shoulder, feeling the receding tension in the muscle, a gathering, tingling softness. It genuinely didn't seem to bother him. Sleeping with a GI, one of her CDF comrades had less than charitably observed, was like sleeping with a hydraulic alloy press. A malfunctioning one, with a hair-trigger.
She rolled over, easing him off to one side. Ari surprised her by climbing straight back on, kissing her gently. But she was pleased, and more so when he entered her once more.
"Ari," she managed to gasp in his ear, "what's the matter?"
"What do you mean? You think because I happen to feel like making love to you that something's the matter?"
"You normally fall asleep or go straight out again," she replied, trying to think rationally. Something in her brain chemistry made that difficult, at such moments-although Vanessa professed that she was hardly a sim-tech scientist herself during sex. Ari's body moved wonderfully against her, and she gasped, wrapping her legs reflexively about him.
"Not tonight," he murmured, running a hand through her hair, then kissing down her neck. She tried to breathe evenly, thinking that it was probably nothing more than he was feeling horny ... which suited her fine because so was she. But it had been so hectic lately, especially for someone in Ari's line of work.
"Ari." She took his head in both hands-gently, but in a way that gave him little choice but to pause, and look her in the eyes. She made her gaze as firm as possible. "You found something, didn't you? Something concerning me?"
Ari sighed. Cocked his head on one side to gaze at her, with reluctant admiration for her deduction. "I didn't want to tell you straight up," he conceded.
"You wanted to soften me up first?" With affectionate humour. "Well, it worked."
He kissed her again. Ari was a good kisser. Not a great kisser, perhaps, but what he lacked in sophisticated technique, he made up in honest appreciation. Then he rested his forehead against hers, and sighed.
"Sandy, someone's trying to kill you." She nearly laughed. Ari registered her mirthful restraint, and frowned. "Sandy, I'm serious, this is nothing to laugh about."
"Ari, someone's been trying to kill me from the moment I arrived on Callay."
"This is different!" His eyes were very earnest, and somewhat frustrated at her evident lack of common sense. Her humour faded somewhat. She cocked her head on one side, and gave him a reluctant look, daring him to alarm her. Ari's expression grew even more frustrated. "I don't know who it is! It's not that kind of information, it's -"
"Hearsay."
"No, it's not hearsay ... or, okay yes, maybe it is hearsay, but it's damn good hearsay! Sandy, my source was very specific. The threat comes from inside the government, Sandy ..." Sandy rolled her eyes with tired exasperation. "No, don't ... don't do that thing with the eyes, you're not listening to me."
"Ari, how many times have you warned me that President Neiland wants to get rid of me?"
"I ... I didn't say that at all! I said that you're fast becoming a political liability to her and she'll come under tremendous pressure to get rid of you one way or the other."
"It's the same thing, Am" She took his face in her hands. "I appreciate the concern, seriously I do, but face facts-you just don't like Neiland. She's not going to get rid of me. She's my friend."
"Sandy." He removed her hands with determination, and fixed her with a very firm stare. "If your beloved President has to choose between forging a new alliance to complete the relocation, or saving your neck, which do you think she'll choose?"
Sandy gazed up at him defiantly. "What, you think my removal will be a precondition? Like the rest of the Federation doesn't have important things to worry about?"
"You're the public face, Sandy! It's ... damn, it's never been about what you actually are, it's always been about what you represent!" Searching her eyes for some small sign that she'd understood, and was going to take his concerns
She rolled over, easing him off to one side. Ari surprised her by climbing straight back on, kissing her gently. But she was pleased, and more so when he entered her once more.
"Ari," she managed to gasp in his ear, "what's the matter?"
"What do you mean? You think because I happen to feel like making love to you that something's the matter?"
"You normally fall asleep or go straight out again," she replied, trying to think rationally. Something in her brain chemistry made that difficult, at such moments-although Vanessa professed that she was hardly a sim-tech scientist herself during sex. Ari's body moved wonderfully against her, and she gasped, wrapping her legs reflexively about him.
"Not tonight," he murmured, running a hand through her hair, then kissing down her neck. She tried to breathe evenly, thinking that it was probably nothing more than he was feeling horny ... which suited her fine because so was she. But it had been so hectic lately, especially for someone in Ari's line of work.
"Ari." She took his head in both hands-gently, but in a way that gave him little choice but to pause, and look her in the eyes. She made her gaze as firm as possible. "You found something, didn't you? Something concerning me?"
Ari sighed. Cocked his head on one side to gaze at her, with reluctant admiration for her deduction. "I didn't want to tell you straight up," he conceded.
"You wanted to soften me up first?" With affectionate humour. "Well, it worked."
He kissed her again. Ari was a good kisser. Not a great kisser, perhaps, but what he lacked in sophisticated technique, he made up in honest appreciation. Then he rested his forehead against hers, and sighed.
"Sandy, someone's trying to kill you." She nearly laughed. Ari registered her mirthful restraint, and frowned. "Sandy, I'm serious, this is nothing to laugh about."
"Ari, someone's been trying to kill me from the moment I arrived on Callay."
"This is different!" His eyes were very earnest, and somewhat frustrated at her evident lack of common sense. Her humour faded somewhat. She cocked her head on one side, and gave him a reluctant look, daring him to alarm her. Ari's expression grew even more frustrated. "I don't know who it is! It's not that kind of information, it's -"
"Hearsay."
"No, it's not hearsay ... or, okay yes, maybe it is hearsay, but it's damn good hearsay! Sandy, my source was very specific. The threat comes from inside the government, Sandy ..." Sandy rolled her eyes with tired exasperation. "No, don't ... don't do that thing with the eyes, you're not listening to me."
"Ari, how many times have you warned me that President Neiland wants to get rid of me?"
"I ... I didn't say that at all! I said that you're fast becoming a political liability to her and she'll come under tremendous pressure to get rid of you one way or the other."
"It's the same thing, Am" She took his face in her hands. "I appreciate the concern, seriously I do, but face facts-you just don't like Neiland. She's not going to get rid of me. She's my friend."
"Sandy." He removed her hands with determination, and fixed her with a very firm stare. "If your beloved President has to choose between forging a new alliance to complete the relocation, or saving your neck, which do you think she'll choose?"
Sandy gazed up at him defiantly. "What, you think my removal will be a precondition? Like the rest of the Federation doesn't have important things to worry about?"
"You're the public face, Sandy! It's ... damn, it's never been about what you actually are, it's always been about what you represent!" Searching her eyes for some small sign that she'd understood, and was going to take his concerns
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