Tuluscan Six And The Time Circle

...The silence flowed between them, but it felt different. More vibrant and open to possibility. Karlan licked his lips. “In your made-up world that I’m still not sure I really believe in, by the way, is that the first time we have sex?”

To his surprise, Tuluscan shook his head. “No. I’ll want to. But you’ll insist on thinking things through first and you don’t let me make love to you properly until ten days after that.”

“Properly?”

The other man smiled. “Yes. You might be cautious, but you’re alive, too. You let me touch you intimately three times in those ten days, and you touch me in return, too. It takes the edge off our desire.”

“What changes my mind?”

Tuluscan’s eyes clouded over. He looked like he was accessing a private and very pleasurable memory. “I’m never entirely sure; I thought you’d make me wait much longer, if I’m honest with you. And, believe me, I always am. I can’t help it. No, I think what makes you open up to me is the fact that on the tenth day after that meal, it’s you who takes charge and makes the running. Not me. It changes how things are between us.”

Karlan wiped his hands over his lips, very aware of the sudden hardness of his cock. He knew he’d made a decision, one that surprised him very much. “Tell me about how we make love the first time. If we have the time?”

The other man caught his gaze and swallowed. When he spoke, his voice sounded more vulnerable. “We do, for now. But you want me to explain it to you?”

Karlan said nothing in reply; he simply nodded.

Another silence, then Tuluscan began to speak.

“We’re at my home,” he said and his voice was husky in a way it hadn’t been before. “You take me out to dinner, but we don’t stay for dessert. Not that time. You ask if you can come home with me and, of course, I agree. Why wouldn’t I? I wanted you to agree to this ever since the first time I saw you. The journey back to my hut takes less than two par-segments.”

“Your hut?” Karlan asked.

Tuluscan nodded. “That’s what we call our homes. And a par-segment is similar to five of your earth minutes. You don’t say anything to me at all during the journey. Not about what you might want to do to me when we get there, no conversation. But you place your hand on my leg and keep it there. I like the feel of it. At my hut, once inside, you push me back against the wall. You kiss me, but it’s not like I expect. You’re gentle, as if you’re frightened to hurt me, and I willingly let you set the pace of what’s inevitable now, though that’s not how I expected it to be either.”

In the silence, Karlan nodded. He was gazing right into Tuluscan’s eyes and couldn’t have looked away if all the pirates of the galaxy had stormed in upon them. The man’s eyes were astonishing: blue and green and brown and all the colors he’d never thought of before. Karlan didn’t know if he ever wanted to stop looking.

“Is it like this?” he whispered. Then he kissed the Lamarian. Tuluscan’s lips were warm and opened easily to him. Karlan explored his mouth with his tongue and registered the fact that he tasted damned good. For a second time...