...The most ideal human passion is love,
which is also the most absolute and animal
and one of the most ephemeral.
--George Santayana
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this?" Ron asked
slowly.
"Because you probably won't," Erin answered, sighing. Taking a deep
breath, she continued. "My birth name... is Erin Urick."
Sandoval's eyes widened in shock. "You're related to Hubble Urick?"
he asked incredulously.
"Yes. Very closely, in fact.... I'm his daughter."
Sandoval had to fight to keep from gasping at that revelation. The
two looked nothing alike and though Urick's profile did state that he
was once married and had a daughter, the details were sketchy as to
the whereabouts of the two women.
"My mother left my father shortly after I was born. I was raised by
nannies and maids, and as a result my father and I have never been
close. That's why I don't use his name any more," Erin explained
quietly.
"Do you share his 'sympathies' for the Resistance?" Ron asked,
curious. If she was involved with the Liberation then it was better
to find out now rather than break both their hearts later on.
"Would you hand me over to your Taelon masters if I say yes?" Erin
asked, suddenly afraid of what his answer would be. She truly hoped
that he really did care for her and would allow no harm to come to
her.
"If I were still a full Implant, yes, I probably would. But I'm not
and I won't." Taking her hand in his, he continued softly, "You're
the first good thing to enter my life since DeeDee left it. I could
never harm you. I give you my word on that."
Erin's peach-tinted lips curved into a gentle smile of relief. "Then
yes, I suppose I am sympathetic to their cause," she admitted. "But
I'm not a member, though I have helped them with certain information
gathering in the past... A few months ago, I discovered that the
Taelons were implanting some of the students at my university, the
children of several influential figures, brainwashing them to do
their biding, turning them into loyal supporters, that kind of thing.
I knew that I had to do something to stop it, so I found a way to let
the Resistance know what was happening and they shut the project down.
"My father found out what I'd done to help and revealed his
Resistance ties to me. But that's the only involvement I have with
the movement. I swear. It's not like I lead a double life or
anything. Sweet, innocent, young college student by day, hard-core
freedom fighter by night," she finished with a light laugh.
Ron smiled softly and raised his hand to caress Erin's cheek. "I have
dreamt about this face for the past fourteen days," he murmured,
running his fingertips over her smooth skin. "I've longed to hold
you in my arms, to make love to you. And that's the first time in
over four years that I've thought about something that didn't involve
the Taelons in some way."
A mischievous twinkle entered Erin's deep-blue eyes then, her smile
adding to their brilliance. "I know just what you need. Come on,
follow me," she beckoned, getting to her feet.
Keeping hold of her hand, Ron followed his young lover down the hall
and into another room. Crossing the threshold of said room, he found
himself in what was clearly a women's bathroom. A fine mist of steam
still permeated the air, a floral aroma wafting through it, the
bathtub was filled with bubbled water and several candles placed
throughout the moderately-sized room provided a dim source of light.
Ron watched as Erin untied her robe and removed the cotton towel that
lay beneath, in a fluid, almost sensual, movement. "Are you sure
we'll both fit in there?" he asked warily.
"It's supposed to be made for two. Now shut up and strip," Erin
commanded, still smiling that enticing smile that drove him wild.
"Yes, Ma'am." Obeying, Ron removed his suit and under garments and
stepped into the bath, laying back against the cool surface of the
ceramic tub. He took the opportunity to gaze at Erin's naked form
before she too stepped in and deposited herself in front of him. She
positioned herself so that her body was laying in between his legs,
her upper torso resting against his chest and her head on his shoulder.
For a long while, they just sat there, enjoying the warmth of the
bath and each other.
"Mmm, this is nice," Ron murmured, breaking the companionable
silence.
"I told you it's relaxing."
"I definitely need to see you more often." Leaning down, he laid a
gentle kiss on the top of Erin's head, making her dreamy smile grow
even wider. "There's something about being in the arms of an angel
that has a calming, almost cleansing effect on a man."
Erin let out a contented sigh and nestled closer against him,
brushing her braided hair against his chest. "I'm glad you enjoy my
company," she murmured. "I thought you'd forgotten about me these
past weeks."
"Never. Like I said, I thought about you every day, even dreamed
about you a couple of times."
They fell silent once again, the only sound coming from the faint
sizzling of the ignited candle wicks, and the sloshing of water. As
the water began to grow cold, Erin slowly slid her hand between their
two bodies and gently began to work her way up Ron's inner thigh,
moving closer and closer...
"You don't have to," he whispered, stilling her hand with his own.
"Let's just sit here a while longer." Removing her hand from his leg,
Ron raised it to his mouth to kiss her palm. "Thank you for the
offer, though."
"The water's getting cold," Erin noted quietly after a moment, not
offended by the fact that he had rejected her advances. It was nice
to just sit with him in such an intimate situation, savoring the feel
of his bare flesh against hers, the sensation of his heart beat
against her back.
"Then turn on the forsit," Ron suggested with a smile. "I don't want
to get out just yet."
Smiling in return at the disguised promise of much more pleasurable
things to come before the night was out, Erin leaned forward and
switched on the hot water....
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