Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
When she glanced up at Sev, she could see he was thinking the same thing. But now that they had been formally inducted into the PPP, what could they do? It seemed too late to back out.
“If you’d like to talk about increasing your tithe amount, you may discuss it with your Spiritual Advisor, Elder Jonash, after this Judgment Session is completed,” the deep-voiced Elder informed them. “But for now, please turn your attention to the screen behind you again for a video review of your recent actions.”
There was a scowl on Sev’s face, but he turned to look at the screen again and so did Mia.
“Now, we won’t speak of anything that happened last night, except to ask why you allowed your wife to wear part of your sleeping garments,” the Elder said, clearly speaking to Sev.
“Because you didn’t provide her with sleepwear of her own—that’s why,” Sev said, turning to look at the Elders.
“Face the screen please. We can hear you just fine—there’s no need to turn around,” the deep-voiced Elder commanded. “Now then—do you not know that it is customary in the PPP Dome for females to be naked while in the home alone with their husbands?”
“Naked?” Mia blurted. Luckily, Sev said the exact same thing at the same time, his deeper voice covering hers.
“Naked?” he repeated. “Why in the Seven Hells is the wife supposed to run around the house naked?”
This time it was Elder Jonash’s nasal voice that answered.
“It is one of the teachings of the Prophet: a woman must be naked, willing and open in the presence of her man so that he can take her or punish her at any moment he chooses.”
Crap! Mia had a moment of panic. She didn’t want to run around the small dome house she and Sev were sharing completely naked! For one thing, Sev wasn’t really her husband—he was her partner—and it was going to do serious damage to their professional relationship if she had to show off her body to him constantly.
For another thing, it was going to be cold. She’d always been a cold-natured person and she had thin blood from living in the South for so long—she needed something to keep her warm.
Sev, apparently, was thinking the same thing.
“I’m afraid I can’t require my wife to be constantly naked,” he said, frowning. “She gets cold easily and could get sick from too much exposure.”
There was some rustling and whispered conversation from behind them.
“All right—duly noted. Such things will be taken into consideration,” the Elder said at last. “Tonight you will both be provided with appropriate clothing for sleeping and your private time together.”
Well, that was a relief, Mia thought. At least she didn’t have to run around buck-naked in front of her partner!
Although you didn’t mind being mostly naked last night…or letting him stroke your breasts and tug your nipples, whispered a snarky little voice in her head.
Mia pushed it quickly away. That had been a mistake—a one-time occurrence. She and Sev had decided they weren’t going to go there anymore. They weren’t—
“And now, let us continue with the video review,” the deep-voiced Elder said. “Please direct your attention to the screen again where the events we are calling into question are being displayed.”
Mia looked back at the screen and got a nasty shock when she saw an image of herself and Sev in the kitchen. She’d known they were being observed and recorded but knowing you were being spied on and actually seeing evidence of it were two different things.
Sev was at the stove, clearly cooking their breakfast while Mia herself was cutting fruit. After a moment, she shot a cautious look at her partner’s broad back and then went over to the cabinet to call for a glass.
Mia watched as her image took the glass and—shooting another look at Sev—filled it from the middle brass tube at the kitchen counter. She then drank half the contents before Sev—with two loaded plates in his hands—came to the table.
Watching herself be so sneaky made Mia want to curl up in shame. She hadn’t had any idea she looked like that—so devious and dishonest! Why had she been so desperate to get another taste of the Nutrient Crème even though she knew her partner was worried about her?
She didn’t have any answers and there was nothing to do but keep watching.
There was no sound to the images but she watched as Sev asked what she was drinking—motioning to the cup. Mia handed it to him and he smelled it. The two of them exchanged heated words and he went and poured the remains of the smoothie down the drain.
More heated words—clearly shouting thought there was no sound—and Mia got up and snatched the cup from him. Taking it back to the middle tube, she filled it again and drank it defiantly while he glared at her.