The club was dark, loud, and crowded, as it should be. At first, no one noticed the Milisarian Knight who towered over everyone. When a young waitress spied him, her mouth fell open in surprise, quickly followed by an appreciative mumble, "You're one big hunk of man. My cousin thinks her man's a tall drink of water. I guess she hasn't seen you yet."

Nancy glared at the waitress, who turned to her and said, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, sugar. I already have a man, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a fine one." Nancy knew it was going to be a long, torturous night. Women who had heard the waitress were eyeing Srath like he was candy and the no-good jerk was grinning at them all. Hadn't he just said that he was enthralled by her beauty? That hadn't lasted very long. She grabbed his hand and pulled, making him walk in the direction of the bar. She needed a drink before she burst a blood vessel due to her anger.

Srath appeared shocked when she ordered a shot and downed it without a word. He asked, "Was that some form of medication?"

Nancy replied, "You could say that. It's actually an alcoholic beverage that relaxes you and helps you have fun."

"Is that why everyone is smiling at me? They are drinking this beverage, and it makes them happy?"

"The only ones smiling at you are the women. They're doing it to get your attention, not because of the drinks. They all want your body; that's why I needed the drink,” Nancy tried to explain.

Srath was confused. "I do not understand. Why does that mean you need to drink? The men are smiling at you, yet I do not need a drink to have fun."

"Never mind. It's complicated and not your fault. I'm better now, anyway. Do you want to learn to dance?"

"Why not,” he replied. "It seems easy enough. It is just a whole lot of shaking, wiggling, and rubbing against each other. I can do that."

His simplistic description of dancing struck her as humorous, and she laughed. He was right though. There really wasn't much more to dancing. She allowed Srath to lead her onto the floor. The crowd made room for the large man. In the darkened room, he looked human, except for his size. That was good, because she hadn't noticed any other aliens present. She began to move with the music and Srath followed her example. He could keep the beat really well, and it surprised her how easily he picked up the steps.

"I like this dancing,” he said. "It is entertaining and reminds me of swordplay. The movements are somewhat the same." He showed her an example of how his body moved when swinging a sword. It was a lot like dancing. She could imagine how beautiful the sight of hundreds of these knights swinging swords and swaying so gracefully must appear.

The music changed. It was a slow song. Srath looked bewildered, so she took his hands and placed them on her waist. Then she reached up to put hers around his neck. He was too tall, so she settled for his chest. She showed him how to sway gently to the music.

Srath liked the feel of Nancy under his hands. His chest tingled where she touched him. Glancing at the other couples, he saw that they were dancing much closer together, so he tugged Nancy against his hard body. Her breath let out in a whoosh when she slammed into him. He apologized, "I did not mean to be so rough. I forget that human females are delicate. I thought you would want to dance like the others."

Nancy couldn't speak. Between the body slam and the feel of his muscles rubbing against her, she had lost all of her air. He was so warm and his body so hard, it was impossible to ignore her attraction to him. Surely, there was steam coming out of her ears. Srath seemed to be affected by their closeness as well. His breathing had changed, and when she looked into his eyes, they were black once more. He no longer watched the other dancers. His gaze locked on hers and made her feel that there was no one else in the room. A spell had been cast. They stood without moving, until a rough hand grabbed her from behind. "What the hell are you doing with this creature?” a deep voice demanded. "You shouldn't let filth put their hands on you. It isn't allowed in my club! Get it out of here!"

Nancy felt Srath tense up, ready to spring into battle. She looked into his face and slowly shook her head. Then she turned her back to him and faced the intruder. "Don't refer to Srath as an it. He is a man. A much better one than you, it would seem. He hasn't shown any disdain for the humans in this club, whereas you are an intolerant ass! Don't worry; we're leaving. I wouldn't want to cause you any more pain. I'm sure you get enough every time you look in the mirror."

She could hear the grinding of the man's teeth as he demanded, "Get out! You are not welcome here. Don't ever come back."

Nancy retorted, "You couldn't pay me to step foot in here again. I think you need to put a sign out front that lets everyone know this club is run by a prejudiced fool. It would save you a lot of time and good people a lot of money and aggravation." She stomped toward the door, glancing back to be sure Srath was coming as well. He was, and so were most of the crowd. They apparently didn't like the club policy either.

Outside, the crowd slapped Srath on the back as they each walked by. Several times he was told, "Sorry for his attitude, man. We hope you don't hold it against us all. You're okay with us." Others praised Nancy for standing up to the club owner. "Good job, lady. He deserved that and more. We'll never go there again."

Nancy offered to take Srath to a different club, but he said, "This one was enough. I managed to keep from striking the man down, but I cannot do it again. My chest aches with the effort."

She replied, "I'm so sorry. I should have realized it was a problem when I didn't see other aliens inside. I ignored my instinct because I was jealous of the women staring at you."

"But, I did not want them!” Srath began. "I wanted to be here with you. It is true that I like to share myself with many females, but tonight I only see you."

Nancy supposed that in his own way, Srath was trying to compliment and reassure her. He wasn't very good at it. She was still feeling a little let down when he added, "I would not have stopped myself from fighting for anyone except you. Does that not mean anything to you?"

"Yes, it does,” she answered. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. He immediately lifted her off the ground, bringing her lips even with his own. He placed his mouth against hers and moved it gently. Nancy moaned, and her lips parted. She ran her tongue over his lips. He went mad. Placing her back on the brick wall of the club, he held her suspended in the air. His mouth began to roam over her face and neck as his hands caressed her curves. Nancy was in heaven.

Srath smelled the musky scent on Nancy's skin. It made him crave to lick every inch of her. He could not believe how hungry she made him. There had been dozens of sexy females in the club. He would normally have chosen several to have a wild night with. Yet, he only felt desire for this one. It was a puzzle to him. He would have to solve it later. For now, he wished to taste more of her soft mouth. Returning to her lips, he sank his tongue into the depths of hot sweetness and let it tangle with hers.

Nancy raised his t-shirt and let her fingers explore his six pack. The muscles rippled under her touch. His skin was like silk covering the rock-hard abs. Moving her hands higher, she brushed over his nipples. He shuddered in response and lifted her higher in the air. Now her breasts were level with his mouth. His hot, wet tongue slid across the plumpness that showed over the low-cut vest. His teeth scraped her gently. She pulled his head closer and using his teeth, he tugged down the vest until a full globe was free. He nuzzled it until the nipple hardened, then surrounded it with the warmth of his lips. Nancy cried out as a pulsing went through her center. Nothing had ever felt so good.

Somewhere in the darkness, a clock chimed the hour. Nancy's mind jerked back to reality. It was curfew, and she hadn't returned Srath to the spaceship yet. She pushed at his shoulders until he allowed her to drop to her feet. His eyes were hooded by his long lashes. She could smell the passion coming from his skin. Though she wanted him desperately, it was not the right time. If he was caught out after curfew, he would be sent to jail. She couldn't take him to a hotel. They would be reported. She couldn't take him home; her mother would be there. She had no choice. She had to get him back to the ship and hope Alexis and Nabvan wouldn't find out he was late.

Srath bent to nuzzle her neck, but she protested. "You've got to stop. It's past curfew. I have to sneak you back to the ship, and you'll be difficult to hide." She started straightening her clothes.

"Forget about curfew,” Srath commanded. "I am not a child who should be told when to go home. I wish to make love to you. Can we not find a secluded spot?"

Almost melting at the picture that his words brought to mind, she steadied herself and replied, "I would like nothing more, but we can't do it tonight. If we are caught, it would be disastrous. Tomorrow we must face the president. It will ruin all our chances if you end up in jail for disobeying the law. Cooperate with me, please."

Srath nodded in compliance, though it pained him in many ways. He had given up so much of his pride already, and this just made it worse. He was a man with desires, and there was a willing woman at hand. Yet, he must go to his room like a child, forbidden to enjoy the night. Only for Nancy and the aliens who needed his help would he allow himself to be treated this way. He was aware of a change in himself, and he was not sure he liked it.

Nancy kept to the shadows of the buildings as they made their way to the transport station. She reminded Srath to be quiet and not speak. She found an empty transport unit and waved him inside with relief. Their stop was a busy one, even at night. She had him slide out the wrong side of the transport, away from the platform. Bushes beside the tracks gave them cover to leave the lighted station.

The spaceship was guarded by two of Srath's friends. They allowed him to pass without incident or questions. Srath tried to coax her aboard, but she shook her head. "If Alexis finds me in there, she will raise hell. Besides, it will be quieter with just one person, and if you are seen anywhere in the ship, you can make some excuse for wandering around. If I was with you, they would easily figure out that you were late."

Srath refused to let her go without a special goodbye. He seared her mouth with a hot kiss she would be reliving in her dreams. He whispered, "We will finish this at another time. I am not done with you. I intend to make you tingle with desire and scream with your surrender." He walked into the ship, leaving her weak in the knees and panting.