The Ambassador's Daughter

The Ambassador’s Daughter By Paige Tyler Published by Blushing Books at Smashwords Copyright 2010 by Blushing Books and Paige Tyler Discover other titles by Paige Tyler at: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/paigetyler This book is available in print at: blushingbooks.com Smashwords Edition, License Notes This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase

an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. ISBN 978-1-935152-21-7 Cover Design: Rae Monet This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

CHAPTER ONE

Inarii Kal’yle glanced at her watch and let out a sigh. She was supposed to meet her friends thirty minutes ago at a club across town, but instead she was trapped at a stuffy charity dinner. It may have been for a good cause, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t boring her to tears. The current speaker, an extremely old gentleman, had already spoken for the better part of an hour, and looked like he intended to talk for several more. The worst part was that Inarii had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. She couldn’t even tell if it had anything to do with the charity event. As the daughter of one of the most well known planetary ambassadors on Andras Prime, she was expected to attend most of these charity events, as well as museum openings, movie premiers, and any other well-publicized gala that caught her father’s attention. Her father’s status and her good looks had made her one of the most sought after guests on the capital planet. The notoriety certainly had its advantages. There wasn’t a club on the planet that she couldn’t get into, and she never had to pay for anything. But there were some distinct disadvantages as well. The biggest one being that her father’s assistants had as much say on her social calendar as they did his, and they were constantly on her about whom she should be seen with and what she should be wearing. The only way she had time to herself was when she slipped away from her guards and went out with her friends, like she had

planned to do that evening. But first, she was going to have to duck out of this dreary event. Which was going to be interesting with all of the paparazzi keeping an eye on her. If that weren’t enough, Inarii still had to get away from her bodyguard. Which would actually be easier than getting away from the cameras. Though Oland Marsden was one of the more conscientious guards that worked for her father, he’d always considered her the daughter he never had, which made it easy to pull the wool over his eyes whenever she wanted. She glanced over her shoulder to where Oland stood against the back wall. His weathered, middle-aged face had taken on a bored expression, and she smiled as she watched him stifle a yawn. Far faster than she’d thought he would, the speaker finished a few minutes later, to her relief. Quietly excusing herself from the table of philanthropists she’d been seated with, she stood and made her way through the crowd of people now milling about the room to where her bodyguard stood. Oland immediately came to attention at her approach. “Are you ready to leave?” he asked hopefully. She gave him a rueful smile. “I wish, but I promised my father that I would speak to a few people for him,” she said. “You look like you could use some fresh air, though. Why don’t you wait for me outside? I’ll only be a few minutes.” He looked like he wanted nothing more than to do just that, but his sense of duty made him hesitate. “I should stay close, I think, in case you have need of me.”

“Don’t be silly, Oland,” she chided. “I’m perfectly safe. Really.” Still, he hesitated, but after a quick glance around the ballroom, he nodded. “Okay,” he agreed, and then gave her a warning look. “But if you’re not outside in twenty minutes, then I’m coming back in to check on you.” Inarii felt a stab of guilt as she watched him leave the room. Her father would probably take Oland to task for allowing her to run off, she thought, but then quickly dismissed the idea, telling herself that her father was smart enough to know that poor Oland had been tricked, and so wouldn’t judge him too harshly. Picking up her skirts, she turned and disappeared into the crowd of welldressed socialites, before making a beeline for the door on the opposite side of the ballroom. One or two of the cameramen caught sight of her exit, but were unable to get a picture of her before she was out the door. Once outside, she hurried down the empty hallway to the back door of the building. Sensing her presence, it slid open noiselessly. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that she wasn’t being followed, she darted through the door and out into the night. She’d been afraid there would be a line of people at the transport stand, but to her relief, it was empty. She pushed the button to call for one, and within seconds, a bright yellow transporter dropped down from the sky, floating gently to a halt with just the smallest cloud of dust. She waited for it to completely settle to the ground and the door to slide open, before checking around her one more time to see if Oland had followed her, and

then ducking inside. “Destination, please,” the pleasant male voice said as the transporter’s door slid closed. “Deep Space Club,” she told the computer, inserting her personal ident-card into the reader. Once the computer had read her account for sufficient funds, the transporter gently lifted up and merged smoothly with the flow of traffic a few hundred feet above the city streets. Reaching up, she took out the pins that held her hair very artfully in place, and shook her long tresses free, running her fingers through the silken strands as they tumbled down her back. Her transformation only partly complete, she reached for the zipper of her dress next. Naked except for her delicate bra and panties, she shoved the ball gown to the side and reached into her evening bag for the little black dress that she’d brought with her. It was short and skimpy, and made for one thing - turning a man’s head. She had to keep kicking the ball gown out of the way as she dressed. Whoever rode in the transporter would get the added bonus of a free designer evening gown, she thought with a smile. Her father would never notice; she owned hundreds of them. Sitting back, she pulled out her personal communicator and strapped it to her wrist. Her com was one of the latest designer models, and looked more like jewelry than a multi-purpose communicator. She pushed a series of buttons, and while she waited for the com to link, she took the time to apply a fresh coat of gloss to her lips with her free hand. “Inarii! Girl, where are you? The club is filled with hot guys

tonight!” Inarii could barely hear her friend over the music playing in the background, but she smiled at her dark-haired friend as the girl’s image appeared in a hologram floating in front of Inarii’s face. Deep Space was the newest and trendiest nightclub on Andras Prime; of course, it was filled with hot guys. “It took me a while to get away, but I’ll be there in two nanos.” “Well, be quick about it!” A handsome blond guy appeared in the image then to nuzzle her friend’s neck, and Inarii laughed. “Hey, Kat, save one or two of those hot guys for me!” Kat’Lyn just smiled. As Inarii thumbed the button that disconnected the link, she couldn’t help but smile as well. Admittedly, getting away from her guards always took some doing, and usually made her feel a little remorseful, but it was always worth it. To anyone in the club, he was just another guy having a drink at the neon-lit, multi-level bar, but he had come to Deep Space for a purpose. To watch Inarii Kal’yle. As he’d watched her con the idiot guard she’d brought with her to the charity dinner, he’d almost smiled. Though she was incredibly skilled at getting rid of her father’s guards, she was absolutely clueless about being followed. Which made things ridiculously easy for him. He had first seen Inarii at a café in the park over a year ago, and since that day, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head.

He had to know everything about her - what her name was, where she lived, how she took her coffee, what her favorite food was, what her favorite color was, where she liked to shop, what size she wore, whether she slept naked or wore something so skimpy to bed that she might as well be naked. He smiled at the image. He had learned all those things and more. He had become closer to her than any of her friends, even her father. Though of course, she never knew. There were probably some that would say he was a little obsessed with her. Perhaps he was. With a shrug, he picked up his drink and took a sip. This club was certainly not to his taste. It was too loud, with too many lights. But he knew that Inarii like this type of place, so he accepted it. The music was horrible, but the Sakarian whiskey was smooth as it went down, and he savored the taste as he watched Inarii dance. She did so effortlessly, moving her arms gracefully above her head while her hips swayed in time to the music. She was the most beautiful woman in the room, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Nor, he suspected, could any other man. Floating cameras swirled around her head, transmitting her mesmerizing image to large screens all around the club. He had no doubt that quite a few men would be getting into trouble with their girlfriends for staring at that image. Inarii’s partner pulled her into his arms as the music slowed, and he felt a surge of jealously ripple through him as he watched them dance. His hand tightened on the glass as he struggled to control the emotion, and after a moment, he did. Inarii was his, he

reminded himself. The men she danced with meant nothing to her. They were nothing more than accessories to her, like a new bracelet or a pair of shoes. They simply made her look better while she danced. She danced for a few more minutes before moving off the floor to join her friends at the bar. Her partner leaned in close to whisper something in her ear, then left her side and headed to the back of the bar. Almost immediately, another guy moved in, slipping his arm around Inarii’s waist as if to stake his claim on her. She looked startled for a moment, and tried to step away from the newcomer, but the man only tightened his grip and tried to pull her onto the dance floor. From his place by the bar, her admirer wondered if he should go to her rescue, but before he could decide, the man she’d been dancing with earlier came back to the bar, and he was forced to watch the drama unfold. At first, it seemed that the men would settle their differences quietly, but then abruptly, one of them threw a punch. The other man went flying back, falling into several people that were still dancing. A drinking glass went sailing across the room, hitting someone else. More punches were thrown as a result. And then, as if all of the nightclub’s patrons were somehow linked together, the fighting spread, and quickly became a brawl. He heard men yelling and women screaming; one of them could have been Inarii. He saw her and her friends try to get out of the way, but in the crush of people, there was nowhere to go, and he knew it would be up to him to keep her safe. He worked his

way toward her, knocking people savagely to the ground. Inarii and her friends were huddled in a corner, and the press of the crowd would not let them out. He grabbed a large man that was trying to slip into the safety of their group and hurled him away. He could see Inarii glance his way, and thought that he saw a smile of gratitude, but before she could thank him properly, the civil protectors arrived. Everything happened so fast. One minute Inarii was trying to give some jerky guy the brush off, and the next thing she knew, the whole club was fighting, and she and her friends were in the middle of it. Suddenly, a shrill noise echoed off the walls, so powerful that it almost paralyzed her. Inarii clapped her hands to her ears, as did almost everyone else in the nightclub. “Put your hands up and sit on the floor!” an amplified male voice boomed out when the sound had dissipated. “Anyone still standing after the next five seconds will be shock-stunned without another warning.” Inarii stood frozen in place for a moment before her friend pulled her to the floor. She watched in disbelief as dozens of blackclad CP’s stormed into the club. Her first thought was that she could somehow disappear in the crowd and slip out the back, but everyone was so scared of getting stunned that no one moved. If she tried, she’d be seen for sure. And then she didn’t have the chance. A protector was on her faster than she would have thought possible. He was tall and heavily built with arms as big around as

marble columns, and the way he was glaring at her behind his riot mask made her cringe involuntarily. He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, then gave her a small shove. “Against the wall!” Afraid that she would be recognized, Inarii kept her head down. She hoped that they would just toss everyone out of the club without arresting them. But if they recognized her, there was no way her father wasn’t going to find out. She started to do as she’d been told, but Kat’Lyn, who’d had certainly had more to drink, jumped to her feet in front of the towering man. “Wait a minute!” she said, lifting her chin to look up at him, her hands on her hips. “Do you have any idea who she is?” All around them, people were being rounded up and cuffed, and Inarii grabbed her friend’s arm. “Kat!” But Kat’Lyn ignored her. “She’s...” “I don’t care who she is,” the man growled. “We’ll find out soon enough anyway.” Grabbing Kat’s hands, he held them together with one meaty hand while he reached into the small pouch at his belt with the other. Taking out a small square transmitter, he slapped it on the girl’s wrist. A pulsating, electronic force field yanked Kat’s wrists together the moment the transmitter touched her skin. With Kat’Lyn taken care of, he turned his attention to Inarii, cuffing her as well, but she barely felt the band encircle her wrists. All she could think of was how her father would react when he found out. He would be furious. She was an ambassador’s

daughter. He overlooked her occasional forays into the clubs, but ambassador’s daughters were not expected to get into brawls, and they most certainly didn’t get arrested! Maybe they wouldn’t even call her father. She was an adult, after all. This thought revolved around and around in her head as Inarii, her friends, and every other person in the club were herded into the civil protector transports. Besides, she thought as she was pushed down on a bench, her father was a reasonable, intelligent man. He would certainly see that this was just a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, this reasoning didn’t make her feel any more comfortable as the transporter took off with a heave that knocked everyone into a jumble on the floor. But her father didn’t see it as a misunderstanding. On the contrary, he was more furious than she’d ever seen, and not only because she’d gotten arrested, either. In fact, Inarii thought he was angrier at the fact that she’d managed to give yet another one of his guards the slip. Though she couldn’t really tell for sure, since her father hadn’t said a word the entire ride back to the house. He’d merely stared straight ahead, jaw tight, expression unreadable. Once inside, however, he found his voice quickly enough. “My study, Inarii,” he said curtly. His tone brooked no argument and she went without a word, making her way down the hallway to her father’s study. “Well, I hope that you’re pleased with yourself,” he said as he came into the room. “Not only did your actions of this evening get you arrested, but they cost Oland Marsden his job as well.” Inarii looked at her father in surprise. She had sneaked off

before, many times, and never once had her father held any of the guards responsible. “But it wasn’t Oland’s fault,” she protested. “I tricked him into going outside so that I could slip out.” “Oh, I’m well aware of that, Inarii,” the ambassador said, and she flushed at the censorious tone in his voice. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t hold him responsible. The man should have been used to your antics by now.” Inarii said nothing. She liked Oland, and felt awful that he’d been dismissed because of her. Of course, she wouldn’t let her father see that. It would be just one more thing that he would try to use to control her. “Just what the hell were you thinking, Inarii?” her father demanded, and then continued before she could answer. “You were supposed to be at a charity dinner, not gallivanting around and getting arrested at some nightclub!” He was actually yelling, she realized; he never did that. She met his glare with one of her own. “How was I supposed to know that protectors were going to raid the place?” His expression hardened. “That’s not the point!” He strode over to his desk and picked up a stack of holographic mail chips, thrusting them in front of her. “Do you know how many threats I get each day, Inarii?” She did, and though she would never admit it, they made her uneasy. “I don’t see how they have anything to do with me,” she said with a shrug. “They have everything to do with you!” he snapped. “Do you have any idea how many people would use you to get to me?

Dammit, Inarii, you deliberately put yourself at risk when you went traipsing around town tonight without a guard. When you went to that club, did you even consider that someone could make a grab for you, or worse?” She put her hands on her hips. “What do you want me to do, Father? Live like a recluse and confine myself to my rooms for the rest of my life?” “I want you to start acting like the responsible woman that you are,” he told her sharply. “You mean you want me to live like a prisoner,” she muttered. He regarded her silently for a moment. “I hardly think that you live like a prisoner, Inarii. You’ve attended the best schools, you wear the finest designer clothes, have the most expensive jewelry. You have more than almost anyone else on this planet. Is it too much to ask that you take a guard with you when you leave the house?” When she said nothing, her father gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Ah, Inarii, why can you not see that it is for your own good?” She slowly lifted her head to look at him. “Why can you not see how unfair it is that your choice of profession makes me a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage?” But he made no answer, and she knew that her father would never understand. They had this argument all the time, and he never changed his mind. He said that he wanted her to act like a responsible woman, but what he really wanted was for her to do

everything she was told. The same old argument on top of the arrest tonight almost made her break down, but she wouldn’t let him see that. Stifling a sob, Inarii turned and hurried from the room. The next day, Chane Kal’yle hired a new bodyguard to protect his daughter. The guards already in his service had proven on more than one occasion that they were not equipped to handle Inarii’s impetuous nature. He needed someone that would not put up with her antics, someone a little bit firmer and not so easily tricked by her. He was hoping that this new guard, Rand Barany, would be that person. The man specialized in personal protection – an actual bodyguard - and had come highly recommended. Chane Kal’yle was a tall, lean man with graying hair and an uncommonly deep voice when he spoke, and when Rand entered the study, the man immediately offered his hand in welcome. It was an old custom, still done on Earth, where Rand was originally from, and as Chane Kal’yle was from the planet Deuntaie, Rand appreciated the gesture. “Mr. Barany, please sit,” the ambassador said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Rand did as he was bid, and when they were both seated, it was Ambassador Kal’yle who spoke. “I must say, your resume is very impressive, Mr. Barany, for someone as young as you are,” he said, reading aloud as he scanned the holo-screen on his desk. “You completed your law degree along with a minor in civil administration in only two years,

graduating with top honors. You graduated top of your class at the CP Academy, and then you were with civil protection for four years where you received many commendations for your performance. You were promoted to investigator after only three years. Then you worked with a private protection company for two years before going out on your own.” He turned his gaze on Rand. “You’ve protected quite a few prominent people, Mr. Barany, and all of them speak very highly of you.” Rand inclined his head. “Thank you, Mr. Ambassador,” he said. He and Chane Kal’yle had already spoken earlier in the day, so he knew that he was being hired to protect the ambassador’s daughter. What he didn’t know was why he was being hired. “I’m flattered, Mr. Ambassador, and certainly interested in the job, but I also can’t help being a little curious as to why you would need me when you have your own security.” Ambassador Kal’yle was silent for a moment before answering. “I’m going to be honest with you, Mr. Barany. My own security is not top of the line; they simply come with the position. But in recent months, the threats I’ve been receiving have become much more serious. I’m involved in several bills and agendas that have made me very unpopular with a few groups within our federated planets’ population. If it were just me, I would not be too concerned, but my daughter has been mentioned in some of the threats, and I am concerned that they will go after her to get to me. My daughter is very headstrong and my security team simply cannot keep up with her. She has gotten very good at eluding them to go where she pleases.” He frowned. “Just last night, she slipped away

from her guard to go to some nightclub, and ended up getting arrested when protectors raided the place. That guard has since been dismissed, of course.” He leveled his gaze at Rand. “My daughter needs a bodyguard that she can’t bully and slip away from, Mr. Barany. Someone who will protect her from herself as well as others.” It sounded more like the ambassador’s daughter needed a good spanking, Rand thought to himself, silently wondering if it had been wise to take on this job. It sounded like this girl was going to be a major pain in the ass. He had agreed to this job simply because protecting an ambassador’s family would be the crowning jewel on his resume, and would ensure that his current one-man company would grow in the future. So, Rand nodded. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure that she behaves herself, and to keep her safe.” Chane Kal’yle nodded, apparently satisfied. “I suppose I should introduce you to my daughter, then.” Sitting back, he spoke to the house computer. “Mirlene, please ask Inarii to come to my study.” “Of course, Ambassador,” the pleasant female voice answered. A few minutes later, the door to the study opened and Inarii came into the room. Her father rose to his feet and Rand did the same, turning as he did so, only to find his resolve threatening to weaken at the sight of the ambassador’s beautiful daughter. Though Inarii’s father was Deuntaien, her mother was of Earthen descent, and the combination was exotic looking. She was

tall and slender like her father, but with just the right amount of womanly curves in all the right places. Courtesy of her Deuntaien heritage, her eyes were the clearest green he’d ever seen, and her full lips, as ridiculously clichéd as it sounded, looked like they’d been made for a man’s kisses. He had obviously seen many holos of her over the years, but none of them did justice to her actual beauty. She was truly stunning. Rand felt himself suddenly grow hard as he thought about what else she could do with that mouth, and swore under his breath. He was here to protect the ambassador’s daughter. Keep her in line when necessary. Nothing more. “Allow me to present my daughter, Inarii,” the ambassador said. “Inarii, this is Rand Barany. I’ve hired him to be your new bodyguard.” “Bodyguard...?” Her voice trailed off, and Rand saw her frown. “But Father, we already have plenty of guards.” Chane Kal’yle gave his daughter an indulgent smile. “Guards who have other responsibilities. Mr. Barany’s only job will be to protect you, something he specializes in.” He gave her a pointed look. “He goes wherever you go, Inarii,” he said, and Rand thought that the man actually seemed to enjoy saying that to her. Inarii’s eyes widened and took on a look of something close to panic as they darted to Rand, before her gaze went back to the ambassador. “But Father...” “Inarii, I’ve made up my mind on this. You will accept Mr. Barany as your personal bodyguard. If not, I will send you home to Deuntaie, where I’m sure you’ll be safe.”

Her mouth fell open, but no words came out. “I’ll let you and Mr. Barany get acquainted, shall I?” her father said, coming around the desk and making his way to the door. Inarii watched him leave the room, staring at the closed door for a moment. She was dressed in the Deuntaien style, the gown sleeveless and belted criss-cross style around her middle to show off her slim waist, and the silky material skimmed over the tops of her sandal-covered feet as she whirled around to face Rand Barany. She didn’t think she’d ever seen a more handsome man. He was tall and broad shouldered with dark hair, strong, angular features, and a wide, generous mouth. He was, if truth were told, just the type of man she was attracted to, though a bit older than the type she normally went for. But she didn’t need another bodyguard, especially one that followed her everywhere she went, no matter how handsome he was. The sooner she made that clear to him, the better. “My father is confused, Mr. Barany,” she said stiffly. “He exaggerates the threat against us. Your services would be a waste of time. As I said, we have quite a few guards in our employment, and I truly doubt that we need another. I’m sure that your services could be put to better use elsewhere.” Rand folded his arms across his chest. “Your father seems to have a completely different opinion,” he said. “But don’t worry, I’ll make this as easy on you as possible. You won’t even notice me.”

Inarii doubted that. “Your father is only concerned about you,” he continued. “My father is overprotective,” she countered. “If it were up to him, I would never leave the house.” If it were up to Rand, she’d never leave his bed, he thought, and swore under his breath again. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn’t like he’d never seen a beautiful woman before. Inarii tossed her long, auburn hair over her shoulder and lifted her chin. “Well, if you insist on working for me, then there’s something you should know. I don’t tolerate insolence of any kind. Contrary to what my father thinks, I need my privacy, and I won’t have you following me around everywhere I go.” Rand clenched his jaw at the imperious tone in her voice. “First of all, I don’t work for you, Ms. Kal’yle, I work for your father, and second of all, there’s something you should know about me. I don’t tolerate insolence, either. When I tell you to do something, it’s for your own safety, so you do it without question. I’m your bodyguard, which means that I’m at your side at all times, so there will be no sneaking off to go shopping at the market, or to go dancing at some nightclub, or to meet a lover for some secret rendezvous, or do whatever it is that you do when you sneak off. Unlike your other guards, I won’t put up with your antics.” Inarii stared at Rand Barany, wondering where her father had found such an insufferable man, and just how much her father had told him about her? “How dare you...?” Rand folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, I dare, Ms. Kal’yle. I’m not just your bodyguard, apparently I’m also your

babysitter, so I fully expect you to behave yourself and do as I tell you. Do I make myself clear?” Inarii felt herself blush at the words. “I’m not a child, Mr. Barany, to be ordered around!” she told him hotly. “Then behave yourself and I won’t treat you like one. Then we’ll get along like two reasonable adults.” He glanced at his watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me...” She took an unconscious step back as Rand walked past her and he couldn’t hide the smirk that touched his mouth. He could feel the disdain coming off her in waves. But it didn’t matter. She could despise him for all he cared, just as long as she did as she was told. This job was too important to his career. Inarii stared at Rand Barany’s retreating back, her pulse racing, her breathing ragged, and a warmth that she didn’t want to put a name to spreading through her. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was attracted to the man. Which was absolutely absurd, of course! Rand Barany was rude and arrogant. He probably never even went to a school of higher education, much less read a book. He was not at all the type of man she would be attracted to. She frowned at that – just minutes ago, she was telling herself that he was exactly the type of man she would be attracted to. But that was before she learned what an ass he was. Inarii took a deep breath and let it out slowly, smoothing her gown with her hands, trying to calm herself. Getting poor Oland fired had taught her something, at least. All she had to do was make this Rand Barany look like an incompetent imbecile, and her father would have no choice but to fire him. She just had to make it seem

like it was Rand’s fault, so that her father wouldn’t follow through on his threat to send her back to their home planet. A threat that she doubted he would follow through on anyway. At that point, she could either convince her father that she didn’t need a bodyguard, or she would keep going through them until there were none left that were willing to work for her father. One thing was for sure; this Rand Barany was not going to get the better of her.

CHAPTER TWO Inarii got up early the next morning, hoping she could talk some sense into her father. But he wouldn’t budge, no matter what she said or what she promised, and so she was forced to endure Rand Barany’s presence at breakfast the next morning. No sooner had she taken a seat at the table than her new bodyguard came into the room. He took up a post off to one side of the large dining room in what he probably thought was an inconspicuous location. But even though she had to look at him out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but notice that he looked even more handsome than he had yesterday, and despite the fact that she’d spent a good deal of time after their meeting telling herself that she wasn’t attracted to him, her traitorous pulse skipped a beat at the sight of him. It was too bad that she was going to have to do everything in her power to get rid of him. She could certainly have gotten used to having him around. Determined to ignore him, she sipped her exotic Mactaran tea and continued to thumb through the holographic fashion magazine she’d been looking at. The latest fashions from around the federation walked back and forth above the tabletop, and she tried to focus on them as much as possible to try to take her mind off her bodyguard. Rand Barany, however, would not be ignored. He walked across the room to stand beside her chair. “Ms. Kal’yle, I’ll need your schedule for today,” he said. “As well as your calendar for the

rest of the week.” She didn’t look at him. “I don’t keep a schedule, but if you must know, I’m going to the spa for a massage this morning.” Rand’s mouth quirked. “Of course.” Inarii’s head snapped up at the condescending tone in his voice. “I’ll have you know that I pulled a muscle playing tennis.” The words were out before she realized she’d said them and she caught herself. Why was she explaining herself to him? But it didn’t matter anyway. Rand Barany had already turned his back to her and was walking out of the room. Insufferable man! She almost considered sneaking out of the house right then. That would show him! But she doubted it would work because she was certain that he hadn’t gone very far. Which was fine since she had a much better idea anyway, an idea that would be but the first step in showing her father that Rand was useless. Finishing her tea, she left the table and went to her rooms to dress. Her plan worked perfectly, and she was pretty confident that Rand Barany didn’t suspect a thing. They politely ignored each other on the drive to the spa, and once there, her new bodyguard settled himself in the lounge to wait for her. Inarii almost laughed at how out of place he looked in the spa’s tranquil setting as she followed one of the girls into the back. The people who worked at the spa were almost like family to her, and were used to Inarii utilizing them as a cover to sneak away from her guards, so they thought nothing of it when she left through the back door after only a quick touch-up on her nails.

Once outside, she hopped into a transporter and instructed the vehicle to take her to an address in the Westwick Sector of the city. Being in Westwick was like being on another planet. It was the decrepit part of the city where the outcasts went to live because they would be considered human refuse anywhere else on the planet. It was also the part of the city where Inarii spent far more of her time than anyone would ever realize. Instructing the transporter to let her out a few blocks short of her destination, she walked the rest of the way to the shelter, passing prostitutes, panhandlers and the rest of the downtrodden that roamed the streets as she went. No one bothered her, mainly because they all knew her. No one down here had ever seen a hologram of her. She wasn’t a rich girl to them, just someone that showed up now and then to help out. “Inarii! Inarii! Neva, Inarii’s here!” a little girl’s voice excitedly announced her presence the minute Inarii stepped into the bustling shelter. The place was run down, but clean. The smell of disinfectants was in a constant battle with their enemies of sickness and mildew. It wasn’t much, but it was the only place that most of these people had to get medical help. Inarii saw Neva, the older woman who ran the shelter, look up from one of her charges and glance in her direction. Inarii gave the woman a smile and a wave as the little girl who’d called her name ran up to Inarii and threw her skinny arms around her. Inarii embraced the girl for a moment before getting down on one knee in front of her.

Maricel was small for a ten-year-old, with big blue eyes and a head of unruly, wavy blond hair that was barely kept tame by the braid she wore. When Neva had first taken the little girl in, she’d been even skinnier than she was now, and afraid of her own shadow. But since she’d been at the shelter, Maricel had come out of her shell, which Neva attributed to Inarii. Though Inarii was too modest to take credit for Maricel’s change in personality, she had to admit that did love the little girl. “I can spell a new word,” Maricel told her eagerly. “Wanna hear?” Inarii tucked a strand of hair behind the girl’s ear. “I most certainly do,” she said with a smile. Maricel’s new word was nebula, and she spelled it perfectly. Inarii’s smile broadened. She’d been teaching the little girl to read and write, something that was even more gratifying than she would have imagined. But perhaps that was because Maricel was such an enthusiastic student, Inarii thought. Neva, who had come over to them at that precise moment, smiled fondly at the little girl. “She’s been practicing all morning,” the woman said. “Haven’t you, darling?” Maricel nodded. “Neva’s been teaching me to spell the names of the moons, too. Wanna hear?” Inarii laughed. Maricel was fascinated with the moonlets that encircled Andras Prime, and when Inarii sometimes came by in the evenings, she and Maricel would go up onto the roof and gaze at the colorful night sky. “I do, but after I talk to Neva, okay, sweetie?” she said to

the little girl. Maricel pursed her lips as if giving the question much thought before she nodded and went skipping off to join a few of the other girls who were playing a game. “That little girl loves you,” Neva said to Inarii. “When I told her that you would be coming by today, she could hardly wait. Kept her eyes glued to the door, she did.” Inarii only smiled as she turned her attention to the older woman. Half Earthen and half Candoshen, Neva was a petite woman with hazel eyes, a warm smile and silvery gray hair that she always wore up in a bun. She was also what Inarii’s Earthen grandmother would call a little dynamo. No matter what time Inarii came by, Neva could be found bustling around the shelter. Inarii didn’t know where the woman got her energy. “I’d take Maricel home with me if I could, but...” Inarii’s voice trailed off as a pang of regret stabbed at her. But there would be questions, she finished silently, and let out a sigh. “So,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. “Were you able to get the supplies you needed with the money I gave you, or did you need some more?” Neva took her smooth hand in both of her own work-worn ones. “You’ve been more than generous already, child.” Inarii said nothing, merely looked around the room. People of all ages relied on Neva’s shelter, and though Inarii gave what she could from her trust fund, it barely kept the shelter up and running. She would have given more, but there were limits on how much cash could be withdrawn from her trust fund without her father

being notified. She couldn’t let that happen. It wasn’t that he would have frowned upon how the money was being spent, but he would never approve of her coming down here herself, and coming down to the shelter was too important to her. As Inarii listened to Neva about what had been happening at the shelter since Inarii had been there, a tall, blond man walked by. He was reading something on his com as he went, and didn’t seem to notice either woman. “Doctor,” Inarii called. He halted in his tracks to turn and look at her in surprise. His name was Brecken Halmer, and he served as the shelter’s one and only doctor. Several years older than Inarii, he had graduated at the top of his class, and was well on his way to becoming one of Andras Prime’s most sought after doctors when he developed an addiction to the drugs he’d been prescribing. He had since cleaned up for the most part, but even so, no self-respecting medical clinic would touch him. Which was a shame, Inarii thought, because he really was a brilliant doctor. She had learned a lot from him. She’d had to. There were no nurses to help him here, so Inarii and Neva assisted him in everything that was done at the shelter. She imagined that her father would be alarmed at some of the things she had done. “Inarii,” he said, nervously adjusting his glasses as he shyly met her gaze. Inarii smiled at him. Brecken had a huge crush on her, or so Neva kept telling her. But there would never be anything between them, and she thought even Brecken knew that.

“How is Danton doing?” she asked, referring to one of the little boys that had been in his care. Brecken’s expression grew serious at her question. “Not well, I’m afraid. The medicine I’ve been giving him worked initially, but now it’s as if I gave him nothing at all. If anything, his condition has worsened.” Inarii frowned. Danton was such a sweet, little boy, she thought. “Is there nothing else you could try?” He sighed. “If he were in a real hospital, perhaps. I’ve done much reading on the subject, and there are a few experimental drugs being used for his condition, but without being part of the drug tests, it would be almost impossible to get them.” “Can we buy it somewhere?” she asked. He shared a look with Neva before answering. “Perhaps on the black market. I know a few people I could ask, but the drugs would be very costly, and the people who sell it are unlikely to operate in this part of town.” She thought a moment. She might be able to slip some more out of her trust fund without her father knowing. “If you can arrange it, I’ll get it for you.” At first, both Neva and Brecken protested, saying that if Inarii were caught purchasing drugs on the black market, it would not only get her arrested, but it could very well destroy her father’s reputation. Plus, it could be dangerous. But Inarii would hear none of it. “We’re talking about a little boy’s life,” she said firmly, and in the end, Neva and Bracken agreed with her.

Brecken said he would try to contact someone about one of the drugs, and then give Inarii the details. Inarii spent the rest of the time at the shelter with Maricel. Though she would have liked to remain longer, she knew she had to get back to the spa before her new bodyguard discovered that she was missing. Rand glanced at his watch – again – and his jaw tightened. It had been more than two hours since Inarii Kal’yle had gone in for her massage. In that time, he’d read through the messages on his com, read the news, read the sports pages, and even thumbed through a few of the holographic magazines that the spa had. Despite the fact that he’d just started working for the ambassador, Rand was starting to regret taking the job more and more. Inarii Kal’yle was a spoiled brat, and would no doubt be nothing but trouble. Nevertheless, he firmed his resolve with the knowledge that working for Ambassador Kal’yle would make his career. Getting to his feet, Rand walked over to the receptionist’s desk. The pretty, dark-haired girl looked up from her computer and smiled. “May I help you, sir?” “I’m waiting for Inarii Kal’yle, and was wondering if she’ll be done soon,” Rand said. The girl hesitated for a moment. “What did she come in for?” “A massage,” he said. “But it’s been over two hours.” The receptionist hesitated again, before letting out what

sounded like a nervous laugh. “Well, sometimes our clients come in for one thing, and then decide to take advantage of our other services. Perhaps she’s getting a facial or a manicure. Or maybe even a session in our hyper baric chamber.” Rand would have believed that of the pampered Ms. Kal’yle if the receptionist weren’t so obviously avoiding his gaze. His gut told him that the girl was lying, and he’d learned long ago to always trust his gut. “I’d like to see Ms. Kal’yle,” he said to the receptionist. She seemed taken aback by the request. “Our spa rooms are designed for the privacy of our clients. I’m afraid it would be unconscionable for me to interrupt her session.” “I’m Ms. Kal’yle’s bodyguard,” he continued. “If you don’t take me to see her, I’ll have to assume that she’s in danger and I’ll kick in every door back there until I find her. That would be sure to bring the protectors in here and that will be the end of your business for today. I’m sure your boss wouldn’t want that.” For a moment, the girl looked like she was about to give in, but when she still hesitated, Rand started around the desk, intending to do exactly as he’d said he would. The receptionist immediately jumped up to follow him. “Wait, please...” she said, almost running to keep up with him. “Ms. Kal’yle’s not here.” Rand spun on his heel to face her, his eyes narrowing. “What do you mean, she’s not here? Where is she?” The girl took a step back. “I...I don’t know,” she stammered. “Sometimes, she books an appointment for a massage

or a manicure, and then asks us to cover for her while she slips out the back.” Rand swore under his breath. Pulling out his com, he punched the buttons angrily as he strode back down the hallway. “Sir, sir!” the receptionist called, chasing after him. “You should really consider one of our relaxing aromatherapy sessions...” Rand didn’t hear any more as the door slid closed behind him. The com linked to the Civil Protection Agency by the time he reached the front door as he stalked down the sidewalk toward the ambassador’s transporters. Before he got there, a man’s face appeared above the holo-unit. “Hey, Rand,” the man said. “It’s been a long time. Is this a social call or just work, as usual?” Heedless of the crowd of people on the sidewalk, Rand halted in mid-step to focus on the image. Kren Nalsory had been Rand’s partner when he’d been a protector, and as well as being his friend, the man was also his contact at the agency. “I need you to run an ident-card for me,” Rand said. “Inarii Kal’yle.” Kren lifted a brow. “The ambassador’s daughter? You’re working for her?” There was no mistaking the leering expression on his friend’s face. “Her father, actually,” Rand said. “Look, I need to know if she used her ident-card in the past couple of hours, especially on a transporter.” Kren ran her name through the computer. “She took a transport from mid-city to Westwick.”

Rand frowned. “Westwick? Are you sure?” Kren checked the computer screen again, and then nodded. “Tev Street in the Westwick Sector.” Rand swore under his breath. What the hell was Inarii Kal’yle doing down in Westwick? Probably buying party drugs or something, no doubt. He asked Kren to alert him if her ident-card was used for anything else, especially another transporter. Quickly thanking Kren for his help, Rand made his way through the crowd of people to the ambassador’s transporter. The driver, a heavyset, middle-age man, had seen his approach, and was looking at him questioningly. “It seems that Ms. Kal’yle decided to give us the slip,” Rand said to the man. “Tev Street in Westwick.” Minutes later, they were gliding above the streets toward the slums. The closer they got to the Westwick Sector, the more furious Rand became. Why did Inarii feel the need to constantly flout authority? Was it a game with her? Did she want to see how many guards her father would dismiss before the ambassador finally let her have her way? Rand clenched his jaw at that. Well, he’d be damned if he got canned because of a spoiled brat like Inarii Kal’yle. As they glided down Tev Street, Rand searched the sidewalk for Inarii, but there was no sign of her. This place was a complete dump; he couldn’t imagine why she would be here. Then, to his surprise, she appeared around the corner to walk toward them. “I’ve got her,” he said to the driver, who immediately

instructed the computer to drop the transporter down to street level. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Rand strode toward Inarii. He waited for her to duck down a side street, or turn and walk in the opposite direction once she saw him, but she didn’t appear to have seen him at all. In fact, she was so oblivious that she didn’t notice him until he was standing right in front of her, and she was forced to halt in her tracks. “What the hell are you doing down here?” he demanded. Inarii’s eyes went wide at the sight of her bodyguard. She’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Maricel and Danton that she hadn’t even seen him. But with his arms folded across his broad chest and the way he was glowering at her, Rand Barany looked very formidable indeed. “How...how did you find me?” she asked in amazement. His brows drew together. “Answer my question, Ms. Kal’yle.” She lifted her chin to meet his dark gaze. “That’s none of your business.” He clenched his jaw. “I’m your bodyguard. That makes it my business. I go where you go. Remember?” She gave him a disdainful look. “I remember, and if you can rub your two brain cells together, you’ll remember I said that I need my privacy.” She made as if to push past him, but he caught her arm. The touch of his hand on her bare skin sent a jolt through her, and she felt her pulse skip a beat. He began to pull her toward the transporter.

“I told you that I wouldn’t put up with your antics,” he said softly as they reached the transporter. “Pull a stunt like that again, Ms. Kal’yle, and I’ll put you over my knee and spank you.” Inarii stared up at him, speechless and blushing furiously. Spank her! She’d never been spanked in her life. No one was spanked anymore. It was archaic. Just who did Rand Barany think he was? Earth must be more barbaric than her mother had described if this was the way the men behaved on that planet. “Do I make myself clear, Ms. Kal’yle?” he asked when she remained silent. She jerked away to regard him scathingly. “If you so much as put a hand on me, Mr. Barany, not only will my father fire you, but he’ll have you arrested and tossed into the foulest prison known to man.” He lifted a brow, his mouth quirking in genuine amusement at her dramatics. “For teaching his spoiled daughter a much-needed lesson? He’ll probably thank me.” Inarii opened her mouth to retort, but could think of nothing acerbic enough to say. Blushing, she turned and practically dived into the transporter. From where he stood, Rand couldn’t help but watch the way her skirt tightened over her bottom as she bent to get in the transporter. Nice, he thought to himself. Spanking her would be fun, even if it did get him fired. But as he got in the transporter, he couldn’t help but wonder again what she had been doing in this part of town. He thought perhaps she’d been to some underground club, but she

certainly hadn’t been dressed for it, and she showed no signs of having consumed alcohol or taken drugs. But what other explanation could there be? After a time, he gave up trying to figure it out. It didn’t matter anyway. Inarii was simply testing his limits, and she was going to be sorry if she didn’t stop. Because if she didn’t behave herself, he wouldn’t hesitate to put her over his knee and spank her. That evening, Inarii attended a party for one of Andras Prime’s hottest artists, Tacy Penrith. He worked in holographic art, and his images were so evocative that she thought perhaps she’d actually make a purchase. That is, if Rand Barany let her out of his sight long enough, she thought moodily, and was just trying to figure out how to get away from him when she heard her name being called. “Inarii? I thought that was you.” She looked up from the hologram she’d been admiring to see Jarek Bretaigne smiling down at her. Tall, good looking, and the son of the Candoshen ambassador, Jarek was one of the most eligible men on Andras Prime, and though she’d gone out with him a few times, there hadn’t been any chemistry between them, something both of them had quickly realized. Even so, they had remained friends, and it was nice to see him. “Jarek!” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t think art galleries were your thing.” He laughed. “I’m trying to improve my image.” I have a new consultant that says it would be just the thing.” He glanced at

Rand curiously, obviously waiting for an introduction, but when she made none, he continued. “I’m considering making a purchase, though, and could use some of your advice.” Inarii could have kissed him. Not only had Jarek given her a way to get out from under the watchful eye of her bodyguard, but he could be just the means she’d been looking for to get away from Rand. Smiling up at Jarek, she tucked her hand in the crook of his proffered arm. “I’d love to,” she said, and then looked pointedly at Rand. “If you’ll excuse me...” But before she could take a step, Rand caught her arm, leaning close so that his mouth was inches from her ear. “Behave yourself.” His softly spoken warning was a reminder of the spanking he’d promised her if she didn’t, and she almost reconsidered her plan to ditch him. She probably would have, too, if she didn’t think he’d been bluffing. There was no way that he’d ever actually spank her. Nobody was that bold. Inarii could feel Rand’s eyes on her as she moved off with Jarek, but she wouldn’t give her bodyguard the satisfaction of turning to look at him. Instead, she focused her attention on Jarek, who was looking at her curiously. “So, is he your new boyfriend?” he asked, clearly referring to Rand. “Boyfriend!” The idea was so preposterous that she almost laughed. “Heavens, no! He’s my new bodyguard.” Jarek nodded. “That explains why he’s so protective of

you, then. Well, he certainly is imposing.” She glanced over her shoulder at Rand to find him watching her with that intent gaze of his, and it was all she could do not to give in to the impulse to make a face at him before she turned back to Jarek. “The man is a complete and utter boor, but for some reason, my father seems to like him,” she said, and then gave Jarek a smile. “But enough about my bodyguard. Show me this piece of artwork you’re thinking of buying.” Though Jarek Bretaigne claimed not to be a connoisseur of fine art, he did have an eye for it, because the piece he’d chosen was beautiful. Relieved that he had Inarii’s blessing, Jarek started to excuse himself, saying that he wanted to speak to the gallery’s owner about setting up the purchase. “After you talk to her, do you think you could give me a ride home?” Inarii asked before he could disappear into the crowd. Jarek frowned. “What about your bodyguard?” She smiled mischievously. “The man thinks I’m his prisoner half the time anyway. I just want to show him that I’m not, and this will be the perfect opportunity.” Jarek still looked hesitant, but after a moment he nodded, and as she watched him go off in search of the gallery owner, she was reminded of why there’d been no chemistry between them. She preferred men who weren’t afraid to take charge when the situation warranted. Dismissing Jarek for the moment, she turned to look for the first server she could find. Taking out a few large bills from her

evening bag, she made her way over to the girl. “I wonder if you could help me,” Inarii said. “It turns out that my ex-boyfriend is here, and I wanted to slip out without him seeing me, so I was hoping that you could kind of distract him for me.” The girl looked at her in confusion. “Distract him, how?” “Spill a tray of drinks on him?” Inarii said hopefully. The girl’s eyes widened. “I...I don’t know about that...I could get fired,” she began, but her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the money in Inarii’s hand. “Which one is he?” Inarii smiled. “He’s standing by the fountain.” The girl glanced at the fountain to regard Rand, who was perusing a set of pictures on the wall. “He’s cute,” she said. “I’d love to see the guy that you dumped him for.” Inarii resisted the urge to make a nasty comment and smiled instead. “Thank you,” she said to the girl, pressing the notes into her hand. Jarek came back just as the server began to work her way through the crowd of people toward Rand. “Ready?” Jarek asked her. Though Inarii wanted to stay and watch Rand Barany get what was coming to him, she nodded at Jarek, and they made their way toward the door. “Oh, sir, I’m so sorry,” the serving girl apologized. She was dabbing at the front of Rand’s jacket with a cloth as she spoke. But it was no use. She had dumped more than a dozen drinks of every

imaginable color right down his chest and pants. “I...I didn’t even see you.” Rand tried to wipe off what he could with his hand. “It’s fine!” he snapped, and then swore under his breath. He wasn’t actually angry, just embarrassed, so he immediately softened his tone. “Really. It’s fine. It’ll come out.” The girl took a step back to regard him uncertainly. “Are you sure? I could get some seltzer water and try to help you clean it up.” He shook his head. The clatter of the tray had caught everyone’s attention, and they were all staring at the spectacle he and the server were making. The jacket and trousers he wore were soaked through, and he was pretty sure that some of the stains from the more exotic drinks were never going to come out. “It really is fine,” he said to the girl, watching as another server hurried across the room to help clean up the mess on the floor. He considered lending a hand, but then realized that he’d probably just get in their way. All he wanted to do was find Inarii and get her home, then change out of his wet clothes. Looking around, he searched the room for Inarii, but didn’t see her or the guy she’d gone off with. He frowned. Granted, the gallery was crowded, but the ambassador’s beautiful daughter tended to stand out in a crowd. Nevertheless, he walked the room in an effort to find her, to no avail. Surely, she wouldn’t have been foolish enough to sneak off again, he thought, especially not after what he told her he’d do if she did.

But there was no sign of her anywhere. Swearing under his breath, Rand headed for the door. Outside, he was met by the gallery’s valet. “Did a woman leave a little while ago?” Rand asked him. “Tall, auburn hair, wearing a blue dress. She was the best looking woman here.” The man didn’t have to think for more than a second before answering. “Yeah, I did see her. She left with some guy, definitely not in her class.” Rand swore under his breath again. “Did they happen to mention where they were going?” “Home, I think,” the valet told him. “At least I heard her thank the guy for taking her home.” “Dammit!” Rand swore, shaking his head. Then realizing that the valet was waiting for his ident-card, Rand handed it to him, and then stood impatiently while he waited for the ambassador’s driver to bring the transport around. Once at the ambassador’s house, Rand stormed inside, one thing on his mind. “Mirlene,” he called to the house computer as he stepped into the huge foyer. “Yes, Mr. Barany,” came her soft, even voice. “Where’s Inarii?” A pause while the computer located her, then. “In her rooms, Mr. Barany.” Without another word, Rand headed for the stairs.

As she waited for the bath to fill, Inarii smiled to herself as she imagined the look on Rand Barany’s face when that server had spilled the tray of drinks on him. It must have been priceless, she thought, as she belted the short robe around her slender waist. A bell chimed, letting her know that the door to her rooms was being opened. Probably her maid coming in to turn down her bed for the night, she thought. She was surprised when Rand Barany strode into the room. She couldn’t help but notice that the front of his trousers were still wet from the drinks he’d been doused with, and she probably would have laughed if he didn’t look so furious. Did he know that she was responsible for his soaking? “I warned you about sneaking off, Ms. Kal’yle,” he said. She shrugged, ignoring the fierce glint in his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I...” Rand didn’t let her finish. Grabbing her arm, he dragged her across the room to one of the stuffed chairs, where she found herself unceremoniously upended over the back of it. “What are you doing?” she demanded indignantly, craning her neck to see over her shoulder. “Showing you that I mean what I say,” he ground out. “What...?!” she began, only to let out a yelp of outrage as he smacked her upturned bottom. “How dare you!” she gasped. “Let me go!” “Not until we understand each other, Ms. Kal’yle.” With that, he brought his hand down again, harder this time. Crying out, Inarii struggled to right herself, but Rand Barany held

her firmly in place with a hand on her back, and she was forced to submit to the dozen or so sharp spanks he gave her. Then, with a firm grip on her arm, he pulled her upright to glare down at her. Her hair was a wild tumble about her shoulders, her face was flushed pink, and her beautiful green eyes were full of disbelief as she looked up at him. “You...you spanked me!” she stammered. “No, that was not a true spanking. That was only a taste of what a real spanking will feel like. If you ever sneak off again like you did tonight, I’ll show you what a real spanking feels like, and trust me, it’ll be much harder and much longer,” he told her. Before Inarii could do more than gasp, Rand Barany was out the door, leaving her to stand there with a hot and tingling bottom. That was it! Rand Barany had gone too far. She would tell her father the moment he came home, she told herself angrily, and when she did, her arrogant bodyguard would be fired on the spot. Let’s see how superior he would be then, when he was out on his ass! While the thought of revenge did appease her fervor, it did nothing to calm the stinging of her own bottom, and she couldn’t help but wonder what a real spanking would feel like if that one had only been a taste. Her pulse skipped a beat at the thought.

CHAPTER THREE But Inarii didn’t tell her father that Rand had spanked her. Not when the ambassador came home that evening, and not at breakfast the next morning. Oh, she’d tried - she’d even started to bring up the subject once or twice over coffee and poached eggs – but each time she tried she ended up being so embarrassed that her voice just kept trailing off. But really, how could she tell her father that her new bodyguard had upended her over the back of a cushioned chair and spanked her? Her cheeks grew hot just thinking about it! Of course, it didn’t help that she kept procrastinating, she supposed. How could she seem suitably outraged about Rand’s behavior if she kept waiting to tell her father about what a brute he’d been? Inarii unconsciously shifted in her chair at the memory. After Rand had left her rooms, she’d gone back into the bath with every intention of banishing him from her mind by soaking in the warm, inviting water that filled the tub, but for some reason she couldn’t help but gaze transfixed at her bottom in the mirror. Despite the short robe she’d been wearing, her skin was pink where Rand’s hand had made contact. But even more surprising was that it still tingled from what her bodyguard claimed wasn’t even a real spanking. Damn, she thought irritably, but the man had an annoying way of intruding in her thoughts. She hadn’t even seen him since the

previous night, but to her consternation, all she seemed to do was think of him. Which was why she was so relieved when Kat’Lyn came by to have lunch with her. Surely spending a few hours talking about fashion, make-up, and men with her friend would be enough to purge the exasperating Rand Barany from her mind. “So, was your father really mad about the other night?” Kat asked as soon as they’d sat down at one of the tables in the garden. She was obviously referring to the raid at Deep Space and their subsequent arrest. Inarii made a face as she thought of the fight she’d had with her father after he’d picked her up at the civil protector station. “Mad doesn’t even begin to describe it, Kat. He was so furious that he fired poor Oland on the spot just because I slipped away from him to have a normal life for a few hours. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he hired the most rude, obnoxious, arrogant man he could find to be my new bodyguard.” She swore silently. Even though she had promised to banish any thought of Rand from her mind, it was somehow the first thing that came up in conversation. A smiled played on the other girl’s lips. “Don’t like him much, do you?” “He thinks I’m his prisoner!” Inarii complained. “I can’t take two steps without him asking me where I’m going or what I’m doing. He treats me like a child. It’s ridiculous!” Her dark-haired friend waited until the pretty, petite maid had finished serving them before she spoke, and then it was to shrug off Inarii’s words. “There hasn’t been a guard you can’t give the slip, Inarii.”

That was true, Inarii reflected as she picked up her fork, but none of her other guards had ever stormed into her rooms and spanked her because she’d done so. “This one’s different,” Inarii said quietly. “Different how?” Kat asked. “He’s a man, and you’re a woman who’s an expert at wrapping the opposite sex around your finger.” Inarii toyed with her salad, pushing the fresh greens around on the plate. “He...he spanked me.” There was a silence for a moment and then, “He did what?” as if Kat hadn’t heard correctly. Inarii could hardly meet her friend’s gaze. “I slipped away from him the other night at the art gallery and he spanked me for it.” Kat’s eyes grew wide. “Right there in the gallery?” Inarii was horrified at the idea. “Of course not! He followed me back here, and then barged into my rooms.” “You mean he just put you over his knee and spanked you?” the other girl asked incredulously. Inarii said nothing, too embarrassed to go into detail with her friend. “What did your father do?” Kat asked when she didn’t answer. Inarii began to play with her food again. “Nothing. He doesn’t know. I was too embarrassed to tell him.” She started to say more, but Rand Barany chose that moment to check in on her. Though he said nothing, his dark eyes held in them what she was sure was a look of superiority. He

probably believed he’d bullied her last night with his barbaric show of strength, she thought angrily. Well, he was in for a rude awakening. Lifting her chin, she met his gaze with a disdainful look of her own, almost hoping to provoke him into saying something. However, to her surprise, Rand simply glanced from her to Kat, and then back to her before leaving the garden. But not before giving her a warning look, she noticed. “Please tell me that’s not your new bodyguard,” Kat said. “Every arrogant inch of him,” Inarii muttered. Kat’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell me he was so gorgeous.” “He’s not gorgeous!” Inarii said hotly. “Well...maybe he is. But he’s also the most uncouth, pompous, loathsome man I’ve ever met.” Kat thought a moment, then shrugged. “Still...” “Kat, he spanked me!” Her friend gestured with her fork. “You know, maybe you should tell your father about that,” she said. “And then after he gives him the sack, I’ll talk my father into hiring him.” Inarii stared at her friend in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Kat smiled a teasing, little smile. “I’ve heard that a spanking can be very sexual.” Inarii felt herself turn red. “It wasn’t sexual, Kat. It was humiliating!” Despite her protests, Inarii felt her pulse quicken at the

thought and she viciously speared a tomato with her fork. Even if Rand Barany were too handsome for words – which she grudgingly had to admit that he was - there was absolutely nothing sexy about the spanking he’d given her! Determined to put Rand from her mind, Inarii turned the conversation away from the subject of her new bodyguard to the club that she and Kat’Lyn were going to that night only to have her friend bring the subject back to Rand again. “You’re actually going to go out without telling him again?” Kat grinned. “Are you sure you didn’t enjoy that spanking he gave you just a little?” Rand’s vow from the night before to give her a real spanking if she ever sneaked off again echoed in Inarii’s mind and she squirmed a little in her chair. Would he really make good on his promise? she wondered. Of course he would, she thought. But only if he realized that she’d given him the slip again. Which meant that she just had to make sure he didn’t find out. To that end, she concocted a plan to meet Kat’Lyn down the street from her house that evening. The house was large and it was not inconceivable that she could slip out without being seen by her bodyguard. From there, they could go club hopping all night if they wanted to and no one – especially her annoying bodyguard – would be the wiser. Pleased with her cleverness, Inarii suggested that she and Kat go to her rooms after lunch so that her friend could help Inarii pick out something to wear for that evening. As the two girls walked down the hallway toward her rooms, they passed Rand,

who, thankfully, was heading in the opposite direction. Ignoring him, Inarii continued to converse with Kat, but Rand’s voice stopped her. “Is there anything on your schedule for today that I should know about, Ms. Kal’yle?” Inarii turned to regard him coolly. “Kat and I are going to try on some clothes, and then spend the afternoon discussing the latest gossip. You’re welcome to join us, of course, though I rather doubt that any of my clothes will fit you. Might be fun to see, though, now that I think about it.” He said nothing for a moment, as if considering whether he should respond to her insult, but he only nodded. “You will let me know if you decide to go out, won’t you?” Inarii gave him what she thought was her most innocent look. “Of course,” she said sweetly. His mouth tightened, but he said nothing, simply turning on his heel and striding down the hallway. Inarii watched him go before turning back to her friend, who also had her gaze trained on Rand’s retreating figure. “Well, if you change your mind and tell your father about that spanking, make sure you give me a call,” Kat said, giving Rand an appraising look. “I certainly wouldn’t mind having that bodyguard of yours around.” Her friend had to be joking, Inarii thought, because there was no way that any woman would willingly put up with a man as domineering as Rand Barany.

Rand had thought that the spanking he’d given Inarii, and the promise of another one should she continue to misbehave, would have been enough to curb her wild ways. But apparently, he was wrong; because he was sure she was up to something. Her sugary-sweet words of acquiescence were a deception, he was sure. She was way too independent and headstrong to give in to him that easily, even if it did earn her another spanking. After warming Inarii’s bottom last night, Rand had fully expected to be summoned to her father’s office that morning to be dismissed, or at the very least, reprimanded for his actions. But when he’d passed Chane Kal’yle in the hallway earlier, the man had simply asked him how things were going and whether his daughter was behaving herself. Which meant that Inarii hadn’t told her father about the spanking. That surprised Rand a little. He thought Inarii would have run to her father and demanded his head on a platter. But perhaps she was fearful that if she did her father would find out that she was up to her old antics again, and that he would make good on his threat and send her back to Deuntaie. Whatever her reason, Rand had to admit he was relieved she hadn’t told her father. This job was too important to his career for him to get fired simply because he’d given the boss’ daughter exactly what she deserved. Rand felt himself grow hard at the memory. Even though she’d been wearing a robe, it was obvious that Inarii had an ass that was just made for spanking. It was true that he hadn’t spanked her all that hard, but it had probably been hard enough to give her cheeks a nice rosy blush. The mental image almost made him groan

aloud. Rand’s mouth quirked. He almost hoped that Inarii did disobey him and sneak off somewhere again because he would very much enjoy putting her over his knee and spanking that bottom of hers until it was the perfect shade of red. The dealer – or procurer of exotic drugs, as he preferred to be known – returned Inarii’s call that afternoon. Kat’Lyn had already left, so Inarii was free to open the com connection without fear of being overheard. Kat didn’t know about her work at the shelter and Inarii wanted to keep it that way. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her friend, but she couldn’t risk the girl inadvertently saying something about it in front of the ambassador. The com’s screen, which usually displayed the caller’s holographic image, showed only a black screen, protecting the man’s identity. It was a bit disconcerting, especially since Inarii’s identity wasn’t blocked on his side. “Well, well, well...Ambassador Kal’yle’s daughter. Who’d have thought? Not my normal clientele” Inarii prickled at the amusement in the man’s deep voice. “It seems that you have me at a distinct disadvantage, since you can see me, but I can’t see you. I don’t even know your name.” The man laughed. “Which is exactly how I like it,” he told her. “So, what can I get for you, Ms. Kal’yle.” “Fexolatine Sodium,” she said. “I need one hundred doses.” There was a pause. She could hear some computer keys clicking. “Fexolatine Sodium is some pretty cutting edge stuff. That

makes it expensive. Two-hundred credits a dose. But I imagine that money’s no object for someone like yourself.” Inarii was momentarily taken aback by the price. She was going to have a hard time hiding that from her father’s accountants. “Can you get it for me, or not?” “I can get it.” Another pause. “So, what do you want Fexolatine for?” She frowned. “I was told that you didn’t ask questions.” She could almost see him shrug. “Usually I don’t. But when someone like you asks for that much of a drug that’s only known use on the street is medicinal, I just wonder if you know something about it that I don’t.” Her frown deepened. “Like what?” “Like whether it can be used recreationally. If it can, then maybe this can be the beginning of a beautiful relationship for you and me. I supply the product, you move it.” Inarii snorted. “I don’t think so.” “Well, if you change your mind...” “I won’t. Look, how do we do this?” she asked. “Do I just meet you in an alley, hand over the money, and you give me the drug?” He laughed. “You’ve been watching too much holo, Ms. Kal’yle. Come to the Dark Side tonight with your ident-card ready to transfer the money to my account. You’ll get your product then. You know where it is, right?” Inarii’s brows drew together. The Dark Side was a nightclub with a reputation for attracting all sorts of unsavory

people. “How will I find you if I don’t know your name or what you look like?” “I’ll find you. Make sure you’re visible exactly at nine o’clock,” was all he said before the com clicked off. Inarii sat chewing on her lower lip and staring at the blank screen. She had never been to the Dark Side before, and the idea of meeting the shady drug dealer there made her a little nervous, but there was a little boy who needed the medicine and a doctor who was depending on her to get it. With a sigh, she dialed Brecken’s number on her com. The doctor didn’t answer so she left a message telling him she would have the medicine and that he should meet her at Nebula, the club where she and Kat were going that evening. Inarii then spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding her bodyguard, which wasn’t difficult since she was in her rooms for most of it. She did make an appearance at dinner, however, mainly so that neither her father nor Rand would be suspicious. After the meal, her father excused himself to his study, leaving her to go back to her rooms to change clothes. She settled on a sleeveless, blue dress made of some shimmery material that hugged her curvy figure and showed off her long legs to perfection. With it she paired her highest-heeled sandals and a matching designer evening bag that had cost her a small fortune. After a quick look in the full-length mirror to check her appearance, Inarii slipped out of her rooms and carefully made her way down the hallway, holding her breath every step of the way. She half-expected to find Rand waiting for her around every corner,

but to her surprise – and relief - she encountered no one, not even a serving maid. Once outside, Inarii found Kat waiting for her in a sleek, silver transporter. It had been a gift to the girl for her birthday, and though Inarii had one that was similar, she never actually got to take it out much since she always had to have an escort. “We need to make a quick stop at the Dark Side first before going to Nebula,” Inarii told Kat after she was seated beside the girl. Kat frowned. “The Dark Side? Why?” Inarii busied herself with examining her make-up in the transport’s small mirror. “I heard that the band playing tonight has this really hot singer. I thought we could check him out.” Kat still hesitated. “The Dark Side’s a rough club, Inarii. Are you sure you want to chance it after what happened the other night at Deep Space? What if the protectors raid this place, too, and we end up getting arrested again?” Then her father would send her back to Deuntaie for sure, Inarii thought to herself, and that was enough to almost make her change her mind. But then she remembered the little boy she was helping. She looked at her friend. “What are the chances of that? Trust me, that was our one and only brush with the protectors. Come on, Kat. Live a little.” Kat shook her head, but she was smiling all the same as she gave the transporter’s computer their destination. The Dark Side was located in the same part of town with all

the other clubs on Andras Prime, only it was at the very end of the street, as if it had been ostracized. Inside, it was like any other nightclub - crowded, noisy, and frenzied. But while most other clubs were awhirl with strobe lights and neon, the Dark Side took special care to make sure that there was plenty of darkness to hide their clientele. And without a doubt, the people who came here were not like the people she and Kat usually hung out with. Aware of the many male eyes following them, Inarii and Kat weaved their way through the throng to the bar. Inarii barely gave the grizzled bartender a glance, letting Kat order drinks for both of them, while she let her gaze sweep the room for the drug dealer. How in the world was she supposed to meet up with him when she didn’t even know what he looked like? she wondered in frustration. “Girl, I don’t know where you got your information, but that guy is just not hot,” Kat said, raising her voice to be heard above the music. “What guy?” Inarii asked absently, still looking around the room. “The guy in the band. That’s why we came here, remember?” Inarii jerked her head around at the perturbed tone in her friend’s voice, took one look at the skinny, unattractive singer on stage, and saw that Kat was right. The dark-haired girl set her glass down on the bar, drink untouched. “Come on, let’s go.” “No! We...we can’t,” Inarii stammered when her friend gave her an odd look. “I mean, listen to them,” she continued,

referring to the band. “They’ve got to be opening for someone better.” Kat looked doubtful, but she picked up her glass nevertheless. As they stood at the bar, sipping their drinks, several men came over to ask them to dance, but they both declined any offers, saying they were waiting for someone. That earned them a few smart remarks, but for the most part the men respected their refusals, which surprised both girls, given the way these guys looked. They’d been there for almost twenty minutes when Kat leaned over to talk to her. “That guy over there has been staring at you since we walked in.” Inarii followed the direction of her gaze to see a man leaning against one of the columns edging the dance floor. It was dark, but she could tell that he was tall with a nice build. He seemed pretty average in the looks department, though, from what she could tell. She turned back to Kat with a shrug. “He’s probably trying to work up the nerve to ask me to dance.” But Kat didn’t seem so sure. “I don’t know. There’s something about him that creeps me out.” Inarii made no comment, but secretly she put no stock in her friend’s opinion. Kat got “creeped out” - as she liked to call it – on a regular basis. Picking up her drink, Inarii was just about to take a sip when over the rim of the glass she spotted a man watching her from the other side of the bar. A tall, handsome, olive-skinned Calmaran, he held her gaze for a moment, and then jerked his head to the side

as if indicating that she should follow him, before disappearing into a darkened corner of the bar. Well, it was about time, Inarii thought. Setting down her glass, she turned to her friend. “I’ll be right back.” Kat was still staring at the guy standing beside the column, but at Inarii’s words, she looked at her. “I’ll go with you.” “No!” Inarii said quickly. “I’ll only be a minute,” she said, then turned and disappeared into the jostling crowd of people before Kat could follow. Wondering why her friend was acting so strangely, Kat glanced at the guy she’d pointed out to Inarii earlier to find his gaze trained on her friend. After a moment, he moved off to follow Inarii, and Kat’s frown only deepened. Without another thought, she took out her communicator and dialed the ambassador’s. “Ambassador Kal’yle’s residence,” came Mirlene’s voice. No holo-image appeared on the screen. “How may I direct your call?” “Rand Barany, please, Mirlene,” she said. “This is Kat Marperon, Inarii’s friend.” Inarii would probably never forgive her for this, Kat thought as she waited to be connected to Rand. The Calmaran was leaning indolently against one wall when Inarii found him. He stood like that for a moment, looking her up and down appreciatively before he spoke. “You’re even prettier in person than you are in your pictures, Ms. Kal’yle.”

She ignored the compliment and got right to the point. Now that she had met up with him, she wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible. “Do you have it?” He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small bottle. Palming it in his hand, he showed it to her. “One hundred Fexolatine, as ordered. As soon as you transfer the money to my account, it’s yours.” That was done quickly enough, and a few seconds later, Inarii had the bottle in her possession. Inside were dozens of brightly colored capsules, and she studied them for a moment. “How do I know these are the real thing?” she asked him. He grinned, showing teeth that were white and even. “You can trust me. I’ve never had a customer complain.” Inarii supposed that she didn’t have much of a choice, considering she had no idea what Fexolatine even looked like. Slipping the bottle into her bag, she turned to go, but he stepped in front of her. “So, how about you and I get together sometime?” She almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea. “I doubt that my father would approve of my dating a drug dealer.” “Procurer of exotic drugs,” he corrected. She smiled. “Semantics.” He laughed. “How about an autograph, then?” “I don’t give autographs,” she said. He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Well, if you need anything else, you know where to find me. I’ll hook you up.” Inarii nodded. She doubted it, but she supposed it would be

a good idea to keep him in mind if she ever needed any more medicine for the shelter. She told him that she’d be in touch if she needed anything, and then made her way back to the bar. When she got there, Kat looked extremely uneasy. Inarii supposed she couldn’t blame her. This place would make anyone edgy. The Dark Side was not a place for Inarii, he thought, and couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing there. It attracted a sleazy crowd and was full of men who would want nothing more than to drag her out back into the alley. Already, he’d had to watch her turn away at least five who had asked her to dance. Once or twice he thought he’d have to step in when the men looked like they wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was then that Inarii looked his way, acknowledging his presence. It made his chest swell, knowing that she felt safer with him around. It was only when she left her friend at the bar to go off into a dark corner with someone that he got concerned. He’d followed her, of course, and was amazed to see her buying drugs. His first instinct was to step in and put a stop to it, but he forced himself to remain where he was. Creating a scene would not do, especially when it would result in Inarii being arrested for purchasing an illegal substance. He’d almost been out of his mind with worry when she’d been arrested during the raid at Deep Space the other night. He couldn’t risk that happening to her again. So, he watched and he waited, and while he did so, he formulated a plan. He would simply take the drugs from her. It was

for her own good, after all. He scanned the room, searching until he found just what he was looking for. Working his way through the crowd, he came to a stop in front of a man watching the dance floor. He was tall and whipcord lean, with sandy blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked like a man that would do almost anything for money. “I have a proposition for you,” he said. He had taken out several large bills and was clearly holding them where the other man could see. The man took a long swallow of ale and gave him a wary look. “What do I got to do?” He turned slightly and gestured to where Inarii stood at the bar. “See that girl at the end of the bar? The beautiful one in the blue dress?” The man nodded. “I want you to follow her outside, steal her purse, and bring it to me in the alley.” The man considered the offer for a moment before he nodded. “Half now, half when I bring it to you.” After handing the man the money, Inarii’s admirer watched the man leave the bar a few steps behind her, and then followed. The Dark Side didn’t offer a valet parking service, so Inarii and her friend had to walk across the street to the garage in which they’d parked, giving the purse-snatcher an easy shot at the dangling purse. Or it should have. Unfortunately, the idiot headed toward Inarii at a dead run, making an incredible racket. She must have heard him because she turned toward him just as he reached for the purse. He got hold of the strap, but she was prepared for him, yanking back so hard that the guy’s momentum sent him flying to

the pavement. He was up in a flash and headed back toward Inarii, his hand snatching desperately for the purse. Surprisingly, Inarii clutched the bag to her chest as if it were the most valuable thing she owned. The man that he had hired was starting to curse at her and he began to doubt that this had been a good idea. It was getting out of hand and he didn’t want Inarii getting hurt. He had just decided that he would have to step in to protect her from this overzealous moron when a nondescript transporter dropped out of the sky to land with a loud whoosh and a scattering of dirt only a few feet from Inarii and the would-be purse-snatcher. Faster than he would have thought possible, the newcomer, a darkhaired man, was out of the transport and had the purse-snatcher by one arm and the back of his neck. Using some kind of martial-artstype throw, the man had the thief on the ground before the dust from his transport had settled. The thief tried to struggle, but a few well-placed jabs from the recent arrival quieted him quickly. Almost immediately, the civil protectors arrived and Inarii’s admirer realized that the newcomer must have called them before he had even landed. They had his recently-employed thief in restraints without even waiting to question the hot-dogging transport driver. That and the speed at which he had subdued the thief led him to believe that perhaps the man was with the protectors himself. His mouth tightened as he watched the protectors haul away the man he’d hired. On the sidewalk, Inarii was clutching her evening bag as if her life depended on it. He would wait while she thanked the man, he decided, and then follow her for the rest of the evening. To his surprise, however, she didn’t thank the man but

rounded on him, her green eyes flashing angrily. And as he listened to their heated exchange, two things became apparent. The stranger was no stranger at all, but a recently hired bodyguard, and that he kept an extremely short leash on his charge. It unsettled him that he was unaware that a new man had been hired. Of course, he had known about Oland’s dismissal, but he hadn’t thought a replacement had been found yet. He wasn’t sure what bothered him more about the man. That there was something in Inarii’s life he didn’t already know about, or that such a competent bodyguard might interfere with his own plans for her. Inarii stood clutching her evening bag and trembling. She didn’t want to let it show, but the struggle with the thief had really shaken her. She would have been happy to hold on to Kat’Lyn for a few minutes, but for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t want to look weak in front of Rand. He had saved her life; she knew that. Not that she’d ever want him to know how grateful she was, though. Right now, she was more upset at him for showing up out of thin air like he had. How the hell had Rand Barany found her? “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, not caring who heard. “You were actually trying to fight him? Why didn’t you just give him your purse? He could have killed you.” She flushed, very much aware of the audience that had gathered to watch the civil protectors arrest the thief who had tried to steal her purse. If all the man had been going to get had been her evening bag, she wouldn’t have cared, but he would have also gotten the much-needed medicine inside it, and that she did care

about. But Rand couldn’t find out about the drugs. So she said the first thing that came to mind. “It’s a Glaren-Moroe,” she said, giving her bodyguard the name of the designer as if it should mean something to him, which it didn’t, of course. “I paid a fortune for it.” Rand gave her a contemptuous look. “And your life isn’t worth more than some stupid designer bag?” Inarii felt a fresh rush of color tint her cheeks. “How did you find me anyway?” she demanded sharply. “Do you have some kind of tracking device on me or something?” He glowered at her. “No, but that’s a damn good idea!” “Then how...?” “I called him,” Kat said, taking a step forward. She was chewing on her thumbnail and looking nervously from Inarii to Rand. Inarii stared at her incredulously. “You called him?” Her friend gave her a shamefaced look. “That guy watching you was creeping me out.” “That guy was probably harmless, Kat,” Inarii told her. “Well, that guy who tried to steal your purse sure as hell wasn’t!” Rand snapped. “Come on, I’m taking you home.” Inarii took a step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She lifted her chin, her green eyes full of defiance. “You don’t own me, you know.” He gave her a hard look. “No, but I am responsible for you, Ms. Kal’yle, and you’re going in the transporter right now. You can either get in it yourself, or I’ll put you over my shoulder

and toss you in it. You decide.” Inarii glared at him, wondering if she should call his bluff. But then an image of him dragging her to the transporter, or worse, putting her over his knee, right there in front of all these people flashed in her mind, and she decided that forcing his hand would not be such a good idea after all. She glanced at Kat, who was looking at the two of them in wide-eyed wonder. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she told her friend, and then swept past her bodyguard to the waiting transporter. They drove back to the ambassador’s residence in silence. Rand, she noticed, didn’t use the computerized system that all transporters were equipped with, but preferred to drive himself. Inarii still couldn’t believe that Kat had called Rand. How could Kat have betrayed her like that? Not only was her evening out with her friend ruined, but now she wouldn’t be able to meet with Brecken to give him the medicine either. And if that weren’t enough, her father would find out that she had sneaked out again. What a mess, she thought. Beside Inarii, Rand was having similar thoughts, only his centered on how willful and foolish the ambassador’s daughter was. What the hell had she been thinking, going to the Dark Side? She was lucky that her purse had been the only thing the thief had been after. Even now, she clutched it as if it were the most precious thing on the planet. Rand had known Inarii was missing even before her friend called. In fact, he’d just been in the process of running her identcard when Mirlene told him Inarii’s friend was on the com and that

she wished to speak to him. At first, he’d been concerned that something had happened to his charge, but that had quickly turned to anger when he heard that Inarii was at what probably had to be one of the worst places that an ambassador’s daughter should be seen in. The Dark Side was a home for drug dealers, prostitutes, gamblers, and smugglers of every type. Almost every law enforcement agency on the planet had the place under surveillance. He wouldn’t be surprised if her image didn’t show up on every news holo on the planet by morning. And it could have been worse. If he hadn’t gotten there when he did... He swore under his breath. This time, he was going to make sure that she learned her lesson. Inarii didn’t wait for Rand to come around and open her door once they were in the garage. She thumbed the door latch and was headed for the hallway that led into the house before he’d even turned off the engine. Undeterred, Rand followed and caught up with her before she’d gone more than a dozen steps. Catching her arm, he jerked her around to face him. She struggled to free herself, but his grip was like iron. “Get your hands off of me!” she shrieked. “Not until we get something straight,” he ground out. “What you did tonight was irresponsible and stupid, Ms. Kal’yle. But that seems to be par for the course with you, doesn’t it? When you’re not getting yourself arrested, you’re sneaking off to the Westwick Sector to do who knows what. And tonight you go to the Dark Side, a club that has one of the worst reputations on the planet. Are you so bound and determined to prove to your father how independent you are that you’d risk your life by going to a sleazy

club like that? Or are you just trying to destroy your father’s good name? Either way, this behavior is going to stop.” Inarii stared up at him. Just who the hell did he think he was? “I don’t need to prove my independence to anyone, especially not to you. And my relationship with my father is none of your business.” She tried to pull away from him, again to no avail. “Now, let me go!” He glared at her. He had never met anyone this infuriating in his life. “Not until I’m done with you.” Tightening his grip on her arm, Rand all but dragged her the few steps to a storage trunk against the wall. Sitting down on it, he jerked her across his knee in one swift motion, almost knocking all the air out of her in the process. Inarii desperately pushed against his strong thigh, struggling to right herself, but he clamped his arm around her waist, holding her in place. “Let me up, you bastard!” she shouted. She was not going to let him spank her again, especially not over his knee! Ignoring her struggles, he pushed up her skirt to reveal a pair of delicate black panties that barely covered her creamy white bottom. If he weren’t so angry, perhaps he would have stopped to admire the view, but all he could think about was teaching her a lesson by turning those impertinent cheeks of hers a vivid shade of red. Draped unceremoniously over his knee with her nearly naked bottom on display, Inarii was blushing crimson. She started to demand again that he let her up, but before she could even open

her mouth, his hand came down hard on her right cheek. “Owwww!” she cried. “That hurts, damn you!” “It’s supposed to hurt,” he shot back, smacking her other cheek with the same force. “And maybe it’ll remind you to behave yourself the next time you think about doing something so stupid.” Inarii cried out as he slapped her again, harder this time. The spanks stung fiercely and her thin panties offered little protection, especially since they kept riding up higher and higher with each smack of his hand. “You can’t do this to me!” she screamed. “I’m...owwww!...I’m the daughter of an ambassador!” Rand’s jaw clenched. “You’re also a spoiled, willful brat who should have had her hide tanned years ago.” He punctuated the words with a flurry of spanks, each harder than the previous one, which had Inarii kicking so wildly and screaming so loudly that he wondered how the whole house didn’t hear her. She was also wiggling to free herself, however, and at the feel of her against him, he went rock hard. It was all he could do not to groan. But determined to remain focused, he continued to spank her until her bottom was cherry red and hot to the touch, which because her skin colored so quickly was much sooner than he would have liked. When Rand finally pulled her upright and had gotten to his feet, he was surprised to see tears shimmering in her green eyes. He’d spanked her hand, yes, but surely not hard enough to make her cry, he thought. She lifted her hand to slap him across the face, but Rand

caught her wrist. “Not unless you want to go over my knee again,” he warned. Heat suffused Inarii’s cheeks and she jerked out of his grasp. “My father will hear about this, Rand Barany, and when he’s done with you, you’ll be lucky if you can get a job cleaning toilets in an ambassador’s house.” Turning on her heel, she hurried up the steps that led to the house and disappeared inside. Damn, he thought to himself, she was probably right. He’d almost certainly be unemployed by morning, but it had been worth it. Though he had spanked her to teach her a lesson, that didn’t mean he hadn’t enjoyed it.

CHAPTER FOUR Inarii found her father in his study. He was perusing some documents on the holo screen atop his desk, and he looked up when she entered. His brow furrowed at the look of obvious distress on her face. “Inarii, what is it?” he asked, getting to his feet and coming around the desk. “That...that barbarian you hired to be my bodyguard assaulted me!” she told him. Her father’s eyes widened for a moment, and then his expression grew dark. He placed his hands on her shoulders and bent a little so that he could see her face. “Rand Barany hit you?” She looked up at him with eyes that were still wet with tears and sniffed. “He...he spanked me!” Chane Kal’yle looked taken aback for a moment, and then his gaze shifted to something over her shoulder. “Is that true, Mr. Barany?” Inarii swung around to see Rand standing just inside the doorway. He was looking as arrogant as ever, his dark eyes regarding her father’s levelly, and she felt heat suffuse her face. The man was about to be dismissed and still he had the audacity to act as if he were the one in the right. She couldn’t wait for her father to take him down a peg. Rand’s eyes flickered to her briefly before he spoke. “Yes, Mr. Ambassador, it is.” Her father was silent a moment. “And what did my daughter

do to make you have to spank her?” Inarii looked at her father in surprise. Surely, he wasn’t taking Rand’s side in this! For a moment, Rand looked equally surprised. He answered quickly, however. “She sneaked out with her friend to go to the Dark Side, a nightclub of poor reputation. When I got there, she was struggling with a thief that was trying to steal her purse, which she was determined to hold on to, regardless of the danger to herself. I intervened in time and the man is now in protector custody.” He paused. “I’ve only been in charge of her security for a few days, and already she’s purposely gone out without a guard three times, this most recent time to a place that you certainly wouldn’t ever want her to be. Reasoning with her doesn’t seem to work, so I felt that if she was going to act like a child, perhaps a spanking would make her think twice before she did something so foolish again.” Chane Kal’yle folded his arms and when he turned his gaze on Inarii, his eyes were hard. “You not only put yourself in danger this evening, Inarii, but your friend as well, and that spanking was no more than you deserve. You obviously came in here thinking that I would dismiss Mr. Barany for his actions just as I did Oland. You’re attempting to manipulate me just like you do your security personnel. However, not only do I approve of what he did, I give him permission to do it again should he see fit.” Inarii’s mouth fell open. “Now, I know that I bear some of the responsibility in this,” he continued. “I’ve let you run wild for too long. I’ve tolerated it to

this point, but now you’re putting lives at risk. No more. You will be on your best behavior, Inarii, or you will bear the consequences.” She stared at him wide-eyed. “I can’t believe this! You’re actually giving this brute permission to assault me whenever he wants?” “He didn’t assault you, Inarii,” her father insisted. “He was trying to teach you a lesson by using the only method that you seem to understand. It’s quite obvious that he got your attention, which is possibly the first time someone has done so.” She shook her head, not knowing what to say. How could her father betray her like this! To take Rand Barany’s side over hers? It was too much! Fresh tears stung her eyes, and unable to face neither her father nor Rand for another minute, she ran from the room. Rand watched Inarii go. There was a small part of him – a very small part – that actually felt a little sorry for her. He had to admit he was surprised the ambassador had backed him up instead of siding with his daughter. In Rand’s opinion, Inarii had certainly deserved every spank he’d given her, but he hadn’t thought her father would agree. Without a word, the ambassador walked over to the sideboard and picked up the decanter of whiskey. Splashing some of the golden liquid into two of the glasses, he handed one to Rand before taking a sip from his own. “I apologize for my daughter,” Chane Kal’yle said after a moment. “I know you didn’t take this job so that you could become

a babysitter, but I am grateful to you.” Rand nodded, but said nothing. The ambassador shook his head. “Whatever would possess my daughter to go to a nightclub like that anyway?” Rand shrugged. “Perhaps she’s just acting out,” he suggested. “Or perhaps she wants to see how far she can push you.” The older man lifted a brow. “Or how far she can push you.” Rand’s mouth tightened. “Perhaps.” Ambassador Kal’yle took another sip of whiskey, and then stared into his glass thoughtfully. “You only did what I should have done years ago. But I have always been too easy on Inarii. Mainly because her mother hasn’t really been around much.” He gave Rand a bland smile. “My wife is a doctor, you see, and her work takes her to far-reaching planets for months at a time, planets that are no place to raise a child. I suppose I was trying to make it up to her, since her mother is away so much.” He sighed heavily. “But regardless of how much I’ve spoiled my daughter, there’s no excuse for her putting herself and her friend at risk. What if that thief had been after more than her purse?” Rand shrugged. “I’m not so sure that he wasn’t,” he agreed. “When your daughter’s friend called me it was to tell me that there was some guy at the Dark Side who’d been watching Inarii all evening. And though it wasn’t the same guy that attempted to steal the purse, he actually concerns me more than the thief. It could be that the guy was just too timid to ask her to dance, or it could be

that he really was following her, perhaps picking up her routine or checking out her security.” The ambassador thought a moment. “Inarii has had minor problems with overzealous fans in the past, but nothing severe. I have contacts in the civil protectors. I’ll see what I can learn about this thief, and also see if they have some surveillance on the guy that was watching her.” Rand nodded. They continued their discussion for several more minutes before Rand excused himself. Before leaving for the evening, however, he stopped by Inarii’s rooms. The door was closed, but he could hear her moving around inside. For a moment, he wondered if he should go in and talk to her. He hadn’t wanted this to turn into the adversarial relationship that it now was. But before his hand could sweep over the door sensor, he changed his mind. He doubted that Inarii would be very amenable to a reasonable conversation anyway. He supposed he should be satisfied that she wasn’t out getting herself into more trouble. Turning on his heel, he walked back down the hallway and went back to his quarters. Inarii was so furious that she slapped the door closure pad so hard that it almost broke. Even though it hurt her hand, it didn’t calm her down any. Looking around for something she could vent her anger upon, she stormed across the room to grab up the pillows from the sitting room couch and threw them as hard as she could at the door, the wall, and anything else within range. She only wished that she could throw them at her bodyguard’s head instead.

She couldn’t believe that Rand had had the audacity to spank her again. And over his knee, too! The pain was one thing – she couldn’t believe how much her bottom still stung! – but the humiliation of being draped unceremoniously over his lap was far worse. And now, thanks to her, even her father knew about it. She was so embarrassed that she felt like staying in her bedroom for the rest of her life. Almost of its own accord, Inarii’s gaze went to the fulllength mirror. Very slowly, she walked over to it. Wetting her lips, she lifted her skirt and looked over her shoulder to gaze at her panty-clad bottom and gasped. The panties she had chosen to wear under her dress not only offered little protection from the spanking, but had ridden up as well, and her bare skin was dark pink where his hand had made contact. If she looked close enough, she thought she could even see a handprint or two. The thought of Rand’s strong hand slapping her naked bottom while she was draped over his knee brought a rush of color to her cheeks and she let her dress fall into place with a muttered oath. Turning away from the mirror, she kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her dress, tossing it over the back of a chair as she headed for the bathroom. Though the idea of a bath was inviting, she winced at the thought of sitting in a tub full of warm water, and so decided on a quick shower instead. Even that made her jump a little when the spray beat against her reddened behind. Once dry, Inarii slipped into a short nightgown and went back into her bedroom. She thought about calling Kat, but then decided against it. Knowing her friend, she’d probably ask if Rand

had spanked her for disobeying him again, and Inarii didn’t want to talk about that barbarian. She did make a call to Brecken, though, both to apologize for not being able to meet with him, and also to set up a meeting for the following day. She wasn’t sure how she’d slip away from her bodyguard’s watchful eye, but she’d manage. Though it was still a bit early for bed, Inarii climbed under the covers and settled herself against the pillows anyway. Perhaps after a good night’s sleep, Rand Barany would be nothing but a bad dream. A few hours later, however, she jerked awake with her face flushed, a dampness between her thighs, and Rand Barany very much on her mind. And as she remembered the erotic dream she’d been having, her cheeks colored even more. Irrationally, she felt angry with herself for having such a dream. She knew it hadn’t meant anything at all, but some part of her felt as if her subconscious was being traitorous. Unbidden, the dream replayed through her now fully awakened mind. For some reason, her subconscious had reenacted the scene from earlier that evening, only when she tossed the pillows at the door this time, they smacked Rand right in the face. Undaunted by the warning look in his eye, she hurled another pillow at him. Ready for her assault, he caught the pillow in one hand and threw it aside, advancing on her as he did so. She tried to sidestep him, but he caught her wrist and dragged her over to the couch where she promptly found herself over his knee. She struggled against him, but of course it did no good, and when she felt him lift her dress and yank down her

panties, she thought she actually heard herself moan! But then Rand was spanking her, and all thought fled her mind. The smacks still stung fiercely, but this time she actually found herself arching her back and lifting her bottom up to meet his hand. Again and again, his hand came down, and she cried out in pleasure as he turned her bottom a deep magenta pink. Then, all at once, the spanking stopped and Rand was gently caressing her hot and stinging bottom with his hand. She knew she should stop him, but she didn’t. Not even when he nudged her legs apart to touch her wetness. He was speaking to her, but the dream was too hazy and the words too soft for her to make out what he was saying. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered as long as he didn’t stop touching her. But then the dream shifted and Rand had her draped over the back of the couch and was thrusting into her deeply. That was when she woke up. Aroused, breathless, and wondering if it indeed it had been a dream at all. But of course it was, she told herself hotly. A product of an overactive imagination, that was all. Because the idea that she would actually enjoy being spanked was ridiculous! Even more absurd was the notion of Rand making love to her. There was no way that she would ever sleep with that man! Not ever! Turning on her side, she pulled up the coverlet more tightly and closed her eyes, determined to put Rand Barany out of her mind. The vivid dream of their lovemaking was not so easy to forget, however, and it seemed to take ages before she was finally able to fall asleep again.

The dream was no less vivid the next morning when Inarii awoke, and she found that she couldn’t seem to get the images out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried. It didn’t help that Mirlene called to say that her father requested her presence in his study, either, because when she walked in, it was to find that Rand was there as well. They had been discussing her, she was sure, because they turned quiet the moment she entered the room. She refused to acknowledge Rand, instead looking at her father, only to find him glowering at her. Had he somehow found out about her rendezvous with a known drug dealer? she wondered. “Your little escapade last night made the front cover of every tabloid on the planet,” he told her, thrusting a handful of holoscreens at her. Taking them, she scanned the first two covers and froze. Ambassador Kal’yle’s Daughter Arrested at Drug Den: Is She Addicted? read one. Inarii Kal’yle Slumming It at the Dark Side read another. Both showed an image of her outside the nightclub surrounded by the flashing lights of the protector transports. She didn’t read any more headlines; she didn’t have to. She knew they would all be the same. She looked at her father. “You know this is all just sensationalism. It’s gossip; only a few idiots out there actually believe it. You certainly don’t, do you?” “Obviously not. And on the whole, I usually don’t concern myself with what other people think of this family, but as the

Ambassador of Deuntaie, I accept that we represent our people on this planet, and your actions reflect poorly upon them, and me,” he said. “But while this bad press is one thing, what I’m more distressed about is your nonchalant attitude when it comes to your safety. As an ambassador, I receive threats frequently, more so recently. Those who oppose the official position of Deuntaie would not be above using you to sway my vote in their favor. That is why we have personal security around us at all times. But you seem to delight in running off on your own, as if the danger doesn’t even exist. ” She flushed. “You make it sound as if I’m deliberately putting myself in danger just for fun.” He studied her a moment. “Sometimes it seems like you do,” he said slowly. “But things have become more serious. The Chief of Protectors briefed me early this morning. The thief that was after your purse had been hired, apparently by the same man that Kat’Lyn saw watching you. It’s Mr. Barany’s opinion that this man was testing your security, possibly with future plans in mind.” She gave Rand a loathsome look. “He would; he’s paranoid!” She would have said more, but her father held up his hand. “Regardless, I’m inclined to believe him.” He paused. “I’ve come to a decision. I think that you need to spend some time away from Andras Prime. Someplace where you’ll be safe. Someplace where you’ll be less likely to get into trouble. So, I’ve decided to send you back to Deuntaie for a little while.” Inarii stared at him in disbelief. Surely he wasn’t serious.

“But...but you can’t! My life is here, all my friends...” “Deuntaie is not exactly a prison, Inarii,” her father said harshly. “It might as well be!” she shot back, tears stinging her eyes. Compared to Andras Prime, Deuntaie was a wasteland. Nothing but farms and forests. “You can’t do this!” “It’s already done. And it’s for your own good, whether you believe that or not.” His gaze went to Rand before settling once again on her. “You and Mr. Barany leave for Deuntaie tomorrow morning.” Inarii’s eyes went wide. Had her father completely lost his mind? “I’m not going anywhere with him!” “You will go with him, Inarii,” Chane Kal’yle told her sternly. “And you will do everything he tells you to do, when he tells you to do it. If you cause any problems, I’ll have your planetary passport revoked, and you won’t leave Deuntaie until you’re thirty. Do I make myself clear?” She stood speechless, unable to believe her ears. She was a grown woman, dammit, not some child in need of a babysitter. “You wouldn’t do this if Mama were here,” she said sullenly. “I’ve spoken to your mother, and she agrees with me on this.” “Really? And does she know that you’re sending me off to Deuntaie with him?” she asked, jerking her head in Rand’s direction. Her father nodded. “She knows that your bodyguard is accompanying you, yes.”

Inarii lifted her chin. “Well, we’ll see if she agrees with you after I tell her what my so-called bodyguard is really like!” Tossing the holo-screens onto the desk, she turned on her heel and left the room before her father could reply. Once in her room, she went directly to her com and linked to her mother. She was currently on the primitive planet of Velan, which made it a little difficult to get in touch with her, but after more than an hour, Inarii managed. Her mother, however, was no help at all, saying that Inarii’s father knew best where her safety was concerned. Inarii wasn’t surprised, really. Since her mother was absent most of the time anyway, she always deferred to the ambassador on almost everything. What was more, Inarii didn’t even get a chance to tell her what a brute Rand was because her mother interrupted to say that she was needed elsewhere. “It was good talking to you, dear. I’ve got a case of shipborne fever that’s raging down here. I have to go. Enjoy Deuntaie; see some old friends,” her mother added, and disconnected the link before Inarii could say more. Inarii stared at the com’s blank screen, stunned that her mother had hung up on her. Inarii had always known that she took a back seat to Denora Kal’yle’s work, but it still hurt just the same. So, she was going to Deuntaie. Short of running away, there was no way around it. And she was honest enough with herself to know that running away was not really an option for her. She realized that she would need to call Kat’Lyn immediately to let her know. And also call the half dozen or so spas she went to regularly to cancel any appointments she had made.

But then suddenly all that fled her mind. The shelter! She had to talk to Neva, she thought. And Maricel; the little girl would be devastated. More importantly, she had promised to meet with Brecken this morning! She had to get the medicine to him. Grabbing her handbag off the chair, she hurried to the door, only to find herself face to face with Rand, who was standing across from her room. He was leaning indolently against the wall, reading something on his com, and he looked up when he saw her. “Going somewhere?” he asked. “Out,” was all she said. He stepped in front of her when she tried to push past him. “No, you’re not.” “I have an appointment,” she told him haughtily. “Your father doesn’t want you going out.” She gave him a withering look. “And you’re here to make sure that I don’t. So, you are my jailer now.” His jaw tightened. “If that’s what it takes to keep you safe, Ms. Kal’yle, then yes. I don’t take pleasure in it, but right now, it’s something that must be done.” She felt herself flush. “That’s a load of crap. You’re enjoying yourself right now. But don’t get any delusions about your importance, Mr. Barany. Any other time and place, you would have been out on your ass for what you did to me, but my father seems to feel that you’re the answer to his perceived lack of discipline when it comes to me. That, and I suppose he’s of the opinion that you actually know what the hell you’re doing when it comes to security. But we both know that’s a lie. I mean, I’ve already given

you the slip three times. You can’t even keep an eye on me. I’d hate to think how poorly you’d perform if it were something important.” Rand wanted to put her over his knee right then. “This is all just a game to you, isn’t it?” he demanded. “Trying to slip away from your security every time you go out, trying to see how many guards you can get fired. It’s all just a big joke to you. The people you get canned never mean anything to you. You probably even find it amusing that your father’s so worried about you.” He gave her a superior look. “But the game’s over, Ms. Kal’yle. Actions have consequences, and the consequences of your actions are that you’ll be returning to your backwater home world, and I’ll be the one taking you there. You slipped away from me before this because I made the mistake of treating you like an adult. That won’t happen again. Because I’ll be with you every minute of the day and night. You won’t be able to do anything without me knowing it.” He folded his arms across his chest and glared down at her. “And if get it into that pretty head of yours to try anything stupid, don’t, because if you do, I’ll put you over my knee again and spank you so hard that you won’t be able to sit down for a week. It will make the spanking I gave you last night look like a game of paddy cake in comparison. Do I make myself clear?” The threat of another spanking made her think of the erotic dream she’d had earlier, and she felt her traitorous pulse skip a beat. Lifting her chin, she met his gaze defiantly. “Someday, someone’s going to take you down a peg or two, Rand Barany, and I want to be there when they do.”

Without waiting for a reply, Inarii turned on her heel and went back into her rooms, leaving Rand to stare after her. Damn, but she was the most irritating woman he’d ever met! Doing his job was difficult enough without having the person he was supposed to be protecting getting in his way at every turn. Was she really that clueless as to the danger she put herself in, or did she simply not care? He shook his head. He was definitely not looking forward to babysitting that spoiled brat all the way to Deuntaie. And as if that weren’t enough, he’d agreed to stay with Inarii while she was on the ambassador’s home planet. He was able to calm himself somewhat with the knowledge that after last night’s spanking, Inarii wouldn’t be trying anything for awhile. And it would certainly be easier to keep an eye on her on Deuntaie. Now that they had an understanding, things should go more smoothly. Taking up his post outside Inarii’s room, Rand pulled out his com and leaned back against the wall. An hour later, Inarii came out of her rooms. With a disdainful look, she icily informed him that she had a visitor, and then promptly led the way to the gardens. Rand fully expected the visitor to be Kat’Lyn, and was surprised to see it was a man. Not that he should be surprised, he supposed. Inarii was a very beautiful woman and her name was more often than not linked with one man or another. But as Rand watched her talking with the mild-mannered, sandy-haired man, he couldn’t help but think that the guy wasn’t Inarii’s type at all. He’d never be able to handle a woman like her, Rand thought. Inarii’s visitor only stayed a short while, and after that, she

spent the rest of the day in her rooms preparing for the journey to Deuntaie. After dinner, Kat’Lyn and several other women came by to visit, holding a small, impromptu going-away party for Inarii. Just before midnight, another guard relieved Rand so that he could go back to his place and catch a few hours sleep as well as pack a bag. When he arrived back at the ambassador’s the following morning, he fully expected to hear that Inarii had somehow managed to slip out of the house again, but in fact, she was in her rooms packing when he got there. Because her father wanted to keep Inarii’s leaving as secret as possible, the ambassador hadn’t chartered a private ship for them, but had made reservations for them under an assumed name on a deep-space vacation cruiser. The journey wouldn’t take them directly to Deuntaie, but to another well-populated planet where they would then charter a ship. All of that was news to Inarii, of course, but to Rand’s surprise, she simply nodded when Chane Kal’yle told her of their plans. Probably because Inarii figured she could slip away from him more easily among so many people, Rand thought. In fact, he could almost see her mind working. But he’d meant every word he’d said to her the previous evening. Inarii would behave herself, or that pert, little bottom of hers would pay the price. And as Rand watched her walk ahead of him to the transporter, he found himself looking forward to the prospect of having her over his knee again. Inarii was silent as they drove to the space dock, which suited Rand just fine. She didn’t even put up much of a fuss when he told her to put on the big hat he’d gotten her. That coupled with

the sunglasses she already had on should be enough to disguise her identity to the casual observer. When they got there, she refused his hand when he offered to help her out of the transport, standing on the walkway with her arms folded and her nose in the air while she waited for Rand to tip the porter for taking their bags. When she would have turned and followed the man, Rand caught her hand and made her walk beside him. Inarii tried to pull her hand free, but he tightened his grip. “Let go of me!” she hissed. Rand said nothing, only silenced her with a warning look, and she had little choice but to walk with him. The lounge area was spacious inside, and lively music played while holograms of dramatic scenery floated above the crowd. Rand led her through the crowd of people to a row of seats on the other side of the room. The lounge was filled to capacity with vacationers, laughing and talking. Inarii wondered what her father had had to do to get them cabins at this late date. She hoped she wasn’t in some tiny closet near the engines. She could care less about Rand’s accommodations. But before she could think more on it, Rand spoke. “Put this on.” Inarii turned to see him holding out a ring, and she frowned. “Why?” “Because we’re traveling as husband and wife, and you’ll need the ring to look the part,” he said. She stiffened. Husband and wife? “Obviously your idea,

right?” He frowned. “What do you mean?” She gave him a contemptuous snort. “Because no one would believe that I’d be married to you.” Rand clenched his jaw, but she could see that she’d struck a chord. He actually looked a little hurt on some level. Swearing under his breath, he reached for her hand and slid the ring on her finger before she could protest. The band fit as perfectly as if it had been made for her, and Inarii gazed down at it in silence. Obviously of fine quality, she grudgingly had to admit that the vintage-style diamond ring was clearly expensive and would have been beautiful if it had come from anyone else. But she’d never let Rand know that. Lifting her chin, she gave him a disdainful look. “One would think that you’d at least get your wife something better than this piece of junk,” she said snidely. Rand ground his jaw. That “piece of junk” as Inarii put it had been his great-grandmother’s wedding ring. His mother had given it to him for the woman he would someday marry, and here he was putting it on Inarii Kal’yle’s finger. But he’d needed a ring to carry out the charade, and had had no time to pick up anything else. He gave Inarii a hard look. “Just wear it. It’s been in my family for almost two-hundred years, and while it’s not very precious to you, it is to me. I had planned to put this on the finger of the one and only woman that I will ever love, but unfortunately a ring is required to pull off this scheme to save your ungrateful ass. So, just wear it, and try and act like you’re married to me. It

shouldn’t be too hard. Just pretend you’re slumming it down at the Dark Side.” He glanced briefly at the counter. “Come on, we have to check in.” Inarii hid it well, but she was feeling slightly chagrined at the statement she had made about the ring. She liked to think that she wasn’t normally a hurtful person, but Rand had her on edge so much that things just slipped out around him. She was just about to apologize when Rand pulled her close to say something. “Oh, and by the way, the name you’ll be using is Henrietta,” he said smoothly. “So try to look the part.” She gave him an incredulous look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” But the smug look on his face told her that he wasn’t.

CHAPTER FIVE He had decided that he didn’t like this Rand Barany very much. The amount of time the man spent with Inarii was unsettling, and to his way of thinking, completely inappropriate. Inarii and her bodyguard were actually attempting to pass themselves off as a married couple on this space cruiser. Which was laughable. Obviously, a woman of Inarii’s qualities would never marry such a man. And now they were staying in the same cabin. What was the ambassador thinking, letting his daughter go off alone with someone of Barany’s class? He was risking his daughter’s reputation. The entire thing was sure to provoke a scandal. And this decision to have Inarii leave Andras Prime seemed impulsive. Honestly, he couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. He’d been close to her for quite some time and had certainly never seen anyone try to harm her. But according to his contact in the ambassador’s residence, her father was not only furious with her for what had happened at the Dark Side, but was also concerned that some of his political enemies could be after her. So, in the interest of keeping her safe, he had decided to send her back to Deuntaie. Of course, he’d expected the ambassador to charter a ship for Inarii, where she would be surrounded by a bevy of guards, but he’d been both surprised and pleased to learn that she was taking a cruiser, and would be accompanied only by Rand Barany. Clever on some level, he supposed. But blatantly transparent to him. Obviously, it had been this Barany’s idea.

He’d done some checking on Barany, and he didn’t like what he learned. The man that was supposedly responsible for Inarii’s safety struck him as a dilettante. He’d abandoned his study of law to become a protector, where he had advanced quickly, which had almost certainly been due to his father’s influence. But just as quickly, he’d given that up to work personal security. On the surface, he appeared to have all of the qualifications necessary to be a personal bodyguard, but it seemed more likely that what he really wanted to do was get close to rich, famous people. He couldn’t believe that the ambassador hadn’t seen right through this man’s charade. And now this Barany had Inarii all alone on this cruiser. If Barany’s intentions were as unscrupulous as he believed, then Inarii was in more danger than she’d ever been before. He would have to be very vigilant, he decided. Inarii needed him now, more than ever. But he would have to be careful around this bodyguard. The man certainly wasn’t a match for him, but it appeared that somehow he had gained Inarii’s trust. That thought gave him a great deal of displeasure. No one should ever come between him and Inarii. Her father had spared no expense on the cabin. Pity he hadn’t gotten two of them, Inarii thought dryly. She already had to put up with Rand; was it really necessary to share a cabin with him, too? And to make matters worse, the cabin was one of the cruiser’s honeymoon suites. Compliments of the ship, a bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries awaited them, as did a gift basket filled with edible massage lotions, colorful condoms,

and a variety of sex toys. Just looking at them made her blush and she turned away quickly, only to find Rand watching her with amusement. Her color deepened. “I don’t see why it was necessary to share a cabin,” she said tartly. Taking off the big hat Rand had insisted she wear, she tossed it onto the couch. Her sunglasses followed. “We’re supposed to be married,” Rand reminded her. She gave him an annoyed look. “Well, we didn’t have to be on our honeymoon, did we?” His mouth quirked. “Actually, we did,” he said smoothly. “That way, no one will think it odd that we spend so much time in our cabin.” She folded her arms. “If you think I’m spending the next week cooped up in here with you, forget it! There’s a whole ship full of things to do, and I, for one, am going to take advantage of them. Especially since I’ll probably be spending the rest of my life on Deuntaie, if my father has his way.” She saw him scowl, and decided to try some logic on him before he could become too firmly set against the idea. “Look, I promise that I won’t get myself into trouble. I’ll sit by the pool – even hide in one of those cabanas, if you like - read my com, and mind my own business.” Rand very much doubted that she even knew how to mind her own business, but he supposed that she really couldn’t get into too much trouble now that they’d left the dock. Besides, the idea of spending a week cooped up with his bratty charge wasn’t his idea of a good time, either. “Okay,” he told her. “But make sure you keep your hat and sunglasses on. And don’t talk to anyone.”

She gave the hat in question a disdainful look, but said nothing. Instead, she turned on her heel and went into the bedroom, leaving Rand to survey the outer sitting room. The couch, perfect for the two lovers that the suite was usually intended for, would be a bit small to accommodate his tall frame comfortably, but it would do. He’d had worse accommodations when he was on many a stakeout while with the protectors. In addition to the couch, there were two matching chairs, a low-slung coffee table, and a holoscreen that was mounted to the wall. He reached for his bag and was about to start unpacking when Inarii came back into the room. Rand did a double-take. She was wearing a silky robe that flashed her tan legs as she walked, and he felt himself go hard just imagining what she was wearing underneath it. Knowing her, he suspected it was probably a very skimpy bikini that would show off her slim figure and long legs to perfection. Damn, but it was going to be a long journey to Deuntaie. “Make sure you keep your robe on,” he warned, watching as she picked up her hat and sunglasses. “I don’t want you calling too much attention to yourself.” “Of course I will,” Inarii said agreeably, but he thought he saw her roll her eyes as she left the room. After unpacking, which took less than thirty minutes, Rand took out his com and linked to the ambassador. Though he had nothing to report, he had told Chane Kal’yle that he would be checking in once a day while on the journey to Deuntaie. They talked for a little while, and the ambassador told him that he was still waiting for the holo-shots of the suspicious character at the Dark

Side. He said he would get hold of Rand as soon as he had something. After closing the link, Rand decided to go looking for Inarii. They were posing as newlyweds; he supposed they should be seen together. Besides, he wouldn’t mind spending the afternoon gazing at those long, sexy legs of hers. And whatever else she was probably showing off by now, he thought wryly. One of the decks on the deep-space cruiser had been made to simulate the topmost deck on the cruise ships of ancient earth, complete with a pool, deck chairs, even artificial sunlight and a fake breeze. You could even smell the salt air and hear the waves lapping against the nonexistent hull. The only things that were out of place were the small, noiseless robots that roamed around picking up scraps of garbage and delivering drinks. His eyes shielded by sunglasses, Rand scanned the deck for Inarii, and swore softly when he found her. She was lying on one of the deck chairs beside the pool, openly flirting with some guy who was rubbing her down with sunscreen. Rand clenched his jaw as he watched the man’s hand linger on her thigh. So much for hiding in a cabana, he thought. Swearing under his breath again, he strode over to where she lay sunning herself, but neither she nor the guy she’d been flirting with took any notice of him. Not even when he stood right beside them. “I’ll take it from here,” Rand drawled. “I think I can get any spots you might have missed.” Inarii jumped at the sound of his voice and looked up at him in surprise. Her companion, however, was not so easily startled.

“And just who the hell are you?” the man demanded. “I’m her husband,” Rand said. At this point, he almost hoped that the man would make an issue of it. As mad as he was, he’d almost enjoy tossing the guy around for awhile. He was jealous, he realized in surprise. But the man’s eyes only went wide, and he jumped to his feet, holding up his hands. “She didn’t tell me she was married.” Rand glanced at Inarii’s left hand, and saw that she’d taken off his ring. His mouth tightened, but his voice was neutral when he spoke. “Really? Shame on you, Henrietta. I thought we weren’t going to be having a threesome tonight.” She flushed at the reference, barely able to look at the guy who’d she been flirting with only minutes before, instead shooting daggers at Rand. Rand saw the man look from him to Inarii, and then back to him. “Look, dude, I’m not really into any of this. I gotta go.” The man picked up his towel, threw Inarii a regretful look, and was gone before either she or Rand could say more. Which suited Rand fine. His expression hard, he glared down at her. “Let’s go.” She ignored him and settled back in her chair, lifting her chin defiantly. “I can’t believe you said that! Do you get off on embarrassing me?” He clenched his jaw. Damn, but she was infuriating. “I will not argue with you in public, Inarii. Now, let’s go.” She looked like she was considering whether to defy him or not, but his tone brooked no argument, and Inarii seemed to know

that. “Fine!” she snapped. Muttering something else under her breath that he couldn’t hear, she got to her feet and grabbed up her bag. Before she could take two steps, however, Rand caught her arm, practically dragging her across the deck to one of the cabanas that lined the railing at the edge of the pool area, and half-pushed her inside. “What the hell did you think you were doing out there?” he demanded, rounding on her the moment they were hidden behind the colorful canvas. Inarii took off her sunglasses and hat and shook her hair out around her shoulders. It tumbled down her back like silk. “Absolutely nothing,” she said. “I needed some suntan lotion put on, and he was nice enough to do it.” She gave him an innocent look. “What? Is our marriage on the rocks already? Or are you just jealous?” Rand ignored the jab, watching as she took out her hairbrush and began to run it through her tresses. “And what if that guy had recognized you?” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think even my mother would recognize me in that hat. And besides, he wasn’t really looking at my face.” With a coy smile, she half-turned and twitched her curvy bottom at him. “Very funny,” he said. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re trying to look like we’re married, and having some guy rub lotion all over you doesn’t exactly give credibility to that, does it?” She smirked. “I don’t think credibility is what we’re talking about. I think you’re just jealous.”

“I’m not jealous!” he snapped. “I’m your bodyguard, not your boyfriend. My only concern is your safety.” She spun around to look at him, her eyes flashing angrily. Even in a skimpy bikini, she somehow managed to still look the part of a snooty debutante. “Look, I wore that ridiculous hat like you asked. I even put on a slight Candoshen accent, so that no one would recognize my voice. I’m trying to go along with this stupid plan of yours, but don’t for a minute think that you’re the boss of me, Rand Barany. And you’re certainly not my husband. I do as I please, so, if I want to have every guy on this ship rub lotion on me while I sit beside the pool, then I will, and there’s not a thing you can do about it!” Anger, mixed with a good dose of jealousy, surged through Rand then. “We’ll see about that,” he growled. He knew he shouldn’t do this while he was this angry, but she was just begging for it. Yanking the hairbrush out of her hand, Rand took hold of her arm and started for one of the lounge chairs. He was going to spank her again, she realized, and to her surprise, Inarii felt her pulse skip a beat. “You...you can’t!” she protested. “Not right here. Someone could hear.” The cabana was three-sided, so if anyone heard anything, they would certainly come looking. Which would serve her right, Rand thought, his mouth quirking in amusement. “Then you’ll have to be quiet, won’t you?” Her eyes went wide, but before she could do more than

gasp, he sat down on the bench and dragged her over his knee. She held her breath, waiting, and then let out a little cry of surprise when she felt his hand on the waistband of her bikini bottom. Nothing more than a small triangle of material to begin with, it did little to cover her cheeks, but Rand must have thought it was in the way, because he tugged it down to mid-thigh, leaving her bottom bare and vulnerable. She felt herself blush. The cabana faced away from the pool so that its occupants could have privacy as well as a view of the ocean on the enormous holo-screen that lined the deck. If anyone came by... “Wait...” she began, only to feel the smooth wood of the hairbrush smack against her right cheek. She bucked against him, struggling to right herself, and he put his hand on the small of her back to hold her in place so that he could spank her again. “Ouch!” she complained, craning her neck to look at him. “That hurts, damn you!” It did, too, much more than his hand had when he’d spanked her before. He continued to paddle her with the brush, making her yelp loudly after each spank. “Keep that up and the whole ship’s going to hear you,” Rand warned. That thought made her mouth snap shut. The spanking was bad enough, but the thought that someone would come and see her in this position was just too much humiliation. “Okay, okay!” she snapped. “Just get it over with then!” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that! Was she actually giving into this barbarian? But before she could think on that, the smooth wood of the hairbrush slapped against her cheeks again.

First right, then left, then right again, Rand falling into a steady rhythm until her bottom felt so hot that she was sure her skin must have been cherry red. She had to clench her teeth to keep from crying out. She wiggled her bottom as much as she could with both hands on the deck and both feet flailing in the air. She was just trying to get the brush to land on a different spot, but her squirming had a completely different effect on Rand. She almost jumped off his lap in surprise when she felt his erection - a rather sizeable one, at that! – hard and insistent against her. Suddenly, the spanks on her bottom didn’t feel nearly as sharp as the tingling sensation between her thighs. She didn’t think it possible that she could be getting turned on by being spanked, but a few moments later, her thoughts were confirmed when she felt a dampness begin to spread between her legs. Despite the fact that the spanks still stung somewhat, and even though she kept telling herself that she would not get aroused, the more he spanked her, the wetter she got. Even worse, there seemed to be a connection building between her overheated bottom and all of her erogenous zones. Even her nipples were tingling now! She even realized that she was rocking slightly on his lap. This brought his erection almost directly in contact with her mound. Several times, she had to bite her lip to actually keep from moaning with pleasure. Any more and she’d be grinding against him, Inarii thought in panic. This was crazy! She didn’t even like being spanked! Abruptly, the spanking stopped. Inarii simply lay there,

draped over his knee. Her cheeks were hot and stinging, and she could just imagine how red they must be. It was all she could do not to reach back and press her cool hands to them. That thought only made her get even more excited. And wetter. Then a horrifying thought occurred to her. What if Rand could see how wet she was? What if he could smell her arousal? Using her hands to push herself upright, she hastily scrambled to her feet. Blushing hotly, she pulled her bikini bottoms up over her stinging cheeks, and gave Rand a heated look. He had gotten to his feet, but was still holding the hairbrush. Just looking at it made her blush even more. “Anybody could have come by and seen us,” she told him. “Are you trying to humiliate me even more than you already have?” “I was trying to teach you a lesson,” he replied, the corner of his mouth quirking. “One you won’t soon forget, if the redness of your bottom is any indication.” Inarii felt herself color a deeper shade of red. Angrily snatching her robe out of the bag, she slipped it on and belted it around her slim waist. She wanted to ask Rand if the short robe was enough to hide her spanking, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she demanded. She had to fight to keep from looking at the erection that she knew would still be straining against the front of his pants. Rand said nothing and she lifted her head to find him watching her. “Only doing my job, Ms. Kal’yle.” Inarii gave him a disdainful snort in reply and picked up her hat and sunglasses.

“Put on the ring I gave you, too,” Rand said. Inarii considered disobeying, but if she did, Rand would probably just spank her again, and as much as her bottom was still stinging, she didn’t want to feel the hairbrush again quite yet. Nor did she trust herself not to orgasm. And there was no way she would let him see that! Picking up her bag, she obediently took out the ring and slid it on her finger. “I assume you’re going to confine me to the cabin for the rest of the journey, now,” she said sullenly. “Until you prove to me that you can behave yourself, yes,” he agreed. Inarii slid her bag onto her shoulder. “You’re really annoying, you know that?” she said, stepping out of the cabana. Rand didn’t answer, but just watched her walk ahead of him. He imagined that he could just about see the glow of her reddened ass through the thin material of her robe. He was glad she was walking in front of him because he was so hard from giving her a spanking that he was having a difficult time walking himself. He had had a hard time restraining himself there at the end of her punishment. She had been wiggling and grinding so much on his lap that he was almost sure she was beginning to enjoy what he’d been doing. He could have also sworn that he had smelled the scent of her arousal. After he’d finished spanking her, it took all of his control to keep his fingers from sliding between the cleft of that gorgeous ass of hers to see just how wet she was. His better judgment had prevailed, but that judgment didn’t keep his mind from imagining all the possibilities.

He chided himself for having such stupid thoughts. He might be spanking her when she needed it, but he still worked for the Kal’yle family. He was a professional, and if he expected to keep his job, he’d better remember it. Her father might have agreed to his administering occasional spankings if they were needed, but he doubted that the ambassador would look as kindly on him banging his daughter. He and Inarii were just making their way across the deck when a woman’s voice halted them. “Rand?” Beside her, Inarii felt Rand give a slight start of surprise. “Rand, I thought it was you.” The woman smiled and threw her arms around Rand as she spoke. Tall and willowy, with honeyblond hair and big, blue eyes, she was what some men would find attractive, Inarii supposed. From the way she was looking at Rand, it was obvious the woman knew him pretty well, and Inarii couldn’t help but wonder who she was. Rand glanced at Inarii before turning his attention back to the woman. “Kristala, this is my wife...” “Inarii,” Inarii interrupted before he could finish. He shot her a warning look, but she ignored it. There was no way she was going to let this woman - whoever she was - think that her name was Henrietta. Let Rand spank her for breaking another one of his ridiculous rules; she didn’t much care. She was coming to look at the spankings in a new light, anyway. “Your wife?” Kristala said, clearly taken aback at hearing that Rand was married. She merely gave him a curious look before

smiling at Inarii, however. “It’s nice to meet you.” “Inarii, this is Kristala Fonterane,” Rand said. The last name sounded familiar, Inarii thought, but she couldn’t place the woman’s face. She returned the woman’s smile, but said nothing. Kristala looked from Rand to her. “I was just about to have lunch. I’d love it if you two would join me. We can catch up on things.” Rand hesitated, and sensing that he was about to decline, Inarii quickly accepted before he could do so. Not only would having lunch with Kristala get Inarii out of having to spend the rest of the day locked up in the cabin, but it would also allow her to learn some things about Rand from this woman who obviously seemed to know him so well. Having lunch with Kristala would have been much easier, however, if Inarii’s bottom wasn’t still stinging from the spanking Rand just had given her. She was shifting a little to find a more comfortable position on the hard wooden chair when she noticed Kristala looking at her curiously. “You’re Ambassador Kal’yle’s daughter, aren’t you?” she asked. “I’ve seen your picture hundreds of times.” Inarii saw Rand stiffen. “We’re trying to keep a low profile, Kristala, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything.” “Oh...of course,” she said. “It’s just that I didn’t even know you two were even dating. Since the ambassador’s daughter is a very hot topic in every magazine and newspaper on Andras Prime, you really must have had to work at keeping your relationship so

secret.” “Well, as you can imagine, my father didn’t want to broadcast the fact that I’d married a bodyguard.” Inarii gave Rand a sweet smile as she spoke, but she saw him stiffen at the implied dig. To Inarii’s surprise, Kristala looked equally uncomfortable by what she’d said, but before she could think on it, a waiter came by to take their order. The table was uncomfortably quiet while the waiter explained the menu, and even more so after he’d left. “So, how did you two meet?” Kristala finally asked. The question was pleasant enough, but her smile seemed just a bit forced. “Rand was working at a party I attended,” Inarii lied. She laughed lightly. “I wouldn’t give him the time of day at first, but he was so persistent that I agreed to a date just to get rid of him.” “But then after a few dates, she recognized the value of being with a real man versus a social accessory,” Rand said smoothly, returning her snide smile with one of his own. From the look she gave him, he was afraid that this was going to degrade into an argument right at the table, but then his com rang before she could say anything. He took out his com and glanced at it, and then seeing the identity of the caller, looked at both women. “You’ll have to excuse me; I need to take this.” Pushing back his chair, he got to his feet, and then came around to Inarii’s chair. He bent down so as to appear that he was kissing her cheek, but instead he only breathed softly. “Behave yourself,” he warned.

His breath stirred her hair as he spoke and Inarii felt herself shiver slightly. Whoa, where had that come from? she thought to herself. Almost of its own accord, her gaze followed him across the deck. Without really knowing why, she decided that she liked the way he walked. But before she could pursue that thought, she was interrupted by Kristala. “I’m very jealous, you know.” Inarii dragged herself away from Rand’s figure to look at Kristala in surprise. The blonde’s gaze was glued to Rand. “Rand’s quite a catch,” the other woman explained. Inarii regarded her for a moment. For some strange reason that she couldn’t explain to herself, she suddenly decided that she didn’t like this woman very much. “Tell me, Kristala,” she said. “How do you and Rand know each other?” She hoped that her voice sounded more civil than she felt. Kristala smiled. “We went to law school together.” Whatever Inarii expected her to say, it wasn’t that. “Rand went to law school?” she asked before she could stop herself. She didn’t think the brute had even gone to college, much less law school, but she didn’t want to give away how little she really knew about him. “He didn’t tell you?” Kristala asked in genuine surprise. “But, then, no, of course he wouldn’t. He only went to Walker Law to please his father, which was a shame, actually, because he’d make a brilliant lawyer. Graduated top of his class, too. He’d probably be wealthy by now. But the money never really was of much interest to him. He actually wanted to help people.” She

smiled at Inarii. “So, he decided to become a protector, much to his father’s chagrin. Rand has never had a high opinion of lawyers; maybe because his father is one. But, for whatever reason, he entered the protector academy the day after graduation. I don’t think his father has spoken to him since.” Inarii sat back in her chair. “You certainly seem to know a lot about Rand.” Kristala was silent for a moment. “We dated throughout college. Our families thought we were the perfect couple. We were engaged our senior year,” she said quietly. “But unlike you, I didn’t have the mettle to go against my father. When Rand became a protector, my father forbade the marriage, and I gave in. When Rand was going to be a lawyer, my father was all for it. Old earthen blue-blood and all that, you know. But he didn’t want me marrying a lowly protector, you see. And I have to admit that at the time I wasn’t too thrilled about marrying a minimum wage protector, either. I’ve come to regret that decision. It took me only a few years to discover that the value of a man lies not in his bank account, but in his character. And Rand is the best man that I’m ever likely to meet.” She paused, regarding Inarii thoughtfully. “I’ll say it again, Rand’s quite a catch. Don’t let him go, like I did.” As she spoke, Kristala’s gaze moved to Rand again, and Inarii saw genuine regret in the woman’s eyes. Unable to help herself, Inarii found her own gaze drifting to where Rand stood. A graduate of the prestigious Walker Law. And from a blue-blood family, to boot. She realized that she’d been so blinded by her own stereotypes that she’d never really seen him. Maybe she should

take another look at this suddenly intriguing man. After lunch, Rand excused himself and Inarii, much to her relief. She’d had just about enough of Kristala Fonterane as she thought she could take. For some reason, watching Rand’s ex practically drool over him across the table annoyed the hell out of her. Once they got back to the cabin, Inarii fully expected Rand to take her to task for giving Kristala her real name, but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t mention their meeting with the woman at all. He seemed distracted, spending the rest of the day on his com, and leaving Inarii to herself for the most part. She wondered if he regretted how things had ended with Kristala. Once or twice, she thought about engaging him in conversation about it, but couldn’t seem to figure out how to broach the subject. That evening, Inarii agreed to have dinner in the cabin. Not that she supposed Rand gave her much choice in the matter, she thought sullenly. Afterward, Rand seemed content to spend the rest of the night doing whatever it was he did on his com, or sit staring at the wall, lost in thought, but Inarii felt like she was about to go stir crazy if she had to stay in the small cabin another minute. Getting up from her chair, she went over to where he sat on the couch, and flopped down beside him. She glanced at his com, dismissing it disinterestedly. “Let’s go up to the observation deck,” she suggested brightly. She’d read about it in the complimentary guidebook she’d found in the bedroom earlier. It sounded interesting, at least more interesting than their cabin. And it was

secluded enough that he might actually go along with it. Rand didn’t look up from his com screen. “No.” “C’mon,” she pleaded, holding up the guidebook so that he could look at it. “See. The book says that it’s completely dark on the deck. Nothing but the lights of the stars to see by. Only couples go up there, so there’ll hardly be any people. What more could you want? It’s dark, and there are no people to recognize me. Besides, we’re supposed to be on our honeymoon; what better place for newlyweds to be than the observation deck?” Rand’s mouth quirked, but his gaze didn’t stray from his com. “Our cabin.” She made a face. “Very funny. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but sitting in this cabin can get pretty boring, and we’ve only been doing it for half a day.” He was silent for a time, as if considering her words. “You’d have to wear your hat and sunglasses at least until we got up there.” She thought a moment. “Done,” she agreed. When he still hesitated, she begged, “Rand, please.” She drew out the second word for added effect. Rand did look at her then, and knew in that moment that were he made of less stern stuff, he’d give in to her right then. No wonder the ambassador let her have anything she wanted. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?” She smiled and he felt his resolve lessen. “If I were up to something, I’d have tried to slip out of the cabin without you knowing. Instead, I’m being very responsible.”

He almost laughed at her logic; as it was, his mouth quirked in amusement. “Okay, we can go up to the observation deck. But just for a little while.” She grinned. “I’ll go change.” Rand shook his head as he watched her hurry into the bedroom. He was probably setting a bad precedent by giving in like this, he realized. But when Inarii had looked at him with those big eyes of hers, there’d been little he could do to resist. Shutting off his com, he stuck it in his pocket and got to his feet. This was probably a bad idea. Perhaps he should tell Inarii that he’d changed his mind about going up to the observation deck. But when she came out of the bedroom dressed in a short skirt, sleeveless top, and low sandals, looking as excited as a kid on Disney World, he just couldn’t say “no” to her. To Rand’s relief, they met no one in the hallways or elevators on their way to the observation deck. It even seemed like they had the place to themselves, though he had to admit that it would be too dark for anyone to recognize her easily. The entire ceiling was made of a transparent material that made one feel as if they could almost reach out and touch the millions of stars that spread across their view. They chose a spot along the railing, holding on so that they wouldn’t get dizzy, and for a time, both of them were content to simply watch the lights of the passing stars before Inarii spoke. “Kristala told me that you went to law school together,” she said conversationally. Rand said nothing for a moment. That part of his life was in

the past, and he’d prefer it stay there. Kristala knew that; she should never have spoken about those things to Inarii. When he didn’t answer, Inarii continued. “She also told me that you went simply to please your father.” She paused. “Why even bother going if you never intended to become a lawyer?” He had expected some kind of sarcasm, but to his surprise, Inarii seemed genuinely curious about the subject. He supposed he could tell her that it was none of her business, but for some reason, today’s meeting with Kristala had put him a talkative mood. And he decided that this could be a subject that Inarii just might understand. Besides, the intervening years had made the subject easier to talk about. “Some people say I’m stubborn. Maybe I get that from my father. He basically challenged me to go to law school. He said that the reason I didn’t want to go was because I knew I couldn’t cut it,” Rand said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. “I knew that he was manipulating me, but I didn’t care. At that time in my life, I would have done anything to prove him wrong. So, I went and completed law school.” “Lots of people complete law school,” she said. “Kristala said that you graduated at the top of your class. That’s carrying stubbornness a little far, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “A subject you seem to know a little something about yourself,” he told her. “Of course, the second that law school had technically been completed, I went and rubbed his nose in it by enrolling in the academy.” He grinned. “You should have seen the look on my father’s face when I told him I was going

to be a protector. You would have thought that I had dedicated my life to cleaning toilets on cruiser ships.” Beside him, Inarii frowned. “I don’t understand why he couldn’t be proud of you anyway,” she said. “I mean, my father and I certainly have our differences, but I know that he’d be behind me in whatever I chose to do.” Rand turned to look at her. She was gazing out the window, obviously deep in thought. “And what is it you want to do, besides be an ambassador’s daughter?” She stiffened for a moment, and he thought she was about to take offense at his question, but then she shrugged. “I’ve thought about becoming a doctor.” He nodded. “Like your mother.” Inarii sighed and turned so that her back was to the railing. At least he hadn’t ridiculed her. Many people just assumed she would live off her family name and just be an ambassador’s daughter her whole life. “Well, perhaps not exactly like my mother,” she admitted quietly. “As a person, I admire her for what she does, but as her daughter, I’ve had a difficult time understanding how she can do it. I could never abandon my family like she did.” Inarii looked so forlorn that Rand had a sudden, almost irrepressible urge to pull her into his arms and hold her, and it was all he could do not to give in to it. He shook himself. I’m her bodyguard; that’s it. Remember that. “I called her, you know,” Inarii continued softly. “About Father sending me back to Deuntaie. I barely got out two sentences before she had to run off and save whatever planet she’s currently

living on.” She snorted. “Probably someplace as dreadful as Deuntaie, no doubt.” His mouth quirked. “From what I understand, Deuntaie’s not that bad. It’s a forest paradise, from what I hear.” She wrinkled her nose. “Forest paradise. What a quaint way of saying no apparent civilization. I’ve spent most of my life on capital planets like Andras Prime, so it’s difficult to go back to a place where fashion is just another word that comes after farm in the dictionary.” Rand chuckled. “I can’t really see you on a farm.” “Neither can I,” she agreed. “That’s the problem.” He laughed, and after a moment, so did she. But then her gaze focused on something over his shoulder, and she stiffened. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him back behind a column with her. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he didn’t resist. “What’s going on?” he asked. She was still looking behind him. He turned but didn’t see anything or anyone that looked unusual. “What is it?” he demanded. “There was a guy on the lower level looking around like he was trying to find someone,” she said. “I could swear that I’ve him before. He looked just like the guy that Kat said was watching me at the Dark Side.” Rand swore under his breath. With Inarii on his heels, he took a step closer to the railing and peered over it. “I don’t see anyone,” he told her. She looked over the railing. “He was right over there, by

that door,” she said, pointing. “He was looking around for someone.” Rand turned and put both hands on her shoulders, looking at her earnestly at her. “Are you sure?” She nodded. “I’m pretty sure.” “Then, let’s go,” he said. Grabbing her hand, he started for the door, but she hung back. “Aren’t you going to go after him?” she asked when Rand spun around to look at her. He shook his head. “I have no idea where he went, and he might not be alone. I don’t have a weapon, but I don’t know about him, so I don’t want to confront him, or whoever else is with him, with you at my side. Let’s just get back to the cabin. We’re better off there than out here in the open.” To his relief, Inarii didn’t argue, and they were back in their cabin a few minutes later. Once inside, Rand immediately checked the rooms, Inarii following close behind. They both stopped in their tacks the moment they stepped foot in the bedroom. Rand felt her clutch his arm. The room was almost like they’d left it. Almost, but not quite. The suitcases, which had been stacked in the corner, were now set out in a neat row against the wall, and every zipper had been undone. “Shit,” he muttered. They both moved toward the bags and looked through them. A quick glance at her indicated that everything was still there; the bags had just been thoroughly searched. Inarii looked at him in confusion. “Who are these people?

Why would they search through my bags?” Rand shook his head. “I don’t know,” he told her. “But I do know that we’re not as safe in this cabin as I thought.”

CHAPTER SIX Inarii took an unconscious step closer to Rand. No longer was the danger something made up by her father to frighten her, she realized as she stood staring at the disheveled suitcases. Now, it was all too real. It was disquieting enough to know that that guy from the Dark Side had followed her aboard, but to know that someone had also gone through her things... “Grab whatever you can fit in your beach bag,” Rand told her. “We’re going to find another cabin, and we won’t be coming back.” “What about my stuff?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. He didn’t reply, but turned on his heel and went back into the sitting room, leaving Inarii to stare after him. She had a difficult time deciding what she would need, but she hurriedly grabbed the few things she could think of and shoved them into her beach tote. Picking up her hat and sunglasses from the chair where she’d tossed them, she went into the other room to find Rand waiting for her. Putting his finger to his lips to indicate she should be quiet, he motioned his hand over the sensor beside the door. It slid open noiselessly, and Rand checked the hallway before nodding to Inarii. Once in the passageway, Rand took Inarii’s hand and led her to the elevator, quickly ushering her inside when the door slid open. “I’ll need you to distract the purser for me, so that I can get

a look at his computer,” he said, pushing the button for “B” Deck. “There’s a holo-map of the ship on the wall beside the desk. Ask him to show you where something is.” Inarii nodded hesitantly, not sure if she would know what to say, but before she could make any comment, they arrived on “B” Deck. The large open area was centered around an immense circular counter. There were colorful brochures and pictures all over the place, all of which were designed to entice the tourists to spend more money. Normally, the area would have been packed with people, but at this late hour, it was comparatively empty. There were two or three people browsing through the brochures, but Rand focused on the man in ship’s uniform. The purser was at his desk looking at a computer screen. At Rand’s nod, Inarii made her way over to the man. He was a tall good-looking man that greeted her with a smile. “Can I help you?” Inarii returned his smile with a charming one of her own. “I’m looking for the ship’s salon, but I can’t seem to locate it on the map,” she said, gesturing to the holo-screen on the wall. Making herself look as helpless as possible, she added, “Actually, I can’t seem to find anything on this ship. I’m so useless when it comes to those things. Could you help me?” “Of course,” he said, coming around the desk. Inarii followed the purser over to the holo-map, halflistening as the man gave her directions. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rand move behind the desk to the computer. Knowing that it could take him awhile to get what he needed, she kept the purser

busy with questions about the other services offered by the ship. Half-afraid that he’d turn and see Rand, she flirted a little to keep him interested, but as soon as her bodyguard gave her a nod to indicate that he’d gotten what he needed, she quickly thanked the purser for his help and left the poor guy in mid-sentence, hurrying to meet Rand at the elevator. “Did you find us a cabin?” she asked once they were inside. “There’s one on “G” Deck,” he said, reaching out to press the button for the deck he’d just mentioned. “It’s not the suite that your father got for us, but it’ll have to do.” She thought a moment. “How will we get in?” He reached into his pocket and came out holding a keycard. “You were able to code it?” she asked in surprise. He grinned. “I’m a man of many talents, Ms. Kal’yle.” Inarii was silently forced to agree, and then found herself wondering what other sorts of talents the handsome Rand Barany had. Before she could think on it, however, they arrived on “G” Deck, where Rand quickly led her to their new cabin. It was smaller than the one they’d had, with a combined bedroom and sitting room, which meant that she and Rand would be living in much closer quarters. That didn’t bother her as much as it she thought it would, however. Now that someone really could be after her, having her bodyguard nearby didn’t seem as distasteful as it had. “Do you think the guy I saw up on the observation deck was the one who went through my bags?” she asked softly. Rand glanced at her. “Or someone working with him.”

“But what would they be looking for?” His brows drew together. “Did your father give you something to carry back to Deuntaie? Something that could seem completely innocent to you or me, but could be extremely valuable to the ambassador’s opposition.” Frowning, she shook her head. “He didn’t give me anything.” He ran his hand through his hair and let out a slow breath, then looked at her. “Are you sure the guy you saw tonight was the same one that was at the Dark Side?” She chewed on her lower lip, wishing she’d gotten a better look at the guy when Kat had pointed him out at the club. “I think so, but I can’t be sure. It was dark inside the club, and to tell you the truth, I really only glanced at him.” Digging into his pocket, Rand pulled out his com, and she watched as he pushed a series of buttons. “Your father sent me the surveillance tapes from the other night at the Dark Side. It could be coincidence, but the guy seemed to go to great lengths to stay in the shadows. The footage isn’t that great, but maybe if you take a look at it, you’ll remember something.” As he spoke, a streaming video appeared on the com’s holo-screen. The picture wasn’t good, and it was difficult to see the man’s face clearly, but it did look a lot like the guy she’d seen on deck. “What do you think this guy wants with me?” she asked in a small voice. Rand shrugged. “It’s almost certainly related to your

father’s job. Best case, he’s only here to watch you. Worst case, he’s here to kill you in retaliation for something your father has done. More likely, however, he’s here to kidnap you, to use as possible leverage against your father.” She turned pale at his words, and Rand silently chided himself for being so blunt with her. “Do you think that my father is in danger from these people?” she asked fearfully. “It’s doubtful,” Rand answered. “He has an army of guards around him. Plus, they most likely want to get him to change a particular political position. He can’t do that if he’s been injured. That’s why they’re after you. You’re an easier target, and he’s likely to do anything to keep you safe.” “Do you think they’d really try something on a cruiser full of people?” she asked in disbelief. There was no mistaking the fear in her voice. Or the way it trembled. Unable to suppress the urge to comfort her, he reached out and gently put his hands on her shoulders. Automatically, she took a step closer and rested her head against his chest. He liked the way she felt in his arms. Liked it too much, probably. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Inarii,” he said softly. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.” Inarii lifted her head to look at him, and in that moment, gazing up into his warm, brown eyes, she realized that she had never felt a sense of safety in a man’s arms before. But she felt that way now. The silence stretched out for a moment, a comfortable silence in which they each gazed into the other’s eyes before both

took a step back. Feeling a little awkward, Inarii looked around the room. “Do you think we’ll be safe here?” she asked. Rand nodded. “For now,” he told her. “But if we found this unoccupied cabin, then whoever is after you can find it, too.” She looked at him in alarm. “Then what are we going to do?” “Take it easy,” he hastened to calm her. “We’re safe for now. It’ll take them time to realize we’re not in our cabin, and until they’re aware that we’re onto them, they won’t even be looking for us. They assume that we’re going to be on this cruiser for the duration of the voyage, and they probably won’t try anything until we’re closer to our destination.” Her brow furrowed. “So, what do we do? Just stay locked up in this cabin waiting for them to make their move?” “Obviously, we’re going to have to leave the cabin to eat sometime, and that puts us at risk,” he said. “So, I think we need to get off this cruiser at the first planet it docks on.” She watched as he picked up the ship’s itinerary from the desk. “Then what do we do?” “From there, we’ll grab the first ship we can find, and either head to Deuntaie or jump from ship to ship until we’re sure they’re off our trail,” he said, scanning the page. She moved to stand beside him so that she could read the itinerary as well. “What are you looking for?” she asked. “I’m seeing which planets are coming up on our itinerary,” he told her. “I’m looking for someplace that would be easy to get

lost on.” She pointed at one of them further down the list. “How about this one?” she asked excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go there. It’s supposed to have great beaches.” He frowned at her. “We’re not looking for a vacation spot, you know. And it’s too close to the end of the voyage, anyway.” He paused. “What about Algerr? We dock there tomorrow.” She made a face. “I never heard of it.” “It’s a small planet,” he said. “The cruiser’s only there for a few hours. More importantly, though, there’s an excursion leaving first thing in the morning that doesn’t get back until right before the ship leaves. We’ll book that to make it look like we’re going sightseeing. If we’re lucky, they won’t even know that we didn’t get back on the ship.” Her brow furrowed. “What about my stuff?” she asked as he reached for the ship’s com. It was one thing when she thought they were simply going to be in another cabin, but now they weren’t even going to be on the ship. “You’ll have to leave it,” he said. “We have to make it look like we’re just getting off for the day.” “But...” she began only to be silenced by a warning look from Rand. Well, then she’d just have to buy what she needed once they got to Deuntaie, she told herself. On second thought, she’d better do some shopping on Algerr, because as backwater as her home planet was, she wasn’t likely to find any of the stuff she would wear.

Inarii watched as Rand used the ship’s com to book them on the excursion. An underwater tour that explored the planet’s various marine life, it sounded like it would be fun. Too bad they couldn’t actually do it, she thought. “Okay, we’re all set,” Rand said, replacing the ship’s com and turning to look at her. “The cruiser docks early, so we should both probably get some sleep.” She nodded, and then realizing that Rand was waiting for her to do whatever it was that she normally did before going to bed, she picked up her beach bag and went into the cabin’s small, adjoining bathroom. That was when she discovered that she hadn’t thought to bring anything to sleep in. But she did have the robe that she’d worn over her bikini earlier, she reminded herself. That would have to do. As she slipped it on, however, she couldn’t help but remember that when she’d worn the robe before, she’d been trying to hide the spanking Rand had given her, and she blushed hotly. She wondered if Rand would realize that she was naked beneath the thin robe now, and blushed even more. Quickly finishing up in the bathroom, she went back into the cabin to find Rand sitting in the cushioned chair, which he had strategically placed in front of the door. He looked up when she entered; his gaze lingered on her bare legs for a moment, but he said nothing. Feeling curiously shy, Inarii walked over to the bed and slipped beneath the covers. She waited for him to go into the bathroom, or at least make a show of getting ready for bed, but he continued to sit by the door.

“Are you going to sit there all night?” she asked. His mouth quirked. “Yes,” he said. “Go to bed.” With a sigh, Inarii turned on her side and settled herself on the pillow, but sleep wouldn’t seem to come. Though her back was to him, she was very much aware of Rand still sitting by the door. “Do you really think they would actually try to break in?” she asked after a moment. “Probably not,” he told her. “It’s unlikely that they’d be able to find us tonight, but I can’t take that chance.” His softly spoken words made her feel safe, and she surprised herself by actually drifting off to sleep. From his chair by the door, Rand found his gaze repeatedly wandering to the bed. In the darkened room, he could just make out Inarii’s slender form, and as he sat there, he tried not to think about how nearly naked she was beneath the covers. But it did no good. All he could think about was how damn sexy she looked in that short robe of hers. He had visions of slowly running his hand up her bare leg, pushing aside the silky material and... Thoughts like that kept him occupied – and hard - for most of the night until he finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. It was quite apparent that the person who’d written the brochure about the planet Algerr had never been there, because the descriptions turned out to be rather deceiving. But to say that it was a water-planet was an understatement. The only dry land on the planet was a few small islands, and they were barely large enough

for a transport pod to land on. Which meant that most of the shops, restaurants, and hotels were actually more boats than buildings. She had to admit that some of the hotels looked pretty swanky, though. However, those weren’t the accommodations that Rand had in mind. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Inarii said, staring at the disheveled building in front of them. “We’re not staying here, are we?” It had been described as a fishing bungalow, but “shack” was the word she would have used. It was one of the few buildings that were actually built on real land, unlike the floating variety. But the land was barely above the waterline and had a heavy swamplike smell. The wood that the shack was made of was heavily weathered and rotting in places, the windowpanes were streaked with dirt, and the front porch sagged to one side. Besides that, the whole place reeked of dead fish. Rand shrugged. “It probably looks better on the inside.” She and Rand had gotten off the cruiser along with the rest of the crowd that morning. It had been easy to blend in with the colorfully dressed tourists, and though Inarii had kept her eye out for the man she’d spotted the night before, she saw no sign of him. Rand was just as watchful, keeping Inarii close to his side with a firm grip on her hand. As if they were following their sightseeing plans, she and Rand first stopped by the tourist center to pick up their tickets for the exotic underwater cruise they’d booked. After that, they made a show of window shopping on the way to the submarine. Then,

when everyone else began to climb aboard the sleek-looking craft, they had darted down a narrow alley and disappeared into the outskirts of the town. Rand had filled her in on the plan as they’d walked. They would find an old out-of-the-way place in which to hide out for a day or so until they found off-world transport. He was looking for someplace isolated and low down on the budget scale, a place where no one would look for an ambassador’s daughter. Well, they had certainly found that, she thought. Contrary to Rand’s words, the inside was no better than the outside. The place only had one room, unless you counted the closet-sized bathroom off to one side. A scratched table with two mismatched chairs was supposed to be a charming breakfast nook, she imagined. There was an oddly patterned couch against the back wall as well, with a view out the dirt-streaked windows. But as she stepped closer to it, she realized that there wasn’t supposed to be a pattern. Instead, there were interconnecting stains all over the cushions that simply made it look as if it was. In distaste, Inarii turned to see an artificial air freshener positioned near the bathroom. It couldn’t seem to mask the odor of dead fish, however. The place absolutely reeked of it. She had no doubt that if she went into the bathroom, she would discover that dead fish had actually been stored in the bathtub at some point. She decided not to check to see if she was right, however. The only mildly acceptable thing in the room seemed to be the bed. The quilted cover wasn’t too hideous, but upon closer inspection, she noticed suspicious wrinkles all over it. It looked like someone had

slept in it, she thought, wrinkling her nose in distaste. There was no way she was staying here! “This was your plan?” she demanded, turning on Rand the moment he closed the door. “You maroon us on this fishing derby hellhole, and you call it a plan?” Rand frowned. “I’ll agree that it’s not the nicest planet on the cruiser’s itinerary,” he said. “But we’ll only be here a day or two, anyway. Three, if we have to wait for a shuttle.” Her eyes went wide. “Three days! Are you kidding me! I’m not staying in this place three minutes!” She was all for this when she thought that they would be staying in someplace that was at least fit for human habitation. She had visions of a beautiful beach front resort, not some hovel on the shores of a swamp. “Yes, you will,” he told her calmly. “Because if we stay at one of the nicer hotels – not that there are very many – it’ll make it extremely easy to track us. Every quality establishment requires holograph identification maintained in their files. If someone wants to see if we’re still on the planet, the first place they’ll check is the hotel database.” She folded her arms and eyed him accusingly. “I thought you said that we would give whoever is following us the slip if we jumped ship on this crappy island.” “Actually, that’s not what I said at all,” he corrected her. “I told you that getting off on this planet was just the first step. You obviously didn’t listen.” “Well, if you weren’t so long-winded and full of yourself, I probably would have,” she snapped. What was she doing? she

thought to herself. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was deliberately trying to provoke him. “Oh, please,” he scoffed. “You never listen to anything anybody says. You’re too much of a brat.” “I am not a brat!” she said hotly. “Forget this! I’m going back to the cruiser.” Inarii pushed past him and was headed for the door when she felt Rand grab her arm. “You’re not going anywhere,” he told her, spinning her around to face him. She tried to pull free, to no avail, and settled on glaring up at him defiantly instead. “I am too!” “Like hell you are!” he growled. As he spoke, he dragged her over to the bed and pushed her face down across it. She tried to right herself, but a firm hand on her back held her in place while the other flipped up her short skirt and yanked down her panties in one quick motion. He was going to spank her again, she thought, her heart beating wildly. But isn’t that what she’d been trying to get him to do all along? she asked herself, and was as surprised by that realization as much as she was by the first hard smack of his hand. “Rand...” she began, only to let out a startled “Oh!” as his hand came down again and again on her bare bottom. “Since this seems to be the only way I can get through to you, I intend to make sure that we understand each other,” he told her. He brought his hand down sharply as he spoke, alternating

from one cheek to the other, and then back again until her skin turned a rosy red. But Inarii didn’t struggle to free herself as she’d done when he’d spanked her before. Quite the opposite, she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning every time his hand slapped her bare bottom. She closed her eyes and gripped the coverlet, clenching the material in her slender fingers. Then, as if she couldn’t help herself, she began slowly wiggling her hips in time with the slaps. Clenching her thighs sent the most pleasurable of sensations rippling through her body, and grinding against the bed brought her within inches of orgasm. Unable to control herself any more, she began to moan. Surprised, Rand hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should stop. Still, she certainly seemed to be enjoying the spanking, and that thought turned him on too much to allow him to stop now. But the slaps were softer than they’d been. And after each, his hand lingered more and more on her reddened ass. Inarii’s panties were now down around her ankles, and Rand almost groaned when he saw the wetness glistening on the inside of thighs that were spreading wider with every spank. Damn, but she was hot, he thought. Then, as if of its own accord, his hand stopped spanking to delve down between her legs, and he slid his finger along her silken folds. He half expected her to protest, but instead she only moaned and spread her legs even further, pushing herself up on her toes a little as she did so. Without hesitation, Rand slowly slid his finger into her wetness. Inarii gasped, tightly clenching around his finger and letting out a soft moan. Rand started to move inside her, and then caught

himself. What the hell was he doing? He was her bodyguard. This was crazy! Regretfully, he slowly started to withdraw his finger, and was surprised to hear what sounded like protest from Inarii. He looked up to find her looking over her shoulder at him with those beautiful green eyes. “Don’t you dare stop,” she said. Her voice sounded breathless, even to her own ears. She had a fleeting moment of doubt, but it disappeared quickly enough. The things he was doing felt way too good for him to stop now. Rand was already so hard that it almost hurt, and at her huskily spoken command, he felt his arousal tighten even more. Needing no more encouragement, he slid his finger deep inside her wetness and began to slowly move in and out. Inarii moaned, rocking back to meet his hand, and then protested when he again pulled out. But this time, he slid his finger along her folds until he found her most sensitive spot. Once there, he slowly began to make small, rhythmic circles over the little, hardened nub with his finger. Inarii didn’t think she’d ever felt anything so incredibly good. Her pulse was racing, her heart was pounding in her chest, and her entire body felt like it was tingling. Never before had any man made her feel this way. Abruptly, she felt a sharp slap on her bottom. Then another and another, until he was spanking her all over. They weren’t hard spanks, but even the light sting of his hand combined with the gentle massage of his finger created the most pleasurable of sensations between her thighs, and within seconds, Inarii was coming harder

than she’d ever come in her life. Minutes later, Rand was cupping her mound gently. She was still tingling, still throbbing with need, and she knew then that she had to have him inside her. Rand didn’t keep her waiting. Behind her, she heard him unbuckling his belt, and then the rustle of material before she felt his hardness against her hot, wet opening. Then, before she could even think, he plunged inside her in one swift motion. Inarii gasped, and then moaned with pleasure as he began to rhythmically pump in and out of her. Behind her, Rand bit his lip and tried to stifle a groan. Damn, but she was incredible. He didn’t think he’d ever been with a woman so hot and tight and wet. He didn’t think he’d ever felt this good with a woman before. Gripping her hip with one hand, he began lightly spanking her ass with the other. Her already rosy bottom reddened even more under his hand, and with each spank, she squeezed him so tight that it was all he could do not to come. But he wanted to make it good for her, and so he clenched his jaw and silently recited the protector codes for every law ordinance he could manage to come up with. Which was quite a task, considering that Inarii had begun moaning continuously. He was halfway through the code handbook when he finally couldn’t contain himself anymore. With a husky groan of his own, Rand tossed his head back, grabbed hold of her hips with both hands, and began to thrust faster and faster until he found his release. Beneath him, Inarii cried out as she reached her own

orgasm. Too caught up in the moment to do anything more than ride the waves of pleasure rippling through her, she couldn’t think of anything except how incredible Rand was making her feel. Then, when they were both utterly spent, Rand slipped an arm around her, and she let out a soft sigh of contentment as she felt him relax against her back. They lay like that for a time, both enjoying the feel of the other, until Rand finally, if reluctantly, pushed himself upright. Inarii did the same, pulling up her panties and letting her skirt flutter about her thighs while Rand righted his own clothing. Neither spoke because neither, it seemed, knew what to say. Before they had both been too caught up in the moment, and now... Inarii wanted to say something, anything, but she was afraid that whatever she said would be wrong. The awkward silence stretched on and on until Rand finally cleared his throat. “I should go see about finding us a shuttle.” Inarii tried to hide her surprise, hurt by his apparent indifference. How could he be thinking about that after what they’d just experienced? She wanted to protest, but simply nodded. She knew that she needed to think about what had just taken place between them, and she couldn’t do that with Rand there. He didn’t leave immediately, however, but stood gazing down at her for a moment. There was a warmth in his dark eyes that she hadn’t seen before, and the look in them made her tummy flutter. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, but when he spoke, it was to remind her to lock the door and not open it to anyone but him. After Rand left, Inarii stood for a moment, gazing at the

door and listening to the sounds the water made as it lapped against the sides of the cabin. She’d never had such incredible sex in her life, and that she had it with Rand Barany surprised her. A few days ago she hadn’t even liked the man, had hated the spankings he’d given her. Now, even the thought of him giving her one made her so turned on that she could barely think straight. What was it that drew her to him? she wondered. He was extremely handsome, of course, and intelligent. And they obviously shared a love of spanking, she thought with a smile. Even now, her bottom was no doubt red and glowing! But could there be anything more than great sex between them? Inarii liked to think of herself as a romantic, but she wasn’t naïve. She lived in one world; Rand lived in another. While his job had brought them into close proximity, that wasn’t the same thing. Could they possibly ever have a relationship that would work? Relationship? Did she really think they could have a relationship? Did she really want them to? Yes, she did, she realized, and the answer came as a shock to her. Good heavens! she thought. She was actually falling for him. Surprisingly, that didn’t frighten her as much as she thought it would. He was beginning to get a suspicious sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He’d stood on deck and watched as crowds of tourists poured in, but hadn’t caught sight of Inarii or her bodyguard. At first, he’d simply thought that she and Barany had slipped by without him noticing. But after checking all of the locations where they’d been spending time while on board, he’d

realized something wasn’t right. Since the cruiser had already left the dock, he’d had little choice but to talk to the ship’s purser. The man looked up from his com and greeted him with a pleasant smile. “Can I help you?” “I’m wondering if you can tell me whether my brother and his wife got back on board,” he said smoothly. “We were supposed to meet up, but neither of them are very good at keeping track of time, I’m afraid. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re still wandering around sightseeing.” The purser nodded. “Of course. If you’ll just give me their names, I’ll check on that for you.” He gave the man the names that Inarii and Rand were using, and after a quick look at the ship’s com, the purser shook his head. “I’m showing that neither he nor his wife came back on board.” He made the required show of concern, while the purser went to great lengths to reiterate the cruiser’s policy about being back on board an hour before departure. But then he cut the man off mid-sentence, seething inside. Damn them! he thought. He had no doubt that this was that Barany’s fault. Getting them abandoned on a sparsely populated, remote planet like Algerr seemed like something that low-life would come up with. Apparently, he would do anything to be alone with Inarii. Barany was definitely to blame, but Inarii shared at least a part of the responsibility. She was a smart woman; she should know better than to get in that situation. He was starting to think it was time that he actually sat her down

and made her aware of the dangers of her foolhardy decisions. After a few more minutes of consuming anger, he forced himself to calm down and approach the situation in a logical manner. He wondered if this Barany had informed the ambassador about his plans in advance. Doubtful, he thought. If so, he would have already learned about it from his contact at the ambassador’s. So, most likely, this had been a spur of the moment thing. What had prompted it somewhat concerned him, but picking up Inarii’s trail was more important right now. He took out his com and dialed his contact’s number. If Barany hadn’t called in yet, her bodyguard would soon. After all, he worked for the ambassador, and would want to keep him informed. He would have Inarii back under his sheltering supervision soon, he told himself. Barany would not get her away from him that easily. Not surprisingly, Rand had a hell of a time finding a shuttle off Algerr. Besides the infrequent cruisers that came by, not many ships docked on the small planet. But after a lot of looking and negotiating, he’d managed to find one. He was less than happy with the price, however, considering it was a small fortune, but he’d had little choice. He hoped the ambassador would reimburse him since he’d had to use his own money. When he’d left the cabin, Rand hadn’t gone into town immediately, but had stood outside on the porch for several moments, thinking about Inarii. Having sex with her changed everything between them, he knew that, and though he also knew that he should probably regret it, he didn’t. Despite the fact that she

was a spoiled brat, he’d wanted her from the moment he laid eyes on her. And in that old fisherman’s shack, she’d wanted him, too. But he didn’t have any disillusions. He and Inarii came from different worlds, more different than even he and Kristala had been, and he hadn’t been able to make it work with her. Rand doubted that Inarii would have any interest in being on his arm during one of her father’s diplomatic functions; he knew he didn’t fit the part of a debutante’s boyfriend. She might keep him around for the sex, but there was no way he was going to put himself out there with her, and then get kicked to the curb when she decided to dump him. With a sigh, Rand knocked on the shack’s weathered door. “Inarii, it’s me,” he called. She pulled open the door almost immediately, relief on her face. For a moment, Rand thought he saw something else there, too, and he wanted to say something, but he really didn’t know how to begin. Actually, he thought to himself, he was simply being a chicken. He didn’t want to make it seem like their lovemaking had meant something more to him if it turned out that it hadn’t meant anything to her. “I found us a way off this place,” he said instead, stepping into the cabin and closing the door behind him. “You did?” she asked in surprise. “When do we leave?” He glanced at her. “Now,” he told her. “Grab your stuff.” That was easily done; all she’d brought with her was the beach bag. Picking it up from where it lay on the bed, she stood a moment, and then turned to find Rand regarding her. She wondered if, like her, he was thinking about what they’d done on that bed a

few hours earlier, but he said nothing, and she certainly wasn’t going to be the first one to bring it up. Thirty minutes later they were walking down the space dock. Rand had been very closed-mouth about the shuttle he’d hired, and when they stopped in front of a ship so dilapidated that it looked like it couldn’t even fly, Inarii could see why. “Tell me this isn’t our way off this planet,” she said to Rand. He gave her a bland look. “Would you prefer to go back to the fishing shack?” he asked dryly. Even the shack would be more preferable than this heap of junk, she thought to herself. But she wouldn’t let Rand know that. Lifting her chin, she started up the ramp.

CHAPTER SEVEN Inarii thought that it almost would have been better to have stayed in the fishing shack. One look at the squat, metal hulk of a ship docked in front of them told her that it was obviously not a passenger shuttle. There were no smiling attendants there to show them aboard, nor was there a sign telling passengers where to enter. She looked at Rand uncertainly, but he merely shrugged and led her through a large cargo door into the ship. She made no comment as they walked across the deck. Crates of various sizes were stacked along the walls. Even more were strewn haphazardly across the deck. Several burly men were busy loading more goods onto the ship, as well as strapping down those cartons that were already there. Even though they seemed to be in a hurry, she noticed that they all stopped to stare at her and Rand as soon as she and her bodyguard moved into sight. Actually, she corrected herself, the men weren’t staring at them, but were focused completely on her. She was used to men looking at her, but she wasn’t used to them being so blatant about it. Uneasy with the way they were staring at her, she moved closer to Rand. “Ah, Mr. Smith, good to have you aboard.” Inarii turned to see a big, burly man coming toward them. He was dressed in a shirt, trousers and high boots, but it was the large pistol he wore around his waist that held Inarii’s attention. Her eyes narrowed. What kind of ship was this? The man’s gaze went to Inarii for a moment. “And your

lovely wife, too.” He paused as if waiting for an introduction, and when Rand made none, he continued. “Well, if we can get payment out of the way, I’ll have someone show you to your quarters.” Inarii watched as Rand counted out several bills and handed them to the man, who gave them a wide grin. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he said, and then glanced at the men. “Stran,” he called out, raising his voice to be heard over their talking. At the name, one of the men dropped whatever it was he’d been doing to hurry over to their sides. Tall and lanky, with a mop of unruly carrot-red hair and more freckles than she could count, the fellow gave her a quick, almost shy glance before focusing his attention on the burly man. “Cap’n.” “Show our passengers to their quarters,” he ordered, and then with a nod at Rand and Inarii, turned and made his way over to the group of men, barking out more orders to them as he went. The gawky Stran jerked his head at them. “Follow me,” he said, and started across the deck without waiting to see if they did or not. He took them through a maze of corridors. There were boxes and containers strapped in every available space, making it necessary to weave their way through them. They were even forced to use catwalks to climb over a few. Inarii had definitely never been on a ship like this. It smelled of grease and rusted metal, with a faint odor of something that seemed like manure to her. Stran must have noticed her wrinkled nose. “Sorry about the smell,” he said. “We had a load of livestock awhile back. They

didn’t take well to space flight. Don’t expect that we’ll ever get the stench out of here.” She made no comment, but leaned close to Rand as they walked. “What kind of ship is this?” “A merchant one,” he answered, his voice as soft as hers. She frowned. “What kind of merchants carry guns and let livestock wander the decks?” He gave their guide a meaningful look. “The kind of merchants that freelance.” Realization dawned on her then. Grabbing his arm, she jerked him to a halt. “You mean that they’re smugglers!” she hissed. His gaze darted to Stran, but the man kept walking, unaware that they were no longer following him, and Rand turned back to her. “If you prefer, then yes.” She stared at him aghast. “You booked us transport on a smuggler’s ship? Are you crazy?” His brows drew together as he glowered at her, and even in the dim light of the ship’s corridor, she could see the angry glint in his eyes. “Look, you wanted off that planet, and this was the best transportation I could find. But if you’d rather wait for a commercial shuttle there’s one that docks in several weeks. Now, that fishing shack didn’t bother me too much, but I get the feeling that you weren’t too fond of it.” He paused. “Am I right?” Up ahead, Stran had stopped and turned to look at them curiously. “Everything okay?” Rand lifted a questioning brow at Inarii. She certainly hadn’t been crazy about the shack – except for the part where they’d

made love, of course – and a ship was a ship, even if it did belong to smugglers. After a moment, she nodded, and they followed Stran the rest of the way to their quarters. Inarii had at least expected them to have a cabin of some sort, but the room he led them to was no bigger than a closet. It had one narrow bunk attached to the wall, and not much else, unless you counted the toilet in the corner. Well, at least the place didn’t smell, she thought. “There’s food in the mess. No particular schedule for meals, though. Just grab what you want.” In the doorway, Strand turned back to them. “Oh, and if you hear two quick sounds of the horn, grab onto something, ‘cause it means we’re takin’ off fast.” When he’d left, Rand closed and latched the door, then secured it with the lock before turning to Inarii. She was looking around the room disdainfully, and he could just imagine what she was thinking. It was barely big enough for one person, much less the two of them. Well, if it made her feel any better, he wasn’t thrilled about being cooped up in their broom closet of a room, either. With a sigh, he raked his hand through his hair. “The ship will take us all the way to Deuntaie, with a few stops in between,” he told her. “We should get there next week sometime. It’ll take longer than it would have if we’d gotten a shuttle gone straight there, but it’s better than staying on Algerr for several more weeks.” Inarii nodded, but said nothing. She waited for him to say more, but instead he looked around the room as if he were trying to find something to focus his attention on. She began to grow

uncomfortable with the silence after only a few minutes. She didn’t know what they were going to do holed up in their small cubicle for a week. But as it turned out, she needn’t have worried, because Rand spent most of his time out of the cabin. And when he was in the room, he was so intent on whatever he did on his com that he barely even looked at her. Rand didn’t want her leaving the room, however, so he got all their meals, which consisted of packaged ready-to-eat dishes that were all way too high in calories and too low in taste for Inarii’s liking. Rand brought her magazine vids on disk to relieve her boredom, and she appreciated the gesture, but most of them were from planets she’d never even heard of, so they weren’t very interesting. To make matters worse - if they could be any worse - their “cabin” was apparently located near the engines. The low throb was almost constant, except when it increased to chest-rattling levels during takeoffs. Inarii tried as best she could to put up with the cramped quarters and the noisy conditions. She knew Rand didn’t want her out among the unsavory crew, and she wasn’t too thrilled with the idea herself, if truth be told. But finally, two days in, Inarii couldn’t take the tight environment any more. It would have helped if Rand talked to her, but he’d barely spoken more than a dozen words to her since they’d come aboard. She knew he was thinking about what had happened between them at the shack; she just didn’t know what he was thinking. But she knew that they had to talk about it. So, when he brought their dinner that evening, she tried to

engage him in conversation. At first she made light comments about the food, and from where he sat on the floor, he nodded, even smiled a little, but still remained aloof. With a sigh, she put down her meal pack on the bunk. “Rand, can we talk about what happened at the fishing shack?” Rand stiffened. He didn’t want to have this conversation with her. He knew where she was heading, and as he saw it, there were just two ways she could approach this. Either she’d decided that their lovemaking had been a terrible idea, which meant that it would become impossible to keep guarding her. Or, she was intent on keeping him around as an amusing plaything, which was something he couldn’t be. Not to any woman, even one as beautiful as Inarii. Lifting his head, he shrugged. “We had sex,” he said, trying to sound as indifferent as he could. “What’s there to talk about?” For a moment, Inarii simply stared at him, sure she hadn’t heard him right. But as he continued to regard her with a bland expression, she realized that she’d heard him perfectly, and his words cut her to the quick. She didn’t know what she expected him to say, but she hadn’t expected him to be so callous about it. Suddenly unable to be in the same room with him, she jumped to her feet and headed for the door. “Inarii!” But she ignored him. Tears stinging her eyes, she fumbled with the lock and jerked open the door, almost stumbling in her haste to get out of the room. “Inarii!” His voice was sharper this time, more commanding, but still she ignored him, and Rand swore under his breath.

“Dammit!” He got to his feet, started to go after her, and then thought better of it. What would he say, anyway? That he wanted her? That, despite their differences, he wished there could be something more than sex between them? Swearing softly, he balled his fist and slammed the side of it against the cubicle’s metal wall. Inarii didn’t know how long she’d been wandering the ship’s corridors and she didn’t care. She just knew that she couldn’t be anywhere near Rand. She knew he could be obstinate and difficult – heaven knew he’d certainly been stubborn when it came to her doing what he’d said – but she’d never thought that he could be just plain cruel. It seemed like he didn’t even care that he had hurt her. Maybe she’d completely misjudged him. Perhaps she had overlooked some of his more irritating qualities when she’d begun to think of him romantically. But then again, perhaps those qualities were what had actually drawn her to him in the first place. But how could he be so mean when he casually mentioned having sex with her? She stopped abruptly as she realized that her thoughts were going round and round in circles. She couldn’t stay out here forever. Eventually, she would have to go back to the cabin and face Rand. Actually, she was surprised that he hadn’t come looking for her. He must figure she couldn’t get into too much trouble on such a small ship. With a sigh, she turned to go back the way she’d come, only to find herself face to face with two of the ship’s crew. They

were tall and heavily muscled with swarthy skin and dark beards that had been intricately plaited. She was careful not to catch their eye. She certainly didn’t want to engage in conversation with them. “Well, well, look what we have here,” one of them said. He had glass beads dangling from the ends of his mustache and they wobbled when he spoke. “We were wondering why that husband of yours never seems to let you out of your cabin. Though I must admit, with the way you look, I’d never let you leave my bedroom either.” Not knowing exactly what to say to that, but uncomfortable with the way they were looking at her, she tried to step around them in the narrow corridor, but they blocked her path. “Excuse me,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as panicky as she felt. “What’s the hurry?” the second man asked, stepping so close she could smell the sweat on his skin. She took a step back, but realized that the first man had stepped around behind her. She wet her lips nervously. “My husband is waiting for me.” The first man snickered. “Let him wait a little. I’m sure he won’t mind sharing.” She tried to laugh off their joke. “I don’t think so,” she said. “He’s very protective.” The man laughed and stepped closer, forcing her back against the wall. “I ain’t been with a woman like you in a long time.” “Hell, Den,” the other man scoffed. “You ain’t never been with a woman like her.”

As he spoke, he reached out and put his hand on the curve of her hip. Disgusted, Inarii pushed his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” But he only laughed, as did his companion. “We’re only having ourselves a little fun,” he said, covering her breast with one meaty hand. Her heart pounding in her chest, Inarii tried to push him away, but both he and the other man stepped closer. Their hands seemed to be everywhere at once – her hips, her breasts, her bottom. Their breaths were hot and reeking of some pungent alcohol, and when the man named Den leaned in to kiss her, she thought she was going to be sick. Turning her head to the side, she pressed frantically against his chest, but to no avail. He was going to kiss her, she realized in revulsion. Then, abruptly, Den was flying backward away from her, and Inarii gasped in surprise as she saw Rand holding the man by the hair and slamming his face savagely against the wall. Almost immediately, the other man went after Rand while he was still occupied with Den. Inarii tried to scream a warning, but Rand must have sensed the attack coming for he ducked down so quickly that the fist aimed for the side of his head struck the steel bulkhead instead. The man screamed in pain as he cradled his mangled hand, but Rand took no chance that the man might try something else. A punch in the man’s stomach put him on the floor. Inarii thought it was over just that fast, but Den had recovered, and was coming at Rand with a beast-like snarl, blood running down his face. Inarii watched wide-eyed as the man wrapped his huge

arms around Rand and drove him back against the opposite wall. They hit the metal with a resounding thud that seemed to reverberate throughout the entire ship. She could literally hear the breath explode out of Rand. Fear gripped her as she watched Rand struggle with the big man. Rand repeatedly pummeled the man’s back and head, but Den wouldn’t let go. Instead, he kept slamming Rand into the wall. Inarii couldn’t believe that Rand’s ribs weren’t already broken. She edged closer to them, trying to see if she could help, but Rand must have caught sight of her. “Stay back!” he warned her sharply. His words must have distracted Den because Rand found the opening he was looking for. A blow to the side of Den’s head sent the man stumbling to the floor. A knee to the man’s groin finished him off, and Rand was immediately at her side. Gently cupping her shoulders, he looked down at her earnestly, and she thought she saw genuine concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked her. “Did they hurt you?” He was breathing hard and there was a cut on the corner of his mouth, and Inarii had to fight the urge to reach out and lay her hand on his cheek. Instead, she shook her head in answer to his question. She was trembling so hard that there wasn’t much more she could do. Rand let out what sounded like a sigh of relief, but then his brows drew together in a frown. “Dammit, Inarii, I told you to stay in the room for a reason.” Inarii flushed, but before she could think of a retort, they

were interrupted by the sound of booted feet. She turned to see the captain of the ship descending upon them, his hand on his pistol. Several crewmen were behind him, all armed as well. Taking her hand, Rand protectively pulled her close. “What in the hell is going on here?” the captain demanded, his booming voice echoing off the metal walls of the ship. The man named Den groaned from where he lay on the floor. “Bastard attacked us for no reason,” he said, and then motioned to the guy who was still rolling in pain on the floor. “Sucker punched Kreb just for talking to his wife.” Rand exploded at that. “That’s bullshit! When I got here, they were trying to rape my wife. I only pulled them off to protect her.” Den’s eyes shot to the captain of the ship. “That’s not true, Captain,” he whined. “Who’re ya gonna believe? Him or us?” The captain’s gaze swung to Inarii and he frowned. The strap of her shirt was torn and she imagined that he knew exactly what had happened. He jerked his head at two of the men who had come with him. “Get these two to the first-aid bay,” he ordered, gesturing to Den and Kreb. The men grumbled something under their breath, but obeyed the command, and as they made their way down the corridor, the captain turned his attention back to Rand. “I’m sure you had no choice but to do what you did, Mr. Smith, but I can’t have the two of you on my ship. You’re a distraction,” he said. “We dock on Mar-Kenn within the hour.

You’ll be put off there.” Rand’s mouth tightened. “We paid good money for you to take us to Deuntaie.” “I’m captain of this ship; I decide who I transport and who I don’t.” As he spoke, he rested his hand on the butt of his pistol. “Consider the balance of the money as payment for medical fees for my crew. You can complain to the transportation bureau on MarKenn, if you wish, but I doubt they’d see it your way. But fortunately for you, Mar-Kenn’s a commercial hub. It should be easy enough to get a shuttle to Deuntaie.” Though Rand clenched his jaw, he didn’t argue the point, and the captain continued. “These men will show you to your quarters,” he said, gesturing to two of the men he’d brought with him. “I suggest that you stay there until we dock.” Much to Rand’s displeasure, they couldn’t get a shuttle to Deuntaie for several days. At the captain’s order, he and Inarii had been escorted back to their small room by two of the ship’s crew, who had then posted themselves outside to make sure they stayed there. Torn between wanting to pull Inarii into his arms and putting her over his knee for a good sound paddling, in the mood he was in, Rand hadn’t trusted himself to do either. However, now that they were in their hotel room, he found himself again wanting to both. But knowing that he couldn’t take her in his arms, he opted for the spanking. Rand did a quick survey of the room and his gaze settled on

the low-slung couch in the sitting room for a moment. Grabbing Inarii’s hand, he strode across the room, pulling her behind him. “Rand!” But he ignored her protest, instead taking a seat on the couch and yanking her over his knee. To his surprise, she struggled, trying to push herself upright, but he held her in place with one strong hand, while lifting her short skirt with the other. He didn’t trust himself to pull down her panties, though. Not that it mattered; they were thin and skimpy enough that she’d still feel the full effect of the spanking. And as his hand came down hard again and again on her nearly-naked bottom, she did. But he finished almost as quickly as he began, and she was back on her feet before she could do more than gasp in protest. Cupping her reddened bottom through her skirt, she stared up at Rand opened-mouth. Rand swore under his breath. Seeing Inarii struggle with those two men had made him more afraid and angrier than he’d ever been in his life. He didn’t even really care that she’d gotten them thrown off the smuggler’s ship. What infuriated him was that she’d deliberately ignored his warning not to go wandering around the ship, and almost gotten herself attacked because of it. If he hadn’t gone looking for her... “That spanking was no more than you deserve for what you did on that ship,” he growled. Raking his hand through his hair, he glowered at her. “Dammit, Inarii! I told you to stay in the room. Why don’t you ever do what I tell you to do?” Inarii glowered back at him. Even though her bottom was

stinging from a spanking, she wasn’t about to back down from a fight. “It’s as much your fault as it is mine. I only left because you wouldn’t talk to me! What did you expect me to do?” At his look of confusion, she made an exasperated sound. “Dammit, Rand! Something happened in that fishing shack, and it wasn’t just sex. We made love, and you act like it was nothing!” He said nothing for a moment, and it was obvious that her words took him aback. “Because I thought that was what you wanted,” he said finally. “I didn’t want to make more out of it if it meant nothing to you.” She frowned, and it was her turn to look confused. “Why would you assume that it would mean nothing to me?” “Being who we are, I’d think it was obvious.” Her frown deepened. “Not to me, it isn’t.” He shook his head in frustration. “Well, it should be. Let’s be honest with each other, Inarii. I’m a bodyguard; you’re an ambassador’s daughter. Do you really think it could work?” She felt a surge of elation at his words. “So, you admit it. You do feel something for me.” He gave her a rueful smile. “How could I not?” he said, and then let out a sigh. “You’re beautiful and smart and sexy, and I’ve thought about making love to you more times than I can count since we left that fishing shack, but I’m not a fool, Inarii. I don’t go to swanky parties or movie premiers or gallery openings; I handle personal security for the people who do. There’s an attraction between us. We both know it. But I also think that we both know it’s not enough to overcome the differences between us. I’m man

enough to admit that I’m not your type.” Her brows drew together. “How do you know what my type is?” she demanded, and then sighed. “I’m nothing more than a rich, snobby debutante to you, aren’t I? How can you think so little of me? There’s more to me than just the public relations façade. I though that someone like you would look beyond the obvious and see that.” His brow furrowed. “Inarii, I’m not saying that you’re a bad person. All I’m saying is that we move in different circles.” He paused. “I have no doubt that working the room at a social function is a real art.” Her lips curved in a small smile. “For someone so clever, you can be really thick, you know that?” she said. “Where do you think I went all those times I slipped away from you? Shopping? Some spa, perhaps?” He shrugged. “At the time, I thought you were getting yourself into trouble just to embarrass your father.” “That day I booked the massage at the spa, I slipped away to go to a shelter down in the Westwick Sector where I spend most of my time, either helping the doctor who works there, or teaching the children to read and write,” she said. “That’s also the reason I was at the Dark Side. I was there picking up drugs on the black market for one of the children at the shelter.” She could tell that Rand was clearly surprised by her admission, and she was glad. “That’s who I am, Rand, not some shallow socialite.” Taking a deep breath, she took a step closer to him and gently rested her hand on his jaw. “This can work between

us, Rand, if we want it to. I’m willing to try. Are you?” Was he? He’d been down this road before, and regardless of what Inarii said, he knew there was little chance of a relationship between them working out, and he just didn’t want to get hurt again. And yet he knew he’d be kicking himself if he didn’t at least give it a try. She was the best thing that had ever fallen into his lap. Finally, he granted himself one small concession. He would do this, he would try to make it work with her, but he would also protect himself. He would not let himself get swept away by her, not until he was sure it would work between them. Inarii was still gazing up at him expectantly. At a few words from him, she would drop her hand, step back, and they would go back to being what they’d been. But he didn’t say those words. Instead, he bent his head and kissed her. Inarii melted against him with a sigh of pleasure, sliding her hand around to the back of his neck to pull him closer. Rand’s mouth was warm on hers, his kiss gentle and yet passionate at the same time. She had dreamed of kissing him hundreds of times since she’d first seen him, but the reality was so much better than anything she’d imagined, and she was heady from it. Lifting his head, Rand gazed down at her for a moment, before swinging her up in his arms and carrying her over to the waiting bed. Once there, he set her down on her feet and kissed her again. Tangling his hands in her hair, he ravished her mouth with his until she was breathless with desire and tingling all over. His hands slid down to her waist, and then beneath her shirt, and when he slowly pushed up the material, she obediently

lifted her arms so that he could take off her top. Then she moaned as he ran his hands down her slender arms to her slim waist and back up to cup her breasts through the lacy bra she wore. He teased her cloth-covered nipples until they became turgid, sensitized peaks beneath his fingers before he reached around to unclasp her bra and slide the garment down her arms. Inarii sighed when Rand cupped a round breast in each of his hands, and then watched with rapt attention as he bent to take one of her sensitive nipples in his mouth. His mouth was hot on her cool skin, and she gasped as swirled his tongue around and around the peak. He paid the other nipple the same delicious attention before lifting his head to gaze down at her. And the desire she saw in his dark eyes made her catch her breath. Reaching behind her, Inarii undid the button at the waist of her skirt, and then the zipper, letting the material pool around her feet. Still holding Rand’s gaze, she sat down on the bed and leaned back on her elbows, then drew up her leg. Stepping up to the bed, Rand lightly trailed his hand up her outstretched leg to the edge of her panties. Hooking the fingers of his other hand into the opposite side of her panties, he slid them over her curvy hips and down her legs, leaving her naked to his hungry gaze. It was Rand’s turn to catch his breath. Inarii was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Getting down on one knee, he pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh. Then, with his gaze never leaving hers, he slowly trailed his mouth up the silken skin of her leg to the juncture of her thighs.

Using his fingers, he gently spread the soft downy curls he found there to touch his tongue to the sensitive little nub within, and was rewarded with a gasp from Inarii. Rand’s tongue was absolutely magical, and Inarii was already so aroused that she felt herself starting to come from the moment his warm mouth touched her. She bit her lip, wanting to hold off as much as she could because it felt so incredibly good. But as his tongue swirled and slid along her folds and over her clitoris, she simply couldn’t hold back, and an orgasm so strong shook her body that it actually made her feel dizzy. Inarii lay back, gloriously replete and watched in anticipation as Rand slowly began to remove his clothes. His shirt came off first, and she gazed appreciatively at his smoothly muscled chest and taut stomach, longing to run her hands down his sleek torso. Then his hands went to his belt, and she felt her pulse quicken. Even though they’d already made love, this was the first time she would see him naked, and she was almost breathless with anticipation. Rand’s legs were long and well-muscled, and at their juncture, his hard cock was nestled in a patch of fur that trailed up his stomach to his navel. Never had she seen such a gorgeous man. Then Rand was leaning over her, gently pressing her back against the pillows as he positioned himself between her thighs. Using an outstretched arm to support his weight, he carefully guided himself to the hot wet opening of her pussy, and gently slid inside her. Inarii gasped and gripped his shoulders as she felt him fill

her with his length. But whereas their lovemaking had been almost frenzied back in the old fishing shack, this time it was slow and sensual. And absolutely incredible. Rand loved watching Inarii’s face while he slowly slid his hard cock in and out of her. She was so wet and unbelievably tight that it was all he could do not to thrust himself deep inside her and come. But sex with her was too good to rush, and so he forced himself to take it slow, trying to concentrate on anything but how fantastic this felt. But before he knew it, he was thrusting into her faster and harder. Beneath him, Inarii tightened her grip on his shoulders as she felt her own orgasm begin to build, and she cried out with the intensity of it. Unable to hold back, Rand rested his forehead against the curve of Inarii’s shoulder and let out a groan as he reached his own climax. As Inarii lay in his arms afterwards, Rand realized that despite his vow, it would be very difficult indeed not to let himself get swept away by this woman.

CHAPTER EIGHT After spending a couple of sleepless night in his cabin, Inarii’s admirer got off the ship when they docked on the next planet. Once on the surface, he immediately linked to his contact at the ambassador’s. He’d spoken to the man the moment he’d learned that Inarii and her bodyguard had disappeared, but the man hadn’t known anything. This time however, the man was very helpful, much to his relief. Inarii and her bodyguard had quickly gotten transportation off Algerr, the man told him, but for some reason, they were now on Mar-Kenn, where, according to Barany, they would be staying for several days before heading to Deuntaie. He frowned. There would be no reason for them to get off on Mar-Kenn, unless Barany had something unscrupulous in mind. His stomach clenched at the thought, and he knew that he had to protect Inarii. Who knew what Rand Barany was already doing to her? He did know one thing, though. Barany had become a threat he couldn’t ignore any more. He quickly booked a shuttle to the planet Mar-Kenn, but not before stopping to purchase a weapon. It was incredibly easy to get the non-metallic handgun through security, and the shuttle left within the hour, putting him on Mar-Kenn a little before noon, local time. The hotel where Inarii and her bodyguard were staying was close to the dock, and he headed straight there. His informant had already told him their room number, so there was no need to stop at

the front desk first. Taking the elevator to the correct floor, he quickly made his way down the hallway to their room. Outside the door, he took a deep breath. Barany could have already hurt Inarii, or worse. But he couldn’t think like that right now. He pulled out his gun from where he’d hidden it behind his back. He’d had little experience with these things, but he knew the room was small, so there was little chance of missing Barany. With thoughts of Inarii, he steeled his resolve and kicked in the door. Neither Barany nor Inarii were in the room, however. He checked the small bathroom, too, but the place was empty. Standing in the center of the room, he looked around. With two beds, a dresser, a couch, and a holo-screen, it was small compared to what Inarii was accustomed to, he thought disapprovingly. But then what did he expect? That Barany would have gotten her a suite of rooms? His eyes narrowed as his gaze came to rest on the beds. One had clearly been slept in; the other had not. Walking over to the one with the rumpled covers, he slowly, almost reverently, trailed his fingers up the sheet to the plump pillow. Picking it up, he pressed his nose to its softness and inhaled deeply. At first, his mouth curved appreciatively as he took in Inarii’s scent, but then he frowned as he detected the presence of another odor – the unmistakable smell of sex. Blood began to pound in his ears and his hands clenched the pillow tightly. Inarii and her bodyguard had had sex! But had she been willing, or had Barany raped her? Either way, the idea of her with another man made him furious. With a muttered oath, he

slung the pillow onto the bed. His gaze settled on the vase of freshcut flowers beside the bed for a moment before he picked it up and threw it across the room. It smashed against the wall with a satisfying shatter, and he reached next for the glass orb that was also on the table. He was completely calm by the time he went back down to the lobby, however. Making his way over to the concierge’s desk, he smiled down at the girl working there. She was pretty with wavy blond hair and amber-colored eyes, and she returned his smile with one of her own. “May I help you?” she asked. “I hope so,” he said. “I’m supposed to meet my brother and his wife, but I can’t remember where they said they were going. I was wondering if you have any idea where they might have gone.” There was an outside chance that Barany and Inarii had stopped by the concierge, of course, but when he described them to the woman, she remembered them perfectly. “Oh, yes, such a cute couple,” she said, and he felt his lip curl. “They were going over to the shopping sector, and were looking for a place to eat, so I recommended a café called Freleshae’s. It’s on the corner of Bendone and Swirol. It’s really quite charming. You’ll...” But he was already out the door and in a transport heading down to the shopping sector. They’d made love again that morning, Rand awakening

Inarii with soft kisses before pulling her on top of him and guiding her onto his hard length. After, they lay entwined in each other’s arms, too exhausted to do much more than that until their stomachs growled loud enough to be heard by the whole hotel. With a laugh, they reluctantly pulled their clothes on and left the room in search of food. The concierge had told them about a quaint café in the shopping sector of the city, which appealed to both her and Rand. Much to her delight, Inarii even persuaded Rand to do some shopping with her on the way. Though when she told him the reason behind wanting stop at the various designer clothing stores along the way was because she didn’t have anything to wear besides the skirt and top she had on, he gave her a teasing look and told her that as far as he was concerned, she didn’t need to wear anything at all. Inarii had surprised herself by blushing. As they ate lunch at the open air café, Inarii realized that she had never felt as comfortable with any man as she did with Rand. Before, she’d always been hesitant to be herself with a man, not showing them anything that wouldn’t be found in any holo, but she didn’t want to hold anything back with Rand. Perhaps it was because he had a genuine interest in getting to know the real Inarii Kal’yle. He even wanted to hear about her work at the shelter, and listened with rapt attention as she told him about the children there. She even shyly confessed to someday wanting to adopt Marisel. Her thoughts took a naughtier turn as they sipped Mactaaran tea after their meal, however. Rand must have noticed the secretive curve to her lips, because he questioned her about it. “What are you thinking?” he asked with a grin, caressing

her hand with his fingers. They were sitting close together at one of the small tables, and she looked at him from beneath lowered lashes. “I was trying to come up with some way to get myself into trouble so that you’ll give me a spanking,” she said boldly. He gave her a look of mock sternness, but she could tell that her softly spoken words had excited him. “Those spankings are supposed to be punishment, Inarii, not foreplay, you know.” She schooled her features. “And after you spank me, I feel very chastised, I assure you.” He let out a soft groan. “Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll put you over my knee right here,” he warned, his voice husky with desire. Inarii blushed, her pulse skipping a beat at the image his words evoked, and she pictured herself upended across his strong thighs with her bottom bared for a spanking. She imagined that people would watch with amused smiles on their faces as Rand slowly reddened her bottom while holding her hands behind her back. Of course, he wouldn’t have to hold her too tightly, she thought with a smile. She wouldn’t be interested in getting away. Instead, she would concentrate on grinding against him, ensuring that he got so hard that he would have no choice but to pull her off to a private corner somewhere. She came back to herself when she realized that Rand was grinning broadly at her, almost as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Knowing that he was already as aroused as she was, she wished they were back in their room right now.

However, before she could suggest going back to the hotel, their waiter came by to refill their tea. After the man had left, she took a sip of the warm drink and looked at Rand over the rim of her cup. “I was thinking that maybe we should stay on Mar-Kenn instead of going to Deuntaie,” she said conversationally. “There’s much more to do here.” Rand lifted his cup to his mouth. “I think your father might have something to say about that, don’t you?” She shrugged. “My father wants me to be safe. Besides, don’t you think that Deuntaie is the first place someone would look for me?” She had a point, Rand thought, but he made no comment. Regardless of his new relationship with Inarii, he did still work for the ambassador, which meant that he’d need to speak to him first before doing anything. He frowned suddenly, an idea occurring to him. “Speaking of your father, what do you think he’s going to say when he learns about us?” Rand asked quietly. Inarii was an adult, of course, but her father obviously had a great deal of influence in her life, and he might very well not like the idea of his daughter dating a lowly bodyguard. Inarii’s brow furrowed. “My father wants me to be happy, Rand. He also wants me to be with a man who will be good to me, and who cares about me. Besides, he knows that with you, I won’t be able to get into any trouble. Or not too much trouble, anyway,” she added with a smile.

Rand laughed. “I’m going to have my hands full with you, aren’t I?” “Probably,” she agreed. Still laughing, Rand leaned close to kiss her. Suddenly, the glass walls of the café behind them began to shatter. A part of Rand’s mind recognized the zipping sounds of flying projectiles. Instinctively, Rand was out of his chair and pushing Inarii to the café’s tiled floor and behind a low dividing wall. Shielding her with his body as best he could, he quickly reached out and tipped the table onto its side, using that as a cover for both of them as well. Bullets pinged into the wall behind them, smashing more glass and sending clay pots of beautiful exotic flowers everywhere. All around them, people were screaming and trying to take cover. Then, as quickly as it had started, the shooting ceased. Still holding onto Inarii, Rand lifted his head and scanned the area, but saw no sign of the shooter. Around them, people were slowly starting to come out from their hiding places. Rand felt Inarii pushing urgently against his chest, and, fearing she could be hurt, his gaze darted to her. But she only scrambled to her feet without a word and hurried over to where one of the waiters was lying on the ground. Rand quickly followed. Inarii glanced at him as he dropped to his knee beside her. She was already kneeling beside the unconscious man and pulling open his crisp white shirt. “Get me something to staunch the blood,” she said to Rand. He hesitated for a moment, looking around for something suitable, and Inarii gestured impatiently at the linen napkins on a

nearby table. He quickly grabbed them and handed them to her. Though he’d been trained in basic first-aid as a protector, he watched in admiration as Inarii worked quickly and competently to check the flow of blood coming from the man’s shoulder. Inarii continued to tend the wounded man until the medics came, and when they did, she gave them all the pertinent information on her patient’s vital signs before turning him over to the two women. One of the women gave Inarii a curt nod. “You probably saved this guy’s life,” she said. “Good job.” Inarii nodded. “I’m just glad I could help.” Rand waited until the women had moved their patient to a medical transport before turning to Inarii. “She’s right,” he told her. “You did great.” She blushed at his compliment. “Thank you.” The civil protectors had arrived as well, and after talking with several of the café’s patrons, one of them came over to talk to Inarii and Rand. The man was tall, with a wiry build and deep blue eyes that were studying them curiously. “Witnesses are saying that most of the shots seemed to be aimed in your direction,” he said, looking from Inarii to Rand. “Do you have any idea why someone would be shooting at the two of you?” Rand saw Inarii glance at him, but he kept his tone neutral as he answered the question. “I didn’t realize they were shooting at us. We just heard shots, so we ducked.” The protector regarded them speculatively. “Are you sure about that?” Rand saw Inarii look his way again, and he gently squeezed

her hand as he spoke. “I’m sure. There’d be no reason for anyone to shoot at us.” The man was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. “I’ll need your ident-cards,” he said, holding out his hand. Rand hesitated for a moment before pulling his out. It was normal protector procedure to record the ident-cards of citizens that witnessed a crime, but providing Inarii’s card would only get them unwanted attention. And yet, there was no way around it. If they didn’t comply, then it would make the protector so suspicious that he’d probably bring them in for questioning. So, left with little choice, Rand took out his ident-card and handed it to the man, then nodded for Inarii to hand over hers as well. The man ran their cards through his com, and his eyes widened in surprise when he read the information on Inarii’s. He looked at her. “You’re that ambassador’s daughter, aren’t you? I thought you looked familiar.” His gaze went from her to Rand before going back to her. “What’s the purpose of your visit to MarKenn, Ms. Kal’yle?” “We’re here on vacation,” Rand said, jumping in before Inarii could answer. The protector lifted a questioning brow at Inarii. “Ms. Kal’yle?” Inarii stepped closer to Rand. “Yes, we are,” she said with a smile. “All of my friends raved about coming here, so I just had to. They were right. You have such a lovely planet. We were having such a wonderful time that we were planning on staying longer, but now I’m concerned with this shooting.”

He looked slightly alarmed. “There’s no need to be concerned. I’m sure that we’ll have this straightened out in short order. I hope that you don’t feel the need to curtail your vacation plans. Have you had a chance to visit the hot springs yet? They’re really beautiful at this time of year.” She shook her head. “We haven’t, but since you recommend them, we’ll definitely make it a point to add it to our itinerary. If you’re sure it’s safe.” The man nodded emphatically. “Of course it is. I’ll let you go, then. Enjoy the rest of your stay.” Rand let out a sigh of relief as the protector left. He had to admire the way that Inarii had handled the man. Grabbing their shopping bags off the floor, he led her over to the nearest transporter stand, careful to keep a watchful eye on the surrounding streets as they walked. Whoever had been shooting at them was probably long gone, especially now that there were dozens of protectors around, but Rand didn’t want Inarii out in the open any more than she had to be. “Someone was shooting at us, weren’t they?” Inarii asked as they stood waiting for a transporter, and her voice trembled a little as she spoke. She didn’t really need to ask; she already knew the answer. Before, she’d been so concerned with helping the waiter that had been shot that she hadn’t given much thought to who had been the intended target, if there even was one, but now it was obvious that whoever was shooting had been aiming at them. Rand’s mouth tightened. “Yes,” he said simply. “But I didn’t want to tell the protectors that or we’d be down at the

protectorate right now answering questions. If this is a political hit, then there’s no way of knowing how far their reach is or who could be involved.” A transporter arrived then, interrupting their conversation for the moment, but once they were seated inside and Rand had given the name of their hotel, Inarii spoke. “I thought you said that whoever was after me wanted to use me to get to my father.” He shrugged. “I still think they do,” he agreed. “They haven’t been able to kidnap you, so as a warning to the ambassador, they take a few shots at you instead. The only way a person could shoot that much and not hit us was if they were experts.” Or completely incompetent, he thought to himself, but that seemed doubtful. She tensed as a thought abruptly occurred to her. No longer was she the only one in danger. Rand was as well, and that thought frightened her even more. “What do we do now?” she asked in a small voice. “We can’t stay here, that’s for sure,” he replied. “We’ll go back to the hotel, grab your stuff, and then take the first shuttle off Mar-Kenn, regardless of where it’s going. After that, we’ll head to Deuntaie.” She nodded, but said nothing, still unnerved by the whole thing, and Rand put his arm around her. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Inarii,” he said, gently pulling her close. “I’ll take care of you.” She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of

security that she got from being in his arms, and they rode the rest of the way to the hotel in silence. Rand was pretty sure that they weren’t being followed, but when they got to the hotel, he hurried Inarii inside anyway. Once in their room, however, both of them came to an abrupt halt at the scene that met their eyes. When they’d left their room that morning, the bed sheets had been rumpled and Inarii had tossed her robe on one of the chairs. Now, the bed sheets looked like they’d been slashed with a knife and her robe had been torn into shreds and left on the floor. In addition to that, there were glass shards everywhere, as if someone had taken every vase and lighting globe in the room and smashed them on the floor. But it was the walls that Inarii couldn’t stop staring at in astonishment. Whoever had been in their room had written all over them with what looked like lipstick. You betrayed me, slut! had been scrawled above the bed. On the wall across from that were the words, I’ll kill you for this, you whore! Rand grabbed her hand and led her out into the hallway. “Shit!” he muttered. “I can’t believe I missed it.” “What...?” she began. “We’re going to the protectorate,” he told her as they came to the elevator. Her brow furrowed in confusion. “But I thought that you said we shouldn’t trust anyone.” He hustled her inside the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. “That was when I thought you were the target of some political group,” he said. “We’ve been wrong the whole time. But it

all adds up now. That shooter didn’t hit us because he’s not a professional. He’s some kind of stalker.” She stared at him in disbelief. “That guy who’s been following me is a stalker?” Rand nodded. “It’s the only thing that fits. That’s why we only saw one guy. He’s probably been following you for months, if not more. Are you sure you don’t recognize him? Maybe he’s someone you met at a party. He could even have been a waiter or a valet at some function you went to. He would have done anything to get close to you.” She thought a moment, but still couldn’t remember having seen him anywhere. She shook her head. The elevator had reached the lobby, and once she and Rand stepped out, they immediately headed to the transporter stand. There was a small line of people, so they had to wait for several minutes, but when they were finally on their way to the protectorate, Inarii spoke again. “The things he wrote on the wall...how did I betray him?” she asked. Rand was silent a moment before he answered. “I’m no shrink, but sometimes these stalkers build a pretty convoluted fantasy world. In his warped mind, he probably thinks that you two have a relationship, maybe that you were even meant for each other.” She frowned. “So he thinks what? That I betrayed him somehow by being with you?” He nodded. “Apparently so.” She chewed her lip nervously. “Then aren’t you in danger,

too?” He shook his head. “From what I know, stalkers tend to focus on the object of their obsession.” Reaching out, he gently laid his hand on her cheek. “We’ll get this guy, Inarii,” he promised. She tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it, and so she settled for a nod instead. As on every other planet, the civil protectorate was located in the Office of Civil Affairs Building. On Mar-Kenn, it was a sprawling structure made of some glossy, white stone that glinted in the afternoon sunlight. The protectorate was on the back side of the building, and when they entered, Rand immediately led her over to the front desk. The protector at the desk was a stout man with curly, dark hair and wire-rimmed glasses. “Can I help you?” Rand glanced at Inarii. “This is the Deuntaien Ambassador’s Daughter, Inarii Kal’yle, and I’m her bodyguard, Rand Barany,” he said. “We need to talk to someone about a stalker that’s been following her.” The man’s gaze went to Inarii as if trying to place her face, and then he nodded to a row of chairs on the opposite wall. “Have a seat, and an investigator will be with you in a few minutes.” Rand and Inarii did as the man asked, but no sooner had they sat down, then a tall, blond man came over to them. He introduced himself as Investigator Klenden, and asked them to follow him. Klenden led them down a hallway to small room and ushered them inside. There was a table in the center of the room, and a holo-screen along one of the walls. Other than that, it was

bare. “Can I get you something?” he asked as she and Rand sat down. “Coffee, or tea, perhaps?” Rand looked to her, but she shook her head. He declined the offer of a drink as well, and Klenden nodded. “So, the desk protector said something about a stalker, is that right, Mr. Barany?” he said. Rand nodded, and proceeded to explain everything to the investigator, starting from the stalker’s appearance at the Dark Side, and finishing with what the man had done to their hotel room. Klenden took notes as Rand spoke, interrupting with an occasional question when he wanted more clarification on something. “Have you received any anonymous gifts recently?” he asked Inarii at one point. She thought a moment, her brow furrowing, and then she nodded. “I receive things all the time. Flowers and jewelry mostly, but also artwork and home decorations. I don’t usually give it too much thought about where they come from. I send thank you letters when there’s a return address, but most of the time, the gifts are anonymous. This stalker could have been sending me things for years and I never would have known it.” He made a few notes, but said nothing, indicating that Rand should continue. When Rand was done, he nodded. “I’d like to go over to the hotel with you, see the room, take an evidence collection team with us,” he said. Rand looked at Inarii. He didn’t want her to have to look at the crude things that had been written on the walls of their hotel

room again. “I’ll go over to the hotel with the investigator,” he told her, and then took her hand and gave it a squeeze as he added, “You’ll be safe here, and I’ll be as quick as I can.” She didn’t like the idea of Rand going back to the hotel again, either, even if it were with armed protectors, but she knew that he would want to go with the investigators. And she knew that he would be more focused if she were back at the protectorate where she was safe. Besides, she really didn’t want to see that room again anyway, so she nodded. Klenden seemed to think that Rand’s suggestion was a good one. “While Mr. Barany and I are at the hotel, I’d like you to sit down with a computer artist,” he said to Inarii. “See if we can get a good likeness so that we can put a holo out to the other protectorates.” Inarii agreed, though she didn’t know how much help she’d be considering she hadn’t really seen the guy that well. Much to her surprise, however, she remembered more about the man than she thought she would, and an hour later, the protectors had a holo-pic that resembled her stalker pretty well. Rand and the inspector hadn’t returned yet, however, so after she was finished with the computer artist, she decided to have the cup of tea that Klenden had offered her before. Picking up her shoulder bag, she made her way to the coffee room. He’d lost it at the café. When he’d seen Inarii kissing another man, he’d been so blinded by jealousy that he hadn’t been able to think straight, so he’d lashed out at her and her bodyguard.

He’d been aiming at that bastard, Barany, but that coward had actually hid himself behind Inarii. He shuddered when he realized how easily he could have harmed Inarii... He had waited across the street from the café while the protectors questioned Inarii and her bodyguard, and then followed them back to their hotel. After seeing their room, they’d come outside moments later and hopped a transporter. He did the same, trailing them all the way to the Civil Affairs Building. He knew very well that they were going to the protectorate, and so hesitated before following them inside, but curiosity got the better of him. He hadn’t gone into the protectorate, but waited out in the hallway, trying not to look too conspicuous. Then, when he saw Barany leave the protectorate without Inarii, he’d come up with a new plan. It was tricky, though, and would take some doing, but if he were patient enough, he was sure that the opportunity would present itself. Then Inarii wandered down a side hallway to the empty coffee room, and he saw his chance. He followed her, careful to keep his distance, but she took no notice of him as she made her way down the hallway. His luck was getting better. This hallway was outside of the monitored area of the protectorate, so there weren’t even any cameras pointed in this direction. He’d never been this close to her before, and as she walked, the scent of her perfume drifted back to him. It was a sexy, provocative fragrance that, when combined with her feminine scent, was almost enough to drive him wild with desire. Still oblivious, Inarii walked into the room and over to the computerized dispenser. Entering the small room behind her, he

looked around. There were no people and no cameras here, either. He watched as she pressed the button for tea and then waited. Taking out a cloth and a tiny vial of liquid from his pocket, he carefully dumped a small amount onto the material. Too much of the potent drug could be dangerous, but in small amounts, it would merely make Inarii sleep for several hours, which would make it easier for him to get her out of the building and into his transport. Though he hated having to do something so extreme, it was the only way he could get her away from Rand Barany and his influence. It was obvious that the man had some sort of hold on her, and that he needed to sever that hold. Firming his resolve, he took a step toward Inarii.

CHAPTER NINE Inarii awoke to find herself tied to a straight-backed chair in what looked like an old, abandoned building. Her head ached and there was a funny taste in her mouth, as if she hadn’t brushed her teeth in days. Her eyes were sensitive to light, too, and she squinted in the dim light of the room. Blinking, she looked around. She was in a large, open building. The dirt-streaked windows lining the walls were broken here and there, and garbage littered the floor. What had happened to her? How had she gotten here? Inarii frowned, trying to remember. She had gone to get tea, had been waiting for a cup to brew when someone had come up behind her. They had put something over her mouth, covering her nose so that all she could breathe was the sweet scent that had invaded her senses. She couldn’t remember what had happened after that. Shifting in the chair, she gave her bonds an experimental tug. “I’m sorry about the ropes,” a man’s voice said from behind her, his tone suggesting honest remorse. “But they were a necessary precaution.” Her heart racing, she turned as much as her bonds would allow to see a tall, dark-haired man coming into view. As he walked around the chair to stand in front of her, she recognized him as the man that had followed her and Rand onto the deep-space cruiser. He was as average looking as she remembered from seeing him at the Dark Side, and could have been from any number of planets, but his pale, disconcerting silvery-grey eyes were a distinct trait of

the Jondarian race. Not that it mattered where he was from, she thought with disgust. He was still a psycho. She swallowed nervously. “Who...who are you?” she managed to ask. Some emotion flickered across his face for a moment, but it was gone before she could put a name to it. “My name is Darvan.” She silently repeated the name to herself. It was a common enough name, especially for a Jondarian, and in and of itself, shouldn’t make her tremble with fear, but it did. Putting a name to her stalker made the whole thing seem more real, somehow. “Why are you doing this?” she heard herself ask. He frowned down at her. “Because I love you, of course.” She stared at him in disbelief. “But you don’t even know me,” she protested. Rand had said that stalkers sometimes believed they had a relationship with the objects of their obsession, but it seemed too incredible that this guy could think he was in love with her. He grinned. “Oh, but I do know you, Inarii. I know everything about you,” he told her. “I know that you practically live on Mactaaran tea. I know that blue is your favorite color, though green is a close second. I know that NanPerla is your favorite restaurant, and that you always order the chocolate mousse for dessert whenever you’re there because you think they make it the best. I know that Mijanou is your favorite fashion designer, and that you never miss one of her shows. I even know that you wear Tiyala lingerie underneath all of those designer clothes of yours. I even know about the small scar you have on your bottom from when you

fell off your Gravity-Scooter when you were five. You always keep it hidden, even though most people would never even notice it. But I’ve seen it.” Inarii shook her head. How could he know all of those things, especially something as intimate as what type of lingerie she liked to wear? And how could he ever have seen her scar? It had never made it into any holo-mag. She didn’t know whether to feel angry that this freak had violated her privacy or simply be disgusted by his perverse idea of love. Anger won out. “Knowing secrets about someone doesn’t mean that you love them,” she told him scathingly. “It only means that you’re obsessed with them.” His brows drew together. “Don’t tell me what I feel for you!” he shouted at her. She jumped, startled by his outburst, and at the movement, or perhaps the fear he saw in her eyes, his anger abruptly disappeared. He dropped to his knee in front of her and placed his hands on her legs. It was all she could do not to cringe. “Inarii, forgive me,” he pleaded, looking up at her imploringly. “It’s just that what I feel for you is so intense that...” he lowered his head, his voice trailing off. Inarii said nothing, mainly because she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to anger him again, and yet she knew that she needed to continue a dialogue with him. “You say that you love me, and yet you shot at me this afternoon,” she said quietly. Darvan jerked his head up, his gray eyes wide. “Not at you,

Inarii. I would never hurt you,” he hastened to assure her. “I was shooting at that bastard, Barany.” “Rand...” His name escaped her lips before she could stop it, and she was horrified to see the hatred that flashed in her captor’s eyes. “I saw you kissing him and I...” Darvan shook his head and took several deep breaths. “I know that you slept with him, Inarii, but I forgive you for it. Barany took advantage of you, I know that. Still, when I think of him touching you, all I want to do is...” Fear for Rand gripped her and she shook her head. “Please...” she began, but Darvan interrupted her. “But Barany will be out of the picture soon, and then it will just be you and me,” he said. As he spoke, he began to caress her leg with his hand, but she barely noticed. Something about the way he said those words made Inarii go cold with fear. “What...what are you talking about?” she asked woodenly. “He’s come between us, Inarii,” Darvan said. “I can’t have him interfering in our relationship any more.” She shook her head. She knew where Darvan was going with this. “Rand has nothing to do with this. With us. Leave him out of it. Please.” Darvan’s mouth tightened. “He tried to take you from me, Inarii. He took you away from everything you know on Andras Prime and brought you here so that he could have you all to himself. Obviously, he didn’t count on me following you.” He paused, and then looked at her earnestly. “I have to kill him, don’t you see? It’s

the only way.” Inarii felt like she could hardly breathe. “No, no it’s not,” she said desperately. Her mind raced as she tried to think of something to say that would appease him. “We...we can go somewhere, just the two of us. Rand won’t come looking for me, I promise.” The corner of Darvan’s mouth curved. “But he will, my sweet, because I’m going to tell him exactly where to find us. And when he does come, I’m going to kill him.” Tears started in her eyes and she blinked them back. “Please...please don’t do this,” she begged him. “I’ll go anywhere you want, do anything you want. Just don’t hurt Rand. Please.” Darvan’s eyes narrowed accusingly. “You feel something for Barany, don’t you?” He took something out of his pocket and held it up. “That’s why you’ve been wearing this, isn’t it?” Inarii recognized the ring that Rand had given her just before they got on the deep-space cruiser. She said nothing for a moment, afraid that if she said anything about the ring, then Rand would be in even more danger from this lunatic. “Darvan, please,” she said, her voice trembling. “If you love me like you claim, then you won’t hurt Rand.” He hesitated, fingering the ring, as if contemplating her words, but then he shook his head. “If I let Barany live, then there’ll always be a chance that he’ll come looking for you.” He paused. “Or that you’ll try and go back to him.” She shook her head. “I won’t. I promise.” Again, Darvan hesitated. Again, he shook his head. “I have

to do this, Inarii,” he said. “Rand will know it’s a trap and he won’t come,” she said. Darvan got to his feet. “He’ll come.” Inarii watched helplessly as he took out his com and turned away. There had to be something she could say that would change Darvan’s mind. “Killing the man I love will only make me hate you,” she shouted at his retreating back. “Is that what you want?” She realized she’d just admitted she loved Rand, and that gave her pause for a moment. She tried to think back to when she’d first started thinking about Rand in the context of love. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly when it had happened, but the moment that first came to mind was when they were on the deep-space cruiser and he’d spent the entire night in that uncomfortable chair guarding the door to their room so that she could sleep safely. It was funny really. At the time, she hadn’t realized what that sacrifice would come to mean to her. Across the room, Darvan stopped in his tracks and turned to face her very slowly. He didn’t say anything at first, but simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, in a few quick strides, he was in front of her chair, slinging the ring violently against the wall behind her. Gripping her upper arms, he gave her a hard shake. “Don’t you ever say that you love him!” he screamed at her. “You’ll never love anyone but me, do you hear me? Never!” She stared up at him wide-eyed and trembling, her heart pounding in her chest. The look in Darvan’s eyes was almost feral, she thought. Never had she been so terrified of someone. Then, to

her surprise, his eyes softened and the grip on her arms relaxed until he was gently massaging her bruised flesh. “Inarii, I...I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what came over me. I would never hurt you, you know that. It’s just that...” He shook his head with a smile. “It doesn’t matter. Once Barany is out of the way, you’ll feel differently about me. I know you will.” She shook her head. “Please...” Darvan touched a finger to her lips. “Shh...” he whispered. He leaned forward and would have touched his mouth to hers, but she turned her head so that his kiss brushed her cheek instead. His lips were cool on her skin and she closed her eyes, biting her lip to stifle her revulsion. She half-expected Darvan to grab her and shake her again, or to show his displeasure in some other, more violent way, but he simply released her and stood up. He regarded her for a moment in silence before turning on his heel and walking away. Inarii watched Darvan go until his tall form disappeared into another room. She didn’t know if he’d left the building or not, but she knew what he was doing. He was luring Rand into his trap, she thought, and her eyes filled with tears as she imagined her unsuspecting lover taken unawares by a psycho like Darvan. But Rand was too smart to fall for Darvan’s ruse, she told herself after a moment. Before he was a bodyguard, he’d been a protector. He knew how to handle himself. No matter what this psycho told Rand, he would never be so foolish as to come here without a bevy of protectors. Unless Rand believed it would endanger her, she thought. Then he would do anything to protect

her. With that thought in mind, she began to struggle to free herself. Rand and Klenden returned to the protectorate several hours later. Rand watched as Klenden removed his gun and locked it in his desk. Then they both headed to the database room. Since the crime scene was in a hotel, the evidence collection team had found dozens of fingerprints in the room that Rand and Inarii shared. Any one of them could belong to Inarii’s stalker, but they’d need to cross-reference whoever they found in the protector database with the computer sketch that Inarii had come up with. But Inarii wasn’t with the sketch artist when Rand returned to the protectorate. However, she had given the artist a pretty good description of the guy she’d seen on the deep-space cruiser, and Rand left the investigator to compare the drawing with the holos on the database while he went to look for Inarii. The computer artist said that Inarii had mentioned something about getting some tea, so Rand went to the coffee room. When he saw she wasn’t there, he frowned. Assuming that she’d gone back to Inspector Klenden’s office to wait for them, he made his way to the other end of the protectorate, only to learn that she wasn’t there either. More concerned now, he walked back into the main area of the protectorate and surveyed the room, looking for Inarii. But again, he came up empty. Finding a female protector, he asked the woman if she could check the ladies room for Inarii, but when the woman returned, she told him that Inarii wasn’t in there. He frowned again.

Where was she? he wondered. Trying to quell his rising panic, Rand asked around the protectorate, but no one could remember seeing Inarii since she’d headed to the coffee room a few hours ago. Swearing under his breath, Rand made his way to the database room. Klenden, who was leaning over the shoulder of another protector while the man tried to match holos to the sketch, looked up when he entered the room. “I can’t find Inarii anywhere,” Rand said. “No one’s seen her since she went to the coffee room a little while after we left.” The inspector frowned. “Maybe she went out somewhere.” Rand thought a moment, and then shook his head. It wouldn’t be unlike Inarii to take off and go somewhere, but he doubted she’d leave the protectorate when there was a crazed stalker out looking for her. “She wouldn’t do that, not with someone after her,” he told Klenden. “I’d like to take a look at your surveillance holos if I could.” Klenden nodded. “Follow me,” he said, walking over to one of the other holo screens. “I’ll pull up the hallway that leads to the coffee room, see if we can figure out where she went from there.” As he spoke, he typed something on the sleek-looking keyboard below the screen. Folding his arms across his chest, Rand waited impatiently for the computer to play back the surveillance holos. A moment later, they popped up on the screen, and Rand watched intently as people walked up and down the hallway he’d just been in. After a few minutes at fast forward, Inarii’s image came into view. She left

the main area of the protectorate and made her way down the hallway that led to the coffee room. Rand glanced at Klenden. “Can you switch to the camera that shows the coffee room?” The inspector shook his head. “There aren’t any cameras on the coffee room.” Rand swore under his breath and returned his gaze to the screen just in time to see a tall dark-haired man come into view. He kept his face averted from the camera, but from the way he glanced over his shoulder as he turned the corner, it was obvious that he was following Inarii. “Can you fast forward?” Rand said to Klenden. The inspector complied, running the tape up to the time that Rand had walked down the hallway to the coffee room, but neither Inarii nor the man that had followed her reappeared on the holo screen. “Is there another exit near the coffee room?” Rand asked. Klenden nodded. “At the other end of the hallway. It goes out back, but there aren’t any cameras out there, either.” Rand’s stomach knotted with a fear unlike anything he’d ever known. The bastard that had been stalking Inarii had kidnapped her, Rand knew it in his gut. What was more, the creep had been bold enough to snatch her right out of the protectorate. He never should have left her alone, Rand thought bitterly. He was supposed to be her bodyguard, dammit! He should have been here protecting her. If something happened to her... He abruptly realized that he wasn’t even thinking clearly. It

was unlikely that this guy who was so obsessed with Inarii would actually hurt her. Rand just had to calm down and figure out where exactly the man had taken her. But he couldn’t seem to get himself to focus. He realized suddenly how much Inarii had come to mean to him, realized how much he loved her. “I got something.” The protector that had been working on matching the computer sketch to a suspect had turned in his chair, and was looking at both Rand and Klenden expectantly. “His name’s Darvan Strondly. According to this, he was born and raised on Jondari, but decided to move to Andras Prime after going there on vacation a little over a year ago.” After he’d seen Inarii somewhere, no doubt, Rand thought bitterly. He stared at Strondly’s image on the holo-screen, his mouth tightening. Who knew what that bastard could be doing to Inarii while they were spinning their wheels trying to find where he’d taken her? Oddly enough, Rand took comfort in the thought that the Jondarian’s obsession with Inarii ran as deep as it did. Hopefully, that meant Strondly wouldn’t hurt her. “Can you get his picture out there?” Rand said to Klenden. “I’m hoping that he hasn’t left Mar-Kenn, but he could have taken Inarii anywhere.” The inspector nodded. “I’ll get protectors right on it, station them at the spaceports. But you have to relax. We don’t even know for sure if he’s even taken her. I’ll agree that it’s unlikely, but she may have just stepped out.” Rand clenched his jaw. He knew what Klenden was doing, and if he were in the inspector’s position, he’d be saying the same

thing. “He’s taken her,” he told Klenden. “I have no doubt of that.” “Perhaps,” Klenden agreed. “We’ll treat it like a kidnapping for now. We’ll put the word out planet-wide, and I’ll also get the word out to the protectors on Jondaria. If he’s taken her, it’s likely that Strondly could be heading there.” “Andras Prime is also a possibility,” Rand said. “You should let the protectors there know as well.” Klenden nodded and hurried out of the room. Rand didn’t follow immediately, but stood staring at the holo-image of Inarii’s kidnapper. Part of him wanted to get out and join the search for Inarii, to find this guy that had kidnapped her and beat the hell out of him. But the other part – the more logical part – knew that he should wait at the protectorate where he would be close to the investigation and be able to move when they actually did locate Strondly. But that didn’t mean he had to sit and twiddle his thumbs while he waited. Turning on his heel, he left the room and made his way to the back door that Klenden had mentioned earlier. Maybe Strondly had left some sort of clue as to where he’d taken Inarii, Rand thought. Pushing the button on the wall beside the door, he waited impatiently for it to glide open. No sooner had he stepped outside than his com rang, indicating an incoming call. Jerking it out of his pocket, he thumbed the “open link” button with his thumb. “Barany,” he said. Rand waited for the caller’s image to appear, but the screen remained black. He frowned, and was about to disconnect the link

when the caller finally spoke. “I have something that I’m sure you’re looking for,” a man’s voice said. Rand stiffened, his hand tightening on the com. For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “You’re bold, taking Inarii out of the protectorate like that.” On the other end of the com, Darvan Strondly chuckled. “It was almost too easy. All those protectors and not a one of them saw a thing.” “Damn you...” Rand began, but Strondly cut in before he could continue. “If you want to see Inarii again, you’ll shut up and listen.” Rand clenched his jaw, but said nothing, and Strondly continued. “There’s an old warehouse off Montley. Be there in a hour.” He paused. “And come alone, Barany, or I’ll be forced to do something unpleasant.” Rand’s mouth went dry. “You wouldn’t hurt her.” “You don’t know what I’d do,” Strondly retorted. “Inarii’s used goods now.” Strondly closed the connection before Rand could reply, and he swore as he snapped his com closed. For a moment, he simply stood there. Fear for Inarii made it difficult to breathe. Though Strondly may be obsessed with Inarii, there was no telling what he’d do to her as punishment for betraying him. The thought made Rand go cold. He gave himself a shake. He had to keep a clear head if he had any hope of rescuing Inarii. He had no doubt that Strondly

wanted to lure him to that warehouse so that he could kill him. He clearly saw Rand as competition. Rand supposed he should tell Klenden, but he knew he couldn’t take the risk. Inarii was too important to him. Rand was willing to put himself in danger, trusting that he could deal with Strondly, but Strondly already had a weapon, and without one himself, Rand was at a distinct disadvantage. Which meant that he had to arm himself before going to the warehouse. But how to get a weapon? The one he’d brought with him from Andras Prime was still safely locked on board the deep-space cruiser, so would be of no use to him. And Klenden, though a good guy, wouldn’t simply give him a pistol just because he asked nicely. So, there was really only one thing he could do. Slipping his com back into his pocket, he went back inside the protectorate and made his way to Klenden’s desk. The inspector had locked his gun in there earlier, but as was usually the case, his key ring was sitting right on top of the desk. To Rand’s relief, the inspector was nowhere in sight. Careful to make sure that no one was watching him, Rand picked up the key-cards and slid the correct one into the slot, then waited while the drawer opened. Inside was a standard-issue protector pistol. Rand reached into the drawer and took it without hesitation. Slipping it inside his jacket, he left the protectorate without a backward glance. Outside, Rand hopped a transporter, and once seated inside the hovercraft, he gave the address for the warehouse. Montley was on the other side of town, and Rand instructed the

transporter to let him off down the street. Trap or no trap, he still wanted to try and get the drop on Inarii’s kidnapper. Rand instructed the transporter to wait before getting out of the craft. This part of town was relatively old and mostly deserted, though it looked like it had been the industrial sector of the city at one time. The perfect place to drag Inarii off to, Rand thought as he walked down the street toward the warehouse. Though there was no way of knowing if Strondly had even brought her here. Rand just had to assume that he had. Reaching into his jacket, Rand took out the pistol. The door was partially open, and, with gun poised, he slowly slid it the rest of the way. Because there were few windows, the inside was dimly lit. and it took a few seconds for Rand’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. His pistol at the ready, he carefully stepped into the warehouse. There were several crates along the wall with more throughout the building, plus there was trash piled everywhere, making it difficult to get a clear view of the entire warehouse. Rand’s hand tightened around his weapon as he slowly stepped around a stack of wood. He searched the dimness, looking for Inarii or her kidnapper, but there was no sign of either, and he swore under his breath as he edged around an old droid-lift. That was when he saw Inarii. Relief flooded Rand. She was tied to a straight-backed chair in the middle of the room, a gag in her mouth. At the sight of Rand, her eyes widened and she shook her head wildly, frantically mumbling something behind the gag that he couldn’t understand. He hesitated, but only for a moment, before

starting toward her. Strondly must have been waiting for just such a move because suddenly the sound of gunfire echoed in the building. Rand felt a bullet whiz past his head, and then another. Knowing that it was coming from the catwalk above him, he instinctively dropped to one knee, aimed his gun at the figure he saw up there, and fired three quick shots. The man fell almost immediately. Torn between checking to make sure that he’d actually shot Strondly and freeing Inarii, Rand hesitated for a moment before hurrying over to her. Dropping to one knee in front of her, he pulled off the gag, and then immediately went to work on the knots at her wrists. “Rand...” she began, almost in tears, but instead of throwing herself into his arms once she was free, she ran across the room to retrieve something from the floor near the wall. “What are you doing?” he demanded, starting to follow her. She hurried back over to him, slipping the ring he’d given to her back on her finger. “I couldn’t leave this.” He clenched his jaw, wanting to put her over his knee right then. Instead, he hurried her across the room in the direction of the door. “There’s a transporter down the street,” he said. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, but getting her to safety had to be his first priority. “I want you to get in it and go back to the protectorate.” She turned to face him, her brow furrowing. “But what about you?”

He flicked a glance at the catwalk. There was no sign of Inarii’s kidnapper. “I need to check on Strondly,” he told her. Pulling out his com, he pressed it into her trembling hand. “Take this and call for protectors.” She shook her head. “Leave him. The protectors can take care of it.” She clutched at his arm. “Come with me, Rand.” Rand started for the steps that led to the catwalk, only to turn back when he realized that she was following him. He put his hands on her shoulders again. “Inarii, the protectors won’t be here for some time. If he’s only injured, he could be gone by the time they get here. I have to check on him. I have to know if this is over.” He paused, and then kissed her hard on the lips. “Go. Now!” He gave her a gentle push toward the door as he spoke, and this time she went. He watched as she hurried off in the direction of the door before he headed up the steps. Not sure whether he’d taken out Strondly or not, he went carefully, peering into the dimness as he did so. Suddenly, a dark figure leaped from the top of the stairs and slammed into him, hard, and before he knew it, both he and his assailant were tumbling down the steps, his gun flying away from him. Inarii was at the door when she heard Rand fall down the steps. She bit her lip, hesitating. She knew that Rand had told her to go, that he wanted her safe, and yet she couldn’t just leave, not when he could be in danger. With her decision made, she turned

and ran back the way she’d come. When she got to where she’d left Rand, she found him on the floor at the bottom of the stairs locked in a struggle with her kidnapper. Darvan was on top of him, his hands around Rand’s throat, while Rand desperately tried to pull free of his grip. Wanting to help, Inarii considered jumping on Darvan herself, but he was too big for her to overpower physically. Looking around, she spotted a square crate by the wall. Running over to it, she picked it up, and then raced back to where Rand was fighting with Darvan. Lifting it above her head, she aimed for Darvan’s head, but he shifted at the last minute, and the crate shattered against his back instead. It wasn’t the effect she’d been looking for, but the blow made him loosen his grip at least enough so that Rand could shove Darvan away. Inarii didn’t know whether Rand or Darvan was more surprised to see her because both men stared at her in confusion. She thought at first that Darvan might come at her, but instead, he jumped to his feet and headed for the stairs. Rand got to his feet as well, but instead of immediately pursuing Darvan like Inarii thought he would, he pointed a finger at her. “Stay here, Inarii, and this time, I mean it!” Inarii watched him race up the stairs, her heart in her throat as he disappeared into near darkness. Above her head, she could hear the sounds of booted feet as Rand chased Darvan up the stairs. Though Strondly had gotten a good lead on him, Rand caught up to the man quickly. While still several steps behind him,

Rand jumped forward and caught Strondly’s leg around the ankle. He couldn’t actually hold on, but it was enough to make the man trip and fall heavily on the stairs. Rand practically dragged himself up the other man’s body. When he reached the man’s shoulder, he jerked Strondly over and began punching him. He thought the fight would go out of Strondly quickly, but the psycho stalker surprised him by kicking out with both feet, sending Rand sliding back down a few steps. Strondly was on his feet immediately, and Rand thought he would turn and continue running up the stairs, but instead, the man took a flying leap towards where Rand stood several steps down. Rand threw himself to the side instinctively, banging his ribs on the railing as he did so. Strondly was literally snarling as he flew past him. The man hit the steps face first and bounced all the way down to the floor below. Remembering that Inarii was still downstairs, Rand raced down the steps just in case Strondly thought to go after her. But he needn’t have worried. Strondly was still lying where he’d fallen, his head at an odd angle. Inarii would have rushed over to Rand, but he held up his hand to indicate that she should stay where she was. She obeyed, fearfully watching as he approached Darvan, and then carefully went down on one knee beside her kidnapper. She held her breath, waiting for Darvan to make a grab for Rand, but he didn’t. Rand reached out and placed two fingers against the side of Darvan’s neck to check for a pulse. After a moment, he got to his feet and turned to her. “It’s over,” he said with a sigh. “Damn fool killed himself

jumping like that.” With a sob of relief, Inarii covered the distance between her and Rand, and threw herself into his arms. He held her close, never wanting to let her go, and only took a step back when the protectors arrived a few minutes later. Rand assumed that Klenden and the others had come in response to Inarii’s call. Klenden glanced at Strondly, and then walked over to where Rand and Inarii were standing. “You should have told us you were coming here,” Klenden said to Rand. Rand shrugged and tightened his hold around Inarii’s waist. “Strondly threatened to hurt Inarii if I didn’t come alone. I couldn’t take that chance.” Klenden’s gaze briefly went to Inarii before he nodded. “We thought that might be the case, especially when I noticed my pistol was missing. Luckily, we were able to track you through your ident-card and the transporter you hired.” “You didn’t respond because of Inarii’s call?” Rand asked, his brow furrowing. Klenden shook his head. “We didn’t receive any call that I know of.” Rand’s mouth tightened as he gave Inarii an exasperated look. Beside him, she flushed and looked up at him sheepishly. “By the way, where is my weapon?” Klenden asked. Rand looked around. “There it is,” he said, pointing to a spot about ten feet from where they stood. “It fell there when Strondly tackled me. Sorry about that, but I didn’t want to come

here unarmed.” Klenden glanced at Strondly, and then back at Rand. “Well, the outcome is obvious, but you’d better tell me the details. What happened here?” Rand filled the inspector in on what had happened from the time he’d entered the warehouse, giving Klenden as much detail as necessary, with Inarii recounting her version of the events. When she described how Strondly had terrorized her, Rand wanted to kill the man all over again. After they were done, Klenden nodded. “I want you two checked out by the medics,” he told them, jerking his head toward the door. “I’ll also need you to come back to the protectorate after you’re done with them.” Though Rand didn’t think it necessary to see the medics for his few scrapes and bruises, he did want them to take a look at Inarii, so he agreed. Taking Inarii’s hand, he led her outside to where the medic transporter was parked. He insisted they examine her first before he allowed them to take a look at him. After seeing to him, the medics released them both, and he led Inarii over to the transporter he’d had waiting for him. Once Rand had given the computer the address for the protectorate, he gave Inarii a hard look. “I told you to wait for me in the transporter.” He didn’t really want to scold her, especially when she was looking at him with those beautiful eyes of hers, but he couldn’t let this go. Not when she’d put herself in danger so foolishly. She flushed. “I heard you fighting with Darvan, and I thought you needed help.”

He scowled. “Inarii...” he began, but she hurried on before he could continue. “I did help,” she insisted, lifting her chin defiantly. “If I hadn’t hit him with that crate, he would have choked the life out of you.” “That’s beside the point!” he snapped. “You put yourself in danger again, Inarii, and this time you really could have been hurt.” She said nothing for a moment, and then leaned close, brushing up against him and giving him a coy look. “Well, since I was so bad, you can spank me later.” He clenched his jaw, knowing exactly where she was going with this, and determined not to be taken in by her teasing. “Actually, I can spank you now.” Her eyes widened just the smallest bit. “But...” Ignoring her protest, Rand reached out and pulled her off the seat beside him to put her over his knee. He ran his hand up her leg and under her skirt, pushing the material aside to reveal skimpy panties and a gorgeous ass that would soon be red and hot to the touch. Inarii moaned and Rand leaned over to say the next words, his voice close to her ear as he spoke. “Oh, and by the way, this is going to be one of those punishment spankings we talked about.” Sitting upright, he lifted his hand and brought it down sharply on her upturned bottom. “Owwww!” she shrieked, squirming against him. “That hurts, Rand. At least give me a warm up first.” It did sting, she thought, but the heat that came with it felt

incredible, and protesting only added to her arousal somehow. It excited Rand, too, making him hard enough to bulge against the material of his trousers, but he was determined not to give in to it. Inarii needed to be taught a lesson. Besides, he placated himself with the knowledge that they’d be making love as soon as they got to their new hotel room. “Good, it should hurt a bit. It might remind you not to be so foolish next time,” he told her, spanking her again. “And don’t worry. You’ll warm up quick enough.” Holding her in place with one hand, he slapped her bottom hard with the other. “I want to make sure that you remember how red and stinging your bottom is the next time you think about going off and deliberately putting yourself at risk.” A few more well-aimed spanks and he was ready to focus on her bare bottom. Yanking down her panties, he made sure to caress her reddened skin before continuing with her spanking. His touch made her moan with pleasure, but she was soon yelping again as he brought his hand down over and over on her tender cheeks. Inarii squirmed on his lap, and even put her hand back once to shield her bottom, but he only grabbed her wrist and held it against the small of her back, which, judging from the her moan of pleasure, only seemed to excite her more. Rand would have continued to spank her, but they’d almost arrived at the protectorate, and so he reluctantly let her up. Inarii’s bottom was cherry red from top to bottom, and he had no doubt that she’d be sitting rather gingerly during their meeting with Inspector Klenden.

Kneeling on the seat beside him, Inarii rubbed her stinging bottom and looked up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “What do you say to skipping this thing with the inspector and going straight to our hotel instead?” she asked breathlessly. “I’m so wet that I don’t think I could pay attention to a thing he says anyway.” Rand grinned. He’d like nothing better, but he knew that they had to get this over with; otherwise they’d have to stay on Mar-Kenn for days. “Nice try,” he said, and then, sliding his hand behind her head, he pulled her close for a kiss. After a moment, he drew back and gazed at her. “I love you, do you know that?” She smiled. “Well, I didn’t know, but I thought you might. It’s nice to hear you say it, though, since I love you, too.” He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. “Now, do you love me, or do you just love the spankings?” She snuggled close to him, careful to keep the weight off her recently reddened bottom. “I love you; I just enjoy the spankings.” He laughed. “Well, it’s good to know that, because with your proclivity for getting into trouble, I have no doubt that you’ll be getting them often.” Inarii only smiled and snuggled in closer. Rand proposed to Inarii that evening, and they were married a few months later. The wedding was held on Andras Prime, with Kat’Lyn serving as her maid of honor. Her friend was very surprised that she and Rand were getting married, and a blushing Inarii couldn’t help but confess that she’d gotten to like all

those spankings Rand gave her. Inarii had Marisel as her flower girl, and had also invited Neva and Brecken to the wedding as well. Inarii had taken Rand’s advice and told her father about the work she’d been doing at the shelter. He’d been surprised, but had also said he was very proud of her. He’d even been pleased when she told him that she and Rand were going to adopt Marisel after they returned from their honeymoon. Rand was taking her to his home planet, Earth, and she was more than excited at the prospect of spending time there. The stalker’s attack on her had made the news on every planet in the system. Inarii gave no interviews, but that didn’t keep the reporters from digging into Strondly’s background. Apparently, he had first seen Inarii while traveling with his fiancé to Andras Prime. He had dumped his fiancé within days of seeing Inarii, and had moved to Andras Prime to be near her. Rand had talked to the protectors that had searched his apartment. It had been a shrine to Inarii, and the amount of private information that he had collected on her was frightening. Strondly would have snapped sooner or later, and Rand was just happy that he had taken the job of being her bodyguard when he had. Though he was still very protective of her, Rand no longer fulfilled the role of bodyguard after they returned from Mar-Kenn, and after the episode with Darvan Strondly, Inarii wasn’t too keen on him guarding anyone else, either. So, to compromise, Rand decided to open the personal security business he’d planned on doing since leaving the protectors. Though he would still be doing what he loved, he would be doing so from a supervisory capacity,

which made Inarii happy. As for her, she decided to pursue a career in medicine, at Rand’s prodding. It pleased her mother, who had returned to Andras Prime for an extended visit, as well. Though Inarii had fun at the reception that followed the marriage ceremony, she was eager to be alone with her husband. Fingering the ring Rand had given her when they’d fled Andras Prime on the deep-space cruiser, she smiled at the word. Though they would be moving into a house when they got back from their honeymoon, she and Rand were spending the night at the apartment she now shared with him. It was small, but since they’d returned from Mar-Kenn, she’d come to think of it as home. Still dressed in her gown, a sleeveless silk embroidered at the hemline and bodice with imported platinum threads, Inarii was standing on the balcony that overlooked the city when Rand came up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and trailed kisses down her neck. “Mmmm...” she breathed. “I thought I said that I wanted you naked when I came in the bedroom,” he whispered, his mouth brushing against her skin. She smiled. “Did you?” Rand turned her in his arms and grinned down at her. “You know, wives on ancient Earth vowed to obey their husbands, Mrs. Barany.” Inarii lifted a brow. “Really? And are you suggesting that I make such a promise, Mr. Barany?” “I could be.” She thought a moment. “I might consider it,” she said, her

lips curving into a teasing smile. “But only if you promise to spank me whenever I don’t.” Rand’s mouth quirked. Who knew that the first time he’d put her over his knee that Inarii would come to like spanking so much? “I think I can do that,” he said, and then bent his head to kiss her before swinging her up in his arms and carrying her into the bedroom. THE END Blushing Publications thanks you whole-heartedly for your purchase with us! There are plenty more stories such as the one you’ve purchased from Blushing Books! Visit our online store to view our mighty selection! http://www.blushingbooks.com This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.