by Rinelle Grey
There was nothing Kerit would like more. He held out his hand. “I’ll show you around.”
She didn’t look up, and for a moment, Kerit thought he might have pushed things too far. He could never tell with her. One minute she was kissing him and he thought things were going to go further and the next, she wouldn’t even look at him.
Well at least it was never boring.
“Sure.” Her hand slipped into his, surprising him. “I’ve never been on a spaceship before. Well, aside from your shuttle of course.”
He looked down at her, and her smile was uncertain, but it was a smile. Kerit squeezed her hand. “This is quite different to a shuttle.”
Marlee looked satisfied, and Kerit had a feeling he was being manipulated. But since he was heading in exactly the direction he wanted to go, he wasn’t in the least upset. “How about we start with the mess hall?” he suggested.
His stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and he thought he heard an echoing rumble from Folly’s. Chicken’s nose peaked out of her pocket. Why was he not surprised the creature knew the word food?
“Definitely,” Folly agreed.
“Do you want us to bring you back anything?” Kerit asked Marlee.
She waved a hand at him. “Not at all. You two go have fun. Baby and I are going to have a nap.” She patted her stomach.
“See you then.” Kerit didn’t need any second urging. He grabbed her hand and pulled Folly out the door, shutting it behind them, and headed off to the mess hall.
Folly stared around them, wide eyed. “How do you find your way around? It’s so huge, and there are corridors everywhere.”
“It did take a while to learn the layout, but once you get it, it’s all quite logical,” Kerit said. He looked ahead in the corridor, and found one of the familiar blue screens. “Here, see, this is a map.” He swiped across the screen, and the outline of the Resolution appeared. “The red dot is where we are.”
Folly frowned for a moment, then her expression cleared. “It’s all a grid. Are all the levels like this?”
Kerit nodded. “There are only three, and the top one is all residences. You won’t need to go there.” He pointed to the mess hall. “This is where we’re going, so we just need to go down this passage, take the third left, then it’s the forth door on the right. You’ll find your way around in a day or two.”
Oops. Had he put his foot in it, assuming she was going to stay? He snuck a look at her out of the corner of his eye, but she didn’t seem upset. She just studied the map with a thoughtful look on her face. “I’m sure I will,” she agreed.
She turned away from the screen and smiled at him. “But I’m sure it will be a lot easier on a full stomach.”
“Definitely.”
They walked down the hallway, their hands swinging between them.
It was only mid-morning, so the mess hall was deserted. As always though, there were a selection of trays keeping warm in the bain marie. Kerit let go of Folly’s hand to pick up two plates and handed her one. “Help yourself.”
Folly stared at the trays for a moment, then hesitantly lifted one of the lids. The aroma of fresh bread filled the room. Kerit’s mouth watered, and Folly grabbed the tongs and added two rolls to her plate. Chicken, who until now had been hiding, poked a nose out of Folly’s pocket, sniffed the air, then scuttled up to her shoulder.
She checked the next tray, bacon and eggs, and added some of that beside the bread rolls, then moved onto the next. Kerit grinned and began to load his own plate, as Folly added helpings of each tray to her plate until it was in danger of overflowing. Even then, she looked at the remaining trays longingly.
“Don’t worry, we can come back for seconds.” Kerit steered her towards the closest table.
“Is this food just here? All the time?” Folly sat down opposite him, filling a second plate for Chicken as she waited for his answer.
“Not all the time. They clear it out a couple of times a day, so there isn’t a lot in between meals. But anyone can use the kitchen and heat something up or cook something at any time if they want.”
Folly shook her head, as though she couldn’t believe it.
“Is there a food shortage in the caves?” Kerit knew that they had struggled for food on Marlee’s home planet over the long winter. Though there was no snow here on Semala, the conditions were nearly as harsh.
“No, not in general. No one ever goes hungry. But most of it is flavoured soy, or plain vegetables. No fresh meat, and I’ve only heard about bread. There isn’t room in the caves for growing grains. We didn’t go hungry, but food is rarely enjoyable.”
Kerit made a face. “I know that the main purpose of food is to sustain our bodies, but I think it’s supposed to be enjoyable too. Otherwise, why would it taste so good?” He made sure to savour the buttery bread as he chewed it thoroughly.
Folly nodded, swallowing her food before agreeing. “I know. But try telling that to everyone else.”
There was a long silence for a while as they both satisfied the growling in their stomachs. Folly got up and refilled her plate with a new selection and kept eating. Kerit watched her with a smile. He didn’t feel the need to say anything. The day was so full of promise, even though their plans for a new home were almost certain to fail. That, he had no control over. The afternoon though…
Scratch that. He had no control over that either. But any of the possible options were favourable.
Folly pushed the plate away from her and leaned back in her chair. Chicken disappeared back into her pocket. “I couldn’t eat another bite. Well, not for an hour or so at least.”
That drew a laugh from Kerit. “Well then, I guess we have an hour to kill.”
Folly’s face grew serious and her hand reached for something around her neck.
Kerit’s gaze focused on her hand and on what she held, dangling on a leather string.
The dolphin.
Where had she gotten that? Last he’d seen it, that morning in fact, it had been around Marlee’s neck. He didn’t think she’d taken it off since the day Tyris had given it to her, a little over a year ago.
And now she’d given it to Folly.
A slow smile spread across his face. There was only one reason he could think of that Marlee would have passed the necklace on to Folly. It meant Folly had talked to her about him, and she was convinced that he and Folly were meant to be together.
And Folly’s accepting it meant that she was too. Or that she wanted to be.
Pushing back his chair, Kerit stood up and offered a hand to Folly. “Let’s go.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she put her hand in his, and let him pull her to her feet.
Kerit drew her down a few corridors and swiped his hand across an access panel. Folly followed him inside and the door slid closed behind them, cutting off the rest of the world.
Dropping his hand, she walked around the room, and Kerit couldn’t help wondering what she saw. He should have made the bed before he left yesterday, but how was he to know anyone but him would be seeing the room?
He wasn’t very sentimental, and hadn’t done much to personalise his surroundings. But Folly zeroed in on the only two personal touches. The way she ran her hand down his surfboard, leaning in one corner of the room, sent shivers across his skin. Her eyes though, were drawn to the photo hanging on the wall opposite the door, and she crossed the room quietly to stare at it.
The wave curled around the frame, darkening the scene, except for the circle of light in the centre, the sun glinting off the edge of the water.
“Did you take this?” she asked.
Kerit shrugged, a little embarrassed. “Yeah, just one of those little waterproof cameras. Sheer luck really. I was snapping away, and this was the only one that turned out.”
“It’s beautiful. I can almost imagine I’m there.”
The picture wasn’t what was evoking strong emotions in Kerit right now, though her appreciation of it certainly helped. He stepped up behi
nd Folly and slipped his arms around her. “It was beautiful, but I’d rather be right here.”
She twisted in his arms and stared up at him, her face serious. “Do you mean that?”
“Why else would I have said it?”
“I don’t know, to get me into bed?”
Kerit froze. They were back to this again. He somehow suspected that how he answered that accusation would determine exactly how the rest of his afternoon went.
“I’m not going to try to convince you to sleep with me,” he said quietly. “I’m just going to wait until you are the one who wants to initiate it.”
“And what if I never do?” Folly countered.
“Then that’s okay. I’m happy just hanging out with you.”
And it was the truth. The only outcome he feared from this conversation was her walking away and not wanting to see him again. Anything other than that, whether it was them spending the afternoon exploring the Resolution, talking their hearts out, or rolling naked on the bed, was fine.
Folly looked torn, like she wanted to believe him, but couldn’t quite. Her hand went up to the dolphin again. “I thought you said you didn’t want to get involved again. What happened to not wanting to date anyone? Or did you just say that to get me to let my guard down?”
“No, I meant it,” Kerit said. “And I still do. Dating is… so fake and… awkward. You pick a person, usually someone you hardly know, mostly based on looks, and you ask them out. Then the two of you go somewhere and try to get to know each other, while mostly wondering if you’re going to end up in bed, or go home alone.”
“So it’s all about sex?”
Shaking his head, Kerit tried to explain. “No, but yes. You’re always waiting for that moment, as if it means that something is worth pursuing or not. It hangs over the relationship, and yes, it does come to dominate it somehow.”
Folly was pulling back, so he rushed to finish. “But it’s not like that with you. Well, it’s not that I haven’t thought about it, or wanted it, but it’s only one part of the whole. Mostly, I just want to be next to you, to hear what you’re going to say next, or see the expression on your face. There’s so much more to all of it.”
If only he had a way with words like Tyris did. He’d know exactly the right thing to say. Kerit just bumbled along, spurting out what came into his head, and it never ended up sounding right.
“I know what you mean,” Folly said softly. Her hands brushed across his chest, raising goose bumps.
She did?
It took a moment for him to register that for once he hadn’t stuffed up.
“Ever since that day, when Brent… said what he said, I’ve always felt like every guy I talked to was wondering how to get me into bed. I felt like no one saw anything other than that. But it was different with you. Maybe it was because we were climbing down a mountain, then running from the alien, but even when we were talking about dating and stuff, it was more of an interesting conversation than anything else. And then when we were close…” She trailed off and looked down, a blush staining her cheeks.
“What?” Kerit urged. He was dying to know.
“Well, I was too busy thinking about… wanting to… see what it was like…”
Adrenalin and desire surged through Kerit’s veins. It was all he could do to keep his voice even when he said, “I’m… happy to oblige…”
Folly giggled, then broke into a half hiccup. “I’ll think about it.”
Kerit took a deep breath, trying to convince his racing body to calm down. “No rush.”
“Do you know what I’d really like right now?”
“What?” He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
“I’d really like a chance to sleep until I was ready to wake up. With nothing chasing us and nothing interrupting us.”
Not the first thing on his mind. Kerit made himself breathe in and out, letting go of the expectations before saying, “Now that I can agree with.”
He took her hand, and led her over to the bed, kind of glad it wasn’t neatly made now. It seemed more fitting somehow. He climbed onto the bed, and tugged her down beside him, pulling the covers over both of them.
Folly gave a contented sigh and snuggled into his arms.
There wasn’t anywhere Kerit would rather be.
Chapter 22
Folly lay perfectly still, staring at Kerit’s sleeping face. He looked so peaceful. She hesitated, then took a risk, reaching out to brush the blond hair out of his face so she could see it better.
He took a deeper breath, and his eyelids flickered. She held her breath, but he just adjusted his position slightly and then lay still.
Folly let out her breath too, not sure if she was relieved he was still asleep, or disappointed. Cuddling up with him and drifting off had been wonderful. Safe, warm and comfortable.
And yet, she hadn’t slept for long, despite how tired she’d been. Perhaps she’d been woken by Chicken, wriggling out of where she’d settled to sleep in the small of her back and jumping off the bed to explore, or perhaps some nebulous dream had made her think of Kerit. She wasn’t sure.
He had wanted to take things further a few hours ago, right in this very room. She had too. But then, when it had begun to get real, the old fear had bubbled up.
When was she going to get rid of it? How was she going to get past this?
Really, there was only one way.
Kerit hadn’t batted an eyelid when she’d said she wanted to sleep instead of anything else. But how long would he be happy to? He’d said it didn’t matter, and his answers to all her demanding questions had held water.
What if he really was telling the truth? What if it really was her he was interested in, not sex?
What if she threw it all away by being scared?
What if she had the chance for the relationship she’d always dreamed of, a friendship with this wonderful man and something more, and she blew it?
The possibility was too scary for her to just let it go. She needed to take a chance, and just try. Maybe it would work out the way she dreamed, maybe it wouldn’t, but if she never tried, she’d always regret it.
Before she could change her mind, she inched forwards and touched her lips to his.
He jerked in bed, and his eyes flicked open, staring into hers.
His lips softened under hers, and his arms went around her.
Panic welled up in Folly, but before it took hold, she noticed the feelings underneath. The warmth flooding through her everywhere he touched her. The pleasant tingle that stretched from her lips, all the way down to her toes. The ache that she’d been feeling for the last day and a bit that just wouldn’t subside.
She reached up her hand, hesitantly, to stroke his cheek.
Kerit’s eyes didn’t leave hers, and he groaned against her lips, sending flutters of desire through her. He didn’t make any attempt to pull her closer or deepen the kiss though.
Folly experimented, kissing him several times, light as a feather.
He groaned again, and his fingers flexed on her waist. A hardness throbbed against her belly.
His reaction sent waves of heat flashing through her, and she drew in her breath between her teeth. This was kind of fun.
She kissed him again, more slowly this time, letting her lips linger on his, then pulled back to look at him.
“Folly?” His voice was breathless. His eyes questioned her.
She didn’t know what to say or how to explain, so she closed her eyes and kissed him again, hoping that would serve as an answer.
His lips were softer than anything she’d ever felt, like the velvet dress she’d found on one of her searches. No, even softer than that. Maybe butterfly wings.
Butterfly wings that were fluttering all the way down to her pelvis.
Kerit’s hands seemed to follow them, sliding down her waist, to rest on her hips, his thumb drawing small circles on the smooth skin on the side of her stomach.
Answering circles swirled through her
body.
How did he do that? She’d never felt anything like it before. And it was driving her crazy. Her breath hitched. She soaked in the sensation until she could barely handle it. Every part of her body buzzed with need, and she had no idea what to do with it.
Was he feeling the same thing? She stared into his eyes, searching, and he gave her a smile. He didn’t look as shaken as she was. She needed to do something about that. This might be her first time, but she’d read plenty.
Running her hand down his back, she let her fingers trail all the way down, across the sweet curve of his buttocks.
His eyes widened. “Mmmm,” Kerit said eloquently, against her lips
Folly grinned, and let her fingers cup the roundness.
Kerit inched closer to her, pressing the full length of his body up against her, his feet and toes tangling with hers.
The kisses deepened. Folly wasn’t sure if it was at his instigation or hers. Perhaps both. His lips didn’t break contact, just moved against hers like waves.
The world around her faded until nothing mattered except here and now, and the sensations he was awakening in her. Her need grew, and she had no idea how to satisfy it, so she just pulled Kerit against her, her hips pressing against his, trying to signal to him that she wanted more.
He pulled back and looked down at her, his expression serious. “Are you sure, Folly? I don’t want you to feel pressured into this.”
A jumble of feeling surged through her, but not fear. “I know,” she said. “I trust you.”
His face broke into a smile. He kissed her, lightly this time, then said, “I’m glad. And I promise never to abuse that trust.”
She knew that he spoke the truth, just as she knew that he wanted her. Her heart could read the unsaid words in his eyes, just as her body could read his need. And her own body responded in ways she never knew it could. “So can we get on with it already?” she asked.
Kerit gave a deep laugh and kissed her in answer. His hand swept purposefully up her side, to cup her clothed breast.
Folly gasped as feeling surged through her. She’d thought the kisses were driving her wild, this was a whole new level.
