Making his way down the hall, Jax stuck his head in several rooms along the way. He saw an office and a small living area before the hall opened into a large kitchen. It, too, was empty. Against the back wall was a door, however, and the faint sound of a woman singing. Jax went to the door, pushing it open quietly. A small, walled garden was revealed, filled with lush tropical plants and rows of vegetables. A woman was kneeling among the vegetables, facing away from him. Her song was light and happy, and while her voice wasn’t strong, it was pretty.
What caught his attention, however, was her heart-shaped ass. She wore a long, sturdy gray skirt. In kneeling, the fabric was pulled tight, clearly outlining the shape of that enticing butt. She leaned forward on her knees, pulling the fabric even tighter, and his c**k leapt to attention. Jax’s breath stopped momentarily. He felt dizzy. He grasped the door frame to steady himself and his eyes narrowed. The sound of her soft singing wound its way through him, and his gut clenched in excitement.
He was struck by the urge to stalk across the garden, push her down in the dirt and f**k her hard right on the spot. He could just imagine what her tight little cunt would feel like, how that tinkling singing voice would sound when she screamed in pleasure. He would do her quick and dirty first, then slow and hard.
The thought brought a smile to his face. She would be startled, when he grabbed her, but then she’d sigh in satisfaction at his touch. He’d take her home, and they would …
Jax caught himself up short. What the hell was he thinking? For all he knew, this woman could be Calla.
Sure, he had stayed at the same hostel where she was a slave back at Discovery Station, but he hadn’t noticed her. She had been one slave among many. If this woman was Calla, he was a pervert, and a bad friend. Shaking his head, he tried to will his erection away and then cleared his throat.
“Excuse me,” he said. The woman’s song broke off and she turned to face him, startled by his presence.
Then she gave him a friendly smile, and his teeth clenched as another wave of arousal coursed through him. This was going to be difficult.
“Can I help you?” she called. “I’m sorry; most of our guests come at the beginning of the academic term, so we don’t man the front desk all the time. Are you looking for a room?”
“Um, yes,” Jax said. “I need a room. Do you have anything available?”
“Of course,” she replied. “We’re pretty full, but we almost always have one or two empties. Let me get cleaned up, and I’ll be right in to help you.”
Jax nodded, then moved back into the kitchen. What was wrong with him? It was taking every bit of his control not to run out there and jump the poor woman. Forcing himself to breath evenly, he made his way back down the hall and into the lobby. He waited impatiently, wanting to see her again. Was she Calla or Sarai? The thought of her being Calla, of her lying under Seth’s hard body, send a wave of rage through him. His vision grew red around the edges, and he imagined what it would feel like to drive his fist into Seth’s face. Shaking his head, he caught himself. What was going on?
“I’m sorry you had to wait,” she said, walking into the room briskly. She was relatively tall, with light blond hair tied back loosely in a bun. Her eyes were green and sparkling, and for several long seconds Jax just stared into them. She blushed prettily, then cleared her throat. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Without pausing to think, Jax leaned across the counter and lifted one finger to the smudge, touching her lightly. A jolt went through him as he made contact, and she looked startled.
“You have some dirt,” he said quietly. The woman lifted one hand to her cheek, then blushed again.
“It’s from the garden,” she whispered, then she shook her head a little. Jax felt the spell that was over them lift a little, and they both stepped back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”
“I’m Jax Falconer,” he said. “And I need a room for the night. What’s your name?”
“I’m Sarai,” she said, smiling at him. Relief flooded through Jax–this woman wouldn’t be claimed by Seth. “My friend Calla and I own the hostel. Where are you from?”
“Saurellia, at least originally,” he said. She looked up at him sharply. He smiled, trying to look innocent.
“I haven’t been there in years, though.”
He looked at her face again, and she caught one light pink lip nervously in her teeth. She seemed unable to meet his gaze, and Jax knew instinctively that she was every bit as attracted to him as he was to her.
But she was scared, too. He was going to have her, he decided. Whatever it took, he wasn’t going to leave until he had her and was tired of her. Seth wouldn’t need him once he had Calla, anyway.
“I’ll take a room for at least a week,” Jax said tightly, trying to control himself. His cocked throbbed with anticipation. “Perhaps longer, depending how things go.”
“It is just you, or do you have a wife or family with you?” Sarai asked, entering his name into her terminal. She wasn’t looking at him, but he could see her hand tremble on the keyboard. Definitely interested, he thought with satisfaction.
“I’m alone,” Jax said, and she let out a breath of relief. Then she blushed yet again, and Jax had to stifle a chuckle. Seducing her wouldn’t take long, which was good. He didn’t know how long he would be able to stand the damned heat of this blasted planet. He was willing to bet, however, that it wouldn’t seem so oppressive from the comfort of her bed…
“We ask you to pay at least one night in advance, although there’s a discount if you choose to pay for the entire week up front,” she said, looking up at him nervously.
“I’ll pay for the entire week,” Jax said, holding out a credit chit. She reached for it and their fingers brushed against each other. That spark of electricity arched between them again, and she gasped. Both of them were breathing heavily now, and the tension stretched out for several long, silent seconds before she took the chit and slid it into the computer terminal. Once the credits were deducted, she printed out a receipt and handed him an access card.
“Just take this and use it to program your palm print into the room,” she said. “Climate control is optional, although I think you’ll find that you get used to the heat pretty quickly. We don’t usually even bother with the cooling system any more.”
Jax gave a sigh of relief at that welcome information. He had no intention of sticking around long enough to acclimate to the heat, but he definitely planned to use his role as a guest to get closer to Sarai. A climate control system would go a long way toward making that wait more comfortable. Of course, the passion would burn itself out quickly once he bedded her, he knew that from experience. Until then, things would be very pleasant for both of them. He knew how to please a woman.