Owned by the Sheikh Read online

  For others, the arrival of a trader ship raised great excitement. The marketplace would swell with exotic goods from many worlds, alongside staples necessary for the inhabitants of this small planet, Tarun, to survive. Shena, however, had lived with her father’s threats far too long. One day, if she wasn’t terribly careful, he might actually carry out his threat to sell her to the traders. Although slavery had been banned on most of the planets in the coalition -- including Tarun -- E’Le’Dor, only a few star systems away, still had a thriving slave trade.

  Shena closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, allowing the sweet, delicate fragrance of caulila blossoms to wash through her. The sun warmed her body, and a soft breath of air brushed across her skin. She smiled. This was what heaven must be like. Sweat trickled between her breasts as she gazed on the rippling water below, sunlight glistening off the surface. It heartened her to know that such beauty existed in the world, even though everyday life was so lacking in it.

  She leaped headfirst from the rock, arms outstretched in front of her. The coolness flowed across her naked body as she cut through the water, the grime of sweat and apprehension sluicing from her. Her breasts tightened and her nipples puckered into tight buds. She angled upward. Her head broke through the surface of the water, and she drew in a lungful of fresh air. She floated on her back, the tips of her breasts poking up through the water. The sun felt glorious on her face, and she closed her eyes and emptied her mind, enjoying the only real freedom she knew.

  A snap startled her to alertness. Her eyes flicked open, and she shifted to a vertical position in the water, keeping her arms close as she treaded water, attempting to cover herself. She searched the water’s edge with thorough, sweeping glances, but saw no one along the sandy edge or within the trees and bushes beyond the rocky shore.

  At a rustling sound, her gaze snapped to the left. A dealla stepped from between two trees and peered at her with wide brown eyes, then dashed away on its long, lanky legs.

  That’s all it had been, she chided herself, still quivering. Just a timid grazer. Not one of her father’s soldiers. She swam to the opposite shore and pulled herself from the pool. Beads of water trickled down her limbs and torso.

  She dropped onto the small, secluded strip of beach and stretched out on the warm sand. Her skin felt fresh and alive. It even glowed a healthy pink. The decadence of the sun dancing across her body excited her. Her breasts peaked, and her thighs felt deliciously warm. Her fingers slid across her rib cage, over the curve of a breast to her nipple, tight and aching, longing to be touched. She dragged her fingertip over the pebbly areola, then across the tight nub, which felt like a round, soft bead. She loved how it hardened when she touched it, the sharp pangs of excitement that jolted through her, connecting straight to her lower regions. The inner muscles of her vagina tightened and ached. The pace of her breathing increased.

  She shouldn’t be doing this, but the intensity of the feelings in her body, the need those feelings aroused, was too overwhelming to ignore. Who would know, or care, what she did?

  She cupped her breast, exulting in the feel of the nipple pressing into the sensitive palm of her hand. Her other hand slid across her belly and downward, pausing at the silky feel of her pubic hair. She stroked it, smiling. Soft.

  She cupped her other breast and felt her face flush. Her other hand continued downward, across her inner thigh, then around the fleshy fold, spiraling inward. Her muscles tightened as she focused on the intense sensations.

  Her finger slid up to the small, hard button cradled in the folds. She dabbed at it, then stroked once and almost cried out at the intense pleasure it gave. The world faded around her as she settled deeply inside herself, experiencing the stroking of her finger, the building of the heat within her, the pleasure flooding through her.

  Stronger and stronger. Higher and higher. It rushed through her like white water in a torrential river. Her breathing, labored and harsh, rushed through her lungs. She felt, rather than heard, the moan start in her throat, then build to a crescendo as she exploded in a burst of pleasure.

  She dropped back onto the sand, feeling the air flooding in and out of her lungs, loving the languorous feeling of her body, replete, satisfied in a pleasure of her own making. She stretched, then pushed herself to her feet, knowing she should head home, but reluctant to leave.

  Keern sat beyond the bushes, watching the beautiful wood nymph, his eyes glazed over and his breathing slowly returning to normal.

  He’d left the small space port in Dudane five long, hot hours ago. The tedious trip had given him ample time to remember all the reasons he’d left this backwater, technology-barren planet in the first place. He’d begun to reconsider his sketchy plans to turn this visit for his brother’s wedding into a permanent stay.

  About an hour ago, he’d stopped at the secluded pond to fill his canteen. When he’d heard a splash in the water, he’d cautiously approached to see who was about and had spotted this lovely young woman swimming naked in the pool. Suddenly, this outdated planet brightened with exciting possibilities.

  He hadn’t been able to drag his gaze from her. The sunlight had glistened on her long golden hair as it floated around her, and he could see her creamy, naked shoulders and the swell of her breasts above the water. His cock had leapt to attention immediately, confined painfully within his black leather trousers. Shet’ra, what did he expect? He hadn’t been with a woman since Kolanna, the last in a long line of shallow, manipulative women looking to him for excitement. His distinct, sexy accent -- as women described it -- developed over fifteen years of travel across a myriad of worlds, stirred their imaginations. They hoped for exotic gifts and travel to far-off places, but their idea of luxurious, pampered trips did not match the reality of his more basic lifestyle.

  His knowledge and understanding of extreme environments put him in high demand across the sector. Anything from frozen tundra to desert inferno, if it was within the range of human endurance, he could survive and navigate it. Most of his jobs involved rescue and recovery. Sometimes training. Clients ranged from rich thrill-seekers to troop commanders wanting him to lead survival courses.

  Certainly, he knew how to move through unfamiliar terrain quietly, yet when he’d seen the naked woman in the water, his hormones had flared and he’d missed his footing and tramped on a twig. She must have heard it snap because she’d glanced about, searching for an intruder. Never shifting his gaze from her captivating form, he’d sat down on a rock, ensuring he did not make another sound.

  He didn’t usually spy on naked women swimming in pools, but she was so beautiful he couldn’t help himself. He’d held his breath as she’d pulled herself from the water, revealing the full length of her totally naked body. Her breasts, generously proportioned, curved upward, tipped by small areolas with tight, hard nipples. His gaze had drifted to the golden thatch of hair at the top of her thighs, and his throat had gone dry.

  When she’d started exploring her sexy, round breasts with her hands, pleasuring herself, he’d almost groaned out loud. He’d had to hold himself down with a steel will to stop himself from leaping from the bushes and joining her in pleasuring that gorgeous body. He’d wanted to hear her moan from his touches.

  When she’d reached down to her private folds and stroked her damp crevice, he had almost burst at the seams. In fact, he had taken out his cock, long and hard in a full erection, and stroked it, trembling with the longing to drive it into her glistening opening. He closed his hand around it, stroking back and forth as he watched her, feeling the skin gliding over the hard muscle beneath, excruciating need building within him. He wanted to take her, to fill her up and explode within her in a mind-numbing ejaculation of pleasure.

  But he had no right to intrude on her privacy. He had no way of knowing if she would welcome him or flee from him. His instincts told him she would flee. Although she looked open and uninhibited, he somehow knew it was only because she was sure she was alone.

  This pond be
longed to his family, but they rarely visited here because it was on undeveloped land on the outskirts of their property, far from the house and the fields, and the other landowners respected the boundaries of their neighbors.

  The last thing he wanted to do was cut short her incredible performance, but more importantly, he didn’t want to frighten her. So he moved his hand to the rhythm of hers, imagined himself plunging into her as she moaned in pleasure, and burst in a fierce ejaculation just as she cried out in climax.

  Now he slumped back on the ground, exhausted.

  Once his breathing calmed down, he put his wilted member away and pulled himself to his feet. He really should be on his way, but as he watched her extend her arms in a long, languorous stretch, then push herself to her feet, he decided to stay and see if she would dive into the water again. The beauty of her agile, curvaceous form cutting through the water was sheer poetry.

  Suddenly, the hair at the back of his neck prickled. Had he heard horses? Quietly, he pushed through the underbrush, leaving the lovely nymph behind as he headed toward the road. He raced to the peak of the hill leading to the quiet spot and saw a wagon of soldiers heading this way. Darg’ra, what were they doing here? At this distance, he couldn’t make out the crest on their uniforms, not that he would necessarily recognize which of the landholders it represented after more than a decade away.

  The pond was not obvious from the road, secluded behind trees and brush, so they weren’t coming here by accident. Why would they be trespassing on his land? Did they know about the young woman?

  These soldiers didn’t look like the type who would watch her quietly from a distance, and he couldn’t stand the thought of these oafs catching sight of his lovely maiden, let alone touching her with their large, rough hands.

  He had to get back to his wood nymph. He had to protect her.

  Shena felt a hand slide around her naked body and pull her backwards against a hard male chest. At the same time, another hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her scream.

  “I won’t hurt you,” a strange male voice promised. The hint of an unfamiliar accent tinged his words. Off-world and educated.

  She froze in absolute terror at being held in a man’s grasp while naked and vulnerable. Yet at the same time, the feel of his body against hers set off some very strange feelings. Arousing feelings. Her throat constricted painfully, and she clawed at the steel arm fastened around her waist, desperate to free herself.

  His grip tightened, pulling her more firmly against his body.

  “Listen to me.” His words rasped in her ear. “There’s a group of soldiers heading this way, so stay still and don’t make any noise. You don’t want to draw their attention.”

  Soldiers? She froze in terror.

  “They won’t be content to just watch politely, like I did. If I remove my hand from your mouth, do you promise not to scream?”

  She nodded. Whether he spoke the truth or not, she didn’t know, but she was too terrified to chance it. He released her mouth, but not her body.

  “Let me go,” she demanded, her voice a harsh whisper.

  “I don’t think so, neisha.”

  His light, teasing tone sent her off balance, and his use of the endearment confused her. Neisha was not a term an off-worlder would use. In fact, with the slight drag on the last syllable ... Could he be a local?

  “If I see your luscious body again, I may not be able to control myself.” His words melted through her.

  She became aware of her nipples tightening, her vagina contracting. He’d watched her swim. Oh, God, he’d seen her taking pleasure.

  Memories of the pleasure rippled through her body, but this time she imagined his gaze as a tangible feeling caressing her body as her fingers caressed her intimate self. Images superimposed on her memory, of him leaving his hiding place, of his strong, tanned hands touching her body.

  He loosened his hold on her slightly as he used one hand to remove his cape, then eased her away from him just enough to slide it around her shoulders. She grasped it and pulled it close around her, fastening it at the neck. The rich, smooth feel of the fabric, unmistakably ancula, a Tarun fiber, surrounded her with warmth and an odd sense of security. The heady, male scent enveloped her.

  He gripped her arm with a gentle but resolute hold and guided her with him into the wooded area overlooking the pond. She struggled, trying to free herself from his grip, desperate to get away from him, her insides shuddering uncontrollably at the powerful and unfamiliar feelings of attraction to him.

  His hair, dark brown and wavy, curled around his ears and neck. His warm bronze eyes watched her as he effortlessly guided her along, yet she didn’t feel threatened by his gaze, not like she always did with her father’s men. Their stares, which seemed to strip her of dignity, always frightened her.

  “We’ll stay here until they pass,” he said.

  “Let me go,” she insisted.

  “No. You don’t believe I’m telling the truth about the soldiers. Until you see them with your own eyes, which should be in about five minutes, I’m going to hold tight.”

  She was far too conscious of his arm around her waist. His other arm slid around her, and then his hand flattened on her upper chest just below her collarbone, pressing her tight against his strong, broad chest. His leather belt and metal buckle pressed into her lower back, and his pelvis pressed against her buttocks. Only fabric lay between her bare bottom and his ... She felt a blush flame across her face, and she struggled against him. Oh, God, she felt a bulge grow against her. Her movements were arousing him. Blinding fear lanced through her, challenged by a powerful desire to experience the tender loving of a man.

  Drawn back to the memory of him watching her earlier, it was far too easy to imagine his chest naked against her swollen breasts, to imagine him moving his pelvis against hers in a forbidden act.

  Five minutes in his arms. She didn’t think she’d survive the conflicting feelings wreaking havoc on her sanity. She would find a way out of this. Maybe if she gave him false confidence in her submission ...

  “Fine,” she said tightly and slumped against him. As she’d hoped, his hold relaxed a little, and she thrust her elbow into his solar plexus, then pushed back with all her might. He stepped back, regaining his balance, then caught his heel on a rock. They both fell, but she ducked and rolled out of his grasp, then darted into the woods.

  She dashed through the trees, intending to retrieve her clothes and race home. Under ordinary circumstances, it was much simpler to swim across the pond, but she couldn’t do that without being spotted by the stranger; he’d catch her for sure. It was a longer, harder route, but after ten minutes, she spotted the burgundy-leafed blazing fire bush alongside the grey-green bark of the two elra trees near where she’d left her things. Her gaze locked to the spot where her clothes should have been. God, they were gone!

  Had the stranger taken them? As she stepped from between the trees, searching the ground for any sign of her tunic and tayghas, a leering voice froze her in her tracks.

  “Look, fellows. What have we here?” A burly man with a straggly, sand-colored beard grinned at her, exposing grey, crooked teeth. His grubby uniform jacket hung open, exposing a sweat-stained shirt beneath.

  His lurid gaze traveled down the black cape to her feet. She was conscious of the grass between her toes, which reminded her that her feet were bare. What would he think? His focus shifted from her feet to the opening of the cape, which she clung to in a desperate effort to keep it closed.

  “I suppose you’re looking for those.” He pointed to where another man held up her plain white bra and panties.

  “Well, well, men. It seems the lass must be naked under that cloak.”

  Sandy-Beard stepped toward her and she backed up, bumping against a tree. A bitter taste filled her mouth as adrenaline flooded her system. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

  “I bet she’s up for a bit of fun.” His voice lowered to a gritty huskiness. “And I�
��d sure be willing to show you a bit of fun, lass.”

  Suddenly, three other men began to crowd around her, and terror squeezed the breath from her.

  “Aye, and we would, too, Clancy.”

  He shoved them back. “One at a time, lads.” His sneering lips curled into a caricature of a smile. “Or maybe two. But not ’til I’ve had my go.”

  Dizziness overwhelmed her, but she fought it as she tried to ease sideways to use the same trick as she had on the tall, dark stranger -- funny, she hadn’t felt the same kind of fear with him -- and escape to the side, but the man’s hand shot out to rest against the tree on her right, trapping that escape route. The other soldiers loomed on the left so she’d have nowhere to run.

  As he reached for her, terror built within her like an inferno. He clamped his hand around her shoulder, his bony fingers digging into her flesh, and grasped the clasp at her neck.

  She felt faint as she tried to stifle memories that still haunted her nightmares. Memories of the young woman who used to keep house for her father. The image of the woman, hands fastened above her head, clothes stripped from her body. She had screamed as the soldiers rammed into her, over and over again. Those screams still echoed through Shena’s body.

  “Remove your hand from her, or you’ll lose it.”

  The stranger’s voice! She turned her gaze to see him standing at the edge of the clearing. Tall. Dark. Ominous-looking.

  “Who the ’ell are you?” her captor demanded.

  The dark stranger stepped forward, bringing his hand to the hilt of his sword. All the soldiers backed away except the man holding her.

  “I said, remove your hand.” The words came out as a low warning, but an undercurrent of rage carried clearly in his tone.

  Her captor hesitated, but he reluctantly pulled his hand from her shoulder. “What’s it to you, stranger?”