Chapter 6

The rest of the day, they exploredGlowen’da.As they walked around the city, Sharon realized the similarities to Earth. The contact and constant flow of travelers between the two planets were slowly blending the cultures. Although the landscape was alien, there was a familiarity she felt as she walked and asked questions.

She was surprised as well by how much she and Liken had in common. They had both lost their parents at a young age. They both enjoyed reading and similar types of music. As they went from place to place, there was a strange sense of comfort between them. Liken surprised her with his enthusiasm. He seemed to be having a good time just being with her, seeing things through her eyes. It was flattering.

Inevitably, after a time, Liken turned them toward home. Sharon’s feet and legs were beginning to feel the effects of an afternoon spent walking. When they reached the house, Sharon felt her earlier tension begin to return. Turning quickly toward the bedroom, she said, “I’ll just rest a while.”

Liken stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You can rest in here,sherree.”

She looked away from him. Her eyes lighted on the couch and she immediately took a step back. “I don’t think so.”Their conversation after the Oath ceremony, when he said he could repeat any intimacy, flashed through her head.

Turning her into his arms, he said, “I had hoped we made progress this afternoon. Why do you still fear me?”

She looked into his face. He seemed honestly perplexed. “I’m not afraid of you. I just think we should take things slowly, that’s all.”In fact, she was hoping they could put off any form of intimacy for several days…or more. She needed time.

A dawning understanding passed over his face. “I think I see. You do not fear me. You fear yourself.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She felt the first stirrings of anger.

“Very well,then. You fear your response to me.” He sounded understanding, but his face was hardening. He was growing frustrated with her.

Sharon said, “I don’t want to fight. I just want you to leave me alone for awhile.”It was time to put more distance between them, if she could.

“This I will not do.” His voice was firm. “You are trying to retreat. You hide from me but more…you hide from yourself. You want me just as much as I want you. You are bound to honor your oath. This is our knowing period. What we do is expected.”

“I didn't expect it, okay?” Her voice was rising. “I’m tired of you throwing duty in my face. I know what I vowed. Theoretically, I guess just skipping off planet and having sex with a strange alien guy is supposed to be easy. But it’s not. I’m not casual. The two guys I was with before may not have been heroes, but they were decent guys that I cared about. You want me to just get naked and have sex with you like it’s easy. It’s not. I’ve never been with someone like you. You make me feel…” her voice faltered.Sharon suddenly realized that she was afraid of how he made her feel.

“Out of control? Hot? Overwhelmed?” he suggested huskily.

Sharon paused at his words, and thinking quickly, nodded.“Okay fine. All of those things.” She didn’t like where this discussion was going.

“Is that so bad,sherree? The attraction between us is intense. It is our fortune. You say you do not like feeling out of control, but I know sexually, it makes you hot. I know seeing you that way makes me hot. You may not be comfortable and safe like in your controlled world, but you like what I say to you. You like what I do to you. I would wager that right now you are wet from my words. Mayhap you need to learn that there is no harm in giving up control. That you are safe with me.”

He was right, but she didn’t like admitting it. She was wet from his words. She blushed knowing her tightened nipples were obvious against the thin barrier of her top. There was no way he could fail to notice her obvious arousal. Her body was betraying her.

Liken could see and sense how affected she was by his words and presence. He reached out and ran his hands along the sides of her body in one slow stroke.Sharon tried to move away, but he merely picked her up and carried her to the couch. Coming down on top of her, he again pinioned her hands as he had earlier.

Peering into her face, his voice brooked no argument, “I will not take you tonight. I will bring you to peak with my hands and my mouth on this couch until we grow hungry. We will eat the evemeal with you in my lap, my hands on your body. Then we will return to this couch. You will come for me,sherree. You will ache and come and ache for more. You will get used to this hunger between us. Your comfort with me will be assured. But know this, tomorrow there will be no clothing between us. You will not hide behind the safety of your inhibitions. I am a Shimerian male. We are highly sexual, dominant beings. I will not pretend otherwise. To truly know me, you must be willing to know yourself.” Somewhat angrily, his mouth came down on hers.

His hard kiss gradually gentled into teasing caresses. As she responded with less reluctance and more enthusiasm, he left no part of her untouched. The feel of his hands and mouth through the thin barrier of her clothes was excruciating.

The next hours were unbelievable. He was relentless. Using his hands and mouth, he brought her to climax after climax. As he had promised, he never removed her clothes. Even sitting at the table, eating, one hand always roamed her body. Leaning back against his chest, she accepted bites of food, as she arched into the fingers tweaking her nipple or gliding between her legs.

Later, back on the couch, her body grew exhausted. When he finally sat up and moved away from her, she felt like there wasn’t a nerve on her body that hadn’t been stroked. She was swollen, her breasts tender. Between her legs, she throbbed and felt a pulsing awareness of him with every beat of her heart.

Looking into his harsh countenance, she marveled at his control. He hadn’t lost it once. It was frightening. His face was lined with the costs of his effort, but he had certainly made his point.

Early on, her defenses had toppled. She had eagerly sought his caresses, even encouraged them. He had given her pleasure after pleasure, but always stopped short of removing her clothing. He had a deeply ingrained sense of honor. He hadn’t misused her or gone back on his word. She couldn’t pretend to herself any longer. She did know a lot about this man. She did want him. She couldn’t fight both him and herselfany longer.

Getting up on shaky legs, she faced him. “I’m going to sleep now. You’ve made your point. I want you. I’m not really afraid of you.” She felt vulnerable, exposed. “We’ll sleep together tomorrow. But you might think about this: sex isn’t enough to tie me to you permanently. I may go to my grave wanting you, but I’ll be buried on Earth. I’m not going to get lost in you and your world. I’m entitled to my own dreams.”

He looked genuinely shocked. “I don’t want to take everything from you, Sharon. I want to build a life together with you. If a life on Earth was possible, I would be there with you.”

She looked skeptical. “Easily said, when you’ll never have to do it. It’s so easy for you. You get everything you want.” She gave him a level look and then left the room.

He watched as she left, his body screaming for release, his emotions in turmoil. Liken felt like howling. He dropped his head into his hands. The only thing he truly wanted washer.

In the quiet of the room he was temporarily using as a sleep chamber, as the night progressed the activity of the previous hours kept playing through his mind to torment him. He remembered her softness, her response to his caresses, and the way her body would get wet at his touch.

That night Liken got very little sleep. Besides the aching frustration of his body, his thoughts restlessly turned the situation with Sharon over and over. She was resentful of leaving her homeworld and her own plans. She felt fearful of her vulnerability to him. Perhaps the best way to lessen that fear was to demonstrate to her that she had power over him as well. That wouldn’t be any problem.