I give her a look of disgust. “I don’t want anyone but Helen. This isn’t about me.”
“We’re saving them,” Helen offers helpfully, leaning over to mock-whisper it into Zebah’s ear. “From bad guys.”
“Interesting,” Zebah purrs. “Very, very interesting.”
I get the sense that we shouldn’t have told Zebah about that, but I can’t imagine that it would have stayed secret for long anyhow, given that both Adiron and Helen aren’t great at secrets. “Any other sorts of rumors you want to tell us about?”
She taps a finger on her lips. “Let me think. Not too much is making the rounds other than that casino satellite that Lady sa’Rin set up. I hear it’s pretty swank.”
It takes everything I have not to jump off the couch and shake her down for information. “Lady sa’Rin set up a casino?”
“On an exclusive satellite, yeah. Heard you have to know someone to go there. I’m still waiting for an invite.” Zebah shrugs. “I’ll probably never get to see it but man, I’d love to take a peek at what’s going on behind those curtains. Can you imagine the credits that place must have?”
I can indeed. “Any idea where it’s located?”
Zebah shakes her head. “Nope. I was trying to get the information out of a friend of mine, but she’s probably not going to want to talk to me after I stole her ship. Bethiah tends to hold a grudge.”
Bethiah? I groan. “You stole a ship from the craziest corsair on this side of the galaxy?”
Zebah huffs. “It was just sitting there! What was I supposed to do? Leave it?”
I’m starting to think that Zebah is going to give Bethiah a run for her credits when it comes to bringing chaos with her. I’m almost sorry I asked for information.
CHAPTER 53
HELEN
I’m excited when Mathiras snags my hand and tugs me to my feet off the comfy couch in the rec room. “Bedtime, Helen.”
“What about me?” Zebah asks, flinging back her new braid. “Do I get to join you guys?”
Mathiras tugs me protectively behind him, a fierce frown on his face. “Of course not. You’re going to be staying in Helen’s old room.”
My friend pouts, and I squeeze Matty’s hand. “If she’s scared of the dark she can come snuggle with us.” I love bedtime with Mathiras. It’s my favorite time of the day, but I don’t want Zebah to be afraid. I like her now.
Zebah just grins at me.
Matty shakes his head again. He pulls me close and whispers in my ear. “She’s not talking about sleep, love. She’s talking about sex. She wants to join us in bed together.”
Oh. Oh. “Ew.”
Zebah winces. “Ouch. Okay, fine. Show me where I’m sleeping, you damn prudes.”
We show her my old quarters and make sure she has blankets, and then shut the door. I freeze next to it, listening to make sure she doesn’t start crying in case Mathiras is wrong, but there’s only the sound of someone climbing into the cot. Mathiras leads me away and back to our room, and the moment the door is shut behind us, I give him a curious look. “Why did she offer to have sex with both of us together? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? I thought sex was one on one.”
“No, you can add other people in if everyone is on board with it. It’s about pleasuring each other, and some people like to include others in their bed. There are some that are exclusively a triad, or more.” He gives me a curious look. “That wasn’t in your vids?”
“No. Have you ever been in a triad?”
“No. Never wanted to. Do you want to?”
I shake my head. “All I want is you.”
He lets out a breath of relief and pulls me against him for a hug. “Just making sure. She only offered as a power play, anyhow.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t smell arousal from her. “A power play?”
Matty nods, sliding his big hands up and down my back. “Zebah makes her way through the universe with secrets and control. She flirts with males and females to get what she wants and then uses what she learns against them. I have a feeling that if she got into bed with us, it would be about what she could get out of it, not what we could.”
That seems…sad. “So it wouldn’t be about touching and enjoyment?”
“Oh, I imagine she’d get some enjoyment out of it. But it wouldn’t be like you and me.” His hand slides up to cup the back of my head and scratches at my scalp. It feels so good, I lean back against his hand, my eyes fluttering closed. “She wouldn’t be careful with you or give you the kisses you want.”
I love the deep, husky tone his voice takes on. It makes me shiver all over, a good shiver. “I like your kisses more than anything.”