Solo gazed into Cecily’s eyes, indulging himself with a single instant of anticipation.

Then he bent to press his lips to hers, sealing their unspoken bargain at last.

She moaned softly and he smiled against her mouth.

He had designed this body, selected it specifically for himself. It was long, lean and well-muscled - an efficient machine for life on this planet, and sculpted to appeal to the aesthetic tastes of any human female lucky enough to come across it.

If it pleased her, Solo was proud of a job well done.

She shivered with desire in his arms.

A corresponding wave of lust was nearly his undoing. This was a dangerous game he played. It would require iron control.

He cupped her cheek and deepened their kiss.

Cecily kissed him back passionately.

Solo slid his hand down from her cheek to caress her hair, her back.

Cecily pressed closer to him and he felt her breasts through the thin fabric of her shirt. The sensation was incredible. He could feel the soft warmth as they flattened against his own chest, her stiff nipples the only bit that didn’t mold itself to him.

He slid both hands under her bottom and lifted her up.

Cecily made a small surprised sound but didn’t break their kiss. Instead she twined her arms around his neck and locked her ankles at the small of his back.

He climbed into the bed with her, pinning her to the mattress with his hips.

Cecily stroked his shoulders and slid her hands into his hair as he devoured her mouth.

His cock raged against the confines of the towel. Solo pulled away from the kiss to gather himself.

Cecily gazed up at him, her eyes soft with lust, her lips swollen.

He leaned down again and brushed her collarbone with one feather-light kiss, and another.

Her nipples strained against the fabric of her shirt.

He nuzzled one and then the other.

Cecily gasped.

Solo slid one hand under her shirt, lifting it up to reveal her beautiful breasts. He lowered his head to lick one nipple into his mouth.

It pouted against his tongue and he sucked lightly.

Cecily caught her breath.

He kissed his way to her other breast, toying with the first with his hand as he licked and sucked.

Cecily’s hands clenched the sheets and he felt her hips lift against his.

He hoped he could satiate her hunger.

She wasn’t ready for them to belong to each other. No matter what she told him now, it would only be her need talking. But he hoped that if he could pleasure her without clicking with her, it might strengthen the bond they already shared.

He tucked his fingers into her silky waistband and she lifted her bottom to help him slide her shorts and panties off.

He kissed his way down her belly and nudged her thighs apart.

She spread them willingly for him, and his heart surged with gratitude.

Though he had watched many films at the lab that were designed to stimulate his sexual organs, they were nothing but a shadow, a meager appetizer compared to the sensual feast before him.

Cecily’s sex was pink as a shell and glistening, the heat and delicate fragrance that clung to her irresistible.

And this wasn’t a strange woman on a flickering screen. This was Cecily, his Cecily, the brave and funny woman he adored, real and warm, allowing him to see her and touch her in this way.

Solo took a breath and begged himself to go slowly and draw out the moment for as long as possible.

He lowered his mouth and tasted her.

Cecily cried out helplessly.

Unable to restrain himself, Solo responded with what he knew she wanted, long, deep strokes of his tongue.

Cecily tangled her hands in his hair, her hips trembling.

He slid one finger against her opening and pressed it inside slowly, reveling in the velvety heat that enveloped it.

His cock pounded against the mattress.

By the three moons of Aerie, give me strength.

Cecily whimpered and lifted her hips against his mouth.

He licked around his finger, searching, and found what he was looking for.

Cecily cried out as he applied his efforts to the stiff little bud that seemed to swell and pout against his tongue.

He slid his finger slowly in and out of her delicious heat and teased and tormented her swollen clitoris until she was panting and her hands clutched in his hair.

“Please,” she whispered.

The word cut through him and he gave her the quick, firm strokes she craved.

He could feel the exact moment when her ecstasy overtook her. She stilled beneath him then clasped around his finger in a series of fluttering contractions, her clit stiff against his tongue as she cried out her pleasure.

When she had stilled, he crawled up beside her.

Cecily’s cheeks were pink and her eyes shiny. She looked both relaxed and surprised.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Wow,” he agreed, kissing the constellation of freckles on her nose.

She turned over onto her side to face him, sending her breasts bouncing against his chest in a very pleasant way.

But when she slid her hand down his body, he caught her by the wrist.

“No,” he told her.

She looked up at him in surprise.

“It’s not that I don’t want it,” he told her.

“Clearly,” she said, raising an eyebrow at the shape of him, stark and stiff against her through the towel.

“You know what happens if I click with you, right?” he asked.

“But you don’t do that unless you’re mating for life,” she said, looking a little worried.

“That’s right,” he told her. “I would not want to do that unless we were ready to take that step. But my heart has already chosen you as my mate. So if I make love with you I’m not sure if I can stop it from happening.”

“We don’t have to make love,” she suggested, taking his hand and rubbing his index finger across her plush lips.

He felt it in his cock and closed his eyes against the pleasure.

“No,” he told her. “But I don’t want to risk doing anything you’re not ready for.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,” she said. But he could feel her relaxing into the idea.

“May I hold you while we sleep?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said. And in spite of all that had just passed between them, she sounded a little embarrassed.

He lay on his back and opened his arms to her.

Cecily scooted close and rested her head on his chest.

“What did you mean when you said your heart had already chosen me?” she asked after a moment. “Does that mean that all of this is inevitable? That I don’t have a choice?”

“Of course you have a choice,” he told her. “I have to choose you as my mate. Then you have to choose to accept me as yours. After that, we could click. But only if you accept me. If you asked me to leave today, I would never love another, but I would be able to go. If we clicked, I’m not sure what would happen if you didn’t want me around anymore.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Are you sorry that I chose you?” he asked, trying not to wrap up his hopes too much in her answer.

“No,” she said. “I- I really care about you, Solo. I’ve tried hard not to, but I can’t seem to help it.”

He laughed.

“I guess that’s not a very romantic thing to say,” she said, laughing a little.

“It’s honest, and that’s one of the reasons I love you,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “I’m glad you care about me.”

“Me too,” she said.

She was quiet a long time.

He stroked her back with his fingers.

When he was sure she must be asleep he felt her lips move against his chest.

“Let’s try, Solo,” she whispered.

“Try what?” he asked.

“Let’s see how the relationship thing goes,” she said. “No mating for life and no promises. Just us, seeing what it’s like to be together.”

“I’d like that,” he told her, tears prickling his eyes.

“Mmm,” was her only response.

Her breathing went soft and slow and he knew she had gone to sleep.

But Solo stayed awake for a long time, joy bubbling in his chest at the possibilities tomorrow offered.