Promises to Keep

by Promises To Keep (lit) (NCP)

  Her response was everything he could have hoped for, warm, giving, her mouth opening to him, her tongue tasting him with sensual abandonment. Her flavor he’d enjoyed before, but this time she was sweetness itself, loving him with a skill born of desire if not experience.

  And that was the difference with Sarah, the thing he’d sensed from the beginning. For her all this was new. Her lips, locked with his, sampled a man’s desire for the first time. Her hands that tenderly traced the muscles under his shirt had never touched a man that way.

  When she leaned back and smiled, her eyes aglow with passion, there was wonder in them as well. Wonder at how joyous the feel of another’s body could be, at how incredible the joining of two people would be.

  He’d come to make things right with Sarah. Now he ran his fingers down her face and knew what to do. Even if she left tomorrow he had this time to show her what love was.

  It might even be enough to convince her to stay.

  "Sarah, I want you." He whispered the words and watched her smile take over her eyes.

  "I want you, too, Garran."

  He pulled her hand to his lips. "Does this mean you intend to stay with me?"

  She stilled and uncertainty took over her face. "I haven’t made up my mind about that, Garran. But I want to know what it is to be with you. To be with a man. Is that all right?"

  It was what he’d expected but it disappointed him anyway. Still, he hid it. "Whatever you decide, Sarah. At least we’ll have today."

  Sarah watched Garran’s smile as he slipped off the couch and pulled her to her feet. Something was in it, a hint of melancholy, but she tried not to let that worry her as she followed him to the bedroom.

  He wouldn’t be melancholy for long. Not if she could help it.

  Just before they passed through the door, Garran pulled her towards him and lifted her into his arms, then carried her across the threshold.

  His soft voice resonated in her ear. "Your friend, Karen, told me about this. An old Earth custom."

  Garran didn’t stop until he reached the bed, placing her carefully into the center of the mattress.

  Leaning over her, he braced himself on his arms. "I’m going to make love to you, Sarah mine. I’ve thought of little else since I met you."

  Sarah gazed up into his face, mischief in hers. "Since I slapped you."

  He laughed ruefully. "The first time, yes. And I deserved it. I was cruel to that friend of yours, to call her names."

  "You didn’t mean it. I know you, Garran. You wouldn’t hurt anyone deliberately."

  His smile gentled, became warmer, warmth she felt to her tingling toes. "I’m glad you think so, Sarah mine. I’m afraid I’ve hurt enough people by accident to make up for it though."

  She ran the back of her hand down his cheek, in Gaian style. "Garran, this is just between the two of us. No one else counts."

  Lowering himself over her, he captured her lips again in a kiss that seemed endless. Moving, stroking, lips warm and moist. Their tongues met, hers shy, his bold and searching. They entangled and slid together, then apart.

  When he broke away he was breathing heavily, his eyes glazed with passion. Carefully he slid onto the bed next to her.

  Feeling impish, Sarah tugged on his shirt. "You’re wearing too many clothes."

  "So are you." With one movement he pulled his shirt off over his head and flung it to the side. Sarah gasped at his male beauty, the smooth skin of his chest with its sprinkling of dark hair. Her fingers found the flat nipples that seemed to beckon for her touch and the gentling in his eyes as she stroked them told her he liked it.

  He grinned as he gathered the bottom of her blouse in his hands. "Your turn."

  Sarah’s modesty picked that moment to spark, and aroused as she was, her hands clung to his. She could see him rein his passion in, his hands now stroking hers soothingly. "It’s all right, Sarah mine. I only want to do to you what you do to me."

  "Is that the way? I kiss, you kiss, I touch, and you touch?"

  "It’s one way to play the game, Sarah. You know how much I love games."

  Games.… That’s what his message to Earthforce had been about. Garran had played the war like a game, snatching Earth’s "pieces", its ships and their crews, and hiding them. She smiled at him.

  "Sounds like a good game to play."

  "So, we’re agreed. If you touch me, then I get to touch you the same way." He tugged on the bottom of her shirt. "And you’re still wearing too many clothes."

  This time she allowed him to pull her blouse up and over her head. Watching his eyes, she saw the change, from amusement to delight, as her breasts were unveiled. Still, for all his passion, his smile was playful. "You touched mine so I touch yours, fair enough?"

  She nodded and he did, warm large hands cupping her breasts, thumbs moving across the nipples with a caressing touch that sent arrows right into her core. For an instant she considered arguing that she hadn’t touched him quite that way, but decided instead to make up for it. Her hands mimicked his actions, giving to him what she was taking.

  Garran was right. It was a very good game.

  She remembered how intriguing his skin had tasted before, and leaned forward to lick his nipple. His flavor coated her tongue, tart and spicy. In her enthusiasm she forgot the game allowed him to take the same liberty with her.

  Barely was his nipple in her mouth but she felt his warm lips close over hers. At his suckling, her back arched with pleasure, pushing her breasts up into his mouth. His hands fled to her back to support her and keep her aching mounds within his reach as he laved attention on first one, then the other.

  A pleasure so intense as to almost be pain rocketed through her. "Garran," she cried.

  He paused, and she gazed at him through passion-glazed eyes, seeing the triumph in his face. Arms like steel bands cradled her back, pressing her bare breasts into his chest, rubbing the inflamed nipples against the hard planes and curly hair.

  His laugh shook. "Oh, Sarah mine, we’ve barely begun."

  Through his pants Sarah could feel the hard rod of his arousal, and as the aftershocks of her pleasure died, her curiosity about it grew. Her hands wandered to his waist, and first glided over its firmness, then outlined it, fingers tracing its shape through the cloth. Finally she took hold of it, feeling the dampness spread from its tip through the fabric.

  Garran’s eyes took on a look of astonishment before he closed them and rested his forehead on hers. "Oh yes, do that," he gasped breathlessly.

  Her fingers found the fastening of his pants and slid his erection free to lie in her hands. She felt it and her determination shook at the width and breath of him.

  This close and personal, his rod had an imposing size that seemed to grow even as she stroked it with trembling fingers. Her temerity must have been obvious. Acting as if he could read her mind, Garran covered her hands with his own.

  "Don’t be afraid, Sarah. By the time I’m within you, you’ll be ready for me. No pain, I promise."

  And Gaians always kept their promises. The unsaid refrain flowed through her mind as his hands now instructed her as to how he liked to be handled, guiding her hand along his length, closing in on the purpling tip from where dampness flowed. She gathered that viscous fluid and spread it across the tip, smoothing it over the surface.

  His quiet groan told her she’d found another way to pleasure him.

  Again Garran sought her lips and his passionate kiss distracted her as his hands sought the closure to her skirt which soon gaped as open as his pants. His fingers sought her intimate parts as her fingers played with his, and once again she felt that warm thrill as he stroked and petted her soft folds and small, but erect clit.

  After that, nothing was enough. First she had too many clothes on, then when her skirt was removed, he still wore his pants and those were in the way. Once they were off, she wrapped her legs around his and nearly cried when he didn’t take her offer but pushed her away slowly, his hand seeking the openin
g now weeping for him instead.

  One finger, two delved inside, and she could see in his face his wonder at finding the barrier she still possessed. "Sarah, mine," he whispered as they stretched and pulled, opening her gently, readying her body for him.

  There was no pain. Some pressure, a tugging more intriguing than alarming as he worked one hand inside of her, his other hand playing a distracting game with her small sensitivity.

  Finally he seemed satisfied and pulled away, once more laving her breasts with his lips, suckling her to the point of passionate release. But this time he held off, and she felt his hardness slip between her legs, prodding at her opening with gentle force. She raised her hips to meet him.

  And he slipped inside.

  No pain, some pressure as he filled her, the warmth of friction as his body and hers met for the first time.

  Maybe their only time. Sarah shoved that thought to the side and concentrated instead on Garran’s eyes, nearly aglow. She thought she could see herself reflected in his widened and black pupils, her face strange, an expression of awe stamped upon it.

  The moment of their joining, an amazing thing, an experience she’d wondered about for so long.

  "I’d hoped to see that in your face, Sarah."

  "See what?" her voice sounded breathless, a match for his.

  "Desire, joy, wonder. It’s marvelous how we can make each other feel."

  His weight sat on her lightly, the bulk of him supported by his elbows on the bed. Her lover, Garran, her husband for this time. The moment of their joining stretched out.

  Then it wasn’t enough to simply be joined.

  Garran moved and Sarah gasped at the sensation of him sliding within her. He moved again and she laughed, a short gasp of astonishment.

  Then he picked a rhythm and both lost interest in anything but the slide of man into woman and woman receiving man. Nothing in Sarah’s dreams had prepared her for this reality. Overcome by him, her hands caressed his back in absent abandon. He picked up the pace as she tightened, signaling her start on that short journey to fulfillment.

  A spiraling excitement whirled through her and she thought she heard Garran’s voice--or was it her dream-lover’s voice? In that moment they sounded alike as Garran cried her name into her ear. Then she had no presence of mind for comparisons. Her body bucked under his and without thinking her hands dug into his back, pulling him deeper within her as her mind walked off the edge and fell into a chasm of whirling sensation.

  When she could think again, Garran was collapsed on her, heavy, but still supported by his arms, his chest heaving, gasping for breath. Her heart pounded in her chest and she too dragged air into her lungs at a furious pace.

  Sweat glistened across Garran’s chest, and alarmed, Sarah caught his face with her hand. "You did get Jeffrey’s okay on this?"

  He’d nearly died yesterday, had been in intensive care for hours. Had it been too soon for this kind of exertion?

  He laughed, a deep chuckle that shook her as much as him. "Permission to make love to my wife? As if he could stop me."

  "I could have stopped you. For your own good."

  Garran nuzzled her neck, more distraction than she’d bargained for. She moaned under his teasing lips.

  "Sarah, I’m fine. Better than fine. I needed you a lot more than I needed rest." Pulling back he caught her chin with his palm. "You needed me, too."

  Settling to one side, he pulled her into the curve of his body, cradling her close. "This is what men and women do, Sarah. They need each other, give to each other, and take as well. Desire leads to passion, passion to completion, and completion to love."

  Something inside her turned over at the word. "Love?"

  "For me at least. I love you Sarah."

  The words fell into her heart, words she’d never expected to hear, at least not from this tall, dark-haired man. But in spite of that they warmed her, thrilled her, right to the center of her being.

  A man was in love with her.

  A man she could never love.

  Why not, she argued with herself. Why was this something she was so sure of? Garran was twice, no, make that ten times more man than anyone she’d ever known. He was charming when he wanted to be, pleasing to the eye, and heaven knows she’d related well enough to him in bed.

  She’d have a good life with him. A great life. And now that she knew he wasn’t responsible for her best friend’s death there was nothing to stop her from staying with him. She’d been mislead for five years.

  Garran wasn’t a monster. Not even close. He was a warm man who loved her and wanted her above all other women.

  So why was there still something wrong? Why did she still feel the uncertainty that had plagued her from the beginning?

  The answer hit her like a flaming comet. She’d set off from Earth to find her match, her dream lover--and Garran wasn’t him. She’d dreamed of her lover for years, while she’d only known Garran for a few days. He was close--dark hair, large hands. He even sounded like him.

  But he wasn’t him.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Something was wrong. Garran could feel it in his bones. Or, more precisely, he could feel it in Sarah’s bones, the way she drew away from him on the bed.

  But what could be wrong? They’d made love, amazingly beautiful love, and she’d enjoyed it thoroughly. Her response to him had clinched it in his mind. She was his match, his wife. Sarah was his, now and forever. His lover, his wife. His love.

  Then he’d told her how he felt, and her compliant and sated body had stiffened in reaction.

  Didn’t she want his love? Or, didn’t she want to love him?

  Perhaps that was it. She didn’t want to love him, in spite of her coming to him today. It wasn’t that unexpected...after all she’d stated from the beginning her misgivings of letting her heart follow her passion.

  But what was unexpected was that it hurt.

  He cuddled her close anyway, taking small comfort in her presence in the here and now. If she left him tomorrow.…

  Garran simply couldn’t deal with that thought right now. He nuzzled her neck, her braid of glorious rose-colored hair smooth under his cheek. Later, he resolved, he would free her hair and the next time they made love, he’d see it flowing over their pillows. Or better still, falling about him in a living curtain.

  He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with her unique scent, licking his lips to experience her taste.

  Her taste, her smell. His woman, his Sarah, his wife. His for as long as they lived.

  Or, until tomorrow.

  In his arms she stirred. "Perhaps we should get up."

  He responded with an ill-natured grumble. "We don’t have to, Sarah. We can stay here all afternoon if we want to. All night, too. And tomorrow, the next day." He trailed his hand across her flat belly, letting it linger just below her breast.

  "I may never want to get out of bed again."

  She laughed but there wasn’t much humor in it. "I want to get up Garran. I need a bath."

  Concern flashed through him. He’d been careful, but she had been a virgin, and he wasn’t exactly small in those parts. He leaned up to stare into her face. "Are you sore?"

  Her cheeks burned pink and she licked her lips nervously. Unwilling to let that provocation go, Garran swiftly captured her mouth again in a kiss that left both of them gasping for breath.

  He thrilled at her unconscious response. What ever was wrong, Sarah still felt desire for him. She clung to him now and he wanted nothing more than to slip inside her and make love to her again and again, all night if necessary to bind her to him.

  It was all Garran could do to not laugh at that bold thought. What a terrible fate, to make love to his wife all night long. But then again she was new to sex and it wouldn’t do to over-do things. If she weren’t tender now, what he had in mind would make certain she was.

  Best to be cautious and take things slow. The sanitary in Garran’s suite boasted a full bath that would accommo
date two bodies easily. To date it had never been used. The idea of slipping into a tub of warm water with Sarah had appeal, and it would probably help soothe her.

  "Perhaps a bath isn’t a bad idea," he purred into her ear.

  Sarah’s eyes grew bigger but she didn’t object as he slid off the bed and pulled her to stand next to him. She blanched when she looked back at the bed and when Garran followed her gaze he too saw the telltale smears of blood on the sheets. He’d been gentle, but there’d still been some tearing as he’d entered her. Immediately he hustled her to the sanitary.

  That bath sounded better all the time.

  * * * *

  Warm jets of water caressed Sarah’s back and legs as she gingerly stepped into the water. Lowering herself, she let the warmth relax her body, even if her emotions were still in an uproar.

  Garran climbed in after her, letting her settle just outside of his reach, allowing her a moment’s respite from his touch. Her sidelong glance told her that her reprieve would be temporary. Already his hand seemed outstretched to pull her back into his arms.

  How could she not want to stay with him? Garran was almost exactly what she’d wanted when on Earth, a man who wanted her, cared for her, wanted to have children with her. More even. He had wealth--she’d live in comfort all of her life with him.

  He was handsome, intelligent, and a fantastic lover--her body still tingled from their lovemaking. Her body was all set to say yes to him... how could she say no?

  She could say no because she could never love him.

  Sarah glanced over at him, felt the warmth of his dark-blue gaze, felt it deep inside her. Leaning back into the water she closed her eyes.

  Something warm glided along her thigh and Sarah’s eyes popped open to see Garran’s uncertain face. He held a soft cloth that he slid between her legs, up to the juncture to wipe at her gently.

  She stared at him. His blue eyes seemed darker, midnight in color, fathomless. They held hers as he carefully cleaned her private places, washing and soothing the still tender tissues.