by G. E. Stills
Face it you like the feel of being almost naked. The breeze whispering up under your skirt and top providing its wonderful caress against your bare skin. She grinned at her lusty thoughts. It also allows quick access for making love to Aaron. A frown came to her face at this thought. Lovemaking that has been entirely absent since Aaron’s people arrived. The days had been just too busy and the nights were only filled by the sleep of exhaustion. Each night they rode a shuttle back up to the ship and slept in separate rooms.
“Why the frown,” Aaron asked from beside her.
“Nothing.” She flashed a brief smile at him. “The Men-gar abandoned their camps and fled into the jungles. We are locating them slowly and taking them prisoner. Your dad has promised to send for a captured Men-gar ship so that we can put them on it and send them home.”
“Yes, along with a stern warning to the Men-gar not to attempt a return. We will not abandon your people, La’lani. We are here to stay as long as you wish us to.”
“Does that include you? Will you stay?”
“You know I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t,” she interrupted, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
“I’m an explorer, La’lani. That’s my job, my duty, my way of life.”
She sighed wistfully. “I know and I would never ask you to stay here.” She changed the topic to avoid further emotional distress. “We’ve freed all of the prisoners and in our searches we’re encountering more and more of my people. It’s so nice not having to hide in a cave anymore.”
Me’kon joined them and issued a progress report. After a long day, she and Aaron took a shuttle and dined with Keita and the others as usual, discussing the day’s events. When the others left, leaving just the three of them, Keita made his announcement.
“The other battle cruiser and the carrier are staying, but the Maria will be leaving for home tomorrow. There is another battle cruiser along with her escorts scheduled to arrive any day. Your mother is so anxious to see you, son. She grows more impatient each day.”
La’lani was for the most part silent for the rest of the evening only answering direct questions. They used the transport and Aaron parted with her at her door.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said and gave her a goodnight kiss.
Quickly, she fled into her room, leaving him standing in the hall. The door had barely closed when a flood of waterworks began rolling down her cheeks. She paced in her room, emotional despair settling over her like a cloud of gloom. Tossing herself across the bed she continued to cry.
“Lights out,” she cried. Instantly the room plunged into darkness.
“I want him to stay so desperately and yet I’ll never ask. I won’t even try to hold him here,” she said in anguish. “Tomorrow he will be gone and who knows when, if ever, we will see each other again?”
“Lights on.” She climbed from bed, removed her jumpsuit and stepped into the shower. For a long time she stood under the warm spray getting her tears under control. She remained in the shower even after the warm jets had dried her completely. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders. She had made a decision.
Slipping on a fresh jumpsuit, while omitting to zip it, she went to his door and tapped lightly. “Aaron.”
The door slid open to admit her. “Come in,” he said.
She saw that he was in bed covered by a sheet. “Were you sleeping?”
“No. I was laying here thinking about us.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow. I won’t ask you to stay. I would like to make love with you one last time. Sleep with you one more night. Would you mind?”
“Mind? I can’t think of anything I would rather do.” He folded the sheet back invitingly.
Forcing a smile, she peeled off her jumpsuit and climbed into bed to join him. It felt so wonderful feeling his naked skin against hers. Hours later, after making love several times, some passionate and some slow and gentle, he held her with her back snuggled against him and his arm around her.
“I’ll miss you so much. Do you know I actually went to see the ship’s doctor? I went to see if I could conceive. Have your child to help me retain a part of you,” she confessed. “Unfortunately, our genes are not compatible. I can’t have your child.”
He nuzzled her hair to the side and kissed the nape of her neck. “La’lani, I love you. I have no right to ask, but I intend to do just that. Would you ever consider leaving Youkana? Going with me to Earth and Teelan, to meet my family?”
“I’ve already told you that I’d like to do that.”
“Let me finish. After we do that, would you consider spending your life with me? Exploring new worlds. As my wife?”
Her eyes flashed open. “As your wife? I know what a wife is. I have learned. I’d love that, but I can never even consider it. Aaron I can never give you a child so I can’t ask to be your life mate.”
“You’re not asking me. I’m asking you. I love you. I can’t picture spending my life without you. If we can’t have children, then so be it. I still want to spend my life with you. Please say yes.”
Her stomach did flip-flops. Thrills surged through her, back, to back, to back. She removed his hand and kissed the back of it. She guided it to her breast so he could feel her heart hammering so rapidly underneath.
“Yes.” Her lips curved in a wide smile and she sighed in pleasure, snuggling her back even closer to him. “Yes, yes, yes. I love you. My brother is going to be shocked when he hears this news.”
CHAPTER TEN
La’lani stood in front of the view windows looking down on the planet below. Teelan is beautiful. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind. La’lani recalled her conversation with Me’kon when she informed him she was leaving with Aaron.
“You’re going to have to handle the reconstruction here on Youkana without me.”
Me’kon looked at her in surprise. “Why? Where will you be?”
She nearly did a dance in her excitement. “Because I’m going to Earth and Teelan with Aaron. He’s asked me to be his life mate. They call it marriage.” A huge grin came to her face. “I said, yes.”
For a moment Me’kon was speechless and then a smile crept across his lips. “Are you happy about this, La’lani?”
“The happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Then I’m happy for you. I know how much you love him and I know how much he loves you. It seems the two of you were meant for each other. I’m sorry I tried to interfere.”
“I’m not angry with you for that. Not anymore. You were just trying to look after my welfare.”
Me’kon spread his arms wide. “Give me a hug, sister, and know that I wish both of you the best.”
***
She now shared a room with Aaron. They made love almost every night. After swearing Keita to silence, they had informed him of their engagement and plans for the future. He accepted them completely.
She gazed down at Teelan once more. Now if the rest of Aaron’s family is just as gracious and accepting. She looked forward to meeting his mother, Suki and the rest of his relatives with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
A pair of strong arms circled her from behind, his hands coming to rest on her stomach. Aaron kissed her ear and then, as if reading her mind, whispered, “Don’t worry, my sweet, they’ll love you just as I do.”
Her lips stretched into a wide smile at hearing his new nickname for her. “I can only hope.”
“Trust me. I know my family. They may embarrass the hell out of you because they’re often blunt, even brazen, but they’ll like you. There is nothing about you not to like.”
“Other than I can never give them grandchildren,” she reminded him.
“La’lani, we’ve already discussed that,” he chastised.
“The shuttle is ready for boarding,” a male voice announced over the hidden
speaker.
He guided her to the launch bay. After a brief flight, Aaron led her through the space station circling the planet and they seated themselves on another shuttle. This one would take them down to Teelan. By afternoon they were on the ground. As the distance separating her from her future family decreased, her nervousness increased. Nausea twisted her stomach and sweat trickled down her back. La’lani suddenly had to pee so bad it hurt.
Aaron’s relatives were not just common humans, which would have been enough worry. No, his relatives were the ones that had developed all of Teelan, space travel and everything around them. They were the most powerful people of the entire human race. In addition, like him, they had powers, abilities.
A multitude of questions flashed through her mind. And what am I? A common girl with no powers, no abilities. I can’t even give them grandkids. Why oh why did you fall in love with me, Aaron? Why did you ask me to marry you and why did I say yes?
They walked through the spaceport heading for ground transport. “Honey, is there a restroom nearby? I need to go so badly it hurts.”
Without saying a word he shifted into a new direction and guided her to the bathrooms. “I’ll be waiting out here for you. Sweetie, calm down. Things will be fine.” He flashed her his winning smile.
After taking care of urgent business, she splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. Well, La’lani girl, you asked for this when you said ‘yes’. It’s time now to face the consequences. She took a deep breath and joined him. They rode in a car to Suki’s house and Suki greeted them at the door.
Suki swept Aaron into her arms and covered his face with kisses. Gushing, she said, “I’m so glad you’re safe. I’m so happy to see you. Even though your dad assured me you were fine and even after getting your messages saying you were fine, I was still beside myself. I had to see you in person.” Finally, Suki held him away and shifted her attention. “And who might this be? You didn’t say you were bringing company.”
“Mom this is La’lani…my future wife.”
Sweet lovable…fucking Aaron. No easing into things, no building up to his announcement gradually, no hesitation of any kind.
Suki’s eyes grew wide. A smile, Aaron’s same smile, split her lips wide. “Holy crap” Suki’s hug was almost strong enough to crack ribs. “Where the hell are my manners? Come in you two. Sit down. I need to sit before I fall. Coffee? Tea? Anything to eat or drink?” Plopping into a large overstuffed chair, Suki never shifted her eyes away from her own.
Taking her by the hand, Aaron guided her to a couch and sat. “We’re fine for now, Mom.”
“I’m still finding it difficult to process this Aaron. Your future wife?” She turned her gaze on La’lani once more. “Don’t misunderstand me La’lani. I’m thrilled. Just surprised is all.”
“He wasn’t exactly tactful about telling you. He certainly didn’t approach the announcement slowly. Did you, Aaron?” She shot a disapproving glare in his direction.
“That’s my, Aaron. That’s our family really. I’m sorry to say this, but you better get used to it because we’re all that way. Before I forget to say it, welcome to the family, La’lani.” She turned again to Aaron. “So you finally found a woman to care about other than Shelly. Speaking of, what does she think about your relationship and pending marriage?”
Shelly! Who the heck is Shelly! Like a bomb going off, the question exploded in La’lani’s mind. We will talk of this later, Aaron dear.
“She’s fine with it, Mom. More than fine. She was impatient for it to happen between us.”
We will most definitely talk about Shelly later. La’lani was still thinking about Shelly and starting to fume when the door burst open.
The girl who entered was a younger version of Suki only with darker skin. Not as dark as Keita’s, but darker than Suki or Aaron’s. Obviously the entryway partially hid them from view. “Mom, did you hear? I heard that Aaron is coming home and he’s bringing a woman with him. A woman of another species…with blue skin.”
The girl strode further into the room, turned and saw Aaron sitting on the couch. Still in a seated position, he jolted into the air and flew across the room. The girl floated up to the same height and grasped him into her open arms. With his feet suspended in the air, she covered his face with kisses just like Suki had done.
“I have so missed you, bro.”
“Rayne, please. Put me down,” he finally managed between her exuberant kisses.
His feet touched the ground and Rayne’s eyes grew wide as saucers. For the first time Rayne noticed her. “Holy crap.”
Aaron chuckled. “Rayne, I’d like you to meet the blue skinned woman, otherwise known as La’lani and my fiancée.”
Rayne’s head jerked to face him when he said ‘fiancée’ and then she looked back at La’lani. “I must be hearing things. Did you say you’re getting married?”
Smiling, Aaron nodded.
“Well damn. It’s about time.” Rayne grinned and strode across the room. She stuck her hand out. “La’lani it’s a pleasure to meet you. In case you haven’t guessed, I’m Aaron’s little sister, Rayne.”
“He talks about you all the time,” La’lani said taking the offered hand.
“I hope at least some of it is nice.”
“Very nice. He thinks a lot of you.”
Aaron cleared his throat. “That’s enough, hon. Her head is swelled enough already.”
Rayne stuck her tongue out at him. La’lani figured Rayne to be about eighteen.
“I’m sure you guessed when you saw my sister’s entrance, she has the ability to levitate. She also has the ability to read minds so be very careful about touching her.”
La’lani jerked her hand out of Rayne’s.
“I usually keep what I read to myself and I’m dying to read your thoughts La’lani,” Rayne teased.
“Sis, behave and don’t you dare touch her again.”
All of them broke up in laughter. The rest of the afternoon the four of them spent visiting and getting to know each other. Suki stood. “I need to get the guest room ready.”
“Guest room? As in a single room?” Aaron grinned.
“Of course. You can’t tell me that you’re not sleeping with this beautiful young woman. We’re not stuck on convention here and we’re certainly not prudish. Unless you would rather have your own room…” Suki raised her eyebrows in question.
“One room will be fine.” She grinned.
“Very well. Rayne get them more to drink. I know both of you must be worn out after traveling all day, then listening to Rayne and me rattle on all afternoon and evening.”
“I have so enjoyed listening to you. Aaron has talked about you a lot and it’s so nice to finally put faces to his descriptions,” La’lani said.
“Thanks, La’lani. Aaron dear, I’m liking her more all the time. Off to bed you two and don’t stay up all night. The next few days are going to be very busy. La’lani, you have a passel of Aunts and Uncles along with their families to meet.”
Suki left, then returned in a few minutes and announced the guest room was ready.
“Goodnight,” Rayne said, from the kitchen door.
With his fingers laced in hers, Aaron led her down the hall and into their bedroom. Stripping, Aaron crawled in bed, waiting. “So now you’ve met my mother and sister. My other brothers and sisters, I have four more, are off planet. I hope you like them.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, fully dressed. “Aaron, who is Shelly?”
“I was hoping you didn’t catch it when my mother mentioned her.”
“Well you hoped in vain, now tell me who the hell is she? Your girlfriend? Your ex-wife?” She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “You’re current wife?”
“Hell! Where did you learn that word and how it’s often used?”
“From
you and you’re avoiding my question. Who the hell is Shelly?”
His eyes flashed at her last question. “None of them. Shelly is a friend. Not a girlfriend. A friend. We’ve known each other since before I can remember.”
“Uh-huh. Go on. I’m listening. I’m not happy right now, but I’m listening.”
“La’lani, it’s not what you’re thinking. Shelly is my AI.”
“AI?”
“Artificial Intelligence, a type of computer.”
“Tap dance, Aaron. I’m enjoying the shit out of this. Serves you right for being evasive with her,” Shelly chuckled.
“Shut-up Shelly. I’m having enough trouble trying to deal with one woman.”
“And again I say…it serves you right.”
La’lani gazed around the room. “I know I’m not familiar with much of your technology, but I fail to see a computer anywhere.”
“Shelly doesn’t like to be called a computer. She’s so much more. She’s an AI like I said. You can’t see her because she’s inside me, imbedded like my communication device.”
“Uh-huh. And how long has she been there?”
“Since I was in diapers. Shelly sees what I see. She shares all my senses. She is here listening to our conversation. She likes you, La’lani.”
“And just when and how am I going to meet this Shelly?”
“I’m not sure if there is a way you can meet her.”
“That’s not true Aaron and you know it. Give me control of your vocal cords and I’ll talk to La’lani before you screw things up even more.”
He sighed. “Shelly wants to talk to you, La’lani. She wants to use my voice to do so.”
“This is weird. Okay Shelly. Talk.”
***
Aaron’s eyes unfocused. When he spoke it was in a voice of higher pitch than normal. “I’m Shelly. I’ve been sharing Aaron’s body since I was implanted in him at two years old. By the way, he loves you very much. So do I. He almost worships the ground you walk on. I really enjoyed it when we made love the first time and I’ve enjoyed it every time since.”