Standard Disclaimer: These characters belong to G. Lucas and T. Zahn. In other words: not mine.
Dedication: To anyone who loves hot chocolate.
Rating: M (just to be on the safe side)
Spoilers/Timeline: After The Corellian Trilogy but before "Vision of the Future".
A/N: Do read and review. Yes, I mean YOU. You. Yes, you.

Lightheaded
Chapter 12: Now

As Luke had suspected, getting out of the apartment was no problem at all – he just left. He did write a note that said that he wouldn't be back till late so that Leia wouldn't send out a search party, but he really did seem to be home free with his 'escape'.

He headed for Mara's apartment at a fast pace – trying not to run, really – conveniently located just a few blocks away from Orowood Towers. Putting on a Force disguise and providing an alias for security proved to be no problem, and he found himself at Mara's apartment door, nervous.

About what? He thought. She's the one who issued the invitation. And who says that we're here to… we need to talk. He sighed, raked his fingers through his hair, and pressed the door call.

And again.

And again. Incredulously.

She wasn't home yet? Was she still with Isaar? Did she intend for him to make a fool of himself? Was this meant as some twisted object lesson which only made sense in her mind? The more Luke thought, the wilder his conjecture became.

He stopped pressing the door call button, and with his back against her door, he sat down on the floor, slumped. He wanted desperately to check if she was in her apartment, but he was clamped down tight as a space limpet, not wanting to intrude on Leia and Han's private time together. Which was why he was surprised when he heard the lift open and Mara's distinctive footsteps down the corridor.

"Wow. You sure move fast. I would have thought you would have only found that note next millennium, when you washed that suit."

Luke could only stare at her, speechless. She had removed her wig, and her hair was down, unstyled and wild from wherever she had been (not in Isaar's arms, he hoped), and she looked… untamed. Wild.

"Mara…"

She looked down on his figure. "Are you gonna sit there all night?" He held out a hand, as if wanting a lift up. She gave him an exasperated look, but gave him her hand anyway.

"Aren't you a little too old for that...?" And looked only mildly surprised when she found herself being pulled down and sitting sideways on his lap.

"I'd like to finish our discussion now, Jade, if you don't mind." His eyes boring into hers, Luke was intent on winning their impromptu staring match.

Mara smiled, and licked her lips. "Bring it on, Jedi."

-----

Mara Jade. In his lap. Now. Discuss.

Luke's mind almost refused to compute that information, especially when Mara took it to adjust herself in his lap, as if to make herself more comfortable.

Make herself more comfortable by making me feel… very good? He thought.

He cleared his throat.

"As I recall, we left off our previous discussion with me asking the question: why are you wearing that wig?" Hoping that his voice didn't shake too much.

"What wig?" Mara looked innocent as she wiggled around some more, sending Luke's libido into overdrive. Control, you must learn control, Yoda's voice echoed in his mind. Yes, Master, but I really don't think this was what you had in mind, Luke thought wryly at the memory of Dagobah.

Turned out that Mara was wiggling about to get hold of her purse. "Oh, you mean, this wig?" she reached in and pulled out the brunette wig, holding it at arm's length and regarding it. "Don't you like it?"

I like everything on you. I'd also like everything off you. The thoughts came unbidden.

"I like it very much, Mara, but I was just wondering why you picked to wear it; especially since you of all people should know that the reporters are still out there looking for this woman whom I'm supposedly having a scandalous affair with."

Mara gave the wig a twirl, and returned it to her purse. "Well, maybe she wanted to be found." And she re-started their staring contest.

Luke swallowed audibly. "Then perhaps, let us return to one of the first questions of the discussion." Mara had started to stroke his cheek, which was incredibly erotic. "Why now?"

Mara's hand stilled, and she sighed, breaking their stare, but still moving sensuously, picking at invisible lint on his new robe. It took all of Luke's willpower not to pull down the front of her tube dress gown, which was hovering very low on her chest, and thus very tantalisingly close to his mouth.

"You see, Skywalker…"

"Luke."

She fixed him with a pointed look. "You see, Skywalker…" she leaned in closer to his ear, doing wonderful things to his arousal. "I got jealous." And she pulled back and watched for his reaction.

Luke's eyebrows shot up and disappeared in his bangs. "You got… jealous?" He asked incredulously. "Of whom?"

Mara bent forward toward his ear again. "Of this woman, whom you are apparently dating." She leaned back and looked into his face. "You see, Luke, let me put it very simply, so that your brain, currently functioning at two per cent efficiency at the moment, can understand. I. Want. You."

She bent forward again.

"Now."

And claimed his mouth in a mind-blowing kiss.