planet, Noor.”
Brath stopped his pacing and gave her a curt bow.
“Does he speak?” she asked.
“When he has something important to say,” Tad answered. “Mostly, he communicates in grunts.”
Brath did it then. A low, crude sound.
“I see.”
“He makes his needs and wants known.”
“Are you two members of the same species?”
“There are two schools of thought on that score,” Tad answered. He’d wondered about that point himself. Their twin planets complemented each other on everything.
Still, he’d been astonished to find so close a match to himself as Brath. He couldn’t really say he’d gotten to know his counterpart in the time they’d spent together before this mission, but he’d seen glimpses of intellect that matched his own. The man was definitely an asset.
“Explain.”
“His kind and mine share genetic material from a common ancestor. Our kinds can interbreed with each other. Some think that makes us the same.”
She put her hands behind her, and the action pushed her breasts upward against the nearly translucent fabric of her gown. How he’d love to pillow his head there while his fingers went exploring.
“And the other school of thought?”
He pulled his gaze away from all that tempting flesh and glanced at Brath, now standing in a corner of the room, studying them with a gleam of cunning in his eyes.
“Well, look at him,” Tad said.
Alice Gaines
Eria’s Ménage
- 10 -
She did, with an open feminine interest. He should have left Brath on his ghastly planet, fighting whatever enemy he’d managed to find that day. He’d told the Elders that Brath would only spoil their plans for an alliance with Eria and her empire. They’d insisted. He’d get nowhere without another male to woo her. Now, he’d have to fight to win her attention. Damn Noorians and their wild appeal to women.
“I must have a matched pair of men,” Eria said.
“We understand that’s your custom, and we hope to comply.”
“There are dozens of other pairs who wish to mate with me. If you two don’t suit, I’ll have to accept another set.”
“We’ll suit.”
“You come from so far away. How can you know how we do things?”
“We’ll suit because we’ll make ourselves suit.” Although, how could he speak for Brath? Lord knew what went on inside a mind like that. At least Brath wanted her, and she was clearly attracted to him.
“Adventurous women of my planet favor his type for bed partners,” Tad said.
“Before they come to their senses and settle down.”
Brath chose that moment to walk into the light at the center of the room. Eria took a step backward but then recovered and straightened her spine. Most likely, she’d never encountered anyone like Brath. Few people outside their twin planet system had.
Tad almost had to pity her other suitors. Once a woman got a taste for these savages, every other male looked dull by comparison. Even Tad. If he didn’t have a few surprises for Her Excellency, he might feel jealous. But he’d planned well, and Brath furthered those plans.
Yes, the others might as well pack up and head home.
“Will he share me with you?” she asked.
“He will if it serves his purposes.”
“He has purposes?”
Alice Gaines
Eria’s Ménage
- 11 -
“Never doubt it.” Tad stretched his legs out in front of him. A casual move. Far more casual than he actually felt. “Don’t think Brath stupid. More than one outworlder has lost his life to that mistake.”
Eria walked to Brath and made a slow circle around him, sizing him up from the top of his head to his toes. Brath withstood her inspection well enough, staring straight ahead.
After several long moments, she stepped away again. “I’d like to watch him in action.”
“You want to watch him fuck?”
“You say he’s so good. I’d like to see if that’s true,” she said.
He shrugged. “I should think you’d want to try him yourself.”
“I will. First, would he perform for my
Brath stopped his pacing and gave her a curt bow.
“Does he speak?” she asked.
“When he has something important to say,” Tad answered. “Mostly, he communicates in grunts.”
Brath did it then. A low, crude sound.
“I see.”
“He makes his needs and wants known.”
“Are you two members of the same species?”
“There are two schools of thought on that score,” Tad answered. He’d wondered about that point himself. Their twin planets complemented each other on everything.
Still, he’d been astonished to find so close a match to himself as Brath. He couldn’t really say he’d gotten to know his counterpart in the time they’d spent together before this mission, but he’d seen glimpses of intellect that matched his own. The man was definitely an asset.
“Explain.”
“His kind and mine share genetic material from a common ancestor. Our kinds can interbreed with each other. Some think that makes us the same.”
She put her hands behind her, and the action pushed her breasts upward against the nearly translucent fabric of her gown. How he’d love to pillow his head there while his fingers went exploring.
“And the other school of thought?”
He pulled his gaze away from all that tempting flesh and glanced at Brath, now standing in a corner of the room, studying them with a gleam of cunning in his eyes.
“Well, look at him,” Tad said.
Alice Gaines
Eria’s Ménage
- 10 -
She did, with an open feminine interest. He should have left Brath on his ghastly planet, fighting whatever enemy he’d managed to find that day. He’d told the Elders that Brath would only spoil their plans for an alliance with Eria and her empire. They’d insisted. He’d get nowhere without another male to woo her. Now, he’d have to fight to win her attention. Damn Noorians and their wild appeal to women.
“I must have a matched pair of men,” Eria said.
“We understand that’s your custom, and we hope to comply.”
“There are dozens of other pairs who wish to mate with me. If you two don’t suit, I’ll have to accept another set.”
“We’ll suit.”
“You come from so far away. How can you know how we do things?”
“We’ll suit because we’ll make ourselves suit.” Although, how could he speak for Brath? Lord knew what went on inside a mind like that. At least Brath wanted her, and she was clearly attracted to him.
“Adventurous women of my planet favor his type for bed partners,” Tad said.
“Before they come to their senses and settle down.”
Brath chose that moment to walk into the light at the center of the room. Eria took a step backward but then recovered and straightened her spine. Most likely, she’d never encountered anyone like Brath. Few people outside their twin planet system had.
Tad almost had to pity her other suitors. Once a woman got a taste for these savages, every other male looked dull by comparison. Even Tad. If he didn’t have a few surprises for Her Excellency, he might feel jealous. But he’d planned well, and Brath furthered those plans.
Yes, the others might as well pack up and head home.
“Will he share me with you?” she asked.
“He will if it serves his purposes.”
“He has purposes?”
Alice Gaines
Eria’s Ménage
- 11 -
“Never doubt it.” Tad stretched his legs out in front of him. A casual move. Far more casual than he actually felt. “Don’t think Brath stupid. More than one outworlder has lost his life to that mistake.”
Eria walked to Brath and made a slow circle around him, sizing him up from the top of his head to his toes. Brath withstood her inspection well enough, staring straight ahead.
After several long moments, she stepped away again. “I’d like to watch him in action.”
“You want to watch him fuck?”
“You say he’s so good. I’d like to see if that’s true,” she said.
He shrugged. “I should think you’d want to try him yourself.”
“I will. First, would he perform for my
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