Heat seared through Samantha as Liara's fingertips brushed her cheek, entwined in her hair, and drew her nearer. Another touch, a feathery sensation just outside her immediate awareness, shivered up her spine. Their bodies fit together perfectly, Liara's arm looped around her waist, holding her tight with a strength that embodied safety. Nearly everything was perfect; the suppleness of Liara's lips, the gentleness with which they hesitantly touched one another, the intense closeness of the mental bond.
She could have lost herself if Liara hadn't seemed distracted.
Ghosts, faint whispers from the core of Liara's thoughts shimmered through their connection. Finding herself sidetracked, Sam tried to shift her focus back to physical sensations. She trailed her fingers down the side of Liara's neck, around to the front, felt their kiss break as the asari's lips parted to draw a sharp breath.
Need sizzled between them. Samantha's fingers twitched, her thumb pressing into the hollow of the asari's throat as though following intuitive commands. She squeezed tighter, leaving dimples in delicate blue skin as a hunger that was not her own overtook her, making her heart-rate spike. A moan escaped Liara, and her pupils dilated as she tilted her head back.
"Please…"
Liara wanted—
Sam flinched. "I can't…" She painstakingly extricated herself, took a step back. She looked at her fingers—five little betrayers—then back to Liara. The asari breathed rapidly, trying unsuccessfully to school her features to hide disappointment. Sam shook her head. "I won't be that for you."
Needing to offer some kind of reassurance, Sam touched her bicep, slipped her hand down her arm until she grasped the asari's fingers. "You know I want to be with you, but I won't physically hurt you for… for… pleasure. I don't want to possess you." Samantha squeezed her hand. "Is that—do you need that?"
"I do not know… It is…" Liara blushed, purple suffusing her cheeks and spreading to the base of her crests. Her shoulders rose as she ducked her head to the side in embarrassment. "My… limited sexual encounters have always been with strong, dominant personalities. Individuals who would have… scared me before Shepard."
Sam nodded, running her free hand through her hair. "It doesn't have to be that way," she offered. Liara's eyes glistened, but the fear of rejection was easing. "I could show you, but…"
"What?"
"It's just… I—I won't compete with Shepard. She's here—" She spread her arms. Liara opened her mouth to argue, but Sam held up her hand. "No, it's okay. You loved—love her; that doesn't just go away, but it's obvious you, er… care about me too and… I don't want… uh... You can't shield me as effectively when you're, uhm, preoccupied." Sam smiled self-consciously, suddenly very nervous.
"I see."
She struggled to interpret Liara's countenance; the asari's lips pressed together as she seemed to mull over the implications of what Sam had said. Just when it seemed certain that Liara was offended, her expression softened.
"Close your eyes," Liara instructed. No sooner had she done so than Samantha felt a brief quiver of consciousness, followed by a profound sense of isolation, which subsided as rapidly as it arrived.
Sam found herself back in Liara's stateroom when she opened her eyes again. She breathed a sigh of relief. Despite how fantastic the meld had felt, how thrilled she had been to connect with Liara so completely, Sam could admit to herself that it was also daunting. If she chose, Liara could read Sam's every thought. Sam wasn't sure she was ready to be that open. Yet.
She took Liara by the hand, and drew her further into the room, careful to avoid the chaos of broken electronics on the floor until they passed the glass walls that separated the hectic snarl of equipment from Liara's sparse bedroom.
Prior to her operation, Liara had dressed in a pair of relaxed pants and a button-down shirt that could be easily removed so Tali could work. Traynor's gaze went to the gauze bandages around Liara's throat, above which were scratch marks where the asari had tried to rip them off. Liara watched her curiously, her confidence visibly diminishing the longer Sam studied her.
"You're beautiful, do you know that?" Sam said, touching the bridge of Liara's nose with her fingertips. "I've always been a sucker for freckles. And blue! Blue is my favorite colour. Did I ever tell you that? No, no, I don't suppose I did." Sam wrinkled her nose at the nervous babbling that erupted out of her. She forced herself to take a deep breath. Liara surprised her by grinning.
Her brilliant smile exposed deeply buried innocence, traces of the person Liara might have been if her life had not been twisted. Sam liked the way Liara seemed to relax. She stretched up and kissed the asari lightly on the lips. Liara followed when Sam pulled back, her hands going to the human's waist in an attempt to keep her close.
Sam kissed her once more, briefly, before determinedly separating herself. Liara frowned, her expression one Sam would expect to accompany a lighthearted growl. "Patience," Sam scolded playfully. "Turn around."
Liara's unquestioning obedience demonstrated a level of trust that she had not expected. Without hesitating, Sam molded her body against Liara's back. Reaching around, she rested her palms against the front of Liara's thighs. With a hint of pressure, Sam roved up over the asari's hips. Liara squirmed until Sam pressed her lips to the side of her neck, above the bandages.
Fabric bunched under Sam's palms as she caught the hem of Liara's shirt. Her fingertips brushed soft, hot skin, bringing back scorching memories. Sam's hands trembled in anticipation. She had touched Liara intimately before, but their current dynamic was dramatically different. Liara was not seeking desperate validation. Samantha was not trying to express her frustration with uncharacteristic sexual aggression.
The muscles of Liara's stomach rippled and then flexed, creating firm ridges that made Sam flush with heat. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sam forced herself to carry out the deliberate seduction. She plucked at the lowest button of the asari's shirt, threading it through the buttonhole so slowly that Liara grew impatient and tried to assist her. Sam nudged her away, making teasing noises of disapproval.
Button by button, she took her time, tormenting them both. The cooler air of the cabin made the asari's skin prickle, its alien texture becoming more pronounced. Sam desperately wanted to know how it would feel beneath her lips, under the caress of her tongue. She swallowed hard, popping the last button before spreading the shirt. Liara's breathing came faster while Sam's fingers tickled over her abdomen.
Reluctantly creating a space between them, she drew Liara's shirt off her shoulders. She slipped it down her arms until it dropped to the floor, revealing an exquisite expanse of blue skin. Liara shivered a little and hugged herself. Sam stood motionless, entirely captivated by the splendor of the woman before her.
Liara craned her neck, turning slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of Sam. Her insecurity had resurfaced, evident in the way her cheeks purpled. Hands dropping to her sides, Liara shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Sam's attention riveted to the way the muscles of Liara's back stood out; when she moved her arms, her muscles flexed creating tempting elevations either side of her spine. Sam ran her nails delicately down the length of one and smiled when Liara arched her back.
Unfastening Liara's bra, she tugged one strap down, following it with a trail of smoldering kisses. She traced her way back over Liara's shoulder blades and repeated the process with the second strap. As the garment fell, Sam struggled to contain her blossoming giddiness. Gone was her desire to maintain a controlled pace. Gripping Liara by the waist, she turned the asari around and kissed her hard.
Breathlessly breaking the connection, Sam looked deep into Liara's full, cerulean eyes. "If you have any reservations whatsoever, you need to find a way to let me know. Now."
The asari's eyes crinkled around the edges with her bold, answering smile. She took Sam's wrist, bringing it to her lips and kissing her pulse-point. Fire blazed through the specialist and she needed no further reassurance. Using Liara's hold on her wrist, she led the way around the bed and encouraged her down on to it.
Edging herself back, Liara leaned on her elbows. She no longer seemed bothered by the slight chill of the cabin; her skin was still prickled and her nipples were taut, but she didn't shiver or try to cover herself. Instead she watched Samantha hungrily. Her eyes darkened as Sam pulled her own shirt over her head before leaning forward to undo the asari's pants. As she tugged them down, Sam was aware of the way Liara's gaze lingered on the swell of her breasts, spilling slightly out of her bra. Her pelvic muscles tightened in anticipation as she nudged Liara's hip so the asari would lift herself. She stripped Liara's pants, hastily discarding them behind her. It was a pleasant surprise to find that she had gone commando beneath. When Sam looked up, Liara shrugged and offered her a hint of a bashful smile, head tilting to the side.
Grinning, Sam gripped Liara by the ankles and dragged her to the edge of the bed. Liara's eyes widened in surprise, but the shock quickly dissipated as Sam slowly sank to her knees between the asari's legs. Liara sat up a little more, but Sam splayed her left hand over Liara's abdomen and looked reassuringly up at her through dark lashes. When she felt the asari relax a little, she turned her head to the side and kissed Liara's thigh. She thought she felt Liara quiver, but it wasn't until she had made a tiny little circle of kisses that she dared to look up again. Liara's head was tilted back and she had closed her eyes. Sam kissed her again and felt Liara's belly flex beneath her hand, heard the asari's breathing sharpen. Sliding her hands over Liara's thighs, she gently coaxed her legs further apart. Her sex glistened. Kissing the outer lips, she ran her tongue over Liara's slit. The velvety texture and delicate scent drove Sam over the edge and she spread Liara open, delving into her.
Liara squirmed, burying her hands in Sam's hair, encouraging her without words, even though Sam knew that what she was doing was not as pleasurable to an asari as it would be to a human woman. The absence of a clitoris was initially jarring, until Sam recalled that the most sensitive part of Liara's body was tucked discretely beneath her crests at the base of her skull.
With a last, delicate kiss, Sam withdrew. Liara's hands tightened in her hair ever so slightly to indicate her displeasure, although when Sam stood, Liara sat up with her, trailing her hands down the specialist's arms. Liara reached for the button on Sam's pants, but Sam grasped her wrists, shaking her head. "Tonight is for you." She nodded to the bed. "Scootch over."
Liara pouted, but did as Sam requested and was rewarded when the specialist stripped to her panties and crawled into bed with her. Sam intended to stretch out against Liara's length, but the asari had other ideas. As soon as she lay down, Liara fluidly shifted to straddle her hips. Her magnificent breasts bounced and Sam could not resist running her knuckles down the side. Arching away, Liara captured Sam's hand and drew it down over her stomach, placing it suggestively between her legs.
As Sam entered her again, Liara bent forward to capture her mouth. The asari moved gracefully, and Sam was entranced by the feel of Liara's body sliding over her. Raising her free hand to the back of Liara's neck above the bandages, Sam delicately brushed the sensitive ridges there. An outrush of excited breath played over her lips before Liara kissed her fiercely again.
Adding more pressure, Sam gauged the accuracy of her technique by how Liara continued to move against her. It was a little unnerving that her lover could not make noises to express herself, but Sam did the best she could. She more than made up for Liara's silence, moaning in pleasure at the sensation of gliding within the asari. Knowing she was bringing the asari so close to the edge turned Samantha on like nothing else ever had.
Sam knew she had found exactly the spot when Liara stiffened and lifted her head ever so slightly, her eyes widening, gaze becoming distant. Blue and black warred within her irises until she squeezed her eyes shut, threw her head back and opened her mouth in a silent scream. She slammed down on Sam's fingers a final time before collapsing breathlessly against her chest.
After gathering some strength, Liara shifted off Sam to snuggle against her side. She draped her forearm over Sam's sternum, blue fingers delicately tracing sensual patterns on her breast along the seam of her bra. Liara was struggling to keep her eyes open and Sam smiled, persuading the asari to rest her head on her shoulder. Liara's answering smile was regretfully exhausted. She kissed Sam's cheek before closing her eyes. Sam listened as Liara's breathing evened out, the asari dropping into a satiated slumber.
She managed to stay awake only a few minutes longer, her body thrumming with unspent need. It was enough to have Liara next to her, drawing warmth from the asari's body, finding hope in her strength. There would be more moments like this to come, she had to believe that.
When she jerked awake in the morning to the shrill sound of her omni-alarm, Liara had already gone. Throwing off the blanket the asari must have covered her with, she sat up and blinked blearily, eyes eventually landing on Liara's pillow. Centered perfectly on it was a datapad. With reluctant understanding, Sam picked it up and activated it.
"Samantha, thank you for last night." The typed words had been translated into flawless English, but she could imagine Liara speaking them. "Shepard needs me. Please forgive me."
· x ·
Author's Note: I hope you all had a really, really wonderful holiday season and happy New Year!
The usual suspects are to thank for helping me with this one: ML, C IV and WK. You can't imagine how much worse this story would be without their patient assistance.
