48. Jasmine

48

JASMINE

J asmine tried to immerse herself in the narration of the romance novel she had read so many times that she could recite it from memory, but her mind was churning the entire time and somehow managing two completely separate strings of narrative, one spoken and the other internal.

Had Ell-rom dreamt about more disturbing events from his past?

Or was it something else?

Was it about Edgar and her not telling him about their relationship?

When they entered the elevator, the tension that had been building ever since he'd refused to talk in front of Morelle intensified, hanging in the air between them like storm clouds. Any moment now, lightning would strike, and the thunder would shake the cabin.

She stole a glance at Ell-rom, noting the furrow in his brow and the thin line of his mouth. Whatever was troubling him was not something trivial.

This wasn't going to be a little tropical storm.

Jasmine braced for a hurricane.

As they stepped into the penthouse, she forced herself to remain patient but managed to keep her mouth shut only until they were alone in their bedroom.

"Talk to me, Ell-rom. What's bothering you?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm afraid."

That wasn't what she had expected. "Afraid of what? Afraid for Morelle?"

"I'm afraid that I can't be what you need. I can't induce your transition." He lowered his head. "I can't even give you the pleasure of a venom bite." The words left his mouth in a near whisper.

Her heart aching for him, she stepped closer and cupped his face in her hands. "Oh, sweetheart. You have nothing to worry about. It's just a matter of time until you are ready, and I have all the patience in the world. You are the one for me. I love you."

As the words hung in the air between them, Jasmine realized that it was the first time she'd said them out loud.

It was long overdue.

Her love for Ell-rom had manifested in a thousand different ways, and she had demonstrated her feelings with her actions, but until now, she had been too chicken to say those three words.

Ell-rom's eyes widened, wonder and joy spreading across his face. "Did you just say that you love me?"

She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "I loved you even before I met you, and while getting to know you, I've been falling ever more in love with you."

"I feel the same," he breathed. "My Jasmine. My sweet angel. I love you so much."

Their lips met in a kiss that started tender and then turned passionate, a physical affirmation of the words they'd just exchanged, and when they pulled apart, Jasmine was breathless, and Ell-rom was smiling.

"I love you," she said again, reveling in the freedom to say the words.

"And I love you." Ell-rom's grin was bright like the sun.

They kissed again, and Jasmine felt a warmth spreading through her body. It was such an uplifting moment, and she didn't want to spoil it by pushing Ell-rom into intimacy. And yet, she had a feeling that he needed her to push, or he would never get over his aversion.

The trick was to do it gently.

"How about we take a bath together?" she suggested, keeping her voice light and inviting. "Just to relax and be close to each other. Nothing more."

To her dismay, Ell-rom's expression clouded, and a flicker of reluctance passed over his features. "I would love to, but I have to find out a few more things first to quiet the mind. Otherwise, I won't be able to concentrate on just being with you and enjoying myself."

Her stomach started churning again. "What do you want to know?"

Ell-rom hesitated for a moment. "I don't know anything about Earth's family structures, and I don't remember Kra-ell customs. Are immortals monogamous? Are humans? Do they mate for life or only until they produce offspring? Are there people who choose to remain celibate, and if so, why?"

Where had those questions come from, and why was it urgent for him to find out the answers now?

Was Ell-rom attracted to another woman and wanted to find out if he could have her in addition to Jasmine?

It sounded ludicrous even inside her head, especially after his declaration of love for her, and she really couldn't understand where it had come from.

"I don't know much about the Kra-ell." She took his hand, leading him to sit on the edge of the bed. "I've been told a few bits and pieces, and from what I understood, your people are not monogamous. They live in tribal units, usually comprised of one female and several males, but sometimes two females, each with their cadre of males. They don't form couple relationships the way we do. The females invite the ones they fancy to their beds, and the males consider it an honor to be chosen. They are grateful for the opportunity to father a child. Not all Kra-ell males get to be so lucky."

Ell-rom frowned. "I wouldn't have liked that kind of life. If I was forced to live in a Kra-ell society, I would have chosen to be a celibate priest."

Jasmine smiled. "I get it because I'm a one-man woman, too, or rather one man at a time, but there are many people who enjoy spreading the love, and there is nothing wrong with it as long as it is a free choice of consenting adults. Regrettably, that's not always the case, and in many parts of the world, women are treated like possessions and not like consenting adults. They don't have a say in the selection of a husband, and they don't have a say in their husband's decision to take more wives. There is more, but I'd rather not go there."

Ell-rom's eyes started glowing. "I wish you would tell me. I'm not a child to be coddled."

"You are definitely not a child." She squeezed his hand. "But I'm on a mission to put you in a positive mood, and I don't want to spoil things by telling you about savages."

She wanted him aroused, not angry.

"Will you tell me some other time?"

"Of course." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now that I'm done with the Kra-ell and their strange mating customs, I can move to humans and immortals, which I'm more familiar with."

He frowned. "What strange mating customs? Are you referring to the invitation the females issue to the males they want to father their children?"

"Not just that." She debated whether telling him about the Kra-ell sexual fight for dominance would be a turn-on or a turn-off.

Maybe it was a good way to gauge his sexual preferences by his reaction.

"The female expects the male to subdue her. If he can't, he's not worthy to mate with her and father a child. Unlike humans and immortals, the Kra-ell males don't have a significant strength advantage over their females, so it's not easy, and the poor males emerge from the mating bed bloodied and sometimes humiliated."

Ell-rom grimaced. "That's savage. Where is the love? The care between mates?"

Well, that answered her question. "As I said before, with only two exceptions that I heard of, the Kra-ell don't form loving couple relationships. Gods, immortals, and humans, on the other hand, are supposed to have just one mate, but..." she paused, considering how to explain the complexities of human relationships. "Well, that's not always the case, and I'm not referring just to the primitives who think it's okay for a man to take several wives even though it goes against human nature." Seeing the confusion on his face, she realized that he needed a few more facts about humans. "There is no significant gender disparity in births like for the Kra-ell. Human girls and boys are born in nearly equal numbers."

Ell-rom still looked confused. "I don't understand what you are trying to say."

"I'm sorry. I got carried away talking about an issue that is close to my heart." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anyway, in an advanced, free society like ours, the ideal is a loving, exclusive relationship between two people, but not everyone is lucky enough to find their special someone right away. Sometimes, a girl has to kiss many frogs before she finds her prince."

Ell-rom's confusion only seemed to deepen at this, and Jasmine realized her mistake. "Oh, right. You can't understand the reference. It's taken from a children's story about a princess who kisses a frog, and it turns into a handsome prince."

"That's not possible. A frog is much smaller than a man. Even if transformation was possible, it would need to be of equal masses."

"True, but we are talking about magic. Are the Anumatian familiar with the concept?"

Ell-rom nodded. "The word magic in Kra-ell means creating something out of nothing, so I can see how it fits the story."