“Care for some brandy?” Kalli said, handing him the glass.
He took the glass that still retained the heat from her hands and sipped it appreciatively. Ahh, delicious. A sense of well-being started spreading throughout his body, further aggravating his response to the woman in front of him.
She had covered herself with a velvet robe, but he would bet she was wearing nothing else underneath, and the knowledge was at once titillating and alarming. She was watching him pensively while sipping her own brandy.
She was about to say something; he wasn’t sure what, but at that moment there was a knock on the door. It was a kitchen boy with two pails of hot water. Kalli directed him to place the buckets by the fire and, after giving him a coin for his efforts, dismissed him. Grabbing one bucket, she slowly poured it into the tub.
He wanted to protest. To tell her he could do it himself, but she didn’t give him time. And the hot water felt delicious.
“You are spoiling me.”
“It is in my own best interests to keep you in good health.”
“I’m hardly ill.”
“Not yet, but if you don’t warm up rapidly, you are likely to catch a chill, and that would be a nuisance.”
“I’m warm enough. In fact, one could say I’m overheated.”
She made a point of glancing at his member before replying in a low, velvety voice. “I can see that. Would you like something to nibble on?”
Yes, your lips.Luckily, he didn’t say that out loud. Or, at least, he didn’t think he had. The way her eyes crinkled with amusement informed him she was aware of where his thoughts had wandered. She had probably done it on purpose, too. The sly minx was trying to seduce him.
The idea should have alarmed him, given the resolutions he had made during this afternoon’s walk. But all his intentions were melting in the face of her irresistible allure. It might be the hot water, or the brandy, or maybe the intimate atmosphere, but he could not remember why it was such a bad idea to have sex with her.
What had seemed so clear in the harsh light of day was becoming blurred in the seductive heat and dim glow of this room. Maybe they could indulge. Just a little. As long as they both knew the terms and conditions. As long as they both played by the same set of rules. It didn’t have to be a problem. They were both rational adults.
She had gone to the table to retrieve a plate of fruits. It was supposed to be dessert, but just as in everything else, she seemed determined to break the established arrangement.
Coming back to sit next to the tub, she popped a piece of strawberry in her mouth, closing her eyes to better savor the fruit. His own mouth watered at the image. She then grabbed another piece of fruit with her fingers and held it in front of his mouth. He promptly captured it, closing his lips over her fingers, and was rewarded by her sharp intake of breath. It felt good to turn the tables back on her.
The atmosphere between them became charged. The air fairly crackled with sexual tension. He wanted nothing more than to tug her into the tub and have their wet, naked bodies sliding against each other. But some things needed to be said first.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” he asked quietly.
She shrugged. “If that’s what you want to call it. I would just call it signaling that I’m willing if you are.”
He raised his brows, his eyes boring into hers. “I would say my ‘willingness’ is more than evident.”
She smiled at that, but then her eyes turned serious. “I know the flesh is willing. But is the mind in agreement?”
He sobered too and replied honestly. “The mind has doubts, but at this moment, it can’t recall any good reason why this shouldn’t happen. There’s one thing I would like it to make clear, though.”
“Yes?”
“It would be purely physical. Like engaging in a sport. I don’t want our personal relationship to change. We obviously have needs that have gone unsatisfied while we have been on this mission. But as soon as we get back to our time, we will return to our lives and our parbots. And our relationship will continue to be strictly professional. I don’t want emotional entanglements.”
“We can’t always control our emotions, Dariux. I don’t think anyone can predict or dictate that.”
“I can. I have spent my life cultivating a logical and rational mind, culling useless emotions and unnecessary drama. If you can’t promise that you will do the same, I’m afraid we won’t be able to...indulge. As much as it would pain me to deny us.”
Kalli lowered her eyes. He watched as the cogs in her brain turned, considering her options. She wasn’t as confident as him in their ability to remain unmoved. At least not in her ability. But he was adamant about this. And he was being honest and upfront about his position. He would not move forward unless she accepted his conditions. He saw the moment she capitulated.
“Fine. I accept your conditions. No entanglements. No drama. All I ask is that you allow me to scan your brain after a certain period of...intimacy.”
His body tensed at that. “That seems highly invasive of my privacy.”
“It is no more than what we are doing to all the test subjects we are studying.”
