by Lisa Lace
"Thank you," I said.
He nodded and left.
I fell back on the bed. My body tingled. I felt alive for the first time in years. What was going on? And what about the man I was supposed to be in love with in a year's time? How could I consider anything with Airik when my mystery man was still out there in the universe?
I briefly wondered if it could be Airik. But what were the chances I would have a vision of my true love, and he would turn out to be the man I had already married? Slim to none.
It felt strange to be panting over Airik when I knew there was a different someone out there for me. It was almost like cheating. But if I hadn't had a vision, I wouldn't know anything about the man from the future, and I wouldn't have any misgivings about having sex with my husband.
What about all the people a person dates before they find the person they want to marry? Does that make them disloyal to a person from their future? Of course not. When they're dating the person, they don't know what's going to happen.
Did it even matter? We weren't going to be jumping into bed together. We would get to know each other first and then if it seemed like a good idea, something might happen. I remembered how it felt locking eyes with him halfway across the room, and my body disagreed with my mind. My body didn't see a need for a getting-to-know period.
It wanted him. And that was that.
I sighed, pulling my pants off and crawling into bed in my T-shirt and underwear. All my philosophical thoughts would have to wait until later. I needed a nap if I was going to be able to face my wedding and reception. I sighed at the thought.
How was I going to live through the rest of this day?
Have a nap, I counseled myself. Everything will look better when you wake up.
I curled up on my side and quickly fell fast asleep.
I woke slowly, aware that there was a foreign scent in my vicinity. It was a little spicy, a little exotic and it made me weak with need. I had been dreaming of Airik. The content of my dreams made me blush. My heart was still pounding because I had woken up as we were about to become intimate.
"Quinn?" I heard Airik's voice calling softly from above me. Wait a second. He was sitting next to me on my bed. My pulse raced.
"Quinn, your face is changing color. Do you feel okay?"
I didn't answer immediately. I was too embarrassed. I didn't think he had much experience with fair-skinned people. On Koccoran, it would be impossible to tell if people were blushing or not because they were many shades darker than my pale skin.
Eyes closed, I responded to him. "I'm blushing."
"Oh," he said. "Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Was his voice huskier than before? I felt myself getting wet. This would not do. I needed to keep our relationship platonic. Didn't I?
"No," I said, finally opening my eyes.
"You seemed fast asleep. I'm sorry to wake you up, but it's time to get dressed for the wedding," he said.
"Okay," I said. I didn't want to sit up because my nipples were hard and would be obvious in my tight shirt when the blanket fell off of me.
He smiled and leaned over me, kissing my forehead.
The moment his lips touched me, I had a flash of images race through my mind too fast for me to grasp. He pulled away in surprise, examining me as if trying to comprehend something.
I sat up and moved back away from him. "What was that?" I asked.
"What was what? Did you experience something?"
I stared at him.
I couldn't tell him I saw visions. Hiding was ingrained in my soul by now. What if he didn't understand? Maybe he was like the Sons of the Heavenly Father back on Earth? I had concealed my abilities for years. I could certainly hide them for one more.
"It was nothing." I looked away. "I thought I heard something, but I was wrong."
I glanced up at him and was surprised to see him give me a speculative look. Was he trying to figure me out? He shook his head slowly as if dismissing whatever he had been thinking.
"I see," he said, rising to his feet. "You will find a wedding gown in the closet. It is a traditional dress. My sister will be along shortly to help you put it on."
He headed for the door, and I called after him. "I don't need any help. I can dress myself."
He looked back over his shoulder in a way that could only be called distracting.
"Trust me. The dress requires assistance, and Neesa wants to get to know you."
I relented. The last thing I wanted was to get lost trying to wear alien fashion. Neesa was one of his relatives that had seemed nice. I remembered her.
"Okay, maybe you're right," I said, getting up.
He went very still, and I froze too. Our attraction was back, and he was still far away from me. How would it feel when I was in his arms?
"What is it?" I couldn't help asking.
"You're very beautiful. Your pictures didn't do you justice."
I smiled. "You're easy on the eyes, too," I said, borrowing an expression from my father.
He certainly was.
He was tall, not too broad, but strong. He wore conservative clothes, but I was sure that I would find a well-muscled body underneath. The thought made me flush. His hair was black and very short. His mocha skin gave me shivers. I wanted to see what it looked like alongside my pale body.
I had already lost myself in his chocolate brown eyes several times. His dark goatee made him look distinguished and handsome. His lips, though, had me mesmerized. They were full and sexy. The only thing I wanted to do was press my own against them.
What was I thinking?
I had just met this guy. How could I want him so much? But it had been a long time since I had found a desirable partner. Perhaps I was starved for love...or maybe it was something else. I had to admit I was powerfully attracted to Airik, more than any guy I had ever met. He seemed to want me, too, if the tent in his pants was any indication. He turned, finally, as though he had to wrench himself away from me.
"I'll see you when you've dressed, Quinn," he said, passing his sister on his way out of my room.
She looked at him, looked at me, and raised her eyebrows. "For an arranged marriage, you guys seem quite interested in each other."
My mouth dropped open. "I thought you didn't know."
"Don't worry, nobody else knows. But Kartar never could keep a secret from me. I knew something was up. I made him tell me everything."
"Does Airik know that you know?"
"Nah, I'll tell him later."
I nodded.
"So, there's some chemistry between you two?" she asked, grinning at me.
"Yeah. I guess there is."
"That's good. You'll need it tonight."
I supposed she was referring to any required kisses at the reception. "Should we get this dress on?"
"We should, but put this underwear on first." She handed me crotchless panties and a bra that could be unbuttoned to allow my breasts to burst out.
"Wait a second. What kind of kink are you aliens into on this planet?" I said. The words popped out before I could stop them. I clapped my hand over my mouth, then took it off to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
"No, no," she laughed. "You have a right to know what the interesting underwear is about. I'm here to explain everything."
"Explain away."
"You've noticed that we live in a cold climate. A long time ago, we lived in cabins that could be quite chilly. Sometimes people didn't take their clothes off for weeks at a time."
I wrinkled my nose. "No offense, but that sounds pretty gross."
"I know. It was my ancestors, not me. If you ever visit one of the historical cabins during the winter, you'll know why they didn't change. You wouldn't have, either."
"You're probably right," I said.
"They would sleep in their clothes as well. But newlyweds have certain needs."
"Okay." I knew where this was going now.
"And they weren't about to take off a
ll their clothes in the bitter cold to fulfill those needs, no matter how urgent their desires."
"Of course not."
"They created underwear that would allow easy access to a woman's body."
I swallowed hard as I imagined Airik having easy access to my body.
"Sounds brilliant," I said.
"Exactly. The newlyweds could fulfill their needs whenever they wanted to. The women wore blouses that buttoned in the front and skirts. The men could always pull it out when they needed to."
I laughed.
"That's where the traditional underwear comes from."
"Okay. I'll just put it on then," I said, going into the bathroom.
"Here," she said, tossing me a ball of silk. "Put the slip on too."
When I came out, she had the dress ready for me to put on. I stepped into it from the top. As she had already indicated, the top half buttoned up for easy access.
It was like a princess dress. The blue shade happened to match my eyes exactly. My shoulders were bare. The sleeves were long and covered my entire arm. The bodice was tight and highlighted my narrow waist. The skirt fell smoothly over my hips all the way to the floor. It covered my shoes and swished when I walked.
When I turned and saw myself in the mirror, I couldn't believe I was looking at myself. I had lived my entire life in jeans and T-shirts. My dad had never been good at feminine things. The sight of myself in the dress made me smile.
"Do you like it?" Neesa asked.
"Oh, yeah, I like it," I said, grinning at her.
"Now let's do your hair," she said.
We worked together and put it up in a bun at the back of my head. She attached a golden chain that went across my forehead and wrapped around the bun — a flat blue stone hung from the chain in the center of my forehead over my third eye. By the time we finished, I didn't even recognize myself.
"Wow," Neesa said, as I turned to her. "You look amazing, Quinn. Airik won't be able to resist you."
I didn't know what to say to that. I was saved by Neesa bustling me out the door and downstairs to a waiting room. As we crossed the lobby, there was an unfamiliar man that was watching me. It made me feel uncomfortable, but I ignored him. There must be weirdos on every planet.
We waited impatiently until the sound of a knock on the door made us both jump and then laugh.
"Come in," Neesa called.
"Hey ladies, it's time to start the show." It was Airik. When he caught sight of me, he was transfixed and spellbound. But I hardly noticed as I tried to wrap my head around how amazingly handsome and sexy he looked in his outfit.
Neesa looked back and forth between the two of us.
"Did we succeed in our mission, Quinn?" she said. I remembered that she was still in the room.
"I guess so," I said, having no idea what she meant.
"Mission? What mission?" Airik asked, glancing at his little sister.
"The mission to overwhelm you with the beauty of your bride," she said, beaming at him.
"Oh yeah?" he said, looking back and devouring me with his eyes from head to toe. I felt myself blush again. "Mission accomplished."
CHAPTER 6
QUINN
I stifled another yawn. It had been a long day. It was nearly midnight. Airik and I sat at the front of the room at a long table, facing everyone. The table was up higher than the rest so everyone could see us, which increased my discomfort. I glanced down at my middle fingers.
I was married.
There was a silver band on each finger, studded with tiny blue stones matching the one on my forehead. An intricate pattern crisscrossed the metal. I loved them. Airik had two rings similar to mine. His were a copper color with the same etching. There were black stones sprinkled on his rings.
The ceremony had been strange, but the heart of it was familiar. It was the same as on Earth. We swore to love, honor, and take care of each other until death parted us. What else was there to say at a wedding?
I felt guilty swearing that when I wasn't planning on staying married to him. But I felt better when I promised myself that as long as we were married, I would honor the vows. I was making them in good faith. The marriage would just end sooner than eternity.
I unmistakably felt the presence of my future lover at the ceremony. I knew he was watching, somehow. There had been a profound sense of approval from his spirit. Maybe he was okay if I was with Airik for the year. Then I would divorce him and go find my real true love.
When I was free, I would find the man with whom I was supposed to fall in love.
"Quinn?" Airik said, putting his hand over mine and making my heart skip a beat. "How are you?"
"I'm good. The ceremony was lovely. The rings are beautiful."
He dropped his head, looking a little bashful. "I'm glad you like them. I hoped you would."
The reception had stretched on with speeches, jokes, and people demanding we kiss each other. Airik gave me chaste kisses. They were almost pecks on the cheek. Maybe in their culture, those types of kisses were appropriate at a public event like this.
I had been so nervous that I drank several glasses of a beautiful pink drink that waiters kept setting in front of me. Eventually Airik cut me off, telling me that it was a potent alcohol and would make me drunk. By that time, it was too late. It was a good thing all I had to do was sit and look pretty. There wasn't any dancing.
As it turned out, it didn't matter why he was kissing me like I was his sister. I was having a hard enough time concentrating as it was, being drunk and horny. I didn't need him kissing me so passionately in front of all his family members that I forgot my name. I had a feeling he could kiss me like that.
I wondered if he would when we got back to our room. The thought made me shiver. I tried to focus on what he was saying.
"We can go now if you want to."
"Oh, can we? I'm exhausted."
"Yes, of course. Let's thank everyone and head up to our room."
"Okay," I said, my heart beating a little faster. Would he want to do anything when we arrived at our room?
I leaned on his arm as we said our thank yous and wished everyone a long life. We walked out of the conference room and into the lobby. I was surprised to notice that the man Neesa and I had seen earlier was still there. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time we were in the room. The way he was looking at me made my skin crawl.
Once we were in the elevator, I turned to Airik. "Do you know that man?"
"I don't," he said, frowning when he looked at me. "Why? Did he say something to you?"
"Not a word," I said. I was probably making a big deal out of nothing at all. "He didn't say anything. He was there when we went to the wedding, and I thought it was odd that he was still there when we came out much later."
"Come to think of it, I don't know him, which is odd in Nivan. We don't see too many strangers around here. I know almost everyone either on a first name basis or at least by sight. I'll have someone check up on him if he's still hanging around tomorrow."
"That would be great." I felt relieved. It seemed unlikely that the Sons of the Heavenly Father would have gone to all the trouble to follow me here, but you never know. If Airik could confirm the stranger was from Koccoran it would make me feel better.
By the time we got into the room, it was all I could do to stumble to the couch.
"Are you intoxicated?" he asked, looking at me with a bemused expression on his face.
"I am really drunk," I said. "You should have warned me about the pink stuff."
"Sorry."
He looked uncomfortable and sat down beside me without touching my body. He had minimized physical contact all night. I was beginning to think I had imagined the heat in his eyes earlier.
"I have to explain something to you, and I hope you're sober enough to understand it."
I hiccupped. "I'm sober enough to understand anything," I said.
"Sure you are," he said, a tiny smile on his face. "What I'm about to tell you mi
ght sound archaic, but it is another part of our cultural rules."
"Yes?" I said, trying to look serious but feeling like giggling at his alien culture.
"We're not legally married yet."
"What? But we stood in front of that man, said some words and you gave me these." I held up my hands to show the rings.
"Yes. That's all important. But there's one more thing that is necessary to make the marriage legal."
"What's that?" I said, having absolutely no idea what he meant.
"We have to consummate it," he said, watching me carefully for my reaction.
My eyebrows went up, and my nipples got hard. I felt a flash of lightning race down to my core.
"Consummated." I repeated.
He nodded.
"We can't just tell them we did because they perform tests the morning after. We only get the marriage certificate after our examinations are complete." His eyes were closed, and he had a pained expression on his face.
I stared at him.
"They're going to verify we mated?"
He nodded. I think he expected me to be appalled. On a purely intellectual level, I was a bit scandalized. But on a physical level, my body was doing a happy dance. I was going to get lucky tonight. This was what Neesa meant when she had talked about needing chemistry between Airik and me tonight.
In any event, my intellectual side had to put up token resistance.
"We don't even know each other."
"You never had a one-night stand, Quinn?" he murmured.
"I have," I said, honestly.
"How well did you know him?"
"Good point," I said. I couldn't even remember his name. "But isn't there a clause in the TerraMates contract that says I don't have to sleep with you if I don't want to?"
"Do you honestly find the thought of having sex with me abhorrent?" he asked. His expression showed a worry and vulnerability that made me want to reassure him immediately. "Of course, I would never dream of forcing you," he added before I could say anything.
"Of course not. And I don't find it at all abhorrent. I was dreaming about it this afternoon. You're quite attractive, Airik." I couldn't help the heat that crept up my cheeks. I couldn't let him think I didn't want him.