Born of Defiance

She scowled at the strange note in his voice and the peculiar question. “Yeah. Why?”


There was a brief pause before he spoke again in the cutest little bashful tone. “I’m on my rec time, and I was wondering if you could talk dirty to me.”

Her jaw dropped in shock. “Excuse me? Rec time?”

“It’s private time we get twice a week for half an hour to, um… take care of our hormone levels.”

His embarrassed tone made her cheeks heat up as she finally understood what he was talking about and why he was making such an odd request. Adult Andarion males had to have a fairly regular ejaculation schedule, or they became extremely aggressive and physically ill. It was the main reason why companions and prostitutes were acceptable roles for females in their society.

And her male needed help from her.

Smiling at the fact that he’d finally called her for something he was paying her for, she set her assignments aside. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

He hesitated again before he spoke. “What are you wearing?”

“Shorts and a shirt.”

Talyn laughed. “Not what I was going for, Felicia.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m naked.” She scowled as she looked at the really expensive brown sofa. “Though I should probably put down a blanket on the couch first. I’d hate to mess up this nice leather. Not to mention that’s not exactly hygienic. Be kind of gross whenever someone comes over. Gods help us if they have a UV light.”

Again, he laughed at her comments. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

“No. Sorry. I didn’t take the course on sex talk… Um, I’m kissing your lips and breathing in your ear.”

“How could you be kissing my lips and breathing in my ear?”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I’m really limber?”

“Are you?”

“Yes. Does that help?”

“Not really.” His tone said he was smiling at her.

“Well, if you’re going to be literal, Major Picky… I’m rubbing your back.”

“Not the part of me I want rubbed. I’m thinking of something lower.”

Her face heated up even more. “Sorry. I’m rubbing your…” What word should she use? “Male hardness?”

“Ew,” he said with a laugh.

“Turgid penis?”

He made sounds of extreme painful distress. “Gods, girl, you’re killing me. Way too clinical. Put down your textbooks!”

“Sorry. I’ll call my mom tomorrow and —”

“Uh, gah! No! Don’t! Don’t bring your mother into this! And for the love of the gods, don’t discuss our sex life with her!”

It was her turn to laugh. “You sound like you’re in pain.”

“I am. Agony. I can’t believe you just invoked the maternal image in my head. I don’t think I’ll ever purge that. You’ve scarred me for life.” He sounded so miserable that she felt terrible for causing it.

She took a picture of herself pouting and sent it to him. “Did that help?”

“A little.”

She snapped another picture of herself looking demure and sent it. “Better?”

Talyn grinned as his body hardened even more from the image. She was lying down, her face engulfed by the mess of curls that fell in every direction. All he wanted in life was to bury his face in that soft curly mass and breathe her in until he was drunk from her scent. “Much.”

“Want me to try again to please you?” she asked.

He bit his bottom lip as he imagined her hands on his body. Closing his eyes, he hung on to the vision with everything he had, and elaborated on it with her sinking to her knees in front of him. His breathing turned ragged as he quickly reminded himself that she was waiting for an answer. “You already are. Just the sound of your voice saying my name is the sweetest thing I’ve ever known.”

When she responded, he heard the tears in her sweet voice. That meant more to him than anything. “I miss you, Talyn. I really wish I could see you.”

Not half as much as he wished he could see someone who didn’t look at him with disdain and scorn. Someone who didn’t treat him like the unwanted maggot that had somehow found its way into their favorite meal.

Only Felicia had ever welcomed him. Even if she was faking it, he was desperate enough to be grateful.

Felicia waited so long for a response that she was beginning to think they’d been disconnected. Finally, he sent over a picture of himself smiling bashfully. The dark red and black of his uniform caused his eyes to glow bright white in the dim light of the spartan room where he appeared to be lying on a small industrial cot. “Miss you, too.”

She traced the lines of his face on the screen. “I’m so glad you finally had a chance to call. Have I told you how handsome you are?”