Authors: Allie Ritch
She didn’t so much as glance over her shoulder. As soon as her chauffeur opened the door, she climbed in and signaled the man to drive. Krux was twenty feet away when she pulled off, leaving him more alone than he’d ever felt in his life.
Chapter Seven
Re-education
“Conniving.” Punch. “Manipulative.” Kick. “Untrustworthy.” Hit. “Obnoxious, arrogant, power-hungry, deceptive brute of a…man!”
Katra spat the last word as the worst insult as she swung her leg up to strike the padded target in Xindra’s hands. Her instructor winced.
“Anything you want to talk about?” the woman asked wryly.
Still scowling, Katra rested her hands on her hips as she fought to catch her breath. Instead of using her extra day off making passionate love, she was having some kind of catharsis on the exercise mat. Unused to feeling this out of control and emotional, she wasn’t sure how to rein herself in.
“I thought he—” Swallowing hard, she tried to push down the bitter pain already coating her tongue. “I thought he loved me. He never said it, and neither did I, but I thought it was there. Then I find out he’s only been using me as some kind of entrée into high society because he thought I was a Wi’Yalu heiress. As if I’d be caught dead with those spiteful bigots.”
“Are you talking about Krux?” Xindra sounded uncertain.
Katra began to pace. “Of course. Who else have I been allowing to grope me? He took a break from deflowering young virgins as soon as he saw he had something to gain.”
“Huh.” Walking over to the wall, Xindra leaned back and thoughtfully pursed her lips. “I admit I don’t know the man very well, but I have to say that doesn’t sound like him. Krux strikes me as the type who’d be too proud and chauvinistic to use a female to get what he wanted. Are you sure there hasn’t been a misunderstanding?”
“I can’t see how,” Katra retorted sourly. “He called me a spoiled princess and demanded I introduce him to the mighty Wi’Yalus. Why else would he say that?”
Xindra shrugged. “Ego maybe? Men can be the biggest babies, pitching tantrums whenever they think they’re not getting enough attention. Sounds to me like he made some idiot assumptions and decided you weren’t affording him his proper status. That would make him an obnoxious, arrogant brute, but not deceptive or all those other great adjectives. Maybe you should talk to him.”
Resisting the urge to pout, Katra huffed out a breath. “I’ll think about it. Right now, I’m too mad. He was pretty hurtful.”
For some reason, just sharing that made her feel a little lighter. She looked at the younger woman with a grateful half-smile.
“All right. Show me some more moves so I can kick his conceited ass.”
She watched the other woman fight a grin, no doubt surprised by her word choice.
“As your instructor,” Xindra explained dryly, “I’m supposed to teach you that martial arts is about self-mastery and defense, not kicking ass.” Her lips finally lost the battle and kicked upward. “As a woman, however, I fully support the initiative of taking your man down a peg when he’s been a jerk.”
“And he has been.” Katra was sure her eyes must be gleaming with a feral light. “Presumptuous, overbearing, impossible.” The list went on.
Picking up the padded target again, Xindra held it in front of her protectively. “Yeah, speaking of that.” She braced her legs and took a moment to clear her throat. “Should Quinn and I assume you won’t be modeling with Krux tomorrow night?”
If it was possible for blood to boil, Katra’s was doing it. “What?”
Xindra returned a wince. “He didn’t ask you first.”
Assuming a fighting stance, Katra got more creative with her name-calling.
* * * *
Krux was struck by a strange case of nerves as he exited the locker room dressed in nothing but a robe. He’d arrived early in hopes of talking to Katra before the class started, but he couldn’t be sure she’d even show up. When he entered the classroom, Quinn was the only one in there, although he’d seen Xindra setting up earlier.
“I apologize for the last minute change. It wasn’t anticipated.” Krux delivered the apology with a hideous dose of humility.
Easygoing, Quinn just shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. The lecture is focused on the Brachoi male, so we’ll just leave out the intercourse demonstration and call it a night. Unless, of course, you get any volunteers from the class and want to take a partner. We can wing it.”
Having seen the kind of marriage they had, Krux had no doubt that Xindra had told her husband all about him and Katra. Krux wasn’t sure how much detail his angry Duosien had shared, but she’d made it clear she wouldn’t sleep with him if he was the last male in the universe. The fact that Quinn held out hope for a reprieve didn’t alleviate his skepticism.
“Do you know if Katra is coming tonight?” Krux hated that his personal business was out in the open. The fact that he didn’t know and had to ask galled him even more.
The New Earthling’s lips twitched before he coughed into his hand. “She said as much.”
Krux narrowed his eyes. “Exactly what did she say?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Quinn looked everywhere but at him. “Something to the effect that she’d paid her tuition too and wasn’t going to be scared off by a…um…fellow such as yourself. Xindra said she sounded quite adamant, so I’m sure she’ll be here.”
Imagining the kind of language that added up to a “fellow such as himself,” Krux shut his mouth and left it alone. It had been a long time since he’d had to grovel, but he hadn’t clawed his way up the business ladder without having to get on his knees and pucker up when necessary. His relationship with Katra was more important than any multi-million dollar deal, more precious than anything else in his life. He had to get this right.
“Hi, Krux.” Spri greeted him as she came in.
Switching his attention back to his surroundings, he returned the salutation and watched the rest of the students meander in. Having secured the front door, Xindra joined her husband at the front of the class. Although Krux tried to look relaxed, his heart beat heavily and his breathing quickened as he waited for the final stragglers to arrive. No doubt aiming to torture him with the suspense, Katra was the last to enter. His gaze fixed on her the moment she walked through the door and stayed glued to her face as she took a seat.
Beside him, Quinn welcomed everybody and introduced the subject of tonight’s lecture—Krux’s cue to drop his robe. He saw Katra glance briefly at his nude body. She lowered her lashes again before he could make eye contact.
“The basic plumbing of the Brachoi male is nearly identical to what you’ve already seen in the other races we’ve covered,” Quinn explained.
There was a diagram of Brachoi anatomy up on the screen, next to which was the image from the medical scanner.
“The testicles here produce…”
Krux tuned the man out and continued to stare at his beautiful Duosien, willing her to look at him. Tonight she wore dark slacks and a metallic shirt that had a drape of fabric over one shoulder. It was far more conservative than her usual vibrant colors, but she looked stunning in everything she wore. Of course, she was always most appealing in nothing but her rich skin.
“Where Brachoi men differ,” Xindra said, taking over, “is in the pressure of their ejaculate. The force needed to release their semen builds up very slowly in comparison to the males of other races.”
Krux spoke up quietly. “That’s one of the reasons Brachoi men are taught rigorous control from a young age. If we come right away, it’s such a weak orgasm it’s hardly even worth the effort, so we learn early on to hold back and gradually build the pressure. This also means we must guide our sexual partner’s movements so that they don’t inadvertently trigger a premature release. Many females find us far too domineering in bed and are put off. Others enjoy this aspect during sex, but won’t tolerate that same attitude outside the bedroom. Although no disrespect is intended, I’ve come to realize we Brachoi should be careful not to let this trait consume us. We have so much more to offer.”
Not a single muscle shifted on Katra’s face, but there was an aura of stillness about her that hadn’t been there before. He wished she’d look at him.
Krux lifted himself into a sitting position on the padded demonstration table and spread his legs wide. With his gaze still locked on Katra, he stroked his cock until he was mostly erect.
“Moving right along, let’s take a look at the sexual organs from the outside,” Quinn continued. “Brachoi males have a unique secondary extension on their genitals just above the main shaft. This is called the penis minor. It has far fewer nerve endings than its larger counterpart and is primarily used for additional stimulation of the female during coitus.”
The red dot of the laser pointer blended in with Krux’s skin, which was steadily growing darker under the scrutiny. After the two instructors finished describing the form and function of his anatomy, they invited the class to take a closer look or touch him. To his surprise, young Pixie, the New Earthling, was the first in line and was feeling brave tonight. She reached for him directly, although he could tell she was skittish. Having sexually initiated many females her age, he immediately fell into a calm mentoring role.
“Like this.” Taking her hand, he curled it around his shaft. “If you ever wish to stroke a Brachoi lover, you must clasp him like so and exert steady pressure. Slide your palm up from the base to the tip, over the crown, and back down again.” Holding her other hand, he stroked her fingers up and down the smaller shaft too. “You may add a caress here for additional stimulation, but there isn’t nearly as much feeling in the smaller organ. In all likelihood, a Brachoi male will not give you time to handle him anyhow. He’ll simply lay you down and arouse you enough to mount you.”
The New Earthling girl’s blush turned her nearly as red as he was, but she nodded and scurried back to her seat. Not surprisingly, Zeo was next since the Nimanian male always crowded close to shy Pixie. Unabashed, he reached out to run his thumb and forefinger along Krux’s penis minor.
“Does pressure stimulate the little shaft?” As usual, Zeo’s voice was low and gruff.
Unused to having other males touch him so intimately, Krux fought to keep his body still and his expression calm. Not that he’d had any doubts, but he was quite convinced now that he was rigidly heterosexual.
“Only slightly,” he answered in monotone. “Gentle friction is the best, although nothing compares to the feel of a female sheath clutching my main shaft.”
Zeo flashed an understanding smile and strode away.
Fortunately, none of the other males were interested in a hands-on experience, and the remaining females only gave him the most cursory examination. All except Katra. She hadn’t come anywhere near him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Krux saw Quinn draw a breath to wrap things up and realized this was his last chance. Clearing his throat, he spoke first.
“I’d like to say something.” His tone of voice—the one he usually reserved for the workplace—brooked no contradiction.
“Of course,” Quinn agreed.
Feeling like he was facing a hostile jury, Krux stared at the only audience that mattered to him. He drew a deep breath. “A great deal of this course has been dedicated not to the science or mechanics of sex, but to the relationships between the races and how misunderstandings can hurt people. Despite being an educated man, I’ve been guilty of this very crime.
“The worst thing about ignorance is that you can do so much damage without ever realizing it. I was attracted to a woman of another race, and in a matter of days, I thought I had her figured out. She was beautiful and passionate and had a wit that could match mine. That was enough for me. It never occurred to me that she was complex, that she might have a past and baggage and all the rest of life’s experiences that make us who we are. I saw what I wanted, and I made judgments based on too little information.
“To me, she was a princess. That was the description that came to mind. I told myself I thought of her that way because she was spoiled and conceited and had coasted through life. As it turns out, she was none of those things, but it wouldn’t have mattered.”
For the first time all night, Katra looked up and met his gaze squarely. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes.
Krux willed her to believe him. “You see, it wasn’t really about her at all. My prejudice was all mine. My perception of her was really about me. After years spent building my life into what it is today, I was used to everything and everyone falling into place. Imagine my shock when I discovered the woman I wanted wouldn’t fit neatly into any category. And she certainly didn’t follow my orders. Every time she tilted her chin or told me off, she flipped my world on its head, and I didn’t know how to handle that. After a life of control, I didn’t know how to handle the riot of emotions she inspired in me.
“I began to doubt myself, although even I didn’t realize it. Ignoring the evidence right in front of my face, I continued to pass judgment on her, all the while really judging myself. I think I called her a princess because I didn’t believe I could truly win her. Princesses are haughty, unattainable creatures—far too good for the likes of some scrappy Brachoi who fought his way into a corporate office. She’d never pick me, stay loyal to me…love me.”
Watching the tears dampen Katra’s lashes, he swallowed hard and dared to hope for redemption. “At the first sign of trouble—a sign I imagined—I threw away the best thing that’s ever happened to me. After a tireless pursuit, I caught her briefly, only to lose her again in one moment of misunderstanding. I’m thirty-nine years old, and I’ve only truly been in love once in my life. Katra, please tell me I haven’t lost you forever.”
His fellow students turned to look at her. The only gaze that mattered, though, was the one she returned to him. Not one to cry or show weakness, she lifted that stubborn chin to peer down her nose at him. If Krux hadn’t been so worried about her answer, he would have laughed.
*
Men were impossible. As Katra forced back her tears through sheer force of will, that was the one thought that kept circulating through her brain. Just when she had herself feeling righteous and mad, he had to go and say all that. And in front everybody! Now she couldn’t yell at him without looking like a heartless bitch, and the cunning brute probably knew it too.