CANOPY AERIE: Part 2 - Kronos' Plan
****
It was typical for Q to "push" the limits of who ever he was around. Jair had gotten used to it in her previous encounters with the frustratingly entertaining immortal. However, Kronos was a whole different matter. Kronos was an immortal himself, and one that was rather used to getting his way.
<That's putting it mildly> Jair though even as she cringed internally. <This is going to get uglier than three day old road kill.>
Jair took a step toward Kronos, intending to restrain him somehow. The "how" hadn't quite solidified in her mind. Jair knew Q was deliberating baiting Kronos and attacking a Q was *never* a wise decision. Kronos's first impulse right now could get them both in trouble. Jair was wrong.
Kronos never missed a step; his face never so much as twitched in response to Q's deliberate barb. Instead, he calmly wrapped his arms around Jair's waist, pulling her into an embrace. Jair's face was already turned up, her mouth parted to warn him about Q, when Kronos's lips captured hers. To an onlooker, it was a kiss of deep love, radiating the kind of casual intimacy shared by a husband and wife comfortable in their passion for each other. Jair was completely unprepared. Her mind was still stuck on trying to keep Kronos and Q apart, while her body went into overload.
Kronos broke the kiss first. He held Jair close as he looked down at her allowing her a full glimpse of the maniacal fire in his eyes. Jair gasped and tried to pull away. Kronos was most definitely up to something, and that scared Jair.
"Relax Cricket, Gods and weapons are useless against me." Kronos whispered in her ear before looking over her head at Q.
Meant to reassure her, the comment only strengthened Jair's unease. Even as she tried to recover her equilibrium from Kronos's searing kiss, her concern shifted from a desire to protect Kronos to fearing for Q. Even a Q needed to be concerned when Kronos had a plan.
"I couldn't help but over hear part of your conversation with Jair." Kronos said smoothly. "I understand we have you to thank for our lovely home. We couldn't be more pleased with it if we had designed it ourselves, isn't that right Sweetheart?"
Kronos still held Jair, keeping her back to Q. She cocked an eyebrow at him to question his use of the endearment. The velvety smooth voice and cloyingly sweet voice gave Jair some hint of what his plan might be. While toying with Q was an enticing concept, it wasn't something to be attempted lightly. More importantly, Jair was fairly certain it wouldn't be possible to make Q jealous. Even if it was, Kronos's autocratic assumption that she would just go along with this plan got under Jair's skin, crawled up her back and put a fierce scowl on her face. She was about to remind Kronos that "we" didn't live there, only "she" did, when Q spoke up.
"Really Jair dear," Q started, condescension dripping from every word, "You didn't tell me your tastes ran to Neanderthal. If it's cave man you wanted, you should have said so."
A sudden chill, followed by the searing warmth of Kronos's bare skin touching her's, made Jair glance down at herself. Gone were her jeans and tee shirt - Q had replaced them with a skimpy fur bikini type get up, and Kronos was wearing a matching loin cloth. Jair's eyes could not pull away from Kronos's broad chest, even as her mind noted the definite "edge" to Q's voice.
"Q - I think I'm going to like you." Kronos said as he held Jair at arm's length to better admire her. "Your taste women's fashion is impeccable."
Jair scowled at Kronos's slightly too enthusiastic perusal of her, before turning around to smile at Q - two can play at this game.
"Q! If I told you everything I was interested in I wouldn't be able to surprise you. Besides," Jair said with an impish grin, "this is all just so new to me. I was waiting to let you know after the novelty had worn off some."
Jair leaned into Kronos, rubbing against him suggestively. Her hands swirling around his chest and down his back to rest on his firm backside.
"I just couldn't bear the thought of sharing my little Neanderthal with anyone!" She purred with a voluptuous pout.
"Watch it Cricket - you may start something you can't finish." Kronos growled softly in her ear before sharply nipping her ear lobe. Jair just barely restrained her yelp of pain before a smug grin washed across her face.
****
The sunlight filtered softly through the leaves as a gentle breeze gently rocked the feather bed. Somewhere up in the branches above, a bird sang a melodic song to the morning. Jair's eyes opened slowly. She drew in a deep breath and smiled as she exhaled. If felt like she was lying on a cloud, the bed was so cushiony. Her eyes followed the vine wrapped suspension cables up to the stout bows the bed hung from. When she had first seen the bed the night before, Jair had questioned whether it was truly safe to sleep in. Kronos ...
<Oh my God!!!>
Jair's eyes snapped wide as she suddenly remembered the rest of the evening. Dinner has continued along the same lines as the introduction. Q did his best to antagonize Kronos, while Kronos ignored Q, opting to continue the charade of being in a long-term relationship with Jair. For the most part, just because watching it confuse Q had been entertaining, Jair had gone along with Kronos' game.
The meal had been marvelous. Jair could clearly remember how much she had enjoyed the food, even if she wasn't able to remember exactly what it had been. By desert, Jair had been feeling the effects of the long day, the excitement of the new island, and several glasses of wine. Jair vaguely remembered Q taking care of cleaning up the dinner. Some more thought brought vague recollections of curling up on the couch, the fire warming her feet while her head rested on Kronos' shoulders, which seemed odd.
None of these memories had elicited the shocked "oh my God" thought. No, it was hearing Kronos explain to Q that since she was clearly exhausted, and they had yet to have some time alone in their new home so would Q mind calling it an evening, that brought the panicked thought to her mind. Jair recalled too, with piercing clarity, the suddenly smug Q gave her before vanishing.
Q would not have given in to Kronos' request so easily unless it might gain him some future advantage. By leaving, Q allowed Kronos a small victory by tacitly surrendering to Kronos' even long assertion that he *belonged* in this house with Jair. Normally, Jair didn't think Q would have cared who Jair shared a house with, but for some reason Q had taken a subtly antagonistic position with Kronos. Once Q started on someone, it wasn't like him to retreat before a crushing victory had been scored. The more Jair considered that smug look, the more she was certain Q had found some way to score an even grander victory by leaving.
<But what?> Jair thought in sleep frustration. Military strategy wasn't one of her strong points. Especially when she was just waking up and still a bit foggy from the night before. <More importantly, who was Q expecting to declare victory over?>
Jair suspect if she could determine the "who" then the "what" and "how" would fall into place. In the mean time, trying to puzzle out Q's motivations would only give her a headache. It was far too beautiful of a morning to ruin it worry about Q and Kronos. Some where in the branches above Jair heard a bird whistle in agreement. With a smile on her face, Jair rolled over to stretch before getting out of bed. The green eyes only inches from her's held a hint of amusement even as they darkened with desire.
***
Kronos had been awake since before sunrise pondering much the same thing as Jair. Q's abrupt departure had surprised him. Not that he had spent a moment's time after Q left worrying about it. Jair had been truly exhausted, and more than a little inebriated. Otherwise she would not have curled up against him so complacently. Kronos had a feeling she wasn't going to be pleased when she remembered the evening.
Now, lying on his side, Kronos watched the sunrise as it caught the golden tones in Jair's hair so that it seemed to glow. She had rolled away from him during the night, and now lay on her back with one arm thrown casually over her head. Her face was turned away from him exposing the slender curve of her neck. Kronos was entranced by her creamy smooth skin, following the swell of her breasts, as they seemed to flow under the sheets. What the sheets hid was not a mystery to him, and he smiled at the vision of her long legs and taught stomach. Kronos had undressed Jair before putting her to bed. Once again, her lack of protest had revealed just how exhausted she had been. Kronos suspected it might be yet another side effect of the whole "portal" business.
<Ah, but what a fine side effect indeed. > Kronos thought as his fingers gently caressed Jair's copper curls. He had anticipated an argument over where he would sleep, and ultimately over him staying in the tree house. There was no question in Kronos' mind what the outcome of such an argument would have been. Jair may not realize it yet, but she would come to accept that he did as he pleased, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. All the same, the "side effect" had given him this opportunity to watch the beautiful women laying next to him without her knowing or being able to see the effect she had on him.
Kronos stilled as he noted the changes in Jair's steady breathing. She was waking up. Patiently, he waited for her to turn towards him. Kronos was unsure how Jair would react to waking naked and in bed with him, but his instincts told him it would be entertaining all the same. Would she have a hang over, and not remember? Or perhaps she would remember and be furious - that particular shade of steel blue her eyes took on when she was angry was appealing.
In the end, all of Kronos' speculation was for naught, because nothing prepared him for the dazzling smile on her face as she rolled towards him. Desire slammed through him. Without thinking, Kronos swooped down to catch her lips.
****
<Well, you won't be able to use the "half asleep" excuse when this is over.> the Voice of Reason in the back of Jair's head intoned dryly as Jair's body instinctively arched into Kronos's demanding kiss.
<Mmmm, I don't care in the least - there is no excuse, but this is…> Jair moaned as Kronos hand found her breast while his leg slid behind her to drag her roughly against him. <...going to cause me problems later, but - >
Jair grinned wickedly against Kronos' mouth before promptly biting his bottom lip.
"That's for my ear last night." Jair laughed as he yelped in pain. Before his eyes could reflect his anger, Jair quickly bit his shoulder for good measure.
"That's for sleeping in my bed when you weren't invited." Jair laughed again at the growing fury on his face. "And this is your invitation to remain here for the rest of the morning."
Jair slid over Kronos tanned chest and leaned down so her copper hair created a curtain around their faces. Her hands smoothed the lines of fury in his brow before moving into his hair. The brown strands shone with highlights of gold and bronze.
"I like that you're letting it grow." Jair murmured in his ear as her hands stroked the shoulder length waves. She could feel him tensing beneath her, not certain what her game was just yet. Gently, she nibbled on his ear lobe.
"I've had enough of your teeth, woman." Kronos growled beneath her as he tried to sit up. Jair quickly bounced all her weight down - hard enough to knock the breath out of him with a loud "whoomph".
"Now now - don't be so hasty. I'm not done yet." Jair purred as she grabbed his wrists and held them down beside his head. Jair had no illusions about her ability to truly restrain Kronos, but she figured she had a few more seconds before he got his breath back and ran out of curiosity. "If you don't like my teeth, perhaps this will be more to your liking."
Jair's head dipped to Kronos' neck, her hair trailing across his shoulders as her tongue ran down his jugular vein to the small hollow at the top of his collar bone. Jair breathed in his spicy scent as she kissed and licked the soft skin of his neck and shoulders. She could feel Kronos' chest rise and fall unevenly beneath her while his wrists bunched and relaxed beneath her palms. Out of the corner of her eye, Jair could see his fist clenching.
<Hmm... better get moving here - or I'm not ->
Quick as a cat, Kronos sat up, pulled his legs behind himself and flipped Jair on her back. Jair was stunned with the speed of the change from pinning his wrists to having her's pinned. Kronos loomed above her with a wicked leer.
"I told you last night to be careful Cricket. You might start something you aren't prepared to finish." Kronos growled ominously before concluding his lesson in a *most* pleasant fashion.
~ End of Kronos' Plan ~
