Choices
By Firinn
"No!" I gasped in horror at Jean-Luc and the contraption—the deathtrap—he was holding. "There's no way I'm getting on that!"
Jean-Luc looked at the two-wheeled object propped against his legs and said, "It's no worse than riding a horse."
"And we know how much I enjoy that," I muttered under my breath as I circled the bicycle. I hadn't seen, let alone ridden, one in over forty years! And after that last spill, I swore I'd never ride one again.
"It was all I could think of on short notice," he replied. "You admitted over lunch that you'd never be able to keep up with me over 10 kilometres."
I smiled. "I'm a dancer, not a runner. If they wanted you to pump out a jazz or tap routine for five hours straight, I'd be right with you, but running... I barely passed the 7.5 kilometre run during the academy entrance physical."
He held the bike further from his body. "Well, then—"
I sighed. I had to stay with him. Leaving Jean-Luc alone with Yuri's data gatherers wasn't an option. I approached the vehicle with the same reluctance I reserved for the holodeck horse Jean-Luc coerced me onto six months ago. The small smile on his lips confirmed he was remembering the same moment.
His words were supportive, but the sparkle in his eyes gave away his obvious enjoyment of my predicament. "Come on," he said, "I'll help you."
I got on the death machine—bike—and within a few moments was wobbling my way around the gravel entrance to the nature reserve with Jean-Luc at my side. He gave me a reassuring smile and said, "Now you try it."
"What? No!" My stomach lurched as I completed a circuit on my own. "Jean-Luc!"
I took my eyes off the gravel and discovered Jean-Luc bent over, hands on knees, and shaking with laughter. I'm going to kill him. As soon as I get off this—
"Jean-Luc!" I screamed as a ploughed headlong into the shrubbery.
He was at my side within seconds, enjoyment replaced with concern. "Beverly! Are you hurt?" he asked, as he helped untangle the bike and my body from the clinging foliage.
I propped myself up against the citrus-scented leaves and smiled at him. "Nothing more than my pride," I joked. "Here," I raised my arms, "give me a hand up."
He pulled me out of the shrub and far too close to his chest. We stood there, eyes locked, and I could feel his warmth against my breasts. We weren't touching, but the nanometre of space between our bodies did nothing to limit the jump of electrons. His hands were firm against my upper arms and I placed my hands on his chest, planning to put a little space between us.
His heart was pounding through the thin shirt under my fingers. His muscles were taut and warm, oh so warm, and I couldn't help it. I closed my eyes and my push became a caress. I felt him stiffen at the intimate gesture, but I didn't stop. His hands slid up my arms to grip my shoulders, his thumbs lightly touching the bare skin above the collar of my uniform.
I gasped and my eyes flew open. His gentle touch sent shockwaves rippling down my spine, igniting a fire in my lower abdomen. He was staring intently at me, pinning me in place with his gaze. As he began to move his thumbs in tiny circles, my knees went weak and I was worried I would actually swoon.
"Jean-Luc," I croaked, my throat suddenly dry.
"Beverly," he rumbled. My insides quivered at the passion simmering beneath the simple utterance.
His gaze flickered to my mouth and back to my eyes. I smiled when I realized I had been unconsciously licking my lips. He was moving closer, slowly and inexorably closer, and I felt my body betray me one more time. My lips parted and I leaned in. I was about to close my eyes and slip off the edge of self-control into a maelstrom of sensation when Yuri's voice penetrated the haze of my awareness.
"Let's set up the monitoring gear under that tree," Yuri addressed one of his assistants. "I don't want to bake out here while we wait."
Jean-Luc was picking the last of the leaves from the spokes of the bike wheels and I was studying a nearby flowering bush when Dr. Fischer and his team rounded the path and entered the gravel clearing. I pulled the last of the leaves from my hair and walked over to my medical bag. I needed to place the monitoring patch on Jean-Luc's neck before the run, and I needed a few moments to compose myself before touching him again.
By the time he joined me, I'd brought my heart rate, breathing, and fantasies under control. I smiled at him and was pleased to note the slight flush creeping up his neck.
I placed the monitor under his jaw and couldn't help wondering if I wanted him to forget. We'd come close to crossing the unspoken line several times over the years, but one of us always had the presence of mind to keep things from getting out of hand. This time felt different. If Yuri hadn't arrived...
In all my fantasies I had never considered making love with Jean-Luc under a bush next to a parking lot, but at the time it seemed like the perfect—the only—thing to do. I shook my head as we met Yuri at the start of Jean-Luc's planned running route.