She gingerly reached behind her back and touched her bottom. There was a residual warmth, a minor throbbing on the peak of each lobe, but otherwise she wasn’t suffering any major aftereffects. She did, however, recall the terrible sting of those early rigid smacks and the blaze generated by the flurry of the lighter ones. Was it as bad as she expected? The jury was out on that—she was under the impression that Kriss had been lenient.
And was it worth the orgasm that Jago skillfully conjured out of her ramped-up sex? Yes, fuck, yes. A stupendous one and far better than any machine-driven one. Would she keep her hands off her clit from now on? Again, she was undecided. Best to wait and see what they had in store for her over the coming days.
They were over on the other side of the room, talking softly. They ate standing up. Dining was not a social activity. Carefully, she rose to her feet and tiptoed into the bathroom. She peered over her shoulder at the mirror, half-expecting to see dark bruises on her behind. But, no. There were a few reddish spots and one obvious finger mark. How disappointing. She wanted more evidence to justify the smarting rebukes of Kriss’s enormous hand. Again, she suspected, another spanking might not be so lightly delivered.
Returning to the main room, she pressed her hand to her rumbling stomach. Jago looked up and waved her over.
“Come, eat.” He pushed a cube across the small worktop.
She ignored the taste of nothingness and pretended it was chocolate. God, she missed chocolate. What else was she going to hanker for in the coming weeks and months?
A bell sounded and she jumped, dropping the half-eaten cube onto the surface.
Kriss crossed the floor to the entrance. The doorbell! She grinned and relaxed. How quaint to think they had doorbells, too. She chewed slowly and glanced at Jago who seemed unperturbed by the early morning disturbance. Nothing unexpected, it seemed.
A shard of sunlight accompanied the caller, who was cast in silhouette and holding something in its arms. ‘It’ was the right description—another mechanical droid with no facial features other than eyeballs in the middle of a flat metal disc and skinless arms and legs. Why bother even to attempt to make it humanoid? The box
was handed over to Kriss. No words, no thank yous.
Jago cleared his throat. “Something for you, Shayla.”
“Me?”
Kriss placed the package on the worktop. “Jago’s idea.”
Jago started to undo the seal. “It came quicker than I thought. I only put the request in late last night while you slept.”
She bit on her lip. She had been very sleepy, and somewhat sore. “What is it?”
Jago lifted something out and shook it. “Unfortunately, female clothing isn’t stocked, so I ordered a small tunic, which given your height, probably should reach your knees.”
He held up the short-sleeved garment. It almost resembled a dress. The color was beige and there were no seams. What it lacked was shape—it would probably hang off her.
She touched the fabric; incredibly soft and finely woven. “I thought...” They were dressed and she wasn’t, and although she wasn’t cold, she was vulnerable in her nudity. “I thought I was supposed to shun clothing.”
Jago held out the tunic. “Who says? Nobody told me.” He shrugged. “Of course, it’s only to be worn when we’re out. I just assumed you’d like a covering if you went for a walk outside. You’re not a prisoner.”
“Oh,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
Kriss leaned on the worktop; he had a sly expression. “Naturally, while it covers you, you’ll not see yourself. Perhaps it will help you. You know, no touching?” He raised both his eyebrows in a warning gesture.
Shayla kept her lips pressed together and stayed silent. If only it was her lack of nudity that kept her mind for wandering into dangerous territory. She doubted not being about to see her bareness would have much impact on her imagination.
“Try it on,” Jago urged.
She slipped the tunic over her head and arms. It covered her bottom and the tops of her thighs, brushed over her breasts and down to her elbows. However, it wasn’t quite the sack she was expecting. Although designed for masculine form, the usual wearer was probably a slender man and not the muscular form of her nestors.
“It’s good,” she said politely.
Jago laughed. “It’s for a boy. A cadet. When they’re out of the incubators, they have little muscle. Once they’ve trained, they would burst out of this. For you, it fits quite well. Not too baggy around the hips and breasts.”
She had to agree, her bosom filled the cavity. She started to remove it, as required, but Jago raised his hand. “Keep it on. We’re going out.”
“What should I do?” She was daunted by the thought of all those hours on her own, waiting for them to return from their duties. How was she going to kill that time?
“Bathe,” Kriss suggested. “Walk, exercise. Meditate.” He listed rather mundane things.
“How do you spend your time when you’re not working?” she asked.