Terra stifled a small yawn as she followed the palace guard through the winding corridors. It was later in the evening when she arrived back at the palace from her latest date with Bartolomew Carnige. After fulfilling her agreement with him over getting her in to see Tamerlane that night three weeks ago, she had agreed to go on one extra date with him because of all of the trouble her extended time had caused Bart with his family. Tamerlane had granted them only ten minutes once they had gotten into his office. Their presentation was not finished when Tamerlane informed them that their time was up. He encouraged them to leave the information for him to review at his leisure. He had then dismissed the Carnige family from his office. Bart's uncles had been incensed with Bart, not Tamerlane, because of the failed meeting.
Since that evening three weeks ago, she and Tamerlane had little contact. She had visited with him briefly when he came to see his family in the common area. She had talked to him a little on several occasions when he was dropping off various children with her mom and Tyr. All of her interactions with Tamerlane were very much under the watchful gaze of her mother or her brother. Terra did not think they were actively spying on her. Someone was just always around when Tamerlane was around. With the evenings becoming cooler and cooler as the autumn moved into winter, Terra found it entirely too chilly to take long walks in the gardens. She had no desire to freeze her ass off at the gazebo on the chance that Tamerlane might appear. After a number of times of trying to get in to see him while he was in the office had ended in failure, Terra had decided to let Tamerlane make an effort. If he wanted to see her, he had all the power in the universe to make it happen. So far, in three weeks, he had failed to make the effort. In a way, it irritated her to no end. In another, it left her confused and uncertain of her relationship with Tamerlane.
While waiting for Tamerlane to make his will known, Terra had moved on with trying to enjoy her time on Arktos. She found ways to fill her time. Her bartered dates with Bart had not been bad at all. In fact, Terra had enjoyed her time with Bart. She remembered why she had ever dated him in the first place. Since she had ruined his family meeting with Tamerlane by staying so long, Terra had agreed to an extra night out on the town with Bart.
This evening had been a long one. Bart had picked her up in a transport. They had traveled to Aeolian for a reception and the opening of an art exhibit. Afterward, they had dinner at a very romantic, candlelit restaurant. After that, they had gone to a dessert bar where they indulged in some decadent desserts and fine wines. To wrap up the night, there had been more drinks and dancing at one of the club Terra and Kindred had enjoyed several years ago.
Terra had finally called it quits. She was getting tired and her feet hurt after hours of dancing in stiletto heels. Bart had called the transport and they were driven back to the palace.
The drive back had been a little more than Terra had anticipated. The gentle lingering kiss had been acceptable. The deeper, more probing kiss had been fine. The wine coupled with Bart's persuasive tongue had pushed things a little further. Back when they had dated, Terra had always enjoyed making out with Bart. Full on intoxicated sex hadn't been too great but making out was pleasant.
The driver announcing their arrival at the palace was greeted by a groan and muttered cursing from Bart. Terra had snapped out of the sensual fog their kissing had created. It had taken her a moment to tuck her breast back into the V neck bodice of her dress. She had also had to tug the skirt back down her thighs when Bart's hand slipped off her hip and ass. He had offered to get the driver to take them on a tour of the countryside if she wanted to stay. Terra had patted his cheek and declined. It was obvious Bart had sex on the mind as she slipped over and let herself out of the backseat of the transport.
Terra had entered the residential side of the palace and was passing the security desk when a guard ordered her to halt. Terra had immediately frozen and looked around the area. She glanced down to make certain her security band was still around her wrist. It was.
Terra had been a little uncertain what was happening when she was instructed to follow the guard. Terra had followed him without question. The last thing she needed was to get tossed into a detention cell for the night. All she wanted was a quick shower and her bed.
Terra had followed the guard through the twisting and turning corridors of the residential wings. The guard had finally slowed as he neared a door. Terra wanted to question the male when he tapped a code into the panel and a door slid open. The guard gestured her to enter. Terra stepped through the doorway into near darkness as the door shut behind her. It took only a nanosecond before the cooler night air made it obvious that she was outside. The weather was slowly moving deeper and deeper into the colder months in this area of Arktos. Although the temperatures were cooler than most of the year, it was never unbearably cold according to Beka. Terra knew from just the last week that her mother had spent too long on Arktos. The nights were just plain cold not matter what her mother said. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness of a faint moonlit courtyard. Terra took a few steps out from under the covering and looked around her before looking up at the night sky.
"How was your date with Bartolomew Carnige?"
Terra looked around the courtyard when she heard Tamerlane's voice. It was then that she recognized the courtyard outside his residence. She had always entered and departed from the gardens so the perspective was off tonight.
"Fine," Terra replied as she looked over to find his shadowy form stepping out the door from his residence. She could only assume the guards had alerted him to her presence in the courtyard.
"Fine?" Tamerlane asked as he walked toward the firepit at the end of the pool. A moment later, the flickering light of the fire bathed the courtyard. Terra looked up at the dark night sky and the twinkling stars overhead. Her eyes moved back to Tamerlane as he sat down on the arm of one of the bench seats that ringed the fire pit. He was bare chested and wearing the loose fitting pants she had seen him in before. She could only assume he had retired for the evening and was alerted when she returned to the palace.
"I had a good time," Terra replied as she walked over to Tamerlane. She stopped beside him and looked into the flames. "We went to an art opening. Then had dinner and dessert before heading to Club Russe for a little dancing."
"I am tired and my feet are killing me," Terra continued when Tamerlane failed to comment.
"Those shoes are highly impractical," Tamerlane observed when he looked down at her feet.
"Yeah, but I look damn good in them," Terra quipped back without thinking.
"You do," Tamerlane agreed as his eyes drifted to her. She was wearing a body hugging dress with a V shaped bodice and a skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs. In the light from the fire, Tamerlane thought it was a silver or pale bluish gray color.
"So you enjoyed your additional evening with Bartolomew," Tamerlane's words were more of a question.
"I did," Terra replied as she gazed into the flames. She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable standing there with Tamerlane when she realized he made reference to her 'additional' evening.
"Your mother approves of Bartolomew Carnige," Tamerlane replied as he looked into the flames. "His family is an influential one in Alkanis and rising in stature within the Valaris sector. He has been well educated at Kodiak University. He is beginning to take a more active role representing his family's interests on Jasper's World. Your mother and my sister both seem to agree that he is a handsome man. From all accounts, he would make an acceptable partner for you."
"I find it interesting that you know so much about the topic," Terra replied as lightly as she could. She was surprised to hear that Beka and Lex talked about her with anyone when she was not around. Although she and Bart had dated steadily the last time she was on Arktos, Terra had only been spending time with him recently as a result of the deal she made with him to see Tamerlane that night.
"I hear a great deal when visiting with my father, sister and your mother," Tamerlane glanced over at her. "Your mother also approves of you spending time with Nathaniel Hunt. Your brother believes if anyone can tame Nathaniel, it would be you. Alexandra does not believe Nathaniel is a male who can be 'tamed' by a single female."
"My mother said Nathaniel has been quite impressive in his most recent meetings with you," Terra couldn't keep a smile from slipping over her lips.
"I do not know that I would categorize his performance as impressive," Tamerlane shook his head slowly as he focused straight ahead of him. "I will say he is much better prepared recently. Which is surprising, considering your mother had not been assisting him."
"Perhaps he has just been a little more focused on his preparations," Terra offered lightly as a little swell of pride moved through her. She had been helping prepared Nate for his meetings while her mother had been away.
"Perhaps he has had the assistance of a 'freaking genius' with ample business experience from running her family's shipping business who is doing all of the hard work for him," Tamerlane countered. "Then he parrots the information he has been given and takes full credit for the work that had been done."
"There is nothing wrong with having 'staff' do the simple stuff," Terra glanced over at Tamerlane. "After all, is that not what your staff of dozens do on a daily basis? All of the mundane, mind numbing work? So you can keep at Empire running?"
"What is the extent of your relationship with Bartolomew?" Tamerlane changed subjects. He had no desire to get into a discussion of how his running the Empire was vastly different from Nathaniel trying to survive a trade meeting. Tamerlane studied her profile in the firelight. Her lips were still kiss swollen and he could smell the scent of the other man on her clothes.
"Whom I chose to have sex with is between me and them. It is my business. Not yours," Terra replied as she walked over to the fire pit. Tamerlane stared at her back for a long moment.
"I did not ask if you were having sex with him. I agree … that is your business," Tamerlane paused for just a moment. "I asked the extent of your relationship with Bartolomew Carnige? And Nathaniel Hunt?"
"Just as your relationships with your wives are your private business as well as your engagements with your paid consorts are your business," Terra turned to look at Tamerlane. "The extent of my relationships with Bart and Nate are my business. Not yours."
Terra felt a wave of uncertainty run through her when Tamerlane put out his hand to her. Terra glanced down at his hand for a moment before he gestured with his fingers for her to come to him. Terra took a long breath and let it out slowly as she stepped forward and placed her hand in his. It was then that she noticed the slightly tremble in her hand. She pushed it off as a shiver from the cold but she knew it was due to the nervousness that suddenly ran through her.
His hand was warm as his fingers closed around her hand and pulled her gently to him. When she was closer, he dropped her hand and his hands moved to her hips to guide her into the V created by his thighs. His hands ran slowly over her hips and lower back as he urged her deeper into his embrace. Terra's hands came to rest on his warm bare chest as she gazed into his eyes.
"No more games Terra," Tamerlane's voice was low yet firm when he spoke.
"I'm not …" Terra began but stopped when Tamerlane shook his head.
"You need to decide what it is you want," Tamerlane continued after a moment. "I will not compete with Bartolomew Carnige nor Nathaniel Hunt for your time and attention. Understood?"
"I thought that is what your people did?" Terra raised her eyebrows questioningly. Her tone was light and lacked seriousness in it. "Males compete. A female chooses the male she feels will make the best breeding partner."
"I have never had to compete with a Nietzschean male for the attention of a Nietzschean female. I am not about to start competing with Human males for the attention of a Human female," Tamerlane's tone was a bit harsher when he spoke.
"Perhaps is it time you come down off that vaunted pedestal your ass is firmly fused to and experience the universe like the rest of us mere mortals," Terra suggested as she ran her hands lightly up his chest and along his shoulders. "This Human female wants to feel appreciated. This Human female wants to feel desired. This Human female wants to be courted and wooed."
"If you want me to compete with Bartolomew and Nathaniel for your consideration, I will," Tamerlane replied after a long moment. The expression on his face made Terra shiver just a bit. "However, you might want to find a way to … warn them of your desires. For if I must compete with them … to prove who is the better male … I will utterly destroy them."
"Utter destruction really doesn't do it for me," Terra's gaze held his as her fingertips trailed lightly down his upper arms. When her fingertips touched his helix, she trailed her fingertips lightly over the skin just above the metal.
"Did you have sex with Bartolomew this evening?" Tamerlane murmured as his eyes moved over hers.
"If I did?" Terra replied as she watched her fingers trail back up from his helix to his shoulder. Her eyes moved slowly back up to his. "It is none of your concern."
"A guard will escort you back to your suite," Tamerlane replied after a long moment passed between them. Terra didn't know quite what to do when he pushed her gently back a few steps as he got to his feet. Without another word, he walked away from her back towards his residence.
"Tamerlane," Terra called after him as he got to the door. Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as he opened with door without any hesitation and disappeared inside. She started toward the doorway he disappeared through only to stop when the doorway she had entered through opened and a guard appeared. When she heard her name, Terra thought about ignoring it and continuing toward the door into Tamerlane's residence. Her better sense took over and she veered in the direction of the waiting guard.