FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Big thanks to Mysterydude and Guri for the help in getting this ready for upload. Sorry it took so long.

Chapter 14.

"Who is that?" Felix queried Ruth as they entered the breakfast area of the restaurant.

"I am not sure, but I have a horrible feeling from what was just said that it is a member of Jessica's estranged family," Ruth replied, cursing himself for being so stupid as to have been so open with his colleagues in the boardroom the day before.

"Estranged family?" Charity queried.

"Jessica's maiden name was Giles...What do you know of dragon families hierarchy?"

"Wait a second...did you say Giles?" Felix asked.

"Yes..."

"The Giles family?"

"I am afraid so..."

"Which branch?" Felix persisted.

"She was the next in line to the main estates...Until she mated with me without her father and mother's permission," Ruth said.

"Why would that affect things?" Charity interrupted.

"Dragons who hold positions of power are very old fashioned dear. I gather from having met the aristocracy in my business dealings, that your colour was the issue?" Felix said, answering Charity for Ruth.

"You got it in one. She was disinherited on the spot, and we have studiously avoided the South east ever since. Hence my comments in the meeting yesterday about not taking a position in London without her permission."

"Then why did they track her down, and how for that matter?" Charity asked in her innocence.

"As for the first, I am hoping to find out in the next ten minutes. As for the second, as far as I know I am the only white dragon alive today. We were spotted as a couple the minute we disembarked from the cab yesterday. From what the stranger said though, the main shareholder dragon who was at the table yesterday, Felix, is a member of her extended family. I let slip her name, and that she was pregnant. I have a horrible feeling that I may have to withdraw from the meeting today if the news is bad. At least it seems that she is friendly with this blue dragon."

"Why would you have to leave?" Felix asked.

"If she decides that she wishes to escape her family's attentions again, I may be forced to leave the company, never mind the capital, Felix. I will not compromise my relationship with her for anything," Ruth reiterated as they made their way across the dining area to their suites reserved booths.

Felix looked worried for a moment, thinking what that would mean for the new contract, "What about you going to Aus? That would solve the problem wouldn't it. Surely they wouldn't follow you out there."

Jessica stopped them at the booth's entrance. "I am sure, Felix, that Ruth will answer any further queries he sees fit later. Dragons may not have external ears, but we could hear our prey from miles away when we were predators. It is rude to ask questions about someone when they are in earshot. Please could you and Charity eat in your own booth for now, while I find out what my family wants of me and Ruth," she asked in an icy tone that made it more of a command. "For now, I think we need our privacy." She drummed her foot-talons in displeasure in the parquet flooring.

Felix and Charity both flushed red at the implied insult to their manners, but Charity put a hand on Felix's to forestall a reply that may later be regretted, steering him in silence to the adjoining booth to the one the dragons were now seating themselves in. A waitress appeared, carrying a pad. "Would you like to see the breakfast menu?" she enquired politely.

"No, I will just have a continental with orange juice to drink," Felix said, disturbed by the possible ramifications of the unexpected meeting next door.

"Same here," Charity said, "Thank you."

The waitress nodded, and walked around the partition to the gold booth. "May I take your order madam, sirs?"

"Three full English and complete privacy. Warn whoever delivers that if we are talking, they are to catch my eye before they enter," Jessica snapped sharply, flexing her hand talons on the linen tablecloth.

"And to drink?" the waitress asked nervously.

"Fucking Coffee. Bring a bloody carafe if you have to. Now get lost before I lose what's left of my patience," she replied in a raised voice, slapping at Ruth's restraining hand when he placed it on her.

The waitress bowed and exited rapidly. Jessica turned and faced Jools, who was looking back at her with interest. He had never seen his sugarpuff act in this way before. Ruth chose to stay silent, having not seen her this disturbed in all the time they had been mated. It was not precisely anger. At least, not in the same way she had been after his disclosure of the accident with Janice. It was more of an underlying simmering cauldron, that was waiting for only the slightest of heat increases in order to boil over explosively. "Why are you here, Uncle Jools? Why does that cold hearted bastard of a father want me? Why does he want to try and destroy the life I have built for myself with Ruth?" she asked quietly, breathing heavily to hold control over her emotions.

"I told you Jessica, I will not confirm to Lance it is you if you do not wish me to. You know I always treated you as my daughter. You always used to trust me," Jools said, sitting back into the plush seating.

"I always trusted you, but I also know what power that bastard has over the clan with Malaprop at his side. How do I know you are not here under duress? Has he found out about Adam? Is Malaprop at your house holding him hostage to you obeying him as we speak?"

Jools chose to believe it was Jessica's anger talking and shook his head. "Malaprop is gay as well, Jessica, and as far as I know is still at the manor. Lance got told more than a few home truths last night after your reappearance. Adam and I are still quite happy, and my business interests are doing well. I assure you now, if you will believe me...You are not in any danger from Lance...however, Ruth may be."

Jessica glanced at Ruth, who was sitting silently, listening to the discussion. "What do you mean?"

"James is infertile. Probably as a result of Lance being to old when he conceived him. Your father has dismissed him as unfit to be a dragon. He wants you back as heir...but without attachments. I warn you now, he did not take the news well that you are carrying eggs. However, he was pleased that you were fertile. He actually suggested disposing of Ruth and your eggs in order to make you acceptable fodder for the mating market, before your mother struck him that is, slicing him from eye to nostril. You do not have to fear Malaprop. He remembers you fondly and will not carry out any orders that would compromise your health or happiness."

"Back up a little Jools - Mother struck Father?" Jools nodded. "And she is still alive?" Jessica questioned.

"She was when I left Regents manor at one-thirty this morning. They had both retired to their rooms when Malaprop let me out."

"Something else must be up. Either that, or father has changed in his attitude towards her. The rest is not a surprise. The way he exploded when I presented Ruth to him ten years ago made me want to vanish without trace. I had a feeling just such a reaction would occur when he had, had more time to think," she paused, noticing a couple of servers trying to catch her eye. She waved them in to place their breakfasts on the table, hastily exiting the booth to escape her ire. "That was why I left without warning and didn't even contact you by post. It hurt me to lose you as well as some of the others, but what you didn't know, couldn't be extracted from you if Lance decided he wanted to find me again."

Jools nodded in agreement, "You do realise that even though we lost contact, Adam and I still think of you as our adopted daughter, sugarpuff."

Jessica reached across the table and patted the blue dragon on his hand, "I know, Jools, I know." She shook her head for a second, stuffing a few forkfuls of breakfast down her throat. "So go on then... what else is up? You are hiding something and you are a terrible poker player." She grinned to take the sting out of her comment.

Jools laughed, helping himself to the the delightful meal that the hotel had provided them. "I am not at liberty to tell you, Jessica, unless I know what you intend on doing."

"What do you mean? What I intend on doing? You must think me stupid if you think I will give you permission to tell Lance I am the dragoness mated to the white dragon that Arthur encountered yesterday. Malaprop may not be a threat to Ruth and I, but Lance will just hire someone else even if he has to silence mother and you as well," Jessica said firmly, waving her fork at Jools.

"What if I told you that Lance has no options other than Malaprop."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...what if Lance cannot hire another agent to do his dirty work?"

"For fucks sake Jools... My father could hire the bloody S.A.S if he wanted to," Jessica growled, raising her voice again.

"Not anymore, sugarpuff. Things have changed a lot in ten years. This goes nowhere, Jessica and Ruth. I promised him that he would be allowed to tell you and no-one else if you were relocated. Your father is virtually bankrupt. You would -if you chose to come back- be heir to very little other than the family name. Lance has been forced to sell all the property with the exception of Craic, the Chateaux and Regents manor. The Villa on Garda is up for sale and the manor is up for rental as well."

"What the fuck happened?"

"Ask Whitehall. They are the ones that destroyed the manufacturing industries. Lance has always been old-school in his business models as you well know. Stupid bastard had all the family's money in one industry type. When it took a dive, he lost it all," Jools said, shaking his head.

"What are the rest of the family doing to help? Surely the selling off of the family's assets was not sanctioned by you and his other siblings."

"Until eight hours ago we didn't know what he was doing. Lance just made excuses when any of us wanted to use them for recreation. Oh we were suspicious alright, but none of us dared broach the subject directly with him for fear of reprisals. He is a stubborn, old fashioned, thick headed, violent, unpredictable asshole, who just happened to have the fortune to hatch first, and therefore inherit. Did you know that your grandparents were on the verge of switching the will to one of us other siblings? Don't get any ideas though...we all made doubly sure that the police did their jobs. Lance had no hand in their premature demises."

Jessica finished her breakfast while she digested the family revelations for a few minutes. "What would you do if you were sitting here in my position, pregnant and happily mated?"

"Nothing. I would do absolutely nothing and make no decisions until the family circle has met on Friday over the disaster that has become our name under Lance's mismanagement. If I were you, I would leave London at the first possible opportunity that wouldn't arouse suspicions with Ruth's company. Leave me a contact point this morning and I will let you know on the weekend what the outcome is. Then decide," Jools stated, dabbing at his lips with the napkin provided.

"And you, Ruth? You are as involved in this as me. If anything, your safety is more at risk than mine. My father wants me alive," Jessica said, turning to him as he had remained silent throughout.

"I know only what you have told me about your family, and what little I have gleaned from this unexpected meeting this morning. You obviously know and trust Jools here, and he obviously loves you as if he was your father. Personally, what happens to me is irrelevant. We are not in a position that we could buy my safety, so whatever happens and whatever we do together, we will end up having to deal with Lance sooner or later as he will soon know where I work, and therefore where we live. Unless you want me to take the Australian position." Ruth paused for a few seconds, sipping at his coffee. "I would rather it be on our terms though. As for the consequences, well, we will face them together. I will not be forced from your side unless you order me otherwise. Your happiness is my happiness. Without you my life would be incomplete, and therefore I would happily throw myself into your father's hands."

Jessica pulled Ruth in for a huge hug, showering kisses on his snout for a long few minutes. "I gather this meeting on Friday will attempt to come up with a solution along the lines of bailing him out and stopping the dissemination of any more of the assets?"

"It could be. I for one can contribute, and I know that the others have more than enough liquid assets to solve his problems and give Beth and him enough to live comfortably off. However, it won't happen if he refuses to sign over control in trust to us of the property, and complete freedom to analyse his books. I can't guarantee that he will do that, so therefore I can't judge at the moment if I believe it wise for you to re-materialise," Jools said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Very well, I will take your advice. Ruth, can you wrap up the in-person details of this contract with your bosses today?"

"I will have to discuss it with Felix, but I can't see why not. There isn't much more to be done other than paperwork until Clyde arrives next week from Australia, and that can be done electronically." He turned to Jools. "I am guessing that Lance knows you are trying to reestablish contact this morning on his behalf." Jools nodded. "Can you stall him, saying that you missed us as a couple this morning or something? Say you will try again tomorrow, by which time we will have checked out."

"I could do that I suppose. Where will you go?"

"Back home eventually. The hotel is booked by the company, so they don't have our home address. I will leave instructions though with the desk that they can reveal our names to you, should you arrive in the morning after we have left. That covers your arse with Lance, and means you can confirm who I work with. Something tells me even if he has access to Overland's personnel records he won't be able to research and turn up on our doorstep before the weekend. I will be asking Felix for permission to resume our interrupted holiday, as there will be little preparation work required by myself up in Warrington in order to receive Clyde, so it is doubtful that Jessica and I will be back home before Tuesday or Wednesday next week. By that time we will have received your guidance, Jools," Ruth said seriously.

"Very well, I will take it then that I was unable to confirm anything this morning," Jools said, glancing at the large ornamental clock hanging over the kitchen's exit. "Well it's gone nine, so I imagine that you are expected somewhere. Jessica, give me your number now, or if you want just an email so I can let you know what is going on."

"Email for now, Jools, I want to keep my number private for the moment. Contact me on [email protected] I check in daily, as it is part of my work," Jessica said, grinning, knowing full well that Jools would connect an anonymous gift or two he had received with her now.

Jools blushed, looking at Ruth who nodded, "So it was you who sent those..." he coloured, his face going red, "Those items that arrived on our anniversaries and birthdays. I always assumed it was a poor taste prank from one of the nephews."

"Ah, but would they have had the foresight to send them to you in your exact sizes?" Jessica said, giggling.

"Probably not, though I never thought it was you as you never sent a note. Come to think of it though, you were involved in that sort of thing in college weren't you?"

"I was. Did they fit and amuse you is what I want to know? After all, they were designed for female cos-play, not gents." She paused thoughtfully, "Though, the dildos would probably still-"

He cut her off hastily, "Let's just say that that is between Adam and I, and that we still have them all locked securely in a wardrobe!" Jools said flushing with embarrassment.

"Well in that case...Should I come to visit, I want two french maids awaiting our arrival complete with feather dusters!"

Jools playfully swiped at Jessica over the table, but she dodged, laughing. "Ahem..." Felix's head appeared around the booth's partition. "Erm, I heard laughter, and thought I could interrupt. Ruth, we are going to be very late if we don't leave now," he said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Felix, I won't eat you, and you are forgiven for your curiosity. The news isn't good at the moment, so I urge you not to push Ruth over it. Could you also ask Charity not to do the same while she is in my company today? Ruth will be with you in no more than a couple of minutes," Jessica said reassuringly as Felix vanished again, nodding.

"Right, Jools, I think that is all for the moment. I will await your advice at the weekend before we go any further," Jessica continued with a grin.

"One question before you go, sugarpuff," Jools said, smiling.

"Go on..."

"What does Ruth think of your source of income?"

Jessica looked over at Ruth who was grinning. "That's simple, Jools. I am quite happy with what Jessica does in her spare time while I am at work. I have absolute trust in her activities and know that she would never consort with any other live male without my being there. The demonstration and try before you buy films in her collection are also very informative when watched in her company. As for if she could ever get bored with me through self-pleasuring, well, put it like this. I can't keep up with her appetites now, so if she had no other form of release I seriously doubt I would have even survived the first year much less the last ten years!" Ruth said, laughing, as both Jessica and Jools joined him in mutual mirth at his admittance.

"That sounds like a good deal for you then Ruth. I will leave you now so that you can get to your meeting, and I can can get some sleep. This old dragon doesn't normally rise before eleven, as he works evenings and nights. Jessica, I don't know what you were planning on doing today, but I would suggest that you stay around the hotel. Use the spa facilities, the pool or something, but I am sure as Ruth was telling his colleague and his mate, others will be looking for you. The hotel at least offers you a degree of privacy," Jools said, sliding from his seat to stand at the booth's entrance.

Ruth and Jessica both stood, Ruth shaking Jools' hand, while Jessica kissed him on his nose horn again. "I will do just that, depending on how Charity is feeling. I think I can feel a full body massage coming on!" She grinned saucily, tweaking Ruth's trousers as he slipped by to gather Felix.

"Try not to flash the masseuse too much and get us thrown out, dear, before we have spent our last night here. Something tells me that this hotel's staff would not take to kindly to your sense of humour." He slapped Jessica's ass, then jumped out of the way of her tail as she brought it swinging around at him.

Jools laughed again at the couple's happy byplay, wondering if he and Adam were in the same potentially serious situation, that they would be taking it so lightly. Then again, maybe this was just a light-hearted front to cover up what was going on inside Jessica and Ruth's minds. He shook his head, yawning as the two older cats that had exited the lift with Jessica and Ruth joined them. Something incredulous suddenly popped up in his mind about how Ruth had phrased something earlier about Jessica not consorting with other males while he wasn't present, and he took a closer look at the cats, sampling the air currents that were circulating around them. Smiling to himself, he realised as the unmistakable scents of feline musk caught his nostrils that something more than a business relationship had happened between the foursome that had arrived in the foyer together. After all, the felines looked older than him, and therefore were unlikely to have been playing with themselves before a business day!

"Have a good and productive meeting Ruth, and Jessica you have a good day. I will look forward to receiving your reply at the weekend." With that, Jools shook Ruth's hand again, and stole another kiss from Jessica, then turned and left the dining area and the hotel.

"So, do we trust him Jessica? You obviously go a long way back," Ruth asked, ignoring the fact the two cats were now standing next to them in the group.

"I don't know, Ruth. Ten years ago I wouldn't hesitate to say yes. Now though, I don't know what to think. You go to your meeting and try and wrap everything up today as was suggested. I will enjoy the morning and lunch in Charity's company at Overland's expense in the spa." She paused for a second, possible courses of action running through her mind before coming to a decision. "First service at Jool's restaurant was always around five, so I will give him chance to get some sleep, and then drop in at his and Adam's place at four unannounced. Assuming they haven't moved. If everything is as I remember it -and trust me Adam is even worse at hiding things than Jools is so I will know- then I will extend my trust again to Jools."

"What of your father?"

"Not something to discuss in public." She glanced at Charity and Felix. "So, Charity, fancy a pampering?" she queried, neatly sidestepping the subject.

"I believe a gentle massage and sauna could go a long way to easing some of my aches, though I won't risk swimming at the moment," Charity said, smiling.

"Then you can just have a wine in the viewing area while I take a dip. Unlike some dragons, I like the water!" She nudged Ruth, who grinned at her.

"Well, behave yourselves then girls," Felix said, glancing at the clock again and noting that they would be very late arriving at the head office.

Ruth noted the Abyssinian's glance and kissed Jessica goodbye. "We will talk this morning over when we are alone then. If you do go out this afternoon please be careful. I don't want to lose you for anything."

"I can take care of myself, Ruth. You keep your head in your shoulders, and I will worry about mine," she whispered, and kissed him back before gathering Charity by the shoulders and heading towards the foyer.

She stopped by the front desk of the restaurant as the morning Maitre-dee approached her. "Could I leave an apology for your waitress and servers with whom I was very short with this morning. I had just had my stay ruined by an unexpected arrival, and took it out on them. It was unforgivable and very out of character for me."

"No problems Ma'am, I will pass it on for you. They had reported a disturbance, but as it was not upsetting the others diners I did not intervene."

"Thank you. Now, can you tell me if we have to book the spa facilities, or can we just turn up for treatments?"

"There is no booking required for the sauna, pool, gym and solarium, but I would suggest reserving a treatment specialist for anything else more specific Ma'am."

"I will do just that now then, Thank you."

"You go and book whatever stress relief you wish then, Jessica, but I really must leave now before I find myself without a job for my tardiness and keeping Felix away as well." Ruth said, heading for the front doors with Felix as they emerged from dining room.

Jessica went to the front desk with Charity, picking up two service lists for the spa, handing one to Charity, then perusing her own. "What do you feel like, Charity? I am going for a deep muscle massage followed by a scale manicure and shine. I am feeling dirty after that conversation at breakfast."

The otter behind the desk flushed for some reason that Charity didn't understand, so she ignored her, "I think I will opt for a gentle massage and a deep cleansing of my fur with a full pedicure and manicure. I assume that the staff here are discreet." Charity said after looking the list over.

"Very well," Jessica said turning to the receptionist. "Can we have what we both discussed within the next four to five hours? I have something I need to do later."

The otter behind the counter tapped a few things into the computer she was sitting in front of, "Yes we are quiet this morning. The massages can be scheduled in at eleven, and the other treatments at one-thirty if you don't mind sharing a treatment room," she replied after a few seconds consultation with the machine.

"Sharing a room won't be a problem I don't think. That will give us chance to have a swim or a sauna between the two." Charity nodded after Jessica finished speaking.

"The total price for the treatments is seven hundred and thirty pounds. Who should I make the reservation's name in?" the otter said, looking up.

"Ruatha and Yucsum. Split the treatment costs between the Gold and Silver suites evenly. We are being treated by our mates' company." Jessica flashed her suite's entry card, and the otter smiled.

"No problem Ma'am. We are glad to be of service."

"Thank you." Jessica turned with Charity and walked back across the lobby to the lifts. Glancing out the front doors as she did so, she spotted Felix and Ruth wave as they climbed into a cab on the curbside and pull away.

The Wolfhound bellhop from the day before loped over before she had chance to call the lift. "Ahem, sorry if this is presumptuous, but I spotted you enter the restaurant with another dragon, and the servers were gossiping about a disturbance. I hope we didn't fail in protecting your privacy," he said quietly.

"No the fault didn't lie with you, friend, we were tracked down elsewhere. As it happens, the visitor was just about the best member of my family that could have turned up. However, I want you to keep deflecting queries until we leave tomorrow morning. My Uncle is going to show up again tomorrow to try and confirm a sighting. This morning's meeting never happened, if you catch my drift."

"Ah...I see. I gather we will be free after you have left to confirm your identities then?"

"Yes. Call it a game if you will, to put my father of the trail. By the time he receives the information I was here, it will be too late and we will be gone. My mate will confirm with your reception a forwarding address for queries, which you can of course reveal."

"That should satisfy the management then. They were not happy about you being disturbed this morning. I would be surprised if one of them doesn't approach you at some point before you leave with an apology," the Wolfhound said, turning to resume his post by the door.

"No fault lies with the hotel or its staff...I will reiterate that if asked," Jessica said, and called the lift.

Glancing at lobby's clock before she stepped in with Charity, she turned to the cat as the car began its assent. "I suggest that you change into something loose, or just a robe before we meet again at ten-forty-five in our shared hallway. If you are going to sauna with me and you drank wine last night, I suggest you hydrate yourself as well. If I know Ruth, you should be able to pass water without re-aggravating your injury again, so a full bladder won't be a problem."

"That sounds sensible Jess. The last thing I need is a migraine. You sure everything is going to be okay with you and Ruth after this morning?" Charity said, risking the query as the lift chimed on arrival at their floor.

Jessica paused after stepping out onto the Wilton. "I sincerely hope so, Charity. But with my father it is very hard to judge. Uncle Jools will do all he can to protect our interests, but it may not be enough. Now, that is all I will say on the matter. Let us go and prepare for our pampering!"

Charity smiled, and waved her card over the Silver suite's door. "Very well. I will see you in forty minutes."

****

Jools left Ruth and Jessica at the entrance to the restaurant with mixed feelings. He wasn't sure how the news had been taken, and even with experience and knowledge of his now not so cute and innocent niece; he couldn't work out what course of action she was going to take.

Ruth, her mate, seemed very centred and in control of his emotions. His reaction to the possibility of his early demise was not what he had been anticipating. The white dragon had just sat there...Calm, collected, and at a seeming peace with himself. His response when prodded by Jessica had been just a reiteration of his infatuation with her, and, correspondingly, hers with him. He shook his head as he prepared to launch himself into the clear skies on the foyer's steps. Would he react in the same way if his life was at risk because of his love of Adam? That question had not been asked directly of himself, but now that Lance knew it was something he would maybe be forced to answer.

As he beat his aging wings strongly to gain enough altitude to avoid having to weave between the general buildings that lined the residential streets, he pointed his snout in the direction of home and his much needed bed. He had managed to catch a few hours rest at Adam's side after the distasteful business at Regents manor in the night, but had risen early enough to have been awaiting the appearance of the dragon couple, that had been proven to be Jessica and Ruth, though part of him had wished that they weren't. As he had been sat in those faux leather recliners since seven A.M., he knew that he would need to catch up on sleep if his first and second services were going to be up to standard at his head establishment tonight.

Gliding into a landing on his penthouse balcony overlooking the Thames and Battersea power station, he folded his wings with a clatter. The french doors slid open and his old queen, valet, friend and of course mate greeted him with a lifted eyebrow. "Any luck?" Adam queried, as Jools stepped inside.

"Unfortunately yes and no. It is Jessica and her mate Ruth. That means of course that a confrontation with Lance is inevitable. I can't lie to him...you know I am useless at hiding my emotions face to face," Jools said, sighing.

"Just one of the things I love about you, boss..." Adam joked, and kissed Jools gently on his snout.

"Don't you 'boss' me, pup!" Jools replied, converting the kiss into a tongue tickler, before a large yawn interrupted their interplay.

"You need to go to bed, love," Adam said, staring at the shadows that were cast under his mates eyes.

"Join me?" Jools queried, putting on a puppy dog expression.

"And do what exactly? The minute your head hits the pillows you will be asleep... Besides I have all my usual duties of running the house and your thriving empire to do in the daylight hours." Adam said, running his claws over Jools' exposed scales.

"Our empire dear...our empire. You can only polish the silver so many times and the paperwork and phone calls can wait. Come and be my pillow then... I feel I need a bit of my own comfort after the last twelve hours or so." He pulled his phone out from his carry pouch, typing a few words in and pressing send before replacing it and starting to strip his flying jacket off. "I have messaged Lance to say I missed the suspect couple, but I will be there again tomorrow morning. It has been prearranged between us that sugarpuff and Ruth will be gone and out of his immediate reach by then, but enough evidence will be left behind for definitive identification to be made."

"I gather that is to cover your arse from the threat of recrimination?"

"Yes. She always did think of others before herself. Shame her father never has." He grabbed the wolf by his waist and carried him protesting into the master bedroom, therefore ending the conversation.

After a bit of frantic fumbling and a mutual stripping of each other, Adam lay back into the bed's pillows with his exhausted paramour curled up foetal like beside him, his head resting on the slightly younger wolf's chest, gently snoring. As he had predicted, the whole session had not progressed past kissing before the dragon had passed out. Affectionately stroking Jools' horns with his hand, he closed his eyes and pictured Jessica as he had last seen her ten years ago, hoping that life had not hardened her into something that he could not love again. Then, slowly, he too drifted off into a doze.

****

Waving to Jessica and Charity, Felix and Ruth stepped into a promptly hailed cab. It was Nine twenty five, so they knew they would be late but through reasons that were outside of their control.

"So go on...tell me what you are willing then, Ruth," Felix said as the battered old hackney carriage pulled away from curb in a coughing rumble of diesel smoke.

"Don't push me for details, Felix. Let's just leave it at we have been rediscovered -which is something we wanted to avoid- and that Jessica's father currently wants to track her down for reasons that could effect our relationship. Nothing will happen though, because if I have to run to Australia with her... I will." Ruth said firmly.

"What, and stay with the company?" Felix asked.

"If that proves possible. I told you before Felix, she comes first and foremost in my priorities. If she wants to vanish completely again, then we will."

"Realistically... what do you think she will decide?"

"I don't know. Based on breakfast alone, I would expect you to receive my resignation next week. If -and only if- something changes after her estranged family gathers at the weekend, will you still have me as your colleague in this country," Ruth said, trying to bring the line of questioning to a halt.

"That serious eh?"

Ruth thought for a moment, considering what he could divulge to shut Felix up, "Put it like this. My life is possibly on the line."

Felix looked up at him, shocked, and Ruth nodded to confirm his statement's validity, "Then I will ask no more and leave it in your hands, Ruth. Just do me the favour of keeping me informed with what you can."

Ruth's phone burbled the arrival of an email file then, breaking the awkward silence. Flicking the message open. He frowned, not recognising its origin. The front page was innocuous enough, just an address and then a contents notice claiming it was a present from a couple of friends with an attached file. It didn't look like spam, so he opened the contents then smiled.

""Hi Ruth, it's Gwen and Joe. Just letting you know we are just arriving back at base, but as more than a few rules and regulations have been smashed in the last few days I decided to create a bit of light relief for your viewing pleasure with Joe. As we know you appreciate the sight of a good bitch, I hope you will enjoy this unique and very personal gift. Open the video file when you need cheering up, or are with your very lucky mate. See you soon! Gwen.

P.S. Knowing your business, I have included a linky for you that may affect it.""

"Felix, have you got your dPad with you?" Ruth asked.

"Yes, why?" Felix said, pulling it out of his briefcase.

"Switch the connectivity on. The female pilot who was unlucky enough to be involved in the Janice fracas over in Australia with me has sent a video file for me, along with Joe, her fiance. As we are stuck in traffic, I might as well view it now," Ruth said smiling.

Felix switched his nine-inch tablet device on, making sure it was set to receive from Ruth's dPhone. Ruth flicked the email onto transfer via WiFi and the complete file arrived on Felix's screen.

"Go on, open it. It is probably just a thank you message from those two for helping to ensure they didn't get in to much trouble over Janice's conduct. Though I will admit the message about appreciating bitches is a bit confusing to me," Ruth said, a thought suddenly popping into his head that the video may not be innocent, but dismissed it, leaning over to watch the film with Felix anyway.

The expressions that passed over Ruth and Felix's faces was a study worthy of the finest portrait artist in the country. The cabbie looked up in the mirror as the sounds from the film playing on the tablet filled the silence that had enveloped his back seat. As he was sitting stationary at a set of red lights, he watched as the jaws dropped on both of the respectfully dressed businessmen he had picked up from the Draheal. He shook his head, tutting to himself as the lights changed. Viewing porn at this time in the morning, which, from the soundtrack of what was playing on the tablet, was against his taste. So he turned his radio up a little more to try and block the distracting noises from his mind. But, he still couldn't help but shift his seat a little to relieve the resulting pressure as whichever female on the film hit her noisy climax and overrode even the voice of the Capital's commercial broadcasts.

The film came to an end in a frenzy of canine panting, then as Joe's member disengaged from Gwen's delightful derriere, she turned, waved once, and reached for the camera before switching it off. Felix stole a glance at Ruth, who was sitting red faced and dumbfounded next to him of the cab's bench seat.

"So... how long have you known those two?" Felix asked innocuously, trying not to offend his colleague.

"No more than the seventy-two hours of the crisis involving Janice," Ruth said quietly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You seem to make rather unusual friends, Ruth. I will give them one thing though... It is a rather unique thank you message," Felix said, trying to keep his face straight.

Ruth glanced down at Felix then, trying to work out if he was serious. The Abyssinian couldn't hold the pretence any longer, and burst out laughing. Ruth joined him in his mirth as the cab pulled clear of the traffic and started down the dock road. "To say that I will have to have a word with a certain bitch and her partner if I see them again is an understatement. If that file leaks they could both loose their careers," Ruth said, as he brought himself under control again. Quickly, he typed out a reply telling them the favour would be returned at some point, before sending it back to Gwen.

"Well it certainly cheered you up at least. You going to show it to Jessica?"

"I think that she would appreciate it. It is more proof in a roundabout way that they were as deeply appreciative of my conduct concerning the incident as their superiors were."

"If she still doubts your innocence I suppose. Now, what are we going to do today here at the meeting?" Felix said, changing the subject as Ruth nodded in agreement.

"Well, contract negotiation has always been with your administration department, Felix. Whenever I or my staff at the office have had a big enough lead, we have sent it to you. The individual day-to-day, short one-off runs of course have always been priced according to scale."

"Well in that case, we will see what Mr. Jupiter wants us involved for. Something this size has to be handled from down here anyway. All I will be doing, with you hopefully at my side, is seeing to the implication of instructions from Jupiter's staff," Felix noted.

"I suggest that nothing is mentioned about my personal life. That keeps your ass out of the fire if I am forced to do a vanishing act from the company."

Felix nodded agreeing. "Yes, let's keep things quiet about that. I think it would be best. After all, you can always opt for Australia if Jess agrees and it's necessary."

"Somehow Felix I don't think that I will be able to get Jessica to uproot to Australia. She is way too much of a home girl for that. You do realise that until last week I had never been on a plane? That is because Jessica always wanted to holiday in this country or Europe and we flew ourselves. Even to our honeymoon in France. It was never that we couldn't afford to travel, it was just that she didn't want to," Ruth paused for a moment wondering if he should go for a resumption of his interrupted holiday, then deciding there was no harm in asking. "Erm, Felix, speaking of holidays... what are the chances of me taking Thursday and Friday, in lieu of what I lost in heading over to Australia?"

Felix looked up at him smiling. "Well, as I will be back at northern by then, I can't see an issue in shunting Jones back to your office to cover you. I think you have more than deserved it."

"Thank you. What about Jones' problem with Amy?" Ruth said, picking up his phone again and sending Jessica a message to try and book in at The Swinging Sett again from Thursday through to Sunday.

"I suggest that you go into your office tomorrow afternoon when you get back up and tell her that if she does anything to distract Jones further, her job is gone. As she is covering for you these three days, there will be an unavoidable backlog for Jones to sort through, so we can't just ship her off as well. The bigger issue that will come up is your replacement if everything goes well next week," Felix said as the cab turned onto the wharf road.

"That may not be as big a problem as it could be. One of Jessica's customers mate has just been made redundant after many years in the councils elderly transport services. It might be difficult getting around advertising for the position outside the company, but from what I gather it is unlikely we will be able to find a more experienced person, though he is not available for around seven weeks."

"You know as well as I do we can't just smuggle personnel in under the door. Not since the pricks in Whitehall introduced equal opportunities. Get his details though and we can invite him to apply. If he fits the bill he will get the job anyway, but we will have to run the interview process whether we like it or not," Felix stated as the cab pulled up outside the battered H.O. building.

"Who's going to run the interviews?"

"Let Mr. Jupiter sort that out when the need occurs. Chances are it will be you and Jones at your offices, if you are not in Australia on set-up. If you are, I will have to run them with him at Warrington. Something tells me the next few weeks are going to be rather busy." Felix reached forward and paid the cabbie through the slide window, then stepped out onto the cracked concrete with Ruth. Glancing at his watch, he realised they were a good forty minutes late.

Ruth's phone burbled again, but he ignored it, assuming it was just a reply from Jessica about the holiday permission. "So, do you think Mr. Jupiter will be pissed off at our late arrival?" Ruth queried as they walked up the steps.

"Hard to tell. I have never worked alongside him, just followed instructions via the phone and email. Obviously I have been in meetings down here with him quite regularly, but not having mixed with his office staff I have no idea what he is like as a boss. He seemed alright about you arriving late yesterday though."

"I did have a legitimate reason though. My injury. We haven't got that this morning as we were only the short cab ride away."

"We will just have to wait and see. I can always use Charity's overindulgence last night as an excuse. I am sure they will pick up on that when the bill arrives at accounting." Felix grinned, and Ruth laughed as the crossed the entrance hall. The same bored looking girl was at the desk, and she didn't even look up at them as they called the lift and stepped in.

As they started to ascend, Ruth's phone burbled for a second time causing him to frown. "You had better sort Jessica out before the meeting starts. We don't want to interrupt it with trivials," Felix said as Ruth fished in his pouch for it.

Nodding, he flicked up the menu screen and frowned, as the first previously ignored message had originated from a Chinese email address that he didn't recognise. The lift squealed to a halt as he opened it and smiled as he perused the details. "Hmmm. Felix," he said quietly as they disembarked.

"Yes, Ruth?"

"How would a smaller multi-million pound contract do to sooth any aggravation that may be felt by our tardiness?"

"What?! What contract? You haven't had anything pass through your office recently or I would have known about it," Felix said, scratching his head.

"Nope. This is something else entirely that came of the return trip from Singapore. Let's see what mood the eagle is in, eh?" Ruth said, grinning. The second message was just a 'Great news,' one from Jess. The one from W. Chan detailing his show's forthcoming European tour dates was far more important if the tender was won.

Felix shook his head in disbelief, wondering what on earth his colleague had cooked up now, then knocked on the conference room's door as Ruth was not revealing any further information.

"Enter," Mr. Jupiter's voice sounded in response to the knock.

They walked into the room to be greeted by the sight of the eagle on his table head perch with Lionel next to him. The table also had cat, an otter, two dogs and a doe sitting around it, all wearing casual business attire. A small female skunk with glasses on also sat in front of a word processor to one side on a smaller table. As before the other head of the table was vacant for Ruth and Felix to seat themselves.

"Apologies on our arrival time Sir. Charity was feeling a little rough this morning and then we got caught in the morning rush hour," Felix said, sitting on the chair adjacent to the otter, and leaving Ruth the one at the end.

"I will admit I was about to ring you, but we managed to go through the preliminaries while we were waiting," Mr Jupiter said, looking up from his paperwork. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes Sir," Felix and Ruth said in unison.

"Right, let us begin then," Mr Jupiter said crinkling his cere into a smile while nodding. "First a few introductions. The cat is Frank, head of accounting. Harold, the otter is head of company logistics. Graham and Paul the dogs are heads of warehousing here and at Felixstowe. Jane there is our contract's manager, and I assure you she has heard every possible joke about her unfortunate naming." The doe sitting at the table smiled, confirming that no offence was to be had. "And to finish, Belinda at the desk is my personal secretary." Mr Jupiter switched his attention to the rest of the table. "Felix you all know is head of the Warrington office, but Ruth you haven't met before. He is currently in charge of the sub office in Cheshire, but is responsible for the probable gaining of the Austran contract. Therefore he is going to be promoted to replace Felix upon his upcoming retirement next year."

Everyone nodded and smiled as paperwork was shuffled in preparation for the following discussions.

****

Jessica allowed the suite's door to close softly behind her as she walked into the lounge area of the rooms. Her phone burbled quietly from her pouch, and she reached for it assuming it was another order, or an update concerning her franchise. She smiled as she realised it was from Ruth, and what the content meant. Quickly she typed a quick reply to him, then fished through her purse and found the card for the hotel and dialled the number.

"Hello, The Swinging Sett. How may I help you?" A female voice answered after a couple of rings.

"Hello, is that Alice?" Jessica asked.

"Yes...Who's speaking?"

"It's Jessica, Mrs. Ruatha. The dragoness who broke Stefan in for you." Jessica said grinning from the memory, despite the fact there was no one to see her.

"Ah Mrs Ruatha. You only left us a few days ago. Did you leave something behind? The staff haven't found anything, even with the stripping and redecoration of the room that was required," Alice said laughing.

"No, no. I was wondering actually if you could accommodate me again on Thursday through to Sunday," Jessica said, joining in the laughter.

"We haven't got any new staff in-" Alice started.

"No, sorry, I meant to say us. Ruth -my mate- is back from the trip that split our holiday up. His company has given him permission to resume it as of Thursday morning. I feel that we may wish to spend our time at your establishment alone. Though, you and Harry could join us for an evening if you wish and are free," Jessica interrupted, remembering the badger's other offer.

"Ah well in that case yes. The bridal suite is vacant until Monday, so as long as the twins don't get involved again we have the space. Normally it would be dearer than the suite you had, but I am sure an evening's entertainment at your hands will be enough for us to charge you the same."

"That's great. How is Stefan settling now that Amy and I have gone by the way?"

"Settling isn't the word. Twelve hours after you left he had Viola, another of our chambermaids, in that confounded harness you left him, bending him over his cot. During his next downtime, he cornered George and made sure that he was introduced to the real thing in both fashions. George's report to me afterwards gave me the confidence to put him on the available list in his genre of expertise. Currently he is in the company of a rather unusual couple consisting of Doe Hare and a male Mink with a penchant for leather. After last night they have reserved him for the duration of their stay." Alice said laughing.

Jessica giggled girlishly, "Sounds like someone has discovered the sexual energy that his age gives him..."

"To be honest, I am beginning to wonder if he will applying for citizenship when his work visa expires later this year. If he gets good reports from our customers, he is filling a gap in my staff that George is incapable of, as he refuses to perform with females," Alice said seriously.

"Well should he be free sometime this weekend, I may have a word with him about doing to much to soon. As I am sure you know, males don't have the staying power that us girls do. That is if you aren't going to approach him yourself."

"I already have Mrs Ruatha, but he hasn't listened to me. Maybe a friendly word from you and your mate might work as you were responsible for breaking through his shyness."

"Then I will make sure that we find the time. Now thank you for cheering me up after a trying morning, and for making us welcome again. We will see you at Thursday lunchtime with luck," Jessica said, trying to wrap up the call.

"See you soon then Mrs Ruatha...you will always be welcome here. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Jessica said hanging up. She sighed, smiling at the thought of the changes she and Amy had brought upon Stefan. Amazing what a couple of days could do with the right education.

Collapsing onto the couch she stared out of the glass wall at the view, her mind wandering back into the worries that the morning had presented her with. What would she do if things went as Jools feared they could? What would happen if Ruth just failed to come back from work one day? Hell. What would happen to her and their kids if she found herself abducted from her own home and held by her father? There were to many variables...to many things that could happen and all seemed to hurt her or Ruth. Things could also go well...The rest of the family could reign Lance in, stop him from any megalomaniac actions. Would she go back then?

She supposed it would come down to Jools' recommendation. She had always trusted him, and if he proved to be under no duress when she surprised him and Adam this afternoon, then the previous trust would be extended again. She could never trust Lance though. Her father would find a way to circumvent any decision that was made if at all possible. She would not go back to the estates, it was way to risky. Something else would have to be arranged if he wanted her to get involved in sorting out the mess.

She sighed heavily, absently running her talons across her smooth belly scales. "What would you three do eh? Would I be being selfish if I stopped you from having the opportunities I did as a member of the upper classes? The Giles estate may not be rich anymore due to your selfish, misguided grandfather, but the name always opens doors in the right places. I wonder what colours you are going to be? Your wonderful father is such a great and loving person, but he is the only one of his kind. Will you follow a true colour-line like me, or will you inherit your father's uniqueness? Hell I don't even know what colour his parents were, your genetics may jump a generation and you hatch in societies colours. I don't care though...we don't care. Whatever you are, wherever we are, however rich or poor we may be. You will always be loved as long as we have breath in our bodies. You can always be assured of that," Jessica crooned gently to her unborn eggs, patting the point on her stomach where her as yet unformed bulge would grow. She knew in her mind that they were little more than floating balls of gel at the moment, not even at the stage of developing shells, but somehow her one-sided consultation over their future with them, soothed her self induced worries.

Her phone burbled again, breaking her out of her self induced fugue. She reached for it grumbling when it only turned out to be conformation that her latest order had been shipped, and would be arriving at some point the following day. Then she grinned, remembering the personal indulgence that was included in its contents. She would leave Hermione's order in the side shed for her to collect, but pack the harness she had ordered for herself at the bottom of the case going to The Swinging Sett. Ruth would truly have his love and limits tested for the first time this weekend, but somehow she didn't think the services of George would be required.

Glancing up at the clock, she realised she only had a few minutes before Charity was expecting her, so she quickly dashed into the bedroom, and donned a loose fitting sarong wrap, before folding a couple of the large fluffy hotel towels over her arm. She also took a very tiny bikini with her for the sauna and swim. Leaving her phone and pouch in the dressing table drawer, she left the still messy room, and went to await the Persian in the hallway, carrying the suites entry card in her hand.

****

Beth lay in her bed in the room adjoining Lance's staring at the ceiling. They had not slept together in the same bed as a couple since James had been conceived. Oh Lance had exercised his perceived rights for conjugal engagement on reasonably regular intervals up until his body had started to slow down, but he considered sleeping in the same marital bed unhygienic. So after taking his pleasure of her body, he always retired to his own suite and clean bed to sleep, leaving her to wallow in the damp aftermath of her mattress. In some ways she was lucky. Never having been highly sexed herself, the lack of mutual, or comforting pleasures had never bothered her. Though after the previous evenings revelations, and the cold silence Lance had put her through while she was lick healing the aftermath of her strike, she was beginning to wish that she had someone to turn too of her own.

What could she do about the situation? The very same question had been running past the inside of her eyelids throughout her disturbed nights rest. Jessica, being her first born had always been her favorite of her two children. It had hurt her a great deal when she had had to comply with Lance's directive, and turn her back on her when she had appeared one day, mated to another young Oxford graduate. Why oh why had she done that? Why hadn't she turned on that day, ten long and lonely years ago and stopped her Mate from doing what he did?

She knew the answer of course...her fear of him and his strength. She was a coward through and through, and had known that action then would have meant a great deal of suffering at his hands while he was still in his physical powers. Though he had never actually struck her, his psychological bullying of her from the day she had been hastily shipped from her own families holdings on her eighteenth birthday and into a mating ceremony with a strange dragon old enough to be her father, had been belittling. She knew from witnessing his bursts of incandescent fury with employee's and lesser family members, that the fact his talons had never torn her scales, was only because she had cowered in obedience at his every directive.

That bloody shadow Malaprop, who had appeared at Lance's side soon after the untimely death of her parents in law ensured that she could never rid herself of Lance's presence. Even if she had had the guts to do so. Shaking her head, she wondered where her resolve had come from last night. What had made her dare to raise a talon to her mate for the first time in over thirty years. After all Jessica's life wasn't being threatened directly, just that of her mate's. Was it that she knew in her heart that without her mate and children, Jessica would probably find a way to end it herself? Somehow, without knowing just how deeply they were involved, she doubted it. With Jessica's fire and attitude, the same vim that resulted in her studying at Oxford, and then bringing Ruth home without telling them in the first place. The most likely outcome of Ruth's disappearance, would be the ending of Lance's life, not hers.

There must be a way to smooth this over amicably. The fact that Jools was calling a clan meeting on Lance's behalf on Friday was promising. It might help alleviate some of the stress that Lance was under financially. However it would also humiliate him to have to go cap in hand to his more successful siblings. She wasn't sure what the result would be, but she couldn't stand the idea of losing any more assets through circumstances outside of their control. Her family, the Gruber's, knew what had happened to her and her mate, but she had warned them off from saving him from his financial fate, as she was afraid his mismanagement would drag them down with him. When his siblings examined the books, she knew just how many inexplicable holes there were in his accounting.

A soft tapping sounded on her bedroom door, so she sat up switching the back-lighter on behind her. "Who's there?" she called, making sure she was decent. It couldn't be Lance, he would have just walked in unannounced.

"It's me Ma'am," the voice of Malaprop sounded through the oak.

"Come in then...I am covered." She smiled to herself as she realised as she said it how absurd it would sound after last nights revelation. She had know for years that Jools swung the other way, but Malaprop was a total surprise. It was also unheard of for him to enter her rooms.

The huge black dragon entered her chamber quietly, closing the door behind him. "Good morning Lady Elizabeth," he said quietly looking at the door that connected her room with Lance's to make sure it was closed.

"What do you want at this time in the morning? Lance can't want me for anything or he would have come in himself."

"Master Lance doesn't know I am here Ma'am...neither does Heather," Malaprop said, standing at the foot of the bed.

"Then what do you want? Heather will be in soon to dress me for the day. She will find it rather odd if she finds you in here," Beth said looking at Malaprop carefully. For the first time since he had arrived, he seemed to be nervous about something.

"Last night was unfortunate, but I had seen it coming for a while. You know of course that over the years in the service of your mate and you I have been asked to perform duties that were not strictly legal," Beth nodded, wondering where it was going. "Well last night was the first time I have ever refused an order. I do not know what Master Lance said that infuriated you enough to strike him, but from what followed I can guess to a certain extent." He shuffled his feet slightly on the thick carpet. "I would like to assure you personally that any orders issued by Master Lance that I deem to be detrimental to your, or your children's health will not be carried out...Even if that means I have to intercede and stop your mate from attempting to carry out his own actions when I refuse. You, Jessica and James are safe while I remain on the property." Malaprop finished looking at her from under his heavy brow.

"That is good to hear Malaprop....however you know as well as I do Lance is never reasonable. Unless something is done to solve the issue over Jessica, I fear that he will do something rash and authorise action outside the usual channels." Beth said, leaning back into her pillows.

"About that Ma'am. What do you know of my origins?" Malaprop said looking at her directly.

"Why would they have any bearing on the situation? The answer is only that you originated from Mexico I think."

"Yes I was born and raised in Mexico. I am a sport, both of colour and size. I know of very few other black dragons, and even if I was willing to try, black is a colour that does not breed true. This Ruth Ruatha that Jessica is possibly mated with is also a sport, though a much rarer, if not a unique one."

"Go on...I still don't get where this is leading."

"Do you think that Master Lance would hire someone of my appearance if he was not sure of his safety in my presence?"

"He hired you because of your size I am guessing, or that you had some combat history?" Beth said, not being able to think of anything else.

"Both, and for another reason. I was an army Captain who your mate bumped into me in a bar. We had a few drinks, a little conversation, then he made me an offer that the Mexicans couldn't match. Do you think Lance would hire a dragon not of true breeding?" The black dragon persisted in his prompting.

"What do you mean...you are a sport by your own admittance. Neither a true colour, nor a common citizen shade..." Suddenly something slipped into the forefront of her mind, and she sat up straight again. "Your parents?"

"My father was a blue, my mother a gold. Only an accident of genetics meant I was different from my siblings. They raised me hidden from the world, giving me just as much love as by two brothers and three sisters had, but kept me out of the general public's view. When I turned sixteen, they suggested that I joined the army because of my size, so I did, working myself up through the ranks until Master Lance found me. I said goodbye obviously when I emigrated to the UK to serve here, but I have lost contact since. They knew of my sexuality by then, so I believe they used my change of position as an excuse not to answer letters anymore." Malaprop finished quietly.

"And your thoughts are that possibly, just possibly this Ruth Ruatha may be a true blood like yourself, who is unlucky enough to have the wrong colour scales on his outer body?"

"That was my thoughts, and it could help to defuse the situation with Master Lance and Jessica if that was the case." Malaprop answered nodding.

"Well I am afraid that Ruth Ruatha is an orphan. Despite us quizzing him all those years ago when the schism happened, he either can't remember, or chooses not to know who his mother and father were. He was raised by an assortment of relatives from what I remember." Beth said scratching at her head horns.

"Could we not find out? His surname is rather unusual. Maybe someone old enough to remember his parents could be found who could identify their blood colour?"

"Go to it then. It is a long shot, but one I think is worth pursuing. Keep it from Master Lance of course. If you need research funds, use the money I give you for housekeeping. I am sure running out of polish for the silver won't harm for a couple of weeks. Owen will just have to live without it."

"Straight away Lady Elizabeth..." The sound of Lance's phone burbled from the other bedroom then, and they both heard the red dragon snort his annoyance at being awakened. "I had better leave and be ready for him to call me in. Where do I start by the way? I am not familiar with the British family hierarchy."

"Try Burke's first. It is available online. That should tell you his family's foundation as we have his surname now. You can then trace it through the records office until you get to his birth registration around thirty years ago. His parents will be listed there. Then it is just a case of finding a living relative unless his parents deaths were prominent enough to warrant a newspaper article. Then a Droogle search should find them."

"Thank you ma'am," A bell sounded downstairs. "That will be Master Lance summoning me. I will get to work on it later."

"Thank you Malaprop...It is something to hope for."

"You're welcome Ma'am. I am hoping that my search proves fruitful. Should I send Heather up for you?"

"Yes thank you. I should get dressed for the day as well," Elizabeth said as the door closed on her unexpected visitor. It was a faint hope, but anything was better than nothing.

****

Ruth cleared his throat. "I have a little something else to add before we begin with the Austran contract. It will need to be acted upon fairly soon, so I imagine it could be passed to the relevant department while we talk."

Mr Jupiter looked up with interest, "What is it that could be more important than Austran?"

"Well it could be a different contract worth another couple of million..."

Jane's head snapped up then. "In relationship to Austran?" She asked interrupting.

"No, but it is something that came of the trip." Ruth said holding his phone up.

"A couple of million eh...Remind me why are you not down here on our contract negotiation board?" Mr Jupiter said smiling.

"Well, I am afraid I am not good with that side of things. Without all the preparation work that I was passed alongside my tickets at Heathrow, I would have been helpless. However I do tend to be good at selling mine, and whichever company I am working for's image."

Mr Jupiter nodded, "As am I. The first thing I did when I set up was hire someone who could handle the research and paperwork aspects of the business. However all the face to face work was always done by me. I would have gone to Australia myself over a contract this size myself, but my doctors tell me that the pressure changes of high altitude plane flight would likely kill me now. To many years of overindulgence and excess etc etc. I have plenty of guys and gals here in London who normally do the overseas stuff for me now, but none of them are Avians. The Austran contact called for flight experience, so I sent you on a chance based on your records. I am glad my judgement proved me right."

"I can not reply to that of course, but I can tell you I was the only avian tenderer to attend the meetings. I made friends with the driver of the Limo, who had also driven the other applicants to the office, so I got some inside information before I arrived. That may have helped swing the contract our way possible. Clyde certainly seemed friendly and receptive towards me. He also mentioned a lack of wings on the other candidates while I was losing a pool match with him." Ruth grinned ruefully at that memory.

"Pool match?"

"Well we had had a friendly argument over the latest Dusties series while we were eating. Clyde then asked me upon concluding our business for a frame or two in the games room. I couldn't refuse, but due to tiredness I lost the match."

"Well it seems to have cemented the contract anyway. People handling seems to be one of your many skills that have been under used by us. What of this other contract, and where did that spring up from?" The eagle asked.

"That was pure chance sir." Ruth considered for a few seconds how to explain his meeting with Wan, but thought a pack of lies would work better given the company, rather than even a partial truth. "I was introduced to a fellow passenger in the first class lounge of the return flight from Singapore. An eastern dragon to be precise. We spoke over a drink before landing, after I had had a sleep to try and help with my tiredness. It turns out that he was a very well known Chinese and Malaysian cultural events promoter and manager called Wan Chan. He was on his way to London to set up the first leg of a European tour.

"My profession was revealed to him in the course of our polite conversation, and he suggested that Overland would maybe be able to handle the transport aspects of the tour, when and if his negotiations with Gubbay and Company were successful. I received a message from him confirming he had had success, and an itinerary and schedule of dates and locations for a tender to be prepared upon while I was on the ride from the hotel to here this morning.

"There are forty-nine locations spread out over sixteen countries and ten months on his list, but it could be ongoing if the tour proves popular. He requires twenty seven, double manned tractor units, capable of towing thirty tonne trailers, which will be arriving at Bristol in three months for the tour. The trailers will have the required adaptations to comply with Euro road regulations. He also needs eight regular tour buses for the support staff, and three luxury ones for the performers which I know we would have to sub-contract." Ruth finished.

"We may not have to sub-contract all the buses Ruth...I have been looking at getting into the inter-city public transport market, and the eight people movers required on that contract, may be enough for me to lean on the holders, if Jane is successful putting together the tender. Will you present it when it is ready as you already know the gentleman involved?" Mr Jupiter asked.

"He is only an acquaintance of a couple of hours sir..." Ruth was interrupted as he tried to avoid mentioning Heidi.

"Which is long enough for him to have thrown a very valuable contract in your lap for your perusal for some reason," The eagles head crest raised quizzically as he studied Ruth for any insight, "I insist as you have obviously made inroads that you present the tender in person wherever his offices are based. Now shunt the details to Jane's phone there, and she can get her department working on the logistical aspects and pricing of it while we discuss Austran. It seems sending you out on contract tenders reaps rewards from unexpected areas as well."

Ruth nodded, and did as he was instructed, but very carefully this time to ensure no other contents were switched from his phone to the deers. Somehow he did not think the other aspects of his Australian trip would go down as well with her as they had with Felix.

Jane nodded on its receipt and her forwarding of it, and the tables occupants turned back to the business that had brought them all there in the first place...Austran.

****

The silver suites door opened as Jessica stepped out into the hallway. Charity emerged, wearing a loose white cotton robe bearing the Draheal's emblem on it, belted with a single embroidered strip of silk. "You sure you won't feel uncomfortable walking through the lobby wearing just that?" Jessica queried, lifting her eyebrow.

"I looked at the lift panel when we were coming up, the Spa has it's own floor, so I imagine they are used to people arriving ready for their treatments. I have a costume on as well though. Are you not bringing a robe yourself?" Charity asked as her door closed behind her.

"No, these towels will suffice to dry my scales off, I will just redress myself before we come back up again."

"What will you wear for your massage?" Charity asked innocently.

Jessica just turned and grinned evilly, "That depends on if the masseuse is female or male. I have my Bikini, and I won't be swimming before the treatment. So if female, I will wear that...if male, well deep muscle is deep muscle..."

"Jessica! You are insatiable!"

"Exactly."

"What if you do get a male? Ruth is not here so you can't play according to your own rules."

"Of course I can play Charity...Just not with a live cock. Masseuses have very talented hands. How do you think I am able to do my job when Ruth is not around. Of course my clients are female in the main, but play is play. As long as I am not unfaithful, I am not breaking any rules of our mate-hood." Jessica said looking at Charity. "Of course as you found out last night, we can play in each others company all we like..."

Charity shifted under her robe, the reminder of her unusual activities last night, mentally making her abused crotch ache. "So what you are saying is, is if the masseuse is willing, you will allow a full massage?"

"Only if I fancy him or her. They would have to be of a compatible size of course, as I would only as mentioned allow hand contact. After all that is what I am paying for."

"What you are paying for? You can't solicit for that kind of service, or the hotel offer it. It's illegal."

"Of course it's illegal...if you ask for it direct. I gather you have never used a massage parlour before."

"No, never...Why?"

"Certain treatments on the list of services are code for other things. The police of course know this as well, but unless the establishments are blatant in their advertising, nothing can be done about it. After all what goes on in private treatment rooms is between the consenting adults involved. Did you not notice the receptionist flush when I ordered a deep muscle? She knew exactly what I was asking for. It was also why she enquired if we minded sharing a treatment room." Jessica said grinning.

"Oh no...I haven't..." Charity started.

"No, I would have stopped you if you had, or at least queried you. You are getting only what you asked for so you don't need to worry. Mine is code for a contact only, meaning the hotel has the option for either a male or female masseuse. If I had asked for the next option down -'A deep and penetrating muscle massage-' they would have supplied a male of comparable experience."

Charity thought for a moment or two, "You must give me a list of the codes before we part tomorrow...I have a feeling that I may treat Felix and I on our next anniversary to a spa visit. I assume the codes are universal?"

"They are everywhere that supplies the hidden services. I was actually surprised to see them on a list at a hotel like the Draheal...however I suppose even their clients require relief away from the family."

"I just thought of something...Won't the services be listed on our checkout bill? Therefore they will end up in accounting at Overland." Charity said looking concerned, worrying that Felix would be embarrassed by their indulgence.

"I would be very surprised to meet or find an accountant with the life experience to read through the innocuously entered spiel. They tend to be prim and proper stay at homes, so would be unlikely to have ever visited such an establishment. They will assume we have just had what we appear to have ordered, nothing more." Jessica assured her. "Now we had better get downstairs, or we will miss our pampering."

Charity smiled, calling the lift. "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Jessica giggled girlishly with her as the lifts doors opened, and they stepped aboard.

****

"Took you long enough Malaprop. What were you up to?" Lance asked as the black dragon finally answered his summoning bell and entered his suite.

"I was attending to a breakage in the kitchen sir. Nothing serious, one of my wings caught a measuring jug while I was preparing breakfast. I didn't want to leave glass on the floor." Malaprop said, approaching the bed where Lance was still residing.

"Well be more careful in the future, even jugs cost money. Pass me my damn phone would you, its bloody burbling woke me up." Lance snapped, sitting up.

Malaprop retrieved it from the dresser, handing to the red dragon deferentially. "I will try to be sir," he said, standing back away from the bed while Lance squinted at the phones screen, trying to read the text. Technically he needed glasses, but he was that stubborn he refused to submit to the perceived indignity of his age.

Lance cursed, giving up. "Fucking screen won't light up probably. What does it say, and who is it from at this ungodly hour."

Malaprop took the phone off Lance, glancing at the clock which was reading gone ten AM. He smiled to himself as he read the message aloud. "It's from Jools, Master Lance. He missed the possible sighting of Jessica at the hotel this morning by five minutes. The couple had already left at seven AM when he arrived. He is going to try again tomorrow though sir."

"Fucking lazy fag. Should never send a bitch to do a mans work..." Lance started before Malaprop coughed. Lance looked up pausing for a second. "What?"

"I seem to remember you asking me to do many 'jobs' that even you were unwilling to do sir. Are you suggesting that I was incapable of them now? I don't recall ever failing you." Malaprop answered straightly, returning his elderly masters gaze.

Lance sat silent for a second, remembering the rest of the previous nights unpleasantness as the sleep fog cleared from his brain. The realisation that he was lying naked in bed in the same room as a much larger dragon who was now known to be gay, with just the flimsiest of silk sheets covering him dawned on him. He quickly pulled the sheets up a little further, covering his chest. "Ah, about that...I doubt you have ever been anyones bitch Malaprop...Jools on the other hand has always been weak."

"I do not know about Jools' tastes master, but you will find that in our circles, those with the power tend to be subservient. So yes I am usually 'The bitch' in my relationships. My sexuality has nothing to do with my ability to do my job. With respect, you and your type have no attraction to me sir so you will not suddenly find yourself pinioned to your bed. I prefer fur and armour. I have only ever had relationships with another male dragon once, and that was while in the Mexican army. If I make you uncomfortable now that you have had your eyes opened, then I will leave. I can find a position anywhere I wish with my service record. However, you know as well as I do that you will not find a replacement for me." Malaprop said firmly, challenging Lance to differ for the first time in over thirty years.

Lance weighed up his options. He may have been an idiot in his business dealings, but he was far from unintelligent. There was no way in a fight he could match Malaprop, either now or when he was in his prime. That was of course why he had bribed him away from the Mexican army when he was in his early twenties for his own personal protection. Never in those years had he ever been threatened or challenged by the dragon who was now staring him down. Come to think of it until last night he had never questioned an order, even when it had involved the removal of his business competition. Now here he was, standing bold as brass in front of him, daring him to challenge him on his sexuality. Malaprop was right of course, there was no way he could hire another bodyguard/butler with even half the competence.

He sighed heavily, allowing his sheet to drop to his lap again. "Well I am pretty much stuck then aren't I? I have no choice, in the same way I have no choice over the meeting on Friday, and I don't like it one bit. Dress me then Malaprop. Don't expect me to forget what you have revealed, but you must also never expect me to accept it. I am to old to change." Pushing the sheet to one side, exposing himself to the stale air in the bedroom, he slid his legs over the side of the bed. "Just one question though?"

Malaprop smiled slightly, "Yes Master Lance?"

"You said armour...We are scaled, fur is fur...What did you mean when you said armour if you consider scales not to be it?"

Malaprop chuckled deeply. "My size presents problems in my relationships sir. I have sought the company of elephants and rhinos for the most part, and of course the odd bear and giraffe. My taste for armour I suppose came from my first true partner who I will never forget. His name was Acilino. Ironic of his parents to call him that, as an armadillo could never soar like an eagle. He had the heart and fighting spirit of one though. He was killed in a skirmish with a drug cartel three months before you plucked me from that taverna," Malaprop said, as he held up a freshly pressed shirt for Lance to back into.

"I am sorry..."

"Don't be...We knew the risks when we signed up. At least he died honourably. If they had found out about us, we would have both been tied to a wall and shot." Malaprop stated quietly, passing a pair of underpants to his master, then holding up some worn chino's for him to step into.

Lance didn't reply immediately...though he was tempted. He knew that Malaprop was testing him again, and he couldn't afford to take the bait. "Well I am sorry all the same..." He lamely settled upon as he crimped his belt tight.

Malaprop smiled behind Lance's back. He was both glad and sorry that he had won this round of verbal sparring. He didn't want to undermine his Master's self integrity, but he really couldn't afford to consider leaving until Jessica was safe again from persecution. It hadn't dawned on Lance yet that the message Jools had sent was absolute baloney. No commercial boards started work even in London before eight, therefore he couldn't have missed the couple. The very fact that message hadn't arrived until after ten told Malaprop that Jools' meeting had been successful.

"Things happen outside of our control sir. I am quite happy to continue in your service as if the last eighteen hours had never happened. It need never be mentioned again." Malaprop said, giving Lance the opportunity to close the discussion down neatly.

Lance hesitated, before turning to face Malaprop, nose to shoulder. He looked up at his longest acquaintance in his life, trying to divine any hidden meaning in his words. Malaprop just stared down at the red dragon silently in turn, meeting his gaze. Lance sighed, "Very well...I will not mention it again, and neither will you. What were you preparing for breakfast?"

"Scrambled eggs and French toast sir. I was had been just measuring the milk out when I had the accident."

"I will take it in the study this morning, ask Beth to join me there when she appears in the dining room."

"She should be with you shortly sir, Heather came up the stairs with me as usual when you rang for me."

"Good, we will eat when it is ready then. I have a lot of paperwork to prepare over the next few days ready for Friday's meeting. When you have tidied up, draft me that invite please, and I will sign each copy ready for dispatch. Call Overland as usual and arrange for collection at twelve. We will need four inner London same-day deliveries, one same-day express to Howard in Kent and of course a 24hr to Gertrude in Nice. Jools already knows, but set the meeting time for ten AM here. Gertrude can stay in the lodge if she wishes, but the others can fly in."

"I will do so sir. Now I will leave you and start cooking the eggs."

"Malaprop..." Lance said.

"Yes sir?"

"Thank you."

Malaprop nodded, turning to leave the room with a smile on his face as he heard a telltale creak in the floorboards next to the dividing suites door.

****

Beth gently pulled her ear from the oak door that separated her room from her mates. Heather was standing at the side of the days neatly laid out clothing and she quickly walked over to her in preparation for her quick dressing, stripping her nightdress off.

"Everything alright ma'am?" The cheetah asked quietly.

"Yes Heather, yes. Nothing for you to worry about. Just some business that should have been attended to a long time ago. I am sorry I was so long this morning."

"No problem ma'am, I got used to you doing that years ago. That is why we have become so practised at getting you dressed quickly. Will you need anything dispatching again in secret today?" Heather asked as she efficiently slipped a semi-formal dress on over her Mistress's head..

"No, but I will be asking you and Owen later to prepare the lodge for a guest. If you have nothing else this morning, I suggest that you get a head start." Elizabeth said, straightening up as Heather fetched some day shoes for her.

"I will do so after serving breakfast then..."

"Malaprop will tell you, but breakfast is in the study this morning. I will see you there." Elizabeth said interrupting.

"As you wish Ma'am," she bowed and left the room heading for the kitchen.

Elizabeth sighed and started for the main staircase. Heather and Malaprop both knew she listened in on Lance's business. They both considered it only right that as his mate, she should know what was going on as he didn't see fit to inform her himself. She was lucky in a way that 'all' the staff were so loyal to her...

****

The lift opened onto the spa's circular, limestone flagged foyer. The warm humid air hit Jessica and Charity as they stepped out under the slightly domed ceiling, which had been painted blue, with cherubine representations of all the main species appearing to be flying on gossamer wings through the clouds. Jessica stopped and did a double take as she realised the clouds were moving. Puffs of superheated steam were being released silently out of concealed nozzles in the wall, where they then floated lazily up to the domes centre, before being sucked away into a hidden cavity.

Charity was spellbound as well as she followed Jessica's gaze. "How do they do that?" She asked quietly, nudging the dragoness.

"I am not sure...The steam would rise even in this temperature, but it should dissipate when it hits the plaster. The dome must be scorching with built up heat." Jessica answered, following the line of one of the artificial clouds as it seemed to change course halfway across its path.

"Ahem...you would be right ma'am if the dome was left alone, but the ceiling is supercooled in channels. That is how we control where the steam is going." The Koala bear who was sitting behind reception interrupted.

"Ah, so the steam condenses and rolls on it's own water droplets?" Jessica asked nodding.

"Yes ma'am."

"How do you avoid it dripping on the customers?" She asked as she started across to the desk with the cat. She suddenly jumped, sneezing as a cold drip landed in one of her nostrils.

The Koala laughed alongside Charity, "We can't, so most repeat customers walk around the edge. It is one of the first displays of it's kind in a public area designed more as a piece of art rather than a practical installation. It certainly captures the wow factor."

Jessica frowned then joined on the laughter. "It does at that! Now, you should have a joint massage room reserved for Yucsum and Ruatha at eleven."

The koala tapped a few commands into his keyboard and nodded. "Yes you are in room four. Manuella and Georgina will be your masseurs. If you would make yourself comfortable, I will inform them you are here. Who ordered the deep muscle?"

"I did, and I am aware of its full ramifications." Jessica answered, daring the koala to blush.

"Good, Paula upstairs noted that down correctly then, you can understand why we have to ask with dual bookings. Georgina will be your attendant Mrs Ruatha. I can assure you she is well trained." The koala answered smiling, not even showing the slightest breach of professionalism.

Jessica smiled, "Good, I can imagine some misunderstandings occurring otherwise. When you inform her of my arrival, tell her that I expect my moneys worth. This is the first time though I have attended a parlour attached to a hotel spa."

"You will find ma'am that our staff are the best available in the industry, and are absolutely discreet," The koala replied.

"We shall go and await them then," Jessica closed the conversation, noting the sign on the wall directing them towards the treatment rooms.

They exited the reception area walking down the brightly light corridor the curved off the right. A large floor to ceiling window split the white plastered wall, giving them a view of the pool area and bar. The pool was blue tiled, crystal clear and about half Olympic sized. The bar was situated along the far side in the seating area, and was false roofed with palm leaves. The ceiling of the triple height room the pool was situated in, was so to accommodate the double level diving board, but painted in a conventional white fashion. Jessica chuckled as she noted the sign on the wall declaring 'No Flying' in bold letters.

They passed a crossing corridor, the left hand branch opening onto the pool. The right hand branch declared it was the entrance to the changing rooms and sauna suite. Straight ahead the treatment rooms opened off the hallway, each clearly marked with a number. They stopped at number four and opened the door, stepping in.

Two large, height adjustable, padded massage benches were bolted to the floor equidistant from each other. A folded up curtain hanging off a central rail was pinned against the back wall, where there was also a couple of locked, glass fronted display cabinets. The collection of lotions visible through the glass was extensive. The room was exclusively decorated in white, from the porcelain wall tiles, to the ceramics on the floor. It smelled also lightly of a flowery disinfectant.

"You going to take the right bench or the left?" Charity asked, slipping her robe off and hanging it on the pegs near the door.

"The right I think...there is slightly more room to manoeuvre around it." Jessica replied, slipping out of her sarong. She placed the towels on the bench next to the door. Smiling to herself, she didn't bother with the bikini, and walked naked over to the bench and laid herself flat on her stomach.

Charity grinned, adjusting her costume to ensure she was fully covered before assuming the same position as Jessica on the opposite bench just as the door opened. A very slim and sinuous ocelot entered first. She wore a thin cotton, short sleeved white coat, fastened with a single button at the front, so as to show off the vast majority of her superbly groomed florets in her tawny fur. Where it was visible on her legs and arms, careful pattern tracings had been shaved, highlighting various features that could be viewed as highly erotic when they caught the light.

She seemed to float over to Jessica, a smile on her face as she introduced herself, "Good morning Mrs Ruatha...My name is Georgina," she said a thick Slavic accent. "I will be your attendant this morning."

Charity had been glued to what in her eyes was the most feminine example of a feline she had ever set eyes upon. She felt... in-adequate for the first time in her life. Though Georgina only stood maybe six inches taller than her, she encompassed everything she had never been, or ever could be. She was beginning to wonder if the visit to the spa would be good for her mental well being, when the door closed with a gentle click, the lock snicking into the occupied position, breaking Charity's attention in order for her to turn and view her attendant.

The pine marten that turned to face her was...well she could only be described as liquid on legs. A full seven foot tall, she had obviously bent to clear the doorways lintel. Two stainless steel cups suspended on silver wires covered just her nipples, with a further silver wire running down her peroxide blond belly fur to a triangular gold plate, that fitted neatly into an obviously shaved patch, barely covering her sex. A heavy gauge, double spiralled gold chain acting as a belt sat in her hips, suspending a platinum tail ring around the base of that particular appendage. Charity could only imagine a similar chain joined the front plate the ring between her legs.

At no points apart from her wide muscular hips and shoulders, did her body exceed a foot in diameter. Her arms however were bulging with concealed power as she smiled at the stunned cat. The pinpoint sharp teeth were capped with gold, making her black, gimlet eyes and shockingly pink dyed ear tufts, all the more extravagant. "Good morning Mrs Yucsum. I am Manuella, I will be you masseur this morning," she greeted, as she swayed across the floor towards the bench. "I have you down for a light muscle toning. If you wish to upgrade, please, just ask."

Charity swallowed hard. She was speechless for the first time in her life. She was lying, virtually defenceless in a room, about to be attended to by what could only be described as a very female, and very sexy predator. Jessica was grinning at her from the other bench, watching for any adverse reaction to the appearance of what was obviously a lesbian of the purest type. Could she bring herself to allow Manuella to touch her? Could she break her conditioning to that extent? Sexual contact was out of the question of course, but claws and fingers could slip easily enough. The previous evening she had done something that she never ever thought she could. It had been naughty, pleasant and painful all in one, and she was still suffering for her over indulgence; but even in her greatest pain, she had allowed only a male, Ruth, to touch her... there. Could she allow this example of sex on legs to explore her body in a way that she just knew would not remain intimacy free?

She sighed...'In for a penny, in for a pound,' she thought. "Good morning Miss Manuella. Please just a massage this morning...I am afraid I was injured last night, and doubt that I could have the same service that is being provided to my friend Jessica over there." She said smiling up at the pine marten.

"Very well Mrs Yucsum, please just call me Manuella. Stop me if I hurt you or go to far. I will be gentle, but I suggest that you remove your costume. The pool attendants are not happy if we get the oils we use on material that is then worn in the pool or the sauna area. I assure you that I will approach no areas that you wish me to avoid, and as you can gather there is very little we have not seen before." Manuella said, approaching the display cabinets, reaching down to her gold triangle, and pulling a tiny key from somewhere underneath it. She selected a long, sub-fur applicator and a bottle of lavender massage oil.

Charity looked uncomfortable, but did as she was bade, and slipped off the bench in order to remove her costume. She folded it neatly on the bench with Jessica's towels, then climbed back on, assuming the same face down position as Manuella turned back to her again.

" istenem!" The pine marten exclaimed in Hungarian when she saw Charity's tail area, "What the hell happened?"

Charity flushed pink, but Jessica answered for her, "Mrs Yucsum and her mate spent last night with myself and my mate last night. We switched sleeping partners, and I am afraid Ruth was a little to much for her to handle..."

"But he was so good though..." Charity interrupted. "It was worth it."

"That only happened last night? It looks like it is healing well," Manuella said, bending down to look more closely.

"Ruth lick healed me...dragon saliva is both a coagulant and a salve. I am still very sore though. Please just give me a muscle toning only." Charity asked, switching her tail down to cover the examination.

"I can be as gentle as a kitten when required Mrs Yucsum. I assure you I will avoid any contact with the affected area unless you give me the go ahead. You must excuse me though if the activity with your friend and Georgie over there excites me a little. The rooms are soundproof, and on a closed air circuit when the door is closed. That is to avoid the spread of pheromones. The air in here may become close when Georgie begins her work." The pine marten said smiling, starting to apply the oil directly to Charity's skin, parting her long fur as she did so.

"I hope that Georgina is experienced as you seem to be. I have a feeling that Jessica may be a handful," Charity said, relaxing as the warm oil seemed to leach into her muscles.

"I assure you Mrs Yucsum, I am used to all types of clients including dragons." The ocelot called over confidently as she started rubbing massage oils into Jessica's scales. She had put a pair of thin Kevlar gloves on, so as to avoid cutting herself. "I am more used to males seeking my services though, something my colleague Manuella passes on, as you may gather."

"Just because I chose not to allow intercourse with males, does not mean I do not pleasure them! I have never had complaints from any of my clients!" The pine marten grinned to take the sting from her comment. It was obviously a joke she shared with her colleagues as Georgina laughed as she started to work on the tension knots in Jessica's shoulders.

Jessica sighed as the ocelot's hands started to work their magic, "I warn you Georgina, I am a rep of over ten years for Playful Distractions. I am sure you ladies know what that company is, and what the reps have to do," she said quietly.

Georgina's hands paused for a second, then resumed. Charity was watching the ocelot and noticed the hesitation. "I am sure that when Manuella has completely relaxed me, you can have her as back up...I know my mate can barely walk this morning after last night with her!" She said laughing.

Jessica giggled, "I will go easy on you, but I warn you that sex-play with me is always mutually pleasing. I suggest that you remove your coat before we get to involved," she suggested, gesturing at Georgina's apparel.

"I think I can handle you well enough Mrs Ruatha...however I will do as you suggest." She slipped the coat off, revealing that she was just wearing just two garter belts underneath, a crotchless pair of panties, and no bra.

"Aha...the soft-play set," Jessica said, recognising the lingerie from her sales range. The ocelot nodded, and then resumed her massage. Jessica sniffed the air. She was not damp yet herself, but the mention of her occupation had exited one of the two masseurs enough for them to have begun producing musk. As she had not actually had a sexual experience with either of their species in the past, she was not sure who yet, but the musk was feline like.

Charity squeaked as Manuella found a particularly stubborn knot in her shoulder muscles, "Sorry Mrs Yucsum, I should have worked at that one more gently."

"No problem Manuella, I am in no doubt that you will find more. Only my mate has massaged me in the last thirty years, and he is Abyssinian, so his hands are not that strong." Charity reassured her, shifting slightly to lie face down as the pine marten moved to work on her neck. She started purring in pleasure.

Jessica placed her muzzle through the padded ring she was resting her chin on, so as to expose her neck to the ocelot. Georgina moved around to the benches head as Jessica's horns revealed the knotted neck muscles, and leaned over to start kneading them, then gasped, as Jessica slipped her tongue out and ran it over her sex, as it was almost resting on the dragoness' nose horn. She did not pause though as Jessica muttered after her sampling, "So it is you that is ready then?"

Georgina tried to ignore the sensations as Jessica continued to sample flick at her with her flexible appendage, and then nudged at her flushing button with her horn. Shifting on her feet slightly, she smiled as she preserved her professionalism by digging harder at a buried knot under the scales she was working on, causing Jessica to mutter and withdraw slightly.

Quickly she bent and grabbed the dragoness' left hand, working her fingers and talons over gently, popping the knuckles gently, "You don't win that easily with me Mrs Ruatha," She whispered into Jessica's ear as she was level with it. Jessica's reply was to half open an eye, then instantly snapped her head out of the ring and took the surprised ocelot's face into her mouth, gripping her small skull gently with her teeth, she then forced her tongue through her lips to steal a tongue twizzler.

"Don't challenge a master dear...you will lose," she breathed through her kiss, before instantly replacing her head where it had been.

Georgina had frozen when she had suddenly found her staring down a superior predators throat. It had been so fast she hadn't even had time to withdraw. She allowed the entry of her clients tongue into her mouth, and accepted her breathed warning. Light blossomed again in her eyes, and she shook her head, working up the arm she still held to Jessica's shoulder.

Charity had been watching out of the corner of her eye, as Manuella was working her torso over slowly but steadily. The pine marten had paused when Jessica had snapped Georgina's head into her mouth, but had resumed upon her release. "Do not worry about Jessica's play dear," she whispered quietly up at her attendant. "She will not harm anyone. I feel that she is taking as a challenge your colleagues words."

Manuella nodded grinning, "Something tells me that Georgie will need my back up after all. It is nice to be presented with a client that can hold their own with us," she said quietly as Georgina moan-cursed, because Jessica had made use of the fact that her hand had been released, and had slipped a single talon across the ocelot's button as she plunged it into her sex while she repositioned to work on the dragoness' ribcage. Manuella giggled, which started Charity off again.

Georgina almost slapped at Jessica's errant finger, but let it ride as she began to run her hands over the ridges formed by her ribcage. Some of the powerful flight muscles that controlled her wings ran tendons just under her scales there, and they were stressed and under tension. The dragoness cursed, as she twisted her hands in opposite directions in order to drop an out of place tendon into its channel with an audible pop. She then nearly jumped onto Jessica's back with a squeal as the dragoness snicked her clit's sheath with her talons tip in retaliation.

Charity cursed under her breath as Manuella grabbed her shoulders and with a single practiced rolling movement, popped the cartilage back into position with a double click. The outraged squeal from the ocelot opposite stopped her from vocalising. "That move caught her by surprise," the pine marten said, as she knelt in front of Charity's nose. "Hang you arms loose over the end please, they are as knotted as your shoulders were."

Charity nodded, placing her nose through the ring and doing as she was asked. She was purring steadily now, as even though some of Manuella's actions were causing her spikes of pain, her bodies endorphins were flooding her mind with relief as the muscles that were being repositioned relaxed in to their natural channels.

Muttering obscenities in her native language, Georgina ran her hands over Jessica's left side to ensure all the knots were worked, then stepped back away from her roaming hand, and approached her thighs. Carefully ensuring that she was not leaning into the dragoness' huge thigh muscles, while leaving her own ass and tail exposed to being grabbed again, the ocelot started working on the seemingly solid mass of meat in front of her. Slowly as she concentrated on her task, her tail end was working its way around to face the wall cabinet.

Jessica's eyes were half closed in bliss as the wildcats hands were working, but with her excellent peripheral vision, she spotted her next potential move.

Manuella had finished de-kinking Charity's arms by that time and had moved to her left side to begin her own rib massage. She looked up and grinned as she watched Jessica slowly repositioning the appendage that Georgina had forgotten about until it homed in on its target. She bent and whispered in Charity's ear, and the Persian turned to watch what was about to happen.

It was a pretty good job that the room was soundproofed when Jessica had lined her tail tip up. With a quick thrust and no warning, she darted it straight up the underside of the ocelot's tail, and through the tight ring it concealed until it was embedded up to its first micro-ridge. Georgina screamed as she was penetrated anally. In her shock, she forgot her professionalism and her claws extended, skittering across Jessica's thigh scales. It hadn't hurt, in fact her scream turned into a moan as 'HER' client started to twist within her sphincter. "You bitch...you cow...you..."

"Customer?" Jessica enquired mildly as she started to try and worm her way deeper.

"No customer here is allowed that!...There are some things that we as professionals in an establishment of this quality do not allow..." She panted though her moans. Her musk was getting heavier by the second.

"Oh well in that case, I am sorry..." Jessica started as she began to withdraw.

"No...No...Don't...Ah...Ah...Oh Fuck-it!" Georgina's knees trembled, and she squirted a very fluidious orgasm all over the tiled floor. "You win the first round you bitch!" she gasped. "Now get your tail out of my arse!"

Jessica grinned, and carefully pulled out with a damp squelching noise. Manuella had not been able to restrain herself, and was leaning on Charity's back in stitches, while Charity was laughing uncontrollably. "You need to learn more control Georgie!" Manuella said as she regained her composure, and stood, resuming her rub over of Charity.

"You try bloody keeping control of your self with a twitching tail up your back passage...Don't you bloody dare spread that one around the staff room or I will chase you into the pool!" The ocelot retorted, smoothing her fur down a little, before approaching Jessica's offending tail, starting to rub it down carefully from its base. "I am taking of control of this for now Madam, that way I can keep an eye on it!" She directed at Jessica who was still chuckling.

"So when are you going to make your first move then?" Jessica asked innocently.

"When I can get at you...Let me finish up top without further distractions, and then you can turn over!" Georgina replied,

"Okay I call a truce then for the moment...All the musk in here now is accentuating my need though. I am not promising that if an easy target presents itself I won't take advantage of it though." Jessica said grinning.

"Fair enough, but bear in mind you technically only reserved my services for ninety minutes, though I have a free period after you for lunch," the ocelot said as she worked all the tail vertebrae back into position.

"Well I will just have to see how I compete when it comes to lunch...I hope you will forget that to be honest! If you don't, well I will have lost my touch."

"From that last demonstration, you have not lost anything Mrs Ruatha!" Georgina exclaimed starting to work her way back up the right hand side of Jessica.

Charity giggled again, and Manuella snorted as she finished off the Charity's topside. "If you would care to turn over Mrs Yucsum...I will be able to continue with your frontal areas."

Charity carefully rolled herself onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She was painfully aware of course that she was now naked, and fully exposed to a female in an almost clinical environment for the first time in her life. Yes Jessica had seen her like this the previous evening, but that had somehow been different. Also Jessica most certainly did not touch her, as she was bid. The dragoness and ocelot's musk was hanging heavy in the air of the room, and the sharp, acidly pungent smell of a third female kept presenting its-self every time the pine marten's enclosed and guarded crotch passed near to her nose during the massage. Despite her age, injuries and mental conditioning, a certain need was making its-self known to her.

Manuella started working on her clavicle, carefully revolving her shoulders within her sockets again, while running practiced fingers over the tendons until they were at their maximum pliability. Charity came to a decision as the pine marten moved onto her frontal rib cage, below her breasts, "Ahem Manuella..."

"Yes Mrs Yucsum?"

"You can initiate touch contact carefully...My body is overriding my brains input at the moment, and I am need of some relief."

"Are you sure Mrs Yucsum?"

"I am sure Manuella...but please be careful if you approach my nether quarters," Charity replied quietly.

"Very well Mrs Yucsum, I will take it very carefully. No penetration or stretching," she confirmed, moving her hands up a little and taking Charity's globes within them for the first time, rolling them as she had done the cats shoulders.

They were reasonably firm, especially when her age was considered Manuella thought to herself as she started to work across the nipples that were now presenting themselves like little pink lighthouses amongst the spume of white fur. Bending herself in the middle in a single supple movement, she bent and started to run her tongue around the aureoles gently.

Charity closed her eyes and sighed, pretending that it was Felix or Ruth that was applying the attention, and letting her body's responses react appropriately. The forth and final musk began to add itself to the rooms already heady cocktail.

Jessica was keeping half an ear on the developments going on on the other bench, and smiled as Charity gave into the inevitable. She would be a changed cat after the forty-eight hours in her and Ruth's company. It may be a little late for her to change permanently, but Jessica was pleased that she had finally experienced the lighter side of sex. Georgina was working her right arm finally, and was approaching her wrist. No further chances had presented themselves, so she decided to make one.

As the ocelot bent and gripped her wrist bones, Jessica pulled hard without warning and toppled her off balance to bump on Jessica's snout. This time though, Jess didn't grab her head, she gently enclosed one of her double C's and gripped it so her incisors just pierced the flesh.

"Oh shit, Oh Shit! What are you doing?" Georgina cursed as the pain coursed through her to her brain.

Jessica couldn't answer, but started running her tongue around the captured breasts nipple. The ocelot's protestations turned into a moan and she let Jessica's hand drop free.

She had been waiting for that, and using her left hand and talons to grip and puncture the right hand free breast, and then cupped the wildcats sopping sex with the other. Breathing hot air with a force of a desert storm onto the twitching flesh in her mouth, Jessica slipped a single bared talon into Georgina's lips, and scratched at the very swollen nubbin that presented itself to her search.

The ocelot shuddered, screeching with a primal fury as she filled the dragoness' cupped hand with her second orgasmic release. Careful not to spill any, Jessica released her captured breasts and brought the pooled liquid up to her mouth. "A loving cup before I turn over?" Jessica whispered to the shaking feline, proffering her her cupped hand. Georgina nodded, and bent to sip at the forbidden pool. Jessica's lips joined hers at her hand, and they consumed the liquid with laps of their tongues.

"I have never tasted my own...apart from licking myself after play. They are very intense when not soaked into fur." Georgina commented when Jessica dropped her hand.

Jessica nodded, querying in response. "Have you sampled a dragoness' before?"

"Dragons, yes...dragoness' no. Why?"

"You will find me more piquant, though with my pregnancy I am probably weakening a little at the moment."

"You are pregnant? Then why are you still at play? Most females lose all drive when they are carrying."

"Not this female...then again, I had a huge one to begin with," Jessica rolled herself over in a single smooth action to present her belly, breasts and vents to the air. "Is it not about time you demonstrated your services now? After all I am the client."

Georgina smiled, "I will do my best ma'am, though I doubt I can match your expertise from what I have seen so far from you."

Jessica smiled and rested her head back on the rings padding as the ocelot started to work on her abdominal muscles and breast bone. Every now and then she would brush an extended claw over the finer scales in the dragoness' breasts. As her nipples hardened, Georgina started her foreplay, and licked tentatively at the proud bullets every-time she applied her claws. Jessica started to breath heavier as she let the wildcat guide her down the road that she was more than willing to take.

Manuella moved down Charity's body, running her neatly filed claws over the hidden nipples that ran in parallel lines down the Persians belly. Although they had not been used since her last kittens, Charity started purring louder as the pine marten proved that they were still sensitive to skilled manipulation. She was still doing her job primary though, and every knot, bump or twist of displaced muscle she encountered on her belly, she pressed and worked on until it was sitting smoothly again.

As she approached Charity's splayed thighs, and the area normally concealed by them, she looked up at the Persian's face, watching for any displeasure or indication to stop. Charity felt her pause and opening her eyes she looked down her body at the querant pine marten, and nodded her assent.

The area in question was very swollen and red, coloured strong enough that it was virtually glowing through the long white hair that was lying across it. Manuella carefully parted the errant stands of Charity's coat until only the smoothly shaved pubic fur was present. Massaging gently the inside of her thighs, Manuella visually examined the damaged tissues in front of her nose, and decided that there was no way penetration would be possible without recourse to further healing. For an old lady, Charity was sure producing enough pheromones to hold her own with the much younger clientele she was used to dealing with.

Very slowly she started to lick at the cats swollen pussy, hesitantly touching the less inflamed parts to start with, and then working her self deeper as her nose tickled at the parting lips. Charity groaned and squirmed under her attentions, her mind was still screaming at her that she shouldn't be deriving pleasure from a female, but her body was undeniably receptive as it sent more of her depleted blood supply to flush her clitoris into full arousal.

Manuella felt the hidden nub brush at her nose as it swelled in response to her tongues ministrations, so she backed off a little and gently transferred her attentions to it's hood, peeling it back gently to reveal its guarded treasure within. Charity gasped as the rough surface of Manuella's appendage started to tickle at her most sensitive of organs. Sucking the fully swollen tower into her mouth completely, the pine marten closed her lips around its base, and rolled it tightly around the interior of her cheeks. It was to much for Charity, and she mewled loudly, abandoning her mental pretensions, and allowed her body to take her into full orgasm. Her musk glands sprayed Manuella under her chin in her body's spasms, while her lips wept the nectar's of full sexual relief, running in a stream-let down to soak into her tail.

Manuella shuddered in a mutual release, as the felines scents overpowered her brains pleasure centres in an instant, and she released Charity's clit in a primal scream of her own. Jessica and Georgina both glanced over as the other pair both vocally climaxed in dual paroxysms of pleasure, then Jessica smiled and relaxed as her partner bent back to her work, just as Manuella was now meticulously cleaning up the aftermath of her attentions from Charity's soaking fur.

Charity's heart rate and breathing resumed their normal pattern as her professional attendant was licking at and polishing the freshly soaked skin and fur. Manuella was savouring her tastes as she did it, rolling and questioning an unfamiliar one on her tongue until she realised that she was tasting the dragon seed that had been deposited the night before, and had been flushed out with the Persian's own fluids. Charity glanced across at Jessica, and noted that Georgina was fast approaching her swollen vents.

She was totally spent in mind and body, so she cleared her throat to attract Manuella's attention from between her thighs. The pine marten looked up from her completed cleansing to see what her client wished. "I am very tired, and that was wonderful, but I can take no more for the moment. We still have time left on our session, so I suggest that you join your colleague over there, and Jessica will see to your needs I as never could."

"Are you sure Mrs Yucsum? I could continue to work your muscles over if you wish."

"Yes I am sure Manuella. I will likely take a nap for the remaining time, in preparation for a sauna and plunge pool session. I need to be completely clean and scent free for my grooming appointments this afternoon." She yawned heavily then, covering her mouth in embarrassment.

Manuella smiled, and stood then, flexing her shoulders. "Very well then, I will give Georgie my assistance should she need it." She walked over to the busy ocelot, who was only just starting to play with Jessica's long vent, which was weeping went a veritable river of moisture. Not wishing to usurp her colleagues position in any way she considered where her services might be needed.

"Remove your harness," Jessica said quietly through her heavy breathing, "Georgina is doing quite adequately down there. I have already given her, her pleasure twice, it is time that I gave you some as well."

Manuella paused for a second, then reaching under her guarding plates, she removed a second concealed key from somewhere, and inserted it into a tiny lock that was not visible unless you looked for it in the engraving. With an almost inaudible click, her belt parted, and she stepped out of the concealing metal contraption. Using the same key, she fiddled with one of her nipple caps, until it opened to reveal a second lock which she turned, until her bra parted in the same way, and dropped to the floor. She grinned at the dragoness, and then showed her as she slipped the key into a titanium container that was hanging neatly suspended from her pierced clitoris' ring. "Only with my consent will anyone reach my keys that way," she whispered winking.

Jessica laughed, then bliss crossed her face as Georgina nipped at her hood with her teeth as she slipped a paw through her labia into her pussy's welcoming interior. As she regained mental control, she heard Manuella ask her where she wished her to stand. "Sit Manuella, sit. Mount my snout, but support yourself with your legs unless you want my nose and chin horns inside of you. My neck is more than strong enough."

The pine marten grinned and carefully climbed up, straddling Jessica's face as instructed, by placing her feet on each side the benches neck ring. She bent her knees slightly until her sex was resting on her nose horn. Pursing her lips slightly, Jessica exhaled steadily, blowing hot air over Manuella's openings until they started to weep moisture. "Anything you consider taboo?" she whispered as she started to lick at the pine marten's anus.

Manuella moaned, "No scat, if that's what you mean," she said as she allowed the ticking sensations to arouse her further. "I ain't going to crap on you!"

Jessica giggled, "Nah, I never liked the taste of it fresh," she said as she tickled further, then slipped her tongue tip through the ring she was agitating, causing Manuella to almost stand in shock, "I don't mind a light rimming though when playing with someone well groomed!"

The penetration of her ring, along with the vibrations running through the dragoness' tongue as she spoke, were enough to bring on a quick, if not hugely intense orgasm. Manuella shuddered, and spilled her sexual relief, to run down Jessica's chin. Jessica tensed mentally, as Georgina must have been listening to the exchange, and had switched her attentions from Jessica's snatch to her anus, and the ocelot's rough tongue was now agitating her inner ring with abandon.

Grinning as her urge to orgasm came under control again, she switched attention forward again, and started to play with the area above the pine martens dangling piercing. It wasn't long before she found what she was aiming for, and started a tickle massage of Manuella's urethra. "Ah Mrs Ruatha...you can't tickle me there without consequences!" She protested squirming.

"I know...that is why I asked about taboos," Jessica replied, pausing for a second, "I play nightly with my mate like this and with others. Let yourself go..."

Manuella thought for a few seconds, then moaned as Jessica resumed her agitations, "Fuck it...Georgie watch it, I can't hold any longer!" She sat back hard onto Jessica's snout and allowed the bladder stimulation to do its work. As she was leaning back slightly, she fountained a pungent stream of urine onto the dragoness' belly and breasts in a steady stream, where it splashed, then flowed down and around the raised vents the ocelot was still attending to.

Jessica sampled the acidic rain as it pushed her tongue out of its passage. It was much stronger than that of Ruth or Amy's. As she drained to a halt, Jessica asked, "Do you eat any vegetable matter at all Manuella?"

"No, I am a pure carnivore...Leaves and fruits do not agree with my system...Why?"

"You taste very different to my mate, and a few vegetarians that I have played with. Much stronger, but not unpleasant..." She paused squirming as Georgina withdrew from her volcano like crater, and started to clean the acidic residues left by Manuella's scalding lava from her scales.

"Am I doing alright Mrs Ruatha...you should have climaxed many times by now. You seem to be providing us with the services that we should be providing you," the ocelot asked as she approached Jessica's snatch again.

"I would have done dear, but I have control. Many years of prolonging my mates ecstasy, has meant that I have ensured that he has to work for mine," Jessica paused for a few seconds, glancing at the clock. "I believe though that we are already in your break period, so shall we go for a mutual climax?"

"Yes!" Georgina and Manuella replied in unison.

"Very well, Manuella can you support Georgina's weight?" Jessica asked.

"Easily I should think, why?"

"Let's go trapezoid then. Should be interesting. Georgina mount me belly to belly, with your ass pressed against Manuella's stomach." The ocelot did as instructed in wonderment, "Good, now Manuella lift Georgina's hips until they rest on your breasts, make sure you can reach her sex orally." Manuella grinned, and with a single smooth movement, braced herself against the bench and lifted the delectable ass of her colleague into position, until the ocelots legs were barely able to kiss Jessica's breasts.

"Now Georgina, double fist me as your anchor. Chose either or both holes if you don't mind penetrating me anally." Jessica instructed, expecting the cat to chose to slip one fist in each. Georgina grinned evilly, and spat in her slender hands before slipping both into the aperture she had recently lubricated with her tongue. Jessica swore under her breath as the sneaky wildcat double penetrated her anus, fighting to stop herself from ruining the equilibrium by coming first.

"Clever...you nearly had me then," she said shuddering with the effort. Now Manuella relax your legs and start work on you colleague. This should be quick and very intense!" Jessica exclaimed, as the pine marten lowered herself again onto her snout.

Jessica grinned mentally to herself, and twisted her head slightly in order to hook her chin horn through the piercing ring hanging from Manuella's clit, then manipulating her jaws apart, she pulled on it until her lower jaw slipped within Manuella's sopping sex. Switching her breathing pattern carefully, she blew hard upon her anus which was resting on her nostrils as she started to run her tongue around the pine martens inner vaginal walls, flicking at her cervix.

Feeling the her colleague pause her attentions on her cunnilingus and inhale sharply, Georgina sprang her last surprise on Jessica, and plunging her nose into the dragoness' vagina, she bit hard on her customers clitoris, just as Manuella did the same to hers.

The three of them went into simultaneous orgasm, releasing their primal screams deep into each others sex's. Jessica started to thrash under her two riders, and had the ocelot not been well anchored into her anus, the whole assembly would have collapsed. As it was, every ripple of her body, caused her jaw to pull on the Manuella's ring, until the copious fluids from the pine marten's multiple forced orgasms, let gravity take over and Jessica's upper jaw and nostrils found themselves slipping into her anus alongside her lower jaw in her vagina.

Manuella screeched into another orgasm as she found herself double penetrated under her own power. She dropped her colleagues hips, and the ocelot's ass landed heavily on her breasts, exacerbating the penetrating experience. Georgina's tail was thrashing in her throws of ecstasy, and beat heavily in Manuella's face.

Jessica was so deep within the orgasming pine marten, she was struggling to breathe. Having no choice, her brain diverted its attention from her pleasure, and her survival instincts took over, as she bodily lifted the collapsing trapezoid of fur from her snout carefully, using Manuella's ass cheeks as the lift points. Her nostrils dilated, and with a gasp she inhaled sharply as they pulled free free of their tainted cave. Throwing her head back, she extracted her chin horn from the pine martens clit ring, and set her down on her neck, panting.

The noise that the three were emitting finally broke through the sleeping Persian's exhaustion, and Charity blinked her eyes, then sat bolt upright in shock at the scene that was unravelling in front of her on the opposite bench. The trapezoid collapsed entirely as she watched, the act of Jessica moving Manuella up onto her neck, dislodging Georgina's ass from the pine marten's breasts until she lay flat on Jess's stomach again, her fists still embedded deeply in her anal anchor.

Charity shook her head to clear the fuzziness as the ocelot carefully worked her hands out from where they were enclosed, and then lay trying to recover her breath from whatever had been taking place while she had been dozing. "I gather that you gave them a work out?" She commented, attracting the trio's attention.

"And they I...The fee was well worth it." Jessica replied first, grinning.

"You outclassed us clean and clear," Manuella said as she tried to stand on her still unsteady legs, "That was the most intense sexual experience I have ever had fortune to participate in. You could charge what you want here in London, or for that matter anywhere if that is what you can do regularly."

"Personally I felt I was a little rusty. My hormones are starting to dry up with the pregnancy. A couple of weeks ago and you would be being carried out!" Jessica replied giggling.

"If that was rusty, then I dread to think what you must be like at your peak...I think that Manuella and I may be forced to cancel our afternoon clients after that, unless they are here just for what Mrs Yucsum intended in the first place," Georgina said as she slowly pulled herself down the length of Jessica's body in order to dismount, and allow her colleague the room to dismount herself.

"Why? Do your clients usually please you sexually as well?" Charity asked.

"Well no, but in my case I have a male tiger in this afternoons slot. It is part of the job that you learn to climax on command, even if you don't feel the need to. It damages a males ego if he thinks he is not able to pleasure his partner. I doubt I will be able to do that today, unless he does actually manage to please me," Georgina replied as she stood unsteadily on the floor again.

"I have a doe booked in for a D.P. so I will have no trouble. She has been in before, and has no interest in mutual satisfaction. Her mate is an inconsiderate bastard, so she turns to me, and probably others for her own pleasures," Manuella said as she steadying herself on the massage bench, "A good shower should revive me enough to be able to deal with her enough to satisfy her appetite."

"Who does the clean up in here? We have made rather a pungent mess." Jessica asked as she sat herself up and swung her legs to one side.

"There are attendants that deal with that. All we do is just let them know when the room is vacant. The bigger problem is what to do with you. We have been asking for in room showers for months now, but only rooms one and two have had them fitted. I am afraid Mrs Ruatha and Yucsum you will have to soil your costumes and walk to the sauna suite before you can get cleaned up. Please though, do so before you go for you swim. The management will have our heads if the pool or the sauna benches become contaminated." The pine marten answered as she started to put her metal costume back on.

Georgina picked her white coat up from where she had placed it, slipping it on again with a single sinuous movement. Charity was shaking her head, but did as suggested and re-donned her outfit, before putting her robe on again. She was sore and tingling still, but Manuella's attentions had been wholly satisfying. Jessica just undid her towel bundles and quickly stepped into her pieces of emerald Lycra and string that she classified as her bikini. It blended perfectly in colour with her scales, so at first glance she appeared naked.

Manuella and Georgina grinned at the effect. "You will get chucked out if you are not careful, you are barely within dress code with that outfit," the ocelot commented.

"And yours do?"

"We are staff, and it is expected. Besides we don't enter the public areas dressed like this. When we leave here we will turn right to the staff area and showers, you will go left back to the cross hall," Manuella said as placed the oils back into the cabinet before locking it and slipping the key back into her concealed carrier.

"Fair enough. Come on Charity, I fancy a swim before my sauna so we should take that shower. We have less than two hours before our beauty treatments."

The Persian nodded, and walked towards the door. She paused and turned back to the two masseurs, "Should I find myself staying here at the Draheal again, I will seek your services in the future I believe, though probably with my mate."

"That is good Mrs Yucsum, please offer the correspondent feedback at the desk as you leave. As you may gather, people in our line of work have plenty of competition, and should we ever get bad feedback, the good helps to stop us losing our positions." Manuella said nodding as her client opened the door.

"Trust us, we will both leave a glowing report. Now, we should leave so that you girls may get a rest. Hope to see you again at some point myself," Jessica said as she followed Charity out the door.

"The sentiment is mutual, ladies..." Georgina muttered softly as Manuella nodded in agreement.