Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict is copyright 1999, Tribune Entertainment Co. It's characters are used without permission No infringement is intended.
Title: The Bet
Chapter 2 : Strange Payment
By Kara Lee
kara_lee24@hotmail.com

The Bet
Chapter 2 : Strange Payment

    Lili took a deep breath as the elevator closed behind her.  It was odd, a quick look around proved to her that Augur was not in the main room even though that was where he almost always could be found.  Her quick look around the room also revealed the reality of her situation.  There in the middle of the room was a wooden easel, set up with a large canvas and a collection of oil paints.  Beside the easel was a large blue backdrop, an oversized sheet like the ones so often seen at
photographer's studios with an almost stonewashed design. Where the backdrop met the floor was another such sheet, and on top of it a multitude of pillows, varying in size, shape and shade of blue.
Pausing for a moment she smiled, he had gone to great lengths to set this up, unfortunately the contentment was fleeting, and she quickly returned to her original feelings of annoyance and disbelief.      "Augur?"
    "Right here," he emerged from the kitchen, wearing an older paint stained shirt, and brown leather pants, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."
    "I'm on time," she replied harshly.
    "Your usually early," he pointed out.  "Anyway I turned the heat up so you should be comfortable and if you get cold just tell me."   Finishing up his little spiel he motioned her over to the blue set-up.
    "Tell me something," she started, following him over.
    "Sure, anything."
    "You aren't putting this painting up anywhere public, like in here for instance, are you?"
    "Oh no, this one will go over to my private gallery at Marie's place," he replied honestly.
    "Good."
    "What? You didn't honestly think I'd embarrass you that much do you?" he looked over at her.
She didn't reply, instead she set herself to the task of undressing, first removing her black jacket, then her practical, flat-soled shoes.  As she stood back up Augur reached for the edge of her red shirt, pulling it up gently. She just looked at him, raising her hands above her head when he reached them.  With the shirt on the floor beside them he reached out to her again, this time to undo the clasp on her pants.She reacted quickly, the surprise gone, and pushing his hand away harshly whispered, "don't' touch me Augur."
He took a quick, large step back, raising his arms defensively and sighed, "Sorry."
He watched her undress, smiling as she revealed herself to him.  She was even more beautiful than he had imagined, her taut stomach and slender figure raising his heart rate rather quickly.  Just as she
reached around her back to undo the closure on her flesh colored bra he caught her eyes.   They were filled with confusion, modesty, and what could have been regret.   "Stop," he whispered.
    "What?" she replied, having not actually heard his whispered word.
    "I said stop Lili, you don't have to do this," his words were still soft, and now compassionate.
    "Why?  I mean I agreed to the bet," she didn't want him to think her untrue to her word.
    "You're uncomfortable, I can tell that.  Lili when I made the bet I though it would be fun, I'd paint your picture, we'd laugh a bit, all that, but I mean you don't exactly look comfortable with the situation."
    "Wait a second," she shook her head walking up to him, "That's why you wanted to do this?" He nodded.  "And here I though that you just wanted to see me with my clothes off."
    "Well that too," he admitted.
They laughed, together.
Then she looked back up at him, and spoke with determination in her voice, "No, I'll do this.  A bet is a bet and I agreed to it, besides I'm actually kind of looking forward to seeing what you come up with."
    "Well then, let's get to work," he clapped his hands together once before returning to the easel to mix a few paints.  By the time he looked up she was naked, and he was speechless.
    "Come on Augur, say something," she smiled sitting down, her legs pulled up in front of her.
    "Wow."
    "Ok, that's a start.  Uhm, how do you want me to sit?" she asked, unfolding her legs.
    "Can I get you to lay down," he walked over as she did as he asked. 
    "Hmm, now turn on your side, and," he paused walking over to her and grabbing a large sky blue pillow.  Placing it behind her back he finished, "Prop yourself up on this.  Good."
    "What do I do with my arms?" she queried, looking at him carefully.
    "You've never been painted before have you?" he laughed touching her arm delicately, to move it so that it rested comfortably above her head.
    "When I was eight my brother did a finger painting of me?"
    "I thought so," he smiled, "Can you lift your head?"  She did and he placed he other hand beneath it.  They were close, and as he looked down he realized exactly how close they actually were.  All he had to do was drop down another seven inches and he could kiss her.  He wanted to kiss her, but then what man in his right mind wouldn't want to kiss a beautiful naked Lili.
As he stepped away, he let go of his breath.  He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it.  Moving back to the easel he became very aware of how the tables had turned on him.  The combination of the high level of heat, and fact that his pants were growing progressively tighter left him very uncomfortable.  Ignoring all that he started to sketch, beginning with her feet, a nice non-arousing part of her body.   She just laid there and smiled.

    Twenty minutes later he had completed the preliminary sketch, a simple map of her basic shape, and the positioning of the pillows with his pencil.  There was no detail just a light outline that would help him to make the painting itself. 
    "Augur, you're really sweating, is it too hot in here?" Lili pulled him from his artistic trance.
    "Uhm, a bit, not too much.  You comfortable?"
    "Quite."
    "Good," he set himself back to his work.
    "You can turn down the heat if you want to, I will survive."
    "No, no don't worry."
She stood up quickly, moving over to the easel and stated, "Augur, you don't have, you don't have to be uncomfortable on my behalf."
    "Oh, you have no idea.  Now Lili, you're not supposed to move."
    "I can lie back down quite easily," she moved back to the pillow arrangements and laid back down in near to the exact same position.
    "Thank you."

    She was asleep, not entirely unexpected considering the fact that she'd been lying there for just over two hours already.  The painting was progressing beautifully, he had completed the entire background, and her hair, arms and lovely legs, and was just about to start filling in her face, and torso.  This was undoubtedly the most difficult part for him. She wouldn't need to be woken until he started her face, he'd do that last, thankful for the fact that she was so tired. She looked so serene and peaceful as she slept, her face no longer hidden behind the mask of fierce marine captain, or the troubles of  life.  The only time he'd ever seen her quite this vulnerable was when her father died, for a second time in this very room.  This time she wasn't in tears thankfully, just seeing it that once had broken him into pieces.
He continued, stroke by stroke, painting her form.  The curve of her hip, the slope of her neck, and the swell of her breasts all taking shape on the canvas, and all driving blood painfully down to his groin. The room was too hot, and he was covered in sweat, not a good thing while painting.  He tossed his shirt to the side and focused back on the painting.

    It was time, he had no choice but to wake her up if he wanted to continue.  Leaning over he whispered into her ear, "Lili?"  She didn't stir, he tried a little bit louder, "Lili, wake up?"  He wanted to touch her, to feel her face, or to caress her arm, or legs, anything, but he knew he couldn't.   It wouldn't be right to touch a sleeping woman, a friend like that without any form of permission, and she'd kill him when she woke up.  He leaned closer to her ear and spoke, "Lili!"
She woke up with a start, knocking him off balance a little. "Augur, sorry," she apologized to the half-naked man leaning over her, balanced precariously on his hand.
    "No problem," he answered standing up, "I'm almost done. I just need you awake to do your face."
    "Can I see?"
    "Not until I'm done you can't."
    "How long?"
    "Thirty minutes, forty tops," he assured her, dabbing his brush into soft peach toned paint.
    "How does it look?"
    "Like you."
    "I know that, but is it any good?"
    "you can tell me, in thirty minutes."
She relaxed back into the pillows, resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to be moving any time soon.

    "Lili, come here," he instructed.
    "What is it?" she asked as she stood up, and moved over towards the easel.
    "I'm done."
    "I see.  Augur, it's, it's beautiful," she complimented him.  The image was amazing in and of itself.      "But that's not me, I mean she's, …"
    "Perfect," he finished softly, looking over at her, "Just like you."
She was speechless, never before had anyone called her perfect, well except for her mother, and it touched her, deeply.  "Augur, I..  I,    thanks."
    "No thank you, for showing up and letting me paint this," he spoke seriously, his voice filled with genuine care.
    "Anytime," she smiled.  There was an uncomfortable silence between them, as if something needed to be said, but neither knew what to do.  
Lili acted first, reaching out to touch his hand, hoping she wasn't reading too much into this.
    "Lili?" his eyes met hers as he took her hand.  She nodded slightly, and he understood completely.  Slipping his other hand around her thin waist he pulled her to him, tightly pressing his lips against hers.
    "Augur," she pulled back quickly.
    "Yes," he breathed.
    "When you made the bet were you planning on this?" she needed to know.
    "No Lili, though the thought did cross my mind after I'd won," he admitted sheepishly.
She laughed happy with his answer, then went back to kissing him.
The kisses started out with a gentle passion, but their exploration soon grew much more aggressive.  They plundered each other's mouths, tasting, feeling, and memorizing every curve, surface, and texture.Pulling his hips towards hers, Lili grinded against him as he moaned his approval into her mouth.  Moving her hips against his lightly she pulled back and watched his head fall back a little, his eyes partially closed.  "Hmm, Augur, how long have you had that?" she whispered her question, motioning down towards his erection.
    "Would you believe off and on since you got here?" he replied holding her hips still, their movements driving him slowly insane. She didn't reply. Instead set herself back to driving him crazy,
kissing his shoulder and neck softly tracing delicate patterns on his skin with her tongue.
He moaned deeply, burying his head into her hair, and running his hands down her back.   He moved his hands over her well toned bottom, clasping his hands together underneath it he pulled her up against his body.  She responded by parting her legs, making it easier for him to hold her up against his midsection.  Slowly he staggered towards the pile of soft pillows as she continued to kiss behind his ear.
As he laid her down she smiled up at him for a second before pulling him back to her.   Their kisses were fierce, and endless, as were their caresses.  She ran her hands over all of his upper body, the smooth muscles of his back, his long, strong arms, his smooth chest, and finally his flat male nipples.  He sighed and moaned his satisfaction, and she relentlessly continued.  Pushing him off of her she rolled him onto his back, moving to straddle him and return to her ministrations.  She trailed kisses down his chest, running her cheek down his muscles and pausing to tongue his hardened nipples.  Her trail ended just above his pants where she looked up at him for a second before undoing the
button and zipper that held them up.  As she pulled them down his legs he sighed as his cock was released from it's unpleasant restraint.
    "I never saw you as a briefs kind of guy," she laughed as she removed the white undergarment and smiled at the view.  Working her way back up his body she quickly kissed his shaft once, at its base before moving back up so that they were face to face.
He grabbed her waist, and pulling her to him rolled them back over again, "You're turn."
He brought his hands down on her breasts, massaging the peachy flesh and flicking his fingers over their rosy centers.  As she gasped her consent he place his mouth down on one of her soft round breasts he began to kiss it everywhere, licking her skin and sucking gently on her erect nipple.  He could feel her writhe beneath him and knew that she was enjoying this.  His other hand came up to her other breast, and she stilled a little allowing him to continue his pleasurable work.   After
several minutes he moved down her body, letting the air hit and cool the wet spot on her breast, it sent a shiver down her body. Stopping at her clitoris he parted her delicate lips with two fingers touching her clitoris with another.  Her hips shot up, she was too highly sensitized   for it to not affect her.  Stilling her hips with his free arm he continued to rub her sexual bud, listening to her moan his name.  Moving both hands to still her shaking hips he kissed her clitoris, tasting the viscous fluid that covered it.  Her pelvis tilted slightly and his shot his tongue into her vagina, she moved against his mouth. Letting go he knew she was ready and he moved back up her body.  Looking straight down into her passion glazed eyes he lined himself with her opening, pausing to allow her to place her hands on his hips.Then he let go, entering her forcefully, thrusting his manhood into her.  She shifted, tilting her pelvis towards him and causing him to penetrate her even more deeply.  He moved one hand down under her ass, pulling on her flesh until he couldn't be in her any more deeply, his balls brushing her ass.God he felt good.  Too many years of chastity had left her tight, and
in need, and here he was satisfying that need wonderfully.
    "God Augur," she moaned into his neck as they held each other, not wanting to move away, even for another thrust just yet.  Soon, she needed one, the pressure building inside of her to great for her to not comply. "Please."
He did, pulling himself out, only to fall back into her quickly.  The waves of pleasure coursed through them causing them both to cry out for each other, breathing raggedly and pausing again as he his base reached her entrance.  They moved, writhing gently while still connected at their centers, causing even more electricity to flow through their veins.  Their rhythm came quickly, a frenzied pattern of forceful thrusts meeting each other partway, working in counterpoint to one another. 
They needed this, final proof of an attraction they had fought for so long.  Ever since they had met they had felt it, magnetic and endless, a gravity neither could deny.As he continued to move inside of her she clenched her muscles around him and it was too much.  He came.  Throwing his head back in ecstasy he poured himself into her, filling her vaginal cavity with fluid and forcing his hips into hers with more strength than she even knew he had.  As she felt him fill her she herself came, grinding her hips into his with equal strength, her back arching up to him.  The waves of pleasure sped through them, rising and falling like a sea of dynamic emotion. 
As the power of their orgasms subsided they collapsed against each other, content and well sated.  It was a long time before either of them were capable of speech, or motion, their bodies so worked during their lovemaking, but the time came when they had to."Augur," Lili turned her head towards his, still holding him comfortably atop of her.
    "Hmmm?" he gave her the only reply he could muster.
    "What now?" she whispered, staring up at the rocky ceiling of his home.
    "Now?  Now we wait, till morning," he smiled against her, reaching an arm over the where the pile of soft pillows stopped. 
    "All right," she relaxed, as he grabbed the edge of the sheet underneath them and wrapped them up tightly in a cocoon of pillows and fabric.
He moved off of her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her still as their sweat-drenched forms began to slip into unconsciousness.  Placing a quick kiss on her temple he spoke one last time,     "Computer, lights off."   Then they were left, wrapped in warmth, darkness, and each other.

Copyright Kara Lee 1999