16. Down to Two
16
Down to Two
B laze
Stepping behind him, I lift his shoulder-length hair and wash his neck and shoulders, then lean over him to reach the basin. My breasts drag across his head. The brief contact sparks arousal into my nipples which then races through my body, caroming through every cell, lighting everything on fire.
I could do this for hours. It’s more than cleaning, more than mere ablutions. I’m paying homage at the altar of his body. It’s blue and alien and is covered in thick plates as nature’s way of keeping him safe.
But it’s beautiful and masculine and perfect in the way of an apex predator. Even on his knees, his open-lidded gaze looking up at me, he’s filled with masculine strength and menace.
He easily wrests the washcloth from me and stands, twirling me so he’s facing my back. His hands are gentle as he wipes me clean.
This exercise is wordless. He pulls off my clothes and bathes me one small swath at a time. One hand wields the cloth, the other palm smooths the path behind it. I don’t know why he cleans me this way, other than it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced. It seems he can’t get enough of me. He has to touch as much of my skin as he can.
I’m vaguely aware that three more drones have joined us in this cave. They’ve got us covered for 360 degrees. Their red lights are off, but I have no doubt every paying customer in the galaxy is watching. It’s like the pre-game show of the Super Bowl.
And I don’t care. Don’t give a shit about them or Jahzara Zedd or the blue Whelpie network exec Katann Hahn. I’m going to shut it all out. I’m going to banish the thought that tonight is most probably my last night alive, and that Titan will most probably be the one to do the deed.
I’m here and I’m alive and I deserve pleasure and I vote this male most likely to provide it.
“Get dressed, idiots,” Jahzara says, her perfectly evil face fills all five drones’ screens. “There are clean clothes at the foot of the bed. Hurry. You’ll be taking them off for the cameras soon enough.”
I don’t know who was in charge of the wardrobe choices. Maybe it’s because they didn’t know my size, but their odd choices suit me fine.
There’s a purple bandeau that is stretchy enough it doesn’t need a closure. All it does is cover my boobs. The matching thong leaves little to the imagination. That doesn’t matter, they’ll be on the floor in a matter of moments and even the dullest people in the galaxy won’t need any imagination.
Next comes a silken tunic in swirls of twenty shades of purple. It has matching harem pants with slits up the sides.
When I’m dressed and look over at Titan, he’s wearing deep purple pants with no top. He looks like something out of the Arabian nights. And he’s gorgeous. I guess the wardrobe master is a female, and I’ll also guess she has a crush on him. The purple clothes may not look good on me, but they accentuate everything handsome about the gladiator.
His black hair is still glistening from my earlier attentions, and his ice-blue eyes look as if he would like to devour me.
Whoever chose these flowy garments obviously never watched a strip show on Earth, but it doesn’t matter. I have four pieces of clothing. I’ll make it work.
Red is sitting on the foot of the bed, his humongous eyes glancing from Titan to me and back again. I know it’s ridiculous, but it’s almost as if he knows what’s coming next and doesn’t want it to happen.
“Yeah, little guy. This wasn’t on the top of things I wanted to do on my summer vacation, either.”
He gives me a slow blink.
“Showtime!” Jahzara’s smug voice interrupts.
Titan’s former owner, the network executive Katann Hahn, hijacks our video. “Titan, you’ll sit on the foot of the bed watching her.” His voice is tight, his mouth downturned in contempt. “The audience thinks you two are in love, so you’re going to sell it. If you don’t, I’ll shock her. You’ve grown protective of her. That should be enough incentive to behave.
“Slayer, you seem to have been born lacking anything resembling grace or style, but do your best to keep the audience interested. Once you’re nude, I expect you two to get down to business. The longer you keep the show going, the more credits we all make. Get it?”
“I’d like to see the tote board at all times,” I say, knowing full well my demand is going to earn me another shock right before the cameras start to roll.
Instead, I see our names appear on the bottom of the screen. We’re both at zero, of course. Doesn’t the viewing public wonder why we have no credits? Why do I even ask? I think people have been trained not to ask questions, just enjoy the show.
The drones’ lights shine brighter as Zedd’s beautiful image reappears on the screen. She’s got her fake smile plastered on her face, which must mean we’re being broadcast.
“Females and males, welcome to our special pay-per-view performance by two of our favorite contestants—Slayer and Titan.” She pauses as the soundtrack blares enthusiastic clapping and hooting.
“I recommend ushering your minor younglings out of the room because we’re about to see some images that are designed for adult-viewing only. I hope you’ve enjoyed watching them so far…”
The screen flickers with a quick update of our progress: our skirmish leaving the building, the fight with the Halckons, and the crindle attack.
“Although this couple is all business during the day, nighttime brings out another side of these two fierce competitors.”
The cameras show what happened between Xzavic and me last night. When I watch, I’m surprised at the emotion on my face. Even a casual observer could see my tenderness when I gazed upon him.
Even more surprising, though, is the look in Xzavic’s eyes. That wasn’t faked or made for TV. The male who’s been at my side all day has feelings for me. It’s obvious.
“This is about to get interesting, isn’t it, folks? Because as much as these two appear to care for each other, we all know that in the end, it all comes Down. To. One.”
Somehow, it’s as if she looks straight at us, her lips revealing her predatory smile.
Music pours from the drones’ speakers. We’re not in Kansas anymore. No human ever stripped to music like this before. It’s the opposite of the boom-chicka-wow-wow of porn videos.
Sensuous and full of strings, it strikes me this might be what a loving wife would pick when she and her husband were trying to spice things up in the bedroom. I’m glad the sound guy made this unlikely choice. It somehow makes what we’re about to do seem less filthy.
I know the music is my cue, but I take my time. Hahn said the longer we took, the more money we’d make. And by “we” he meant “they.” But it gives me time to slide into the right headspace.
Xzavic has taken his place at the foot of the bed as ordered, so I stand in front of him. I don’t exactly walk. I saunter as if every male on the planet is watching. Well, that’s almost true. But I’m feeling full of my womanly power. Mostly, I’m watching interest spark in Xzavic’s ice-blue eyes.
“Right now, Titan ,” I say his name with emphasis, so he knows that in my mind I’m calling him his real name, the name only I know. “Right now, it all comes down to two. Not millions and not one. Just the two of us in this room.”
“Two.” He nods once, his gaze never leaving mine.
I begin a sinuous dance, all in my hips, as I stand at the foot of the bed. Sometimes bending my knees low, sometimes not, I move my pelvis back and forth and in little circles. I decide to keep my eyes from the screens. I don’t want to know what I look like to the masses, because inside my mind, I look beautiful and alluring.
I’m not ready to take anything off yet, so I move around the room, exploring the space. For a swift moment, I imagine Xzavic’s former owner, Hahn, screaming at no one in particular in the studio, bitching about me not getting down to business. As much as I enjoy knowing I’ve pissed him off, I push him out of my mind and close the door on him and Zedd and millions of denizens of the galaxy. It truly is just Down to Two.
Titan
Blaze is beautiful. It doesn’t matter that we’re in this shitty cave and five drones’ bright lights are illuminating her every move. She’s tiny and lovely and strong. I didn’t expect it of her, didn’t dream she’d fight with such courage. I wouldn’t have bet she’d make it out of that holding area alive. But here we are.
In all of this, she’s wearing a shy smile. She wants to forget the world is watching. I’ll help her.
“You’re beautiful, Slayer .” The emphasis is my coded way of giving her a verbal caress, telling her I’d rather call her Blaze. “You move like a dream.”
This spurs her to shimmy her hips, then she moves her arms. They’re graceful, although it shouldn’t surprise me. She’s strong and lithe and athletic.
She must know she’s at the end of Hahn’s tether, because she works her way back to me, all elegance and grace, then stands in front of me at the foot of the bed.
Her gaze holds mine as she pulls the silken tunic up her body. She teases it up and down, as best she can in the loose garment. Sliding it up, she reveals her midriff, then she slides it down again. All the while, she keeps her hips gyrating sinuously.
When she finally pulls the top over her head, I suck in a quick gasp of appreciation. Although I saw her naked in the ruins last night, her sexy dance served its purpose—it’s made me hungry to see more.
She moves around the room again, owning it more this time. Her arms are more active, graceful. My cock is hard, my mouth is dry. I imagine all the males and half the females on the planet are aroused as they watch her.
For me, though, it’s more than sexual. I’m filled with pride. Somewhere today, I began thinking of this female as mine. In fact, I know exactly when that happened. It was when we were fighting the crindles . I was focused as much on saving her as I was on keeping myself alive.
Yes, I think of her as my female, and I’m proud of her courage. By the look on her face earlier, I think this—having sex in front of all these people—is going to be harder for her than fighting those crindles hours ago.
She’s standing between my feet now. I can feel her heat radiating to my skin. She’s only inches from me. My heart is beating as fast as it was when we fought those beasts.
Taking my wrists in her hands, she puts them on the flimsy scrap of fabric that binds her breasts. My palms itch to rip the purple strip of cloth off her, but I follow her lead.
She must want to keep this wordless, because she says nothing. She simply holds my gaze in hers and nods until I pull the top up, slowly revealing her beautiful breasts.
My cock punches up, tenting the silky fabric of these ridiculous pants. She may not want to talk, but I’m under no such restrictions.
“Beautiful, Slayer.”
Dipping my head closer, I keep my gaze on her while my tongue darts to flick first one nipple, then the other. Watching, I see them pucker for me in the cool night air. I pull the fabric over her head and toss it to join the top she threw on the rocky floor moments ago.
She dances out of my grip and circles the cave once more. The drones follow her like canines on the hunt, jockeying for the best position to film her. I think she’s oblivious to them now. I smell her arousal.
Good girl, Blaze, I think. You’ve figured out a way to ignore all the network shit and be present in this moment. She’s correct. In this moment, it all comes Down to Two.