Opening Hearts

Imzadi

NC-17

By Elorie Alton

This was written as a Christmas story for my friend Mriana. Merry Christmas Girlfriend. Also thanks to Mriana and Aeris for Betaing.

Disclaimer: All Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.

"William Thomas Riker, put me down!" She struggled to smother the giggle forming in her throat, her black eyes snapping with humor, as her new husband carried her through the Enterprise E's corridor.

"Deanna, this is one human custom I intend to observe. The Groom carries his Bride over the threshold on their Wedding Night." He shifted her small form slightly, the pink silk of her dress whispering around him and the train dragging the floor in front threatening to trip him.

He came to a stop in front of her quarters.

"Tap my combadge," he requested shifting Deanna again.

She touched the badge on his chest getting the familiar chirp as the channel opened.

"Computer," Will called. "Activate door, authorization Nightbird Alpha Delta one."

The door slid open allowing him to carry her into the dark quarters then swished shut behind them, cutting off the light from the corridor.

In the darkness his mouth claimed hers. She weaved her fingers through his hair holding his head in place allowing his tongue to plunder her mouth.

"Starships don't have thresholds," she laughed as they broke the kiss. "Besides you picked me up in the turbo lift and carried me all the way here. I thought we were trying to keep a low profile, anyone could have seen us."

"The only ones on board the enterprise right now are the bridge watch and a couple of Geordi's guys in engineering," Will punctuated each word with a kiss. "Computer, one quarter lights," he finally commanded and soft lights began to illuminate the room.

Her breath caught for a moment as she saw that her quarters were filled with flowers. Some were native to Betazed, some to Earth and all were particular favorites of hers. An ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne and a couple of champagne flutes sat on the desk next to a large dish of chocolate dipped strawberries.

"Will, this is wonderful, when did you find time to do this?"

"That doesn't matter," he said setting her down on her feet. "What's important is that our leave is over at 0800 hours day after tomorrow. Everyone thinks we're off on some secluded island in the South Pacific, and they'll never think to look for us here on the Enterprise."

He pulled her against him fitting her neatly under his chin, thinking how perfectly she fit.

"We have thirty-six hours of just you and me, and a replicator that I personally programmed to provide us with everything we could want. Don't you think this is perfect?"

"Yes, it is," she agreed. Then she encircled him in her arms and laid her head against his chest. "It is a really good idea, Will, just you and me here."

He leaned down brushing his lips across hers as she giggled again, his beard tickling slightly.

"Why don't you get comfortable," he said sharing her breath, their lips almost touching.

"Not a bad idea," she replied, "If you get rid of some of these Starfleet layers." She ran her hand up the front of his jacket searching for the fasteners that held it closed, and slowly opened it to expose his chest.

"Will," Deanna whispered as she caressed the flat male nipple that peeped out of the soft hair on his chest. "Where's your undershirt?"

"It's too hot," he managed to answer before the movement of her finger made him lose all coherent thought for a moment.

"Will, we were in Alaska, in November! How can it be too hot?" She circled her finger again barely touching him, causing him to take another breath.

He quickly decided that two could play this game and ran his fingertips over her cleavage, finally dipping his finger under the fabric and found only woman inside the bodice.

"I got very hot every time I looked at you in this dress. I kept wondering what you had on under it, or more accurately, what you didn't have on." He stepped back, reluctantly pulling his fingers away. "We should both get into something more comfortable, don't you think?"

"Yes," she breathed, wanting his fingers to return to his exploration.

"I've left you something in the bathroom," he said as he kissed the side of her forehead, down her cheek and finally began nibbling the soft skin where her neck and shoulder met.

"A present?" She leaned into his caress.

"Not exactly, in fact you could say it's a gift to myself. You'll understand when you see it." He let her go and turned her towards the bathroom.

Laughing she entered the doorway.

His gift was hanging in place of her usual bathrobe, a sleek caftan like garment that shimmered in a deep iridescent red. The fabric was so transparent that it would hide nothing and so delicate that it felt like a baby's touch.

"Oh, Will," she breathed as she took the soft negligee in her hands holding it up to see everything shimmer ruby as she looked through the transparent fabric.

Laying it aside for a moment, she stripped off her pink wedding dress and underpants, and then pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it fall softly to her shoulders. Finally, she pulled on the shimmering garment. The soft fabric caressed her body just like Will's touch. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms so she gave her hair a quick brush and turned to the door.

Will was still, waiting, his emotions so open to his wife that she could feel his presence even on the other side of the door just before she opened it.

The lights had been lowered in the bedroom and several soft candles glowed around the cabin. Her champagne flute was full and setting on the nightstand next to a dish of large chocolate dipped strawberries. As delicious as the strawberries looked, they couldn't compare to the sight of Will. He was reclining on the rose petal strewn bed, wearing nothing but a pair of black satin pants that did nothing to hide his arousal.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he looked up to see Deanna, the light from behind her, silhouetting her body. She wore the negligee and nothing else. As she stepped into the room, the door swished shut behind her, cutting off the light. He could see that the robe only colored her body, accenting her nipples and her dark curly pubic hair with a red glow. She was beautiful.

He flashed her that wicked little boy smile, passion in his eyes, and radiated a desire that was almost palpable. She sat on the side of the bed, and then turned toward him, sliding to his arms, her body peeping through the diaphanous robe.

Will gathered her in his arms, pushing his hand under the robe, pulling her to his bare chest, skin touching skin and buried his face into her neck, holding her for a moment before he reached over, picked up one of the strawberries and fed it to her.

'God, that's a sexy taste," she murmured. Taking a strawberry, she fed him then kissed at the sweet juice that remained on his lips after he bit into it.

"Oh, Deanna, how I love you!" Then pulling her to his chest he took her mouth in another soul deep kiss, and began to lose himself in the essence of his beautiful woman.

As her mouth opened to him he ran his tongue along her lips, plunging into her mouth and tasting strawberries and chocolate. He swept his hand along her body until he cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb across her nipple, stroking her gently as the soft sensations of her skin rubbing against his thumb played back up his arm building his arousal.

He moved from her mouth, kissing her face and cheeks then down her neck and over her chest until he reached her nipples and kissed all around the tight knots. She groaned pushing her self into his mouth, relishing the sensations he created until her own desire to pleasure him took over and she rolled on top, pushing him down.

Deanna leaned over him caressing his neck and chest with her lips and tongue, letting her hair trail across his skin, letting the echoes of his arousal feed her own. Her awareness of him grew and with it her own desire.

She wanted him physically as always but now the growing desire of mentally joining him became unbearable. Her desire was fed by her knowledge of his growing mental awareness of her. She sucked in her breath as she felt him seeking her mentally a sensation that shot fire through her body.

As she lost concentration he rolled her back, sweeping his hands down her until he touched her heated core, drawing shudders from her that echoed back into his head raising his arousal to another level.

What little they wore slipped off their bodies pooling at the bottom of the bed in red and black puddles. Through it all hands caressed, lips kissed, and tongues tasted, as he settled into the cradle of her thighs. Then slowly Deanna shifted, tilting her pelvis as he thrust forward, filling her completely.

Will stilled, his manhood buried deep within her, waiting for the moment when he was conscious of only Deanna. The moment when it seemed all of his existence centered on his awareness of her. It always surrounded him until he thought he was seeing, feeling, and tasting her all at the same time. The moment when he thought he knew what Imzadi meant. A moment he craved even more than his next breath.

The wonderful awareness began as usual with the feeling of Deanna's mind brushing against his. He felt the soft, loving warmth that was the essence of his wife. However, he realized the feeling was stronger than ever, as he could hear Deanna calling to him, asking him to open his mind, guiding him down the path she needed him to take, begging him to confront one last barrier between them, a barrier he barely knew existed.

He could feel her longing, the desperate need to share herself with him, so he opened his mind and let in the blazing joy that was Deanna. She called to him; her husband, her Imzadi, and she lowered that last barrier, giving her last bit of virginity to him, sharing the part of her that had never been shared with anyone before.

Just as joining their bodies had symbolically made them one entity; the joining of their minds gave truth to that symbol. Will was aware of every sensation in Deanna's body and Deanna's mind was in tune with his every desire.

As he became aware of her, he found he could see into her mind. He felt a pouring out of her emotion; he knew all her doubts, all her fears, all her hopes and all of her desire. He knew without a doubt that she loved him, how much she had always loved him, even when he abandoned her long ago. She had never stopped loving him. He could see how hard she tried to love others, to forget him, and just how dismally she failed in the effort.

Just as he knew all of Deanna, he also knew she saw into his mind and knew all of him. All his triumphs, joys, failures, and even those hidden places, he hadn't wanted anyone to see. The wonderful thing was that neither of them cared, it didn't matter what had gone before this joining, their love was strong, even in the harsh light of truth, even in the total knowledge of one another. They were one and in that moment each truly knew what Imzadi really meant, and both knew that neither would ever be alone again.

Deanna felt herself in his arms, felt his joy at their joining, and felt the burning pleasure of his erection buried inside of her. She knew the sensuality of her soft skin brushing against him and the fire that trailed down his body where she touched him.

Will experienced her feeling of total protection produced by his weight pressing down on her. He could feel the fullness of his penis within her and the ripples of pleasure that pulsed through her pelvis and radiated out to the rest of her body.

Slowly they began to move against one another, caught up in not only the pleasure felt by their own bodies, but also the pleasure of the other. The joy of their joining spiraled upward as he moved faster within her and she thrashed under him, until just as they couldn't take any more sensation, their twin orgasm found them, giving them release together.

Will collapsed in her arms but rolled to one side so he wouldn't crush her. Neither could speak, only hold on to each other until their hearts slowed and their breathing calmed.

"Deanna, is that the way our loving will be from now on?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so. I love you, Will Riker. Are you ok with this?"

"You have just given me the most wonderful wedding present a man could have. Of course I'm ok with it. I love you too, and to feel just how much you love me is a gift beyond price. I am going to adore spending the rest of my life with you."

He reached for his champagne, as he motioned for her to get hers.

"Here's to us, Deanna Riker, to our future, to our life together forever," and he reached over and clinked his glass against hers.

Sipping her champagne, Deanna looked at him over the rim of her glass, then sat it back on the nightstand and returned to his arms, her mind opening, again beckoning to his, joining them with a whispered "Imzadi".

"Are you ready for another round?" she asked as she nestled into the warm security of his arms and began nibbling on his neck.

"Lady, you are going to kill me," he groaned. "But what a way to go!"

End