Chapter Seven
Sleep came quickly and easily to Padmé that night, for it had been many nights since she had enjoyed a good sleep. Falling into a deep slumber, her mind wrestled through the events of the past few days, causing her to experience vivid, somewhat unsettling dreams. Padmé found herself unable to sleep, for the night was very hot. The breeze coming in her window tantalized her, and drew her out onto the balcony. It was very late, and the sky above her was riotous with stars. A lake breeze caused her to shiver for a moment in her light nightgown, but she welcomed the coolness of it. Leaning her arms against the railing she looked out onto the black depths of the lake below, the moon's reflection dancing upon its still waters. Padmé closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of the cool night air against her skin, the light breeze ruffling her loose hair around her shoulders. "It's awfully late for a stroll outside, isn't it Senator?"
Padmé was startled by the sound of a male voice and turned to see Anakin walking towards her. She immediately grew apprehensive, for the last time they had spoken he had been less than courteous with her; and she'd just as soon avoid another confrontation with him.
"It was hot inside," she explained. "I thought I'd get some air."
Anakin stopped when he reached her, and leaned his own arms on the railing too. "It's nice out here," he said, surprising her with his uncharacteristically conversational tone.
"Yes, it is," she agreed. She couldn't help but notice that his tunic was open; his chest was taut and muscular. She would have to be blind not to notice what an attractive man he was; his body was powerfully built, his face uncommonly handsome.
He turned to her, as though reading what was in her mind. "You know, Senator," he began, smiling at her in that devilish way he had, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about that night at the ballet."
Padmé felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, looking away from him.
"I think you do," he said, taking her by the shoulders and turning her to face him. "And I feel quite certain that you have been thinking about it too. A lot."
Padmé frowned. "You really are the most arrogant man I have ever known," she said. "That was utterly reprehensible what you did to me that night! I ought to have you charged with sexual harassment."
Anakin merely laughed. "That might be difficult to prove," he said. "Besides, you can't deny that you enjoyed it. Twice by my reckoning," he added with a smile.
Padmé's humiliation only grew, but she couldn't deny what he was saying.
"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked, stepping closer to her. He took one finger and lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "You enjoyed it, didn't you?"
"Yes," she admitted at last.
Anakin nodded, looking her up and down. "You're a very beautiful woman, Padmé," he told her softly. "A woman like you ought to have a man in her life," he continued, "a man to make her feel that way often. Someone as sensual as you are shouldn't be deprived of the pleasures of the flesh. I can give you that pleasure," he told her, running one hand up her bare arm. "If you would only admit that you want me to."
"I'd rather you killed me," she retorted proudly.
Anakin only laughed as his hand traveled up to her neck, which he stroked slowly. Padmé hated herself for feeling the way she did at this moment; for whether or not she wanted to admit it, he was making her yearn for his touch just by the way he was looking at her, by the barest of touch he was giving her, by the very closeness of his body.
"I don't believe you," he said, bringing his face next to hers. The feel of his warm breath against her ear made her shiver involuntarily. He sensed that her resolve was wavering, and went one step further. "In fact, I'd be willing to bet that if I kissed you right now, you'd enjoy it."
"If you even try, you'll pay for it," she said. "With a well placed knee- or need I remind you of our encounter a few nights ago when you tried to kill me."
Anakin shook his head, his hands now framing her face, working their way into her hair. "I don't think so," he said softly, looking at her mouth. "You want this as much as I do, only you just won't admit it."
Padmé was mesmerized by his eyes, which were bluer than she'd ever seen. "You think you know me so well," she retorted, "but you don't. If you did you'd know that…that I don't want this, that …"
Her sentence was interrupted when he brought his mouth down to hers, literally taking the words from her mouth. She was too stunned to react, but more than that, she was too aroused to. The sensations he aroused within her simply by kissing her this way were unlike any she'd known- except for that night at the ballet. She same feeling of warmth started to spread through her. Padmé felt betrayed by her own body as it reacted as though possessing a will of its own, quite independent of her mind.
He stopped and pulled back, looking at her. She wanted to push him away, to slap him across the face; but she couldn't. He had some strange power over her that rendered her helpless; all she could do was run her fingers into his hair and pull him back down to her, her mouth seeking his, needing his.
"Tell me you want me, Padmé," he whispered into her ear as he broke the kiss."I want you to tell me how much you want me."
"Please," she whimpered, "don't stop…"
"Tell me, Padmé," he said, his warm breath on her ear. "Tell me you want me."
"I want you," she breathed, "I need you! Please, Anakin…"
Padmé woke with a start, the sound of her own voice breaking her sleep. The dream had been so incredibly vivid that she could feel the arousal coursing through her even now. Had Anakin planted that dream in her mind? He was certainly capable of it, she knew that from experience. Or was it her own subconscious mind telling her something that she did not even wish to consider? No, that isn't possible, she though, rolling over onto her side. She was frustrated by the way she was feeling. Was this his doing? Was he planting this in her mind to toy with her? To make her want him? It won't work, she determined, closing her eyes tightly and forcing the sensual images from her mind. You won't win, Anakin, I won't let you win.
The next morning Anakin was not present at breakfast. Padmé couldn't help but wonder why, and if his absence was in any way related to what had happened the previous night. She felt sure that he had planted the dream in her mind, just as he had planted the thoughts of the two of them together at the ballet. It hardly seemed like him not to gloat about it; no doubt he would enjoy watching her squirm yet again.
"Did you sleep well?" Padmé asked Shmi as they commenced eating their breakfast.
"No, I'm afraid not," Shmi replied.
Padmé frowned. "When I poked my head into your room you were fast asleep," she said, not understanding. "What happened?"
Shmi sighed, wrapping her hands around her cup of tea. "I had a dream about Cliegg," she said softly. She shook her head as the tears sprung up in her eyes. "I can't believe he's truly gone," she said.
"I'm so sorry," Padmé said.
"Thank you," Shmi replied. "At any rate, I suppose Ani must have known I was feeling down, and spent the night in my room, just sitting up with me and talking. He's always been so attuned to my feelings that way," she said with a little smile. "It's nice to see we still have that connection." Padmé nodded, the truth of the situation dawning on her. If Anakin had spent the night comforting his mother, then he couldn't possibly have had any part of the dream she'd had. And that meant only one thing: subconsciously she wanted him. No, that can't be it, she told herself, refusing to accept that explanation. He is arrogant, cruel, power hungry, moody…why would I possibly want him? There must be another explanation for the dream.. "Padmé? Did you hear me?"
Padmé shook herself from her ruminations. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Shmi looked at the young woman closely. "I was just asking you if you slept well," she asked.
"Oh, yes, yes I did," Padmé replied. "I was very tired."
Shmi nodded. She had wanted to talk to Padmé about something that had been troubling her, but had not managed to think of a way to broach the subject. With Anakin absent from the room, she decided that she had her chance to do so.
"May I ask you a question, Padmé?" Shmi asked.
"Of course," Padmé replied, sipping her tea.
"Is there something going on between you and Anakin?" Shmi asked pointedly.
Padmé frowned. "What would make you think such a thing?" she asked a little too vehemently. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Shmi.
"Just the way the two of you look at one another," Shmi replied. "The way your mind wanders off when I mention him, or his when I mention you."
Padmé smiled indulgently. "I can promise you that there is nothing going on between us, Shmi."
"So how was it that you were with him when he came to find me?" Shmi asked, not totally convinced that she was wrong.
Padmé did not know how to reply. How could she tell this sweet, kind woman that her only child had been sent to assassinate her?
"He….he was here," Padmé replied. "He came here to deliver a message from the Chancellor," she added.
Shmi nodded. "I see," she said. "So Anakin is working for the Chancellor? I didn't realize the Jedi were under the command of him."
Padmé did not know how to reply. Shmi was a shrewd woman; it seemed to Padmé that she was doing her best to draw information out of her with her seemingly innocent questions.
"Well, they're not usually," Padmé began. "Perhaps Anakin would be the best person to ask about this."
"About what?"
Both women looked up to see Anakin entering the room. Padmé found it hard to look at him without images from her dream jumping to her mind. She looked down at her breakfast and did her best not to appear uncomfortable in his presence.
"I'll ask you later," Shmi asked. "Did you manage to get some sleep?"
"A little," Anakin replied sitting down beside his mother. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Better, thanks," Shmi replied, leaning over and kissing her son on the cheek. "Thanks to you."
Anakin smiled. He looked over at Padmé, who seemed to be studying her breakfast intently. He had sensed conflicting emotions from her as soon as he had entered the room, and he was curious what the reason for them was. He decided to ask her as soon as possible.
"I thought you would enjoy seeing the waterfalls today, Shmi," Padmé said at last, looking up at her. "They are quite spectacular. Do you think you're up to it?"
Shmi nodded. "I think so," she replied. "It sounds wonderful," she added with a smile.
"Wonderful," Padmé said, smiling too. "Then we'll go after breakfast." She cast a quick glance in Anakin's direction and was alarmed to see that he was studying her closely. She looked away again, and did her best to put all thoughts of him from her mind.