Intergalactic Love

by Evelyn Marks

  “Very well, thank you Saphia,” I said then ended the call. Rea had not decided to leave me. Perhaps she was finally realizing that she could have a life on Radon. One she can enjoy. In the time that it took Rea to return from the embassy, I arranged for us to have a dinner away from the palace. I figured that perhaps I could further persuade her to give life on Radon a chance.

  I met Rea outside just as she arrived and Saphia was pulling away from the palace’s private entrance.

  “You wouldn’t believe the day I had! Burton is giving me so much responsibility and I get to do much more than I did at my job back on Mars! Plus, the people there are great. Very welcoming,” she was obviously excited. The emotion suffused her gaze and she seemed more joyful than she had since our arrival on Radon.

  “I am glad to hear it, and to celebrate...I’ve arranged a dinner, just for the two of us,” I told her.

  “Really? Where? Outside of the capital city?” she asked, curious.

  “No, but it’s somewhere I think you’ll like,” I said and led her inside.

  “What did you do while I was gone?” she asked.

  “Saw to some civil matters that needed my attention. Nothing to extraneous.”

  “So where are we going?” she asked.

  “The beach.” I led her to the bedroom so that she could change. Once she was ready; in comfortable jeans, flat shoes, and a sheer blouse, I led her back outside.

  “So this special dinner, is it like a picnic?” she asked coyly.

  “You will see when we get there,” I led her through the rear gardens and down the walkway that led to the beach. Along the palace’s southern wall was an intimate path that led to a small grove where the beach gave way to bushes and trees. Within the grove was a small cottage. It was for Chiefs that needed to get away from the Palace from time to time.

  “Wow, I would have never guessed that this was over here,” Rea said. She walked ahead and went inside. The cottage consisted of one bedroom, a bathroom, an intimate dining area as well as a living room, equally as cozy. “This is perfect. It’s like a little bohemian getaway cottage,” she said.

  “Come, tell me about your day,” I said. I took her hand and pulled her towards the couch.

  “I’m not just a step over entry level assistant anymore. I’m right under the ambassador. I get to liaise and assess, use my mind instead of making photocopies and trudge through filing systems,” she sighed happily, almost euphorically.

  “I am happy that you’re happy,” I said. She grinned and then gave a long sigh.

  “Yeah I guess it’s not so bad here. But technically you’ve not only abducted me, you bribed me too,” she said.

  “As long as it is the sort of bribery that you agree with, I say it’s perfectly moral,” I grinned.

  “Perfectly moral huh?” she chuckled and shook her head at me.

  “I want you to know that...I acted rashly and quite archaic back on Mars. I feel as if you are some part of me that I should inherently have. Like a lung perhaps. I don’t want to give you up.” I was nothing but truthful.

  Rea studied my face, her eyes darting over every feature. “You mean that...huh?” she asked softly.

  “Of course, or else I—”

  “Wouldn’t have said it?” she finished my sentence with a teasing smirk.

  “Right...” I smiled and then leaned in to kiss her. She lifted her chin and I let my lips softly graze her neck.

  “So dinner?” she asked. She stood up from the couch. I stifled a sigh and followed her to the table. Food was set out underneath platters. She busied herself by uncovering them. I poured us both wine and waited until she sat down.

  “Do you have parents?” she asked me. The question seemed random.

  “Yes, my father is general of the eastern region and my mother lives there with him,” I said.

  “Are they proud of you?” she asked, curious.

  “Of course. They’re immensely proud, though my mother would prefer me to visit more often,” I chuckled.

  “No brothers or sisters?” she asked.

  “No, I’m an only child...why does this matter to you?”

  “For the same reasons you asked about my family. I’m curious about you. We are ‘married’,” she pointed out.

  I smirked, “Do you know what married people do?”

  She rolled her eyes at me and focused on her plate. “Married people do whatever each person in that marriage wants to do,” she murmured.

  “You don’t want to do me?” I asked. Her gaze snapped to mine and a second later she burst into laughter.

  “Where did you learn that phrase?” she asked, still giggling.

  “Moody picked it up while we were on Mars. I unfortunately picked it up from him.” I sighed.

  “I’m conflicted. What does it say about me if I give in completely? That I’m just okay with being abducted?” she said. She shook her head and forked a piece of meat from her plate.

  “It means that you are okay with being with me,” I told her. She looked up at me again and then licked her lips.

  “I guess that’s not so bad...” her smirk was small, but it was all I needed.

  “You’ve already made up your mind,” I said. Her smile grew, but she didn’t say anything. She simply continued eating. After we ate we went for a walk along the ocean.

  “The two moons are really beautiful here. Earth’s moon is just about out of orbit now and on Mars we only either see one or the other, and they are much smaller. Very rarely do both come into view at night,” she commented.

  “The smaller moon was actually a segment of the larger a long time ago,” I explained.

  We returned to the cottage. Rea yawned as soon as we stepped inside. I smiled to myself, but did not make a comment. I wouldn’t push her.

  “Tired?” I asked.

  “Yeah, you?” she quirked a brow at me and I shook my head.

  “No, perhaps I’ll just watch you sleep,” I said. She shrugged and then walked away, into the bedroom. I walked over to the small bar in the dining room by then I heard water running from the bathroom. Rea was showering. Sighing, I wondered how long she would deny me. I poured myself a drink and sank down onto the couch. By the time I heard the water stop I figured I could tempt her to see just how strong her resolve was.

  I walked into the bedroom and found Rea asleep. Or just about. She was in bed, the blanket pulled high, up to her neck. I stripped down and climbed into bed with her. I turned towards her and traced my finger along the curve of her nose. She let out a soft sigh and turned her head away from me. I kissed her neck and she took another deep breath before pushing her palm into my face.

  “I’m trying to sleep Darion,” she mumbled.

  “No, you’re trying to punish me still,” I told her after nipping the pad of her thumb. She tried to cover her giggle with a cough.

  “I think I’m coming down with a cold,” she said, obviously lying.

  “You are shameless,” I laughed.

  “So are you,” she said, a smile in her voice. I kissed her then, on the lips, and she didn’t turn from me. I felt her fingers curl over my waist and I slid my arm around hers. When I felt that she was naked my sex hardened almost immediately. That sensual vortex that often overtook me whenever I was with Rea came in full force. I pulled her hips flush with mine and she let out a soft moan. I drank it up as I kissed her, licking into her mouth. She tasted faintly of the wine we had drunk. A soft moan escaped her throat and I felt her nipples harden as her breasts were pressed against my chest. Her breathing had increased.

  I slid one hand up along her side then tilted her jaw up to nibble on her neck. Her whimper sent fire licking up my spine. She wanted me as much as I wanted her, but she tried to hide it. I slid my other hand from her waist to her cleft. There was a rushing in my ears that drowned out everything but Rea. She took my penis in her hand and hooked a leg over my waist. After coating the tip of my sex in her wetness she positioned it at her entrance. I gripped he
r waist tight as I slowly pushed inside.

  Rea trembled once I was inside, she moaned softly, almost as if she were in relief. It felt like pleasure and heat radiated out from the base of my spine. She was tight and warm around me.

  “Please Darion...do something,” her voice was hoarse, but more of a command than a request. I was all too happy to oblige. I held onto her bottom and thrust deeper into her, how I knew she liked. Her gasps and whimpers were my reward. She gripped my waist tight, her fingers digging into my skin, as she lost herself. When her back arched and her legs began to quiver, I knew she was close.

  “Darion...Darion!” she called out my name as her climax rushed through her. It felt as if it rushed through both of us. Mine soon followed hers. My muscles strained as my release emptied into her. We didn’t stop there. Rea certainly didn’t. She mounted me then and held my gaze. I didn’t look away from her until sunrise.

  Chapter 6

  Rea

  “HEY REA, HOW ARE YOU coming with the reading? Have any questions?” Ambassador Burton stuck his head into my office. He looked at me with a polite and expectant expression. Burton was a big man, muscular and solid. His head was close-shaven and had a caramel skin tone and light brown eyes. Handsome, if one went for beefy types.

  I said, “No, it hasn’t been too hard to get through so far. A lot of the interrelation policies are the same as on Mars,” I said. Burton, as everyone called him, had given me two giant binders to read up on. It was so I could familiarize myself on the policies and laws that pertain to humans living on Radon and various things having to do with human-Radonian interaction. I had to go over much of it before starting my job at the consulate back on Mars. But one new thing I had learned, surprisingly, was that Darion could seek asylum on Earth or one of her colonies since he was married to me. That was if he got into trouble for doing something illegal in the galaxy and people came looking for him on Radon.

  Burton said, “Perfect, so we shouldn’t have to train you up too much. When you get through that last binder you can help me on this budding marriage fraud case we have here. A human married a Radonian back on Earth and used that as his ticket to Radon. Now the Radonian woman is filing for divorce because she learned that he married her just for access. What we want to do is deport him, but he’s fighting it. There’s a pending legal case. It’s a mess,” he sighed.

  “That sounds juicy,” I said, intrigued.

  “It’s already a big thing in the media here. We haven’t had a situation of marriage fraud on Radon’s side since the Sister Alliance was struck with Earth,” he said. He chuckled. “It’s funny you came right when you did to help us with it.”

  “Oh...yeah,” I said, also chuckling to cover up the guilt flaring inside of me. Technically Darion had committed marriage fraud and since I hadn’t reported it, I was too.

  “So what was that like? Marrying a Chief of Radon,” Burton asked. He’d stepped into the office and had a seat across from my desk by then.

  “It wasn’t that much of a to-do actually. Our wedding was a small one,” I lied...through my teeth.

  “Yeah, that Darion is very private when it comes to his personal life. No one knew he even had romantic interests. People used to make jokes about him being asexual,” Burton chuckled. I laughed genuinely because that was something I couldn’t imagine. Not after experiencing Darion in bed.

  “I can’t imagine that,” I told him.

  “How’d you guys meet?” he asked. I could guess then why he was so curious, if Darion was ‘asexual’ a lot of people must have been surprised at his sudden marriage.

  “When he visited Mars for his vacation. It was sort of like we just clicked at first sight,” I said.

  “Really? Wow, so you haven’t been together all that long,” he said thoughtfully. “So did you just get married at an embassy then?” he asked.

  “Um, it was officiated at The Gardens, in Pod Three,” I lied, yet again.

  “Ah, I’ve seen pictures of it, but I’ve never actually been. I lived on Earth my whole life before coming here,” he said thoughtfully. “Well I’ll let you get back to your reading. Let me know when you’ve gotten through it all,” he smiled then got up and left. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly once he was gone. I had a feeling I’d be lying about my ‘marriage’ a lot from then on.

  I wasn’t wrong either. Throughout the remaining four hours of my shift I ran into co-workers who asked non-stop about how I met and married Darion. They asked about the wedding, a couple even wanted to see pictures. By the time I left the embassy I had a pounding headache from trying to keep track of all the lies I spun about our ‘wedding’.

  “Good evening Ms Norwood, how do you fare?” Saphia asked politely as I reached the car. Saphia was an attractive woman. She couldn’t have been over thirty. She had strawberry blonde hair and sharp blue eyes, not to mention an athletic build that of course was a product of training for her job.

  “Oh you know...okay I guess,” I sighed. “Can we just idle somewhere before going back to the palace. I need to collect myself,” I told her.

  “Of course...if you don’t mind my asking, did something upset you today at work?” she asked curiously. She glanced at me through the rearview mirror and I figured, why not tell her? It was always easier to unload on strangers. Then it wasn’t like I had any friends on Radon or was able to call Mia.

  “As long as what I say stays between us, right?” I asked.

  “Of course ma’am,” she said while still holding my gaze. I took a deep breath as she pulled away from the embassy.

  “Well, I’m just stressed because so many people are curious about Darion having married me...” I started.

  “It’s true, many thought he was celibate,” she said.

  “Yeah, but we never actually got married,” I told her. She glanced at me briefly through the mirror, obviously shocked. “He...Darion had our marriage documents forged in order to bring me here. To Radon. At the time I wouldn’t have agreed to come with him,” I said.

  “Chief Darion abducted you?” she asked incredulously.

  “It’s between us, remember?” I asked.

  “Why of course, I am merely shocked,” she said, her voice had plenty of that shock in it.

  “Yeah...well the stress doesn’t come from that believe it or not. It’s just the fact that I have to keep up with all the lies about our so-called wedding. Which didn’t happen,” I sighed.

  “Don’t you wish to return to your home ma’am? You were taken here against your will,” Saphia said.

  “I don’t know, I haven’t really made up my mind about that yet. At first I did, but I’m beginning to like it here; I love the job I’ve been given. It was better than the one I had on Mars. And I do have feelings for Darion. Even though he did what he did...” I murmured. Even though we had an incredible night the day before and he admitted to abducting me out of his genuine feelings for me. I was still not sure if I’d completely forgiven him for what he’s done.

  “Well...Ms Norwood if you would like to make arrangements to go back to your home I can give Chief Darion false reports as to your movements,” she said.

  “Reports? You report to Darion about me?” I asked, only a little surprised, but definitely upset.

  “Yes. When he appointed me for your protection he asked expressly that I give him reports on what you do at the embassy and anything else outside of it,” she told me. I blinked at her, my eyes wide, through the rear-view mirror. After a few breaths, I glanced outside and saw she was circling around the block while we talked. All the stuff he told me about his actions done out of ‘feelings’ for me and he didn’t trust me? Saphia wasn’t protection, she was a babysitter.

  “I might take you up on that Saphia,” I told her in a low voice.

  “Shall I continue to stall before returning to the palace?” she asked.

  “Yes please, just for a few minutes,” I said. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to live with, married to at that, someone so control
ling. Even if he wasn’t a jerk about it, the facts were there. I had a job he set up for me, he had Saphia spying on me, and I couldn’t go anywhere without her taking me. It was like living with my father all over again.

  Chapter 7

  Darion

  “I WAS THINKING THAT perhaps we can make visits to Earth and the Mars Colony throughout the year if you’d like,” I told Rea. We were having dinner together, privately. I would have had a few officials over, but she’d come home seeming upset. She hadn’t said much to me since. Rea looked up then, her expression confused.

  “Really?” her tone was both skeptical and inquisitive.

  “Yes, they are your home,” I said.

  “Can I call Mia then, occasionally? And my family too? I mean if we’re going to visit I should be able to give them heads up.” She spoke almost as if she were testing me. Her gaze was sharp on mine.

  “Yes you may call them...” I said slowly.

  “But?” she asked, sensing my hesitation.

  “Are you upset about something?” I asked.

  “I just had...a weird day at work. People thought you were asexual so wondered about our ‘sudden’ marriage,” she said with a hint of sarcasm to her voice. I knew she had no plans of leaving me, from what Saphia had been reporting. But I could not imagine a few inquiries about our marriage was what truly upset her. I wished I could read Rea’s mind and know the truth for sure.

  “Perhaps we could have an actual wedding then and be truly married. That way we wouldn’t have to live under such false pretenses,” I suggested.

  “You’re serious?” she asked, her surprise evident in her wide eyes and raised brows.

  “Yes,” I laughed. “I want to be married to you the right way,” I assured her. “One that we’re both comfortable with,” I added.

  “You’re comfortable being married to me illegally?” she asked.

  With a small smirk, I shrugged. “As long as we’re married,” I said. She rolled her eyes at me and a smile tugged at her lips.