...“Does my nakedness embarrass you, Elita?” He turned, offering a full frontal view of his body, and she tried to avert her eyes from perusing a mature male’s bare physique for the first time in her life. It was a moment when she wished she were more skilled, more worldly.

“Where am I exactly?” She tried to skirt the question.

“You are within the borders of the Northern Shore under the protection of Lord Guardian Raoul Duarte. Kadin can no longer pose a threat to you here. Your father has been advised of your safe arrival.”

Her father. A pang of regret swept through her. “I didn’t get to say good-bye.”

“There was no time. We slowed the hoard down, but we had to keep to the hard pace in order to outdistance and get out of the desert.”

“You didn’t kill them?”

“No, only salt water can do that. We were too far away. There is only one gate within our borders for the underworld to pass through. In the desert, there are many. They apparently found an unguarded passage, one your father missed. But he now understands and will, I expect, send out a contingent to ferret out the vulnerability. But at least Kadin did not succeed in his plan.”

“You mean to kidnap me.”

“Yes. You are safe here. We are surrounded by a moat of salt water which they cannot penetrate.”

“Is that the only way to kill them?”

“Didn’t you realize that’s why this treaty with your father is so important to him? My Lord Duarte holds the key to keeping Kadin in line.”

Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed once again and out of her element.

“What am I doing here and where is my esteemed match?”

He slowly walked toward her and her attention was diverted to the rigid length of cock that bobbed between his legs. Her gaze widened and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. She’d never seen anything like it before.

“You are not familiar with a male’s body, are you?”

She ripped her eyes away from the steely length of deep blue flesh that seemed to be dotted with white specks all over its surface, to look up at him.

“I-I—” She licked her lips. “No. I’ve never seen an adult male’s naked body before.”

“And mine is very different from males of your society, isn’t it? And not just in color.”

“Well, yes, I guess so. But I can’t be certain, now can I?” she answered peevishly. She didn’t like being in this position, so far out of her element.

She was shocked when he fisted his penis and the bulging, slitted head was pointed directly at her.

“Touch it,” he suggested.

She reared back and found herself plastered against the wall. “No, I couldn’t.”

“Are you afraid, Elita Watende? I had heard you were not so timid.”

She stiffened her spine and glared at him. Afraid indeed. She wasn’t afraid of anything. Certainly not any part of a male’s body.

Tentatively she reached forward and touched the wet slit with her fingertip.

“Stroke it. Feel its texture. Learn it.”

Once started, she couldn’t stop. It was so different from her own flesh. It was hot and hard, yet the skin was silky smooth. She ran her fingers along the length and was surprised that the white spots were actually small, bumpy nubs along the surface. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him. With one hand she clutched the sheet and with the other she learned this most intimate part of a man’s anatomy.

She jumped when she felt his hand peel her fingers from around the sheet and it dropped to the ground at her feet. She gasped when he touched her breast lightly, his fingers teasing the hardened bud of her nipple. Unfamiliar pleasure swept through her body, tightening her abdomen, and flooding her pussy with her juices. His penis grew larger and hotter as she continued to touch him, the nubs more pronounced.

“Your first lesson in the teachings of Amak.”

She released the hard, silky shaft and gazed up at him, odd feelings coursing through her. “What?” Her body felt flushed and needy somehow.

“You are here to learn the ways of intercourse. How to achieve pleasure for your lord and yourself.”

Like being struck with a bucket of cold water, she returned to reality. The coming ceremony of intercourse, of course. “Who are you?”