nothing.
They followed Josiah through more corridors and several galleries. She was struck again by the size of the place, and the openness. She wanted to know more about this place, but something told her asking was a bad idea. Maybe when Jerred was all done with his meeting and they were safely away, he’d give her more information.
They crossed through a large, heavily guarded doorway into the most lavish set of rooms she’d ever seen. Women garbed in clothes every bit as fine as her borrowed dress bowed low to them as they walked through the rooms, until they finally reached a dining room. There were low, long tables on the floor, flanked by comfortable couches designed for lounging.
“We eat in the Imperial style tonight,” Josiah said, a strange smile on his face. She felt Jerred stiffen beside her.
Josiah walked slowly to one of the couches and lowered himself gracefully. There was a menace in his movements, as if he were a predator who had just found a particularly tasty piece of prey.
“Jerred and I have dined together like this many times,” he added. “Although rarely in such charming company.”
He gestured for her to lay next to him. She would have preferred to sit on one of the couches across from him, but Jerred shook his head in a barely perceptible manner.
Great.
She walked over to where Josiah had indicated and sat on the edge of the couch, wondering just what was the proper way to lie down and eat. She’d seen people eating like this on vids about the Imperial nobility, but never tried it herself. Seemed awfully decadent.
Still, she managed to get herself seated.
Jerred took the couch across from them with a grace that surprised her. She wondered again about the stock of Imperial wine on his ship. Surely he didn’t actually 56
Jerred’s Price
move in Imperial circles? There were hundreds of billions of people on the settled worlds. Only four or five thousand had that kind of rank. What were the odds?
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy dinner,” Josiah said softly, and he rang a small bell conveniently placed on the table. Instantly, a number of scandalously clad women came in carrying platters of sumptuous food.
It was all she could to keep her mouth from hanging open. This really was like a vid.
Soft music began to play as the women brought them food, a haunting melody that seemed somehow very sad to her. She took a sip of her wine. Even though she was prepared for its effect, the strangely erotic tingles it sent through her were startling in their intensity.
Once again, it seemed to go straight down her throat and between her legs. She shifted, feeling liquid pool there. Jerred caught her gaze from across the table and a wave of longing swept over her. Her muscles actually clenched, she wanted him inside her so badly. A memory of him slamming her up against the wall earlier made her clench her legs. The memory was so enveloping that it took her a moment to realize their host was speaking to her.
“How long have you and Jerred been…ah…partners?” Josiah asked, taking a drink of his own wine. She turned her attention to him, noticing for the first time how attractive he was. Of course, the disturbing tattoo faced away from her. She examined the feeling carefully, turning it around in her mind. Was she attracted to him? No, not really. She could appreciate him aesthetically, but the longing she felt for Jerred seemed to leave no room for other kinds of longing. It was a good realization. At least now she knew that whatever special properties the wine had, it wasn’t solely responsible for the way she reacted around him.
“We’ve only been together for a few weeks,” Jerred replied, surprising her. She turned her gaze back to him, catching a hint of a warning in his expression. For some reason he didn’t want Josiah to know they’d met on Transit Three. Fair enough.
“That’s right, it hasn’t been that long,” she said. “We met in a bar,” she added awkwardly. Great.
They followed Josiah through more corridors and several galleries. She was struck again by the size of the place, and the openness. She wanted to know more about this place, but something told her asking was a bad idea. Maybe when Jerred was all done with his meeting and they were safely away, he’d give her more information.
They crossed through a large, heavily guarded doorway into the most lavish set of rooms she’d ever seen. Women garbed in clothes every bit as fine as her borrowed dress bowed low to them as they walked through the rooms, until they finally reached a dining room. There were low, long tables on the floor, flanked by comfortable couches designed for lounging.
“We eat in the Imperial style tonight,” Josiah said, a strange smile on his face. She felt Jerred stiffen beside her.
Josiah walked slowly to one of the couches and lowered himself gracefully. There was a menace in his movements, as if he were a predator who had just found a particularly tasty piece of prey.
“Jerred and I have dined together like this many times,” he added. “Although rarely in such charming company.”
He gestured for her to lay next to him. She would have preferred to sit on one of the couches across from him, but Jerred shook his head in a barely perceptible manner.
Great.
She walked over to where Josiah had indicated and sat on the edge of the couch, wondering just what was the proper way to lie down and eat. She’d seen people eating like this on vids about the Imperial nobility, but never tried it herself. Seemed awfully decadent.
Still, she managed to get herself seated.
Jerred took the couch across from them with a grace that surprised her. She wondered again about the stock of Imperial wine on his ship. Surely he didn’t actually 56
Jerred’s Price
move in Imperial circles? There were hundreds of billions of people on the settled worlds. Only four or five thousand had that kind of rank. What were the odds?
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy dinner,” Josiah said softly, and he rang a small bell conveniently placed on the table. Instantly, a number of scandalously clad women came in carrying platters of sumptuous food.
It was all she could to keep her mouth from hanging open. This really was like a vid.
Soft music began to play as the women brought them food, a haunting melody that seemed somehow very sad to her. She took a sip of her wine. Even though she was prepared for its effect, the strangely erotic tingles it sent through her were startling in their intensity.
Once again, it seemed to go straight down her throat and between her legs. She shifted, feeling liquid pool there. Jerred caught her gaze from across the table and a wave of longing swept over her. Her muscles actually clenched, she wanted him inside her so badly. A memory of him slamming her up against the wall earlier made her clench her legs. The memory was so enveloping that it took her a moment to realize their host was speaking to her.
“How long have you and Jerred been…ah…partners?” Josiah asked, taking a drink of his own wine. She turned her attention to him, noticing for the first time how attractive he was. Of course, the disturbing tattoo faced away from her. She examined the feeling carefully, turning it around in her mind. Was she attracted to him? No, not really. She could appreciate him aesthetically, but the longing she felt for Jerred seemed to leave no room for other kinds of longing. It was a good realization. At least now she knew that whatever special properties the wine had, it wasn’t solely responsible for the way she reacted around him.
“We’ve only been together for a few weeks,” Jerred replied, surprising her. She turned her gaze back to him, catching a hint of a warning in his expression. For some reason he didn’t want Josiah to know they’d met on Transit Three. Fair enough.
“That’s right, it hasn’t been that long,” she said. “We met in a bar,” she added awkwardly. Great.
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