lips were pursed as if waiting for more. He couldn't deny her, and kissed her again.
"Excuse us," Viktor suddenly said to the Lyrissians. Before anyone could stop him, he had S'rea slung over his shoulder and was heading for the door she had burst through earlier. "Don't wait up," he yelled back to Tarn.
* * *
"Where are you taking me?" S'rea demanded. She was again seated as far away from him as she could in the ground vehicle.
"I thought your bedroom would make it look more authentic," he said, looking rather pleased with himself.
"My bedroom?"
"Yes, isn't that where you mate?" he asked.
"I do not mate anywhere," she told him. "Others mate wherever the male feels the need to."
A few weeks ago he might have thought she was exaggerating, but after witnessing Karo's attempt to take her in a memorial, he knew it was as bad as she said it was.
"We don't have to," he said. "I would never ever force myself on a woman who didn't want to."
S'rea stared at him as if she could read the truth in his mind. "I believe you, U-man. However, they will want proof."
"And how would they know?" he asked.
"There will be a physical examination," she said. "They will look for evidence that mating took place. Specifically for your semen in my vaginal passage."
Viktor slumped back against the seat. "I hadn't expected that," he said. "I'll think of something."
The look she gave him said she was anything but assured.
"Do you have turkey basters?" he asked hopefully.
* * *
Viktor locked S'rea's bedroom door and hesitated before joining her on the bed. "You do not have to do this," he told her again. "I can take the blame."
"Then we will both die," she said. "We have no choice. Please get this over with quickly."
"No," he said.
"No?" she repeated.
"You heard me. I will not get this over with quickly. If we're doing this, we're doing it the U-man way. The right way."
S'rea visibly tensed. Either way was alien to her.
If they were going to do this, he needed her to relax, not panic. "Let's talk first," he said.
"Talk?"
"Yes. I want to get to know you," he said, and smiled. "Tell me about your parents. How did they meet?"
S'rea frowned, but did as he asked. She licked her lips, and his gaze zeroed in on the action. "My mother's father held the position my father now holds," she said. "My mother used to tell me this story when I was young. That my father joined her father's staff and he would visit regularly. He was much older than my mother. She was still a child. My father was the only one who would even acknowledge her. Mother decided that she would mate with him when it was her time. Her father told her that my father was waiting until he had enough status to approach a female that he wanted, and that her father admired him for that. It made my mother jealous, but it bought her time. She was several years away from being first fertile.
"One day when my father visited, she ignored him. It was her first fertile month. The way she tells the story, it drove him wild, and she made him chase her across the city. She said it was to make him feel as if he had earned the honor when she allowed him to catch her."
"What does your father think?" Viktor asked.
S'rea startled, as if she had forgotten he was there. She had been lost in the memory. "I do not know. I have never asked."
"Maybe you should," he said. Viktor had his suspicions about what Tarn would say. Even if the Lyrissians had no translation for the word love , it sounded like S'rea's parents knew what it meant.
"Maybe I will," she said as if she were seriously considering the idea. "How did your parents meet?"
Viktor's smile faded. "Don't know," he said. "I can guess, though. He was either on leave from Space Corps or some drunk man passing through."
"I do not understand," she said.
"My mother was what we call a prostitute. Will mate with anyone who has enough money. She never told me who my father was and I doubt she knew either."
"We do not have those here," she
"Excuse us," Viktor suddenly said to the Lyrissians. Before anyone could stop him, he had S'rea slung over his shoulder and was heading for the door she had burst through earlier. "Don't wait up," he yelled back to Tarn.
* * *
"Where are you taking me?" S'rea demanded. She was again seated as far away from him as she could in the ground vehicle.
"I thought your bedroom would make it look more authentic," he said, looking rather pleased with himself.
"My bedroom?"
"Yes, isn't that where you mate?" he asked.
"I do not mate anywhere," she told him. "Others mate wherever the male feels the need to."
A few weeks ago he might have thought she was exaggerating, but after witnessing Karo's attempt to take her in a memorial, he knew it was as bad as she said it was.
"We don't have to," he said. "I would never ever force myself on a woman who didn't want to."
S'rea stared at him as if she could read the truth in his mind. "I believe you, U-man. However, they will want proof."
"And how would they know?" he asked.
"There will be a physical examination," she said. "They will look for evidence that mating took place. Specifically for your semen in my vaginal passage."
Viktor slumped back against the seat. "I hadn't expected that," he said. "I'll think of something."
The look she gave him said she was anything but assured.
"Do you have turkey basters?" he asked hopefully.
* * *
Viktor locked S'rea's bedroom door and hesitated before joining her on the bed. "You do not have to do this," he told her again. "I can take the blame."
"Then we will both die," she said. "We have no choice. Please get this over with quickly."
"No," he said.
"No?" she repeated.
"You heard me. I will not get this over with quickly. If we're doing this, we're doing it the U-man way. The right way."
S'rea visibly tensed. Either way was alien to her.
If they were going to do this, he needed her to relax, not panic. "Let's talk first," he said.
"Talk?"
"Yes. I want to get to know you," he said, and smiled. "Tell me about your parents. How did they meet?"
S'rea frowned, but did as he asked. She licked her lips, and his gaze zeroed in on the action. "My mother's father held the position my father now holds," she said. "My mother used to tell me this story when I was young. That my father joined her father's staff and he would visit regularly. He was much older than my mother. She was still a child. My father was the only one who would even acknowledge her. Mother decided that she would mate with him when it was her time. Her father told her that my father was waiting until he had enough status to approach a female that he wanted, and that her father admired him for that. It made my mother jealous, but it bought her time. She was several years away from being first fertile.
"One day when my father visited, she ignored him. It was her first fertile month. The way she tells the story, it drove him wild, and she made him chase her across the city. She said it was to make him feel as if he had earned the honor when she allowed him to catch her."
"What does your father think?" Viktor asked.
S'rea startled, as if she had forgotten he was there. She had been lost in the memory. "I do not know. I have never asked."
"Maybe you should," he said. Viktor had his suspicions about what Tarn would say. Even if the Lyrissians had no translation for the word love , it sounded like S'rea's parents knew what it meant.
"Maybe I will," she said as if she were seriously considering the idea. "How did your parents meet?"
Viktor's smile faded. "Don't know," he said. "I can guess, though. He was either on leave from Space Corps or some drunk man passing through."
"I do not understand," she said.
"My mother was what we call a prostitute. Will mate with anyone who has enough money. She never told me who my father was and I doubt she knew either."
"We do not have those here," she
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