Author's note: OK, boys and girls...this is where things really start to heat up! Enjoy!
The rendezvous with their contacts was to be made in the hot tub area of the hotel at eleven hundred hours. Thanks to the events of the morning, however, the normally efficient Leia Organa was running way behind schedule. She had been lucky that the fall from the bed had bruised nothing but her ego. However, Leia was shocked by the affect Han Solo had on her. Wouldn't Han love to know that I literally "fell for him?"
She showered quickly, pulled on her black one-piece bathing suit, and instructed her miniature styling droid to arrange her hair in a practical style above her neck. When the QE unit was finished, she appraised herself in the mirror, judging her look both with and without the elegant cover up. She paused to fidget with her hair, drawing some tendrils down around her ears. It softened her features, making her look more relaxed. And sexy, that devilish inner voice added, a blush creeping over her features.
Eventually, she adopted her most regal pose and joined Han in the living room of the suite. Han almost jumped out of his skin when he saw her. He had never seen Leia in anything revealing, and this new look was simply stunning. At that moment, he was absolutely sure that spontaneous combustion was not a myth.
Meanwhile, Leia's heartbeat lost its rhythm as she saw Han dressed in nothing but form-fitting navy blue swim trunks. Her gaze drifted down across his taut muscular chest and strong arms, wondering what it would be like to be drawn into his passionate embrace. Her eyes darted lower for the briefest of moments, but she redirected her gaze out of sheer embarrassment.
He really is magnificent, she thought. Her whole body had reacted to the sight of this man, and she was sure she would melt into a puddle at any moment. Some 'Ice Princess' I am, she thought wryly.
Han smiled inwardly, enjoying her appraisal of his body. The reckless, egocentric side of Han Solo longed to tease Leia about the direction her gaze had taken. For once, however, he kept his mouth shut, afraid of ruining the moment. Instead, he took her hand gently in his, opened the door with a gallant flair, and led Leia to the rendezvous point.
Neither of them spoke in those moments, but the energy between them was tangible, replicating the feeling of the air right before a lightning strike. When they finally reached the pool area, Leia entered the hot tub first and sighed as the hot water relaxed her tense body. Her shoulders still felt tight, however, and she absently began rubbing them herself.
Han, who had not taken his eyes off her since she entered the living room of the suite, saw an opportunity to give some assistance. "Having trouble with those shoulders, Sweetheart? Let me help you."
Before she could answer, he had joined her in the tub and slipped into a position behind her. He gently moved her hands away and began kneading her aching muscles. He couldn't believe the size of the knots in her tiny shoulders, and he worked carefully to loosen them without causing too much pain.
Leia sighed softly and leaned into him. It seemed so natural for him to hold her that she never thought to protest. She just enjoyed the simple pleasures of the warm water and his healing touch.
Han, for his part, was having great difficulty focusing on the mission. Leia's scent filled his senses, and her soft skin nearly drove him mad. However, he still had the presence of mind to notice that they were being watched. He wanted to make sure that they were seen only as a honeymooning couple, so he thought it crucial that they do more to create that illusion.
"Leia," he whispered softly in her ear. "We're being watched. We have to do more to keep our cover. OK?"
She nodded, not sure exactly what to expect. She soon found out, however, as she felt his warm breath at the base of her neck. His lips were not actually touching her skin, but Han knew that the onlookers would believe that he was kissing her.
Unexpectedly, Leia leaned back into the embrace, bringing her skin in contact with his lips. The initial touch was powerful, generating a depth of feeling that neither Han nor Leia had experienced before.
Still reeling from the shock, Han lost all pretenses and began lavishing Leia with real kisses.
Leia felt a shudder pass through her body as his lips trailed across her neck and shoulders. She forgot about the mission and the fact that they were in public and simply gave in to her feelings.
Han, meanwhile, was having difficulty breathing. No woman had ever affected him this way, and he completely immersed himself in her. His hands ran slowly down her arms and encircled her waist, bringing her closer to him. His lips then made their way back to her ear, and he whispered her name as he began to nibble on her earlobe.
Leia shivered and turned her head toward him. Emotions evident in her eyes, she brought her hand to his cheek, caressing him lightly. Han moved his face slowly toward hers, rejoicing that he had finally been given the signal he had dreamed about.
All of the months of dancing around each other had come to this. They were finally free to explore their feelings, to enjoy themselves without scrutiny. They pulled each other closer and then…
"Excuse me." Han's head whipped around to find a young couple standing sheepishly next to them. "We're so sorry for interrupting, but did you happen to find a ring in or near the tub. It's a valuable family heirloom and we'd be devastated to lose it."
Leia quickly pulled out of his embrace, and Han barely resisted an urge to grab his concealed blaster and reduce the interfering couple to space dust. He silently swore to himself, reminding the Corellian goddess of luck that she owed him big time for this.
Through gritted teeth, he managed to reply, "Actually, I was gonna give this to hotel security later. I found it lyin' on the edge of the tub and didn't want someone to steal it." You can't count on people these days.
With that, he pulled the ring out of his pocket and gave it to the young couple. "Wear it in good health." And go see a doctor about your lousy sense of timing!
"Thank you so much," the young woman beamed. "You don't know how much this means to me.
The young man added, "Hopefully, we will see you later. We'd like to thank you properly for your help."
You could've thanked me by givin' me at least fifteen more minutes with the princess, he thought, but he held his tongue.
Instead, he replied, "Yeah, sure. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my lovely wife."
"May the blessings of Shiadra be upon you both," the young man replied, wrapping his arm around his wife and walking away.
Han immediately turned his attention to Leia, but she was already out of the tub. She quickly moved to the far corner of the room and began drying herself off with her back toward him. He came up behind her and took the towel from her hands.
"Leia," he said, continuing to dry her off. "We need to talk."
Leia, however, had used those few precious moments to reach beyond her confused feelings and find a sense of clarity.
Eyes gleaming, she turned to the man she loved, wrapped her arm around him and purred, "C'mon, flyboy. Let's go back to the room and finish what we've started. I don't think we really need an audience."
With that, she led a dumbfounded Han Solo back to their hotel room.