Fenix Rising, Chapter 6, NC-17 Version
Apr. 23rd, 2012 08:22 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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lukeandmaraI don't know exactly how this chapter turned out to be NC-17 as well, but it just kind of wrote itself in! I blame all of you. ;)
Again, I've posted the entire chapter, but other chapters can be found here on on my LJ.
Erizaina gasped for breath as she ducked around a corner. “Garen!” she shouted, trying to slow her heart rate to something resembling normal. “I want to go home,” she pleaded to the air, hoping to appeal to the kindness she knew lurked under his increasingly menacing facade. She dashed away tears and tried to shrink into the shadows cast by the flickering light fixture overhead, knowing that if he found her before his anger had had a chance to dissipate, it could very well mean her life. She chanced a peek back around the corner and suddenly felt a phantom hand close around her throat. She spun around, eyes wide, fingers clawing at her neck, lungs gasping for breath.
Garen stood at the end of the hallway, one black gloved hand extended, still as a statue. “Garen,” Erizaina managed to choke out as he strode forward. He dropped his hand and Erizaina fell to the floor, gasping. Garen knelt beside her and stoked her hair. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured softly, then reached down to gather her in his arms. “But I can’t let you go. You must know that.”
“Please,” Erizaina pleaded against his chest, her voice muffled by his black chest-plate mock up.
“No,” he said sharply. “I can’t do this without you. I need you.”
“There are millions of other chemists in the galaxy!” she protested hoarsely.
“But they’re not you, are they? No, Eri, you’ll stay with me.”
Erizaina simply whimpered.
The next morning, Mara woke in stages. She first surfaced to consciousness to kick off covers: she wasn’t sure she’d ever been so overheated. She drifted off again until a shaft of sunlight fell directly across her eyes: she fluttered her eyelashes and rolled over, thinking the pillow was quite hard. The third time she wakened, she was instantly alert. She rolled over to clutch a pillow to her chest, but instead of softness, she encountered a warm body. She sat bolt upright, clutching the sheet to her chest and startling her bedmate awake in the process.
Luke opened his eyes slowly and smiled lazily up at Mara. “Morning,” he replied in a husky voice that made her breath catch. He raised a hand and trailed his fingers down her arm, the touch raising gooseflesh in its wake.
“Hi,” she croaked, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts.
Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced pointedly at Mara’s chest. “I have already seen them you know.” She flushed and Luke sat up, tugging the sheet from her unresisting hands. “And I think I’d like to see them again,” he whispered as he leaned in to capture her lips and brush his palm across the aforementioned breast. Mara returned the kiss for a few heartbeats, then raised her hands to his chest to push him away gently.
“Look, Farmboy,” she said as she pulled the sheet back up slowly and stared at her lap. “I’m not very good at this,” Mara said, twisting the cotton in her hands. It was the most un-Mara thing Luke had ever seen her do and the vulnerability of the gesture tugged at his heart. “I don’t know what happens next. I’ve never had a morning after,” she admitted quietly.
“You may not believe this,” Luke said. “But I can’t remember the last time I woke up with a woman.” He smiled slightly, scooted his hip against hers, and slipped an arm around her waist. “Though I will say it seems to have its merits,” he said as he nuzzled her shoulder, then continued a path to the spot he’d discovered behind her ear.
Mara mewled in the back of her throat and ran her hands through his hair, loving the cool softness against her heated skin. “We really shouldn’t,” she stated without conviction even as she leaned down to place her own kisses down the corded muscles in his neck and her hand idly traced patterns against his chest. Luke shuddered against her and laid her back on the bed, following the move with light kisses along her toned stomach.
“No?” he questioned after he nipped her navel and soothed the slight sting with his tongue. Mara’s only response was to pull him up by the shoulders and kiss him hard. Luke chuckled against her mouth and felt her return the smile. “What changed your mind?” he asked lightly, hands roaming liberally.
“Oh just shut up and kiss me,” she said on a sigh. Luke was more than happy to oblige.
Their lovemaking had been nothing like the frenzy of last night; rather, it had been slow, deliberate and intensely satisfying. Lost in their own thoughts, both wondering at the strangeness of their new situation, they lay silently on their backs in the bed, just the tips of their fingers barely touching.
Raising herself on one elbow above him, Mara again traced patterns on his chest, her fingertip following the faint, white lines of scars that crisscrossed his chest and abdomen. “Luke?” she finally inquired,
“Hm?” he answered lazily, eyes closed, hands behind his head, enjoying the warm sunlight that filtered through the sheer curtains and bathed the bed.
“What are these from?” she asked, leaning over to peer down at his stomach and tapping one of the larger marks.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, then blew out a breath. He knew this peaceful morning was too good to last. “The Emperor,” he finally stated, trying to keep his voice emotionless. He could feel Mara’s hand still and felt her Force sense wobble. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lift her hand to trace the faint pink lines of her own lightning induced injuries with a concerned expression.
“They won’t scar,” he assured her.
“What?”
Luke turned his head on the pillow to look at her. “I don’t think they’ll scar,” he repeated. “Mine looked a lot worse. . .after.”
“I wasn’t concerned about that,” Mara snapped, looking embarrassed and flopping back onto her pillow.
“All right,” Luke said slowly, confused at the abruptness in her shift in mood. “What were you concerned about?”
“Nothing,” she snapped again, then threw off the bedclothes and yanked her robe off a nearby chair. “I’m taking a shower.” She wrapped her robe around her in a huff and practically ran to the ‘fresher, leaving a confused Luke staring after her.
Mara pressed her forehead against the glass of the shower door and ran her hands over her arms as the water sluiced over her back. She hadn’t been lying earlier when she’d said she didn’t know what to do: she really didn’t. Somewhere or another she’d come to consider Skywalker a friend; she cared for him and she’d crossed a line last night. That thought alone was enough to make her panic as she hadn’t allowed herself to feel that for anyone in a long, long time. She supposed she cared for Karrde, but in a distant, professional way. She felt neither distant nor professional toward Skywalker. The problem, when she thought about it, was that she liked him. He was pushy, idealistic, and often maddeningly serene, but he was also driven, compassionate and, the one she would never have believed, amusing. Luke Skywalker, of all the people in the galaxy, made her smile. She groaned and banged her head lightly against the glass in frustration at the situation and at herself. Sleeping with him would have been one thing; introducing the Force took the entire encounter to a much more meaningful level. She groaned again: if she had figured that out, Skywalker certainly would have.
She poured cleanser in her hands and absently washed her hair, looking down at the pinkish welts just barely visible across her breasts. When she’d realized what the web of scars over Luke’s chest was from, she felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. Force lightning hurt: a few small bursts had nearly incapacitated her for days. Her own wounds were nothing compared to what Skywalker’s must have been and she could not imagine the agony he must have endured with injuries like that, injuries her beloved master had inflicted. She scrubbed her hands over her face in frustration. The entire situation was entirely too complicated.
Meanwhile, Luke dragged himself out of bed and drew on his undershorts and trousers. He poked around the apartment, hoping Mara had a second ‘fresher and was delighted to find one attached to what looked like an office. The ‘fresher had a very small shower as well, which Luke decided to take advantage of. He saw no other cleansers except the small bar of perfumed soap by the sink. Shrugging his shoulders and sniffing the bar, he laughed to himself. Instead of the green, asexual scent he’d expected, his nose was greeted by what he could only describe as pink and fruity. Mara Jade was full of surprises.
As he stepped under the spray and lathered his hair, Luke thought about what a surprise this morning had been. He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected, but it certainly hadn’t been languid, sun drenched lovemaking followed by a fruit scented shower. He wasn’t complaining about either; the scent would dissipate but would forever remind him of Mara, and the lovemaking had been. . .something of a revelation.
Luke would be the first person to admit that he hadn’t been with a woman in far too long, but that could not possibly account for the dryness in his mouth or the fluttering in his stomach when he woke and the first thing he saw was her; tangled hair sparking bright red in the sunlight, skin so fair and clear he could trace all the veins on the inside of her arms, her mouth wide and lush. They’d slept only five or six hours between sessions, but his first thought on waking had been that he had to have her again.
He rinsed quickly as he tried to puzzle out the strange turn of events of last night and this morning, then dried himself with the small hand towel near the sink. He redressed as far as he was able with what he’d taken with him, then peeked his head into Mara’s bedroom. Her shower still appeared to be running, so he padded barefoot to the kitchen to see about making some caf.
Mara emerged from her shower feeling only marginally better. She was clean, at least. She toweled off and pulled on her navy blue silk, ankle length robe; one of the few indulgences she’d allowed herself when she was with Karrde’s organization. She took a deep breath and opened the refresher door, only to blow it out loudly when she determined Skywalker was nowhere in the immediate vicinity. The bright flash of anger that had sparked upon finding him gone receded when her ears picked up the sound of banging in the kitchen and the smell of freshly brewed caf floated into her nostrils.
Mara crossed her arms as she headed nervously toward the kitchen. She didn’t have the slightest clue what to say to Skywalker; six months ago she’d have just ordered him out of her house, but she’d made a promise to both of them that they were friends, and she would not allow herself to behave that way. She wasn’t even sure she actually wanted to behave that way. Stripped of her ability to simply avoid him, she rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks, a slow grin spreading across her face.
Luke stood with his back to her, still shirtless, which she couldn’t honestly say she minded. His snug navy Bloodstripe trousers molded to his backside, his damp hair was in disarray, and the muscles in his back rippled as he stirred sweetener into a cup of caf. The best part about the kitchen tableau was the fact that Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, hero of the Rebellion, and sometime savior of the galaxy was shaking his hips to in internal beat, bumping them this way and that. Mara raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter but was ultimately unsuccessful. The sound gurgled up before she could stop it and Luke whirled around, face and chest flushing lightly in embarrassment, but smiling nonetheless.
Luke had never heard Mara laugh; chuckle, chortle, snort, but never outright laugh. The girlish sound gladdened his heart, even if she was laughing at him, not with him.
“Oh, Skywalker,” Mara laughed as she took a deep breath and sat at the kitchen table, a hand pressed to her chest. Luke simply smiled and handed her a mug, then took a seat across from her. Her laughter faded into silence as they regarded one another across the table. “Look,” Mara said after long moments of uncomfortable silence. “What I said before about never having done this before? That was true.”
“I know,” Luke responded with a solemn nod. “I haven’t really either. Not in at least nine or ten years.”
Mara huffed. “Well, what did you do back then?”
“Ah,” Luke said quietly and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’d rather we figured out what we were going to do rather than what I did back then.”
Mara raised a brow. “That bad, eh?”
Luke looked heavenward and blew out a breath. “You have no idea,” he murmured, running the tips of his fingers around the rim of his coffee cup. As though mustering his courage, he took a deep breath. “I like you,” he began. “I like having you as a friend, as new as that is. And I like. . .whatever it is that’s between us.”
Mara fiddled with her own mug and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “That’s the multi-million credit question, isn’t it?” she asked, not able to meet Luke’s steady gaze.
He reached across the table and pried her hand away from the mug she had a death grip on. “But that’s not something we have to decide right now,” he said soothingly as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles.
“Are you suggesting we just ‘enjoy’ one another?” Mara asked, torn between more laughter and shock that Luke Skywalker would suggest such an arrangement.
Luke lowered his lashes and dipped his head in embarrassment. “Not exactly,” he almost stuttered. “I mean, yes,” he said with a nod. “I do think we should enjoy each other.” He leaned across the table to brush his lips across hers, then press kisses to her eyelids. “But I meant it in all ways; I enjoy your mind as well as your body.”
Mara didn’t know what to say. His small gestures made her insides feel like jelly, which she hated. “Skywalker,” she started haltingly, shifting to cover her discomfort, “In spite of everything, I enjoy you, too. But I don’t think I’m ready to jump into anything major. Hell, I’m not even sure I’m ready to jump into anything minor,” she continued as she dragged her free hand through her hair. “I’ll be here more often that I was before, but I’ll still have to be off-planet a fair amount of time and. . .” she trailed off as she looked into Luke’s eyes.
“Who said anything about ‘major’ or ‘minor’?” he asked with a raise of his own eyebrow and a slight smile. “If I remember correctly, I suggested we enjoy each other.”
“But what does that mean?” Mara persisted.
“Why don’t we make it up as we go along?” Luke suggested, a careful hope blooming in his eyes. His own thoughts were muddled where she was concerned: he knew he didn’t want whatever they’d started to end, but he didn’t have a clue where he wanted it to end up. He was counting on some meditation and good old fashioned time to show him the right direction.
Mara studied him for long moments. He was, if she was completely honest with herself, the best friend she’d ever had. That wasn’t something she wanted to screw up, but the longer she looked at him the more she was convinced she didn’t want to go backward. Especially not if forward meant another encounter like last night or this morning. She wasn’t an idiot: you didn’t throw something that good away. “All right,” she said simply. “We’ll make it up as we go along.”
Luke smiled slowly and raised her hand to his mouth to press a lingering kiss to her palm, just as the comm unit in her office beeped. “Good timing,” said with a small smile as she tugged her hand back. Luke smiled, sipping his caf as he watched her head for the office, her finely turned ankles peeking out from the hem of her robe
Fifteen minutes later, Luke was redressed in his borrowed clothing and pacing around Mara’s nearly bare living room. He could hear her muffled voice through the closed office door; she was still on the same call. He glanced at the chrono and with a start, realized it was almost mid-day. Thankfully he hadn’t had any pressing engagements this morning, but he did have a long standing appointment to get to. He didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye but knew it would not be appreciated if he interrupted her call, so he shoved his hands in his pockets and paced for a few more moments. He absently wondered if he was going to wear a rut in the floor, when a thought occurred to him and he stretched out toward Mara in the Force.
Hi, he thought in her direction. He could feel her surprise and heard her falter through the door. Didn’t mean to disturb! he assured quickly.
Skywalker? She asked as she probed her sense against his gently. He smiled to himself as he felt her wary pleasure at the contact, followed swiftly by confusion. What are you doing?
I just wanted to say goodbye and didn’t want to interrupt.
She did not respond, but the door to the office cycled open a few moments later. “I really didn’t mean to bother you,” Luke said as Mara strode toward him.
She shrugged. “It was just Karrde. I told him I had to deal with something and I’d get back to him.” Mara tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted from foot to foot. “So, have a nice day, I guess?” she asked uncertainly.
Luke smiled and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the mouth. “Thanks,” he said with a lopsided smile. He pulled back slightly and rubbed his hands down her arms as she leaned into his chest.
“You can do better than that,” she teased and tapped her lips with a slender index finger. Luke’s eyes darkened and he lowered his head, so their lips were almost touching, but he moved no further. “What are you doing?” Mara asked with a wrinkled brow.
“Almost every time I’ve tried to kiss you, somebody interrupts. I’m just waiting to make sure it’s not going to happen again,” he joked quietly. Mara’s body vibrated against him as he covered the minute distance between them. He kissed her again as she laughed.
“Can I see you later?” he asked, suddenly breathless and desperate to make love to her again.
“Yes,” Mara exhaled on a sigh, not even pausing to think. “But my last meeting will be over late,” she warned.
“Doesn’t matter,” Luke said as he ran the tip of his finger over the small patch of skin at her chest that was exposed by the robe. He reluctantly dropped his hand and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth with a rueful smile. “If I don’t leave now, there won’t be a later. Do you know where my place is?” At her nod, Luke continued. “Just come by when you’re finished. I’ll be home,” he promised as he backed away. Mara nodded with a slight smiled and waved him out the door, his cocky grin doing unsettling things to her stomach. She watched him go wondering what in the name of all that was holy she was getting into.
Luke hurried back to his apartment to make sure it was in decent shape for Mara’s visit. He debated about changing the bedsheets for ten minutes; he didn’t want to seem like he was assuming anything, but given their recent escapades, he finally decided that it was courteous rather than presumptuous. House arranged to his liking, he changed clothes and headed to Han and Leia’s. When they’d first taken apartments on Coruscant, Leia had been concerned that, with their individual schedules, none of her family would ever see one another. So once a week, every week they were all on planet, they had a family lunch meeting. He hustled to their flat and let himself in. “Han?” he called as he wandered into empty the kitchen and munched on one of the sliced vegetables sitting on the counter top. “Leia?”
“Hi there,” Leia called very quietly from the direction of the twins’ room. “Be out in a minute.”
Luke contented himself with puttering around the kitchen, poking his nose into the steaming pots on the cooker and investigating the contents of the cooling unit. He’d just poured himself a glass of blue milk, when Han sauntered in looking ill at ease.
“Hey, Kid,” he said with an uncomfortable shrug. “Leia’s putting the twins down for a nap.”
Luke nodded, his brow creasing in confusion at Han’s strange tone. “What’s wrong?”
Han shifted and leaned against the counter across from Luke, crossing his arms and his legs at the ankle. “Look,” he began, shifting his hips and leaning back. “I know Wedge and I talk a good game, but we didn’t really mean it.”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked as he took a sip of his drink.
Han looked even more uncomfortable than before. “We didn’t mean you should actually go home with a strange woman.”
Realization started to dawn and a slow smile spread across Luke’s face. “I think you misunderstood the situation.”
“Luke, I may be a married man, but I know what it looks like when a woman’s seducing a man. These old eyes haven’t gone blind just yet.” Han shifted again and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know it’s crazy, but I like the idea of you and Mara together. She’ll either assassinate you in your sleep or she’d make you pretty happy.”
Luke cleared his throat and his smile faltered. “She might do both or either,” he admitted lightly, but felt a nervous flutter in his chest. Han had always been a shrewd judge of character: it meant something that he liked the idea of Luke and Mara. Luke liked the idea of Luke and Mara, too; potentially far more than he’d even given himself credit for if the pounding of his heart was any indication. He pushed that thought away to be dealt with later: it was filed next to things like rebuild Jedi Order and never, never discuss the fact that your sister kissed you.
“I doubt she’d like you looking in her direction and going home with another woman though,” Han stated firmly. “She doesn’t strike me as they type of woman that’d be inclined to share.”
Luke’s doubts were displaced in favor of the humor of the situation and he finally laughed. “Han, I really think you misunderstood: in fact, I know you did.”
“What’s to misunderstand?” Han asked beginning to be miffed. “You left with a leggy blond and showed up on my doorstep this afternoon looking smug and self-satisfied. Where I come from, that only means one thing.”
“I don’t look smug,” Luke murmured, trying his best to make that statement true. Han simply crossed his arms again and shot his friend a look. Luke smiled widely again. “Okay, I do look smug,” he admitted. “But it’s not what you think.”
“Then enlighten me,” Han drawled.
Luke echoed Han’s pose and looked straight into his friend’s hazel eyes. “I went home with Mara,” he stated.
Han smiled and snorted. “In your dreams, junior.”
“Han,” Luke said firmly. “I went home with Mara.”
Han stared for a moment, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. His eyes flicked over Luke and he uncrossed his arms. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said as a slow grin spread across his face. “Once a Rogue always a Rogue, hm?” Luke smiled but shrugged self consciously; he’d never been especially comfortable discussing his sex life, even with Han.
Just then, Leia strode into the kitchen, freshly showered. “Who’s a rogue?” she asked as she kissed Luke on the cheek. “Did you have a nice time with the boys last night?”
Han smirked. “I think he had more fun without the boys.”
“Han!” brother and sister both admonished, Luke looking embarrassed and Leia appearing scandalized. She hadn’t been born yesterday and she’d been with Han for years; she knew exactly what that look and tone implied.
“What?” Han asked, putting on his best innocent face. This earned him an eye roll from Leia and a stern Jedi look from Luke. Leia sighed heavily but circled her small hand around her husband’s bicep.
“Come on, Captain, let’s eat,” she said as she tugged him from the kitchen. Leia shot Luke an apologetic glance and he followed them out with a shake of his head. Chewbacca growled a question as the trio paraded into the common area.
“Well, I can tell you what we’re not talking about,” Han responded with a glint in his eyes. “We’re certainly not talking about Luke’s love life.” This comment earned him a whuff of laughter from Chewie, a pinch on the arm from Leia, and a smack on the back of the head from Luke. “Ow,” he murmured as he rubbed his head. “What happened to the Jedi code of non-violence?”
Luke pulled out a chair at the table and sat, suddenly starving. “There’s a clause that specifically exempts brothers-in-law,” he stated firmly, though there was humor glinting in his eyes.
Leia laughed and Chewie whuffed again at Han’s expense. Leia hugged her arms to her chest and thanked the Force for her family. She loved these light-hearted moments; in the years since the Emperor’s death, Luke had been far too serious. She worried: what sister wouldn’t worry when her brother carried the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders far too often? But she’d noticed a change in recent weeks, even when she spoke to him over the holonet. There was a lightness in his bearing and in his Force sense that hadn’t been present in years. It was subtle, but it was there; she wondered if he even realized it. Leia now had her suspicions about what or rather, who, had caused this shift, but she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. She kissed Han on the back of the head and sat down across from him, smiling at her men.
After lunch, Luke spent several hours in the Archives, combing through any information that might be remotely related to the old Jedi Order. As usual, after a frustrating few hours he had a crick in his neck and an ache in his heart; there never appeared to be anything new to find. He wearily left his terminal and prepared to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in physical training and meditation in the private garden he’d managed to commandeer for just such a purpose.
After what felt like a very long day, Luke was looking forward to taking a shower, eating something, and falling into bed, hopefully in that order. Hopefully with Mara. He palmed the controls to his door and was surprised to see the light on the comm station flashing. He heard a beep in the darkness and called out a greeting. “Hey there, Artoo.” The droid emitted a longer series of beeps and whistles and Luke chuckled. “Well, next time I’d suggest not letting Threepio into the apartment when you’re trying to have a private conversation with the central computer; you know it’s probably going to fry your circuits.” Artoo beeped indignantly. “You’re the one who said you wanted to spend more time with him,” Luke said as he knelt in front of the little Astromech and looked him over critcally. “You don’t look too bad, but let me play this message and then I’ll take a closer look.” Luke stood and pressed the button to retrieve the message, but his hand stilled as the door chimed.
He crossed the room, message and droid forgotten as his mind filled with the woman he could sense on the other side of the wall. He pressed a button to allow her entry, and the door hadn’t even finished opening before his arms were full of Mara. She launched herself at him, not caring if people in the passageway behind her saw or heard her. “Stars, I need you, “ she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and bit his earlobe. Luke groaned low in this throat and maneuvered them around so that the door slid along his back as it cycled shut. He dragged a hand down her back to press her hips to his and palmed a breast through her jumpsuit with the other. He touched his lips to her neck, but was stymied by her high collar. Not bothering to remove his hands from her body, he grasped the top of the zipper between his teeth and dragged it down slowly, stopping every so often to kiss the flesh he had bared. The position quickly became awkward; he slid both of his hands to her breasts and gradually sank to his knees, pulling the fastener to it’s ending point directly above her pubic bone. They both reached to push the garment off her shoulders, fingers tangling just above her breasts. Mara laced their fingers and used their their intertwined hands to press her breasts together as Luke leaned forward to trail kisses across the flesh exposed just above her bra. He slid their combined hands down to her hips, pushing her jumpsuit further down and nibbling his way across her flat belly.
Frustrated with her remaining, clothing, Mara released her hands and set them on Luke’s shoulders as she balanced to remove her boots. She stepped out of the jumpsuit as it slithered down her hips and Luke made quick work of the rest of her clothing. She stood, wrapped in his embrace as he stood to giver her a lingering kiss. “I’ve thought about this all day,” he murmured against her cheek.
Mara lifted both her hands to his face, guiding his lips back to hers with a gentleness that hadn’t been present in their earlier encounters. She walked backward, pulling Luke toward the sofa by the waistband of his trousers. She reversed their positions and guided him down to the plush upholstery, releasing her hair from it’s loose bun to splay over her shoulders and down her back as he sat. She straddled him immediately and briefly touched her forehead to his. “You’re overdressed,” she murmured as his lips found a nipple and tugged. Mara’s eyes fluttered closed and she let out a shaky breath as Luke forced her back so he would have better access to her breasts. His hands on her back held her steady as he laved first one breast, then the other and his thumbs traced slow circles on her back.
Luke licked a long line from her breast to her throat and sat them both upright. “You taste so good,” he said gruffly as she ground her naked heat against his clothed and straining flesh. Mara laughed huskily as she worked on the fasteners of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.
“I taste like sweat,” she quipped as she leaned forward to press kisses to his shoulders and collar bone.
“I don’t care,” Luke said as he slid a hand around her hip and lightly teased her clit. “Whatever it is, you taste good.” Mara gasped and clutched at his shoulders, nails digging into the hard muscles. After a few moments, she began to rock against his hand. Luke increased his pressure and Mara rocked faster, panting heavily. Luke fully intended to let her finish, but just as she was close, she abruptly stood again, this time with a puff of dismay.
Luke sat forward, concerned. “Mara?”
She smiled and placed a finger against his lips. “It’s fine. I just want to finish with you.” Not a man to complain about such a proposal, Luke stood to remove his trousers, finally allowing his erection to spring free. He sat back down quickly and pulled Mara on top of him with equal speed. She raised her hips above his, and sank down on his cock with a sigh of contentment from both parties. Her breasts grazed his chest each time she raised and lowered and the sensation seemed to shoot straight to her core.
The anticipation and foreplay had taken their toll on Luke’s staying powers; he knew he wouldn’t last long, especially with those little gasping noises Mara was making and the way her inner muscles were stroking him. She’d said she wanted to finish together and he wasn’t going to disappoint her. He reached between them again to rub his thumb over her sensitive nub and simultaneously projected images to her in the Force. She saw herself as he saw her; red hair a tangled mass, breasts flushed and firm, head thrown back in pleasure. She sensed his bone deep pleasure and as soon as he he turned his head to suck hard on her neck, she was lost. She buried her face against his chest as she came, trembling and shaking. Luke shouted out his own release mere moments after her own release had begun and they lay curled together, sweaty and breathless.
Finally, Luke chuckled and angled his neck to look at Mara, still curled up on his chest. He pushed her hair off her face and kissed her brow. “That was one hell of a ‘hello.’”
Mara sat back slightly and smiled shyly. “Hello,” she murmured as she stretched up to kiss him.
“Hi there,” Luke said with a smile as wrapped her in his arms and tumbled them sideways on the couch. Mara snuggled against his chest, one slim leg thrown over his. Luke made sure Mara was tucked comfortably against him and ran his fingertips lightly up and down the center of her spine in a soothing gesture.
“I thought about this all day today, too,” she murmured against his bare chest and Luke made a satisfied sound. She looked up at him and sighed. “But I have to leave tomorrow morning,” she stated, feeling an odd sadness at her own words. “Karrde’s got some things that need to be dealt with in the Outer Rim and he thinks he may have a lead on the situation in Fortuna City.”
Luke’s ear perked up. “Then I’m going with you,” he stated in a tone that usually brooked no disagreement. Not only did he want to follow any and all leads on the strange occurrences at Fortuna City, he felt something strange tugging at the back of his mind about leaving Mara alone.
Mara rolled her eyes. “It may be nothing. Besides I have other work before I get to that.”
“But what if it’s not nothing?
“Then I’ll comm you and you can come rescue me from the big, bad evil thing and the galaxy will right itself,” she said sarcastically. When the concern she felt radiating from him only deepened, she raised a hand to his chin. “I’m a big girl,” she said with a small smile. “I can take care of myself.”
The frown between his brows deepened. “I know,” he murmured as he tightened his arms around her, his eyes far away. “But something feels. . .off. Something in the flow of the Force is wrong.”
“Any ideas?” she asked, only vaguely concerned. Her own danger sense wasn’t tingling in the slightest.
“Not really,” Luke said slowly.
Mara trailed her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer. “I have to leave first thing in the morning,” she murmured with a seductive smile. “Can’t you think of a more productive use of our time than discussing the flow of the Force?”
“Oh, I’m sure I can,” Luke said with a wicked smile just before he touched his mouth to hers and ignited the fire all over again.
Again, I've posted the entire chapter, but other chapters can be found here on on my LJ.
Erizaina gasped for breath as she ducked around a corner. “Garen!” she shouted, trying to slow her heart rate to something resembling normal. “I want to go home,” she pleaded to the air, hoping to appeal to the kindness she knew lurked under his increasingly menacing facade. She dashed away tears and tried to shrink into the shadows cast by the flickering light fixture overhead, knowing that if he found her before his anger had had a chance to dissipate, it could very well mean her life. She chanced a peek back around the corner and suddenly felt a phantom hand close around her throat. She spun around, eyes wide, fingers clawing at her neck, lungs gasping for breath.
Garen stood at the end of the hallway, one black gloved hand extended, still as a statue. “Garen,” Erizaina managed to choke out as he strode forward. He dropped his hand and Erizaina fell to the floor, gasping. Garen knelt beside her and stoked her hair. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured softly, then reached down to gather her in his arms. “But I can’t let you go. You must know that.”
“Please,” Erizaina pleaded against his chest, her voice muffled by his black chest-plate mock up.
“No,” he said sharply. “I can’t do this without you. I need you.”
“There are millions of other chemists in the galaxy!” she protested hoarsely.
“But they’re not you, are they? No, Eri, you’ll stay with me.”
Erizaina simply whimpered.
The next morning, Mara woke in stages. She first surfaced to consciousness to kick off covers: she wasn’t sure she’d ever been so overheated. She drifted off again until a shaft of sunlight fell directly across her eyes: she fluttered her eyelashes and rolled over, thinking the pillow was quite hard. The third time she wakened, she was instantly alert. She rolled over to clutch a pillow to her chest, but instead of softness, she encountered a warm body. She sat bolt upright, clutching the sheet to her chest and startling her bedmate awake in the process.
Luke opened his eyes slowly and smiled lazily up at Mara. “Morning,” he replied in a husky voice that made her breath catch. He raised a hand and trailed his fingers down her arm, the touch raising gooseflesh in its wake.
“Hi,” she croaked, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts.
Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced pointedly at Mara’s chest. “I have already seen them you know.” She flushed and Luke sat up, tugging the sheet from her unresisting hands. “And I think I’d like to see them again,” he whispered as he leaned in to capture her lips and brush his palm across the aforementioned breast. Mara returned the kiss for a few heartbeats, then raised her hands to his chest to push him away gently.
“Look, Farmboy,” she said as she pulled the sheet back up slowly and stared at her lap. “I’m not very good at this,” Mara said, twisting the cotton in her hands. It was the most un-Mara thing Luke had ever seen her do and the vulnerability of the gesture tugged at his heart. “I don’t know what happens next. I’ve never had a morning after,” she admitted quietly.
“You may not believe this,” Luke said. “But I can’t remember the last time I woke up with a woman.” He smiled slightly, scooted his hip against hers, and slipped an arm around her waist. “Though I will say it seems to have its merits,” he said as he nuzzled her shoulder, then continued a path to the spot he’d discovered behind her ear.
Mara mewled in the back of her throat and ran her hands through his hair, loving the cool softness against her heated skin. “We really shouldn’t,” she stated without conviction even as she leaned down to place her own kisses down the corded muscles in his neck and her hand idly traced patterns against his chest. Luke shuddered against her and laid her back on the bed, following the move with light kisses along her toned stomach.
“No?” he questioned after he nipped her navel and soothed the slight sting with his tongue. Mara’s only response was to pull him up by the shoulders and kiss him hard. Luke chuckled against her mouth and felt her return the smile. “What changed your mind?” he asked lightly, hands roaming liberally.
“Oh just shut up and kiss me,” she said on a sigh. Luke was more than happy to oblige.
Their lovemaking had been nothing like the frenzy of last night; rather, it had been slow, deliberate and intensely satisfying. Lost in their own thoughts, both wondering at the strangeness of their new situation, they lay silently on their backs in the bed, just the tips of their fingers barely touching.
Raising herself on one elbow above him, Mara again traced patterns on his chest, her fingertip following the faint, white lines of scars that crisscrossed his chest and abdomen. “Luke?” she finally inquired,
“Hm?” he answered lazily, eyes closed, hands behind his head, enjoying the warm sunlight that filtered through the sheer curtains and bathed the bed.
“What are these from?” she asked, leaning over to peer down at his stomach and tapping one of the larger marks.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, then blew out a breath. He knew this peaceful morning was too good to last. “The Emperor,” he finally stated, trying to keep his voice emotionless. He could feel Mara’s hand still and felt her Force sense wobble. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lift her hand to trace the faint pink lines of her own lightning induced injuries with a concerned expression.
“They won’t scar,” he assured her.
“What?”
Luke turned his head on the pillow to look at her. “I don’t think they’ll scar,” he repeated. “Mine looked a lot worse. . .after.”
“I wasn’t concerned about that,” Mara snapped, looking embarrassed and flopping back onto her pillow.
“All right,” Luke said slowly, confused at the abruptness in her shift in mood. “What were you concerned about?”
“Nothing,” she snapped again, then threw off the bedclothes and yanked her robe off a nearby chair. “I’m taking a shower.” She wrapped her robe around her in a huff and practically ran to the ‘fresher, leaving a confused Luke staring after her.
Mara pressed her forehead against the glass of the shower door and ran her hands over her arms as the water sluiced over her back. She hadn’t been lying earlier when she’d said she didn’t know what to do: she really didn’t. Somewhere or another she’d come to consider Skywalker a friend; she cared for him and she’d crossed a line last night. That thought alone was enough to make her panic as she hadn’t allowed herself to feel that for anyone in a long, long time. She supposed she cared for Karrde, but in a distant, professional way. She felt neither distant nor professional toward Skywalker. The problem, when she thought about it, was that she liked him. He was pushy, idealistic, and often maddeningly serene, but he was also driven, compassionate and, the one she would never have believed, amusing. Luke Skywalker, of all the people in the galaxy, made her smile. She groaned and banged her head lightly against the glass in frustration at the situation and at herself. Sleeping with him would have been one thing; introducing the Force took the entire encounter to a much more meaningful level. She groaned again: if she had figured that out, Skywalker certainly would have.
She poured cleanser in her hands and absently washed her hair, looking down at the pinkish welts just barely visible across her breasts. When she’d realized what the web of scars over Luke’s chest was from, she felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. Force lightning hurt: a few small bursts had nearly incapacitated her for days. Her own wounds were nothing compared to what Skywalker’s must have been and she could not imagine the agony he must have endured with injuries like that, injuries her beloved master had inflicted. She scrubbed her hands over her face in frustration. The entire situation was entirely too complicated.
Meanwhile, Luke dragged himself out of bed and drew on his undershorts and trousers. He poked around the apartment, hoping Mara had a second ‘fresher and was delighted to find one attached to what looked like an office. The ‘fresher had a very small shower as well, which Luke decided to take advantage of. He saw no other cleansers except the small bar of perfumed soap by the sink. Shrugging his shoulders and sniffing the bar, he laughed to himself. Instead of the green, asexual scent he’d expected, his nose was greeted by what he could only describe as pink and fruity. Mara Jade was full of surprises.
As he stepped under the spray and lathered his hair, Luke thought about what a surprise this morning had been. He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected, but it certainly hadn’t been languid, sun drenched lovemaking followed by a fruit scented shower. He wasn’t complaining about either; the scent would dissipate but would forever remind him of Mara, and the lovemaking had been. . .something of a revelation.
Luke would be the first person to admit that he hadn’t been with a woman in far too long, but that could not possibly account for the dryness in his mouth or the fluttering in his stomach when he woke and the first thing he saw was her; tangled hair sparking bright red in the sunlight, skin so fair and clear he could trace all the veins on the inside of her arms, her mouth wide and lush. They’d slept only five or six hours between sessions, but his first thought on waking had been that he had to have her again.
He rinsed quickly as he tried to puzzle out the strange turn of events of last night and this morning, then dried himself with the small hand towel near the sink. He redressed as far as he was able with what he’d taken with him, then peeked his head into Mara’s bedroom. Her shower still appeared to be running, so he padded barefoot to the kitchen to see about making some caf.
Mara emerged from her shower feeling only marginally better. She was clean, at least. She toweled off and pulled on her navy blue silk, ankle length robe; one of the few indulgences she’d allowed herself when she was with Karrde’s organization. She took a deep breath and opened the refresher door, only to blow it out loudly when she determined Skywalker was nowhere in the immediate vicinity. The bright flash of anger that had sparked upon finding him gone receded when her ears picked up the sound of banging in the kitchen and the smell of freshly brewed caf floated into her nostrils.
Mara crossed her arms as she headed nervously toward the kitchen. She didn’t have the slightest clue what to say to Skywalker; six months ago she’d have just ordered him out of her house, but she’d made a promise to both of them that they were friends, and she would not allow herself to behave that way. She wasn’t even sure she actually wanted to behave that way. Stripped of her ability to simply avoid him, she rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks, a slow grin spreading across her face.
Luke stood with his back to her, still shirtless, which she couldn’t honestly say she minded. His snug navy Bloodstripe trousers molded to his backside, his damp hair was in disarray, and the muscles in his back rippled as he stirred sweetener into a cup of caf. The best part about the kitchen tableau was the fact that Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, hero of the Rebellion, and sometime savior of the galaxy was shaking his hips to in internal beat, bumping them this way and that. Mara raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter but was ultimately unsuccessful. The sound gurgled up before she could stop it and Luke whirled around, face and chest flushing lightly in embarrassment, but smiling nonetheless.
Luke had never heard Mara laugh; chuckle, chortle, snort, but never outright laugh. The girlish sound gladdened his heart, even if she was laughing at him, not with him.
“Oh, Skywalker,” Mara laughed as she took a deep breath and sat at the kitchen table, a hand pressed to her chest. Luke simply smiled and handed her a mug, then took a seat across from her. Her laughter faded into silence as they regarded one another across the table. “Look,” Mara said after long moments of uncomfortable silence. “What I said before about never having done this before? That was true.”
“I know,” Luke responded with a solemn nod. “I haven’t really either. Not in at least nine or ten years.”
Mara huffed. “Well, what did you do back then?”
“Ah,” Luke said quietly and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’d rather we figured out what we were going to do rather than what I did back then.”
Mara raised a brow. “That bad, eh?”
Luke looked heavenward and blew out a breath. “You have no idea,” he murmured, running the tips of his fingers around the rim of his coffee cup. As though mustering his courage, he took a deep breath. “I like you,” he began. “I like having you as a friend, as new as that is. And I like. . .whatever it is that’s between us.”
Mara fiddled with her own mug and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “That’s the multi-million credit question, isn’t it?” she asked, not able to meet Luke’s steady gaze.
He reached across the table and pried her hand away from the mug she had a death grip on. “But that’s not something we have to decide right now,” he said soothingly as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles.
“Are you suggesting we just ‘enjoy’ one another?” Mara asked, torn between more laughter and shock that Luke Skywalker would suggest such an arrangement.
Luke lowered his lashes and dipped his head in embarrassment. “Not exactly,” he almost stuttered. “I mean, yes,” he said with a nod. “I do think we should enjoy each other.” He leaned across the table to brush his lips across hers, then press kisses to her eyelids. “But I meant it in all ways; I enjoy your mind as well as your body.”
Mara didn’t know what to say. His small gestures made her insides feel like jelly, which she hated. “Skywalker,” she started haltingly, shifting to cover her discomfort, “In spite of everything, I enjoy you, too. But I don’t think I’m ready to jump into anything major. Hell, I’m not even sure I’m ready to jump into anything minor,” she continued as she dragged her free hand through her hair. “I’ll be here more often that I was before, but I’ll still have to be off-planet a fair amount of time and. . .” she trailed off as she looked into Luke’s eyes.
“Who said anything about ‘major’ or ‘minor’?” he asked with a raise of his own eyebrow and a slight smile. “If I remember correctly, I suggested we enjoy each other.”
“But what does that mean?” Mara persisted.
“Why don’t we make it up as we go along?” Luke suggested, a careful hope blooming in his eyes. His own thoughts were muddled where she was concerned: he knew he didn’t want whatever they’d started to end, but he didn’t have a clue where he wanted it to end up. He was counting on some meditation and good old fashioned time to show him the right direction.
Mara studied him for long moments. He was, if she was completely honest with herself, the best friend she’d ever had. That wasn’t something she wanted to screw up, but the longer she looked at him the more she was convinced she didn’t want to go backward. Especially not if forward meant another encounter like last night or this morning. She wasn’t an idiot: you didn’t throw something that good away. “All right,” she said simply. “We’ll make it up as we go along.”
Luke smiled slowly and raised her hand to his mouth to press a lingering kiss to her palm, just as the comm unit in her office beeped. “Good timing,” said with a small smile as she tugged her hand back. Luke smiled, sipping his caf as he watched her head for the office, her finely turned ankles peeking out from the hem of her robe
Fifteen minutes later, Luke was redressed in his borrowed clothing and pacing around Mara’s nearly bare living room. He could hear her muffled voice through the closed office door; she was still on the same call. He glanced at the chrono and with a start, realized it was almost mid-day. Thankfully he hadn’t had any pressing engagements this morning, but he did have a long standing appointment to get to. He didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye but knew it would not be appreciated if he interrupted her call, so he shoved his hands in his pockets and paced for a few more moments. He absently wondered if he was going to wear a rut in the floor, when a thought occurred to him and he stretched out toward Mara in the Force.
Hi, he thought in her direction. He could feel her surprise and heard her falter through the door. Didn’t mean to disturb! he assured quickly.
Skywalker? She asked as she probed her sense against his gently. He smiled to himself as he felt her wary pleasure at the contact, followed swiftly by confusion. What are you doing?
I just wanted to say goodbye and didn’t want to interrupt.
She did not respond, but the door to the office cycled open a few moments later. “I really didn’t mean to bother you,” Luke said as Mara strode toward him.
She shrugged. “It was just Karrde. I told him I had to deal with something and I’d get back to him.” Mara tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted from foot to foot. “So, have a nice day, I guess?” she asked uncertainly.
Luke smiled and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the mouth. “Thanks,” he said with a lopsided smile. He pulled back slightly and rubbed his hands down her arms as she leaned into his chest.
“You can do better than that,” she teased and tapped her lips with a slender index finger. Luke’s eyes darkened and he lowered his head, so their lips were almost touching, but he moved no further. “What are you doing?” Mara asked with a wrinkled brow.
“Almost every time I’ve tried to kiss you, somebody interrupts. I’m just waiting to make sure it’s not going to happen again,” he joked quietly. Mara’s body vibrated against him as he covered the minute distance between them. He kissed her again as she laughed.
“Can I see you later?” he asked, suddenly breathless and desperate to make love to her again.
“Yes,” Mara exhaled on a sigh, not even pausing to think. “But my last meeting will be over late,” she warned.
“Doesn’t matter,” Luke said as he ran the tip of his finger over the small patch of skin at her chest that was exposed by the robe. He reluctantly dropped his hand and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth with a rueful smile. “If I don’t leave now, there won’t be a later. Do you know where my place is?” At her nod, Luke continued. “Just come by when you’re finished. I’ll be home,” he promised as he backed away. Mara nodded with a slight smiled and waved him out the door, his cocky grin doing unsettling things to her stomach. She watched him go wondering what in the name of all that was holy she was getting into.
Luke hurried back to his apartment to make sure it was in decent shape for Mara’s visit. He debated about changing the bedsheets for ten minutes; he didn’t want to seem like he was assuming anything, but given their recent escapades, he finally decided that it was courteous rather than presumptuous. House arranged to his liking, he changed clothes and headed to Han and Leia’s. When they’d first taken apartments on Coruscant, Leia had been concerned that, with their individual schedules, none of her family would ever see one another. So once a week, every week they were all on planet, they had a family lunch meeting. He hustled to their flat and let himself in. “Han?” he called as he wandered into empty the kitchen and munched on one of the sliced vegetables sitting on the counter top. “Leia?”
“Hi there,” Leia called very quietly from the direction of the twins’ room. “Be out in a minute.”
Luke contented himself with puttering around the kitchen, poking his nose into the steaming pots on the cooker and investigating the contents of the cooling unit. He’d just poured himself a glass of blue milk, when Han sauntered in looking ill at ease.
“Hey, Kid,” he said with an uncomfortable shrug. “Leia’s putting the twins down for a nap.”
Luke nodded, his brow creasing in confusion at Han’s strange tone. “What’s wrong?”
Han shifted and leaned against the counter across from Luke, crossing his arms and his legs at the ankle. “Look,” he began, shifting his hips and leaning back. “I know Wedge and I talk a good game, but we didn’t really mean it.”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked as he took a sip of his drink.
Han looked even more uncomfortable than before. “We didn’t mean you should actually go home with a strange woman.”
Realization started to dawn and a slow smile spread across Luke’s face. “I think you misunderstood the situation.”
“Luke, I may be a married man, but I know what it looks like when a woman’s seducing a man. These old eyes haven’t gone blind just yet.” Han shifted again and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know it’s crazy, but I like the idea of you and Mara together. She’ll either assassinate you in your sleep or she’d make you pretty happy.”
Luke cleared his throat and his smile faltered. “She might do both or either,” he admitted lightly, but felt a nervous flutter in his chest. Han had always been a shrewd judge of character: it meant something that he liked the idea of Luke and Mara. Luke liked the idea of Luke and Mara, too; potentially far more than he’d even given himself credit for if the pounding of his heart was any indication. He pushed that thought away to be dealt with later: it was filed next to things like rebuild Jedi Order and never, never discuss the fact that your sister kissed you.
“I doubt she’d like you looking in her direction and going home with another woman though,” Han stated firmly. “She doesn’t strike me as they type of woman that’d be inclined to share.”
Luke’s doubts were displaced in favor of the humor of the situation and he finally laughed. “Han, I really think you misunderstood: in fact, I know you did.”
“What’s to misunderstand?” Han asked beginning to be miffed. “You left with a leggy blond and showed up on my doorstep this afternoon looking smug and self-satisfied. Where I come from, that only means one thing.”
“I don’t look smug,” Luke murmured, trying his best to make that statement true. Han simply crossed his arms again and shot his friend a look. Luke smiled widely again. “Okay, I do look smug,” he admitted. “But it’s not what you think.”
“Then enlighten me,” Han drawled.
Luke echoed Han’s pose and looked straight into his friend’s hazel eyes. “I went home with Mara,” he stated.
Han smiled and snorted. “In your dreams, junior.”
“Han,” Luke said firmly. “I went home with Mara.”
Han stared for a moment, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. His eyes flicked over Luke and he uncrossed his arms. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said as a slow grin spread across his face. “Once a Rogue always a Rogue, hm?” Luke smiled but shrugged self consciously; he’d never been especially comfortable discussing his sex life, even with Han.
Just then, Leia strode into the kitchen, freshly showered. “Who’s a rogue?” she asked as she kissed Luke on the cheek. “Did you have a nice time with the boys last night?”
Han smirked. “I think he had more fun without the boys.”
“Han!” brother and sister both admonished, Luke looking embarrassed and Leia appearing scandalized. She hadn’t been born yesterday and she’d been with Han for years; she knew exactly what that look and tone implied.
“What?” Han asked, putting on his best innocent face. This earned him an eye roll from Leia and a stern Jedi look from Luke. Leia sighed heavily but circled her small hand around her husband’s bicep.
“Come on, Captain, let’s eat,” she said as she tugged him from the kitchen. Leia shot Luke an apologetic glance and he followed them out with a shake of his head. Chewbacca growled a question as the trio paraded into the common area.
“Well, I can tell you what we’re not talking about,” Han responded with a glint in his eyes. “We’re certainly not talking about Luke’s love life.” This comment earned him a whuff of laughter from Chewie, a pinch on the arm from Leia, and a smack on the back of the head from Luke. “Ow,” he murmured as he rubbed his head. “What happened to the Jedi code of non-violence?”
Luke pulled out a chair at the table and sat, suddenly starving. “There’s a clause that specifically exempts brothers-in-law,” he stated firmly, though there was humor glinting in his eyes.
Leia laughed and Chewie whuffed again at Han’s expense. Leia hugged her arms to her chest and thanked the Force for her family. She loved these light-hearted moments; in the years since the Emperor’s death, Luke had been far too serious. She worried: what sister wouldn’t worry when her brother carried the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders far too often? But she’d noticed a change in recent weeks, even when she spoke to him over the holonet. There was a lightness in his bearing and in his Force sense that hadn’t been present in years. It was subtle, but it was there; she wondered if he even realized it. Leia now had her suspicions about what or rather, who, had caused this shift, but she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. She kissed Han on the back of the head and sat down across from him, smiling at her men.
After lunch, Luke spent several hours in the Archives, combing through any information that might be remotely related to the old Jedi Order. As usual, after a frustrating few hours he had a crick in his neck and an ache in his heart; there never appeared to be anything new to find. He wearily left his terminal and prepared to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in physical training and meditation in the private garden he’d managed to commandeer for just such a purpose.
After what felt like a very long day, Luke was looking forward to taking a shower, eating something, and falling into bed, hopefully in that order. Hopefully with Mara. He palmed the controls to his door and was surprised to see the light on the comm station flashing. He heard a beep in the darkness and called out a greeting. “Hey there, Artoo.” The droid emitted a longer series of beeps and whistles and Luke chuckled. “Well, next time I’d suggest not letting Threepio into the apartment when you’re trying to have a private conversation with the central computer; you know it’s probably going to fry your circuits.” Artoo beeped indignantly. “You’re the one who said you wanted to spend more time with him,” Luke said as he knelt in front of the little Astromech and looked him over critcally. “You don’t look too bad, but let me play this message and then I’ll take a closer look.” Luke stood and pressed the button to retrieve the message, but his hand stilled as the door chimed.
He crossed the room, message and droid forgotten as his mind filled with the woman he could sense on the other side of the wall. He pressed a button to allow her entry, and the door hadn’t even finished opening before his arms were full of Mara. She launched herself at him, not caring if people in the passageway behind her saw or heard her. “Stars, I need you, “ she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and bit his earlobe. Luke groaned low in this throat and maneuvered them around so that the door slid along his back as it cycled shut. He dragged a hand down her back to press her hips to his and palmed a breast through her jumpsuit with the other. He touched his lips to her neck, but was stymied by her high collar. Not bothering to remove his hands from her body, he grasped the top of the zipper between his teeth and dragged it down slowly, stopping every so often to kiss the flesh he had bared. The position quickly became awkward; he slid both of his hands to her breasts and gradually sank to his knees, pulling the fastener to it’s ending point directly above her pubic bone. They both reached to push the garment off her shoulders, fingers tangling just above her breasts. Mara laced their fingers and used their their intertwined hands to press her breasts together as Luke leaned forward to trail kisses across the flesh exposed just above her bra. He slid their combined hands down to her hips, pushing her jumpsuit further down and nibbling his way across her flat belly.
Frustrated with her remaining, clothing, Mara released her hands and set them on Luke’s shoulders as she balanced to remove her boots. She stepped out of the jumpsuit as it slithered down her hips and Luke made quick work of the rest of her clothing. She stood, wrapped in his embrace as he stood to giver her a lingering kiss. “I’ve thought about this all day,” he murmured against her cheek.
Mara lifted both her hands to his face, guiding his lips back to hers with a gentleness that hadn’t been present in their earlier encounters. She walked backward, pulling Luke toward the sofa by the waistband of his trousers. She reversed their positions and guided him down to the plush upholstery, releasing her hair from it’s loose bun to splay over her shoulders and down her back as he sat. She straddled him immediately and briefly touched her forehead to his. “You’re overdressed,” she murmured as his lips found a nipple and tugged. Mara’s eyes fluttered closed and she let out a shaky breath as Luke forced her back so he would have better access to her breasts. His hands on her back held her steady as he laved first one breast, then the other and his thumbs traced slow circles on her back.
Luke licked a long line from her breast to her throat and sat them both upright. “You taste so good,” he said gruffly as she ground her naked heat against his clothed and straining flesh. Mara laughed huskily as she worked on the fasteners of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.
“I taste like sweat,” she quipped as she leaned forward to press kisses to his shoulders and collar bone.
“I don’t care,” Luke said as he slid a hand around her hip and lightly teased her clit. “Whatever it is, you taste good.” Mara gasped and clutched at his shoulders, nails digging into the hard muscles. After a few moments, she began to rock against his hand. Luke increased his pressure and Mara rocked faster, panting heavily. Luke fully intended to let her finish, but just as she was close, she abruptly stood again, this time with a puff of dismay.
Luke sat forward, concerned. “Mara?”
She smiled and placed a finger against his lips. “It’s fine. I just want to finish with you.” Not a man to complain about such a proposal, Luke stood to remove his trousers, finally allowing his erection to spring free. He sat back down quickly and pulled Mara on top of him with equal speed. She raised her hips above his, and sank down on his cock with a sigh of contentment from both parties. Her breasts grazed his chest each time she raised and lowered and the sensation seemed to shoot straight to her core.
The anticipation and foreplay had taken their toll on Luke’s staying powers; he knew he wouldn’t last long, especially with those little gasping noises Mara was making and the way her inner muscles were stroking him. She’d said she wanted to finish together and he wasn’t going to disappoint her. He reached between them again to rub his thumb over her sensitive nub and simultaneously projected images to her in the Force. She saw herself as he saw her; red hair a tangled mass, breasts flushed and firm, head thrown back in pleasure. She sensed his bone deep pleasure and as soon as he he turned his head to suck hard on her neck, she was lost. She buried her face against his chest as she came, trembling and shaking. Luke shouted out his own release mere moments after her own release had begun and they lay curled together, sweaty and breathless.
Finally, Luke chuckled and angled his neck to look at Mara, still curled up on his chest. He pushed her hair off her face and kissed her brow. “That was one hell of a ‘hello.’”
Mara sat back slightly and smiled shyly. “Hello,” she murmured as she stretched up to kiss him.
“Hi there,” Luke said with a smile as wrapped her in his arms and tumbled them sideways on the couch. Mara snuggled against his chest, one slim leg thrown over his. Luke made sure Mara was tucked comfortably against him and ran his fingertips lightly up and down the center of her spine in a soothing gesture.
“I thought about this all day today, too,” she murmured against his bare chest and Luke made a satisfied sound. She looked up at him and sighed. “But I have to leave tomorrow morning,” she stated, feeling an odd sadness at her own words. “Karrde’s got some things that need to be dealt with in the Outer Rim and he thinks he may have a lead on the situation in Fortuna City.”
Luke’s ear perked up. “Then I’m going with you,” he stated in a tone that usually brooked no disagreement. Not only did he want to follow any and all leads on the strange occurrences at Fortuna City, he felt something strange tugging at the back of his mind about leaving Mara alone.
Mara rolled her eyes. “It may be nothing. Besides I have other work before I get to that.”
“But what if it’s not nothing?
“Then I’ll comm you and you can come rescue me from the big, bad evil thing and the galaxy will right itself,” she said sarcastically. When the concern she felt radiating from him only deepened, she raised a hand to his chin. “I’m a big girl,” she said with a small smile. “I can take care of myself.”
The frown between his brows deepened. “I know,” he murmured as he tightened his arms around her, his eyes far away. “But something feels. . .off. Something in the flow of the Force is wrong.”
“Any ideas?” she asked, only vaguely concerned. Her own danger sense wasn’t tingling in the slightest.
“Not really,” Luke said slowly.
Mara trailed her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer. “I have to leave first thing in the morning,” she murmured with a seductive smile. “Can’t you think of a more productive use of our time than discussing the flow of the Force?”
“Oh, I’m sure I can,” Luke said with a wicked smile just before he touched his mouth to hers and ignited the fire all over again.
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Date: 2012-04-23 07:35 pm (UTC)Very well done!
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Date: 2012-04-23 11:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-24 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-24 12:27 am (UTC)And the smut at the end--what a gift for us and them! I LOVE IT. And the description of Luke's corded next muscles--lady, you had me at hello!!! *g*
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:36 am (UTC)" His small gestures made her insides feel like jelly, which she hated. "
That is why I love this fic!!! Perfect characterization like that. Thank you for writing it! I can't wait for more!!!
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Date: 2012-04-24 02:18 am (UTC)Oh Han. I love him here. So in character for the scoundrel :p
Mmmm, me like the evening greeting.
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:33 pm (UTC)