Chapter 9

Jacen left the apartment he shared with his cousin and Apprentice with a feeling of jealousy eating at him. However, at the same time, he couldn't help the feeling that he really had no right to be jealous. Jysella was free to make the choice that she didn't want to see him any longer.

He found himself wandering down the single flight of stairs to her floor. He hid his presence and headed toward her door. He reached out and touched her presence gently and masked his probe to prevent her from sensing him. He felt her love and her happiness and instantly felt the pang of jealousy. He wondered what she was doing and probed further, he found that she seemed to be conversing with someone and realized as he pulled back that she was speaking on the commlink. Wondering who she could be talking to, he used a trick to enhance his hearing and stepped closer to the door to listen to her conversation. He realized that he was wrong to do this but he had to know that she wasn't talking to Ben. He only needed to listen to a few words.

"…I'm so in love with him I don't know what to do," Jysella's voice came to him through the normally sound proof door. Her words were soft and slightly muffled but Jacen could understand them.

"Yes! He's told me that he loved me."

"Myri!...Of course not!...We just started seeing each other a few weeks ago…What do you think I am?" Her voice carried an air of condescension.

"Oh, I know he's so much older than me…"

She gave a soft laugh but before Jysella said more he stepped away from the door as a smug smile playing on his lip. He discovered what he needed to know—he's so much older than me. That could only be referring to him.

He continued down the hall and when he was back at the stairs he let his control slip and openly reached out for her. He immediately felt her excitement and he made his way back over to her door. She had it open before he could even reach for the bell a dead commlink in hand.

"Jacen!" she exclaimed and went into his open arms. Jacen pulled her in tight against him and leaned down and captured her full lips. He deepened the kiss when her lips parted and he held her closer when she moaned his name into his mouth. He had truly missed her.

Finally the need for air caused them to break the kiss. He met her enchanting green eyes and lost himself. After a moment of just gazing at each other he said in a passion roughened voice, "Jys, I've missed you. May I come in?"

She nodded, tossed the commlink onto the desk by the door and pulled him into the room, letting the door close behind him. Instantly she was leaning in for another charged kiss. Jacen knew as frustrated as he was at Ben and with his emotions nearly boiling from the jealousy he felt that being within her room with her just as emotionally excited was extremely dangerous. He felt his desire increase as she slipped her arms around him and placed them under his tunic to caress his bare flanks. He let a deep groan escape as he moved his lips from hers to rain kisses to her ear.

She shuddered as he whispered, "Jys, I love you."

She smiled and pulled back to look into his deep whiskey eyes, "I love you, Jacen."

He grinned and placed a tender kiss again on her swollen lips. Then he huskily asked, "Stay with me tonight. We can order out or," he grinned lopsidedly, "I can attempt to cook."

She reached up and laid her hand against his smooth cheek. She smiled and quietly said, "I'm sorry, Jacen, but I promised Ben that I'd have dinner with him tonight. We've rediscovered our friendship and I don't want to hurt his feelings. I did that enough already today," she added sadly.

Jacen nodded once and looked away. Then he said, "I think he has feelings for you." Gazing into her eyes again, he said, "He made it sound like it was a date."

Jysella laughed and stepped away from his embrace. "You were jealous of Ben?" She peered at him and shook her head and repeated more incredulously, "Of Ben? Jacen, he's too young for me. I will admit that he is handsome and has a terrific personally, but he's not even eighteen yet. I know that he has a crush on me but he also wants to be my friend." She turned away and stepped over to her dresser, there she turned again and looked at him, "First my dad and now even you. Ben is just my friend, nothing more."

"I thought you told Corran about us?" Jacen went to stand before her again and leaned against the dark wood dresser.

She nodded and said, "Yes, he knows about us seeing each other. He doesn't know that I've fallen completely in love with you. But Dad thought it was Ben. Jacen, I told you all this."

He grinned and stepped closer to her and reached up to touch her face. He relished the feel of her soft skin and how her eyes fluttered closed as he caressed over the high cheekbone. Finally, he closed the distance and kissed her again. He drew her into his arms and gently guided her toward her bed. Still kissing her he pushed her back into the softness. He allowed his body to rest against hers as he kissed his way to her ear again.

"Force help me, Jysella. I want you," his thick voice and the hot breath caused her to shiver. Jacen ran his and down her side, caressing the taunt flesh beneath her tunic.

He nibbled on the flesh of her neck to the pulse points and then gently caressed the sensitive skin with his tongue and lips. Jysella craned her neck to allow him more exposed skin as she moaned her need and her pleasure. Her hands were pushing his tunic up and they were busy kneading the hard muscle of his abdomen and chest eliciting a hiss from him.

Jacen could feel her desire and he knew his own was growing exponentially. He really should leave her and do so now, but he couldn't. He wanted to love her, he wanted to claim her and he wanted to be loved freely by her. Her love held no strings, no tiresome politics and she was completely willing to give him all of her love.

Suddenly, his commlink beeped and Jacen groaned as he stopped his ministrations to sit up to answer it. Jysella actually let out a Corellian curse, her voice husky from the passion she felt, "Ignore it."

"I can't." He grinned lopsidedly at her. She was so beautiful with her lips swollen, her face flushed and her ebony hair mussed. He nearly gave into her demand, but he knew he couldn't. He pulled the devise off his belt and looked at her as he said, "It's probably my uncle."

Then after the commlink beeped again he cleared his throat and answered it, "Solo, here."

"Jacen," the voice was that of the Grand Master, "Welcome back."

"Thanks, Uncle. What can I do for you?" He looked at Jysella who was leaning back on her elbows in the most inviting of ways. He grinned and she stuck out her tongue. Jacen smiled and reached over to place a quick kiss on her nose as Luke began to talk.

"We need you to meet with us in the Council Chambers immediately."

Jacen couldn't hear any urgency in Luke's voice but he knew better than to try to get out of the meeting. He shook his head at Jysella as he sat up more on her bed and instantly she frowned.

"I'll be there within the next ten minutes."

"Good, see you then."

Jacen folded the devise and placed it back in its pouch on his belt. Then he turned to the woman he'd probably be undressing now if it hadn't been for the call from Luke. "I'm sorry Jys, but I have a council meeting." He leaned over her as she began to sit up and captured her lips.

After breaking the kiss, Jysella smiled at him and said, "Actually, that is probably for the best. I think we were both on our way to being completely carried away. And I—emm," she glanced away and Jacen immediately felt her uncertainty, "I think we're moving a little too fast." She looked back to him and he smiled.

He had to admit that she was right, she wasn't a trollop and he was a Jedi Master, he should be able to control his emotions better. He reached up and caressed her cheek again but this time she kept her gaze locked with his. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let myself get carried away. I just—I really missed you. And I love you so much it hurts."

She smiled again and ran her fingers through his medium length brown silky hair, "We both got carried away, Jacen. I want you too, but I want it to be the right moment and the right reason. I could feel your jealousy over Ben and I don't want anything between us when it does happen."

He was actually taken aback that she could feel his jealousy through his shielding. However, he recovered quickly and smiled as he stood up; she followed him from the bed. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and then said, "I have to agree about wanting it to be perfect. I want everything to be just right." He released her and turned to go, at the door he added, "Have fun tonight with Ben and I'll call you in the morning."

She smiled, "Thanks for understanding, Jacen. And I'll try even if I'd rather be with you since you just got back, but I know it means a lot to Ben. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Jacen repeated and reached over to give her one more quick kiss. Then he was gone with the memory of what nearly happened and with a racing heart, as he contemplated how long it would be before they broke their vow to wait.

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