Never Talk to Strangers...

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Star Wars universe. It all belongs to George Lucas as far as I know and I make no money from my stories or this site. I do however keep myself sane during severe bouts of insomnia.

This is actually two chapters. I screwed up the first time I tried to post chapter 4.

Chapter 3

The next morning Fett awoke to find her asleep in the chair beside him. As he struggled to sit up, she stirred and yawned.

“Have you been there all night?” He asked.

“I didn’t mean to pass out in the chair,” she stretched her neck sideways. He heard the bones crack loudly. She glanced at the light coming in the window. “Shit! I’ve got to get started on breakfast, Bill’s going to be pissed! You need anything before I go?”

He shook his head. She rushed out the door.

A few moments later, someone knocked. It wasn’t her hesitant knocking, but stronger.

The man the girl called Bill came into the room. “Morning Mr. Fett,” making an obvious effort to be friendly.

“Yes,” he replied, glancing at the window.

“Mind if I sit and talk at you for a minute?”

A shake of the head in answer.

Bill turned the chair around and propped his arms up on the back of it, facing Fett. He didn’t speak for a minute or so, seemed to be deciding what to say.

“Look,” he began, “I don’t know who you are or how you came to be here. Miss Aislynn says you’ve got people looking for you, which I don’t rightly care about. What I do care about is her, and this place. Her father was my friend and I made him a promise.”

“I understand. I will do all I can to avoid putting her at risk.”

“I may not be an educated man, Mr. Fettt, but I am not a stupid one. You smell like danger. You carry it wrapped around you like that iron suit of yours. Mind if I smoke?” the man drew a wooden pipe from hispocket withouut waiting for an answer.

Fett shook his head. “This is your home.”

“No, it’s Aislynn’s home. And it’s falling apart. I’ve been telling the girl to sell this dump and go somewhere civilized for three years but she won’t do it. Cause her momma and her daddy are buried here and she can’t let go of them.”

Fett listened intently.

“All I’m trying to say is that Ash, well, she’s got this soft spot for critters that have got themselves hurt or backed into a corner - or both. I can remember she brought home this snake one time. Fucking rattlesnake. It’s tail had been crushed by a tractor. And when I saw what it was, I cut it’s head off and she must have cried for weeks. She was about six then.”

Bill stopped for a moment. He watched the man in the bed, as if searching for a reaction. Receiving none, he continued. “Birds with broken wings, bats, a fox one time, and this half wild mutt that stuck around for a few years then broke her poor little heart when he up and disappeared one day. But so far, I’ve been able to keep her away from critters of the two-legged variety, you understand?”

Fett nodded. Once.

“I know you think you’re someone big and bad, probably are back where you come from. But if you hurt that girl, I will make sure you pay - even if it damns my soul to the seven hells for eternity. So now I’ve said my piece and I hope we understand each other.”

The two men stared at each other. Fett wondered what the man would think if he knew he was locking wills with one of the most infamous bounty hunters in the galaxy. He decided in that moment that it probably wouldn’t make a bit of difference.

He said slowly and clearly, so there could be no doubt, “If it is within my power, I will not allow any harm to come to her. I give you my word of honor. And I do not take my honor lightly.”

Bill nodded, once, and stood up. “Right, then. I’ve got cattle to tend to, and I ‘spect she’ll be bringing your breakfast up shortly.”

Fett decided that he liked this man Bill. Here was a man he could respect. He shifted his weight and winced at the sharp pain. He certainly hoped he would be able to keep his word when the time came.

~ ~ ~

Messina Da’aar, self styled scourge of the 700 worlds, orbited the tiny planet listed on the map as Amber783. She knew that Fett’s ship had gone down somewhere on the planet, but for some reason, her tracking device was not functioning properly.

She had been circling the planet for five days, hoping to get a fix on Fett’s ship. Under normal circumstances, she would have been content to wait for his return to the known worlds, but circumstances these days were far from normal.

She had narrowed the possible locations of the crash site to three, none of which seemed to be near any of the larger towns. The planet was listed as uninhabited, however the listing must have been ancient. She had located a scattered population of about 1,000,000, not much for such a vast planet.

Perhaps she should mention this place to one of her friends in the real estate business after she disposed of Fett.

Three times now, the annoying bastard had snatched a bounty out from under her nose. He was quickly overtaking her in reputation and in payouts, and that simply was not acceptable. She remembered the Fett when he was nothing more than a snot nosed kid, green to the business.

Well, soon, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Messina made her decision and decided to set her ship down in the central of the three locations. It was close to a larger river, and she was certain to find available local transport to the other two locations if this one turned out to be the wrong site.

She locked in landing coordinates and braced herself for the jolt as the ship entered the planet’s atmosphere.

~ ~ ~
It had been three weeks since the stranger had landed in their field.

The workers had come back from their town run, and Aislynn had locked herself in the house to avoid their inevitable drunken poker nights. Bill MacPhail sat on the porch, smoking his pipe and watching the sky.

He saw the strange burst of light, which flared many miles to the north. The sight made him strangely uneasy. He went into the kitchen and loaded Michael’s shotgun, then went out on the porch to keep vigil. When nothing dire came before the morning, he dismissed it as a shooting star.

~ ~ ~

In the room down the hall, Aislynn sat beside the bed, keeping her own vigil over the injured bounty hunter. Despite all her precautions, he had developed a fever, and now tossed fitfully. The sheets were tangled around him and she was terribly afraid he would injure his leg further by his thrashing.

She had a bowl of cool water beside the bed, and a cloth. Every few minutes she would swirl the cloth in the water and lay it across his forehead. He would calm for a few minutes then go right back to thrashing.

He talked in his sleep, spoke of strange things. He called out for his father, and someone named Zam, again and again. He mumbled about someone called Jedi and then lapsed into languages she didn’t understand.

She had been trying to get him to drink something for several hours, unsuccessfully

He started another round of thrashing as she touched his face. Throwing the rag into the bowl in frustration, she knelt next to the bed. He clutched her hand. His skin was clammy, but not sweaty. If she could only get some water into him, she could get the fever to break and he would be better.

She realized his eyes were open and reached for the water by the bed. “You need to drink. You have to.”

A few sips was all he could manage.

“I’m going to die,” he rasped.

“No,” she said, moving to the edge of the bed and helping him sit up. “You’re not going to die. I won’t let you. But you must drink some water.”

She heaved a sigh of relief when he finally managed to do so.

“Don’t fight the fever. It’s your body’s way of fighting off whatever’s inside you. Just let it do its thing and keep drinking as much as you can. The fever will break.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you need me. And because I want you to live. And that is reason enough. Try to rest,” she urged, and he collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted from the small effort. She smoothed the blankets around him and touched his forehead gently.

She went to move back to the chair, but he grasped her hand, conscious this time. “Don’t leave me.”

She could see fear in his eyes. “I won’t,” she reassured him, moving the blankets over and stretching out beside him.

A few breaths later, he was still and sleeping peacefully, still clutching her hand.

Aislynn gently traced the lines and scars that crossed the back of his hand. She wondered, not for the first time, what secrets the man kept hidden behind his silence. She wondered what had happened to his father. And she wondered if he would remember her when he was well and returned to the stars.

~ ~ ~

The next morning she awoke tangled in his arms and drenched in sweat. His fever had finally broken. She struggled disentangle herself without hurting him or waking him. His eyes fluttered open. His grip tightened a little and he pulled her into his arms. “Morning,” he murmured into her ear.

H released her, and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The first thing she did was hand him the water left in the glass. “Drink that. All of it.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, in a perfect imitation of Bill's dour manner, dutifully taking the glass.

She glanced at him sideways, and he laughed. It was the first time she had heard him do that.

“Your eyes are very pretty when you laugh,” she said simply. Then, “I have to get breakfast started.”

No sooner were the words out of her mouth then Bill came through the door. “Miss Aislynn, I think you’d better come outside. We have a visitor.” His tone of voice told her this was no neighbor from town.

“Bill, stay in here with Boba. I’ll see to our...visitor.”

~ ~ ~

“I, Messinna Da’aar, greet you.”

“Hi there. I’m Aislynn. Aislynn Rhys,” she said, holding out her hand.

The visitor looked at her hand very strangely, touched it lightly with her own slender fingers and then continued, “I wish to speak with the master of this house.”.

The woman before her would have looked normal, and incredibly beautiful, except for the unnerving blue tint to her skin. And her eyes. Even in daylight they gleamed, blood red. Menacing.

Aislynn was not in the mood to be menaced this morning. “You’re speaking to her.”

“Ah, yes, Mistress Aislynn. You have a fine, lush land here,” the woman was trying to be polite, probably, but it was unnerving just being around her, “The ship which has crashed in your field, have you perchance seen the pilot lurking about?”

“No. But I wish he would come get his trash heap off my property. Do you know where he is?”

“No. I am seeking him. He is, Mistress, an extremely dangerous man - a fugitive from justice. He is a bounty hunter and assassin, one of the most infamous in the galaxy. A cold blooded killer by the name of Boba Fett.”

“He can’t be too infamous cause I’ve never heard of him.”

The woman removed a small object from her pocket. “I was concerned on my approach because you seem to have no protection, no guards or towers of any sort. I wish to offer my assistance. Take this,” he woman handed her a small oblong disk. “If you should spot Fett, don’t try to approach him. Activate the beacon and I will arrive as quickly as I can.”

“Why would you help us?”

“Because Fett is worth a lot of money to me. Alive or dead.”

The woman was scanning the yard, and the house trying to figure out if she was lying.

Aislynn decided to take a gamble. “You must be exhausted from your long journey. Would you care for some tea?”

“I’m not certain, I have never encountered this tea. But I would be honored to accept your hospitality. I have traveled far this day.”

“Step into my humble kitchen then, Ms. Messina and I’ll see what I can whip up for you.”

~ ~ ~

In the bedroom, Bill stood just blocked by the curtains, watching the exchange.

“What are they saying?” Fett hissed from the bed.

“I can’t hear them any better than you, boy. Look like they’re just talking. Nope, blue lady is giving Ash something. I hope the girl knows what she’s doing.”

“What’s it look like?”

“Small, shiny, pocket sized, looks like some kind of metal.”

“Probably a tracker, or a beacon.”

“ Dammit girl, what are you doing now...”

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Ash just took her inside,” Bill walked for the door.

Boba relaxed onto the bed. “The girl is more clever than I thought. Stay in here.”

Bill moved back over to his position at the window.

~ ~ ~

By the time the annoying human girl finally let her leave, Messina was certain of one thing. She would never partake in this odd human ritual of “tea” again in her lifetime. The stupid girl had never been off this planet. She asked a thousand questions, and yet...

Something told her this human knew more than she let on. Nothing in her manner indicated such, but Messina had not survived so long in the business by denying her instincts. She decided to keep a close eye on these humans.

~ ~ ~

“That was a very bold move, bringing her into the house. Bold, and extremely clever,” Fett told her as she entered the room.

“Well, I didn’t think it was clever, I thought it was downright stupid. Your daddy raised you better than that girl! Inviting strangers with murder on their minds to tea.,” he ranted.

“Bill, think about it. If I had been reluctant to let her poke around, she would have known I was hiding something. I just hope it works.”

“She won’t be back today. And that’s all we can hope for,” Fett groaned and sank back onto the bed. “That and a bone mend and a medi-droid.”

Both of them stared at him blankly.

“Never mind.”

“Ash, I’ll go ahead and run the pumps for you. Go ahead and finish breakfast, and don’t worry about the work. The boys are back, and I’ll tell them to get up off their hungover asses and earn their keep,” and he strutted out the door towards the bunkhouse.

“I would not want to see that man truly angry,” Fett said as he watched him go.

Aislynn checked the wound on his leg. It had healed well, in spite of the fever. She pressed against the bone with gentle hands. “It seems much better. Any pain?”

“Some,” he replied, and shrugged.

She nodded, replaced the blankets, then asked, “Hungry?”

“I could eat one of your horses,” he looked towards the window where the edge of the barn was barely visible.

“I think not,” she replied, in mock seriousness. “I’ll be back shortly.”

She left the room. After three weeks staring at the same walls, being waited on hand and foot and needing assistance with even the...most basic... of things, he almost wished Messina had come up the stairs and shot him.

But then, on second thought, he would not have a chance to repeat the pleasant wake up this morning had brought.

Aislynn returned with food.

They ate in silence. He knew she had to be shaken by the morning’s meeting, but she was doing an extremely good job of not showing it. He finished with the meal, set the plate aside, and took her hand. She was trembling.

“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid,” he said softly. “You would be a fool if you were not.”

“I don’t remember my father ever being afraid. No matter what happened, through years of crops failing and the river overflowing its banks. Viruses among the cattle, rustlers... no matter what happened, he was never afraid. He kept us together,” he heard the words catch in her throat.

“Some men are better at not showing fear, but all men feel it,” he said softly. “Tell me about your father.”

“My father was the strongest man I know. We used to raise horses, and train them here. People would travel from all over to get their hands on one of my father’s horses. They would bring their mares here as well. My father loved horses, and he made enough money to pay off all of my grandfather’s creditors and finally own this land.” She was staring out the window.

“My grandfather was a bit of a gambler, but he wasn’t very good at it. He always lost more than he won. He almost lost everything. My father fixed that. My father met my mother on a town run. He courted her for over a year. They were married here, beneath the willow tree at the far edge of the yard. You could see it from the window, if you were a bit higher.” Her voice was sad. He could tell she didn’t say these words often.

“My grandfather died three years after my father and mother married. He got caught cheating at cards and the man shot him. One pistol bullet through the forehead. The man dumped his body in my father’s front yard and rode away. We never saw who did it. I’m pretty sure Bill knows, but he’ll never tell me.”

She pulled her hand away, and walked over to the window. Her hands rested gently on the window frame. She looked so delicate and innocent, framed in the light that way. She truly did look like something out of a dream.

“My father died almost four years ago. He was green breaking a new pony, and it reared up. Horse lost its balance, fell on him. Broke both his legs, crushed his insides. He lived for two days, and died finally, bleeding from the mouth and nose. My mother and I carved his headstone ourselves. A year later, I was carving her stone. They are both buried beneath the willow, next to my grandfather.”

“How did she die?” he asked.

“Broken heart. She just lost the will to live after my father died. Bill sold the horses off one by one to keep the place going. Now it’s only Dolly, Snapper, and a handful of others. We have a small herd of cattle, some chickens, and enough land to feed ourselves and the stock. But every year we have less and less.”

She came back over and sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He knew it was not enough, but it was all he could think to say.

“Don’t be,” she said, forcing a false smile to her face. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t burden you with my problems. You need to focus on getting well.”

“When I get on my feet, Aislynn, I will pay you and your friend back for all you have done for me. I promise.”

“I don’t expect anything from you. I just want to see you walking again.”

“I know.”

She chewed her lower lip for a moment, staring out the window. “I have to tell the boys you’re here. I can’t keep the secret indefinitely. If she comes back...”

“If she comes back, the best thing you can do is to hand me over to her quietly. Otherwise she’ll kill anyone who gets in her way.”

“And what will happen to you if I do?”

He didn’t answer.

She sat with him for a few minutes, without saying anything further, then left to get started on the days work.

~ ~ ~

Chapter 4

Six more weeks passed before Bill and Aislynn together decided his leg had healed enough to carry weight. Messina had not returned.

Fett didn’t handle being shut up in the house very well. Aislynn had retrieved his toolbox from the ship, so that he could work on repairing his armor, but it did little to ease his boredom.

Now he was seated on the front porch, with his leg propped up on an old stump they apparently used as a chopping block, watching Aislynn and Bill dragging broken chunks of fence post into the front yard of the house.

Although he was elated to finally be back outside and somewhat mobile, he felt naked without his weapons and his armor. He was wearing one of Bill’s flannel shirts. The material didn’t breathe as well as anything he was used to, but he felt he had little right to complain.

He had tried several times to explain to them both why he couldn’t stay. Messina would not give up her hunt. She may move to other prey for a while, but she would come back here eventually. Too many people knew of his presence. The risk was too great.

But they wouldn’t listen.

He was anxious to get back to his ship. He needed to check the damage, and he was hoping it would be something simple. He knew without looking that at least one of the front quarter shafts had been sheared off. He could probably rig that with what he had on board, but...

Aislynn’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Thought we’d have us a little fire tonight.”

He blinked and looked at her in surprise. His instincts were really going to shit. He had to get off this planet. “Fire?” His eyes wandered up and down her body. She was wearing a dark green dress which floated about her body as she moved, barely brushing the ground. Her bare feet peeked out the bottom of the dress. “What’s the special occasion?”

“We got the rest of the corn into the ground today. The young plants are doing well. Weather’s warmed up nicely and we’ve got a pretty good pile of dead fence. Usually we break out a few bottles of Bill’s stash and have a bonfire. We could have done it a week or two ago, but Bill and I decided to wait until you could join us,” she smiled at him. Her smile covered her whole face. He couldn’t remember ever having seen another like it.

He wondered if she would be smiling as brightly if she knew what her kindness would bring down on them.

“Sounds...interesting.”

“Sun’s setting in a few hours. I’ll set Jimmy to breaking these up for us,” she motioned at the huge pile of dry and split fencing.

“You going to burn all of it?”

She nodded.

“Why?”

“Because it’s fun,” she said, then headed off in the other direction, humming softly.

A few minutes later, Jimmy Johnson came over. Johnson was the youngest of the farmhands, thin and tough, wiry. His nose was slightly skewed, probably from having been broken at least once. He had a wary look in his dark eyes as he approached. Fett moved his leg off the block and moved over to allow the young man access to the block.

The boy tipped the stump onto its side and rolled it a few yards from the house. As he walked back to pick up the axe, he asked, “You’re one of the star men aren’t you?”

Fett didn’t answer, just stared the boy down.

“Yeah, I seen your ship. An’ I seen other star men, in the town. They said when they come back, they’re gonna fix all sort of shit here. Bring us running water that we don’t have to burn our shoulders out pumping, and give us the chance to make some real money. I’m gonna’ go with ‘em when they come back. I’m gonna’ go to their ‘cademy an’ I’m gon’ be me an imperial thunder soldier.”

Fett tried not to laugh aloud at the thought of this boy applying to the Imperial Academy. “It’s storm trooper, son.”

“I knew it! I went to see your ship. I didn’t go in it, cause Miss Aislynn said not too an’ all, but I seen it, an I kin help you fix it. I’m real handy.”

Fett was not a man to pass up an opportunity. He didn’t really trust the boy, but then there weren’t many people he did trust. “Jimmy, right?”

“Yessir. Jimmy Johnson.”

“Jimmy. Would you like to see the inside of the ship?”

“Would I! Yessir. When?”

“Soon. I’ll let you know.”

Aislynn shouted from across the yard, “Jimmy! You got that wood finished yet?” She trotted over to them. “You don’t need to do all of it, just enough to get the fire started.”

“Yes ma’am,” the boy said quickly and started chopping the fence posts down to a useable size.

Aislynn seated herself on the porch next to Fett, her thigh barely brushing his. He wasn’t sure whether she did it intentionally, but he was acutely aware of the contact. He knew he had said some strange things during and after the effects of the fever. Although she had never mentioned any of it, it made him feel foolish. Fett didn’t like feeling foolish.

“What’s Jimmy going on about?” she asked.

“He’s going to help me fix my ship,” he responded.

“Is that so?” Aislynn said, barely stifling a laugh, barely. She leaned over and whispered, “Boy couldn’t fix a broom handle if you handed him the glue.”

The other farm hands had gathered in the yard. Each of them had met Fett by this time, and treated him politely although they were obviously nervous having the stranger in their midst.

Bill went into the cellar and returned with two dark colored jugs, and several taller glass bottles.
He handed Aislynn one of the bottles as he walked by.

“Hey, what if I wanted the beer, Bill,” she called after him.

“Ladies don’t drink beer, Miss Aislynn,” he paused for dramatic effect, then roared, “Ladies drink scotch!” and set the pile of logs aflame.

“Damn straight they do,” she shouted back, taking the lid off the bottle and sniffing the contents. She wrinkled her nose then took a swig, and choked laughing as Jimmy did an impromptu jig before the rising flames.

She passed the bottle to Fett, who sniffed at it cautiously. He did drink, occasionally, though never while on a job. His mind wandered to Messina, though he knew that in his condition, he would be useless if she showed up now. The instinct was still there.

“It’s good stuff, after the first sip, at least,” she said, smiling that insanely intense smile. No one could possibly be that happy. He turned the bottle up, to hoots and shouts of encouragement from the men.

The drink burned its way slowly down his throat into his stomach as the flames rose into the night. He could smell dark earth still moist from the rain. A gentle breeze stirred the air and caused the flames to dance crazily.

One of the men brought out a metal barrel. Another produced a six stringed instrument - Aislynn called it a guitar - and Jimmy pulled his small metal “mouth harp” (though Aislynn called it a harmonica) from his shirt pocket. As the first man set up a steady beat on the barrel the others joined in.

Bill sang along with them in his deep, voice, somewhat scratchy from too many years of smoking. Other men joined in and then dropped out, clapping along with the beat, singing the words they knew or making up new ones.

Aislynn swayed to the music, her leg still pressed against his. The smile had softened, and she had a peaceful expression on her face, as if she were far away in some special place. He took another swig from the bottle.

Suddenly, she came back to earth and leapt from the porch, stepping towards the fire. Bill grinned at her and whispered something to the guitar player, who changed the tune to lilting, somewhat mournful melody. Aislynn nodded to Bill and started to sing.

The song was a local ballad, a tale of two lovers, who were parted by their family’s blood feud. Her voice wrapped around the words, lifting them into the heavens, offering them as if they were a sacrifice to some forgotten goddess. Fett blinked and glanced suspiciously at the bottle in his hand.

She finished singing. The men applauded as she walked back over and took the bottle from him. “Good stuff, isn’t it?”

“Hmm? Yes. Quite good,” he answered, turning his gaze away from her into the fire.

“I love these nights. We so rarely get to kick back and forget. There’s always more work to be done. But we all need this,” she turned around as Bill called her name.

“Miss Aislynn, Owen says he’s learned the notes to Lenore. Care to give it a try?”

“Duty calls,” she joked, and went back over to the circle.

They sang and danced and laughed into the night.

Jimmy Johnson had a bit too much scotch and ended up on his knees in bushes and the other two musicians agreed to carry him back to the bunkhouse. Aislynn set the rain barrel back in it’s place at the edge of the house, yawning.

“Bedtime for you girl,” Bill teased her, “and for your friend as well, it would appear.”

Fett was seated with his back leaning against the porch, eyes half closed. He struggled to stand up. Aislynn and Bill hurried to help him.

“Careful, there, or one night of good scotch will ruin all our hard work,” Bill told him.

Between the three of them, they managed to get him back to the room. Bill half tossed him into the bed as Aislynn collapsed on the chair, laughing. Bill bade them good night and shut the door behind him.

“You’re going to have a headache in the morning.”

“I doubt it.”

“Everyone, and I mean everyone, gets a headache from Bill Walker’s scotch the first time,”she insisted.

“I’m not everyone,” he replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. I want you to sit with me,” he lied. “I’ve never seen you wear a dress before.”

“Sometimes I do.”

“You look beautiful...you are beautiful.”

“You’re drunk.”

“No...well, maybe a little,” he drew her down next to him. She didn’t resist as he wrapped his arms around her and held her against him. He kissed the back of her neck softly, and felt her body shudder in response.

He slid his right hand slowly down her body to her thigh, sliding the dress up just as slowly, brushing his fingertips against her leg with each movement, until he could touch her smooth skin. She shifted her hips against him, and he groaned as she did.

He slipped his hand between her thighs, brushing fingertips against soft fur, and then slipped two fingers into her cunt, already deliciously wet. He felt her tense as he did so, but he did not stop his invasion. He continued to work his fingers inside of her, smiling as he felt her pressing back against his hand.

Without warning, he removed his hand, and pulled away. She started to protest, something about him hurtinghis leg, but he placed a finger over her lips to quiet her. Then, in one swift movement, he pulled the dress over her head, leaving her gloriously naked.

He smiled down at her for a moment, taking a moment to enjoy the weight of her breasts. She arched her back as gently pinched her nipples. He kissed her then, ravishing her mouth. He began to work his way down her body, kissing and nibbling her throat, her breasts, down her stomach.

He paused directly above his destination, and she whimpered a protest. He inhaled the strong musky scent and when his tongue entered her, her hips bucked against his face. He folded her knees and held her legs firmly in place as he kissed and licked her into a frenzy. She begged him to stop, and swore she would die if he did. He ignored her and continued what he was doing, until he felt her whole body shudder and tasted her climax.

“Now you’re ready for me,” he whispered huskily.

His cock strained against the crotch of the pants, demanding release. He quickly stripped off the shirt and pants, dropping them in a pile on the floor, and knelt between her legs. He entered her in one swift movement, and heard her cry out in pain, felt her dig her nails into his shoulders..

He stopped. He looked down and saw her eyes tightly closed against the pain, and in a rush realized what he was doing. He whispered her name and she opened her eyes. He started to draw back, and to his surprise, she wrapped her legs around him and held him where he was. His body demanded release. He paused where he was, not daring to move.

“The pain will go away in a moment,” he said, hoping he wasn’t lying.

“I’m fine,” she responded, in a voice barely above a whisper. She cautiously moved her hips beneath him. She gave him a small smile and he drove into her, forgetting everything but the feel of her body beneath him as he thrust. A few moments later, his senses exploded, and he was calling her name.

He collapsed beside her taking her in his arms. It took a long time for his breathing to return to normal. When he could think clearly again, he reached between her legs and drew back his hand. Dark streaks of blood glistened in the moonlight streaming through the window.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, harshly.

“Don’t be angry with me. You didn’t exactly ask,” she touched his arm.

“No. I didn’t,” he said. Then more gently, “I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with myself.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” he stared at the blood for a moment, feeling the sickening unfamiliar sensation of guilt twisting his stomach. He banished the feeling as quickly as it appeared. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“There’s clean towels in the bottom dresser drawer...” she started to say, then groaned as she tried to get up.

He turned to her in alarm. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, fine, I’m great, only...”

“Only what?”

“Bill’s going to kill me.”