Fervent mouths moved over one another. Heaving breathing filled the air. Warmth spread through their bodies as tongues tempted and teased. Roaming hands stroked and caressed. Warm palms cupped firm mounds. Cool air tightened nipples to rigid peaks. The light flick of a thumb against the sensitive tip sent a tingle of excitement through her. The soft moan slipping from her throat broke through her haze. Warm hands slipped under her skirt, covering her bare lower cheeks. Eager hand kneaded the firm flesh before slipping down her thigh and pulling it around his hip as he pressed his hardened body into the softness between her thighs. The groan from his throat and his tongue plunging between her lips pulled Terra from the passionate fog that clouded her better sense.

"Not tonight," Terra pulled her mouth from his as she tried to catch her breath. The leg slipped from over his hip as she pushed him away gently.

"What's wrong?" Bart breathed heavily as his hands slipped from beneath her skirt. When he tried to kiss her, she avoided his lips.

"Nothing," Terra took a long breath as she tucked her breasts back into the top of her dress. "Just … not tonight."

"Good night," Terra said as she opened the door to enter her suite.

"Good night," Bart replied with a deep sigh as he turned and headed toward the guard waiting to escort him from the palace.

Terra sighed to herself as she rummaged through the cooler for something to eat. After arriving home from her dinner out with Bart, Terra had taken a quick shower and pulled on a tank top and shorts to spend the rest of the evening alone.

It had been several weeks since the family had spent the weekend at Alatopah to get the lay of the land and start making decisions for the wedding. It was quickly approaching with less than a month before the big day. Terra could still not believe her big brother was getting married.

After their talk, she expected things to be different between she and Tamerlane when they returned. Since then, nothing seemed to really change. Tamerlane had his duties to the Empire and his family. Terra had courses during the day and coursework at night. After the first week of spending her evenings all alone, Terra had decided to not stop living her life waiting to spend a few moments alone with Tamerlane Anasazi and resumed dating.

Maximillian had been the first one she stopped seeing. After their second date, when she declined his invitation to spend the night with him for the second time, he had been rather rude about the entire situation. Terra got the distinct impression that he believed she should feel flattered that he wanted to bed her. The exchange had not been particularly pleasant to the point of insulting when he suggested that she was just after him for the exposure to 'his world'. When Terra had requested he drop her off at the palace, he had laughed. She was pretty sure he wasn't laughing when the transport pulled up, the guard on duty greeted her by name when she exited the transport and she walked right through the front doors.

She was still seeing Nate from time to time. Although she had told him she wasn't having sex with him anymore, he was still up for the challenge. Terra doubted she would give in and fall into the sack with him again.

Bart was as he had always been. He was fun to be around. Making out with him was the best of the men she dated. He was understanding and did not expect anything from her but he had been honest that he would always be trying. After tonight, Terra decided when dating Bart she really needed to wear something with a more modest bodice and a long skirt or pants.

The door chime pulled her from her thoughts as she grabbed a beer from the cooler. She put it on the kitchen island counter next to the pomme slides on a plate before heading to the door. Although it was later than normal, she was not necessarily surprised by the door chime sounding. Lex had been receiving all kinds of correspondence and packages since the invitations had been sent out for the wedding.

"Tamerlane?"

Terra's eyes widened in surprise when she opened the door to find him standing outside. He was dressed casually in a tank top and long, flowing pants. His feet were bare which always surprised Terra. She often imagined him in his residence, relaxing for the evening, when something would spur him into action.

"Terra," Tamerlane greeted her politely as he looked by her into the suite. His eyes moved quickly over the room before looking back down at Terra. "Is Alexandra available?"

"Lex? No," Terra shook her head as she stepped to the side and invited him in with the wave of her hand. "She and Kindred went with mom and Tyr to the opera in Hathgor. I think they may be staying the night and returning in the morning."

"So no one is here?" Tamerlane asked as he stepped inside and the door shut behind him. He followed Terra over to the kitchen where she picked up her beer and gestured to him to see if he wanted one.

"I am here," Terra pointed out as she uncapped the beer and took a drink when he shook his head to decline her offer of a beverage.

"I needed to speak with Alexandra concerning her guest list," Tamerlane held up the flexi in his hand.

"Is there a problem?" Terra asked as she walked back around the counter toward him.

"There has been issues with the clearance for some of their guests," Tamerlane gestured with the flexi. "I need to discuss it with Alexandra to determine if more information is needed or how these guest will be handled."

"I am going to guess Dad is one of those security risks," Terra remarked lightly as she took another drink from her bottle. She was still surprised in many ways that Tamerlane was allowing Leydon back on Arktos. Then again, when she really thought about it, she still couldn't believe she was allowed on Arktos, let alone living in the residential wing of the palace.

Tamerlane's expression let her know that it was very true.

"I know some of the people they invited," Terra gestured to the flexi. She didn't think she would be much help even if he asked. "But a lot of the people they have invited, I don't know. Especially Lex's acquaintances and colleagues."

Tamerlane tossed the flexi on the counter and ran his hands over his face with a deep sigh.

"Your part of the list harder than you thought?" Terra couldn't help but smile. She could almost feel his frustration with the issue.

"It would be easier if security could deal directly with Alexandra on the issues. However, proper protocol requires that any unresolvable issues are brought to my attention," Tamerlane gesture to the flexi.

"If you want to leave the list here, I'll tell her about it when they get back in the morning," Terra offered as she picked up one of her little snacks and took a bite.

"It would be more convenient," Tamerlane nodded as he slid the flexi to Terra. She pushed it to the side before finishing off the rest of the snack. He had not expected to find her in the suite this evening. Nearly every 'weekend' evening, she had been out. In fact, earlier when he checked with security, she had been out. A request for a visitor pass for Bartolomew Carnige had also been made and approved for the night. "What are you eating?"

"Pomme slices with gobon on a crisp," Terra offered as she picked up another one and took a bite. She offered Tamerlane the rest but he shook his head as he looked at half eaten plate of snacks.

"I'm hungry. Bart took me to dinner at some new place in Aeolian for dinner," Terra made a face before finishing the bite in her hand. "He seemed to love the food. I thought it was slimy and briny. The feel of it in my mouth made me gag. The smell of it made me a little nauseous. I pushed it around the plate while he was eating just to be polite."

"You were out with Bartolomew this evening," Tamerlane looked around the room once more before his eyes lingered for an instant on the doorway to her bedroom.

"He's not here," Terra's voice pulled Tamerlane's attention to her once more. "Just because I go out with a guy doesn't mean I bring him back here for sex. It's boring to just be stuck here all day and all night. Bart is fun to hang out with so he and I were hanging out tonight."

"You feel trapped when you remain here in the palace all day?" Tamerlane's brow furrowed slightly.

"Not really trapped," Terra shook her head before taking another drink of her beer. "Growing up, we were always busy doing something, going somewhere. When I am occupied, it doesn't bother me. But I cannot imagine being here all day, every day and never doing anything else. Don't you ever get tired of being here?"

"I am usually too busy to think about where I am," Tamerlane shook his head. "Whenever I do have quiet time, I do not mind being on the palace grounds. The grounds are vast so there is plenty of room to go out. I relish a quiet, uninterrupted evening in my residence."

"I guess I should let you go then," Terra replied as she finished off the last crisp and turned to put the plate in the cleaner.

"I did not mean tonight," Tamerlane sighed as he waited for her to turn back around. She finished off the beer before moving over to get another one.

"I was just about to settle in and watch a video," Terra gestured toward the vidscreen which was showing the local Aeolian news. "Would you like to join me?"

Tamerlane looked over at the vidscreen before looking back at her.

"Yes," Tamerlane answered simply before following Terra over to the sofa.