Brida Pact (9 page)

“What happened to make you sad?” Wheaton moved around the
couch until he was sitting beside her.

“Wheaton, I’m not happy. I don’t think this is going to work
out…maybe I should contact Valerie and make arrangements to end our trial
period early.”

Wheaton felt anger when he thought of her leaving. He had
not seen her much during her stay so far, but the time that he was able to
spend with her left him craving more. The only thing that had kept him back was
his earlier idea of not becoming too attached.

“Tell me what to do to make you not sad. You cannot leave
me,” Wheaton said, reaching for her.

She shook off his hand and stood up. Poppy was annoyed he
was deciding now was the time to talk. Were tears the only way to get through
to the big lug?

“Do you realize this is the first time you’ve touched me in
three days? We barely talk and I think the last thing you said to me was when
you asked me to move out of your way so you could leave yesterday.”

Deciding it was always easier just to rip the bandage off
quickly, she spat out the thoughts that had been tumbling around in her head
since her second day of solitude.

“I don’t think we are a good match, Wheaton. You act like
you can’t stand to be around me and I’m lonelier here than I ever was on Earth.
At least back home I could still see my friends and Pixie…and visit dogs at the
shelter.” With a sad smile she continued, “I’m totally isolated here and I
haven’t been able to talk to her on that video thingy because our timing
doesn’t line up. I’m just really unhappy.” Craving some sort of physical
contact, she leaned into him as she started crying.

Wheaton stiffened up for a second as if he were uncomfortable
with the contact and then reached over to hold her shoulders. Putting his arms
around her, he leaned his face toward the top of her head while she rested her
face against his chest. After a few moments she stopped crying but didn’t move
away. This was the only interaction she had experienced with another person in
three days and she was going to soak it up while she could. Tilting her face to
the side so she could breathe easier, she felt his arms tighten as he took in
the scent of her hair.

Wheaton felt the warmth of her body and relished the
contact. Even if her face was puffy and leaking, he had to admit this contact
was better than if she left and he had absolutely none. He had, unknowingly,
made his bride feel unwelcome. Not having a human before, he had been unsure
what their care involved. Realizing that something needed to change to convince
her stay, he thought for a couple moments.

“This is nice,” he whispered, his breath moving her hair
slightly.

“This”—she stopped to swallow hard—“this is what I was
missing. I need someone who will be present…someone who’ll talk to me and ask
questions and just generally care if I’m there or not. I can’t be ignored…I
refuse to be ignored.” She looked up at him with a determined expression on her
face, no matter how much it hurt.

He moved one of his large hands to her face and her cheek to
wipe a stray tear away. “This hurts me. Please don’t cry again. I don’t
understand why, but it makes me upset to see you sad.” Wheaton compared
watching her cry to being hit in the stomach. For some reason it made him feel
sick and angry. He felt the need to make her stop and fix whatever was the
cause. Realizing that he was the cause made him feel awful.

When Wheaton had originally been matched with Poppy, he had
questioned the program. Sure there had been a glitch for it to say his
potential bride was a medical office worker when he was a diplomat, he had
asked the science sector to check into the matching algorithms and make sure
they were working correctly. But Wheaton no longer questioned his match. Not
one bit. In fact, he’d had no doubts shortly after they had met but his
previous complaints had stirred up enough warriors so now an official
investigation was being conducted.

The last thing Wheaton wanted was Poppy to know he had
doubted their joining in the beginning and that he was the reason there was a
problem with the Bridal Pacts. Talking and laughing with her was the one thing
he had started to anticipate toward the end of the day. Prior to her arriving,
Wheaton had thrived on government meetings and negotiations. And now, some
Council members had even questioned his commitment to his race because he
called for shorter meetings and had defended his innocent little mate when she
was disparaged.

Gazing into her face, he took in every detail of her upset
visage, wanting to replace it with a smile, but actually being able to
accomplish that seemed like a huge task.

“Will you do something for me?” she asked quietly while she
searched his face.

“Anything,” he answered, hoping he was able to do whatever
it was quickly and it wouldn’t involve her leaving him to do so.

“Listen to this music. I think it will help you understand
what I’m saying…how I feel.” Reaching for her music player, she took her
earbuds and placed one in his ear and the other in hers. Selecting a couple
songs from Patty Griffin’s
1,000 Kisses
, she started playing the music.
“Just listen,” she whispered in his free ear.

Three songs later he finally got the point. By this time,
Poppy was basically sitting on his lap with her head against his chest as they
listened. When the track ended, she gently tugged the earbud from his ear.

“It sounds so sad,” Wheaton said, gazing deep into her eyes.
If this sad music was comparable to the way he’d made her feel, it made him
want to punch himself in the mouth. How had she sat here feeling like this for
days?

“It’s supposed to,” Poppy said, staring into his eyes just
as intently, seeming to realize he finally got it.

His hands, which had been rubbing her back in a comforting
motion, moved to cup her face.

“I don’t want you to feel that,” he said before his mouth
slanted across hers. Wheaton vowed to himself the pain and loneliness she was
feeling right now would never be caused by him again. He was realizing his
happiness was hinged on her own. “I should explain…”

Pausing for a moment to suck in a huge breath, he realized
he owed her the truth. “After our first night together I made a decision. A
decision I now think was the wrong one.” Catching her gaze, he cupped her cheek
in his palm. “I thought it would be best to not get too close to you, in case
our match ended up not being permanent. I could not imagine it being easy to
get over the feel of your presence if I let you fully into my life and then you
decided to leave. Now I realize that I was pushing you away and that is the
exact opposite of what I wanted to accomplish. I will fix this if you will let
me.”

Poppy had sucked in a deep breath before he blocked it with
his mouth. His lips sucked lightly at hers while he cradled her jaw. Poppy slid
her hands up to his face, tracing his cheeks, before running her fingers into
his hair. Slow and deep. Consuming and drowning. Wheaton felt himself get lost
in the kiss. His hands left her face to run down her back to her bottom. He rumbled
into her mouth while licking at the seam of her lips. Unable to stop his hands
from massaging the plump cheeks within his grasp, he then pulled her hips
forward to grind against his erection. Breathing hard, he struggled for control
as he pulled away.

“Will you stay?” he asked softly.

“For now,” she whispered back.

Relief hit him in a wave. If she had said no, he was not
sure what he would have done. Wheaton knew he wouldn’t have let her go but was
unsure of how he would have convinced her to stay. Seeing their position on the
couch, Wheaton smiled at her and twisted his hips a bit to call attention to
it.

“I would like to take you to our sleeping area.” Wheaton
smiled at the blush on her face that replaced her now gone tears.

Leaning her forehead against his shoulder, Poppy hugged him
and then scooted off his lap. She studied his face and he wondered if she could
read that he was not only listening, but also absorbing.

“I would like to talk more first. A couple hours ago I was
ready to pack my bags. You can’t keep me at an arm’s length and expect this to
work. We need to have some time for ourselves. I know that you work hard but if
you want me to stay then we have a lot to work on. From the small bits I’ve
been able to be around you I can already tell you I like and admire you.” Poppy
paused, cupping his cheeks. “And our physical chemistry is off the charts. I
have never felt the desire that you make me feel. I’ll stay for now but we need
to get to know each other better. What do you say we start over?”

Wheaton nodded, pleased she was giving him a second chance
to make up for ignoring her for so long. From what he had been able to see of
the woman Poppy was, he was grateful for the chance to make up for the mess he
had made. She was truly a wonderful woman and it was time she knew he
recognized that.

“We have lots to talk about.” Holding out her hand, she
said, “But that doesn’t mean we can’t cuddle and talk at the same time.”

Smiling, he followed her into the bedroom. “As long as you
remember we will be doing this naked. You wore clothes the past few nights and
I assumed you were cold because I wasn’t present. There will be no excuse
tonight,” he teased, happy that she was giving him another chance.

“Deal. But this time, I get to undress you too.”

Their truce lasted through the following week and then the
next. Poppy could tell that Wheaton was consciously trying to include her into
his daily routine. She started a tradition of good-morning kisses, which he
usually tried to make into all-day kisses. Not that she minded. The
companionship she was receiving now was like night and day compared to the
first few days here. Wheaton talked about his childhood, his life on the ship,
home world and hobbies, which were all fascinating to Poppy. From what he
described, Poppy realized he must have had a very lonely existence and his
warrior friends were brothers by choice. She talked about her love of dogs but
how she wasn’t able to have a pet, while he had trouble understanding the concept
of an animal living with him. There seemed to be no subject that they couldn’t
talk about, except his work.

Whenever she asked questions regarding his time away, he
would steer her attention to another subject. They ended up spending a majority
of their time together alone talking and getting to know one another. He had
taken her on more in-depth tours of the ship and she had watched him spar in
the rec room with other warriors when he had the opportunity but she never had
the opportunity to talk to other warriors. Wheaton seemed to want her to
himself and for right now she realized she was okay with that since she wasn’t
too keen on sharing his attention either. The two exceptions were Dathrow and
Thorne. She had talked to them a couple of times when they stopped to ask
Wheaton questions or have him sign papers.

In the evenings, Wheaton now made sure they shared their
meal and talked. Some nights he would connect her music to the speaker system
in their rooms and listen to her eclectic playlists. Their names always stumped
him though. She smiled, thinking about the long discussion they’d had when she
tried to explain Hootie and the Blowfish. He didn’t seem to like any music that
was too moody, which meant she had to sing to Adele during the day when he was
gone. One day when he’d come back from a meeting, he caught her dancing around
the room to ABBA and laughed when she ended with a bow. Dancing with him was
fun and she loved to see him smile as she tried to teach him some moves. His
dancing always came out like a fighting stance, but she didn’t care. He seemed
to be enjoying himself and that was all that Poppy cared about.

After their dinners, she started showing him some of her
favorite movies. He, of course, loved the action movies with explosions but also
paid very close attention to the mushy movies she picked out. Watching him
concentrate on the TV screen, she realized he was studying the interaction of
the characters. Wheaton would now reach for her hand or put his arm around her
shoulders when they walked up and down the gleaming metal hallways. Chairs were
pulled out when she went to sit down and he stood when she entered a room. He’d
quickly become one of the most attentive boyfriends she’d ever had.

Late evening had become a time both of them had begun to
anticipate. Cuddling without clothes but keeping sex in the “not yet” category
made Poppy feel like a teenager. It was during their naked times that they
asked each other the real personal stuff. They talked about what they liked and
didn’t like. Poppy wasn’t a prude but lack of experience had dented her
confidence a bit. Wheaton had explained they had “pleasure ships” the warriors
visited but he also had been nervous about what would happen when his bride
arrived, which explained the porn. She was curious about the Pleasure Sector
but did not necessarily want to hear about it from her future husband.

Poppy asked him how many children he wanted to have and his
response had been sweet when he said, “The number you bless me with will be the
perfect amount.” Soon their discussions led to touching and touching led to
some heavy petting and full-body kisses but that was as far as it went. Wheaton
and Poppy had decided to wait until they were positive their match was
permanent before having full intercourse. Wheaton had not been too enthusiastic
about the decision but grudgingly admitted it made sense. Poppy was no longer
taking her birth control pills, and risking a pregnancy when they were still
feeling each other out seemed too risky.

Thinking back on the past few weeks and smiling to herself,
Poppy realized how much she already cared about him. She was positive that
Wheaton was “it” for her and she was anxious to call Pixie and run some stuff
by her. Pixie tended to be the thinker of the sisters, something that Poppy had
used for her benefit when it came to relationships.

Anxious now for her call to her sister, she got the screen
ready. Setting up the com units had actually been a harder thing to do than
either one of them had figured. They required special permission via a Council
vote to contact Earth. Final decision was that the Council would allow “calls”
as long as they were monitored. Poppy was unsure what they thought might be
said but she wasn’t going to ask too many questions considering she had gotten
her way.

Seeing Pixie’s face fill the screen made Poppy tear up.

“ET, phone home. ET, phone home,” Pixie deadpanned.

“You’re so stupid, Pix,” Poppy said with a smile.

“Damn, Pops, I’ve missed you! You look great, by the way. I
assume the humidity is controlled up there, considering that’s the best I’ve
ever seen your hair behave.”

“Ha!” Poppy snorted. “Sometimes you’re such a bish. I’ve
missed you too.” Poppy grinned into the screen.

“Seriously, is everything going well with Mr. Tall, Dark and
Green? Do we need a code word in case I need to hijack a ship and head your way
for a jailbreak?” Pixie whispered while covering one side of her mouth, as if
that would make their conversation private.

“Everything is going really well. I’m happy and Wheaton is
great. We had a couple speed bumps the first few days but that’s been worked
out…it’s actually really great right now. We talk all the time and I’ve decided
I’m staying,” she blurted out in one gust of air.

Wow, Poppy realized that saying it out loud wasn’t as scary
as she imagined. She really
was
happy. And she couldn’t imagine being
this happy without Wheaton. She didn’t want to say that her happiness hinged on
him but she knew that he was the main reason she was happy. His smiles,
laughter and touch had become addictive.

Pixie sat with an expression on her face that was hard to
read. Poppy couldn’t yet tell if she was happy or sad at the decision.

“So you’re staying, huh?” Pixie asked.

“Yes, Pix, I think I’m in love with him,” Poppy said softly.

Pixie looked as if she might cry. Poppy shifted her eyes
away from the screen. If one cried then the other wasn’t close behind and she
didn’t want to be sad about her decision.

“I could tell this was coming, Pops.” Poppy glanced back at
the screen to a smiling Pixie, who was now wiping her eyes.

“Really? You’re not mad?” Poppy asked, trying to read her
sister’s expression.

“How can I be mad? All I want is for you to be happy and
from everything you’ve told me over the last couple weeks you are definitely
happy. I’ve never seen you this happy before, Poppy. Truly. I’m very happy for
you, I promise,” Pixie said in a voice Poppy could tell was serious.

“Now, on to the most important question…” Pixie got on her
serious face.

“What?” Poppy asked.

“Have you guys done the nasty yet?” Pixie asked with a laugh
and a lecherous leer.

“Ummm…not yet. But I think it’s coming soon. I’m ready and I
know he’s ready. We’ve just been trying to take things slowly.” Poppy paused,
noticing Pixie was eating a bag of chips. “Everything okay with you, Pix? You
only eat junk food when you’re stressed out,” she asked, nodding to the bag her
sister was holding.

“Yeah, just work shit. Brenda is fucking everything up and
I’ve had to spend a lot of extra hours at work fixing her mistakes. You know I
don’t want to fire her, we’re old friends, so I’m super tired. Add to that
Brian being a dick lately isn’t helping. I was hoping to tell you I was engaged
with this call, but he didn’t propose on our anniversary so I owe you ten bucks
for losing that bet.” Pixie frowned and dug deeper into the bag of chips.

“Sorry, babe, that sucks. He will though. I remember you
said he was working on the plans for a new building and was stressed with work
too. Did he at least take you out for a nice dinner?”

Pixie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we went out but it was to that
Chinese place. The place which, by the way, I am now totally sick of.”

“Yeah, I can see that getting old really quick. Did he get
you flowers or anything?” Poppy felt like maybe she was digging to find something
good that Brian had done but there was a high probability he had totally
schmucked out.

“Don’t you remember, sis? Flowers are a waste of money,”
Pixie said in a deep voice, imitating her boyfriend, who had indeed, apparently
managed to screw up their anniversary.

“Well shit, Pix. I got nothing. I thought he would have done
something special, even if it was small.” Poppy was disappointed on behalf of
her sister.

“Oh, but he did,” Pixie said sarcastically. “He got me a
gift card so I can get new work clothes at that posh place on the Plaza. You
remember the one where I can’t fit into anything in the store unless we are
talking about earrings or socks.” Pixie raised one eyebrow, showing how
pissed-off it must have made her.

“Well…maybe you both need a vacation?” Poppy suggested,
trying to change the subject before she witnessed her sister losing her shit.

“Meh, nobody on Earth has time to take a vacation, Pops. I
couldn’t imagine leaving work right now. Nobody would get paid and the place
would probably burn down if I left for more than twenty-four hours…” Pixie
seemed as if she were at her wits’ end but was trying to shake it off. “Time
for a subject change before I go crazy. Let’s talk about something that
everyone wants to know. Give me the nekkid details on Big, Buff and Galactic.”

When Pixie waggled her eyebrows like a lunatic, Poppy burst
out laughing.

“Damn, Pix, I miss you,” she said, her tone serious, once
she could stop laughing.

“So, no details? That’s not very nice. We’re sisters.
Sisters are supposed to share everything. Just hold up the fingers of how many
inches you are getting in this deal. Give me something! I need to live through
you since I haven’t had any with Brian for the last month.” Pixie held out her
hands as if she were measuring. “This much? This much? Dear god, Poppy, if my
hands get any farther apart, I’m going to tell them you may need medical
attention when you finally give him a chance at your pants.”

“Jesus, Pix, I’m not telling you. I will tell you that he is
blessed. Very, very, very blessed.” She smiled and wiggled her own eyebrows.

“Oh my god, don’t do the wiggle. You look ridiculous. Only I
can pull that off,” Pixie said with a giggle.

After the girls chatted for a bit longer about random daily
happenings, they were interrupted when Poppy heard the door swish open.

“I’ll let you go now, Pix. Wheaton is home. Call you later,
okay?”

“Sure thing, chicken wing, and really…I am very happy for
you.”

“Thanks, Pix. I’m happy for me too. Now to tell my big guy.”
Smiling at her sister who was grinning back at her, Poppy felt calm and ready
to face Wheaton.

“Love you. Muuuwahh.” Pixie waved and then disappeared.

Turning to greet Wheaton with a smile, Poppy saw immediately
he was upset. He had a “tell” when he was upset, and right now it was glaringly
obvious.

“Wheaton, what’s wrong?”

“How do you always know when something is wrong?” he asked,
getting a drink from the kitchenette.

“You clench your jaw really hard and I can see the vein pop
up in your forehead…and don’t change the subject. What happened?” Pixie walked
up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Letting out a big sigh, Wheaton said, “We have to put a halt
on bride collection for a bit and the warriors who have not been selected are
upset. I am worried we may have a riot soon if the cause does not get resolved
quickly.” Turning in her arms, he hugged her back. “Did you have a nice talk
with your sister?” he asked, hoping to distract her.

Poppy stared at Wheaton for a few moments in silence. She
could tell what he was trying to do. She studied his face, hoping he would open
up about his Council work at some point. He was always so secretive it was
starting to drive her nuts. Poppy figured he dealt with things during the Council
meetings that she wouldn’t understand but she would feel better if he at least
tried to let her into that part of his life.

“That was another subject change. Why is there a problem
with getting more brides? Maybe I can help,” Poppy suggested.

“This is nothing you can help to do. It is technical.”

He dismissed her offer so offhandedly she instantly felt her
hackles rise.

“Wheaton, look at me. I’m not useless. I’ve read all my
books, listened to all my music over and over and will slowly go crazy if I
don’t get to do something around here. And I will take you with me if that
happens. Tell me what’s happening.” Tapping her toes with her hands on her
hips, Poppy stood waiting for him to open up, even just a little bit.

“I cannot talk about it right now, Poppy. It is
classified…but when I am able I will let you know what is happening. There was
nothing more for me to do in the meetings today so I decided to spend the
afternoon with you. Did you want to play that game again with the little hat
and money? I am going to win this time—I still believe you cheated,” he teased,
seeming anxious to change the subject.

Knowing that he had successfully distracted her, she smacked
his arm.

“I did not cheat at Monopoly! You just had bad luck with the
dice.”