Garden of Serenity by Nina Pierce Page A

“I’ve brought food and would be pleased to serve the evening meal.” He stepped around her, pulling a chair away from the table. With a gesture of his hand, he invited her to sit.
    As the waves of his displeasure slammed into her, she tried to figure out how to repair damage to something she hadn’t known she’d broken. She fell heavily into the seat. “Brenimyn, I’d like to talk about …” She spoke to his retreating back.
    He stuck his head around the corner. “Would you like Dakaru root with dinner? It will ease you into a more-comfortable mating.”
    “No, thank you. Water would be fine.”
    “As you wish.” He bowed again.
    What in Hades had pissed him off? She felt his erection against her belly when they were groping each other in the bathroom. There was no mistaking his need or her body’s desire to join. Now he was acting like some servant, unaware of how much she wanted him.
    Brenimyn brought dishes from the kitchen, bowing again before standing at her shoulder.
    “It would please me to have your company at my table.”
    He stared at the wall. “I am but a breeder. That is not permitted.”
    “Is your primary job to please me?” He looked down at her and nodded. Even he couldn’t argue with the logic she presented. “Then I insist you join me for the evening meal. I am not accustomed to dining alone.”
    He reluctantly sat across from her. She wasn’t sure if this was a charade for the cameras or how he would treat her while he resided here.
    Don’t ask me any questions right now. I’m still too angry and hurt. His words echoed in her head.
    “I don’t understand what happened.”
    “Would you like salad?” Holding up the bowl in front of him, she watched his mouth form those words. I mean it, Jahara, don’t press me. You forget there are people watching. But she didn’t see him speak those. “It’s made with fresh produce.” Again his mouth enunciated very clearly. Obviously, he was acting for the benefit of the observers. What passed between us, did it really mean nothing to you? Did you not believe the things I told you? His lips were pressed in a thin line of displeasure even as his voice echoed in her head.
    Steepling her fingers at her chin, she stared at him, still pondering the cause of his evident disappointment in her. “Brenimyn, I don’t know what to believe.” There were no other words. When he didn’t respond, she sat in silence and ate her meal, feeling very much alone in his presence.
    They cleared the table together and though he attempted to push her away, she insisted on helping with the dishes. This man was not her slave, merely her breeding partner. She turned to Brenimyn, his handsome face still creased with a gravity she hadn’t seen two days ago.
    “Brenimyn, we need to talk.” She flipped on the water at the sink, hoping it would cover the desperation in her tone. “I need to understand what’s happening here.” His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and she placed her hand on his muscular forearm, feeling the power of her touch ripple through him. “It’s important, please.”
    “It would please me to be with you now, most honorable Jahara. Perhaps we could retire to the bedroom?” He abandoned the dishes in the sink, taking her fingers in his and pulling her down the hall.
    But Jahara wanted this night to be about acceptance, so she redirected Brenimyn to her bedroom. When he only nodded and acquiesced, she wasn’t sure he understood the symbolism of how much she was willing to give him.
    “Why don’t you sit comfortably on the bed? Have you ever meditated? Without the use of a breeding guide, you may find it helps you relax before we …” He swirled the air with his hand, unable—or unwilling—to complete the sentence.
    Apparently, copulating held an emotional component for men. He obviously had strong feelings for her. Males were indeed complex creatures. She needed him to understand that the act was merely physical. She just