Tabitha rubbed at the cord that looped over her left shoulder. Was it her imagination or could it be just a little looser than the rest? She thought that if she could just get one part off, the rest would follow—like ripping off an old-fashioned adhesive bandage. Then she remembered where this particular “bandage” was placed and shuddered. Her nipples and clit were some pretty sensitive places to be ripping anything off of so maybe she should take it easy.
Anyway, she admitted to herself with a sigh, if the cord on her shoulder was loose, it probably didn’t have anything to do with her constant scrubbing—it was just that V hadn’t applied as much of that damn gel he called “love honey” there. No, he had concentrated on her breasts and between her legs. Tabitha wondered if there was still any of the damn stuff inside her—he had certainly squirted enough of it into her pussy and anus. How long did it last anyway? And did it really have to be dissolved by a certain person? By the one who bought her?
Thinking of that made her think of the captain and realize she ought to be getting out of the shower and down to his quarters. The last thing she needed now was a repeat of their first meeting. Her cheeks flushed at the memory and from both his treatment of her at the marketplace and his coldness now. But she couldn’t help remembering the gentle way he’d smoothed the salve over her stinging bottom or the way he’d carried her back to the ship afterward. Despite the whipping he’d given her, she distinctly remembered the spicy scent of his skin and the warm feeling of safety that had enveloped her when he held her in his arms.
But apparently Captain Keer didn’t harbor any fond memories of their experiences together since he was now acting like she was invisible again. Tabitha supposed it could have been worse—he could have called her up on charges and thrown her in the brig the moment her feet touched the floor of the ship instead of just ignoring her. Somehow, though, that was cold comfort, especially when the damn love knots were making it impossible to put the experience behind her.
The silvery cords that bound her body and circled her clit and nipples had started acting strangely shortly after they had returned to the ship. Because she couldn’t free herself of the love knots, Tabitha had been forced to wear her uniform over the hateful Drusinian invention and hope that no one could see the telltale lines under her clothes or the way her nipples seemed to be always erect. And for the most part, she thought she was getting away with it. But every time she got anywhere near Captain Keer, the knots did something strange. They began to shift and tighten, squeezing her nipples intolerably and sawing between her legs like an impatient lover.
The sensations they caused were so intense that several times Tabitha had been forced to excuse herself and beat a hasty retreat to her quarters and try to relieve the tension. But once she got to her bunk she discovered another problem—she couldn’t come. No matter how hard or how softly she touched herself, she hovered just on the edge of orgasm but was unable to get off. She thought unhappily of the way she had begged Keer not to make her come while he whipped her in the marketplace. Now she wished she had let him do it—at least she would have had some relief to take the edge off before this torture began. Now she was just stuck, constantly on fire with need, especially when the captain was around, and unable to do anything about it.
Once or twice she considered trying to get Keer alone so she could ask him about the mysterious vial of blue liquid she’d seen him get from V. Maybe it was the solvent and he was deliberately withholding it from her, waiting for her to come to him and beg. At this point she gladly would have gone down on bended knee even at the cost of her pride. But the same thing that made her long for the solvent was what also kept her away from the man who had it.
Tabitha was absolutely not going anywhere near her commanding officer when every time she got in his general vicinity the love knots started their maddening dance, making her crazy with desire. Keer had already seen her in some very embarrassing and compromising positions and she didn’t need to add anything to her load of humiliation, thank you very much. Far better to keep away from him and just put up with the torture of the knots.
Since the captain seemed as determined to avoid her as she was to avoid him, Tabitha was surprised to hear her name over the intercom system. And she was being ordered to the captain’s quarters, of all places. No one ever went there—no one but Captain Keer, of course. But he certainly never invited or ordered any of his crew to join him in his private area.