"Come lie down next to me." When she stiffly got into position, he almost gave up. She looked like a child awaiting a deserved punishment. He brushed strands of silver hair away from her face. "Now I want you to close your eyes and relax. If I do anything you don't like, just tell me to stop. Okay?"
Aster nodded. She would risk anything for another of his delicious kisses and this time she would not need to feel guilty about enjoying it. He had been given fair warning. She gave herself up to the tingling sensations caused by his fingers roaming up and down her arms and over her face and throat. When his lips touched hers, she quickly wrapped her arms around him and tried to deepen the kiss but Rom pulled away.
"Not yet. Don't try so hard. In fact, I want you to try to do nothing. Understood?"
She managed a small nod and concentrated on relaxing again. This time when he kissed her mouth, he lingered. His tongue traced her lips and she opened them.
"Do you like that?"
"Mm-hmm."
He left a trail of tiny, hot kisses along her throat and whispered in her ear. "And that? Does that feel nice?"
"Mmmm."
He returned his mouth to hers and nibbled on her lips. His palm brushed over her breast before resting on her arm. Even through her clothing, he felt the response he wanted. When her arms tightened around him now, Rom shifted her to her side and inconspicuously inserted his knee between hers. Tenderly, he cupped her full breast, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the tip.
Without thinking about what her body was doing, she straddled his leg. As his hand continued to lightly arouse her flesh, stroking her bare arm and thigh and her concealed breasts and hip, she noticed the ache building again.
Slowly, he pressed his knee upward and his hand grasped her bottom, encouraging her to move against his muscled thigh.
Aster moaned softly and pressed forward on her own. The more she moved, the greater the need to rub against him became. The hand on her bottom urged her to increase the pace of her grinding. Her kisses became more frantic and her hand searched his face and hair, moving down his back and holding him as he held her. A moment later a tremendous shiver ran through her body and a small whimper escaped her throat.
Romulus rolled with her onto her back. His erection pushed against her sensitive core and absorbed her aftershocks.
Aster's eyes flew open to meet his. Propped on his elbows above her, he gave her a lecherous grin. "Cold, huh? Lady, I never even got you out of your clothes."
"My heavens, Rom. I didn't even realize what I was doing. I didn't think, I mean, I never... and you didn't..."
"I know. It's all right. We have the whole afternoon," he promised and lowered his mouth to hers again.
Soon enough he felt her arch against him. Now awakened to her own passionate nature, she would find it easier to seek her satisfaction. He moved away from her and raised her to her feet in front of him. Bestowing sweet kisses, he peeled away her clothes then stepped back to remove his own. He noticed she avoided looking at him and he decided to put off a lesson on male anatomy for a later time.
Aster stood frozen. She wanted to grab her clothes and run away. Her tormented mind told her that was what she should do. But her trembling body wanted to stay where it was, being touched and coming alive in ways she had not thought possible. She was at his mercy and enjoying every minute of it.
"Aster, look at me," Rom said softly in the deep rumble that vibrated through her being. "You're beautiful, every inch of you. Don't be afraid. It can only get better."
Aster was certain he could see the blush covering her entire body but she didn't turn her gaze away from his. She felt hypnotized by those hazel-brown orbs.
He kept her eyes linked to his while his fingers explored her flesh. Parting the dark curls between her thighs, he stroked the wet bud out of its hiding place. He inserted one, then two fingers inside her, while his thumb continued to stroke her. He heard her gasp as her legs strained from the effort to remain standing. In one smooth movement, he knelt and replaced his thumb with his tongue and teeth.
Aster's hands clutched at his shoulders, not sure if she wanted to push him away or to hold him closer. Her fingers meshed in his hair. There was no more thinking to be done. Her body overruled her reasoning and gave in to the intense ripples of pleasure overtaking her.
Her musky taste and feminine scent drove him on, until he tasted her passion flowing freely and she collapsed into the cradle of his arms. He held her close, listening to her ragged breathing. When he felt her heartbeat return to normal, he urged her to lie down on the mat beside him again.
Aster was amazed that a man could give her such satisfaction and not take his. Her only sexual experiences with men had been the other way around.
Reaching up, she caught his hair with her fingers and pulled his head close to hers. She plundered his mouth, forcing her tongue between his teeth.
This time it was his turn to break away. He had been using every ounce of willpower to keep from pushing himself inside her before she was ready. But another kiss like that would bring on the finale before he had planned.
She saw the look of surprise on his face. "I just wanted to say thank you. I really didn't know."
"You still don't, my shalla, but you will soon." He ran his hand down her stomach and over her mound then nudged her thighs apart. On his knees, he positioned himself between her legs and captured a breast in each hand. Bending forward, he burrowed his face in the deep valley he made. His teeth captured one pink nipple, then the other, teasing it with his lips and tongue until the peaks had hardened again.
Aster could not believe it was possible to feel so sated one minute and yet be starving the next. She could not remember ever wanting anything so badly in her whole life.
Rom had pushed himself to the limit of his restraint when he saw Aster's eyes cloud with desire for a third time. He was certain there would be no gripping fear now. Once more he dragged her under his trance-like spell. Supporting himself on his arms above her, he shifted his hips until the tip of his shaft touched her.
"Aster?" was all he could whisper.
"Yes, Rom, please," she cried as her hips moved to welcome him. She was so moist she took in the full length of him with one thrust.
Rom shook from the relief of being within her body. No woman had ever accommodated him completely. When he was sure he had not hurt her, he slowly began the age-old rhythm, wanting to make it last. But he had waited too long, wanted her too desperately. When she locked her legs around him to bury him deeper, his self-imposed control was ripped away. The urgency of the raging inferno inside him carried her along with him every inch of the way, until simultaneous orgasms rocked them both.
Aster felt as if she were soaring through space, diving to the ground and flying up again as she clung to Rom, fearing this ecstasy would never end, then fearing it would.
Rom rolled over, pulling her with him, so that she was now on top. He had his release but he was still hard and throbbing inside her. For the first time in weeks, the incessant boiling of his blood was reduced to a simmer.
But it did not disappear completely and that discovery was so shocking his desire ebbed. It meant he could keep the fever under control by possessing her body, but only joining with her would put the fire out permanently. And that was out of the question. It was forbidden. He would be ruined, probably exiled. He also had to consider what joining might do to her. If she survived it at all, she could be driven insane.
Aster had never known such happiness existed and she wanted to run and laugh and play. She squeezed her muscles tightly around him. "What's next, teach?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Such a radical personality change was beyond his understanding. Yes, this was wrong, it couldn't go on, but he decided her smile made him feel too good not to enjoy every minute he had with her. "Do you swim?" he asked as he disengaged himself from her body.
"Of course, why—"
Aster's question turned into a shriek as he jerked h
er to her feet and yanked her over the ledge with him, plummeting down the twenty feet into the chilly water.
Aster emerged, choking and sputtering. "You rat! I could have had a heart attack." She tried to sound angry but couldn't stop laughing.
He dove back under the dark water and disappeared. Aster tread water while trying to figure out where he had gone. Abruptly, she felt his hands at her ankles and barely had a chance to hold her breath before he pulled her under with him. He kissed her hard on the mouth and held her snugly against him as they bobbed to the surface again.
In spite of the cold water, the satiny texture of her body rekindled the fire in his blood. One look at her smoldering dark blue eyes told him she had not yet had enough either.
With frantic urgency put at bay, they were able to spend the rest of the afternoon in paradise, exploring the tropical area as well as discovering the secret sensitive spots of each other's bodies.
When they returned to the house where dinner had been kept waiting for them. Aster felt as though she were hearing everything from inside a tunnel and she couldn't taste anything but Rom's kisses.
Before they left, Marya called Rom aside. "Young man, since your mother isn't here, I believe it's my place to have a word with you." Rom looked at her quizzically. "You said that woman is an Outerworlder and you know better than most people what that means. She seems like a sweet person and I wouldn't want to see her heart broken."
Rom snorted and kissed her cheek. "Marya, if you only knew what that lady is doing to my heart, you'd take pity on me. Even so, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do about it. What she makes me feel isn't supposed to be happening. But I can't seem to stay away from her."
"Ohhh," Marya said with understanding and sighed. "I'm sorry, son. I know you'll do whatever's best for both of you. Good luck." She stood on her toes to give him one last hug and said goodbye to the handsome couple.
As soon as they settled in the car, Aster snuggled close to Rom.
"Happy?" he asked, lifting her chin to see her face. In answer, she coaxed him into a long wanton kiss. "I think I'll show you another function of this vehicle." He programmed the vehicle's computer to return them to Aster's apartment on automatic. With the touch of another button, the seats reclined. He gave her a mischievous grin and pulled her back into his arms.
"And here I thought my Prius was a smart car. By the way, what was that word you called me before? Shalla?"
Rom didn't even realize he had said the word. It literally meant soul's mate, but he doubted she was ready to hear that explanation. Instead, he gave her the looser translation. "It's an old Noronian word meaning special one. For a man, the word is shallar."
"I like that. Thank you." What he had actually called her was "my shalla". It warmed her to have him think of her as his anything, even if it was in the heat of the moment.
Rom was shocked at the ferocity at which the burning had returned, in spite of the countless times they had coupled throughout the day. It seemed to be getting worse instead of better. No one had warned him that it could be this bad—and this good. He had to have her again, immediately.
"Good heavens." Aster sighed when she could breathe again. "I'm afraid you've created a monster! What's going to happen when I'm away from you for more than a few hours?"
Rom groaned. She didn't know the half of it. "Let's not find out yet. We have two days before you go back to work and Tarla can handle the office without me for a day." He saw Aster's sudden crestfallen expression. "What's the matter? What did I say?"
"Nothing. It's okay. Forget it." The mention of Tarla put an instant damper one her warm thoughts.
"It's not okay. Listen, you're an Innerworlder now. It's time you started adhering to our code of honesty. Now, tell me the truth. What upset you?"
Aster paused. He was right. It was best that she face the truth right away before she depended on him to be there and he wasn't. One wonderful day certainly did not constitute a commitment.
"It's about Tarla." She stumbled through the events that led up to Cherry's investigation.
Rom admired Cherry's ingenuity but felt ill when he saw Aster try to blink away a tear.
"I'm sorry, Rom. I've been trying to understand your freer attitude toward sex. Only, after today, I don't think I could stand knowing you were with other women in the same way. Damn! I sound like a possessive shrew. I'm sorry." She turned her face away but he turned it back to him again.
"First of all, stop apologizing for everything. Second, you've drawn all the wrong conclusions from a little information. I have had exactly two physical releases with Tarla, on two separate occasions, and both were highly forgettable. You are all I've thought about since the moment I saw you. The real reason I want to stay with you tonight is to get some sleep. I figure the only way that's possible is if you're in my arms."
Aster sniffed and laughed with him. "I know what you mean. This hasn't exactly been a restful week for me either. Every time I closed my eyes, you were there in my dreams. Anyway, I'll try to be more understanding."
"Aster Mackenzie!" Rom shook her shoulders. "Aren't you listening to me? There's nothing for you to be understanding about. Maybe I do think of sex differently than you but I have never had to deal with a strong sexual urge. What happened today was because of us, you and me together, not some animal instinct. I have never craved any woman the way I do you, and as long as I have you, I have no need to search for satisfaction elsewhere."
Aster felt her cheeks flush again, only this time it was due to pure happiness. It was ridiculous she knew. He was talking as though they had a long-term future together... after one day. Ridiculous. And yet... "But then, how, umm..." She wasn't sure she had the nerve to ask her question when he guessed what was on her mind.
"How did I know how to please you?"
She nodded.
"The mechanics are taught to every maturing young Noronian adult, but I never had much use for all those lessons. I guess you could say you inspired me." He kissed the tip of her nose.
"There's definitely no doubt you've inspired me," she admitted.
They both chuckled and kissed again.
Later, when they were nestled in her bed, Aster ventured a quiet question. "Will you teach me how to please you as well?"
"Aah, my shalla," he said softly into her hair as he stroked her back. "I can't imagine you pleasing me any more than you do."
"All right then, I'll go to the Indulgence Center and pay for some lessons," she replied saucily.
Rom held her away from him and surveyed her face until he was convinced that she meant it as a joke. The thought of any other man touching her made him sick. He felt... jealous. He didn't know he was capable of such an emotion, yet there it was.
"You do and you won't sit down for a week." He playfully patted her backside. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know, only not tonight, okay? I wasn't kidding about being tired."
"Josephine, dim the lights please," Aster called out. "Mmmm, much better," she said, curling herself spoon-fashion against Rom's stomach. "Rom?"
"Yes?"
"I don't usually sleep naked."
"You do now." His fingers tiptoed up her arm and across her breast.
"Rom?"
"Hmm?" His voice was beginning to fade.
"May I get one more thing off my chest?"
"You mean besides my hand?"
"No, I want that right where it is. I just wanted to thank you for helping me find out there was nothing wrong with me."
"That's nice," he said through a muffled yawn.
Minutes later as his steady breathing softened in slumber, Aster realized two astonishing things. First, she hadn't thought of returning to her world all day and second, she knew she would never dream of Dennis again.
Chapter 12
The next morning Aster discovered how satisfying a shower could be when shared. She was just beginning to appreciate the sensual art of being towel-dried when she was distracted by someone pounding on her d
oor.
"They'll go away. There's not enough room in here for anybody else." Rom returned to planting urgent kisses all over her face, as his body demanded relief... again.
"Well, I can't stand it." She gently pushed him away and donned a robe.
Rom stared dumbfounded after her. Obviously, Aster had a way to go before she learned to relax completely. Suddenly he realized that the visitor could be Victor and he hurriedly wrapped a towel around his waist.
As he entered the main room, Aster opened the front door.
"Hey, kid! Where's the coffee? What took you so—" Cherry stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Romulus, wet, half-naked and casually leaning against the kitchen wall. She swiftly looked back at her damp friend, to the unmade bed and the mess of clothes on the floor. "Well, I'll be damned! Now I know what caused that earthquake I felt last night."
Aster knew there was no stopping her, so she patiently folded her arms and let Cherry have her fun. The little brunette inspected Rom like a piece of merchandise, running her long fingernails up his arm and down his back.
"Ooh, Aster. He's perfect! Promise you'll let me have him when you get bored. Better yet, let me borrow him for a night."
Cherry sneaked her hand beneath his towel and pinched his buttock. Rom choked. "Oh, yes, this is definitely prime beef y'all got here, gal!"
Rom grasped her wrists and firmly moved her away from him. "Sorry, Cherry. I'm afraid Aster's more than I can handle at the moment." He attempted to look regretful and shrugged his shoulders then gave Aster a wink.
"Oh, pooh! You aren't any fun at all. Just get back to whatever you were doing. You won't even know I'm here."
"Cherry!" Aster burst out but resisted scolding her friend for her crudity when she realized how comical the whole situation really was in Cherry's eyes. "Can we interest you in some breakfast to go with your coffee?"
"That's it? C'mon, I'm not done teasing you yet."
As Rom walked over to the supply station, he said, "Then I'll leave you to it while I get dressed." He retrieved his clothing and disappeared into the bathroom.
ROMULUS (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 1) Page 15
