“Yes,” I say, my tongue against her neck. “Put it on, Eve.”
She shudders in the dream, already chasing the orgasmic release she thinks she can steal. Then she wakes, fingertips grazing the Venus Lock’s polished edge.
I smile; how quickly she forgets what Dr. Veil told her. Nothing short of a Sovereigns’ permission will grant her an orgasm with the Venus Lock on, and I’m not going to give that away so easily. She must earn her orgasms from us.
I withdraw from her mind. Then, I thumb the comms panel, picturing her as I send a message to Rafe:
It’s time to meet our new receptionist. Schedule the formal introduction before the High Table tomorrow. I’ll shift the corridors to green in the afternoon.
22
TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME, RAFE
The messagefrom Lorian glows on my private terminal:
It’s time to meet our new receptionist. Schedule the formal introduction before High Table tomorrow. I’ll shift the corridors to green in the afternoon.
I stare at the words and turn my silver ring.
I don’t reply. Instead, I access the Starlight Array’s feed. The network responds instantly, and Eve's quarters appear on my screen.
It’s the Fifth Chime, and she’s awake. This isn’t right. I check her vitals. Her heart rate is up, and her stress levels are elevated. There’s no question that something or someone frightened her.
I scan for security breaches and environmental malfunctions. Nothing. Her quarters are locked down tight and functioning normally.
Scanning back through her feed, I study the monitor readings from the last hour. Her REM sleep was disturbed, and she’s aroused, but theVenus Lock keeps her wanting. Needing. Forever on the edge of pleasure that won't come without our permission.
My brother's fingerprints are all over this.
“Damn you, Lorian.”
I access the Spire's automated services, scrolling through available options. She needs relief, something to quiet the storm Lorian has stirred in her mind.
Then I see it. The neural sleep inducer that I have in my private vault, a prototype from Reima Two's medical research division. Crystalline technology that regulates brainwaves, promotes natural sleep cycles, and, most importantly, creates a barrier against the kinds of dream manipulation systems my brother is fond of.
Because it’s the Fifth Chime, it’s easier if I retrieve the crystal myself, plus that, I need the walk to clear my head. I leave my rooms and cross the hotel to my private vault underneath the Grand Lobby. The hotel is quiet; only a few guards and the night manager are on duty. All bow to me as I pass. After I retrieve the device, I return to my rooms and write a quick note to go with the sleep inducer, but I have to think about it for a minute. Too formal and she'll be suspicious. Too personal and she'll read meaning into it. I settle on something practical:
Then, I summon a service drone and program it for a silent delivery to her suite. The neural sleep inducer will be placed outside her quarters within seconds. She will be notified with soft chimes to alert her to its presence without causing alarm.
After I’ve sent the drone on its mission, I reply to Lorian's message:
You invaded her dreams.
His response comes immediately:
And what dreams they were. You should have seen them. But then again, you probably already have. How innocent she was naked in her special garden… a fruit ripe for the picking.
He’s insufferable.
I return to the surveillance feed, observing her quarters from multiple angles. She's sitting on the edge of her bed, head in her hands, shoulders tense with frustration and confusion. The Venus Lock's faint glow is visible between her legs.
“Soon everything will be better. I will fix this,” I say out loud.
The service drone's soft chimes echo through the monitoring system.
Eve jumps, startled by the sound, and then moves cautiously to her door. She finds the package, reads the note, and examines the crystal with obvious curiosity. Then I watch as she returns to her bed and begins unbuttoning her shirt with small, careful movements. Each button reveals more pale skin, the delicate incline of her collarbone and the swell of her breasts confined in cheap human fabric. She pauses, glancing at the door as if someone could be watching. She has no idea the only eyes on her are mine.
She shrugs out of her shirt and her breasts fall free, full and heavy, nipples tightening immediately inthe cooler air.
