She had a feeling this was going to be a trip to the beach she would never forget.
36
Valen berated himself as he led her downstairs to the waiting car. What was wrong with him, fingerfucking her when he should only have been fitting the harness? Why couldn’t he keep his hands off her? Why did he constantly want to touch her beautiful, full curves and hear the soft little moans and cries she made when he pleasured her?
It’s just that I’ve never had access to an Elite before, he tried to tell himself, as he climbed into the hover-car behind Selena. And she is exceptionally beautiful—that’s all.
Exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally submissive, whispered a little voice in his head. Admit it, Valen, you’re enjoying playing her “Master” and dominating her. You’re enjoying it maybe just a little too much…
Valen pushed the thoughts away firmly. Today was about proving to himself that Selena was nothing special—that he could spend the whole day with her and not be moved by her beauty or her sweet personality. Today was a test and he was damned if he would fail it.
Firming his resolve, he settled on the seat beside her and called to the driver,
“Take us to Vernod Beach and be quick about it.”
He would spend the day with Selena and at the end of it, he would be able to say she meant nothing to him, he told himself—nothing. He was sure he could do it.
In fact, he was betting his heart on it.
37
“Now, before we get out in the sun, we must use some sun-shimmer,” Valen said, as the hover car, on its cloud of roiling purple smoke, pulled onto to sandy edge of the road.
“Sun-shimmer?” Selena frowned.
“It’s lotion with reflective particles in it,” Valen explained. “It reflects back the UV rays of the sun and keeps one from getting burned. Here, look.”
He held up a bottle with a picture of the sun, fiery rays extending from its yellow orb.
“Oh, okay.” Selena held out her hand. “Give me some—I’ll put it on.”
“I don’t think so, little one,” Valen growled, frowning. “As your Master, I am responsible for you. I will put it on you.”
“Oh! Yes, Master.” Selena felt a little surge go through her as he poured some of the shimmering lotion between his palms and rubbed them together briskly.
“Now, come here,” he demanded. “And hold still so that I can cover all of you.”
He took his time rubbing the shimmering lotion into her skin from top to toe, not skipping her breasts or her pussy. He paid special attention to her nipples and outer pussy lips, until Selena shivered with desire.
“Master,” she murmured, when he was done. “Can…can I rub it on you, too? The sun-shimmer lotion, I mean?”
That one-sided smile of his quirked the corner of Valen’s sensuous mouth.
“Do you wish to touch me, little one?”
“Yes,” Selena admitted. “If…if you’ll let me.”
“I will,” Valen growled hoarsely. “Let me remove my shirt.”
He pulled the white t-shirt over his head and Selena couldn’t help admiring his broad chest and washboard abs again. God, he was gorgeous.
Eagerly, she put a dollop of the sparkling lotion into her hand and rubbed it between her palms. Valen had touched her a lot, but with the notable exception of the interrupted hand-job last night at dinner, she had barely gotten to touch him at all.
She took her time, rubbing his chest, his shoulders, and his broad back, enjoying how smooth and warm his skin was. Valen seemed content to let her do it. He watched her with half-lidded eyes as she spread the lotion over his muscular arms.
“Enjoying yourself, little one?” he murmured.
Selena grinned at him shyly.
“Yes, I am,” she admitted. “You’re freaking gorgeous, Master. I mean, you look a lot different from my ex, Gary. Not that you’re my boyfriend or we’re in any kind of a relationship,” she added quickly. “I mean…oh crap. You know what I mean—at least I hope you do.”
“I have no idea,” Valen said blandly, but then he gave her that sardonic smile again. “If you want to see something truly gorgeous, though, we ought to get out of the car. Ma’shorkan Centra is said to have the most beautiful beaches in the entire quadrant.”
“Okay.” After putting her foot in her mouth, Selena was eager to change the subject. “Let’s go—I think we’re both covered now.” And she nodded down at her shimmering skin.
“Agreed. Driver, we’ll be back in some hours,” Valen told the driver, who nodded impassively.
Then he opened the door, and the two of them stepped out onto the sand.
“Oh, this is beautiful,” Selena breathed, looking over the vast, sandy expanse of the beach. She could see now why the Ma’shorkan beaches were such popular tourist attractions. Pale pink sand, as fine as sugar, covered the ground and ran up to the clear, aquamarine ocean. Perhaps a mile beyond the beach—or maybe more—rose an enormous, snow-topped mountain. It was amazing to Selena that two such disparate but equally beautiful geographic features could be so close together.