“I’m not in love with him,” Leita snapped. “That would be ridiculous—falling in love with a machine.”
Schneider wrinkled his small black nose skeptically. “So that’s why I always see you curled up on the couch with your head on his chest? That’s the reason you’re always trying new recipes you think he’d like and dressing in those ridiculous outfits to show off your pink nubbly things?”
“I told you they’re nipples and…oh, never mind.” Leita shook her head in disgust. “I don’t know why I’m trying to justify myself to you.”
Schneider’s tail twitched. “Maybe because you know I’m right? The same way I was right about Eddie? I never liked him either, you know.”
“Pierce is not Eddie,” she pointed out in a low, terse voice. “He’s programmed to be faithful and kind and thoughtful. He’s not going to run out on me in the middle of the night.”
“He’s not ever really going to love you either,” Schneider pointed out. “You can’t form a lasting relationship with a machine, Leita, no matter how good it is in bed.”
Leita felt a rush of helpless anger. “You know what, Schneider? I don’t have a choice. If I could find a man to stay around this Goddessforsaken asteroid belt with me, I’d try to make it work. But I can’t—so I bought one. And I know that makes me pathetic and lonely and every other ‘single-girl who can’t find a man’ cliché in the book, but I don’t care. Pierce makes me happy. I wish you could just accept that.”
Schneider twitched his whiskers. “I’ll accept Captain Dildo when I figure out what the catch is. He’s too good to be true, Leita. Somehow or other he’s going to hurt you—I just know it.”
“So Tarbians are psychic?” Leita scoffed, trying not to remember that he’d said the same thing about Eddie. But this time he had to be wrong—didn’t he? “What’s next, you want to read my palm or have a look into your crystal ball to see what the stars hold for me?” she asked.
“No.” Schneider lithely jumped off the table and shook out his fur. “Because I already know, and it’s not good.” He left the room leaving Leita feeling pissed off and vaguely troubled. Schneider was crazy, she told herself. Her best friend was just jealous that she didn’t have twenty-four hours a day to devote to him anymore. He’d get over it in time.
But the vague sense of unease followed her and kept her from telling Pierce what she really wanted from him. That was until the night when she had another one of those damn dreams…
“On your knees, Leita. Hands behind your back and spread your legs. I want you spread open and ready to take me. I’m gonna fuck you deep tonight—deep and hard and long. Understand?”
“Yes, Master.” It was little more than a whisper—her throat had locked up with pleasure and fear. She moved to do as he commanded, but not fast enough to suit her Master. She saw a motion out of the corner of her eye and suddenly a hard, open hand connected to her naked bottom. “Ouch!” Leita gasped. The blow stung fiercely as he had no doubt intended it to.
“When I tell you to move, I mean move, Leita,” he growled softly. “Or do I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”
She bit her lip, her heart lodged somewhere in her throat, pounding hard enough to shake her entire body. “I’m sorry, Master.” The place where his hand had connected with her bottom was warm and tingly.
“But maybe not sorry enough,” he rumbled. “Maybe you need another lesson in submission. A lesson in obedience.” Strong arms drew her across his lap and Leita could feel the heated length of his shaft digging into her belly as he positioned her so that her ass was in the air, naked and vulnerable to his large hand.
“Master, please,” she cried softly. “Please, I didn’t mean to—”
“Didn’t mean to what? Try my patience and earn yourself a spanking? That’s too damn bad, Leita. And it’s too damn late to do anything but take your medicine.” His large hand came down, a firm stroke that landed low on her ass, almost where her tender cheeks joined her upper thighs. Leita jumped and cried out at the stinging pain but she made no move to be free of him or to end the spanking. This was her Master’s way—his prerogative. Sometimes it pleased him to spank her, just as sometimes it pleased him to tie her up. There was nothing she could do to stop it—when she was in bed with him, he owned her completely, body and soul. And though it was hard to admit, Leita liked it that way.
Smack! Another cruel blow landed on her tingling behind and she jumped again, moaning.