A/N: Thank you for your reviews, sorry for not answering you all personally this time, the site has only just put them up! And I thought you might prefer to get this next chapter tonight ;)
Chapter Five
"So were you really never bad as a child?" Wheeler challenged his friend after a while. "Not one little instance of adolescent defiance?"
Linka shook her head, "Not deliberately... I remember being chastised occasionally but it was usually for something I had forgotten to do when I was too busy playing with my birds." She thought back to her early teenage years, "I think that when I lost my father, instead of acting out, I went in on myself. I wanted to be left alone so I just kept my head down, it was not until I joined the Planeteers that I felt I could really be myself."
While she spoke, Wheeler reached out across the table to hold her hand, squeezing it gently in support. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
Linka smiled, "I know, it is fine. I do not feel the need to hide things from you."
"I'm glad. And you're right, you can trust me with anything." The young man smiled into her eyes, both caught up in each other's gaze.
The waiter cleared his throat and when they separated, with some slight embarrassment, took their empty plates and promised to return with a dessert menu.
By the time their orders had been taken the momentary awkwardness was over but Wheeler noticed that Linka's eyes were unfocused, and directed towards the dance floor as she moved slightly in time to the music.
"Wanna dance?"
Linka blushed as he claimed her attention, "I am sorry... I was miles away, but I love ABBA, especially this song."
"So do you wanna dance?" The American tilted his head in the direction of the dance floor and offered her his hand, smirking slightly at her choice of music. He was fully prepared to be 'her man', before or after midnight.
"No-one else is..." she hesitated and he rolled his eyes.
Wheeler stood up, took her hand and pulled her to her feet, "They're probably just waiting for someone to start, and so what if we're the only ones? I don't suppose anyone will mind us enjoying ourselves."
Linka let her temporary boyfriend lead her onto the dance floor and though she was self-conscious for a time, she very quickly forgot that anyone was watching as he twirled her about, alternately pulling her close. She found herself laughing with exhilaration and even began to act out the words to make Wheeler laugh with her.
The song ended and the music changed to something Linka didn't know but the beat was easy to follow and a few of their fellow passengers from the balloon had come to join them, proving Wheeler right.
By the time their desserts arrived they were both breathless and ready to sit down but Wheeler promised her another round late on. Inclined to be silly, they offered bites of their sweets to each other, taking their time to savour the different textures and then stealing more so that they ended up almost eating half and half.
The music had slowed down by the time they returned to the dance floor, but they weren't sorry for that. They continued their conversation, sharing stories and little facts that had never come up before, while swaying slowly in each other's arms.
If this were a first date, Linka considered when they once again returned to their table for drinks, It would be the one I measured all others against... except that, why would I want another first date when being with my Yankee is so... right. And I am so in trouble...
"Penny for your thoughts?" Wheeler was watching her closely and as he broke through her reverie, Linka blushed slightly.
"I was just thinking about how much fun today has been." she replied honestly, deliberately leaving out some of her conclusions.
Wheeler wasn't to be fooled though, "You didn't look too happy about it?"
"I am," she smiled, "I would not change it for anything."
He could hear her sincerity but knew her too well not to know there was something she wasn't saying. "Getting nervous?"
She smiled wider and this time he missed her subtle relief, "Maybe a little."
The American nodded in understanding, "It's still early, wha'dya say we go bum around the room for a while? Watch tv and relax or something?"
"Ok." She glanced around, worrying that their departure would cause some speculation.
"No one cares." Wheeler told her softly, letting her know how well he could tell the way her mind was working. "We're just another young couple as far as anyone here is concerned. Of age, enjoying each other's company and lucky to have each other."
In his head he added, Not to mention looking like we're head over heels in love... well, one of us is!
"A few of the guys might be jealous, but I'd be surprised if they gave it any more thought than that." He stood up and held out his hand, which she accepted, rising to join him and walking with him towards the exit.
As they made their way to the lift, Linka moved closer to whisper, "There were a few women in there that envied me too Yankee, despite what you seem to think, when people stare, they are not always admiring me."
Wheeler laughed and shook his head.
Wheeler headed for the bathroom as soon as he entered their room, "Be right back."
"Ok." Linka took her shoes off and placed them out of the way before finding the remote for the TV. Sitting on the end of the bed, she put the set on but turned the sound off, flicking the channels aimlessly and not really wanting to watch anything.
The bathroom door opened and Wheeler exited to flop on the bed beside her, leaning back on one elbow and kicking his trainers off, to lie wherever they landed. "Find anything good?"
"Nyet." Linka regarded him with a smile that was tinged with amusement.
"What?" The American gave her a curious look.
She shrugged, "You are just… so at home wherever we are. I wish I could be that relaxed."
Wheeler regarded her for a moment and then shook his head, "I'm not always this relaxed."
"Not when we are in immediate danger nyet, but the rest of the time…"
Again he shook his head, but didn't elaborate any further, leaving her to draw her own conclusions. "But, I'm more than happy to show you how to relax, come here."
He sat up as he spoke and took the television remote from her hand, indicating that she should move over. Linka hesitated and then scooted over slightly so that their knees were touching. Her friend laughed and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, "On my lap, facing me."
She gave him a wary look but moved to straddle him, sitting back on his legs and then gasping when he pulled her forward so that their bodies were flush against each other. "Yankee…"
"I'm not going to do anything right now." He told her. "I just want you to be comfortable with me."
He nuzzled her neck but refrained from kissing it and his hands didn't stray anywhere private either. Linka lay her head on his shoulder and put her arms around him, and she couldn't say at what point her allowing him to hold her turned into simply cuddling with him, but it did.
"This is not going to ruin our friendship," she told him eventually, and then added with less certainty, "Is it?"
Wheeler pulled back to look into her eyes and after gazing deeply into them for what felt like an eternity, replied with a smile, "Nah, we'll be ok."
Reassured by his quiet confidence, Linka returned his smile and nodded, her gaze unconsciously straying to his lips. He slowly raised his mouth to place a tender kiss on hers, deepening it when he felt her respond.
No matter how much she liked Wheeler, or perhaps because of how much she liked him, Linka had never imagined feeling so completely at ease in his arms. Glad that he didn't immediately try to take things further than an intimate kiss, the young woman let him teach her by example, relieved that he didn't draw attention to her inexperience. She needn't have worried since he wasn't aware of anything but the softness of her lips and the playfulness of her tongue.
When they again broke for air he voiced the concern that had been lurking at the back of his mind, "You know, 'Done it before,' is not the same as being some sort of expert right? I'm just wondering what your expectations are here…"
Linka giggled, glad that she wasn't the only one with some insecurities. "I expect someone who, by having had more experience in this than me, might be able to focus on me long enough to help me through it."
"Geez Babe, did someone tell you to lie back and think of Russia or something?" He rolled his eyes, "If you think of it as an ordeal you have to get through, where you're just a warm body for some guy to get off on, I wonder why you even want to bother?"
She blushed, "Because like all women, despite what I have heard, I hope it will be different for me."
Wheeler kissed her tenderly on her lips, "I'll do my best."
"Some women do like it..." Linka added uncertainly. "Or at least learn ways to enjoy it."
He nodded calmly, "One thing I can promise is that tonight is all about you. I mean I'm not gonna lie, there's no way I'm not going to enjoy it, but I wouldn't hurt you or use you. If you don't like it, it won't be because I didn't do everything I could to make it work for you."
"I know." She replied simply, "My only real expectation tonight is that I will not regret it… And I know I will not, not with you."
Too overwhelmed by her confidence in him to answer, Wheeler once more locked their lips together, letting her settle into the embrace before beginning to gently caress her through her top. Linka gasped against her lover's mouth and shifted in his lap but otherwise seemed to encourage this new development.
Slowly, the American lay back taking her with him, feeling a sense of triumph as she moulded herself to his body. Still he took his time, making her feel as if it didn't have to go anywhere, but enjoying each new discovery along with her.
She shivered when his hands slid up inside her top, but judging by the affectionate way she began to work on his neck, it had her approval. In fact Wheeler was a little amazed at how ok she was with everything, and he was beginning to realise that however much she may have protested, or continued to assert that she wanted no relationship, she was far from indifferent to him.
Linka sat up, still astride her lover, and allowed him to remove her blouse. Her cheeks deepened in colour at the way his eyes appreciated the silky bra beneath, but it really only helped to increase her own desire.
"You too." She told him, and when he sat up into her arms, helped her reveal his chest once again. The Russian traced her fingers over his muscles while he watched her, "You have no right to look his good, considering what you eat."
Wheeler chuckled, "I work it off, good to know it's worth it though."
She gave him a saucy smile, "I consider it one of the advantages of living near a beach."
"Oh really?" He was teasing now, "I'll be sure to remember that!"
Linka laughed and gave an embarrassed shrug, a little surprised at how honest she was being with him but the little voice that warned her about making herself vulnerable was unusually silent.
He leant in to reclaim her mouth and she came willingly, tracing patterns over his bare skin in much the same way as he was doing to her. Wheeler's mind was working overtime trying to keep things at an even pace, knowing it would be difficult for him to restrain his own desires, having waited for her for so long. It's not about what I want…
Pulling away suddenly, Linka said, "I need a moment… is it alright if I use the bathroom?"
"Of course it is." He looked a little stunned, "You don't have to ask."
She looked for a moment as if she was going to answer but then she gave a little shrug and climbed off him. Moving over to retrieve something from one of the drawers, the lovely blond told him she wouldn't be long, and then added, "You can get into bed if you want… and turn the television off, I do not think we are going to watch it after all, are we?" Not waiting for a response, Linka ducked into the bathroom.
Five minutes later Linka was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to reconcile her appearance with her self-image and in her prolonged absence from her fiery friend, trying to summon up the courage to return to him. This is what I have wanted since I met him… even if it is not all I wanted. And it cannot be wrong to give in to my desires, not with someone I trust and lo.. care for so deeply. I should not have left his arms, it is all so simple when he holds me.
Taking a deep breath and refusing to think about it any further, the Wind Planeteer turned and opened the door into the main room, walking through it and hoping that Wheeler's presence would chase away her fears once more.
Wheeler was sitting back against the head board of the bed, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms crossed behind his head. He was still dressed in his jeans and though the television had been turned off he'd clearly made no move to get into bed. It didn't matter though, the look in his eyes as he turned his head towards her made heat rush to all the right places and everything else was forgotten.
"Wow." Wheeler's eyes travelled from her flowing golden hair that framed her upper body to the white lacy cups of her bodice, then down the silky night dress that ended mid-thigh, only to continue down the length of her shapely legs before trailing their way back up with equal attention until finally finding her eyes.
Linka fingered one thin strap nervously, her tongue sneaking out to wet her lips. "Do you like it?"
He nodded, his body reacting appropriately. "That was what you didn't want me to see earlier? In my bag?"
She nodded and took a step forward, uncertainly as if she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next. "Da… because when I set out to do this I did not know how to ask you so I thought I would… see if I could…"
"Seduce me?" A smile returned to his lips as he began to regain some self-control. She nodded again. "You didn't need it, but I'm not complaining. You've definitely fulfilled one or two fantasies I've had."
Linka laughed, her tension easing again. "Do your fantasies end with seeing me in something… like this then?"
"Sexy?" He teased, knowing she had avoided the word, and moved so that he was kneeling on the bed facing her. He crooked a finger to beckon her closer. "Some of them, some start there though."
Swallowing her nerves, the lovely Russian walked forward and climbed onto the bed to kneel in front of him, her knees between his. "And how do those ones end?"
He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him so that she could feel how much he wanted her, "I'll show you."
This time when their lips met his hands took the bolder path, seeking out her lace and what lay beneath, his thumb rubbing a gentle rhythm over the little buds that already stood to attention. From there he traced her curves down to the hem of her small gown, over her even silkier thighs and back up under the material to pull her more fully into contact with him. The fact that she had chosen to forgo any form of undergarment made him groan softly against her lips.
Linka too was exploring, though until then she had kept her hands above his jeans. She'd loved the way it felt to stand before him knowing that she was completely open to him, and now he knew it too she ached to have him fulfill his promise. Her fingers found the button of his jeans and fumbled to undo it, but he stopped her from doing more by pulling her hands away, "Not yet Babe, there's no rush."
She tried to protest but he silenced her with a kiss, his hands sliding back up to her bare hips and his thumbs rubbing a circular motion near the top of her legs. Gasping slightly, Linka chose to obey, only reaching down to hold his rear through his trousers and pull him against her again.
As his hands began to roam, the lovely Russian allowed herself to react naturally, letting him see that she liked the way it felt and the way he made her feel. He paused briefly to gently but firmly lay her down, ridding himself of the last of his clothes in one move and returning to straddle her. Linka's feet were up by the pillows so she lay flat on the bed, her hair fanned out around her, her modesty still covered by her choice of night wear. The Fire Planeteer found the effect breath taking.
Wheeler on the other hand was revealed to her in all his glory and she found it both exciting and a little frightening. Given the passion in his eyes she was beginning to think he wouldn't be able to control himself and wondered whether she should brace herself.
Of course the American had other ideas. He leant down and kissed her and she returned his desire in equal measure, not wanting him to pick up on her fear and mistake it for second thoughts… she wanted him more than ever. His kisses trailed downwards, finding her through the lace and making her breath catch in her throat, but he wasn't done. Before she could fully register what he intended, he'd pulled her gown up and brought his lips back down.
This was far beyond her experience and something even her friends had only hinted at, though their veiled jokes could never have prepared her for the sensations her Yankee created in her. "Jason…!"
"Babe?" he prompted her at last, after she'd fallen silent.
Linka forced her eyes open, though passion kept them at half mast, and smiled, "That was incredible."
He grinned, obviously pleased by her praise but she could see the strain in his eyes too. "Do you want to stop there…?"
Understanding what he was asking, she shook her head and held out her arms for him, smiling at the relief on his face and kissing him with as much desire as before.
Taking advantage of her relaxed state, Wheeler lost no time in joining them, bringing their lips together again and holding her close as she welcomed him.
It did hurt, but it wasn't the all-consuming pain Linka had feared, nor did the intrusion make her feel violated. Instead she felt connected as if the physical link was just a representation of something that went much deeper. Because it is Wheeler. She thought, glad that she had waited for him.
It wasn't easy for Wheeler to stop himself getting lost in the moment, but he cared too much about her to forget his promise. Instead he was patient, making sure she was ready for each new experience, guiding and teaching her to participate and not just let him do what he needed to do. In fact they moved naturally together and Linka's serene expression encouraged him to not worry about how she was coping, though he'd had a few moments of doubt at first.
Seeing surprise and pleasure alternately register on her face was enchanting to the Yankee, amazed as he was at how completely open she was with him, and he promised himself that he would be just as honest with her.
This time she expected her release, knew when she was just moments away, and understood in some indefinable way that Wheeler was close too. When it finally overtook them however, she was as unprepared as the first time.
Linka was unable to describe what happened in the few minutes that followed, it was like she was floating in a sea of pleasure where nothing else existed… except Wheeler. He was with her, holding her, pushing her to find even greater sensations, and protecting and comforting her as she fell into darkness.
To be continued...