Alekhine's Gun

Chapter 18

It was the first time they had explored each other in a physical sense, but it would not be the last. They made love off and on throughout the night. At one point Sarek rolled them over, so that she was on top of him, straddling his thighs as she rode. The single candle had long-since extinguished itself, bathing the lovers in only the light from the moon and the city below.

In these hours he began to learn Amanda Grayson's body, and she, his. They approached their mutual study of each other like true researchers working through the scientific method.

He observed the way her breasts trembled above him as she settled into a fluid, yet deep rhythm that caused his lok to move with her, buried inside her. The hypnotic movements of her hips on his transfixed him, pulling him deeper and closer to her essence. And from his reactions to the movement of her hips,she hypothesized that leaning in close to his body and arching her back could make him flinch, and the sound of his breath catching would set her womanhood on fire with the power she knew she held.

Off and on throughout the night, until they'd exhausted all possible outcomes for that particular method, and, each other.

The design of their bodies in shadow was elegant, graceful, enshrined in a dance as old as time and as erotic as the best Orion's; they moved, fluid…fast…slow. Together they executed a myriad of positions- from the window where he held her with one arm, her legs wrapped around his waist in perfect balance as he thrust into her…

To the floor—where the power that her body held over his was an aphrodisiac that made her head spin even as her sex grew wetter.

Her couch proved an exercise in balance, as they employed a combination of forms of Vulcan martial arts to achieve maximum satisfaction until, eventually…the bed, where she lay on her stomach, his body on her back, whispering in Vulcan to her ear as their pace slowed…steadied. He knelt between her legs and let his mouth again savor her flavor and nourish him repeatedly until they were both spent.

It was there that the sun found them- a voyeur taking its place in the sky.

II

Amanda awoke to the feel of a warm, hairy and firm chest against her back, and arms, longer and thicker than hers, around her waist.

With alacrity she remembered the evening and all its activities, and, the fact he was still with her made her smile.

She moved a little, and his arms relaxed a bit to give her room to snuggle closer to him as she pressed her rear end into the space between them, brushing against his lok. It twitched and she felt it harden and rise flush against her for a moment, before subsiding. She rolled over and faced him.

He was awake and looking down at her, his face expressionless but relaxed.

"Good morning," she murmured into his chest as she re-adjusted his arm for use as a pillow for her head.

"It is actually 1202 hours." He spoke the words as his lips grazed the top of her forehead, and she could feel the beginnings of the light stubble that had appeared on his face overnight.

It was wiry; the sensation tickled her cheek, causing her to giggle.

"Well, then, good afternoon, Ambassador."

There were so few words to say, and they were both content to stay that way for several more minutes until a gentle rumble emanated from his chest, vibrating through her body. As she felt it, she couldn't help but laugh outright as she raised her head to look at him.

"You're purring!"

He raised one slanted brow at her.

"Vulcans are descendant from felinids. It is a purely instinctual response."

Amanda lowered her head again, shifting her position so that she could place her ear on his chest to listen. Sure enough, as he breathed, the rumble increased.

"It feels…nice." She looked up at him. "Cats purr when they're happy and content."

"Indeed."

His fingers had found her hair, and were gently brushing the strands away from her face.

"Are you…content, Sarek?"

The question was met with the color of his eyes changing from a light brown and becoming darker, as he shifted her onto her back again, and began using his tongue, like a gentle scratching at her neck, to lick her as he nuzzled her softly, slowly. And not for the first time, her legs spread for him and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Very."

She heard him breathe right before he entered her once again and forced the cries of pleasure from her throat.

-xxx-

Amanda allowed the blankets to fall off her body as she sat on the edge of the bed, her back arching, arms raised in a stretch. She slowly placed her feet on the floor and stood—and when she did, she felt the night's (and the morning's) activities catch up with her as a sharp stab of pain, followed by a throbbing sensation, slid through her hips and pelvis. It caused her to wobble unsteadily on her feet for a moment, as Sarek stood from his place on the other side and moved toward her quickly.

"Are you injured?"

His voice revealed the concern and she waved him off with a brush of her hand. "I'm not injured, Sarek, just a bit… sore. Um, it's been a while."

Her face heated with the confession and she was grateful when he answered with a simple, "I…see."

But now that he was standing naked in front of her, Amanda had her first clear view of him. All of him.

She made her way to the bathroom, naked, Sarek's voice carrying after her. "I will retrieve our clothing from your living room floor."

It sent a hot tingle of delight through her body even as her lower region protested.

She reached the bathroom and shut the door, locking it. Amanda closed her eyes and slid slowly down the back of the door, placing her hands over her mouth to stifle the scream of absolute delight she felt well up in her at the moment.

She'd had more sex in the last 24 hours than in the last 24 years of her life.

There wasn't any attempt to block out the mental image of Sarek standing before her, naked. That had burned itself into her memory permanently. His legs were long; she knew that before from his height but she'd never seen them bare—before now. Those long, lean, muscular calves of a runner, had merged into incredibly toned thighs; but what really stole her breath was what was between his legs—and her body started reacting once again at the thought that THAT had been inside her just that morning…

It was all she could do to contain herself. The stories of college roommates and their sexual encounters paled in comparison to this. But she now knew what it was like to want to run and scream her escapade at the top of her lungs. Her one tiny regret—there was no one to listen, but still, even that didn't dampen the way she felt at the moment.

.

.

While she was in the bathroom, Sarek re-dressed himself, frowning slightly at the wrinkled silk of his own garments. Still, the evening had been worth the wrinkles and more. He exhaled, working to control himself. He was well over-due for meditation and would need a great amount of it to restore himself to a state even remotely near normal. But he felt better now than he had in years.

Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind went directly to the image of her body, nude. And he saw her so clearly that he felt as if he could reach out and touch her essence.

This was so new, so different. So completely unexpected, and yet so very, very welcome. He was completely open at the moment, his guard down, and through the familiar bond, he could feel Silek probing gently—apparently his good demeanor had sparked curiosity and concern from his sibling. All is well. Silek ceased to probe his mind and Sarek, now done dressing, went into the kitchen to look for something that could assemble a small meal before Amanda came out of the bathroom.

.

.

By the time she had finally found a full-body wrap and brushed her teeth, Sarek had already created two large salads and was waiting for her by the table in her kitchen nook.

"I hope you will forgive the intrusion. I took the liberty of preparing a meal for us."

She allowed him to seat her, before he sat himself and they began to eat. It was the best salad she'd ever tasted, which was completely baffling in itself, because there was no difference in the ingredients than what she normally used, save for the absence of chicken.

Amanda knew it was the best because he had made it, and the thought that she was swooning like a preteen amused her as they ate quietly. Sarek was meticulous, spearing each leaf and vegetable one by one as Amanda watched him, a playful smile at her lips. Finally, he looked up long enough to catch her staring.

"Yes?"

He looked at her quizzically and she burst out laughing. Looking at the top of his head she noticed, for the first time, the mass of curly, jet-black ringlets that were presently all over.

"Sarek, your hair."

"Ah. You refer to the texture. Yes. My mother frequently remarked upon my hair as a child. She commented that she too had never seen a Vulcan with curly hair, save for my father. It is a recessive trait among Vulcans."

They resumed eating their salads in peaceful quiet, until Sarek cleared his throat to address her.

"I wish to discuss our…activities of the evening."

Amanda felt his dark eyes on her and she looked up and into the seriousness written plainly across his face. Her heart quickened. Was that it? Had she been wrong? The doubt swept through her suddenly- a consequence of automatically fearing the worst- and Amanda took a deep breath to brace herself…

Her voice was surprisingly calm when she addressed him. "Yes, Sarek?" She held her breath, waiting for the bad news to come…

"You will bond with me. Become my mate."

The heavy weight on her heart lifted and for a moment, she could only blink at him as the happy buzz returned. But at the open declaration something else within her held back. While the gesture of it was nice…and really…she should feel flattered…the abruptness of it all caught her entirely off guard.

"You are…silent. Am I not making my intentions clear?" The question was non-rhetorical and she knew he was expecting an answer, but her mind had temporarily gone blank. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. Looking down, she forcefully speared a plump red tomato on her fork.

The tomato burst in her mouth as she chewed slowly, savoring the fleshy goodness before swallowing and putting her fork back down and once again looking at him.

"Are you serious?"

"You do not speak with assuredness, Amanda."

"Let me rephrase," she said. Sarek watched as she sat up and leaned close to the table, resting her elbows on the glass and folding her hands together.

"Are you ordering me to marry you, or are you asking me to?" Her voice was soft, yet hard with an unsaid warning that he had heard too often before and had now learned to identify in order to ward off potential conflict.

He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers together under his lips to look at her.

"I am…"

She was not his property. They were not on Vulcan. She could not be held to Vulcan law or custom and yet he could not lie…

"-asking you." The words came from his lips and he found that indeed, it was the truth. Or, at least it was not a lie.

A slow smile crept over her features, and to his great relief the moment of tension passed as she relaxed in her chair and reached for her glass of Kasaba juice that he had placed there.

"I'm sure I just- isn't this...too soon? Too sudden? One night and a morning don't make forever. What is our foundation? What will it be? There are so many unknowns…" her voice trailed off and he moved swiftly to begin to assuage her doubts.

"Vulcans mate for life, Amanda. You would be cared for and protected. You would not worry or want for anything. It would be taken care of."

"Vulcans mate for…want… wait—Sarek!" This time her gaze met his and her tone was sharper, implying that he had done or said something wrong. What had been his mistake?

"You know…" she started slowly, looking at him with an expression he could not read, "I saw you. At the embassy. The woman behind the curtain. Your exit…Vulcans mate for life? Really…" This time there was no mistaking the tone of her voice and the question she left hanging and Sarek felt compelled to speak in his defense.

THIS was different.

"Amanda, if you ask whether I engaged in sexual activity with 'the woman behind the curtain,' I did. I can also say that such events are not likely to happen again. We do not choose our mates loosely. As children they are chosen for us. I was…bonded once."

She remained silent but he could tell that she was, at least, listening.

"My…mate. She left me to be among the adepts at our sacred place of Gol. It is a noble thing to achieve Kohlinar and she felt… compelled to follow that path." The statement was, in its simplicity, the truth, the omissions notwithstanding.

"And so you want a replacement wife? One to fill the gap? Is that what I would be? A place-holder?" Amanda's hair had dropped into her face, shielding her eyes from him. It was a rational deduction and he found, in looking back upon the circumstances of his request, that his own actions had led her to that conclusion.

"The only place you would hold would be by my side. I would not leave you. I have told you as much. We do not lie."

He waited as she breathed a sigh, and then turned her body to face his. He had moved to kneel beside her chair and they were face to face, equals in height.

"Amanda…"

"Sarek, I—I just really don't know. It's too soon. Too fast. Too- too much," she finished lamely. "I can't agree to marry you based off of one night."

Seeing the look of earnestness on his face she hurried, "One GREAT night, but still, one night…Let's just…let's just see where this goes, okay? Six months, at least."

At the time-table he stood, assuming what she had figured was his defensive maneuver. Tall, dark and resolute.

"Very well. Six months from now we will revisit this conversation and I believe your answer will be yes." At his self-assuredness, Amanda laughed, the tension she'd been holding escaping too as she stood.

"Over-confident much, Ambassador?"

"Vulcans do not lie. I see no point in deliberating over what can be the ONLY logical outcome. I am an ideal mate." That eyebrow quirked up again, meeting her approval with the chuckle in her voice.

They stood now to move to her door, Sarek preparing to take his leave. He turned to face her, again, suddenly serious. She looked up at him, their bodies close together. Then, before she could open her mouth to say anything else, he grabbed her arms, firmly yet gently and pulled her close, lowering his head to reach her lips with his.

"Sarek-" She whispered, the words grazing his lips as she spoke them.

"Yes, Amanda?"

"You said earlier that I'd be cared for and protected…but would you love me as well?"

The kiss took away any further protestations she may have had, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"You know, about the kissing. I didn't know Vulcans kissed in the human way."

"It is MY way. And in six months' time I will kiss you the Vulcan way."

He took a step back, and her door swooshed open at his presence, leaving her inside, and him once again on the outside.

Sarek raised his hand in the Vulcan salute, his face still but his eyes gleaming with devilment.

"Dif-tor-heh-smusma, Amanda."

"Sochya eh dif," she responded in flawless Vulcan with a smile. Both of his brows went up at her ease with the language.

"I did not know you speak Vulcan."

"There's a lot you don't know, Ambassador," she teased, as the doors to her apartment swooshed shut, blocking him from her view.

III

As soon as he stepped into his living suite Sarek realized he was not alone. Standing in front of the large fireplace in the corner were Sa'taan and Silek. At the beeping that signaled his entrance into the room they both turned and looked at him.

Inwardly he cringed. But he walked briskly by them toward his room. In his wake he could hear them both sniffing.

"Interesting." Silek.

"The basic structure of humanoid females is the same, with some inconsistencies accorded due to the metalloid compositional variances." Sa'taan.

Sarek stopped and turned to face them, answering the unsubtle questions with uncharacteristic bluntness.

"You have the answer you have come for. It is not becoming to pry into another's personal affairs," he said stiffly.

"Your affairs are not just your own, Sarek. Although, it did take you an inordinate amount of time. We are pleased. Silek, come." Sa'taan turned to exit the suite, Silek in his wake. But even as they left, Sarek could feel Silek's amusement through their bond. Shaking his head, and relegating his brother to the back of his mind and out of his conscious thoughts, Sarek stripped and stepped into the fresher in preparation for an evening of meditation, a thing which had come with some difficulty in the past, but he now found he was looking forward to.

-xxx-

Amanda strode into the classroom, with an extra swish to her hips and a wide smile on her face.

Quickly climbing the stairs to the lectern she turned and faced the 300-plus students in her class. The room fell silent as she keyed in a command and the white wall behind her lit up with the assignment. The round-shaped figures, one a male and the other female, were magnified on the wall.

"Good morning folks," she said, letting her eyes skim the faces. All were leaned forward, eagerly waiting.

"I'm not going to keep you long, but as we've been talking about cultural nuances, I've decided on a special assignment." There was silence as three hundred pairs of eyes looked at her intently.

"The bottom line is this, folks. Everything in this world, and ultimately in this universe, is derived from one basic action. Sex. And you—" she pointed out to the students, "are products of it as well. So, in the spirit and celebration of sex, you have one week to write a minimum of 2,000 words on the socio-ethnic variances in mate selection and determination, or as you guys would call it…dating and mating."

.

.

Now, she was enjoying a two-hour break before her next class. These were the usual office hours, but seeing how no students had come tapping on her door yet, Amanda decided to enjoy the moment of solitude.

"Computer, play sound file 'Amanda A." Within a second, her office was filled with the sounds of a lone guitar rift.

"Every breath you take…" The music was soothing and reflected her good mood.

She had settled down to grade some Padds when there was a tap at her doorway. Peeping up from behind the screen her eyes were presently scanning, she saw Dr. Templeton.

"Hope I'm not interrupting too much," he said as he stepped into the room and Amanda put down the Padds.

"Not at all. You could say I'm in a pretty good mood."

He laughed as he settled onto the couch in her office. "We haven't had a chance to chat lately, and I was interested to see how you're faring." He stopped and studied her a long moment, the prolonged inspection causing her to laugh nervously."Much more relaxed today, Amanda. I daresay, you are in a pretty good mood." His eyes twinkled mischievously and he winked at her and wagged his brows—the expression made her laugh.

After she finally calmed down from the fit of giggles, she responded.

"I guess I AM in a good mood today, John."

"Well, speaking for myself, I'm glad. You're spending less time in this office and more out of it. And whoever is the inspiration for this change in you, tell him he has my thanks. You're too young to be cooped up day in and day out. I'm grateful for the smile on your face." With that, he rose.

"Wh-what makes you think it's a 'he'?" she asked, temporarily flustered by the comment. And seeing the panic in her face, Dr. Templeton quickly came to reassure her.

"Amanda, you know I think of you as my daughter. I've known you for 10 years, even before you were a professor here. And I'm a proud father of two lovely girls with five grandchildren. Believe me when I tell you, you are a happy woman. You have a look only a man could give, and since not just any old man will do for you, I know he has to be good."

The sentiment brought a smile to her face and unexpected tears to her eyes as she stood.

"Aw, John…"

He held up his hand. "Don't aw, John me, young lady. Just make sure Peg and I get invitations to the wedding. And tell him if he breaks my daughter's heart, I'll break his head."

Amanda moved quickly to give her boss a hug.

And as Dr. Templeton moved to leave, he stopped and added his own final thought. "I'm proud of you. You do great work here. We'll all be sad when it's time to let you go."

Author's Note: Much thanks to my usual suspects again. Chapter edited by Aphrodite420