Puto snapped his heels and saluted.
Marco paced his office as he waited for her to arrive.
When she entered, his heart skipped a beat. Her hair was ruffled, her face pale, and two fastenings were missing from her overall. He raced over, waving away the guard who’d escorted her. “Frey
a. Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
He pursed his lips, scanning her face, looking for bruises or cuts. “You took on a thug?”
She examined her hands. “He wasn’t as hard as he looked.” However, he saw the redness on her knuckles.
“You punched him?”
“Yes. And I confess I stamped on him, too. He went down quite quickly once I stuck my knee in his balls. Funny how regardless of where they come from, men’s testicles are consistently painful when struck.” She grinned.
“Ice. I have ice.” He darted into his private bathroom and ejected ice cubes from the vendor. Ice was something only the Vendu had access to. He wrapped a few cubes in a cloth. “Sit.” He pointed at his chair.
Freya obeyed and held out her hand. He crouched next to the chair and pressed the ice pack to her knuckles until she winced.
“Can you wriggle your fingers?” he asked.
She showed him. “Nothing broken, just a bit sore.” She straightened her fingers. “Am I in trouble? Will I be punished?”
“For defending yourself, no!” He rose. “But don’t you see how dangerous it is for you? You’re too appealing, too unusual.”
She stood and shuffled her feet on the floor. “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about last time. And. I wondered if the option was still open.”
He dragged her into a tight embrace before planting his mouth on her lips. To taste her again, to feel the moist line of her lips, had re-awoken his neglected cock. He coiled his hand through her hair; the need for her was strong, but once again, he held back. This time, it wouldn’t be in his office. He had to ensure she meant it, that she would be his jenjin.
He broke off his lips. Her eyes had closed and she opened them again, blinking in the bright lights. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Not here. I want to take you to the Volta, have you prepared and do this properly.” He kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”
* * *
“It’s like a temple,” Freya remarked.
The entrance to the Volta was decorated with colonnades and nude statutes. It reminded her of ancient Rome. Marco escorted her up the wide steps and into the atrium with its fountain centerpiece.
“All Volta have the same features, although I’d not thought of them as a place for worship.” He directed her around the pool of water. Approaching them from another door was an elegant woman of maturing years—her waist-length hair was tinged with silver streaks. She wore a sleeveless white dress that swayed around her ankles as she walked gracefully toward them. She bowed, more of a nod, but it was a sign of deference.
“Governor, welcome.” Given Freya’s scruffiness, she might have sneered or frowned, but instead she smiled in greeting. “Is this Freya? I see her potential, sir. Most definitely.”
“Yes, she’s is my chosen. Obviously, she needs a little sprucing up. Freya, this is Lalita, the Volta’s concierge. She is responsible for all the jenjin.”
“How many live here?” Freya asked.
“A little under forty,” Lalita replied. “We’re not quite at capacity. A few retired recently, others will take their place.”
Freya doubted retirement was due to age. She didn’t want to dwell on how long she might be in the Volta, although at some point, she would have to encourage Marco to open up to her about his future plans.
“Can forty jenjin satisfy a whole city?”
Marco answered. “Only the soldiers can access the Volta. They move from colony to colony with little opportunity to settle into lasting relationships. The administrators appointed by the empire to run this colony usually bring their own women. As for the soldiers, they must earn their time with a jenjin, with the exception of myself—it is my privilege to have unfettered access to any woman. Nevertheless, the demands placed on the jenjin are not as great as you might think. There is plenty of rest, relaxation, and time for reflection.”
“We encourage meditation, Freya,” said Lalita. “There are many protocols and rituals for you to learn.”