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Chapter One
Shena stood totally naked on the high rock ledge overlooking her favorite pond Her scratchy tunic and loose-fitting taygha pants sat in a heap on the grass by the water, her plain white bra and panties tucked underneath Two cris Others trilled in the trees, and a light breeze set the leaves aflutter, the gentle rustle soothing to her soul
This lovely spot had been her mother’s favorite place Her ha flu, which had claimed the lives of several people in the county when Shena was only a year old Co with her father’s foul moods
She sed hard as she stared over the glittering water, barely seeing it Her face still smarted fro the table after the midday meal What bothered her most was that he’d come at her with his fist clenched but, at the last minute, hesitated, then slapped her with the flat of his hand A blow from his fist would have left a black eye or split lip
She’d noticed the trader ship -- the second this week -- arrive thisa mark on her face would make her a less desirable commodity for the traders Maybe her father intended to carry out his threat this time She had dashed out of the house as soon as she’d had a chance, hoping if she kept out of sight, he would forget how much she displeased him
For others, the arrival of a trader ship raised great exciteoods froside staples necessary for the inhabitants of this small planet, Tarun, to survive Shena, however, had lived with her father’s threats far too long One day, if she wasn’t terribly careful, he ht actually carry out his threat to sell her to the traders Although slavery had been banned onTarun -- E’Le’Dor, only a few star syste slave trade
Shena closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, allowing the sweet, delicate fragrance of caulila blossoh her The sun warmed her body, and a soft breath of air brushed across her skin She smiled This hat heaven azed on the rippling water below, sunlight glistening off the surface It heartened her to know that such beauty existed in the world, even though everyday life was so lacking in it
She leaped headfirst from the rock, arms outstretched in front of her The coolness flowed across her naked body as she cut through the water, the gri froht buds She angled upward Her head broke through the surface of the water, and she drew in a lungful of fresh air She floated on her back, the tips of her breasts poking up through the water The sun felt glorious on her face, and she closed her eyes and e the only real freedom she knew
A snap startled her to alertness Her eyes flicked open, and she shifted to a vertical position in the water, keeping her ar to cover herself She searched the water’s edge with thorough, sweeping glances, but saw no one along the sandy edge or within the trees and bushes beyond the rocky shore
At a rustling sound, her gaze snapped to the left A dealla stepped from between two trees and peered at her ide brown eyes, then dashed away on its long, lanky legs
That’s all it had been, she chided herself, still quivering Just a tirazer Not one of her father’s soldiers She swam to the opposite shore and pulled herself from the pool Beads of water trickled down her limbs and torso
She dropped onto the small, secluded strip of beach and stretched out on the warlowed a healthy pink The decadence of the sun dancing across her body excited her Her breasts peaked, and her thighs felt deliciously ware, over the curve of a breast to her nipple, tight and aching, longing to be touched She dragged her fingertip over the pebbly areola, then across the tight nub, which felt like a round, soft bead She loved how it hardened when she touched it, the sharp pangs of exciteht to her lower regions The inner htened and ached The pace of her breathing increased
She shouldn’t be doing this, but the intensity of the feelings in her body, the need those feelings aroused, was too overwhelnore Who would know, or care, what she did?
She cupped her breast, exulting in the feel of the nipple pressing into the sensitive palm of her hand Her other hand slid across her belly and doard, pausing at the silky feel of her pubic hair She stroked it, s Soft
She cupped her other breast and felt her face flush Her other hand continued doard, across her inner thigh, then around the fleshy fold, spiraling inward Her htened as she focused on the intense sensations
Her finger slid up to the small, hard button cradled in the folds She dabbed at it, then stroked once and alave The world faded around her as she settled deeply inside herself, experiencing the stroking of her finger, the building of the heat within her, the pleasure flooding through her
> Stronger and stronger Higher and higher It rushed through her like white water in a torrential river Her breathing, labored and harsh, rushed through her lungs She felt, rather than heard, the moan start in her throat, then build to a crescendo as she exploded in a burst of pleasure