She nearly choked. She did laugh. “Somehow, some way, before I leave this planet I’m going to get you on my ship and into a solaray bath. You won’t be touched by water, but you’ll be cleaner than you’ve ever dreamed of being, and it only takes about three seconds. That’s modern technology, efficient, quick, and easy. And I’d say by that expression of yours that you think I’ve just handed you another ‘tall tale.’ That’s all right, babe. To each his own.”
He gave no reply, but he did extend his sword toward her raised wrists. Fortunately that disgruntled expression of his didn’t intimidate her, so she knew it was the rope he was after, not her heart. She positioned her wrists, slid the underside of the rope along the blade, and was free of restraints at last, hopefully for good.
She tossed the severed rope to the floor by his feet, then waited for him to join her. If her questions about bathing were going to bother him so much, she’d just wait and watch, thereby learning how to go about it without asking.
There was a bench of sorts nearby that she hadn’t noticed sooner because it was tucked in among the plants, even with several small ones resting on one end of it. A tall stack of towels sat next to this, and Challen used the other end to sit on and remove his boots. He was still watching her rather than what he was doing, and slowly but surely, the annoyance left his expression.
“Sit down,kerima,”he finally told her.
“And drown? If it’s all the same to you, I don’t mind standing.”
“There is a ledge behind you, there for sitting on.” This with a sigh.
“I’m sure it’s a fine ledge,” she allowed, glancing back at it. “I’ll still stand.”
He made a sound she could have sworn was exasperation-caused, and then thebracswere being peeled off his long legs. Tedra was suddenly feeling more warmth than from just the water, more like real heat as she watched him put a hand to the floor to lever himself over the side of the pool. But then the water rushed at her, distracting her as it slapped against her stomach. Yet in the next moment Challen was standing before her, and it wasn’t only water touching her now.
“These you could have covered with the water,” he said, his large hands circling her breasts.
That was an outright lie she couldn’t help making a rude sound over. “Get off it. You can see through this water.”
“Not as clearly as I see you now. But I do not mind the invitation, woman.”
“I wasn’t … So that’s why you wanted me to sit? Well, why didn’t you say so? I can be more adventurous if it’s for a good cause, and I’m sure this is a good cause … or are you feeling—better?”
The large hands on her breasts slid around to her back to draw her up against him, and she caught his smile just before his mouth moved over hers in a very delicious way. That was really all the answer she needed. Her own arms moved up to lock around his thick neck, and in the course of the next few hours, she found out that a primitive bath had other, more enjoyable uses than just bathing.
Chapter Twenty-one
Tedra rolled over to find herself tangled up in covers in the center of Challen’s huge bed. She had known she’d feel lost in the farden thing, and without the big barbarian there beside her, she did. However, she hadn’t realized the bedding would try to strangle her.
When she finally got one elbow loose, enough to lean up on it, she glanced around to find what had awakened her, hoping it was … it wasn’t. Challen hadn’t returned. He’d left her at dawn with a very sweet parting, but obviously he’d meant it when he said he’d be so busy today that he wouldn’t likely see her until this evening, or in his words, this moonrise. He’d ignored several summons yesterday for his time, instead devoting the rest of the day to making her feel very welcome in his home, or at least in his bedroom. But today was back to business as usual, and if she felt deserted, that was just too bad.
The one who had disturbed her sleep was the young Darash female she had met yesterday—well, not actually met. Challen hadn’t bothered with introductions when the girl had brought them a meal last evening. And the girl hadn’t made any comments in the serving of it, had simply left quickly, a warrior waiting at the door for her and closing it after her. Tedra remembered her suspicions rising upon seeing that door-opening warrior, and had immediately got up to test the door herself. But shecouldopen it, she was relieved to find, though not easily, for the thing really was heavy, but she could do it. It had been opened and closed for the servant simply because her hands had been full with the large tray she carried.
She carried another tray now, a much smaller one, and the door to the room had been closed behind her this time. Tedra watched her place the tray on the large square table with the couches around it, where she and Challen had eaten last night. That had been a study in decadence, lying stretched out on those couches so they met at one corner, she on her belly on one, Challen on his side on another, eating with fingers, but not their own fingers. The barbarian got to feed her as he wanted to, and because of where they were, she couldn’t refuse or bite his fingers. He also insisted she feed him, and after a while she didn’t half mind doing it, and getting her fingers sucked in the process. It got so erotic, in fact, the meal was interrupted for an hour and had to be finished cold, Tedra refusing to let him call for fresh food since it would be too easy for anyone to figure out how the first batch had got cold. She accepted the fact that everyonewouldknow what she was doing in Challen’s bedroom, but she didn’t care to be thought so insatiable she couldn’t even take time out for a farden meal—whether it was true or not.
The girl didn’t depart immediately as she had done last night. She approached the bed, smiling, making eye contact, in no way obsequious or appearing slavish in manner. A step above a feudal-type serf, but a step below being actually free, the Darasha had a strange relationship with the ruling class. They were simply servants, subject to certain rules just as the women on this world were, but apparently not disliking their lot. Coming from a world that had no servants, since things mechanical made them unnecessary, Tedra knew it would take getting used to, being waited on by an actual living, breathing person.
This living, breathing person was maybe a few years younger than Tedra, a somewhat pretty girl with brown eyes and hair. That coloring was as close as she got to resembling those women Tedra had seen on the street yesterday. The girl’s skin tone was dark, not golden, and like the Darash male from the stable, she was much smaller than the average citizen of this world, probably no more than five feet and one or two inches, if even that.
“Would the mistress like a bath after she eats?”
Tedra glanced at the small pool, empty this morning. These barbarians had plumbing, for Stars’ sake, complete with hot and cold running and draining water, not exactly a primitive accomplishment. She was finding that, like the Sha-Ka’ari, the Sha-Ka’ani were advanced in some ways, archaic in others, especially the clinging to old beliefs and customs.
“No, no bath, thank you.” She wasn’t likely to enjoy it without the barbarian there to make it enjoyable.
“May I then select achaurifor the mistress?”
Tedra frowned, hearing herself addressed like that a second time. “Look, you’re not a slave and I’m not your mistress, so why don’t you call me Tedra?”
“That would not be properly respectful.”
“Is everyone mistress or master to you?”
“Yes, mistress.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
