Chapter 20

Four months later, the festival of the harvest...

Mark and Anuhea rolled together in the grasses, lost in their love for each other and ignoring the buzzes of the evening insects around them. They were both flushed and panting in their passion and arousal, and Anuhea had Mark's waist fiercely in her grip. Finally when she rolled onto her back she held Mark away so he could not completely follow, instead keeping Mark by her side. Anuhea then became very submissive and closed her eyes, holding her arms at her sides. She took a deep breath and wiggled her chest in an offer for Mark to pet her. A few seconds later she felt Mark cup the underside of her breast.

Anuhea gasped at the physical and emotional release. "Oh Mark, I love you! And I accept! I'm so happy! Here, let me guide you..." Anuhea took Mark's hand and kissed it, then carried it under her shirt and placed his hand on her bare breast. Mark gasped at its warmth and softness. He began to stroke her in a loving caress, running his hand on her flat stomach, across the hard muscles near her ribs and then cupping the softness of her breasts, stroking the warm flesh with his palm and feeling the hard and aroused bumps of her nipples with his fingers.

Mark continued to stroke her, their passion building as they kissed. Anuhea could feel Mark's penis pressing into her thigh through their clothes, and she felt swept away in passionate animal heat. She turned to Mark and began to thrust her pubic against his groin, feeling the rough thrusting against his penis pushing on her clit. She was breathing in short gasps, and she jumped up and then squatted over Mark, positioning her pelvis over his groin. Her fingers dug deep into his clothing by his genitals, searching for and finding his penis. She then pressed her fingers hard into his penis, running them up and down his shaft, quickly stimulating him to a full erection. In her virginal eagerness she was very rough and borderline painful. She reached down and began to slide her leggings from her hips. Then she felt Mark's hands on top of hers.

" * Dear * Anuhea, * are * you * sure? * You are so beautiful, so desirable... But I know your character. I know much you want to follow Hopewell traditions..."

Anuhea panted and was still, trying to calm her fierce desire and consider what Mark was saying. After a moment, she raised her leggings and returned to lying by Mark's side. She sang softly, " * Thanks * and * gratitude * for * your * thoughtfulness! * Dear * sweet * husband * to * be! * "

Mark responded by kissing her. They returned to hugging each other and petting, but they wound down their arousal and kept the caresses playful and loving. Eventually Anuhea broke away and sat up, keeping a hand on Mark's stomach to hold him down. She then began to pet his stomach, smiling at him and sighing. Mark smiled back and relaxed, enjoying the pats.

"Wow!" said Anuhea. "Perhaps I was too harsh, when I mocked Earth teenagers for having children outside of marriage. I didn't know that passion could be this fierce! Mark, your daughter Mayoni is a close, long-time friend of mine. She calls this * getting * the * hots *. I don't know where she picks up her ideas for such creative language..."

"Uh... Yeah..."

"Thank you, Mark! I do want to wait. Delight you with my nakedness in our marriage ceremony. Offer you my body that night. Is it okay if we wait?"

"Anuhea, you are so beautiful! Of course it's okay. I am just so happy to have you, to hold you now as my bride."

Anuhea began to sing a long, complicated song. Mark listened very closely, trying to be sure he understood everything she was singing. When she finally ended, he lay still for a while, and then kissed her.

"Anuhea, you're very sweet, but I can't accept your obedience. We should be equals."

"I know your character Mark. We will be. But you must also allow me to subordinate my desires to yours, when the situations arise. It's something I really want to do."

"Well... Never withhold your council for a different direction, if you think you have better ideas than I do. Please believe me, obedience is something I'll never require from you."

"Okay, a good compromise. Never required, but you'll accept it if I freely give it."

"I love you."

"I love you too Mark. I'm so happy!"

Anuhea lay back down beside him, and they just held each other for a while. Mark sighed and said, "It's been so wonderful dating you. My only regret is a pang of guilt. The other four girls spent so much time studying English, and we didn't date at all. I hope they're not angry with me, thinking that I rejected them."

"Oh no Mark, not at all. The way it worked out was best for everybody. You could only marry one of us. And if you dated all five and then picked one, the other four might have felt a bit rejected. But this way everybody knows it was the luck of the draw; that I got to you first!"

"Yeah... I suppose..."

"And their training in English is highly prized! They're helping to translate all the Earth books. Their skills are extremely valuable. The four men they'll probably marry are all very happy they'll have such valuable wives. Really, everything worked out fine... Marriage! Oh Mark, my life will be so different! I can't wait!"