No one had ever told me I was smart in this many different ways. When I gazed into her eyes, I could tell she meant her words. It was a revelation. I no longer believed I was stupid, and the woman in front of me thought I was smart, too.

"I thought you said calling someone a treasure hunter was insulting."

"It is, but I wasn't talking about me." She grinned. "Who goes first?"

"I will. If anything happens, I want to bear the brunt of the damage. You have critical information in your head."

She blushed, then frowned. "Don't talk like that, Ven. We're both going to make it out of here alive."

"Sure." I wanted to seem agreeable. She could think whatever she wanted, but her ideas might not match up to reality. I had gone on missions where the team thought everyone would come out alive. I had been lucky before, but you never knew when your number was up.

I wondered if I would die protecting Emmy. It wouldn't be the worst way to go.

I gingerly put some of my weight on the first stone, testing to see if it would hold before committing my body. I slid my foot over, keeping my back pressed against the wall. I didn't look down. The stones seemed stable, but I wanted to be careful. The first three rocks held, but the fourth one fell into the abyss. I paused for a moment as my heart pounded in my chest. I had to reassure myself that I hadn't dropped with the stone.

Emmy and I locked eyes as we listened for the sound of the rock hitting the floor. I strained my ears for almost a minute but heard nothing.

The next challenge was maneuvering over the gap where the stone had fallen. I felt myself begin to lose my balance and frantically grabbed at anything that would keep me upright. I slowly moved my right foot past the gap. No more stones were damaged. I made the rest of the journey across without incident.

When I reached the other side, I felt a profound sense of relief but tried not to show it. I didn't want Emmy to know how nervous I was even though it would be difficult to hide anything from her. She seemed to see through me already, and her mind penetrated directly into my soul.

Her passage across the narrow path was nerve-wracking. My trip was difficult, but at least I was in control of my destiny. When she reached my side safely, I immediately pulled her into my arms. She clung to me, gripping me as tightly as I was holding her. Then she pulled back and gazed into my eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm right here," she said.

I closed my eyes, and drew in a deep breath, placing a single reverent kiss on her forehead. She bit her lip.

"Come on." She cautiously moved forward. "The fun's just getting started."

EMMY.

When we arrived at the guard's room, I felt like sinking onto the bed and going straight to sleep. I was exhausted. I didn't know if it was because of the longer day on Heralla or all the activity. I had started by leaving Ven's house in the middle of the night. The chase happened in the afternoon. We had arrived on Heralla in the early evening, and the party started at eight at night, Earth time. It felt like past two o'clock in the morning for me.

I had been awake for over twenty hours. I wasn't sure I could keep my eyes open for much longer. Ven didn't seem to be doing much better. For the past hour, we had been triggering each other's yawns.

"Is this place safe?"

I shook my head. I wished it was. "This room is vulnerable to attack. There's something the matter with it. Another place exists and it might even be accessible through this one."

"That makes sense. How do we get to it?"

"Who knows?" I was too tired to think. "Whoever constructed this room was clever and had a lot of time on their hands to think of new ways to make my life difficult." I yawned and covered my mouth. My eyes were watering.

Ven walked around the room, picking up objects and pushing random spots on the wall. "Do you have any idea what I should be looking for?"

"It's probably a pull trigger. You tug on something in the room, and it opens a rotating door."

He tentatively lifted a lamp. "Isn't it possible that my actions set off a trap?" He gave me an inquisitive look.

"Of course."

"Great," he muttered. "Just great."

I felt my eyes closing as I watched him. I forced them open. We couldn't fall sleep here. As my mind drifted toward unconsciousness, I had an idea.

"Try ornaments."

"Ornaments?" A framed picture caught his eye and he walked over to it. I had an ominous feeling.

"The picture's crooked," Ven muttered to himself. He reached up to straighten it.

"Don't do that!" I was suddenly wide awake as I realized the danger in front of us. My warning came too late. He had already adjusted the frame.

Nothing happened.

I stopped for a moment, feeling confused. There might be a time delay, which would give us seconds to react. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door as an explosion rocked the room, throwing us against the wall of the passageway.

We lay on the ground for a moment with our bodies immobilized. My ears rang and my forehead stung from a cut.

"Ven?" I couldn't tell if I was shouting or not. He had been behind me and took the brunt of the explosion. "Ven?"

I heard a groan, and he sat up. "What was that?" He looked angry.

"It was a trap. They were designed to kill raider leaders. Only upper-class people would be concerned about a misaligned picture frame. They intended the explosion to take out people in command."

"That's disgusting. I need to learn how to leave a mess." Ven rose to his feet. I stood up too and peered back into the room.

"It is peculiar, but look."

We entered the room again. I was apprehensive about additional traps. I peeked into the hole made by the old-fashioned bomb. There was a second room behind the hole, inaccessible by any door.

"Let me guess. Is that the real guard's room?" Ven said looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded.

"Let's hope there's nothing dangerous in this one."

He was cautious enough to check things out before moving into the second room. When we were inside, we found a complete suite with a bed and a functioning bathroom.

I took off my shorts and tank top and crawled on the bed in my underwear. Ven fiddled with something near the hole we had accidentally blown in the wall.

"What are you doing?" I stretched out and curled up on the bed.

"Setting an alarm with a small force field, just in case. I came prepared, too."

"What will that do?"

"If anyone finds us, the force field will prevent them from entering and give them a mild shock. It will alert us to their presence."

"That's brilliant. I'm about to drop and can barely keep my eyes open."

He nodded and took off his suit jacket and button-up shirt. His pants came off next. Dust and dirt covered all our clothes. I swallowed as he climbed onto the bed next to me. It was just as hot in the catacombs as it was outside. We didn't need any covers.

"Keep your hands to yourself, mister." I gave another yawn.

"Of course. It's your move, anyway. I'm so tired that I'm ready for sleep. Seduction is the last thing on my mind."

"It's a good thing we have that settled." I tried to keep the sound of disappointment out of my voice. Wasn't he going to try anything? I rolled to my side away from Ven, already dropping off to unconsciousness.

A moment later, I felt Ven pull me against him, spooning me. His arm wrapped around my body, and I relaxed completely. I felt like I had to put up a minor protest.

"No sex."

"We're snuggling. There's a difference. I'm just keeping you safe." Those were the last words I heard before drifting off to sleep.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

VEN.

My sleep felt thick, almost like someone had drugged me. As I swam up out of unconsciousness, my mind didn't want to wake up. I realized I was dreaming when I felt something soft pressing against me.

Keeping my eyes closed and moving instinctively, I began to explore. My hands felt an expanse of smooth skin. When they drifted up, I discovered soft mounds that begged me to squeeze them. I slid my hands under the fabric, the magnificent plump breasts responded to my touch, and I felt nipples begin to harden.

I molded and played with the flesh, enjoying a full breast in my hand. My cock was hard, and I pressed it against the female in my arms. Her butt felt round and juicy. All I needed to do was get these clothes out of the way, and I could fuck her from behind.

My balls ached for release, but I always made sure the woman was ready first. I slid my hand down her body until I found her sex. That was what I needed. I let my finger slip inside and found her dripping wet and so slippery that I would slide inside her without any problems.

What a sweet little dream.

My finger found the pleasure button that I knew would make her come and began to lightly stroke it. The woman finally woke up enough to moan, and I felt myself getting harder at the sound. I continued to rub her slick lips and play with the hard nub until she cried out and rocked back against me.

I realized that I had given Emmy an orgasm after promising I wouldn't touch her unless she asked me.

I took my hands away and turned my back to her. I would have blue balls from not being able to come, but it was better than being murdered in the morning. We hadn't had explicit sex. Right?

Something inside me knew my excuses wouldn't be enough this time. What was I thinking?

The truth was that I wasn't thinking. I had been half-asleep and horny. I felt like an asshole and hoped Emmy wouldn't hate me tomorrow.

EMMY.

I didn't usually dream about sex, but I was having a good one right now.

There was a man in the dream. His hands were all over me, touching me everywhere, and it felt amazing. It didn't feel awkward when he put his hand down between my legs.

I thought I had died from pleasure. I had an amazing feeling that spread through my entire body, leaving me feeling weak and happy. But the dream wasn't enough. I needed more, wanting him to complete me. Then the man was gone, and I felt bereft. Where was he?

I moaned a sound of sadness, wiggling around. I felt his chest against my back. He was still there. I rolled to face him.

"Emmy." His deep voice sent shockwaves through me.

"I need more," I whispered to the dream man.

My hands roamed all over. His muscles were so sexy that I needed to kiss him. My bra was in the way. I pulled it off, removing my underwear and his in the process. That was better.

I found my way to his face, lying my nude body against him. He groaned and opened his mouth, our tongues twisting and mating in an erotic dance which made me wetter between my legs.

His arms wrapped around me and our bodies were pressed tight together. "Are you sure you want this, Emmy?" The sound of his voice triggered something and I came back to reality. Ven touched me. He made me come. He was right in front of me, and I wanted him to complete me.

"Yes, I'm sure." Was I begging? I felt like a wanton. "Please."

"I think you should come again. You need to be completely relaxed."

"I can do that again?" I gasped as he latched on to my breast, sucking hard.

He nearly made me come immediately from the exquisite touch of his mouth on my nipples. When his hand slid between my thighs and started rubbing my pussy again, my hips bucked involuntarily.

Ven flicked my clit until I was close, then he put a finger inside me. I moaned, loving the sensation. After a minute, when I was dripping wet, he slid in another finger. His fingers stretched me, and I gasped when he started pumping them in and out.

With his mouth on my nipples and his hand in my sex, I found myself coming again, even harder this time. As I lay silent, floating down from my high, I realized that Ven had disappeared.

"Ven?"

"I'm here." I turned my head and saw him open a tube, squeezing out a cream onto his fingers. "This will feel cold."

His skillful fingers materialized again, rubbing the cream inside me.

"What are you doing?" I felt my arousal building again.

"It will make fucking me less painful. It's a local anesthetic that will dull the pain, but let you feel all the pleasure."

"Someone thought he was going to get lucky," I murmured, feeling my hips bucking again from his ministrations. He put the cream away and lay down beside me. His eyes made me feel loved, and his gaze took my breath away. "Luck is a useful quality in a treasure hunter."

"I went to the store before leaving for the party." He moved the tube of cream aside. "There was a particular treasure I wanted to find."

"Were you so sure of your prize?"

"Nope. But I was hopeful."

He moved forward to kiss me, his mouth taking me, possessing me completely. I wanted him to do the same thing to my body. I had come twice already, but I still wanted and needed more. I felt empty and only he could fill me.

He kissed me for so long that I was wet and panting for him before he was ready to give me what I wanted. Finally, he kissed his way down my neck until he reached my breasts, making me shudder. Without warning, he took my aching nipple into his hot mouth. I arched up off the bed, moaning.