They hesitated for a moment, the briefest of moments before complying with my demand. Once disrobed, they sat back down on the couch, naked and ridged... The looks of shame and nervousness on their faces were as if I had just exposed them to all the leers and jeers from all the lechers they had ever known. Then, an amazing transformation occurred as I continued to stare silently at their beauty. They saw my leering and embraced it, and as if reading my mind, they opened up to my thoughts. Lying. “You mentioned bodyguards. Is Bahir going too?”“Of course, life wouldn’t be the same without him.”“Well, you’ll be safe with him. Do you remember the day we were in that awful basement and you threatened my landlord, and Bahir went for his sword?”Both girls giggled again. “He would have used it too, you know?” said Sharifa.“I have no doubt.”Nicola suddenly put her hand down to her side and produced a small rectangular package in gift wrap paper and handed it to Sharifa. “I just wanted to give. She turns, thinking about the need to get water for them. She feels his hands softly wrapping around her hips, the strength of arms keeping her still more so than his hands. She draws a breath and closes her eyes. She feels the warmth of his breath on her skin, running through her hair as he moves closer to her, his fingers flexing into her. She feels herself trembling. “I have got to get that work done tonight,” she whispers a protest.“Or?” he asks as his lips find the curve of her neck.Her. Look. He was bred and born in captivity. If he was turned loose in the wild he'd probably be prey instead of a predator." That's how people are, too," Robyn said when we'd managed to get over by the petting zoo. I looked at her because I wasn't sure anymore what the topic was. "We're bred and born in captivity and if you turned us back into the wild we'd be prey. We're domesticated animals like that cow. Somebody decides if we'll be a milk cow or a beef cow. If we'll be bred to a bull or led to.