Chapter One
“This is absolutelyunacceptable!” fumed Aria, ignoring the salutes of theArgus’security detachment. “Where is the captain to greet me? This is outrageous!”
“Ah, Lady Aria, you will have to forgive the captain.” The supervisor in front of her sweated profusely. “It is my, ah, understanding that the valuable cargo your family is transporting requires the particular care of the captain.”
“Are your crewmen incompetent? Surely your captain has heard of delegation? Goodgrief, Mister…” She peered imperiously at the supervisor’s name tag. “Mister Griggs. I promise you, I will remember your name, when I pass on tomy fathermy recounting of this insulting behavior.”
“Of course, Lady Aria.” Griggs lowered his head. He paused as he got a message through his comm and then exhaled with visible relief as he said, “Milady, I’ve just received word that the captain is on her way.”
“Hmph,” was all that the young lady replied, before turning to her liveried servants. “Off you go! This fellow will tell you where to store my things.” She regarded the unfortunate supervisor with her eyebrow raised and said, “Ipresumethat you have a stateroom ready for me?”
“We do indeed, milady.” The elevator behind them opened, and the supervisor said, “Lady Aria, may I present to you Captain Belis, commander of theArgus.”
Griggs took this as his opportunity to withdraw, gesturing for the lady’s servants to accompany him.
“Lady Aria.” The steely eyed captain seized the initiative. “My apologies for not being here at your arrival. Your father’s instructions regarding the cargo of mandalum were very specific and required my full attention.”
“Delegation, my dear captain, delegation,” replied Aria loftily. “Where would we be without it?”
Captain Belis, however, was made of sterner stuff than Griggs and simply regarded the lady steadily.
“Let ushopethat there will be no further errors of protocol,” said Aria, but it was a final shot. The captain bowed slightly in acknowledgement and turned to accompany the lady to her quarters.
***
Aria sighed with relief when the niceties had been observed, and she was alone in her bedroom. There were still family servants at her beck and call, but there was at least one wall between herself and anyone.
“What a dump,” she said disconsolately, throwing herself onto the luxuriously appointed bed. She checked her comm.
Still no message from Jacques. What waswrongwith the man?
Aria bit her lip. Perhaps she had misjudged his intentions. He had acted so sincere, so determined to get her away from thedrearyworld of her father’s estates and the horrible mining enterprise that might be the source of the family’s fortunes but seemed sotawdrycompared to the resources of her aristocratic friends.
And hadn’t they let her know it. Aria had affected not to notice the jibes and sly references to “tradespeople” and “new arrivals,” but she was young and proud, and they still stung. The only one who hadn’t behaved as if they cared about her origins was Jacques.
Such a man!Aria’s eyes went misty as she recalled their final encounter at his estate, just after she had received the news that she was to accompany the family’s precious mandalum ore on this stupid voyage. How dashing he had been.
“Do not fear, my darling.” Jacques ran a hand down her back in a way that made her shiver. “I will be with you in your heart.” He kissed her warmly with soft lips.
“That is not my heart.” Aria giggled as Jacques delicately kissed the underside of her breast, then she gasped as he brought his mouth up to lick and gently bite her nipple.
“God, Jacques. What you do to me.” She melted when she heard his low growl.
“That is not all I am going to do to you, my dear,” he said, and she leaned back as his kisses brushed over her stomach, then farther down and down…
Aria’s head hit the pillow and her body arched as Jacques’s masterful tongue played around her clit then delicately lapped at the folds of her sex. He playfully nipped the inside of one thigh before flicking his tongue at her swollen pleasure center then taking her clit in his mouth and sucking, gently at first.
Aria had grabbed the sheets in clenched hands as the first climax shuddered through her body…
An insistent buzz from her comm brought Aria back to the present.
“What?” she snapped.
“Milady, the captain has invited you to join her on a tour of the ship,” said her servant.
As if this glorified tugboat had anything worth seeing!
“Tell her I am presently indisposed!” Aria shut off her comm, ending the conversation.
