everything looked secure. In the Presidential hacienda not too far from here, President Neiland would be sleeping ... or working late, or meeting with various other Federation world leaders. Asking for support. Begging for it.
Ari's footsteps ascended the stairs outside her door, then the door opened. Sandy bothered to open her eyes for the first time, and found his dark figure moving across the dimly lit room. Streetlight created a small patch upon the smooth floorboards. Brick walls and wooden bookshelves showed dimly in normal-vision. Pictures on shelves and the desk. Pictures of herself and Vanessa. Of Rhian, swimming with two of Vanessa's nephews. Of herself and Ari, at the surprise party his underground friends had thrown downstairs, many laughing faces. And one Rhian had found in a search through a League database, of Mahud, in uniform, looking cool and handsome. Her gaze lingered upon that frame for a moment, vision zooming and brightening to make the features come clear.
"Parliament went well?" Ari asked her as he took off his clothes. Not bothering to ask if she was awake.
"Like you didn't already know," she replied, in a sleepy murmur.
"Well, you're only number three on the news bulletins," said Ari. "You didn't cause another scandal and you saved that damn-fool President from getting herself blown up, so I'd say you had a pretty good day."
"I'll be the judge of that," Sandy said with a faint smile. "And what do you mean another scandal?"
Ari shrugged. "Habitual phrasing. I apologise."
"My very existence is one big scandal."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," said Ari, removing the last of his clothes and sliding under the covers. He moved immediately on top of her, a warm, welcome presence of bare skin and body weight.
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I'm just ..." Ari silenced her with a kiss on the lips. Sandy returned it, passionately. And smiled at him as he pulled back enough to look her in the eyes, the tip of his nose barely brushing hers. His intelligent dark eyes were fixed upon her. His jaw, she noticed, was dark with stubble. She brushed at it with one hand, and found it unusually scratchy. So he'd been busy then. The Ari she knew was normally far more attentive to matters of personal grooming. "What did I do to deserve this treat?" she asked him.
"Being gorgeous, as usual. That's all." He kissed her again. They made love, lingeringly. Perhaps even more lingeringly than usual, Sandy managed to reckon, in the spare, fleeting moment of sanity that was all she could usually muster at such moments. There was an earnestness about Ari tonight that she found wonderful, and she was determined to enjoy it. She contented herself with letting him take charge for as long as possible, before finally the strain and tension became too much, and she had to lock her hands hard to the mattress, and brace her legs apart for fear of doing him damage. She alerted him, and he paused to let her roll over. They finished with him on her back, which was much safer, her face pressed gasping to the mattress as she unlocked her clenched fists one at a time, and hoped she hadn't torn the sheets again. Ari nuzzled at her ear, affectionately.
"The back of your head is really a ... a lovely view," he offered in a low voice, with typical off-handed humour, "but your eyes are really much nicer ..."
"We'll buy a mirror," Sandy offered, half-muffled against the mattress.
"Kinky, but inconvenient."
"Forget it, Ari," she told him, "I'm not going to risk it. This is the one moment I really do lose control. It's dangerous, do you understand me?"
"I trust you." He brushed hair away from her cheek, and kissed her there.
"Then you're a fool. I don't trust me, not then. You're just a thrillseeker."
"I'm not a thrill-seeker, I'd just appreciate the pleasure of once being able to look my lover in the eyes when she comes."
"It could be the last thing you'll ever see."
"Sure, but how romantic is that?"
He ran a hand along her
Ari's footsteps ascended the stairs outside her door, then the door opened. Sandy bothered to open her eyes for the first time, and found his dark figure moving across the dimly lit room. Streetlight created a small patch upon the smooth floorboards. Brick walls and wooden bookshelves showed dimly in normal-vision. Pictures on shelves and the desk. Pictures of herself and Vanessa. Of Rhian, swimming with two of Vanessa's nephews. Of herself and Ari, at the surprise party his underground friends had thrown downstairs, many laughing faces. And one Rhian had found in a search through a League database, of Mahud, in uniform, looking cool and handsome. Her gaze lingered upon that frame for a moment, vision zooming and brightening to make the features come clear.
"Parliament went well?" Ari asked her as he took off his clothes. Not bothering to ask if she was awake.
"Like you didn't already know," she replied, in a sleepy murmur.
"Well, you're only number three on the news bulletins," said Ari. "You didn't cause another scandal and you saved that damn-fool President from getting herself blown up, so I'd say you had a pretty good day."
"I'll be the judge of that," Sandy said with a faint smile. "And what do you mean another scandal?"
Ari shrugged. "Habitual phrasing. I apologise."
"My very existence is one big scandal."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," said Ari, removing the last of his clothes and sliding under the covers. He moved immediately on top of her, a warm, welcome presence of bare skin and body weight.
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I'm just ..." Ari silenced her with a kiss on the lips. Sandy returned it, passionately. And smiled at him as he pulled back enough to look her in the eyes, the tip of his nose barely brushing hers. His intelligent dark eyes were fixed upon her. His jaw, she noticed, was dark with stubble. She brushed at it with one hand, and found it unusually scratchy. So he'd been busy then. The Ari she knew was normally far more attentive to matters of personal grooming. "What did I do to deserve this treat?" she asked him.
"Being gorgeous, as usual. That's all." He kissed her again. They made love, lingeringly. Perhaps even more lingeringly than usual, Sandy managed to reckon, in the spare, fleeting moment of sanity that was all she could usually muster at such moments. There was an earnestness about Ari tonight that she found wonderful, and she was determined to enjoy it. She contented herself with letting him take charge for as long as possible, before finally the strain and tension became too much, and she had to lock her hands hard to the mattress, and brace her legs apart for fear of doing him damage. She alerted him, and he paused to let her roll over. They finished with him on her back, which was much safer, her face pressed gasping to the mattress as she unlocked her clenched fists one at a time, and hoped she hadn't torn the sheets again. Ari nuzzled at her ear, affectionately.
"The back of your head is really a ... a lovely view," he offered in a low voice, with typical off-handed humour, "but your eyes are really much nicer ..."
"We'll buy a mirror," Sandy offered, half-muffled against the mattress.
"Kinky, but inconvenient."
"Forget it, Ari," she told him, "I'm not going to risk it. This is the one moment I really do lose control. It's dangerous, do you understand me?"
"I trust you." He brushed hair away from her cheek, and kissed her there.
"Then you're a fool. I don't trust me, not then. You're just a thrillseeker."
"I'm not a thrill-seeker, I'd just appreciate the pleasure of once being able to look my lover in the eyes when she comes."
"It could be the last thing you'll ever see."
"Sure, but how romantic is that?"
He ran a hand along her
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