One Night on Satyatwena

Part 2

Karrde didn't kiss her then and there on the bench. Instead, he stood and offered her his hand. She took it and rose to her feet. He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and they set off.

She had expected him to take her back to his ship, but she should have known by his reputation that he was much more discreet than that. He led her to a hotel perched on the edge of the bay and procured a room.

She felt more than a flutter of nervousness as she rode up the turbolift with him. It had been a very long time since she felt this way.

Karrde opened the door to the room and motioned for her to enter first. She glanced over her shoulder at him, but his expression gave nothing away. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was now. He certainly didn't appear so. Maybe this kind of assignation was something he did all the time. She stood awkwardly surveying the room as he turned on the lights. It was a nice room. Not extravagant, but certainly not low rent either.

"I asked them to send up a bottle of wine."

She nodded and walked to the floor length windows which proved to be doors leading out to a small balcony with a couple of chairs. She opened the doors and went out onto the balcony. There was an impressive view of the bay. She leaned on the railing watching the lights coming and going from the spaceport as she tried to get her nervousness under control. It wasn't like she hadn't done this sort of thing occasionally before. But those times had been hurried couplings that left her no time to think. Karrde was giving her way too much time to think and wonder why he was treating this more like a date than just sex. Not that as a Mistryl she'd ever been on a date, but she assumed this is what it was like. She wasn't sure if she preferred the slow build or the quick screw. She supposed she would have an answer in the morning.

She turned as he stepped out on the balcony carrying two glasses and a bottle. A bottle of very expensive sparkling wine. This one night certainly wasn't coming cheap for him. She didn't know if she should be flattered or not. Maybe he thought he was buying her. He leaned back against the rail and studied her as she took a sip of her wine.

"We don't have to do this, you know," he said quietly, his expression serious again.

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought this was what you wanted."

"It is, but only if you want it too." She was struck by how genuinely he meant that. Others might have mouthed the words, but not actually meant it. No recriminations. He would just walk away if she wished it. Such a display of honor made her want him more.

"I haven't changed my mind," she told him suddenly sure of herself. "It's just that this isn't something I do everyday. Honestly, I'm a little nervous."

He nodded and set his glass down on the top of the rail, moving closer to her. "May I kiss you?'

That he would be so polite as to inquire made her huff a startled laugh and a smile quirked up the corners of his lips as well.

"Yes," she whispered so quietly she could barely hear herself.

He plucked the glass from her hands and set it next to his. When he turned to face her she could see the desire burning in his pale blue eyes. His hand was gentle as he caressed her cheek. His other hand reached out and slid beneath her cloak to settle on her hip. He pulled her flush against him. Her hands clasped the warm leather of his jacket as he tilted her head back and lowered his mouth to hers. There was nothing tentative in the kiss and she liked that.

Shada was awoken from a light doze by the sound of the balcony door opening. In the near darkness, she could see Karrde out there collecting his jacket and her cloak that had been discarded before they came inside. He started to come back in, but seemed to change his mind and sat down on one of the chairs out there. She watched as he riffled through the pockets of his jacket for a moment before pulling out a cigarra. He lit the cigarra and refilled his wine glass, leaning back in the chair and staring off into the night.

The man still mystified her, even after- well, the best sex she'd ever had in her life. She could now truly understand what the word 'sated' meant and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to move from this bed again.

He was a very skilled lover. She could certainly give him credit for that. She'd asked him to seduce her and he had- slowly and exquisitely. Shada had ended up surrendering herself to his control unable to do anything other than revel in the pleasure. Only now that her brain was working again could she marvel at the control he had over himself. Most of the other men she'd had sex with had been unable or merely didn't care to control themselves. Karrde had almost seemed to take more enjoyment out of manipulating her body than his own release. It was puzzling.

Mazzic seemed to think Karrde cold and calculating. This experience with him didn't exactly contradict that assessment. He had wanted to make her lose control but he held himself apart, unwilling to be drawn in himself.

She gazed him sitting bare-chested even in the chill of the night, calmly sipping his wine and smoking his cigarra. She didn't expect or particularly want him to cuddle her in the aftermath but his complete detachment irritated her. Suddenly her blissful lethargy was gone. She had never been able to resist a challenge. She wanted to know what it would take for him to lose that careful control.

She got up from the bed and he glanced back at her when he noticed the movement. He quickly looked away when he saw she was still naked, though not before she saw the flare of desire on his face. She smiled to herself as she fished his shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head.

She walked out onto the balcony.

"Will you join me for a glass of wine?" he asked reaching for the bottle. "We got rather distracted earlier." He was certainly the master of understatement.

She accepted a glass and leaned back against the rail, enjoying the cool breeze coming in from off the water. She watched his eyes focus on her long bare legs. He seemed to catch himself ogling her and he looked up to her face. So polite. A laugh bubbled from her lips.

"What?" he asked.

"You."

"Me? I amuse you?"

"Oh, yes." She pushed off from the railing and sat down in his lap. He set his cigarra aside so he could lay a warm hand on her bare thigh. She reached out and ran her hands through his long thick hair, still damp from his previous exertions. She leaned down and almost met his lips with hers before she pulled back. "May I kiss you?"

He laughed. "You think I would say 'no' to you?"

"I'm just checking. I wouldn't want to take advantage of you."

He laughed, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "You, my dear Shada, may take advantage of me anytime you wish."

"I so glad you said that."

Cracking open his eyes, Karrde saw the long slender finger with red enamailed nail tracing patterns on his chest.

"You're looking very satisfied with yourself," he observed, taking in her slyly pleased smile.

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I think you have a right to be." He paused, considering her. He had been surprised by her aggressive seduction considering how nervous she had been the first time. "Did you get what you were after?"

She studied him. "I think so."

"Good. You were very determined." She certainly had been. He had rarely surrendered himself so completely to the heat of passion. Shada hadn't really left him with much of a choice. Strangely, he wasn't as disconcerted at giving up control as he though he might have been. He felt oddly safe with her. After all, she was someone as used to being in control of herself as he was and she had let herself go with him earlier. He supposed it was only fair that he do the same. It was something he wouldn't mind exploring further with her. "It's a pity my schedule doesn't permit me to while away several days with you." He reached out and stroked that lustrous dark hair of hers.

"We're leaving in the morning as well."

"Well, there's still some time yet until morning." His hand tighten in her hair, his other grasping her hip shifting her up on top of him. She slid up his body, meeting his mouth with equal passion. He really did enjoy her eager, responsive kisses.

When morning came they shared a leisurely breakfast in bed. There was no suggestion that there be further assignations planned. That suited her just fine. She had no interest in a lover and she suspected neither did he. She was content with this one night.

When their time was at an end, Karrde escorted her to the landing pit where the Distant Rainbow was berthed. One of the crew darted up the ramp when they entered, to alert Mazzic no doubt. Karrde walked her to the edge of the ramp. He took her hand and kissed it, bowing formally. "Thank you for a wonderful evening. I've rarely had a better time."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Karrde. I enjoyed myself as well."

"Have a safe journey." He threw a quick salute to Mazzic who was now standing at the top of the ramp and walked out of the landing pit.

Shada walked up into the ship. Mazzic looked hungover and bedraggled in yesterday's clothes. "What the hell was that about?" he demanded pointing in the direction Karrde had disappeared in.

"Karrde was kind enough to escort me back to the ship," she replied calmly.

"You were with him all night?" He seemed shocked by that.

"Yes."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Shada's expression hardened and her tone was frosty, "I don't really think that's any of my employer's business, Mazzic."

He gritted his teeth. "You're right." He took a deep breath. "And I guess I should apologize for my behavior last night. It won't happen again."

"Thank you, Mazzic," Shada accepted his apology and she would be holding him to it. "Did you have a pleasant evening?"

A satisfied grin lit up his face at the memory. "Oh, yeah." He quickly schooled his expression. "And was your evening- ah- pleasant?"

"Very." She smiled and turned to go to her quarters.

"Shada?" he called and she stopped turning back to him. "Do I need to be worried you'll be leaving my group?"

"No. I never mix business with pleasure."

He nodded satisfied with her response. "We're leaving in 30."

"Well, are all your parts still attached?" Mara gave Karrde a cursory once over as he walked up the ramp of the Wild Karrde.

"They are indeed."

"I take it you managed to enjoy yourself?"

He merely looked at her with a knowing smile.

"Oh I forgot. You're a gentleman," she said mockingly. "You don't kiss and tell. That's fine I don't want the details. I just want to know if Mazzic's going to be gunning for you now."

"That's unlikely. Mazzic knows how these things are." He sincerely doubted Mazzic would hold a grudge about this provided Karrde kept his mouth shut and didn't make Mazzic look like a cuckold.

"Well good." Mara studied him through narrowed green eyes. "Were you just trying to provoke Mazzic?"

"Mazzic had nothing to do with it. I've admired Shada for some time and a suitable opportunity presented itself." He shrugged. That was mostly true. Shada had piqued his interest on Trogan and more so at the meeting on Hijarna. Although he may have gotten the smallest pleasure of having something Mazzic wanted but couldn't have.

Mara shook her head. "You're a strange one, Karrde."

TBC