Chapter 25: Fascination

A/N: romulanlover, thanks for your review! One of the reasons Thorek is so jealous of André is – paradoxically – because he has never actually met him. If he met André in person, he'd get a far better idea of the guy and his friendship with Asha. As for Letant, I was inspired by fanfics written by Manufactured-triumph and Noneworking, where the Senator comes across as an aristocratic mischievous good-for-nothing…and philanderer. I spontaneously decided to drag him in :-) I'll think about Cretak.

Anya, it's always a pleasure to read your comments! Yes, André is a lot of fun to write (and a thorn in the side for Thorek), and he's surrounded by vibrant colours like purple or turquoise. And yes, Vreenak would be a risky choice for Asha. Romulan politics and Human minorities on Romulus could very well be a recipe for trouble…

Well, Letant was already involved with a human in a holodeck incident in WikkityTweak's fanfic "Holosuite Number 3", so I decided to let him stick with humans :-)

By now, Thorek was sure that Asha was just as attracted to him as he was to her, especially given her reaction to his seductive teasing before dinner and their conversation afterwards.

The tension became noticeable during their daily interactions, resulting in little flirtations; and he would flush green when she responded to his bantering or initiated it.

Being on Romulus was often like walking across a giant chessboard. Asha concluded that it made sense to introduce a game-like element to their relationship by means of pulling off little pranks on him. However, playing hot-and-cold games with his feelings was out of the question from her point of the view. She regarded this sort of strategy as a cruel and cold-hearted practice.

And so, around the middle of the second week of their stay in Mirek, she teased him by deliberately hiding his nightwear. Thorek rummaged through the cupboard, muttering Romulan profanities.

"I don't understand," he said at last. "I am very certain I placed my nightwear right over here. Unless this residence employs thieves to clean our rooms."

"You'll find your nightwear underneath the bedcover," Asha said, deleting redundant pictures from her holo-camera.

Thorek checked and found his missing clothes. "And exactly how, my ailhun, did they relocate from the cupboard to the bed, and how did you know?"

"I put them there," Asha said, setting the camera down on the table as Thorek walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Why?" he asked.

"I wanted to tease you."

"Why?" he repeated.

"Because you enjoy teasing me and I enjoy teasing you back."

"Romulans don't tease."

"I completely disagree with you. You tease me like anything."

"I do?"

"Yes." She was blushing, and her dimples looked particularly charming.

He enjoyed holding this small enchanting Human woman close to him. His mating instinct stirred, and he longed to initiate sex then and there, but he wasn't sure how she would react, especially when he took her avoidance of romantic or sexual partners into consideration. But Asha was quick, full of energy and mischievous. He had no doubt that she would keep him awake the whole night – if she wanted to.

"You are being very recalcitrant. How about we bathe together in the pool to get your energy levels settled, my ailhun?" Thorek suggested casually. They didn't take their eyes off each other.

"I don't have any swimwear," she answered.

He raised his eyebrows. "It would be without clothes as is hopefully the case when you use the shower, my wife."

Asha chuckled. "Yes, of course, but…" In her mind, she went over all the parts of her body she didn't like and wouldn't have anyone want to see.

"My deyhhan, I am a little shy about my body," she admitted frankly.

"I think you have nothing to be shy about, but if you are uncomfortable-"

"No. I want to. I feel comfortable around you. And I want to continue being recalcitrant."

Again he noticed that trust, combined with mischief this time, in her eyes. He stooped and kissed her forehead, and they went to the palatial bathroom together. Thorek took a bowl from the sill and emptied its contents into the pool. A pleasant herbal smell filled the room, and the water became covered with foam. He removed his clothes and stood naked at the edge of the pool. He was unmistakably aroused. Asha inhaled sharply when she saw him like that. That was the thing about Romulans. They seemed to have no hang-ups about sexuality whatsoever. It was a daring move, and one where he was showing himself to her with all his vulnerabilities. Her desire for him made her feel hot, and she was glad that she was going to strip. Thorek descended into the pool and leant back in the water, watching her.

She let her dress drop on top of his clothes, and all she was wearing were her bangles, including Thorek's gift which she only took off at night, anklets, earrings and nose jewellery. Her short hair did not provide her with any excuse of covering the curves of her body. She sat down on the edge of the pool and removed the jewellery around her wrists and feet, but kept her wedding bracelet on.

Asha did not have the lean, tall and military-hardened build of his previous lovers, though her hiking activities and dislike for being sedentary kept her in shape efficiently. It was absurd to subject her to such comparisons, and Thorek, who had thought that he preferred only one type of woman, had discovered some time ago that he was severely mistaken. His body and mind were making it clear that he found the sight and company of his wife extremely attractive.

She rose from her sitting position and gracefully descended the stairs. Her movements were natural, not planned or contrived with the purpose of impressing or seducing him. Asha was simply herself, and she moved the way she felt comfortable.

When she joined him, her mischievous side got the better of her. She bent and splashed water at him. Thorek, startled, spluttered and glowered at her. She laughed and threw more water at him. He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her into the middle of the pool, tossing mounds of foam at her. They began to play, splashing each other with water, laughing. With all the activity and fun, Asha forgot her shyness when the foam melted away and left her breasts exposed.

"You don't strike me as insecure about your body," Thorek remarked, smiling. "Why were you feeling shy at first?"

"Well, my body is Human, for one thing," she said, standing on tiptoe and removing some foam from one of his eyebrows.

"I see. Mine is Romulan," he observed. That made her laugh.

"And the other thing?"

"No one else has ever seen me like this before except my mirror."

It was his turn to laugh. "Then it is a privilege for me to be your second admirer besides your mirror, my wife."

She blushed and hugged him. His ears turned green as he felt her firm breasts against his chest. Their game had aroused him even more, and with their bodies pressed together, he knew she would feel his desire for her. Asha trailed her hand very slowly down his back and rubbed her hips against his, savouring the hardness of his erection; then she drew away a little, still embracing him, so she could look into his eyes.

"It may not be the Firefalls of Gal'Gathong over here, but I don't care. This place is beautiful," she told him. "And it's your arms I want around me, and that's what I care about."

"Asha," Thorek whispered in a low growl, lifting her out of the pool. He went up the stairs and set her down carefully. He dried them both with a towel, and after he had done so, Asha walked back into their room, still naked, dimmed the lights a little, went to their bed and half lay down with her knees folded. She held out her arms to him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. He was also impressed that she had taken the initiative, especially after she had voiced her concerns about the almost violent passion of Romulan mating practices.

He got onto the bed, kneeling before her as if in reverence, and went into her arms.

Asha felt breathless when she saw the desire in his eyes. He could have easily intimidated her with his physique which was so much larger than hers; but his face was filled with tenderness as he gazed at her, and she knew exactly what she wanted.

She touched his lips with two fingers. "May I kiss you?"

The green blush flooded his face, and he said passionately: "Ie!" Oh yes!

She took his face in her hands and kissed him firmly. He kissed her back with such enthusiasm that she felt dizzy and toppled back onto the bed with her legs around his hips.

He nibbled at her breasts with his teeth.

"Oh! Could you please use your palm or your tongue? I am oversensitive there."

"How about this?" His voice was a purr in the soft light, and she felt his tongue at her breasts.

"Oh yes!"

"You tell me that you are untouched. It would seem to me that you have indulged in a lot of self-touching." He sounded amused.

"Yes, I have got to know what my body likes quite well over the years."

"Mh, yes. I witnessed it once."

"Witnessed…? How do you mean?"

He straightened his body so he could look at her face and drew circles around her stomach and breasts.

"I woke up once to your attempts at arousing yourself."

She burst out laughing. "I remember now. So I was right! You moved, and I knew you were awake!"

He whispered into her ear: "You should have continued."

"Oh my goodness! You are so naughty!"

"Naughty? Watching a woman pleasure herself is extremely arousing for me."

"Well, some things just need to be private."

"Of course, but you were taking a risk of breaching your privacy since I was lying next to you, weren't you?"

"Some risks are worth taking," she countered, reaching up to kiss him.

He was fascinated by her body and how her muscles quivered and jumped when he touched particularly sensitive spots. Her hands, eager and naughty, did their own exploring. She ran her fingers slowly through his hair. It was soft and silky, and he rubbed his face against her palm. His hand sought her sex.

She began to breathe even faster, with tiny little staccato catches as if her very breath was shivering. He approached his lips to her ear and murmured: "Asha, may I touch you here?"

"Yes, if I may touch you, too. I'll tell you if I feel uncomfortable."

"You may touch me anywhere you wish and I won't do anything you don't want, my Ashaya."

"Ashaya?…Ashaya…I like it a lot," she pronounced the pet name slowly.

"It means 'beloved' in the Vulcan language and as it so happens, complements your name most beautifully."

She smiled. "I had no idea. I'm glad you're fluent in Vulcan. I wonder if your name can be similarly enhanced."

"I do not think so, my Ashaya. That honour belongs to you alone."

She parted her thighs, inviting him to explore with his fingers. His discoveries were rewarded with a little scream and a shiver. The delightful repercussions of having a particularly touch-sensitive partner were making themselves felt.

In the meantime, she nibbled at his neck and the tips of his ears, areas she knew from her reading and Christine that were particularly sensitive in Romulans. He moaned low in his throat, enjoying. She touched his mouth with her fingers, and he suckled at them. Her other hand stole between his thighs, making him gasp. He seized her in his arms, rolling them both over, and kissed her eagerly, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He gently pressed her thighs apart, but she said:

"I am not yet ready, my deyhhan."

"We have several nights, Ashaya, and I will travel the way you choose little by little each night. But let us indulge in this pleasure for now."

He lay down between her legs and encouraged her to rub herself to her heart's content against his erection, which she did with great enthusiasm. He added his fingers to the heat between them, and she arched her back. His eyes darkened with lust as she sighed, and he was humbled by her trust in him. Did she realise that one small movement, one small adjustment, one small thrust on his part would be more than enough for him to slide into her? She clutched at him and cried out several times in succession. He moved away a little and watched her rock from side to side with enjoyment until her movements quieted down and she lay still on the bed, one arm flung above her head, the other searching for him. Her wedding bracelet looked beautiful on her shapely wrist.

"Thorek," she whispered. He came closer again, and her hands wandered over his body, found his erection and pleasured him until his seed spilt over her fingers. She pressed them between her thighs, bringing their bodily fluids together that way. It was almost like a ritual, though he knew that she would not bear children because of her surgery.

They lay quietly in each other's arms afterwards, sleepy and content, smiling at each other every now and then. After a while, Asha drew the sheets over them and turned off the lights.

"Good night, Thorek-e'lev," she said, using Rihan for "my love". The endearment was sweet in his ears and even sweeter when she kissed him gently on the lips.

"Good night, my Ashaya," he murmured back, returning the kiss just as softly.

A/N Number 2: I rarely place an author's note (especially a second one after already placing one before the chapter) at the bottom of the text. But this is just to point out that "Ashaya" is fandom word and does not occur in Vulcan canon. I didn't want to place it in the first author's note, otherwise it would have given everything away :-)