One Thousand Brides by Solange Ayre Page A

it when you touch me.”
    He fondled her anus again, his thumb pushing against it. She whimpered as half an inch of his thumb penetrated her. “Is that all right?”
    “It hurts a little.” Her voice was breathy. “But I-I kind of like it anyway.”
    Keeping his thumb in the tight hole, he softly stroked her labia over and over. When she began moving against his hand, he decided to try a different type of stimulation.
    Reluctantly he took his hands off her body to reposition himself, smiling when she gave a soft, “Oh!” of disappointment.
    “Hush, you’ll like this,” he murmured.
    He knelt lower, bringing his face to her sex. The scent of her arousal drove him mad. How would he ever wait until the Spring Running?
    He lapped at her hot, swollen lips with his tongue, then reached around and brushed her clitoris with his hand. The tiny bud was already hard and swollen. She pushed against him, wordlessly demanding more. He massaged her peak with two fingers, smiling when she jerked her hips and moaned.
    Holding her lips apart with his fingers, he plunged his tongue into her tight, hot channel. He thrust again and again, pushing deep inside her. Her body shook and trembled. Lapping her freely flowing juices, he gloried in the knowledge that he could evoke this response from her. Was anything better than giving a dear one pleasure?
    She cried out, convulsing against his mouth, rocking her hips hard. Her excited cries filled the room as her orgasm pulsed, an earthquake followed by tremors and aftershocks.
    When it was finally over, she turned and stretched out on the bed. He followed her down, satisfied with the joy he’d given her. She nestled against him and stroked his chest.
    He was half-dozing, enjoying her stimulating touch, when she whispered, “Delos? I love you.”
    His arm tightened around her. She loves me. Elation brimmed within his chest.
    He knew then what he had to do.
    * * * * *
    Inevitably, there were setbacks with the wedding plans. The Brides were dismayed to find there were no flowers on the ship, nor was there wax for candles. The clothing committee was bitterly divided over whether white should be worn, some saying that white was for virgins only, others sneering and saying that was an old-fashioned idea.
    Most women wanted rings for both Brides and grooms but Jan had learned that only primus males were allowed to wear jewelry.
    One woman proposed that the primuses have a separate wedding from the seconduses. “Their whole society is structured like that. Why not?” she asked.
    “We should maintain solidarity as human women!” another woman argued. “I say one wedding!”
    A vote was taken, with the decision narrowly falling on the side of one wedding.
    Jan asked that all the women’s belongings be brought to the Great Hall. An hour later, six burly crew members carried in large metal pallets. The computer chose eighteen women at random and they went through the pallets, laughing and chattering as though it were a seventy-five percent off sale at Macy’s.
    When Jan’s wedding dress was held up, everyone in the Great Hall fell silent. Jan gazed at the lovely gown, wondering if Gary regretted her disappearance. Had he found another woman to marry? Perhaps his secretary—that bitch had always been after him.
    “You’ll have a real wedding gown,” Beth said enviously. “The only one.” Although the young redhead hadn’t cried in days, Jan knew the young woman still mourned the loss of her wedding on Earth. “You’re so lucky… I hear you’re going to marry Primus Taddus. He’s the head honcho, so you’ll be like the queen, right?”
    “ If I marry him,” Jan murmured. She walked past the piles of clothing. An amazing array of items had come out of the women’s purses—novels, candy bars, makeup, brushes and combs. Someone had brought perfume samples in small tearable packets. Jan took several, tucking them into her shoes.
    She was the only woman here who was assured of marrying