stairs, toward his waiting Personal Space Transport Vehicle. He’d already packed clothing appropriate for Elatia’s warmer climate and enough nourishment to last his entire journey inside the PSTV.
    He climbed in. After starting the engines, Aristides steered the ship up the narrow rock tunnel and out into space. The fold that would take him to the Belverian system lay straight ahead.
    So long, Tyto. I’m off to the Emerald planet .

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
     
    Xia trailed her hand down the Mikashe mannequin’s scaly thigh.
    Twenty minutes. Far less than the allotted time . If she could maintain the same speed with live clients, perhaps life as an Adamo wouldn’t be so bad.
    She slid off the bed. All she wanted was to leave the Schola Calei and go home to rest. The practice session had followed hours of theory on the erogenous zones of all of the species permitted on Elatia. Applying the lessons to a pretend client had at least gotten her off her ass, but she could no longer think straight, her mind too numb to do anything but sleep.
    “Done already, Xia?”
    Spinning on her heels, she faced Jacobus, the muscular Elatian man—an Echelon Four Adamo—who trained her and several other Echelon Ones in the art of erotic massage. If he hadn’t been like a father figure to her, she’d swoon over him like the rest of her classmates did. During their lessons, he wore only loose-fitting pants made of filmy veech, which exposed his golden, god-like body to his students. Sometimes, to illustrate his lessons of a male’s erogenous zones, he’d strip down to nothing. On those days, she tried to listen more than look. Creaming her panties over her instructor was not all right. What would Kalara say?
    Xia knew there was something going on between the two of them. He spent a lot of time at the house of her guardian and mentor. But she’d never seen them touch each other intimately, and he stayed away when Kalara entertained clients. If only she could figure out their relationship.
    “Yes, I completed every step.” Even swallowing the warm, briny, fake ejaculation. Although she’d heard the real thing tasted worse.
    Grabbing her tubes and bottles of eletin massage oils and creams, she packed them away in her appointment bag. Her own bed called to her.
    With an intense stare, Jacobus set his hand on her shoulder. “There is never a need to rush with clients. You’re more likely to gain repeat customers if you take your time and prolong their pleasure.”
    She nodded. “I’ll make note of that. Thank you.” Yeah, slow down . How could she be a proper Adamo if she always tried to finish as soon as possible? Quick Xia—that was her. But she wouldn’t bring any honor to Kalara and Jacobus if she maintained that mindset.
    “Great.” He smiled, creases forming in the corners of