Luxterra, 1
Ancora Burnes is used to obedience. In a future ruled by the alien Lux, she works as a servant with no interest in love until she is sent to the estate of Lux Global Councilman Cast Roman and his enigmatic Facilitator, Lumen. Cast is commanding, Lumen watches with insatiable hunger, and together they awaken desires she cannot resist. Caught between both men and the stirrings of rebellion, Ancora must risk everything for passion or survival.
Be Warned: menage sex (MFM), anal sex
Excerpt:
I bite my tongue, bewildered at how easily intimate details of my life spill out. An abridged version would have been preferable, but whatever keeps everything straight in my brain feels unstable now—possibly radioactive. Normally, I’d begin my breathing exercises to slow my heart rate, but that feels impossible in front of a Global Councilmember, especially a nosy one.
Worry creeps back in. Cast Roman is an elite Lux. What if he can sense my feelings—my thoughts? What if he’s questioning me just to magnify my discomfort?
Unfortunately, Dawn’s knowledge of the elite was just as limited as mine, made up of stories and rumors rather than firsthand truths. If the Lux surpass humans, the elite Lux surpass even their own kind.
Councilman Roman looks at me as if I’ve just broken his heart. I watch, transfixed, as his pupils morph into downward-facing crescents. It’s captivating—I almost forget why I’m here. But then, just as quickly, his potent gaze returns, his pupils shifting back into large, black spheres. His mouth is drawn into a frown, a trace of empathy lingering.
It’s enough to make me feel embarrassed—smaller than I thought possible. My introduction has evoked sympathy from this powerful Lux. None of this is okay.
I don’t know if my honesty—my willingness to be so open—is because I sense warmth beneath Cast Roman’s cold, somber presence or if I’ve somehow been tricked into baring what I’ve spent years learning to hide.
This is not what I envisioned for my first day.
“I am so sorry, Miss Burnes. That must have been difficult,” he says, devoid of emotion, and I’m relieved. I don’t want his pity. Besides, something about his formal mannerisms is sexy as hell.
I can pretend I didn’t see the fleeting sadness on his face. The blurred empathy was like a stray summer breeze—by the time I realized it had come, it was already gone.
I mimic the Councilman, lifting my chin. I push my shoulders back, cross my legs, and frame my knees with interlaced fingers.
“Please, call me Ancora.” Being addressed as Miss Burnes reminds me of Manager Wane and my old schoolteacher, Ms. Sheen—the only two people who ever called me that. It makes me feel twice my age.
Cast Roman smiles and raises his hands. “So sorry,” he says, pausing as his smile turns into something more rueful. “Ancora.”
Ugh, the way he says my name—I’ve never heard a more delicious sound. I cross my legs and squeeze my thighs together. The sensation leaves me willing to do almost anything. What’s happening? This isn’t me. I don’t swoon over guys, especially Lux ones.
To make things worse, Ms. Glancing and Manager Wane both warned me about Councilman Cast Roman, claiming he’s mean and difficult to work for. But after only a few minutes in his presence, I don’t see it. Even the sharp tone he used while reprimanding someone on the com when I entered didn’t seem that bad. So, what am I truly in for?
Losing the ability to judge whether my responses are truly my own is chilling, and his ability to shift moods and expressions in an instant only makes it worse. My radar says to keep my distance from this alien.
****
The two of us sit in awkward silence as he studies me. His eyes meet mine briefly before drifting across my face and down my neck. His gaze lingers on my chest for more than a few seconds, and I tilt my head back, fixing my eyes on the ceiling as I feel his attention shift to my legs. His audacity should repulse me, yet I wonder—should I be flattered? No man, human or Lux, has ever been so blatant about checking me out. My first time receiving such attention, and it’s from a Global Councilman.
He finally meets my eyes again, I do my best to leer back, but it’s futile. His pupils appear to shimmy—subtle and creepy. I fidget, uncrossing and recrossing my legs, shifting in my seat.
“I apologize if I am making you uncomfortable.” He sounds almost surprised by my uneasiness. “But you are a breathtaking creature.”
Heat rushes through me, like lava flowing beneath my skin. My first impulse is to look away, the intensity of his stare too much to hold. “Thank you,” I murmur, directing my words at the wall behind him—then I woman up and meet his gaze. “I think.”
“Trust me, it is a compliment,” he says smoothly. “I just mean—you are beautiful.”
I’m mystified by this male Lux. I don’t know what to say or how to act. Lux rarely pay attention to me—aside from the guests at Ms. Glancing’s house, who only noticed me when they wanted something to eat or drink. But this Lux? He isn’t just looking at me with interest; he’s a Global Councilmember—the ultimate authority on Luxterra—and he’s blatantly flirting with me.
- Series:
- /series-luxterra/
