Married. Wait! What?

by Virginia Nelson

  “Hallan!” She buried her face in his shoulder and shut her eyes, allowing her orgasm to wash over her.

  They writhed together until the sensations subsided leaving them weak in each other’s arms.

  “The need I have for you is immense.” He kissed her. “Just always be honest with me.”

  She pressed her palm to his cheek and gave him a light kiss. “I will.” All she could hope was she would be able to forget how they were pledged because with Hallan she might have a partner. For someone who refused to plan, maybe she needed one for this male.

  7

  When Hallan decided it was time to make a second attempt to find a partner, he took in his options. No matter what, his next union would be for life. The only issue was none of his female companions ever sparked him.

  Knowing he had to get to the act of settling down, he researched an arranged partnership. At least in this manner he could choose the characteristics he wanted and not be judged. Several of his friends and colleagues had taken a similar route to find their partner.

  Many of his prospects rejected him the moment he divulged his past and then, at last, he found Amsen’s family unit. They accepted his past failure, only asking that he didn’t discuss the matter with their daughter. Since it was not his favorite subject, he agreed.

  Rather than opting for a courtship that could taint his view of his future mate, make him be too picky, he chose to wait until their pledging ceremony to meet his female. The moment Amsen took his hand he was taken with his gorgeous partner. There was something about simply entering the relationship knowing they were committed that deepened his feelings for her instantly.

  Now five days into their pledging time, he could barely take his eyes off his partner. Was this supposed to be completely consuming? He had lost sight of everything including the time. According to the time block they were supposed to be relaxing or reading, and all he could do was wait for her to enter the room. Though he tried to adhere to their schedule, everything was off, and he had to get them back on track. They had their Union Ceremony coming up, their life needed to get into a routine, a lot to accomplish.

  “Hallan.” Amsen fluttered into the room holding a tub of modeling paste he ordered for her at some point, he couldn’t remember when anymore. “Look.”

  He put aside the document he wasn’t reading and motioned for her to sit with him.

  “I made this for you.” She curled up next to him and presented him with a little molded bowl.

  “You made it?” He gently took the offering and studied the little vessel. She had carved an intricate little geometric pattern on the outside and inside was their initials.

  She answered with a light giggle. “Do we still have recreation time?”

  Unsure about what time it was, he nodded anyway. “Why do you ask?” She rarely used the time blocks, choosing instead to ask him what they should be doing. Normally, she asked when they would join again. They may or may not have decided that any time was time for joining. In truth, he couldn’t stay out of her. If she were anywhere near her fertile time, they would most definitely be adding an offspring to their residence, ready or not.

  “I thought you could make me something.” She took the bowl from him, put it on the side table and then placed the tub in his lap.

  He glanced down at the white shapeless mass wanting to be turned into something. The paste he bought her was normally used for repairs, but in her hands it changed into something beautiful. “I’m not an artist.”

  “I beg to differ.” She scooped the paste out and placed it in his hands. “If you make me something, I’ll tell you about what I read earlier.”

  Around Amsen his world disappeared. They had commitments and goals to hit that were important to their partnership. “Our Union Ceremony.” He tried to remind them both.

  “We’ve booked the grand room at the Colonium, we have the finest of meals, we have our outfits.” She slid up to his side and hooked her leg over his. “You said we still had recreation time.”

  Her idea of sticking to their schedule and his were completely different, and somehow he had to get them under control.

  “Can I tell you about what I read?” she crooned in his ear.

  For the first time that day he picked up his time block. “All right, we have a little time. Then we go back to planning.”

  “I read that on planet Eronium that the females do something special for their male partners. May I show you?” Her tone was laced with innocence, but something told him it was an act.

  The sheer thought of whatever she wanted to do to him made him thicken.

  She ran her hand over his erection. “I will take this as a yes.”

  “You have three minutes.” The more he protested, the harder he became.

  “Start sculpting.” Her tongue traced the outline of his ear and she kissed down his neck.

  “Amsen.” Rather than obey, he closed his eyes as she worked her way down his body with light kisses and caresses. By the time she opened his robe he was more than ready for her. With the speed in which she riled him up he could find relief and they would still remain on semblance of a schedule. “Now.”

  Instead of mounting him, she worked her way down and took him into her mouth.

  “Ah.” He bucked his hips. Though there was nothing compared to being inside her, her soft lips, the way her tongue swirled over him, and the bit of suction offered him something completely different and incredible. “Amsen.”

  She bobbed her head up and down his length, allowing her mouth to mimic the actions she would normally make with her body.

  He glanced down to watch her igniting his arousal further with the way her hair was splayed over him and how he could catch glimpses of his erection disappearing inside her mouth.

  Her unexpected actions, the way she tended to him, the whole erotic act propelled him straight to his end. He needed to release. “Amsen, I’m there.”

  As if she didn’t hear a word she continued, in fact she sped up, sucked him with even more vigor.

  “Amsen.” He moved with her. There would be no way could he hold on much longer.

  Still, she didn’t stop.

  In an effort to hold back, he held his breath, but he was far too gone. His partner was spectacular, only she could make him forget everything. “Amsen!” At last his body gave in and he released. He rammed himself into her mouth and let go, squeezing the paste between his fingers and allowing the overwhelming pleasure to encompass him.

  She took her time and finished him off, making sure to lick him clean before raising her head and smiling at him. “See, you made art.” Carefully, she took the paste out of his hands and set it on the side table. “Once this dries every time I look at it, I’ll know exactly what you were doing when this was created.”

  Dared he say every time he saw it he would envision releasing in her mouth, having a climax that left him weak and slightly dizzy, and wanting his partner even more.

  She picked up the time block and gave it a glance. “I’m sorry that took longer than three minutes, but we can continue planning now.”

  Speechless, he nodded and reclined back among the cushions. Somehow, he would have to figure out how to combine both of their worlds.

  8

  In less than two Tempore revolutions, Amsen and her partner would arrive at their Union Ceremony and show their family and friends that they were meant to be together. The party would commence right at the Seren set and her stomach fluttered at the thought of Hallan being there, greeting her, taking her hand and kissing her in public.

  At one point she couldn’t imagine ever being excited for this event and she couldn’t imagine wanting a partner. Now as she finished creating the little molded sculptures of a timepiece and a heart intertwined that would be used as favors for their Union Ceremony, she couldn’t imagine not being with him. Strange how life changed. Maybe it all was in good time.

  “Amsen.” Hallan joined her at the table. “Time to put that away. We
need to start working on our speeches.”

  “I worked on mine while I’ve been creating the favors.” She continued her sculpting. “Go ahead and make your notes, I’m just going to finish these up.”

  “We are past our schedule for these baubles, in fact they were never on our schedule.” He lifted one, narrowed his eyebrows and put it back down.

  Over the last Tempore revolution she noticed Hallan seemed a bit tense, more focused on the time and controlling every detail than in their earlier days. This was something she would always have to work on with him.

  After tweaking one last detail, she put her art aside, stood and went to her partner. “Hallan.” She placed herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  A scowl still on his face he glanced up at her.

  “Do we need to go spend some time in our bedchambers?” If nothing else, her male could always be calmed down with some joining. They not only took advantage of their designated times, but also managed to slip in a few extra sessions. She especially enjoyed it when she got him to explore. Armed with the book from Eronium on mating rituals, only yesterday he returned the favor she gave him the other day. Then this morning he declared her delectable and repeated his actions. The memory made her squirm.

  “What we need to do is finally get on task.” His voice hardened. “We have much to do for the ceremony and if we would have stayed focused we could have more time now.”

  “I think this ceremony is making you anxious. Though I can assure you that everything will get done, I promise to remain on task for the rest of the day.” She gave him a kiss at his temple and returned to her seat.

  Rather than working on his speech or helping with the favors, he put his elbow on the table, rested his head in his hand and gazed into his time block. “Now we’re late for the speech writing.” He shook his head. “I am trying to balance everything.”

  Once again she put her craft to the side. “Why don’t you tell me what we need to be doing right this second and that will put us back on schedule.” His flare-ups about time had to be handled with care.

  He paused and stared into the cube. “We need to talk about returning to our places of employment after our Merging Time is complete.”

  A smile grew on her face.

  “What is it?” His voice softened.

  “You know, the day after our pledge I thought about how mundane it would be meeting you for our midday meal like the other couples,” she confessed.

  Rather than respond, he wrinkled his nose.

  “Now, I quite like the idea of seeing you in the middle of day. Sharing a meal, a kiss, maybe something else.” She widened her eyes.

  “Once we return to work, there won’t be enough time for something else during that time.” Though his words were harsh, he reached across the table, and offered her his hand.

  Without hesitation she placed her hand in his. “I think we always need to make time for what we want.” She tickled her nails over his palm.

  “What would your employer say if you returned to your job with your hair tousled, cheeks flushed, lips swollen with that gorgeous glow you get when you have just climaxed?” Finally, he smiled.

  “Let me ask you this.” She laced her fingers in his. Here was the male she had fallen for. “How would those who work for you react if you showed up still semi hard but spent, relaxed from filling me, knowing that when you get home your partner will be waiting in anticipation for our next joining time?” One thing she enjoyed was when they did decide to wait for the right time, but they knew what they wanted. By the time he entered her she would already be wet and ready, they would join twice, once with fervor, the next slow and steady. Of course only yesterday they played beat the clock, climaxing right as their cube vibrated. Some time constraints served a purpose.

  They stared at each other her core heated. Why couldn’t all of life be these stolen moments?

  He leaned over and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “As is tradition, I will take you to work when you return in your new capacity as a life partner.”

  She looked down at the favors. Maybe they should switch up the tradition and she should escort him to work. “I was thinking maybe in the next few Tempore revolutions after our ceremony, we could host a meal here for your employer.” That should please Hallan.

  “I would like that.” He pressed her hand to his cheek.

  The time block vibrated.

  She took the onus to lift the device and peek inside. “We need to work on the invitations. I know how we can get back on schedule. Why don’t you work on your speech and I’ll get the list together?”

  “That’s a good use of time.” He reclined in his chair and lifted his tablet. “By the evening I want to be back on track and want to stay there, now that we will be resuming our normal lives.”

  His words made her stomach twist. “And what is our normal lives?” She scrolled through his cube in search of his invitation list. Having never really gotten the handle on these cubes she wrinkled her nose when she spied two files labeled Union Ceremony. Strange. She turned the cube to the side and back again to refresh the data. Both files were still there.

  “The Merging Time is designed to be more free, once this ceremony is behind us, we will be on our schedule just like other couples. Work, recreation, joining, offspring. All is planned out,” he said. “I, for one, am looking forward to it.”

  Her chest tightened and rather than react to his statement, she opened the first folder. Everything was in there as it should be official documents and to-do list. She leaned in and stared down at pictures of their Pledging Ceremony. There she was in her dress holding on to Hallan, repeating the words that would bind them together, sharing their first kiss. She only wished she remembered it all.

  She glanced over at him. He had the memories and she had to carry around the fact that she never wanted or knew about him until the moment she woke and joined with a nameless faceless male.

  “Are there any projects you are looking forward to getting back to at your employment?” Hallan continued to plunk away on his tablet. “I’m multi-tasking.”

  Tears welling up in her eyes for memories she would never have, she swallowed, and in an effort to distract herself, she opened the second file.

  “I want to be able to address your employment properly.” He put the tablet down and looked over at her. “This ceremony needs to come off perfectly.”

  Rather than more notes on their pledging, their merging, their union, or their life, suddenly she was presented with a mirror image folder, only instead of her there was another female in her place. Her throat dried out. What was this?

  “How many of your co-workers are you inviting? We should follow protocol and have an equal number on both sides.” He continued his chatter. “Let me know if I need to add or delete anyone.”

  She stared at the illuminated cube. Her partner, the male she wanted and was getting ready to finally unite with had already gone through these steps with another. This was why the ceremony had to be perfect. This was why he accepted she was a year late. This was why her family unit hid everything from her.

  “Amsen.” He waved his hand in front of her face. “How many of your co-workers are you inviting?”

  “None.” She set the cube down.

  He strummed his fingers on the table. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that I don’t have any co-workers to invite, therefore I won’t be inviting any.” Her throat dried out and she took a breath. “I am not employed.” Another disgrace to add to their pile. Did her parents tell him that as well?

  He stood from the table. “You are a designer.”

  “Was.” She rose as well. “I was a designer until…”

  “Until what?” His eyes widened.

  She crossed her arms. Apparently, she could tell him some of her own news. “Until I missed deadlines, until I realized I couldn’t force art, until I realized it wasn’t my time to be employed.
”

  “It is your time to be employed until we have offspring or we discuss it.” He shot back at her.

  “I’m not employed.” Again she said the words.

  “How many more?” Hallan lifted his arms. “Tell me Amsen, how many more?”

  “How many more what?” she yelled.

  “Lies!” He pounded his fist into the table. “How many more? Let’s get them out now.”

  At his tone and the way he glared at her, heat raged through her. “Why don’t we start with you?” She lifted the cube and tossed it in front of her. “Seems as if I’m not the only one who withheld the truth or was it just not time to tell me.”

  “How…what?” He swiped the cube and looked inside.

  Neither of them spoke.

  “Was the Union Ceremony not perfect? Is that why you didn’t go through with it?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. The image of Hallan sharing this time with another made her double over.

  “I knew it wasn’t forever.” His voice came out accusatory. “She wasn’t for me.”

  “When exactly did you figure that out? After your many joining times or when you were completing your tasks to bring you closer together?” She looked up at him. “Was she a good female and waited for the right moment, or was she like me a distraction and you couldn’t wait to be with her until one day you realized you could wait.”

  “It wasn’t my time,” he growled.

  “Maybe it’s never time.” She turned away. “At least she knew what she did.”

  “What do you mean?” He walked over to her. “What else is there?”

  “A pairing built on lies isn’t a pairing.” With her words she faced him. “My family, you and even I thought we could build something on half-truths because it was time.”

  He reached for her. “I don’t understand.”

  She backed away. “I was always the bane of my parent’s existence. I’m an artist, I break blocks, I got fired, I waited a year past my time to choose a partner, and one was arranged for me.”