Garden of Serenity (7 page)

No, it wasn’t fine
. What was she thinking? Jahara didn’t want to be naked in front of this man. When he turned and headed toward her bedroom, she could barely think. Going in there would be much too intimate.

“No! Stop!”

He halted and turned slowly. The corner of his mouth curved, his brow lifting over those bottomless blue eyes. “No? Do you wish to copulate here in the comfort of the living space? I’m sure Ishawny wouldn’t mind.”

The man seemed amused by the situation. Jahara didn’t think any of this was funny, least of all his gaze scorching over the tunic she held to her breasts. “Well, no of course not.” Heat burned her cheeks. “I don’t want to use the bath in my bedroom. There’s another bath down the hall. We should go there.”

“As you wish, most honored Jahara. I wish only your comfort.” He inclined his head, but there was no submission in the action or his tone.

Jahara couldn’t think of where else to go to get away from the probing eyes of the Garden. In the privacy of the bathroom, she’d talk him out of this ludicrous idea and send Ishawny and her partner back to their residences without having to copulate.

He stepped around her and walked down the hall to the spare bathroom. Jahara pulled the tunic over her head. It might have been inside out, but at least it covered her breasts.

Brenimyn tried to rein in the hope blossoming in his chest as Jahara slammed into the bathroom behind him, her heels thumping along the tile. He hadn’t seen this much fight in a woman in a long time. With a calm he didn’t know she possessed, she shut the door as he turned on the faucets at the sink and tub.

“Now there may not be cameras in here,” he said. “But the audio amplifiers in the other room are very sensitive.” He settled himself on the edge of the counter, crossing his bare feet at the ankles, trying to look more relaxed than he felt. Her presence hummed over his nerves and made him jittery with the need to touch. He fisted his hands and crossed them over his chest. He bit back a smile at the vision of the loose tunic inside out. She’d wanted to cover her nudity, but he’d already seen the lush curve of her full breasts in the kitchen. Her nipples were now silhouetted in the fabric and moved tantalizingly as she paced the small space. “The water will help drown out our voices, but I suggest you keep that raging storm of yours to a dull rumble.”

She didn’t slow her pacing. Several times she paused and stared at him, her mouth opening as if to speak, but then closing with an audible snap and she paced some more. Dark tendrils had escaped from her long braid, framing the confusion pinching her brow and pouting those very kissable full lips. She wrung her hands and sputtered under her breath. Her nervousness created a charming picture that warmed his heart. He couldn’t have been happier that this woman who had been prophesied to find him was no timid mouse. His joy bubbled out of him in a rolling laugh that echoed off the tiles.

She stopped moving and stared at him, planting her fists on her full hips. “What on earth could be so funny? I don’t think
any
of this is humorous.”

“You, Jahara. Just you.”

“What about me?”

“You’re fluttering around as if you’ve got bugs crawling on your skin and I find your nervousness over your first mating … cute.” Something sparked in the depths of her eyes and he had no doubt it was fear. Concern softened his voice. “You’ve never been with a man, have you?”

She flinched but recovered quickly, her eyes shuttering any emotion. “I don’t believe that’s any of your business.”

Hope soared. He’d lost track of her in the confusion after the demonstration. It had been a pipe dream that she hadn’t been with a man yesterday. But this beautiful creature didn’t have to admit the truth. He saw it in the way she worried her trembling fingers and stiffened her spine. He wanted to gather her in his arms and comfort her, let her feel the strength of a man. But she wasn’t ready to accept that from him and Brenimyn willed himself to stay put. He dropped his hands to the edge of the sink, hoping the relaxed posture would ease the tension knitting her brow.

“Jahara, it
is
my business. You see, I’m leader of the male breeding stock and primary breeder responsible for training. When one of the partners for the first mating …” He paused. When she didn’t refute his statement, his pulse jackhammered. He would be her first. “It’s part of my responsibilities to replace the breeder.” Of course Ishawny’s partner wouldn’t be home puking his guts out if Brenimyn hadn’t laced the man’s noon meal with the vile medicine he’d stolen from his friend’s bag of herbs.

“But you’re Kylie’s mate. Even I know I can’t usurp another woman’s claim on a breeder.”

The woman was nothing if not thorough in her understanding of the Garden’s hierarchy. “That is true. But my position nullified that rule.” That was a complete lie. Any breeder could have taken his place. Brenimyn had had to do some quick sidestepping to get around Kylie’s vehement protests. But his need to be with this woman had pushed him to act recklessly. He needed to know if the connection he’d felt arc between them yesterday had been real or a figment of his overzealous imagination. He’d put his plan in action the moment he’d found out she’d requested a breeding guide.

Jahara stared at him, her doe eyes full of confusion and fear. “Why have you come to me?”

Now
that
was a loaded question. One he couldn’t answer without scaring her. Jahara definitely wasn’t ready for complete honesty. “I’m responsible for making sure the first copulation is pleasant.”

She turned from him, her voice barely above a whisper. “Perhaps we don’t need to do this tonight? You see, I’m already committed to another.” Jahara waved her ring finger in the air.

His heart sank. He wanted to believe the piece of jewelry was nothing more than a ruse. Jahara wouldn’t have been the first woman to wear a commitment band to keep the breeding to a minimum.

When he didn’t respond she turned back to him. “Brenimyn, I didn’t choose to come here.”

“Jahara, few choose the Garden.”
Least of all the male breeders forced into slavery
, he wanted to add, but knew it wasn’t prudent. “You realize you can’t put off the inevitable. Tonight, tomorrow, next week, eventually you will be expected to mate in front of the cameras.” He wanted her to choose him this night. It would be difficult to continue deceiving Kylie. For whatever reason, the woman had been unusually upset by his interaction with Jahara at the demonstration yesterday. It had set off a whole stream of complaints that filtered their way up to Bresilee. And Kylie’s connection to Bresilee was one hornet’s nest he didn’t particularly want to probe.

“It’s really not so horrible, Jahara. I’ve been told it’s rather a pleasant experience being with me.” He couldn’t resist teasing her just a little. Brenimyn focused on her sweet face.

“It’s just that I …” Her hand fluttered to her cheek, fear raging in her toffee eyes.

He rose and walked to her. “I understand you’re afraid, Jahara.” His hand stroked the satin skin his mind had touched. “But don’t you feel the chemistry between us?” A frisson of awareness sparked from her cheek up his arm. “I will make your experience something you will never forget.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, desire and need—and faith in a childhood vision—swelling his heart.

Being alone with Jahara, erased all doubts.

This woman was the one who’d been sent to fulfill his destiny.

* * * *

Jahara lay naked on her stomach in the guest bed. She still wasn’t sure how Ishawny had gotten her in here and out of her clothes. The woman hummed to the lilting strains of violin music filtering softly through hidden speakers as her hands massaged the floral-scented oils into Jahara’s tense muscles. Her head felt light and a little dizzy. She’d had too much Dakaru root at dinner, but she didn’t care. The fruity liquid would diminish the memory of the events about to take place. Perhaps, like Jacinta, she would become pregnant at this copulation.
Oh, to hope.
 

Jahara hadn’t talked the breeding guide or her partner out of this first mating. Not in the bathroom when the male breeder had cornered her. Not during the evening meal when Ishawny and Brenimyn had waited on her, unwilling to join her at the table. And certainly not at this moment as Ishawny’s firm hands masterfully moved to the muscles of her buttocks. It seemed nothing was going to keep this mating from happening.

Fortunately, Ishawny was a skilled lover and doing a wonderful job keeping Jahara’s thoughts off Brenimyn. She didn’t know where the male breeder was and at the moment, didn’t really care. Something had turned her libido up a notch. Perhaps her food had been prepared with a stimulus, or the oils contained something. Whatever it was, it buzzed pleasantly in her head and made Jahara’s body taut with need. She let the delicious sensations curl over her synapses. If this was going to happen, she might as well try to enjoy it.

As Ishawny’s fingers moved intimately over her flesh, she focused only on here and now. Somewhere, deep in her psyche, she knew it was wrong to be enjoying the pleasure offered by this woman’s touch, but at the moment, Jahara couldn’t recall why. Coherent thought was overridden by her body’s primal needs.

She smelled her desire mingled with the oils and the dark musky scent of the heated air. Heard her breath coming in heavy gasps even as sweet epithets of encouragement were whispered in her ear. Felt the silken touch of Ishawny everywhere on her trembling body. Hands stroked her hair and tickled along her spine. Lips kissed along her sex even as they nibbled along her jaw.

But that couldn’t be.

In her haze of mounting desire, Jahara forced her eyes to open. Brenimyn lay on the bed next to her, his mouth curving into a smile as his teeth nipped at her bottom lip, urging her to open for him. His hot gaze raked over her face and she wanted to drown in the icy depths of his eyes. “Relax, Jahara. I offer only pleasure. All of it. All of it will bring you wondrous ecstasy. Trust me.”

Brenimyn rolled her on her back, laying his body across hers. She wanted to protest, to tell him to leave the room, but his fingers tangled in her hair as he took possession of her mouth, leaving no doubt he was taking control. Jahara should have been frightened, should have fought harder against his passionate assault, but everything he was doing to her body only strummed the hungry need building inside her.

His whole being invaded her senses: the comfortable weight of his body settled across her torso; the heat of his skin as his hands explored and seduced; and the taste of wintergreen that filled her mouth when his tongue tangled with hers, delving deeper as if he couldn’t completely get his fill. The breeder’s male scent surrounded her in warm cloud of masculine heat, its aroma heady and erotic.

Brenimyn trailed kisses down her neck, licking and nibbling her flesh, igniting blazing embers of desire everywhere his mouth touched. Jahara’s nerves were raw. Fire burned through her veins. Her head was dizzy with the sensations rippling over her muscles. She couldn’t stop the growing wave of ecstasy pushing her upward, slamming her body with a pulse-pounding need. His hands masterfully stroked her flesh, every touch meant only for her pleasure. She stumbled along the edge of bliss, desperately wanting to fall headlong into total release. The man seemed to revel in his ability to keep her suspended in this needy limbo.

Her hands moved of their own accord, gliding over the ridges of Brenimyn’s back, her nails digging deep half-moons into the flesh of his shoulders. Jahara didn’t know where Ishawny had gone, wasn’t even sure she was still in the room with them until she whispered in Jahara’s ear.

“Ask, Bren. Let him take you to that place of bliss.”

“I don’t need him. Just a neuro stimulator,” Jahara begged.

“What I offer is so much better.” Brenimyn pushed his erection against her hip. “And so much more satisfying.” He kissed her hard and long, stealing what little breath she had. “You just need to trust me.” The man shifted away from her and Jahara moaned at the loss of his weight and heat. His laugh rumbled through her. “I do believe she’s ready, Ishawny.”

“No … it’s not really what I want.” Even in the sexual fog muddling her thoughts, Jahara understood what Brenimyn intended to do—
that
knowledge warred against her baser needs.

“Brenimyn’s gentle.” Ishawny brushed the hair from her face. “He knows how to pleasure.”

“I am all that is between you and sweet release.” Brenimyn’s fingers flirted with her sex. The man certainly knew his way around the female body.

“We know what you want. Let Brenimyn give that to you.” The liquid heat of Ishawny’s voice comforted her. “Perhaps it will be easier if you don’t watch, Jahara.” The woman’s hands soothed and calmed even as Brenimyn’s stimulated. “Roll over and kneel on the end of the bed. Focus on me. Let us help you crest the final wave. It’s what you want. I feel your hunger.”

Jahara did as Ishawny suggested, coming up on her hands and knees and scooching back to the edge of the bed. Brenimyn’s hands never lost contact with her body. She was so ready to let the orgasm control her.

“I promise you only pleasure, Jahara.” Brenimyn’s teeth rasped along the flesh of her hip, the exquisite pain making her gasp. “I know what your body wants.”

Ishawny stood beside the bed, her hands soothing and caressing. “We want you to feel the euphoric release your body craves.”

The words whispered over her skin shimmied through Jahara. Every nerve ending pulsed and jumped. She inhaled, trying to ease the dizzying sensations filling her head.

Ishawny leaned into her, the woman’s breath warm and comforting on her shoulder. Except for the heat of his hands, she had no sense of Brenimyn’s body. Jahara liked it that way. She focused on Ishawny and the silky warmth of the woman’s hands on her skin.

“Jahara, ask him.” Ishawny’s words feathered hot over her ear. “Ask Brenimyn to satisfy you.” Her lips caressed the corded muscles of Jahara’s neck. “It’s what you want. It’s what we
all
want.”

Just one more touch, one more pulse of a finger and her body would be quaking in complete ecstasy. But try as she might, she couldn’t maneuver her body to make Brenimyn touch her where she needed. “Please, I can’t stand this. I need … I need …” Jahara’s voice trailed off. Everything was clouded with desire. She couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t form thoughts in her head