Promise of Love (6 page)

When Rieko looked up from her thoughts, Taylor studied her. “You and Stuart?” he asked.

Rieko shrugged her shoulders. He better not ask for an explanation or want details about the relationship, because she certainly didn't have any.

She saw a picture of a jet plane on the wall and a small wooden biplane on a shelf. “So, you and Stuart are good friends?” she asked to change the subject.

"Gettin’ that way,” Taylor replied with a smile.

Pictures of smiling family, a fishing trophy, and a picture of a motor boat sat above the desk where Taylor worked. “Taylor, could I borrow your camera sometime?” she asked.

"Sure,” he replied. “Why?"

"I have tons of photos of friends, but none yet of anybody from the
Resolution
,” she said. She saw a picture of a dog on his desk, a happy looking golden retriever.

"Anybody in particular ya want a picture of?” He couldn't keep the smile off his face. The shelf by the bed held a statue of an old EV suit, a figurine of superman, and a miniature bat mobile with a framed superman comic above.

"No.” She really did want pictures of them all: Taylor, Shawn, Mike, Doctor Valentine, Poloski, Leeza, and, of course, Stuart. Above the bed hung a framed picture of a black and white pin-up of some old Hollywood actress.

"I'll agree on one condition,” he said. “Ya gotta get a picture of Stuart smiling.” Rieko just looked back into his sparkling blue eyes. “Ya can think of somethin’ to get him to smile, right?” he asked.

Rieko nodded in reply.
Exactly what type of Stuart smile did Taylor want
? Then, her eyes fell on a small framed photo of the
Endeavor,
the first FTL capable human ship. She knew she had found just the right model for Taylor.

"Well, it was nice talking to you.” Rieko stood to leave. She felt more than a little guilty for spying.

"It was,” Taylor replied. “Ya just tell me whenever you want that camera."

"The
Endeavor
,” Stuart asked. “You sure?"

Rieko nodded. “Yes.” If he wanted to go and pick something out for himself, Stuart should have said so.

Stuart finally nodded. “So, Taylor had so much fun last time throwing a party, he decided to do it again?” Sarcasm showed in Stuart's voice. He stood in her quarters decked out in nice clothes, including the bright blue shirt that made his eyes look gorgeous.

"It was a nice break for the whole crew,” Rieko said over her shoulder. They were on their way to Taylor's latest ‘shindig’ as he referred to it. Tonight Rieko's dress was a shimmering jade green, long and strapless, traded with Ensign Leeza Carpenter for her red one.

"I suppose.” Stuart gave a sigh.

She felt his eyes run over her back. Rieko turned to face him, and found his glorious blue eyes filled with desire. “Just because you don't like dancing.” She gave a teasing smile.

"Who said I didn't like dancing?"

"Do you?” she asked.

"I do with you.” Stuart gave a thin smile. He let a finger touch a jade earring. Then his hand drifted down to her waist and gently ran down to her hips. “How many dresses do you have?"

She shook her head and stepped closer to him. “That's a trade secret."

His smile deepened. Those intense eyes of his drank her in. His hand gripped her waist as the other ran a finger over her cheek and lips. “We need to be going.” He swallowed harshly.

"Do we?” Rieko took another step toward him until she leaned up against his chest.

He rubbed her neck and pulled her even closer. “We do if we want to get there."

"Then let's get going.” She disentangled herself from his arms and stepped toward the door. Stuart followed far enough behind she walked out of his reach.

Rieko and Stuart's bodies seemed almost embedded in each other. It surprised her how Stuart's every little touch, a brush of his hand on her hand, her waist, or her shoulder, weakened her knees and made her shiver. Or how just the look in his intense eyes when she stood across the room making small talk with Taylor and Shawn made her struggle to not blush a glorious color of pink. She could just imagine the thoughts that stare meant ran through Stuart's head.

Right now they danced together. One of his hands flattened on the small of her back and held her close. His other hand ran delicate lines across her cheek and down her neck and over her ear lobe. Their feet shuffled on the deck of the rec hall, their pace slower than the soft romantic music playing.

Rieko held Stuart close with one arm around his waist and the other his shoulder. The sides of their faces touched. She swirled in his embrace as the darkness behind her closed eyes made her even more aware of her other senses. She felt his body hot against hers. The fabric of his clothes didn't fully mask the muscles that lay beneath. She heard his breath shallow and yet full of unreleased energy. The air around them felt ten degrees hotter, stifling and full of pheromones and his musky cologne and her jasmine perfume.

"Do you want to get out of here?” she whispered into his ear.

He swallowed loudly. “Do you know where that will lead?” Against her ear, his voice cracked.

Rieko just nodded her head, knowing he would feel the movement. Oh, to feel his body against hers without the impediment of clothing, his lips on hers, his hands places it wasn't polite in public to put them.

"Is that alright?” she asked.

"Lead on,” he told her. It gave her the answer without answering. If she wasn't in the state she was currently in, she'd be a little upset about that.

Rieko leaned back in his embrace and opened her dark eyes to look into his of blue. She searched his eyes to make sure he was certain about their next actions. His intense gaze was very sure of his intended actions. For a moment, she saw confusion in his eyes, then he raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes and then nodded his head. This time she removed herself from his now loose embrace and moved toward the door. Stuart gently reached out and clasp her hand to pull himself to her side so that they left together.

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By the time they got to the door of Rieko's quarters they could barely contain themselves. Rieko tried to punch in the code to her room. Stuart's hand, which had been on her waist, moved to grip her butt. His chest pushed against her back. All that distraction and she mistyped the code. Stuart ran a finger over her lips, and she took it into her mouth and sucked on it.

"Open the door, Rieko,” Stuart spoke in a husky whisper.

"I'm trying.” Rieko released his finger from her mouth. She struggled to get the code right this time. He used a hand to push their hips together, and she felt his hardened excitement against her backside.

"There.” Rieko sighed as she made the door slide open.

Their next moves were fast, blurred, frenzied. They were in the door, across the room, and falling onto the bed. His hands tightened in her hair, delved under her dress top to get at her breasts. She grabbed at the material of his shirt back, and ran her fingers through his hair. Their mouths met, their tongues dueled.

Stuart ran a hand up under her dress and along her leg. He moaned as he grabbed the naked flesh of her butt from the thong panties she wore. Her fingers fumbled with his belt buckle and the zipper of his pants. Finally she grasped his erection firmly in her hand.

Stuart shifted to be on top of her. Rieko parted her legs. He ran his fingers over her clit and then into her folds. Then with one thrust he entered her, filling her. Their bodies moved together in erotic pleasure. Their hips bucked against each other.

Her hands gripped his naked ass, scratched his back. His tongue lapped at her neck, his lips sucked her ear. Their mouths met and moved against each other as swiftly as their bodies. Rieko felt herself climaxing. She pulled his hips closer as the strength of her orgasm washed over her. Stuart thrust his hips against hers one last time, then he reached his own release and spilled himself into her.

Stuart collapsed on top of her, both struggling for breath. “That didn't go the way I intended,” he managed to say through gasps for air. He rolled off of her and lay on his back beside her. “Sorry, Rieko."

Rieko lie beside him and let her breath calm. Her body felt numbingly spent and gloriously exhilarated at the same time. She rolled over and laid her head on his chest. His rumbled blue shirt now wet still covered his muscles.

"That was great, Stuart,” she mumbled into the soft fabric of his shirt. She felt him wrap an arm around her. They had been peaking to this for hours, ever since he had dropped by to pick her up earlier.

"Give me a bit, I can do better.” His quiet words rumbled through his chest. He ran a hand through her hair.

Head still lying on his chest, Rieko began slowly unbuttoning his shirt. She opened it to reveal a white undershirt stretched tight against his skin. Rieko realized that even though he wasn't shy about his body, both of their sexual encounters involved him being dressed. Even in the ‘might have gone there’ moment interrupted by Taylor, he was clothed. She wanted to see him totally bare to her eyes.

Rieko sat up. Her hands ran along his chest.

"What?” he asked her.

She slightly shook her head and placed a finger to his lips to silence him. Stuart smiled lightly under her finger, then softly kissed it. She ran her fingers down his face, his neck, and his chest. She let her eyes follow her movements as she traced a path over this navel and lower. She noticed his pants were still undone, but made herself stick to above the waist for now.

She ran a hand along each of his arms out to his wrist and undid the cuffs of his shirt. Then with his help, she removed it and tossed it to the floor. She planted her hands on the soft cotton of his undershirt. Her hands ran down to the hem, and then back up on his bare flesh beneath, pulling the fabric with them.

Stuart raised his arms and allowed her to pull off his undershirt. She traced the muscles of his bare chest with her hands and then her lips. She felt him twist a hand through her hair.

He sat up and pulled her into a deep gentle kiss, slow and calm, the raw energy of before transformed into exploratory passion. Stuart reached behind her and undid the zipper to her dress. She helped him pull it over her head and off. His eyes took her in fully, and washed over her bra and matching panties, bare flesh.

"Do you like?” she asked in a soft voice.

His smile just barely tugged the edges of his lips up. His eyes almost spoke the thoughts running through his head. Stuart grazed a hand over a fabric covered breast, and she realized he'd once again gotten her less dressed than him.

Rieko turned and removed his shoes and socks. She ran a hand over his bare toes finding them ticklish. Stuart's fingers combed through her hair, his hands slid down her back and over her bare ass. She turned back to face him, glad his arms were just loosely on her.

While his hands explored every inch of her flesh, she tugged his belt loose from his pants and threw it to the floor. With his pants undone, Rieko saw the tautness at the front of his boxers. She removed his pants and ran her hands down the flesh of his beautifully sculptured thighs and calves as she went. His pants joined the rest of their clothing on the floor.

Stuart pulled her closer and reached behind her to unfasten and remove her bra. He drew her into a kiss and his lips played over hers with increasing passion. He lowered his lips to kiss and suck her breasts. His hands slipped under the waist of her thong and glided it over her hips and down her legs.

His teeth nipped at one of Rieko's nipples and then the other. She gently pushed him down onto his back. Her hands moved under his boxers and removed them as she had his pants. She returned and slid a hand over his hard erection. She played with the tip and then stroked down the length of the shaft. His hands searched out her intimate places and found her moist and receptive. Her body longed for the satisfaction she knew he could again give her.

Rieko straddled his waist and then slowly sank herself down onto him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and he softly moved beneath her. She leaned back and set the pace. She moved slowly and calmly so that this time their actions would be prolonged. One of his hands caressed a breast, while the other dipped forward on her hips and gently rubbed at her clit.

They continued that way as their movements and actions increased in pace and intensity until their hips roughly thrashed against each other. Their hands gripped and tugged. Rieko arched her back and pushed him deeper into her.

She felt herself rising to her climax. She called out his name to the sounds of his insistent moans. With a thrust that lifted them from the bed and one last growl-like moan, Stuart joined in her orgasm as he emptied himself deep within her. Rieko collapsed on top of him spent. Their naked flesh was now slick with sweat.

"Better?” he asked when he regained his breath.

Rieko mumbled a response as she smiled against his cheek. She slid off him and cuddled at his side.

"Do you know all these people?” he asked.

Rieko sleepily followed his gaze to the pictures on her walls, desk, and shelves. “Yeah.” She thought about all the memories and good friends those pictures held for her. He'd been in her quarter's dozens of times, why was it now that he asked about this?

"Taylor said I could use his camera to add some of the people from
Resolution
,” she told him.

"Is that all I am?” he asked. Hurt showed in his voice. “An addition to the collection?"

Rieko propped her chin on his chest. “No. Of course not.” She met his blue eyes with hers of black.
How could he even think that
? “I love you, Stuart."

His stormy eyes looked at her with questions. “You've loved others on that wall."

"A few.” She remembered that loving someone and getting a relationship to form and grow between two people were very different things. “Don't try to tell me I'm the first girl you've ever been with."

A small crooked smile tugged at his lips and then quickly faded, leaving his face solid and his eyes intense. “I do care about you, Rieko. I've never let anyone this close before,” he said in a soft whisper.