“As a stranger, I will allow your ignorance on this one occasion, since you may not know how dangerous it is to reject the kindness of the king. I will be blunt in return. You are in my domain with no clan to claim you and no ability to protect yourself, or return to this life of yours without aid. My aid. It will insult me, do you deny my hospitality again.”
The king’s gaze dropped to the strained laces of his borrowed pants. “We both know you want to say yes.”
Kansas couldn’t deny it. At least, not to himself.
“Say yes.”
Chapter Five
If he ever saw Z again, the wizard was in for a world of hurt. That is, once he found a way out of these chains.
That sham of a sorcerer must have known what the king would do when Kansas had said no for a third time. He had to have had some idea that his ruler would have him dragged away by his guards and shackled to the damn wall.
He’d expected to be thrown into a dark, drippy dungeon. One of the cells Livania, bird bitch of the East, had wanted for Fenna. Instead he was led into the most opulent bedroom he’d ever seen and chained to the wall. Oh and stripped again, because why not?
A few hours into his punishment, Kansas started to wonder if it had all been an elaborate hoax. What would it hurt to have spent a night or two in the royal hunk’s company? To have given in to the instant chemistry between them and finally shaken off the sexual cobwebs while waiting to grab the next tornado home?
God knows he wanted to. Z knew he would. Which could only mean one thing.
The wizard was hiding a huge green-eyed monster.
Z must have the hots for the king. It was the only explanation that made sense. He’d wanted to make sure the king wasn’t distracted by his new toy, so he made Kansas into the bad guy. The uncooperative alien.
As far as he was concerned they could have each other. No matter how seductive the packaging, the king was a tantrum-throwing child. Imprisoning an innocent man
for declining a social invitation? What did he do when someone forgot to send him a thank you card?
He stomped over to the food-laden table a few feet away. The chain was barely long enough to reach it, and the toilet thankfully hidden behind a silk screen.
He popped what looked like a grape into his mouth and his eyes closed on a moan. Delicious. He’d barely eaten anything since he’d arrived.
“Is the food to your liking?”
Frozen in the act of shoveling more of the tangy fruit into his mouth, Kansas studied the woman suspiciously. Something new. Instead of the pure golden hue of the other men and women wandering the palace, she appeared to be made of silver—from the top of her flowing hair to her bare metallic feet. The silver jumpsuit that clung to her curvy figure looked painted on.
What was she?
“Pleasure droid. My identification number is rather long and difficult to remember. Most people just call me Pan,” she answered the unasked question with a smile. “The wizard sent me to pleasure you. He told me I should introduce myself first to make you more comfortable, since humans weren’t blessed by the GW the way we have been.”
“There are so many things wrong with that sentence I don’t know where to start.” Kansas dropped the fruit to rub his temples. “The wizard sent you? A female droid? To pleasure me? And what, exactly, is the GW?”
“Do you have a headache?” She frowned, walking closer to reach for him. “You look like you need a massage. I’m programmed to give a deep tissue massage that, I’m told, is almost orgasmic.”
She touched his shoulders and he flinched, closing his eyes when she instantly found the knot in his neck. “Oh. Okay, that feels amazing. Thank you, Pan.”
“Of course. It’s what I was made for. The wizard said you prefer men, but that I was to pleasure you in every way I could, and to inform you that all is going according to plan.”
A mocking snort escaped. “I’m sure he thinks so, since he’s not the one chained to a wall. What’s next on the agenda? A massage to let down my guard followed quickly by a thousand lashes with a spiked flogger?”
Silver hands stilled. “I’m not programmed for that, but if that’s what will bring you pleasure…”
“No.” Kansas laughed. “No, Pan. Ignore me. The massage is pleasure enough.”
“Really?” There was skepticism in her tone. “Just a massage? Nothing more?”
“A little information would be nice.”
“Agreed. I find information highly pleasurable.” She began to massage his shoulders again. Damn, she was good at that. “You asked about the GW. Have you never heard of her?”