Her instincts screamed that Ariel was the one to fill the role of her wife and the mother of her child. She possessed all the qualities Kiernan would want in a spouse: intelligence, the ability to converse on a number of subjects that interested both of them, and she was well spoken, well mannered, and exceedingly beautiful with a natural grace. Even her blushes were charming. She'd feel proud to introduce Ariel as her wife to both her social set and to the dignitaries and heads of state she often entertained as the president of Stellardyne. She held no doubt Ariel could carry her own in any social situation.
She was sure Ariel would make an excellent mother. After all, she had experience helping her mother with the care of her two younger siblings.
Ariel Thorsen was worth the price Kiernan was willing to invest in obtaining her goals.
There remained the problem of Ariel's girlfriend. It was in Kiernan's favor the relationship appeared to be more of a friendship, considering they didn't live together and saw each other only on the weekends. Besides, she was Kiernan Deirdre O'Shay, one of the most powerful and wealthy people in the solar system. Many thought her attractive, accomplished, and brilliant. What red-blooded lesbian wouldn't think she was a catch?
Her instincts told her she couldn't come out and ask Ariel to marry her. No, that approach wouldn't work. So she contemplated doing something she wouldn't do in a million lifetimes were it any other woman--romance Ariel, aggressively and relentlessly. She'd find time to see her three or four times a week, take her to the best restaurants, fly to Moscow for the upcoming ballet opening, and shower her with attention.
Suddenly, she realized what she was considering and couldn't quite believe she was thinking it. Romance? This was a business deal. Had she lost her mind? Then again, persuasion, flattery, wining and dining were sometimes exactly what it took to close a deal. Romance could fall into the same category. And if 'acting' the romantic could help Kiernan acquire Stellardyne--why not?
She hurried back up the walk toward the house to launch the wheels in motion.
Chapter Five
GLIMPSING HER WRISTWATCH, Ariel knew she had plenty of time to stop by Chattanooga Harley, have the shop check the back fender rattle that started a couple of weeks after she picked her bike up, and arrive at Mysha's apartment by two o'clock. The doorbell rang as she reached to take her black Tefla-hide jacket off the coat rack. At the door, she peered out the peephole, spying a woman holding a flower arrangement. She opened the door, and the delivery woman held out the arrangement. "I have a delivery for Ariel Thorsen."
Right away, Ariel knew they were from Mysha. She beamed when the delivery woman handed over the arrangement, but was embarrassed when the woman winked while witnessing her obvious pleasure. After thanking the woman, Ariel took the flowers to the kitchen and placed them on the table. This was the first time Mysha sent her flowers and the sweetness of the gesture touched her.
She studied the arrangement, noticing the assortment of various kinds of pink and cream lilies, miniature pink rose buds, lilac asters, and others she couldn't name, all placed in a pink, metallic vase. She could tell they were expensive. And the fact that a living person delivered them, not a droid, let her know they were from an upscale flower shop. She hoped Mysha hadn't spent too much.
As she reached for the envelope from First Bloom Florist, her mother entered the kitchen, stopping in surprise when she saw the arrangement. "From Mysha? It's not your birthday, so what's the occasion? You must have done something special to please her." Joanna waggled her eyebrows.
"Mom!" Ariel tried to sound indignant, but failed miserably, her beaming face betraying her.
"Aren't you going to open the card? I want to know what it says."
By the flatness and size of the envelope, Ariel knew it was an old-fashioned handwritten one and not a card containing a recording of the sender's voice and three-dimensional picture or video. Clutching it to her chest, she sighed in a theatrical fashion. "It's private, it's mine, and I'll not share."
"All right, be that way." Joanna stuck her tongue out before gazing back to the flowers. A moment later, she glanced up at her daughter and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Ariel handed the card over.
Ariel, please join me for dinner Friday night aboard Celeste. Have spaceship. Will travel.
Kiernan.
Below the signature was a telecom number for her office at Stellardyne.
Joanna peered back up at her daughter. "It appears you made an impression if Ms. O'Shay's sent an invitation to go aboard Celeste."
A surge of excitement raced through Ariel at the thought of seeing the spaceship followed by disappointment. "That's the night Mysha and I are planning to see the documentary film on the discovery of Atlantis. I'll call Ms. O'Shay Monday and tell her thanks for the invitation, but I have other plans."
"You would love to go though, wouldn't you?"
For a few seconds, Ariel was silent. She gnawed her bottom lip while weighing her answer. Suddenly, she had a vivid recollection from the night before of green eyes that on more than one occasion had seemed to drink her in and a low smoky laugh that sent delicious shivers down her back. "Yes, I would. But I'm not sure what the intent behind those is." She motioned with her head to the flowers. "And the invitation to dinner makes it almost sound like a date. If she'd called instead and said, 'Let's do lunch aboard Celeste, so I can show you around,' and didn't send flowers--what do you think?"
"If she had sent you red roses I would be concerned about her motives. It's probably innocent. You know, she comes from an entirely different social class. Sending flowers may be the way they do things when sending an invitation for occasions such as this. She did enjoy talking to you, and she did say she'd love for you to see her ship."
"And I said I'd love to see her ship, but I'll have to think on it some more. Either way, I'll call her Monday." An unpleasant thought occurred. "You don't think she'd take it out on you if I refused?"
Joanna drew her head back in surprise. "Of course not! I've heard she's very professional in her business dealings. If you accept her invitation and she thinks it's a date, you can always tell her you have a girlfriend."
"You're right." She leaned over to plant a kiss on her mother's cheek, and then headed toward the front door, calling behind her, "Later!"
ARIEL WAS HALFWAY between wakefulness and falling asleep when the warmth pressed against her left side stretched like a cat and purred, "Hmmm, babe, I'm famished. All that exercise has me needing nourishment. How about ordering a pizza?"
Ariel yawned and shifted to gaze at her lover. Mysha shifted onto her knees with her hands pushing against the small of her arched back, shoulders back, and pert breasts thrust forward in an attempt to stretch a kink from her spine.
Admiring the enticing display her dark-skinned lover provided, Ariel reached up and tweaked a dusky nipple. "Make it one with green pepper and mushroom topping."
Mysha playfully slapped her lover's hand away. "Let's make it half green pepper and mushroom topping, and the other half sausage."
"Okay, you call while I take a shower."
Ariel moved to leave the bed only to have Mysha pull her back and slide a leg across her hips, preventing her from going anywhere. Mysha moved partially over her and gave a brief sniff. "Hmmm, you smell good to me. All sexy like you've been making love and you're ready for more."
"Amazing, I say, simply amazing. You should be a detective. You have a knack for sniffing out the clues."
Mysha nipped Ariel's nose. In an upper class British accent she said, "Elementary, my dear Watson." She gazed with liquid brown eyes down into Ariel's.
Ariel caught one of Mysha's black curls and twirled it around her finger, thinking how cute her dimples were. Mysha was as dark as Ariel was light. At five feet ten inches, she was a half inch taller than Ariel. She said she inherited her height from her Watusi ancestors. Ariel inherited her height from her Viking ancestors. Ariel was aware that they often drew admiring looks from
both males and females when they were out together. It didn't make her as uncomfortable when those same stares were directed at her when she was alone. She knew others saw her as attractive. But to her, the outward appearance was superficial. Her parents had instilled in her that outward beauty was fleeting--inward beauty was what counted.
She'd met Mysha five months earlier when arranging for the local Harley Owners Group, or H.O.G, to sponsor a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Mysha served on the board of the Special Olympics of Chattanooga. Her full-time profession was as an area supervisor for Tennessee's Social Services Department. Ariel volunteered to represent her local H.O.G chapter and help coordinate the event.
The two women worked well together. Ariel was attracted to Mysha's dedication and her sense of humor. Mysha exuded warmth and friendliness, and had a way of talking and listening that made Ariel feel special.
After the event, Mysha asked her to go to a movie, and, later, out to dinner. Two months of being friends rapidly escalated into more and they became lovers. In fact, Mysha was Ariel's first relationship that included sex.
Ariel's parents were open on the subject of sex and had expected her to experiment, but they imparted to her that sex should be with someone you respected and who respected you. She hadn't met anyone who she was interested in seriously, and until now wasn't inclined to take any relationship to a physical level. She wanted to wait until she found that special person she could connect with on an emotional level first, and share the physical as an expression of her feelings.
She felt this person was Mysha. Ariel had been the one to initiate their first sexual encounter. She wasn't yet in love with Mysha, and Mysha hadn't come out and expressed those sentiments, but she did have feelings for Mysha of warmth and caring. She was sure Mysha felt the same way. They wanted to take things slow and not rush into any commitments.
Mysha kissed her and Ariel heard her lover's stomach roil. "Order the pizza before you fade before my eyes."
Mysha rolled off her and reached for the IMP on the bedside table. Ariel slipped out of bed and entered the bathroom, ordering the computer to activate the shower to setting three, and moved underneath the warm spray of water, enjoying the relaxing way it soothed her body.
A short time later, the shower curtain opened, and Mysha slid behind her. She ran her hands up Ariel's sides. "The pizza will be here in about forty-five minutes, but they always say that and it's at least an hour." Mysha breathed in Ariel's ear. "Want me to wash your back?"
The hot air in her ear made a delicious shiver rush down Ariel's spine. "Hmmm, yes."
Warm, soapy hands slid up Ariel's rib cage to cup breasts, squeezing softly, drawing from her a throaty rumble of pleasure. The sensation of wet breasts pressing into her from behind sent a jolt of arousal to her groin. Leaning her head to one side, Ariel felt nibbles along the side of her neck, sending tingles down her back.
Mysha's fingers pulled Ariel's tender nipples and drew out a deep rumble from her throat. Mysha continued kissing and nuzzling Ariel's neck before delicately tugging an earlobe with her teeth. The feel of her lover's hand sliding down the front of Ariel's slick torso, followed by fingers gliding through the rough thatch of hair to her entrance, elicited a sharp intake of air, and she leaned her head back onto Mysha's shoulder.
A growl sounded next to her ear. "Want more, baby girl?" The rich timbre of Mysha's voice tickled, creating a gaggle of goose bumps that skittled down Ariel's neck, arms, and back.
"Yes. More."
"Have you been a good girl?" Mysha lightly rubbed her fingertips over the swollen knot at the apex of Ariel's crease.
"Yes." Ariel leaned farther back against Mysha, widening her stance, rolling her pelvis, and pushing her center against the teasing fingers.
Mysha removed her hand from Ariel's breasts to encircle her arm around the trim waist, pulling Ariel tightly against her so she wouldn't fall. A nip of Mysha's teeth on Ariel's earlobe caused a low drone to escape her throat as Mysha swiped her tongue in her lover's ear and sexily purred, "That's not what I hear. I hear you've been a bad girl. A very bad girl."
Ariel moaned, her undulations becoming stronger and more forceful, but Mysha kept the same slow rhythm, continuing to lightly stroke as she said, "Do you know what happens to bad girls?"
Ariel bit her bottom lip, mewling as the stroking of Mysha's fingers teased her to a heightened state of arousal. But the touch wasn't enough. She needed it hard and fast. "Please, harder."
"No, no. Bad girls aren't rewarded. Bad girls are punished. Now, Ariel, are you a bad girl?"
"Yes, ohh, yes, please, ahh." Ariel took in gulps of air. Her hips strained toward Mysha's hand for a firmer touch, but Mysha would only tease with her fingers.
"Yes, you are, but you'll be a good girl for me won't you?"
"Ye...Yes."
"And do what I tell you to do, won't you?"
"Ahhh--yes."
Mysha applied a firmer pressure, rapidly stroking her fingers over Ariel's clit, her fingertips barely sliding in and out the opening. Ariel thrust frantically against her hand.
"Now, babe, give it to me," Mysha commanded.
Ariel threw her pelvis forward, suddenly freezing, grinding out a raspy sound from deep within her throat. Mysha did not slow her movements or decrease the pressure until Ariel relaxed. Mysha gentled her touch. "I have you."
Bones melted, and if not for Mysha holding her up, Ariel would slide to the bottom of the tub. After a few moments, she gained enough strength to twist in Mysha's arms, and say seductively, "Want me to wash your back?"
"MERCY, I CAN'T possibly eat another bite or I'll burst wide open." Mysha flopped down on her pillow, and loosened the drawstring of her sweatpants.
"Uh, me too." Ariel flipped the remainder of her pizza crust into the open box on the floor and leaned against the headboard. Stretching the front of her light blue shirt out to see the tomato stain, she said with disgust, "Geez, it never fails, I'm always spilling something on my favorite shirt."
"It'll come out in the wash." Mysha placed her hand on Ariel's bare knee, stroking it up her leg to her panties, and back down to the knee. "What did you have to eat last night at that fancy-dancy restaurant you went to?"
"Crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms, shrimp in garlic sauce with a side of rice pilaf, and a garden salad."
"Sounds good, but was the food worth the five-star rating?"
"It was good, but not as good as Salty Dog's." Salty Dog's was Ariel's favorite seafood restaurant with prices one could afford, and the food was delicious and plentiful.
"Hmmm, bet it was three hundred bucks a plate, and you got four itty-bitty shrimp the size of my little toe arranged in some kind of artistic pattern."
"Eat there often?"
"Not in this lifetime. I heard most of those places skimp on the grub, but gouge you on the green."
"It was eight itty-bitty shrimp the size of my pinkie arranged in an artistic pattern. And the highlight of the meal was the brandy pecan pie I had for dessert with a cup of real Brazilian coffee." For decades, coffee had been a rare and expensive commodity due to a fungus brought about by the greenhouse effect that devastated the plants. Recently, new fungus- and heat-resistant strains of plants had been introduced, but it would take years for the coffee plantations to be established enough to impact the availability and price.
"Oh, sounds scrumptious--and expensive. That one cup of coffee probably cost more than the meal." Mysha scooted up next to Ariel, leaning her back against the headboard. "Tell me what this Ms. High and Mighty O'Shay paragon is like in person?"
"She seemed very nice and not at all the bitch the media describes."
"Is she as sexy in person as she is in her pictures and on EM?"
"Oh, yeah, is she ever. The media pics and vids don't do her justice. She's a mega supreme babe for sure--OUCH! Why did you do that?" Ariel glowered accusingly at Mysha.
"A simple yes or no will do. I don't want to hear about you drooling over her."
<
br /> Ariel rubbed the pinch mark on her upper leg. "I didn't drool over her. We talked."
"Yeah? What kind of things did the two of you talk about?"
"Mostly about her spaceship and theories on light-speed travel. She's very intelligent and knows a lot on the subject. Did you know she has a degree from Embry-Riddle in aerospace design, as well as a business degree from Harvard?"
"Not only a Momma Mega Bucks, and a babe, but a real Einstein, eh?"
"I was surprised she was so smart. I mean, about anything other than business. Hmm, she invited me to have dinner with her on Celeste and give me a tour."
"You mean her spaceship? You're kidding. That's the most famous spaceship, space yacht, whatever, there is. When are you going?"
"I'm not going."
Mysha leaned back, assessing her. "Why not?"
"It's for Friday night, and that's the night we're going to see the opening of the Atlantis documentary."
"Hey, babe, we can go to that another night. There are people out there who would sell the patent rights to their DNA to go on a tour of Celeste." Mysha's eyes took on a mischievous glint. "Besides, I want to know all about her zero gravity orgy room."
"What?"
"You know? Her little romper room, where she has the orgies."
This was news to Ariel. For some reason, Ms. O'Shay didn't strike her as someone who was into that sort of thing. From what Ariel knew, she tended to be private in her personal life, not granting interviews. Plus, the worldwide business community and most of the governing bodies on Earth and off-world held her in respect. Then again, Ariel had heard Ms. O'Shay had been wild in her younger days before she took over Stellardyne. Casting Mysha a dark glower, Ariel said, "Where the hell did you hear that?"
"Damn, babe, you need to watch some news on the EM instead of those boring science programs. Everyone has heard about it. The Enquirer channel always has a scoop about it, and who's been free-floating with her."
The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars Page 4