Luke was the one man she knew wouldn't come onto her. She depended on him. All the times she'd been approached, usually by ones who'd had too much to drink. Even after many polite refusals, a few uninformed sentients didn't seem to want to relax their attentions and so she would sit and wonder whether she would really have to hurt him, and how badly. It wasn't just Luke's Jedi dedication that made him so enjoyable and relaxing to be around, he was naturally kind and considerate, and wasn't into collecting sexual trophies. Mara respected him for this and always felt very at ease with him. She also knew there were well-hidden rumors about her, including betting pools and high stakes wagers in various gambling establishments. She just ignored them.
After a meeting and dinner on Coruscant between Karrde's organization and some investors that were of interest to the Jedi, Mara and Luke had found themselves wandering back towards the old Imperial Quarter, walking deep into the night, talking about a million things. Mara was headed back to the Wild Kaarde and then back to her place. Luke was walking her there, out of courtesy, friendship and companionship.
As they neared the Wild Karrde, Mara was just about to tell him that she wouldn't stay on board tonight. She preferred her own place when she was planetside and so was going to grab her bag and then head back to her apartment.
They slowed down near the average-looking and strategically located docking bay that Karrde owned, she turned to Luke and saw something new in his eyes, a glimmer of a hunger she'd never seen before, a certain male factor that maybe she just hadn't been aware of in Luke. She heard a buzzing in her brain, and felt wary. He must have picked up on her observation and puzzlement, though the well trained operative wasn't revealing anything most people could ever notice. Luke smiled warmly and that brief spark was gone. He was the same old Luke, her good friend. Had she imagined it?
Somehow her hand found its way into his. Mara stopped and slightly pulled her arm as if to pull out of it, but Luke held on. He turned to face her, still holding her right with his left. He had a strange expression in his eyes, that she hadn't ever seen before. Luke took Mara's other hand into his and Mara swallowed unconsciously. She was looking into his eyes, unable to take her eyes off his, lost in the depths of those wise, blue stars. All of a sudden there was nothing left between them and couldn't hold back the coercion that was urging them together. He pulled closer to her and deliberately, almost slowly put his mouth over hers, giving her a good warm more-than-friendship kiss. Mara's hands moved up to his shoulders. It felt rapturous, welcoming, beautiful. He broke the kiss, glanced at her for a moment and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her as hers went around his neck. He kissed her more deeply now, definitely wanting more. She kissed him back passionately, answering him just as deeply. Finally they came up for air.
Mara put her hand up against his shoulder, pushed away, staring at him, putting distance between them.
"Luke!" she said to him, What was he doing? What were they doing? She turned away from his insistent, unretracting gaze, the hunger and desire evident.
"Damnit Skywalker! What are you doing?.
"I've been wanting to do that for some time now." He explained, his eyes patient and searching.
"You are one that I don't have to worry about coming onto me," she said, narrowing her eyes. She had never guessed that Luke had anything more than friendship in mind for her - or had she? "The one guy who I know pays attention to me just as me, and listens to me, treats me like a person, not some scary, strange thing or bimbo babe. Now what are you doing?"
Luke smiled amusedly, it had been pretty obvious what he'd-they'd been doing.
"I really don't need this - from you of all people! There are lots of guys who don't seem to take no for an answer and then I have to wonder if I really have to hurt them to back off." Luke grinned at the thought of Mara fending off admirers who got too friendly too fast. He wished he could watch her in action. He wasn't going to apologize for his actions. He wasn't sorry. She was so beautiful, he wasn't surprised about unwanted advances.
"You want to pretend it didn't happen?" he asked. Had they crossed a line as friends that they couldn't cross again? Mara might take off tomorrow to parts unknown for a long time. He knew how she could react when she was cornered. Had he overstepped it?
Mara was turned slightly, staring at something in the middle distance. She didn't know if she could pretend it hadn't happened. Not with him.
"Isn't this kind of a clichŽ: girl meets boy, girl plans to kill boy, girl ends up not killing boy, and now this?" Mara stepped towards him, and Luke's arm reached out to her waist.
"I don't know, is it?" he asked. Mara looked into his eyes, her brows knit together with concern.
"I don't know either," she murmured as his arms went around her again and suddenly they were at it again, devouring the fierce desire between and within them. Each of their passions leapt toward the other, the new shared ardor that had long been waiting to let loose grew, surrounded them and enfolded them in a dreamy, urgent and intense flare. Mara was pulling him into her as closely as she could. Luke kissed her with a passion she'd always known was there and now reveled in, this strong wonderful man.
Luke had known hot in his life. The vast baked windstorms that came every few years across the Jundland Wastes changed sandscapes, moving sand dunes overnight, and always the hot winds. Now he knew how much he'd craved this searing heat, as intense as the burning suns of the desert that sent mirages flickering in the distance, bewitching thirsty travellers. In Mara he was touching hot as he'd yearned for a long time, and wasn't sure he deserved. All he knew was that he wanted more. He hungered for every part of her. He'd longed for this, not the barren blistering dry heat from the deserts he grew up in, this was was a new heat source, it sucked air from his lungs yet fed him as he nourished the fire back. Of course it was Mara that held this for him, how could she do anything else. She was a complex and passionate woman, kissing him like a supernova, pressing against him. He couldn't seem to get enough of her.
She broke off, turning her head and breathing hard. What the sith was going on???
What are you afraid of? had Luke said that? She hadn't seen his lips move. No, it hadn't come from him. Afraid? I'm not afraid!
She took two steps backward.
"I've got a lot of things to do." She briefly flicked a glance up at his eyes and then looked off to the side. She turned abruptly, she had to get out of here. Without another glance or word to him, she fled into the ship, closing the entrance as Luke watched her disappear.
After a meeting and dinner on Coruscant between Karrde's organization and some investors that were of interest to the Jedi, Mara and Luke had found themselves wandering back towards the old Imperial Quarter, walking deep into the night, talking about a million things. Mara was headed back to the Wild Kaarde and then back to her place. Luke was walking her there, out of courtesy, friendship and companionship.
As they neared the Wild Karrde, Mara was just about to tell him that she wouldn't stay on board tonight. She preferred her own place when she was planetside and so was going to grab her bag and then head back to her apartment.
They slowed down near the average-looking and strategically located docking bay that Karrde owned, she turned to Luke and saw something new in his eyes, a glimmer of a hunger she'd never seen before, a certain male factor that maybe she just hadn't been aware of in Luke. She heard a buzzing in her brain, and felt wary. He must have picked up on her observation and puzzlement, though the well trained operative wasn't revealing anything most people could ever notice. Luke smiled warmly and that brief spark was gone. He was the same old Luke, her good friend. Had she imagined it?
Somehow her hand found its way into his. Mara stopped and slightly pulled her arm as if to pull out of it, but Luke held on. He turned to face her, still holding her right with his left. He had a strange expression in his eyes, that she hadn't ever seen before. Luke took Mara's other hand into his and Mara swallowed unconsciously. She was looking into his eyes, unable to take her eyes off his, lost in the depths of those wise, blue stars. All of a sudden there was nothing left between them and couldn't hold back the coercion that was urging them together. He pulled closer to her and deliberately, almost slowly put his mouth over hers, giving her a good warm more-than-friendship kiss. Mara's hands moved up to his shoulders. It felt rapturous, welcoming, beautiful. He broke the kiss, glanced at her for a moment and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her as hers went around his neck. He kissed her more deeply now, definitely wanting more. She kissed him back passionately, answering him just as deeply. Finally they came up for air.
Mara put her hand up against his shoulder, pushed away, staring at him, putting distance between them.
"Luke!" she said to him, What was he doing? What were they doing? She turned away from his insistent, unretracting gaze, the hunger and desire evident.
"Damnit Skywalker! What are you doing?.
"I've been wanting to do that for some time now." He explained, his eyes patient and searching.
"You are one that I don't have to worry about coming onto me," she said, narrowing her eyes. She had never guessed that Luke had anything more than friendship in mind for her - or had she? "The one guy who I know pays attention to me just as me, and listens to me, treats me like a person, not some scary, strange thing or bimbo babe. Now what are you doing?"
Luke smiled amusedly, it had been pretty obvious what he'd-they'd been doing.
"I really don't need this - from you of all people! There are lots of guys who don't seem to take no for an answer and then I have to wonder if I really have to hurt them to back off." Luke grinned at the thought of Mara fending off admirers who got too friendly too fast. He wished he could watch her in action. He wasn't going to apologize for his actions. He wasn't sorry. She was so beautiful, he wasn't surprised about unwanted advances.
"You want to pretend it didn't happen?" he asked. Had they crossed a line as friends that they couldn't cross again? Mara might take off tomorrow to parts unknown for a long time. He knew how she could react when she was cornered. Had he overstepped it?
Mara was turned slightly, staring at something in the middle distance. She didn't know if she could pretend it hadn't happened. Not with him.
"Isn't this kind of a clichŽ: girl meets boy, girl plans to kill boy, girl ends up not killing boy, and now this?" Mara stepped towards him, and Luke's arm reached out to her waist.
"I don't know, is it?" he asked. Mara looked into his eyes, her brows knit together with concern.
"I don't know either," she murmured as his arms went around her again and suddenly they were at it again, devouring the fierce desire between and within them. Each of their passions leapt toward the other, the new shared ardor that had long been waiting to let loose grew, surrounded them and enfolded them in a dreamy, urgent and intense flare. Mara was pulling him into her as closely as she could. Luke kissed her with a passion she'd always known was there and now reveled in, this strong wonderful man.
Luke had known hot in his life. The vast baked windstorms that came every few years across the Jundland Wastes changed sandscapes, moving sand dunes overnight, and always the hot winds. Now he knew how much he'd craved this searing heat, as intense as the burning suns of the desert that sent mirages flickering in the distance, bewitching thirsty travellers. In Mara he was touching hot as he'd yearned for a long time, and wasn't sure he deserved. All he knew was that he wanted more. He hungered for every part of her. He'd longed for this, not the barren blistering dry heat from the deserts he grew up in, this was was a new heat source, it sucked air from his lungs yet fed him as he nourished the fire back. Of course it was Mara that held this for him, how could she do anything else. She was a complex and passionate woman, kissing him like a supernova, pressing against him. He couldn't seem to get enough of her.
She broke off, turning her head and breathing hard. What the sith was going on???
What are you afraid of? had Luke said that? She hadn't seen his lips move. No, it hadn't come from him. Afraid? I'm not afraid!
She took two steps backward.
"I've got a lot of things to do." She briefly flicked a glance up at his eyes and then looked off to the side. She turned abruptly, she had to get out of here. Without another glance or word to him, she fled into the ship, closing the entrance as Luke watched her disappear.