"He has been appropriately compensated over the years. He should have funds to find his own place, at least temporarily."

Starr nodded, the momentum of her sudden movement in the murky darkness causing her to stumble. "How much farther must we walk over this rough terrain?"

"It's not much farther, Sheika. Just a few more minutes."

"Good. I'm getting tired and my feet are beginning to ache."

Starr limped behind her, wondering how many more years would pa.s.s before she possessed the seemingly endless stamina the priestess appeared to have.

Te'Lam stopped, turned toward her with her hands on her hips. "It's not like you to gripe, Sheika." She tilted her head. A look of profound concentration marred her flawless features. "Is there something you haven't told me?"

Beneath the High Priestess' heavy gaze, Starr bowed her head, swiping her feet through the leaves and twigs on the ground. She shook her head, reluctant to voice her thoughts, her fears. "It's nothing, Te'Lam."

The priestess raised her brow. "It's obviously something if it is upsetting you the way it is."

Starr licked her lips. "It's just that... well, I'm not a Sheika 113 Violet Visions here. I-I could be denied."

Te'Lam laughed. "You're worried of rejection? You? The most beautiful woman in the Manutian Universe is worried? I do not believe it."

"It is not funny! I'm so aroused I'm afraid I may suddenly burst into flame and you think it is funny." She huffed out a frustrated sigh. "I haven't found release with even one of my males. Not one!" She stamped her foot.

"Come along, Sheika. The house is just through these trees.

We will get you dressed appropriately and soon you will find your mate."

The priestess led her through a small copse of trees into a vast clearing. A surprised gasp pa.s.sed her lips.

A large, rambling house stood silhouetted against the night sky. The moon shone down on the upper wrap-around balcony giving it a silvery glow. Vines climbed the outer sh.e.l.l, leaving small white flowers to glow brightly in the moonlight.

A large pool graced the back yard. Clear blue water filled the lit pool and Starr longed to strip and bathe in the cool, clear water.

Te'Lam strode to the door. "Come, we must hurry. The bars will be full of available women, soon. The good men will be taken before we arrive." She pulled a strange shaped silver key from her pocket and unlocked the door. She held her arm out.

"After you, Sheika."

After swallowing pa.s.sed the lump lodged in her throat, Starr entered the darkened dwelling. Her hands began to tremble in trepidation. Could she go through with tonight's plans? Could she seduce a human male then leave him behind in dawn's morning light? She shook her head at her foolish thoughts. What choice did she have but to follow through? None. She had no choice at all.

114.

eXtasy's Collective Mind She sighed, her dismay weighed down her shoulders like the heaviest of royal cloaks. She'd never wanted to be Sheika, never wanted to birth the next heir to the Talean Throne. In some tiny part of her mind she'd always hoped to come to Earth. Not to procure a mate and leave, but to find a home, a place to belong.

Shaking off her unhappiness, she walked further into the dark room, though her eyes were rapidly adjusting to the nonexistent lighting. As least she'd received some of her mother's genes, though her night sight probably wasn't much better than her human father's. Sometimes, she felt as though she didn't belong amongst her mother's people. She was sure her brother received all the Talean genes and she the human ones while they'd shared their mother's womb.

"Why have you stopped in the middle of the room, Sheika?

We don't have time for any delays."

Shaken out of her morbid thoughts, Starr cleared her throat.

"Just thinking, Te'Lam."

"And what has you worried now, My Queen?"

"Actually, I was wondering what I am to wear. What is the proper attire for a bar, and where do I procure the necessities?"

"All has been seen to."

The light flickered on, momentarily startling her with its brightness. "What do you mean?" she asked, turning toward her High Priestess, her eyes blinking to see past the spots dancing before them.

"All you need is already upstairs awaiting you."

"When did you have time to procure clothing for me, High Priestess?" Starr knew her voice held the power of her station as Sheika. Normally she did not like to use her power in such a way, but something did not feel right about this entire situation.

"The Ship Commander had her guards transport to the surface a few hours ago to gather the things you'd need. We 115 Violet Visions didn't want you to be on the planet any longer than necessary.

Your safety may depend on it."

"Are you saying there are dangers here?"

Te'Lam quirked an eyebrow in obvious amus.e.m.e.nt. "There is danger everywhere. There is no sense in exposing you to any more than necessary. Is there?"

Put that way, how could she argue with her priestess's logic?

But her gut tightened in apprehension. Something was not right.

It would behoove her to keep her guard up until she knew just what her closest advisor was up to.

Starr narrowed her eyes, then nodded. "I'll find my way to my room. Where did you say it was?"

"Upstairs, at the end of the hall."

Knowing she needed to get away from her priestess to think, Starr headed deeper into the house, finding a set of stairs leading upwards near yet another entrance to the domicile. She noted the location in respect to the rest of the house. Caution urged her to make note of any and all avenues of escape. She just might need to. Once she reached the second floor, Starr looked down the hallway in amazement. Dozens of photographs lined both sides of the walls. Her eyes widened when she realized just what she was seeing. It was her father, from the time he was but a boy until he'd been taken from this world.

But what stunned her were the pictures of her, Shane, and her mother, taken when they were children. How did the images of them get here? What was going on? So many questions raced through her mind and no answers were forthcoming. She'd have to think on this, but not now. Now, she had to dress for a seduction.

With her thoughts in turmoil, Starr continued down the hallway. At the very end, two doors awaited, one on each side of 116 eXtasy's Collective Mind the hall. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned the handle on the room to her left. She had a fifty-fifty chance to get the right room.

The door opened with a groan, causing the hair at the nape of her neck to tingle in awareness.

As with the rooms below, this one was also blanketed in darkness. Little light shone through open doorway, but there was enough to find the switch that seemed to operate the lighting in this strange world. With a flick of her wrist, the room brightened immediately. She gasped in silent wonder, and shock. Definitely shock. She knew her eyes had to be as wide as Banglish coins, but d.a.m.n, her insides quivered with excitement. She never would have suspected this of her father's caretaker. She swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth, licking her lips in antic.i.p.ation.

But, if she were absolutely honest with herself, everything in her, right down to her molecules was intrigued by the straps dangling off all four posts of the bed, not to mention the hook in the ceiling above the monstrosity of a four-poster. Who the h.e.l.l lived in her father's Earthen home, and by the G.o.ddess, what did he look like?

As thoughts and possibilities ran through her mind, her nipples hardened as they rubbed against the cursed underclothes Te'Lam insisted she wear. Perhaps she should just stay here, investigate her father's caretaker rather than go to an establishment overflowing with people.

Before that idea could even take root, Te'Lam's voice echoed down the hallway, closing in on her. "Sheika, why aren't you dressed yet?"

Swallowing past her nervousness at being caught daydreaming, Starr's hands tightened on the door handle before she quickly let go to turn off the light and shut the door. She managed to cross the hall, open the other door and flick on the light before her advisor reached the top of the curved stairs.

117.

Violet Visions She barely gained control over her wayward emotions before High Priestess Te'Lam reached her, pretending curiosity as she searched the room. The only thing that filled the tiny room was a small bed with a plain blue covering, a bureau covered with dust and a window with some sort of pull down screen. Other than that, it was completely devoid of life and personality.

"I apologize, Te'Lam. The pictures in the corridor distracted me." Crossing over to the bed beneath the window, Starr reached for the bag sitting in its center. She turned toward her advisor, a crooked smile on her face. "I won't tarry."

Te'Lam nodded, then left the room. Starr couldn't help but wonder if somehow her priestess knew not only the turmoil raging inside her, but the outcome of tonight as well.

That thought alone was enough to give her the jitters, as her father was wont to say. With her mind once again focused on her mission, she shrugged out of the earther clothes she'd worn from the ship and reached for the bag her guards had left for tonight's task.

Starr felt completely out of her depth as she approached the place Te'Lam insisted was the perfect location to find a mate to seduce. The sign above the establishment read, 'The Lucky Lady.'

Mayhap, tonight she would be a lucky lady.

Only after she walked into the crowded room did she have second thoughts about her earlier decision. She should have allowed her priestess and personal guards to accompany her inside, but she hadn't wanted to rely on anyone. The choice of mates would be hers, without interference from those around her influencing her decision.

A thin, hazy veil of smoke filled the room. She stood rooted to 118 eXtasy's Collective Mind the spot, unsure if she should go to an unoccupied table or sit at the crowded bar. Stiffening her spine, she looked around, her gaze flitting from person to person. She hoped to find someone here who would stir her libido as much as her imaginings about her father's mysterious caretaker did.

Colorful lights flashed in time to the music as roughly half the people in the establishment b.u.mped and gyrated in front of a raised platform surrounded by three mirrored walls. A glittering ball spun over their heads, throwing prisms of colorful light around the room. Scantily clad servers of both s.e.xes brought drinks to the others who still sat at the bar or at the small intimate tables that surrounded the mirrored area.

What were those people doing? They each had a large smile on their face, but if she hadn't known better, she would have thought they were having convulsions.

Turning, she headed for the long glossy bar. There was an empty seat near where the servers picked up their orders.

Besides, there would be a large male sitting on either side of her.

What better place was there to start?

A loud crash caught her attention and she was brought up short by a strong hand grasping her arm.

"Where do you think you're going, little lady?"

Starr stiffened. She liked her men dominant, but she also liked them to bathe. Wrinkling her nose, she reached down to pry the male's hand from her wrist.

"Unhand me," she demanded, just before another patron hit the man on the back of his head with a gla.s.s bottle, shattering it, spraying its contents all over her and her attacker.

"Ugh, you beastly man." Starr jerked her arm, sending the swaying man sprawling at her feet, just where he belonged. She tried to step away from the ruckus, but sweat-soaked bodies crashed into her from all sides. How the h.e.l.l did she get herself 119 Violet Visions into these situations? That's what she wanted to know.

Before she could retreat to a corner, away from the flying fists and swinging chairs, strong hands grabbed her by the waist and lifted her out of the way. She didn't even have time to look at her savior before he had her hustled out of the bar and set her on her feet. When she turned around to thank him, a pair of brilliant amber eyes captured her gaze.

Her heart squeezed in her chest. Her palms grew moist, and her c.l.i.t began to twitch with undeniable need and urgency. Who was this man?

Only after forcefully breaking eye contact did she notice what he was wearing. Unless there was a fancy dress party inside, and she was pretty sure she would have noticed that the few minutes she'd been inside, this wasn't a bar patron but a law enforcement officer of some kind.

She licked her lips, unaccountably nervous and shy around the big man. His shoulders were wider than even her father's. He had to be at least a few inches taller too, somewhere close to six and a half feet if she were to guess.

His hair, though cut short, was a ma.s.s of midnight curls, tousled as though he'd just risen from bed. Laughter lines were etched around his eyes and lips, and oh what luscious and bitable lips he had too.

Her breath hitched and came out husky when she finally managed to find her voice. "Um, thank you for getting me out of there so quickly."

The big man's brows quirked and he grinned. "No problem, lady. But, you might want to pick a different place to hang out next time. A little thing like you could be easily hurt in a place like this."

Starr let the law official's voice wash over her. Chill b.u.mps spread across every millimeter of her skin and her p.u.s.s.y began 120 eXtasy's Collective Mind to drip its moisture down her thighs. She licked her dry lips again, knowing she let her nervousness show, but unable to help herself around him. Why did he affect her so? What was it about him that had her ready to beg him to f.u.c.k her, here, now, in the parking lot if she had to?

"Is there someplace you'd recommend? Somewhere I might find a good time around here that's safe?"

"Lady, the way you look in that f.u.c.k-me-dress and heels, there ain't any place safe for you."

He tilted his head, then made a show of letting his gaze roam over her, following every curve and hollow of her body. She clenched her thighs, praying he didn't know just how much he affected her.

"What I suggest, is that you carry your pretty little rear back to your house and get some sleep. You don't want to be here now. We're about to close this place down and send everyone home or arrest them for public drunkenness."

He gave her a swat on the rear and she jumped. "You take liberties, sir!"

He grinned and shook his head as he walked away from her.

"Not nearly as many as I want to, lady."

Starr paid the cab driver and stalked back up the walkway to the house. "That-that male!" Never in her life had she ever been so abused. And, by the G.o.ddess, she'd loved it. Even now her panties were soaked with her woman's cream. She'd have to take a shower before retiring for the night.

Though she should report to the ship about her failure, tonight she wanted to remember the dominant man from the bar.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about the future.

121.

Violet Visions Thirty Earth minutes later, Starr emerged from the steamy bathroom, her towel clutched in her hand as she dried her face.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

Her heart skittered and jumped in her breast. It couldn't be.

She must be mistaken about the owner of that rumbling voice, but if the goose b.u.mps that had risen upon her skin were any indication she knew exactly who stood in front of her. She raised her head, shocked to see the twinkling amber gaze of the police officer from the bar.

"What-what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that. It's illegal to break and enter a person's home. And not the smartest thing to pick a cop's house when you do it either."

She straightened her spine, clenching the towel in her fists down by her side. To h.e.l.l with her nudity, no one spoke to her in such a way.

His eyebrows once again lifted in amus.e.m.e.nt and he grinned, p.i.s.sing her off even more. How dare he?

"It looks like I'm going to have to restrain you, for your own safety of course."

"You have got to be joking. I've done nothing wrong. This is my father's home. I have every right to be here."