pacing the room Ty had left her in. Sunshine bathed the chamber as the sun rose over the hills. A cool breeze blew in through an open window, stiffening her nipples through the thin cotton of her blouse.
She’d disregarded the robes laid out for her and instead had put her own clothing back on. Last night she’d washed her underwear out and hung it up to dry. Her blouse and skirt were still clean, so she figured she’d wear them until she could find something more suitable to wear, like a shirt and pants. She wasn’t about to dress in clinging robes that showed her body off like the other women wore in this place. Maybe the robes weren’t so bad, but she felt a need to have some kind of control of her own.
When she finally went to bed last night she’d wondered where Ty had gone. What if he’d slept with another woman? There were plenty of beauties in this place from what she’d seen when he escorted her through the palace. Not to mention the sorceress who had brought her dinner and had drawn her bath.
Awai frowned at the jealousy that pooled in her belly. She’d been in enough one night stand BDSM relationships to care less about any man in particular. She’d never allowed herself to become attached to any one person, and had avoided personal intimacy. Sexual intimacy was one thing, but allowing a sub to know anything about her life outside the clubs was something she’d never permitted. The fact that she’d shared so much with Ty yesterday—that blew her away.
Then Awai remembered the dream about cherry blossoms and a pure white tiger and she paused in her pacing. Ty had been sleeping beside her bed in his tiger form and had spoken in her mind again. Something about his voice had been calming enough that she’d fallen back asleep.
“Are you ready to submit to me, tigress?” came Ty’s deep penetrating voice from the doorway.
Awai whirled to face Ty and to see that he was even more incredibly handsome than she remembered. Again he was wearing only his leather pants and lace-up boots and his long blond hair fell freely about his shoulders. She wanted to drop to her knees right then and there and say, “Take me, Master!”
And by the cocky look in his blue eyes, she had no doubt he could read the desire in her eyes.
“I need suitable clothes.” She gestured toward the silky black robe lying over a clothing trunk. “That isn’t what I call suitable.”
Ty raised one eyebrow. “In the palace, it is what women wear. And when you agree to be my submissive, you will wear what I choose for you.”
Before she could take the argument any further, he gave her that sexy little smile of his that made her heart melt a little more. He held out his hand and suddenly in his grasp was a pair of short boots. He handed them to her, and she found they were lined with something soft like sheepskin, and once she slipped them on, she discovered they actually looked good with her short skirt.
“Come,” he said as he reached for her hand. “Let me show you more of my realm.”
Surprisingly, Awai found herself looking forward to learning more about this world that she and her nieces were in. Although she had yet to discover their collective well-being, somehow she trusted Ty in that they were doing well, that they were healthy, and cripes, that they were happy as mothers and wives.
I must be out of my mind. Since when did she trust the word of someone who was a virtual stranger to her?
Ty led her through the palace and then took her down a winding path. The air smelled of sunshine, wet earth, crisp pine, flowers, and other scents she couldn’t identify.
He took Awai to his village first, and in her short skirt and midriff blouse, she felt extremely underdressed compared to the women of the village. Most wore robes, although many also wore shirts and leather pants. She was beginning to wish she’d worn the robe.
The village was an amazing place filled with color, music, laughter, and magic. She spent her time