Garden of Desire: 1 Read online

  A river ran through the center of the settlement. On the far bank were the rough-hewn longhouses and a few individual cabins that housed the inhabitants. Beyond the settlement stretched an open field ending in a bluff that looked over a sea of azure blue.

  On the side of the river nearest him lay green, grass-covered meadows and brown patches of newly turned soil. Directly beneath him, massive Moldan yaks grazed alongside Earthen sheep and goats. The herds were small, but already several animals were heavy with the promise of the next season’s bounty.

  “Hallo!” A voice drifted up and Akron, pirate-cum-shepherd, waved his staff. With his long bushy, red hair brushing the tops of his massive shoulders he looked like the ancient Highlanders of his heritage.

  Cantor broke into a grin and waved back, then climbed down the rocky hillside to the meadow below.

  “Good morrow, Governor!” Akron called out as he approached. “Did you lose yer way along the path?”

  Cantor leveled a narrow-eyed gaze at his grinning friend. “I decided to do a little exploring.”

  Amusement glittered in the big man’s eyes. “You must have just missed the women. They were headed yer way with new curtains for yer cabin. If you hurry, you might catch them.”

  “Leave off!” Cantor said, giving the burly man a shove. “I’ve been given three sets of curtains since I finished the cabin. How many do they think I need?”

  “Ah, but these are far superior. Kirsten made them,” Akron replied, his tongue firmly in his cheek.

  Kirsten! Bloody hell! Cantor groaned, recalling the tall, amply built woman. “The curtains are probably made of leather she chewed herself to soften.”

  Akron’s dark eyebrows drew into a frown. “Yer a lucky man to have a braw, hardy girl like that one.”

  “She’s not mine,” he said quickly, feeling the need to nip that misconception in the bud. “If you’re interested, you’re welcome to her.”

  Akron eyed him with disgust. “No woman will give me a second look with yer handsome puss around.” He pulled the waistband of his trousers and leered, “Now, if they could see me without me breeches, it’d be a different story. I didn’t earn the nickname ‘Bull’ for the size of me shoulders, alone.”

  “I’m surprised you’ve kept your pride hidden in your pants all this time.”

  “Ach! Leave off, yourself,” Akron said, flushing.

  Cantor rubbed his chin for a moment. “But there’s your solution. You’ll have to let the woman see you starkers.”

  “How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Akron asked, aghast. “I’m not like the rest of those randy boys. I wouldn’t want to show the whole planet me arse!”

  “Certainly not all the planet. Let’s see…” Cantor gave his friend a speculative glance. “You’re a man of the land now. And a hunter.”

  “Only of small game. I’ve set a trap or two.” Akron looked a bit worried.

  “Well, you’ve got to become a predator. Stalk the woman night and day—but don’t let her see you. Or she’ll think you’re pervert.”

  “Not me!” Akron bristled. “Why I don’t even polish me own rocket.”

  “No?”

  “Never mind that,” the blushing man said quickly. “Go on.”

  “Get to know her habits. If she goes to the showers at a certain time, you be there first. If she washes her clothes in the river, you be there—”

  “Takin’ a bloody bath!” Akron’s ruddy face beamed. “Aye, lad. I think you have it.”

  Cantor stepped back and let out a breath. Would that all the problems presented him today would be as easily solved. He just hoped the woman didn’t appear on his doorstep complaining of a stalker in their midst! In the meantime… “Do you think I’ve time to make it down the trail before they’re done?” Cantor asked, looking up the path leading to his cabin.

  “If you hurry. Perhaps, I can distract them. Do you think it would look odd if I were to take off me clothes to get a bit of a suntan?”

  Cantor blinked then bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. “I think they might be worried for the sheep, if you did.”

  “Oh!” Akron’s eyes widened. “Oh!”

  “Yes, well I’d better be off. Good luck to you.” He meant it. With Kirsten occupied, he’d have one less woman to avoid. He turned to walk down the hill.

  “Wait, Cantor!”

  Cantor glanced back, and then halted at Akron’s serious expression. “What is it?”

  “I meant to tell you something before you sidetracked me.”

  “I sidetracked you? You’re the one waving your ballocks at the sheep!”

  Akron flushed, and then his face grew solemn. “I hate to lay another problem at yer feet, but I don’t know what to make of this.”

  “Out with it.”

  “Two of my sheep have gone missing in as many weeks.”

  “Perhaps they wandered off,” Cantor said with a shrug.

  “Sheep wander together, and I’ve checked all the gullies to see if any were injured or trapped. They’ve simply vanished.” Worry etched his face. Akron was devoted to his herd.

  Cantor gave the problem a moment’s consideration before replying. “We’ve seen no sign of any wild animals large enough to take a sheep. So who the hell would steal communal mutton?”

  “It’s a puzzle.”

  Looking out over the green pasture brightened by the rising sun, it was hard to imagine anything disturbing this bucolic scene. “Have you found any signs of an animal being butchered?”

  “Not a one. Like I said, they’re just gone. And it had to have happened at night. I keep a close watch on the buggers when I’m out here.”

  “Well, you keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps, we should set a watch on the herd at night.”

  “Aye, sir! Excellent idea.”

  “I’ll speak to Mario about it this morning. In the meantime, keep your trousers on around the herd!”

  Chapter Two

  Fahgwat toyed with her seat belt, ignoring the sounds emanating from the couple in the chair behind her. Those two hadn’t been farther apart than a kiss during the entire journey from Arturia. Still unaccustomed to the presence of men, and the open sensuality everyone aboard the ship displayed, Fahgwat remained in her seat, quiet as a sand mouse.

  Calandra and Drago seemed unaware of their surroundings, so lost were they in their love. Seated in the rear of the space cruiser, they were far from the rest of the passengers. Unfortunately, the only unclaimed seats had been in front of the randy pair. As a last minute passenger aboard the flight, Fahgwat had been relegated to the rear of the cruiser as well.

  She didn’t understand the passion that drove the pair, but the delighted cries the two made as they consorted in the narrow seat made her restless just the same. And warm. She plucked the fabric of her gahna. For some reason, the narrow straps that covered her breasts seemed to constrict over her nipples.

  The softer noises they made were the most disturbing. Drago’s gravelly whispers and Calandra’s soft sighs and moans made Fahgwat shift in her seat. At times their voices rose in a climactic cadence to accompany the faint creaking of their chair and the moist, slurpy slaps that Fahgwat could only attribute to that ultimate mystery—sex!

  She was simply thankful Calandra’s long black kahfet hid most of whatever the two were doing—most of the time. Calandra didn’t appear to notice when her robe twisted around her hips, rising to expose her long legs, now draped over Drago’s thighs, or the lush curves of her buttocks.

  Unable to resist the occasional backward glance, Fahgwat marveled over the snug fit of the couple’s bodies. She’d seen the length of Drago’s penis. How Calandra accommodated his size without being torn asunder was a mystery. Fahgwat shuddered at the thought of taking such a large sword inside her body, and prayed for a less endowed lover.

  Not that Fahgwat was so innocent she didn’t understand the mechanics of lovemaking. She knew her woman’s furrow would stretch to accept a ma
n’s sword—after her scabbard had accepted many “fittings”.

  As a girl, she’d sat blushing and giggling with her many sisters as her mother and aunts schooled them concerning the various positions and acts men enjoyed. Drago’s delight she understood. His organ needed vigorous exercise in order to achieve climax—an act that assured procreation.

  But it was Calandra’s audible joy, which caused Fahgwat’s consternation. This was a lesson she had never been taught. Apparently, women enjoyed the act as much as men.

  “Are those two still at it?”

  Fahgwat jumped guiltily at the sound of Mary’s voice. The tall, dark-skinned woman had befriended Fahgwat during the long flight, in between her own frequent disappearances with her handsome mate, Darak.

  “Are we arriving soon?” Fahgwat asked, damning the note of desperation in her voice. As the only person aboard not engaged or interested in sexual games, she’d exhausted herself trying to pretend she wasn’t bothered by the open sensuality of her fellow travelers.

  “Baby girl, all this is a bit much for you, isn’t it?” Mary wrapped an arm around her and gave her a hug. “Just you wait. Some pirate’s gonna eat you all up.”

  Panic welled in her belly and made her queasy. “What if I don’t want to be…eaten up?”

  Mary’s dark, husky laughter didn’t reassure her. “When the right man’s lickin’ his lips, you’ll want it.” She glanced back at the couple whose frantic rustling indicated another round of entreaties to the gods was imminent and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Calandra! Drago! Give it a break. We’re about to land.”

  Drago groaned loudly. “Baby, we better stop.”

  “No! Faster!” Calandra begged, followed by more creaking sounds.

  Mary’s gaze remained glued to the two, her expression turning to one of admiration. “Damn, girl! I didn’t know your flabby ass could move that fast.”

  “Shut up, Mary!” Calandra said, sounding breathless. “I’m almost the—ah!”

  The space ship shuddered and shook and for a moment Fahgwat had the whimsical thought the couple’s climax had caused the ship to shake. “What’s happening?”

  Mary’s hand closed over hers. “Don’t worry about that. We’re entering the planet’s atmosphere. It’s always a little bumpy.”

  The ship did indeed settle into a smoother glide path, and then dipped forward unexpectedly.

  Fahgwat heard a loud thump accompanied by a louder screech as Calandra fell to the floor.

  “Well, that’s one way to separate those two.” Mary turned back to Fahgwat. “I hate to tell you this, but you’d better get used to it,” she said with a tilt of her head toward Drago and Calandra. “With almost four hundred sex-starved ex-cons and a hundred pirates, the colonists have been humpin’ like bunny rabbits.”

  Fahgwat didn’t have any idea what a bunny rabbit was, but she understood the other woman’s meaning. “Will I be expected to…hump like a bunny rabbit?”

  Mary grinned. “The men might hope so, but they’ll leave you alone if you tell them you’re not interested. They may be pirates, but Cantor keeps them in line.” Her gaze flickered over Fahgwat’s body and her expression grew speculative. “I have the feeling our governor will be very interested in them behavin’ like gentlemen around you.”

  “I will be very grateful if he would make it so,” Fahgwat said fervently.

  Mary glanced at her with raised eyebrows. “You ready to conquer a new world, Little Flower?”

  Fahgwat summoned a smile she didn’t really feel. She’d fled her home to escape a life of servitude and find adventure. She had the sinking feeling she was about to find more than she had bargained for.

  * * * * *

  Cantor left the communications shack heading for the landing field. Nicky, the colony’s quartermaster, followed on his heels. The last shuttle from Arturia had just cleared the outer edge of the atmosphere. Cantor wanted to be on hand to greet the new arrivals.

  “I hope they’ve brought more beds this time,” Nicky said. “Mine’s getting awfully crowded these days.”

  Cantor glanced back at the younger man. “You are looking a little haggard. How many of the lovelies joined you last night?”

  Nicky’s olive skin flushed, but he grinned. “Four. There wasn’t room to roll over, so I slept on top of one.”

  Curious, despite his own lack of interest in sexual games, Cantor asked, “The same four?”

  “Yeah. I think we’re compatible.” A smug note crept into his voice.

  “And how did you arrive at that conclusion?”

  “All of us snore.”

  The younger man’s answer surprised a bark of laughter from Cantor. “That’s it?”

  “Course not.” Nicky waggled his dark eyebrows. “We’re all horny as hell and don’t care much whose hand or mouth is busy with whom. My cock is never cold!”

  Cantor laughed louder. “Then I’m happy for you and your cock. But doesn’t the noise get to you sometimes?”

  “Noise?”

  “The complaints and demands—the arguments.”

  “Ah!” Nicky’s brown eyes warmed and his expression grew syrupy. “Reminds me of home. My family was loud. Italian, you know. My girls love as loud as they fight—and the making up…” He sighed.

  Cantor grimaced. He couldn’t imagine how a man could think with all the noise four women would make in a tiny cabin. As he neared the broad grassy field at the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean, a warm, salty breeze greeted him. He inhaled deeply. Captain Adamarik Zingh had chosen well. Their new world was very like ancient Earth.

  “So, have you picked your mates?” Nicky asked.

  “No,” he replied without looking at the other man. “And I’m not going to choose.”

  “Playing the field, are you?”

  “Trying not to lose the game.”

  “I don’t understand you, Cantor. Every other man on this planet is damned happy with the turn of events. Nearly four hundred women to choose from!”

  “Things would have been a helluva lot less complicated if the Captain had stopped at the hundred we needed.”

  “But what a delightful gift he’s given us! He couldn’t have left all those women behind to face the warden’s ire.”

  “No, I suppose not,” Cantor murmured. “But you notice he’s not here, is he?”

  Nicky slapped Cantor’s back and laughed. “But he left the best man in charge, didn’t he?”

  “I’m thinking he’s laughing his ass off!”

  Nicky’s brown eyes twinkled with merriment. “From what I hear, it’s not likely he’s giving you a thought. He’s too busy getting to know his new lady.”

  “Note, he settled on one female.”

  They stopped in the center of the field. Cantor checked his wrist computer. The shuttle should touch down any minute.

  “You’re an odd duck,” Nicky said. “Why, any one of us would give our left arm to be in your position.”

  “My position?”

  “Yes. With your handsome face and your position of power, you have your choice of women. Haven’t you noticed how they flock around you?”

  Cantor rolled his eyes. “Talk to Adam when he returns, he’ll be needing a new governor if he doesn’t assume the position himself. I’m out of here.”

  “You’d leave?” The smile left the other man’s face.

  Cantor hadn’t meant to announce his plans in such a way, but he felt better after finally saying the words. Still, Nicky’s dismay niggled at his heart.

  “But this is what we dreamed of.” Nicky raised his hands to indicate the settlement. “What you helped make happen! We have our own planet to run as we see fit. No authority, but our own. An abundance of woman-flesh to satisfy our every need. What more could you want?”

  Cantor was tired of the questions he’d asked himself and had no answer for. “I miss the life. I want to be free to sail the galaxies again. Hell, I’m bored!”

  “Bored!” Nicky snorted. “Take a l
ook at Pingat the next time you need excitement, the woman knows more ways to sharpen a man’s pike—”

  “I’m bored with sex.” At Nicky’s incredulous look, he shrugged. “It’s true. I’ve had my fill. I’ve fucked every unattached woman on this planet—there’s nothing new—no sense of discovery, no quest for the next adventure. “

  “Well, Darak is serving up a fresh batch of lovelies today—perhaps you’ll find your heart mate among them.”

  “Heart mate?” A dull pain began to pound behind his eyes. “Haven’t you work to do, Nick?”

  “Aye, you be alone and stew in your folly—but keep an open mind when you look over the new crop.”

  Cantor nodded absently as Nicky left him. A glimmer of light winked on the horizon. The shuttle had arrived. Something inside him stirred. Perhaps this time he’d find the answer to his troubled heart. Or maybe he’d just stow away…

  He ignored the sounds of people converging on the landing site. His gaze remained on the sleek lines of the black cruiser as it settled gently to the ground. His hands itched to be at the helm, guiding it skyward once again.

  “Cantor, do you think they brought more mattresses?”

  Reluctantly, Cantor looked away from the ship and into the face of Doc, the colonist’s medical officer. “Are you experiencing a bit of a crush, too?”

  “Who isn’t? I do my part to ensure everyone has a place to sleep.” Doc’s sheepish smile stretched his boyish features. “We didn’t plan to accommodate so many women. Our colony will be bursting its seams before too long.”

  “How many are pregnant now?” Cantor asked, heaving a sigh.

  “At last count, forty–three. We’ll need cradles next. The first babes will be arriving after the monsoon.”

  Cantor couldn’t suppress a scowl. “Don’t any of them use birth control?”

  “Most of our people are eager to start families.”

  “You’d think they’d be eager to plant their gardens before their bellies,” Cantor said, beneath his breath, unable to tear his gaze from the cruiser.