Morgen looked around at her lounging harem. They’d all been fit young men once, but now…well, time did pass, and nothing to be done about it. Golden locks would bleach white, black fade to gray, firm skin would eventually sag into oddly drooping folds.
Oh, not for her, of course. But her boys…weren’t boys anymore.
It had been too long. So she combed her long hair and styled it artfully, adding rich ornaments—gold, jewels, shell and pearl. More jewelry went around her neck, on her fingers. She admired the effect of the rings in particular, the way they accentuated her long nails.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten dressed up to go out. It really had been too long.
“I’ll be back soon, my loves,” she called out to the harem, but there was no response. Well, one of them had sort of flapped his hand, but she wasn’t sure the gesture had even been for her. Hmph. That one might be out on his ear when she got back, regardless—better to be ignored than dismissed.
A small, somewhat isolated beach not far from her home seemed like the best place to catch a new young man for herself, and although she hadn’t been there in years it hadn’t changed much. More trash in the sand, maybe, but the moonlight was already mellowing everything into romantic softness so that wasn’t a problem. She walked back and forth a bit, letting the waves play with her toes and flirt with the edges of her skirt, and then settled herself on a large rock to wait. Someone would show up, and if they didn’t she’d just come back another night. She had time, and the boredom she was feeling with her boys might be frustrating but it wouldn’t kill her.
The moon had sunk by the span of two hands when someone finally appeared on her beach, and she sighed in pleasure. Young. Dark hair, a bit shaggy but not unkempt. Handsome enough—she had high standards, but she thought he would clean up well enough to meet them. She examined her nails again, admiring the way the moonlight glittered on the facets of the stones and caressed the round perfection of the pearls. Maybe he would be a sucker for her evident wealth, possibly for her ample bosom, or maybe he would just be a lonely boy who’d like a mature woman to talk to. Those were often the best boys, the lonely, sad ones. She’d known other women to prefer their boys brash or even cruel, but the sad ones always drew her most.
This one was distracted by the device he had in his hand, and she let him get just close enough to be embarrassed before letting out a light laugh. “Careful there, you’ll walk right into the sea.”
He jumped, dark eyes widening at the sight of her. He did not leer, although she wouldn’t have been offended if he had—her bosom was impressive, her mouth lush and promising, her hair a waterfall of wonder in the moonlight. She watched him take in the magic of her and gave him a sweet, inviting smile. “Now whatever is a young man like you doing out here alone on the beach at night?”
“I…walking. I was just…having a walk.” He blinked at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“Oh, you didn’t disturb me,” she purred. “I’d been on a walk myself, and decided to sit for a while in the moonlight. You may sit here too, if you like. I’ll be going back home soon.”
He hesitated, drifting a little closer. “You shouldn’t be out here alone like…like this. It’s not safe.”
She let her eyes widen with feigned surprise. “It’s not?”
Her new boy shook his head, less hesitant now. “No. There are…drug dealers come here, sometimes. People who would hurt you for seeing them.” He appeared to make up his mind. “I’ll walk you home, if that’s all right. I’m not trying to be creepy or anything, but you,” he glanced down at the sparkling rings, then back up, “someone might see those and try to rob you. You could get hurt.”
“You are so sweet, my boy,” she gushed—but not too much, too much might frighten him away. “I didn’t even think about being robbed, but someone might try, I suppose. Of course you can come home with me.”
She held out her hand, and after another moment of hesitation he took it…and she immediately stood up and gave him a little tug. He moved with her until she entered the water and then he tried to pull back, but it was much too late for him by then and down they went. His struggles eventually subsided, and she happily towed him back to the cave she had always called home. After a bit of thought she tossed out the annoyingly still-waving boy and put the new one in his place. She couldn’t help but sigh again at how lovely and perfect he looked lounging there, hair so dark and skin so firm, his dark eyes staring up at her in eternal rapture.
Perhaps it was time to start a new harem.