Chapter 24

Note: This chapter contains strong sexual references and little action, but it is important for the character development of the story. Sexuality is an important part of human life. If you seek only mech-vs-mech action scenes, you can skip this part. But if you care about the characters and how they evolve to become matured human being (physically, mentally, and sexually), by all means read on. That being said, even if this story is rated M, readers discretion is advised.

Review Corner

Mobmal: Thank you for your continuing support. Assuming you were talking about Jeremy, he was 20 in the other series and 25 here. He has matured a lot.

Abandoned Apartment Complex, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
July 31, 3069

Amber was awakened by an awkward touch and found herself lying naked in a bed, dazed, awed, but nevertheless in peace. It had been a while since she felt fully content the way she was feeling now. Every cell in her body seemed like humming a happy tune in sync. In fact, she didn't remember if she ever woke up feeling complete.

She opened her eyes lazily and found Jeremy lying right beside her. He was kneading Amber's bare feet; his fingers digging into her sole slightly, just enough to ease the tension. His hands were on the ball of her foot, circling and rubbing. Every once in a while he stroked down lower to her heel. His gentle, expert touch made Amber juiced-up with desire.

Amber leaned back, resting on the creaky bed, closing her eyes. She never thought her feet were sexy, but Jeremy's touch made her feel sexy. She wondered what made her deserve such a nice treatment. Their lovemaking was a far cry from what she had with Mac. But she did remember a lot of kissing, cuddling, teasing and stroking, mostly on Jeremy's part. He lacked Mac's sexual flare, but he made it up with affection. Every touch, every stroke was loaded with passion, as if he was handling an expensive porcelain doll. Amber hadn't felt this loved before, and it felt weird and nice at the same time.

Jeremy lightly, teasingly grazed his fingertips on her soft, creamy sole. Her muffled squeal and giggles was delightful and made Jeremy aware that she was awake.

"Sorry," Jeremy stated the obvious, rubbing her right foot against his hand, "did I wake you up?"

"What are you doing?" Amber said, flexing and relaxing her muscles as he began stroking the hollow of her ankle.

"Giving you what you deserve," Jeremy paused, gauging her reaction. "A woman as beautiful, smart, funny, and tough as you deserves a good amount of loving," he turned and smiled. "In fact, there's no measure as to how much you deserve from the man you're with."

"That's very nice of you," she murmured, rubbing her right foot against Jeremy's hand. "Nobody ever pays attention to my feet before."

"They don't know what they're missing," Jeremy moved to her left foot. "You have beautiful feet," he cupped her heel and let his palm stroke the top of her foot with the flat of his hand using a circular motion. "So how many assholes were there who didn't pay attention to your feet?"

"How many… what?" Amber released a full, hearty giggle. "How many lovers did I have? I can't believe you asked this question, Jeremy!"

"But Babe, what are you so afraid of?" Jeremy quipped and proceded to her plump and shaped toes, kneading and pulling each one gently. "You're my girlfriend now, and as my one, only, committed girlfriend I demand total honesty from you. It helps me feeling secure, and also helps me understand where I stack up against my competitors."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down big guy," Amber cringed. "We just spent one night together. Are you sure you want to go all crazy with honesty and commitment? Do you really see me as your committed girlfriend? You don't know me all too well."

"I don't play games with love, Sweetheart," Jeremy turned around and planted his warm moist lips on her cheek. "I may not know you that well, but I know you well enough to want you on my side every night when I go to bed and every morning when I wake up."

"Wow, wo lian ai le…" Amber sighed in awe. For some reason her lids felt burning and heavy with tears. She didn't cry often, but any subject that touched the deepest end of her heart was bound to squeeze a few drops from her eyes. "Evee is crazy to let you go."

"More power to you," Jeremy quipped and turned around again to press his fingers into the dainty flesh of her sole. "So… care to share your past suitors with me?"

"Well, there was Joshua," Amber leaned back against the bed, closed her eyes, smiled, and sighed in the compliment. "Sergeant Joshua Gant of the Lindon's Battalion. He and his unit were stationed to garrison Styx around '66. He had regular meetings with my father, Duke Kenon Wang Chung, to set up perimeter defense against the Capellan, because everybody knew the Capellan was going to invade Styx. That was how I met him. He was more than twice my age at that time, but he treated me with respect. One thing led to another and we ended up in bed screwing each other brains out. We had to keep our relationship secret because he wasn't supposed to fraternize with his mission, and I was technically a minor…"

"Naughty naughty," Jeremy said, then slowly lower his head to kiss the tips of her toes. "I'd never have guessed that out of you."

"I told you you didn't know me that well," Amber giggled, a small smile escaping her lips as Jeremy kissed each of her toe gently, running his tongue all over her tender foot flesh and letting his tongue swirl between her toes. "Ohmygod that tickles… but I love it."

"Why did you break up?" Jeremy leaned over and take one delicate toe in his mouth.

"We didn't. The Capellan invaded Styx, and we had to evacuate. Joshua and his unit stayed behind to hold off the Capellan force while our dropship took off. That was the last time I saw him. He was a good man. I missed him. I still do sometimes. I loved him, but I was too young to understand emotional bondage.

"Anyway, we arrived at Solaris and my father tried to be a mechjock only to get himself killed in the arena. I tried my chance and I had better luck than him, insofar as I didn't get myself killed. Then I met Mac. I didn't think about it much when we started hooking up. He fancied me, and he was persistent. I thought I just gave him a chance and see where it went. It turned out… he was good. Really, really good. He made me feel great in bed but cheap afterwards. I wanted it to stop because I hated him. I hated him for making me feel like a whore. But I couldn't. I needed him.

"And then, I have you," Amber sat up and squeezed Jeremy's arm. Tears started to well up in her lids again. "Now you know the kind of girl I am. I am flawed, Jeremy. I am not the perfect girl you've been dreaming of."

"I don't ask for perfection," Jeremy moved his hand down to her ankle and began the same slow, teasing stroking and kissing. The fact that he wasn't bothered by Amber's sexual exploit calmed her down. "I only ask for honesty and open heart."

"So how about you?" Amber retracted her feet and climbed on Jeremy's back. "How many girls have the luxury of your love treatment?"

"And why is this important to you?" Jeremy grinned, catching a hint of jealousy in Amber's voice.

"Oh, come on, I'm your girlfriend," Amber quipped as she brushed her cheek on Jeremy's shoulder. "Is it too much to ask for openness?"

"Alright, if you can handle the truth," Jeremy turned around and let her rest on his chest. "Now please understand that one time I was an heir of one of the ruling families at New St. Andrews. I could get anything I wanted, and I made sure that I got what I wanted. I don't indulge in this kind of lifestyle anymore."

"Hey, I'm not judging," Amber let out a sweet mirth.

"I'm just saying, in case you freak out… Anyway, the first few were just for fun. I didn't really put a lot of thought into these relationships. I didn't care how I felt about them or how they felt about me. I might break their hearts, but at that time I was indifferent. I was young, stupid, and powerful.

"Then I met Evee. She was the best thing ever happened to me up to that point. I was head over heels for her. I gave her everything I had: money, power, love, honesty, commitment, open heart, everything to make her mine. But she was never mine. I might have owned her body, but her heart always belonged to somebody else. And it was my fault that I couldn't see it. I was blinded by my obsession with her and failed to realize that sooner or later she would run away from me."

"You were only 20 at that time," Amber sighed. "Everybody did stupid things at 20."

"So you're OK with that?"

"You're OK with mine," Amber replied. "I think we just have to put everything behind and see our future... as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I can do that," Jeremy tangled his fingers on Amber's thick, auburn hair. "So what's our near future?"

"Making long, sweet love until we melt into each other?" Amber raised her head. "I'm still hungry for my new boyfriend."

"Sure!" Jeremy replied enthusiastically and mashed his lips on her. But just when he started to entangle himself in Amber, his comset rang. He tried to ignore it but the intensity increased with each ignored minutes. Grumbling, he pulled himself off her and painfully grabbed his comset. "What?"

"Jeremy, where the hell are you?" Kilroy's voice blared. "Are you hooking up with somebody?"

"None of your business, dammit! What's going on?"

"Mac ravaged Ground Control. Stan tried to stop him but failed. He was badly injured but we got him out just in time. The mechs are damaged, possibly beyond repair."

"What?" Jeremy shot up from the bed. What started as a blessing for him that Mac didn't find him and Amber turned out to be a disaster for the rest of the team members. "How's everybody?"

"Stan is in a bad shape but will live. He's at Indrahar. Jenny and I took Major Tom out before Mac's rampage. Mickey and Hyolee were at Brit's Diner. I don't know about Amber. Do you know where she is?"

"I'll find her on my way to Indrahar," Jeremy turned off his comset and shot a nasty glare at Amber.

"What is going on?" Amber asked. "Jeremy, you're freaking me out!"

"Mac just destroyed Ground Control complex," Jeremy huffed. "Stan is at Indrahar, trying to stop Mac with no effect. Nobody else got hurt. We may have lost our mechs."

"Och, that sonofabitch!" Amber buried her head on her palms. "I should've cut off his head when I had the chance!"

"It's too late for self pity," Jeremy grabbed his clothes and started dressing up. "We're going to Indrahar, visit Stan, get Jenny, and find that toaster bastard. I'm going to gut him out with my own hand!"