that Ben and Trey would need to demand sexual submission from her in front of another man didn’t seem to lessen her arousal.
She seemed to be learning an awful lot about her own sexuality on this mission.
Trey grabbed her hand, unlocked the door, and led her through the familiar corridors of the pirate ship. It seemed almost like they’d created another world in the cavernous space of the cargo hold, which essentially was what they were trying to do. The charade would only work if they could convince the male slave they were greedy, successful slave traders instead of the kind-hearted pirates on a mission that they actually were.
Tee-ani stopped walking. The male slave? “We don’t even know his name.”
“We’ll ask when he wakes. Or maybe you should.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair as he turned to face her. “ G’bani , I have no idea how we’re going to pull this off. Pretending to be a slave owner for a day or two seemed simple, but trying to maintain the illusion for several months or more could be very dangerous.”
“Trey, I trust you and I trust Ben. We can do this. G’ntriel is already tuned into the slave’s emotions. Even if you and Ben can’t decipher his intent, surely she can.” Trey didn’t look convinced and for a moment, she wanted to shake him. Even after everything he’d seen and done on this ship, somehow he fell back to the prejudices about female G’trobians he’d grown up with. “G’ntriel sensed your distress on a planet nearly a light year away. What makes you think she can’t read the emotions of a single male in the cargo bay?” She stood ready, hands on hips, willing to argue until he listened to simple logic, but he surprised her by lifting her off the ground and kissing her soundly.
She could barely catch her breath by the time he replaced her on legs suddenly made from jelly. With a quick smile, he pulled her to his side and they again moved toward the medical bay. As she stepped Tee-ani’s Pirates
83
into the room, her confusion and arousal were quickly overridden by concern for her patients.
G’baena sat on the bed closest to them. The young woman watched Sarah intently as she used one of Tee-ani’s medical instruments to heal several scars across one of the Pendarian women’s shoulder. G’baena glanced over to Tee-ani but flinched when she caught sight of Trey beside her. Tee-ani moved quickly toward her, hoping to reassure her that she was safe.
Sarah and several of the women rescued from the same ship as Tee-ani had spent the last couple of days treating and reassuring the women that they were safe, but none of them seemed overly convinced. Their collective demeanor suggested false hope had been offered too many times.
“G’baena, do you remember me from the slave ship?”
The younger woman nodded her head slowly. “You treated me when I was first abducted.”
“Do you remember what you told me about your family?”
“Yes.” The word was soft, the anguish behind it heart wrenching.
Tee-ani wrapped her arms around the slender woman. “We want to give you a chance to reclaim your life, the opportunity to seek justice. Trey and Ben can travel back to G’trobia with you and make sure…” Tee-ani’s words trailed off when she saw the absolute horror flash across G’baena’s beautiful face.
“G’Beydeatrey? G’Bende-anrali?” G’baena’s frightened voice froze Tee-ani to the spot. G’baena looked up, taking her first good look at the man beside Tee-ani. “My Lord?”
Trey nodded slightly.
Faster than Tee-ani would’ve suspected, G’baena leapt off the bed and hit Trey square in the nose with a closed fist. Trey rocked back on his heels for a moment before he grabbed the startled woman and pulled her into his embrace. He held her as she cried and Tee-ani watched a myriad of emotions cross his features.
84
Rachel Clark
It took several attempts before she could decipher the words tumbling from G’baena’s mouth.
She seemed to be learning an awful lot about her own sexuality on this mission.
Trey grabbed her hand, unlocked the door, and led her through the familiar corridors of the pirate ship. It seemed almost like they’d created another world in the cavernous space of the cargo hold, which essentially was what they were trying to do. The charade would only work if they could convince the male slave they were greedy, successful slave traders instead of the kind-hearted pirates on a mission that they actually were.
Tee-ani stopped walking. The male slave? “We don’t even know his name.”
“We’ll ask when he wakes. Or maybe you should.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair as he turned to face her. “ G’bani , I have no idea how we’re going to pull this off. Pretending to be a slave owner for a day or two seemed simple, but trying to maintain the illusion for several months or more could be very dangerous.”
“Trey, I trust you and I trust Ben. We can do this. G’ntriel is already tuned into the slave’s emotions. Even if you and Ben can’t decipher his intent, surely she can.” Trey didn’t look convinced and for a moment, she wanted to shake him. Even after everything he’d seen and done on this ship, somehow he fell back to the prejudices about female G’trobians he’d grown up with. “G’ntriel sensed your distress on a planet nearly a light year away. What makes you think she can’t read the emotions of a single male in the cargo bay?” She stood ready, hands on hips, willing to argue until he listened to simple logic, but he surprised her by lifting her off the ground and kissing her soundly.
She could barely catch her breath by the time he replaced her on legs suddenly made from jelly. With a quick smile, he pulled her to his side and they again moved toward the medical bay. As she stepped Tee-ani’s Pirates
83
into the room, her confusion and arousal were quickly overridden by concern for her patients.
G’baena sat on the bed closest to them. The young woman watched Sarah intently as she used one of Tee-ani’s medical instruments to heal several scars across one of the Pendarian women’s shoulder. G’baena glanced over to Tee-ani but flinched when she caught sight of Trey beside her. Tee-ani moved quickly toward her, hoping to reassure her that she was safe.
Sarah and several of the women rescued from the same ship as Tee-ani had spent the last couple of days treating and reassuring the women that they were safe, but none of them seemed overly convinced. Their collective demeanor suggested false hope had been offered too many times.
“G’baena, do you remember me from the slave ship?”
The younger woman nodded her head slowly. “You treated me when I was first abducted.”
“Do you remember what you told me about your family?”
“Yes.” The word was soft, the anguish behind it heart wrenching.
Tee-ani wrapped her arms around the slender woman. “We want to give you a chance to reclaim your life, the opportunity to seek justice. Trey and Ben can travel back to G’trobia with you and make sure…” Tee-ani’s words trailed off when she saw the absolute horror flash across G’baena’s beautiful face.
“G’Beydeatrey? G’Bende-anrali?” G’baena’s frightened voice froze Tee-ani to the spot. G’baena looked up, taking her first good look at the man beside Tee-ani. “My Lord?”
Trey nodded slightly.
Faster than Tee-ani would’ve suspected, G’baena leapt off the bed and hit Trey square in the nose with a closed fist. Trey rocked back on his heels for a moment before he grabbed the startled woman and pulled her into his embrace. He held her as she cried and Tee-ani watched a myriad of emotions cross his features.
84
Rachel Clark
It took several attempts before she could decipher the words tumbling from G’baena’s mouth.
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