The Sunfire (7 page)

Sofia had not been able to talk to Jon for the past week, as
he had been accompanied most of the time by an older, very handsome Fleet
Officer. From what she had been able to ascertain, they were old friends.

Sofia had therefore remained in the background while Jon
thanked the doctors, when discharged from the hospital. She wondered if she was
the only person who noticed how pale he looked and how each step looked like
complete agony. Yet Jon had always been a master at hiding his emotions from
others
—
except perhaps Paul. Sofia noticed he had kept
close beside Jon the entire time and recognised the concern in his gaze, one
that mirrored her own. Jon now occupied a similar apartment to hers, farther
down the hall. He had made it clear to all that her protection was still his
responsibility and therefore insisted on remaining close by. She was unsure
what protection he could offer as it looked like a stiff breeze would blow him
over at any moment.

Glancing back at the chronometer, she observed it was now
very early in the morning and it was not just her anxiety for Jon that had kept
her awake these past few nights. If she was completely honest with herself, she
had become accustomed to the reassuring drumbeat of his heart while he had
remained unconscious. Ever since then she had found it impossible to sleep.

Sofia once again glanced at the datapad resting on her
bedside table
—
the other reason why she had been unable to
sleep, for she had finished working on her first draft on this device only a
few hours earlier. It had been Jon’s comment about leaving politics to the
politicians that had given her the seed of the idea. She had spent the past
week in the Senate library researching historical records for inspiration.
Hopefully, what existed on that datapad would solve all their problems and give
Jon and her a chance to be together, something he had so painfully reminded her
was not currently possible.

Finally, recognising sleep would not be forthcoming and that
there was no time like the present, she climbed out of bed remembering the
first time she had sneaked into Jon’s quarters late at night. Looking back at
the incident on the
Imperial Star
, many months earlier, Sofia giggled at
the memory of Jon’s look of complete shock and disbelief when she had pushed
back her hood to reveal her face. However, the strongest memory of that event
was how her mouth had gone dry when she had, for the very first time, seen Jon
in nothing more than a pair of shorts. She vividly remembered how, as she had
gazed upon his perfect figure, his sculpted chest, an unexpected bolt of desire
had hit her, leaving her breathless.

Perchance the same cloak she had worn that night was resting
on the back of a chair in her apartment, one of the few articles of clothing
she had brought with her. Giving the datapad one more thoughtful glace, a
naughty smile spread across her face.
I wonder what Jon is wearing tonight?

Putting on the cloak and grabbing the datapad, she hurried
from her room to find out.

*****

As had become his habit of late, Jon awoke slowly, clinging
to the edge of a dream about Sofia. He was still half asleep and caught up in
the strangeness of the dream, when something halted his progress. Something
warm and soft, something that, when he reached over to drape an arm around to
pull closer towards him, murmured a quiet, satisfied sound. His eyes still
closed, he moved his hand leisurely down the length of it, only to have it
stretch lazily and curl its bare legs with his.

Slowly, it dawned on him he wasn’t alone in his bed. So he
opened one eye slowly and, in the thin morning light that floated into the
room, he saw Sofia and heard the soft sigh of her breathing. He smelt the musky
fragrance of her hair and felt the heat of her body pressed intimately into
his. His fingers wandered through her hair, skimming lightly over the silky
strands before winding a single bright red coil around his finger.

“Sofia,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “What are you
doing in my bed?”

She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled
sleepily. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth was open, curling into the hint
of a naughty smile. “Hmm,” was all she said in reply. Her eyes remained closed.

“What are you doing in my bed?” he repeated more urgently.
“How did you get here?”

“I climbed in, silly,” she yawned. “I sneaked into your room
earlier, as I wanted to tell you something, but you were already asleep.”

Jon could hear the irritation in her voice. “You sneaked
into my apartment while I was asleep?” he asked. Surprised at how calm he
managed to keep his voice, not to mention himself.

She wrinkled her nose a bit. “Hmm, considering my current
position, I prefer to think of it as sneaking into
my
apartment.” She
yawned again and brushed her hands through her hair.

“So did you sleep well?” He asked, considering this was the
second
time
they had now slept together, he decided it was not worth the trouble
to argue about it.

“Hmm,” was all she said in reply. Her eyes remained closed.

“So can I ask you
why
you sneaked into my apartment
in the middle of the night?” He asked, genuinely curious. Anyway his body was
starting to react to her closeness, as he could feel the warmth of her, pressed
firmly against his bare chest, though her short, thin, white silky nightgown.
Talking was a good idea; it stopped his mind drifting to other things.

Finally opening her eyes, she stared into Jon’s beautiful
grey eyes, only inches from her own. She could feel the warmth of his breath,
but her gaze kept being drawn to his soft lips, so close to hers. Trying to
focus on what he was saying, she finally remembered the purpose for her visit.
“I’ve found a way for us to be together, for me to overcome my father’s burden.
Please believe me Jon, it’s all on this datapad.” She motioned to the device she
had slipped onto his bedside table, prior to climbing into bed with him, having
been unwilling to wake him.

Rolling over, so he was hovering over her, he stared into
her sparkling emerald eyes, seeing the honesty of her words reflected in them.
He didn’t even glance at the device on the table, for in truth he cared little
for what the device might hold. All he ever wanted was right in front of him,
here, now, and he finally gave into his long held desire for her. “Good
enough,” he growled, a husky note clearly audible in his voice as he leaned
forwards to kiss her passionately.

Sofia had no chance to escape, and had no desire to do so.
She suddenly found herself within his embrace and only had time to gasp with
surprise as his mouth descended on hers. The touch of his mouth once again
caused her whole being to explode into a thousand pieces of light. With a moan,
she wound her arms around his neck, kissing him back with a passion that was
causing her head to swim.

Hearing him groaning, the sound so full of need as to feed
her own desire at that moment, she felt his hands move over her body, the warm
touch of him raising such need so deep within her. Sofia groaned back, moving
in even closer against him, and felt his arousal against her leg through the
thin shorts he wore in bed. She could feel herself sinking under the desire he
was raising within her and her fingers moved shakily against his naked chest.

As she moaned gently, she felt the rough hair of his chest
under her fingers. Continuing down, they brushed along his firm stomach. With a
deep masculine groan he pulled the top of her nightgown down in one quick,
simple action. Sofia shuddered, her firm breasts revealed, the nipples so hard,
as his hands cupped one, gently nipping the stiff centre before his mouth
descended, his tongue teasing it so exquisitely. As she groaned, he pushed the
thin garment down farther, allowing it to pool at her waist as he once more
pulled her in tightly against him. Now their bare flesh was crushed together,
sending shock waves through both of their bodies.

With a deep, husky sound he swept her into his arms, gently
laying her back down onto the bed, his mouth kissing her, keeping her head
spinning, before moving away as she whimpered, wanting him back. However, she
watched him with dark, passion-filled eyes as he quickly pulled off his shorts,
his eyes moving down to admire her slender figure, all of which was quivering
with such a need for him.

Sofia watched him, gasping as he finally lay next to her,
completely naked. She saw how aroused he was, how he devoured her with eyes
which were glowing with such fire within them, as he once more lay over her. He
saw the hesitation enter her eyes, along with the need in them. He kissed her
neck, moving down to her breasts, taking each in turn, his tongue causing such
sensations to travel through her as her back arched against him. As she writhed
under him, her fingers ran down his side so gently that he shivered violently,
once more consumed with the need to fill her, burying himself within her. As he
raised himself over her, looking into those large emerald eyes, he saw such
passion in them, watched as they fluttered closed, her legs automatically
opening for him as he prepared to enter her.

As he slowly began to thrust within her, she gasped loudly,
her eyes flying open as he felt the resistance, the tear within her. Jon
groaned, the realisation of her untouched state coming to him even while unable
to stop his body’s determined advance. He kissed her stunned mouth, continuing
to push more slowly as she stayed motionless. The sudden shock of his
penetration stilling her before once again, with a small shudder, she began to
move under him, as he finally felt his whole length filling her.

Feeling the tightness all around him made him groan, as he
felt the waves building within him. Stopping, panting gently, he held back from
his need to thrust hard within her, his whole body shaking with what it took
him to resist, as the sweat broke out on his brow. Finally, he was able to
begin moving gently as she gasped below him, her hands moving along his back,
causing him to moan even louder.

Sofia felt the pain as he took her, but it was a sweet pain,
soon replaced by the wonderful sensations his movements were raising within
her, as he rocked so gently. With each thrusting action she could feel the most
amazing tremors running through her body, until with a cry, she felt herself
erupt from the very core of her being. The waves of pleasure ripped through her
entire body as she gasped, her head thrown back, unable to stop herself with
the power of her orgasm which continued to hold her as she quivered, her whole
body shuddering.

Feeling the waves beating around him, Jon groaned with
relief as he thrust deeper and faster, keeping her rocketing through space.
When he came, such blessed relief filled him, the sensations so intense he
heard himself crying out, becoming momentarily separated from his body,
floating with her. After what seemed an age he fell limply over her softness,
his weight pinning her as they both fought to steady their ragged breathing.

Finally, in a state of euphoria, he gently kissed her,
seeing the happiness in her eyes at what had just happened between them. At
last he experienced the emotions he had been missing for so long. He looked
down at her wonderful face, her expression showing the depth of her emotion
and, for the first time since his sister’s death, he felt happy to be alive.

Moving from her, he lay on his side, spooning her back
against this chest, his fingers softly raking through her hair, before
whispering into her ear. “Sleep, we can talk more about your idea later.”

Sofia looked over her shoulder drowsily, nodding and giving
him a tender kiss on the lips before her eyes fluttered shut.

Jon waited until her breathing evened out, ensuring she was
sleeping soundly, her naked form firmly wrapped in his arms, both of them
covered by the blanket, before allowing his own eyes to slowly close,
contentment overwhelming him.

*****

Jon awoke slowly, worrying for a moment that everything had
just been a fantastic dream, but glancing at the sleeping angel in his arms, he
was reassured that it was indeed no dream. Comforted that Sofia was fine, he
slowly stretched his tired muscles, trying not to wake her, idly wondering what
it was that had awoken him.

Only half-awake, Jon wondered if it was really ringing that
he could hear in the distance or whether it was just the gentle sound of
Sofia’s heart, beating in rhythm to his own. Seeing her eyes flutter open, he
asked her sleepily. “Is it just me or can you hear ringing from somewhere?”

Turning around, to bury her face into the crook of his neck,
nuzzling him contently she replied drowsily. “Isn’t that my line? Something
about how I hoped that Eden moved for you too?”

Deciding to ignore the noise, as Jon had far better ideas of
how to spend the morning than going to investigate, he pushed the blanket from
their warm bodies and started to kiss Sofia’s neck, heading lower. The small
gasps this provoked from her  only encouraged him more. So intent was he on
this task that he failed to hear the door begin to slide open. It was only the
cool breeze from the now open door that alerted him and he immediately rolled
over onto this side, carrying Sofia with him, protecting her modesty with his
own body.

“Jon!” Paul shouted, rushing into the room red faced. “We
cannot find the Princess. She seems to have disappeared from her room. Security
has already sealed off the complex and are starting a room-by-room search.”

Jon’s only response was to curse softly into Sofia’s neck,
invoking a giggle from the woman. He was just about to respond to his old
friend, first with the suggestion that next time he knock and then to reassure
him that the Princess was well and safe, when Sofia beat him to it.

Peering over Jon’s shoulder at the shocked Paul, who was
only just taking in the scene before him, she gave him a dazzling smile. “Hi,
Paul isn’t it? Are you looking for me?”