This is a story that I had running around my mind, trying to get away from the plot bunnies. Well, as you can see, they caught me and it grew to fruition. Read and hopefully enjoy. Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer--I own nothing SW. Only GL does. I am making no money from this, Please don't sue.

Dinner at Luke's

PG <this chapter>

By Maara

Luke flew through hyperspace, on his way to Coruscant, and a long overdue vacation. Too many people have been telling him to take a break, get some rest, etc. And for once, he decided to take their advice. It was rare that he actually got time to himself, to be just Luke Skywalker, instead of the exalted Jedi Master.

He looked forward to seeing his family; He could be himself with them. He needed that right now. The Academy was growing more and more, and the pressures right along with it. He had worked tirelessly for so long to rebuild the Jedi order. It was hard work, and now Luke just wanted to take a break.

When Luke landed on Coruscant, he expected to see his twin waiting to greet him as she often was. As he maneuvered his X-wing onto the landing platform, disappointment swept through him when he saw a lone C-3po standing there instead.

He called Leia to tell her he would be coming to Coruscant for a vacation, and wanted to spend some time with them. Leia was thrilled he was coming, and promised to try to get all or at least most of her work done, by the time he got there. Apparently, she hadn't finished completely. //I wonder how long she'll be?//

Luke popped the canopy of his x-wing, and unstrapped himself before pulling off his helmet and climbing out of the cockpit. Pulling his hand through his hair, he sighed. //Stars, I'm tired!//

Luke jumped out onto the wing and down to the ground, in time to hear C- 3po's prissy voice calling to him. Luke couldn't help but smile at the sight of the golden droid as he rushed forward to greet him.

"Master Luke, how wonderful to see you. I hope you had a pleasant flight." C-3po leaned back, looking up to where R2-D2 was being lowered to the tarmac beeping and whistling. "Oh Artoo, I didn't forget to say hello to you, I just thought it proper to greet Master Luke first."

Artoo beeped and squealed more while C-3po seemed to listen intently. "Of course I'm glad to see you. In fact,,,"

Luke cut him off before he could continue what promised to be a long conversation. "Uh, 3-po, where's Leia?"

"Oh I'm sorry Master Luke." C-3po turned once again to Artoo, "you see what happens when you don't,,,"

"3-PO, can you two argue later, and just tell me where Leia is?" Luke asked a little impatiently.

"Oh yes, Mistress Leia asked me to tell you that she had an emergency Senate meeting. She hopes to be done sometime later this evening, but fears it will run late."

"Where's Han?" Luke had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Master Solo is off with Lando Calrissian, taking a look at Lando's new casino. It seems, that someone is cheating at Sabacc, and he wants Master Solo to help in tracking down the culprit."

"When is he due back?" Luke asked

Luke sighed, another night alone. Well, maybe it would be better if he got some rest before he faced anyone. "Thanks 3-po. I think I'll just go home and sleep then." Luke started to turn when R2-D2 beeped rapidly at him.. Before he could respond C3-po answered for him.

"Of course, Master Luke won't mind you coming to visit with me." C-3po turned to Luke. "Master Luke,,,"

Luke interrupted before he could continue to ramble on. "No, I don't mind. You go ahead and stay at Leia's." Luke started to turn towards his x-wing and stopped. "Let Leia know, I'll just see her tomorrow. I'm going to go to sleep."

Artoo beeped in response and the two droids headed off together.

//At least, Artoo has someone to talk to.// Luke moped, still a little down about the fact that no one was available to see him. Maybe he would meditate and clear his mind. After all, Obi-wan somehow survived twenty years alone on Tatooine; surely he could manage one night alone on Coruscant.

Luke turned toward his x-wing again and opened the small cargo hold on the underside of the ship. Pulling his bag out, he dropped it to the flight deck and sealed the cargo hold.

Turning to pick it up, his eyes came to rest on a pair of boot-clad feet. Forgetting his flight bag, his gaze traveled up to see an amused Mara Jade looking down at him.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you here." Mara smirked at Luke as he straightened up to meet her gaze. "I thought nothing could tear you away from Yavin."

In spite of his fatigue, Luke smiled at Mara's comment. "Hey, you're the one who's always telling me I need a vacation."

Mara snorted, "Since when do you listen to what I say?"

"You'd be surprised," Luke smiled back at his friend, enjoying the familiarity of their banter. "I wanted to see Leia, Han and the kids. Apparently they're growing like weeds."

Mara looked around, "So where is Leia, anyway? I'm surprised she isn't here to meet you."

Mara caught the feeling of disappointment that flashed through Luke, but he smothered it quickly. "She had an emergency Senate meeting, and won't be home until late tonight."

"What about Han?" Luke and Han were as close as brothers.

"He's off with Lando." Another spike from Luke, but this one wasn't disappointment.

"So what are you going to do then?" Mara crossed her arms over her chest.

"I figured I'd just go to my apartment and meditate." Luke stooped down to pick up his flight bag.

"Oh my stars but that sounds boring, Skywalker." Mara shook her head, would this man ever lighten up?

"Don't start Mara." Luke complained. "Just because you chose not to complete your training, and I'm not asking you to, you don't need to complain about how I live my life." Luke hadn't meant it to sound so harsh. He shook his head in frustration and started to walk away.

Mara stood there, stunned by his tone, then ran after him and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. "Hey, Luke, I'm sorry." Mara watched as he raked a hand through his hair. Boy he really is in need of a vacation.

"No, I'm sorry Mara," He apologized, realizing his mistake. Luke felt bad about snapping at her. It wasn't her fault he was totally stressed out. "I didn't mean to bite your head off." he sighed, turning to face her. "I guess I'm more stressed out than I thought."

"That's ok," she gave him a soft smile and they resumed walking towards the transport hub. "I was just surprised. You don't yell a lot."

Luke didn't respond, and just continued to walk.

Mara glanced sideways at him, "Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke looked over at Mara. He knew he could trust her, he never doubted that; He just didn't want her to think he was wallowing in self-pity. Finally, he sighed. "I feel very alone right now, so I thought I'd come to see Leia and Han, only to find that they're not available. I guess I'm just feeling a little sorry for myself."

"Well, you shouldn't feel alone, Luke." Mara knew exactly how he felt. "I've been there. I often wish I had a family. Its not always fun being independent."

Luke had never really thought Mara felt lonely. She always seemed so together, and she had the crew of the Wilde Karrde, who were like family to her. Luke stopped suddenly, "Mara, I'm sorry, I never realized you felt that way."

"Yeah, well," Mara waved off the topic, "just so you know, your not the only one who feels that way."

"I'll make a note." Luke joked. "So what are you doing here?"

"I needed a break myself," Mara admitted. "I've been taking over too much from Karrde. I told him it was time for him to get his feet wet again, so I can have a proper holiday."

Luke chuckled at Mara's comment. "I believe you did tell him that. What I want to know is, how did he react when you told him?"

Mara couldn't help but smile, "At first he tried to tell me, to just stay on board to rest. But we both know how that would go, people would bug me with questions until I finally got up and did it myself. Then he tried to talk me out of it completely." Mara sighed, thinking about the whole situation. "Finally, he admitted that he had put too much of the work load on me, and told me to go, that they would deal with whatever came up."

"So how long are you on holiday for?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, I told Karrde I would let him know when I figured it out." Mara smiled "Do you realize this will be the first vacation I've ever really had? I'm not sure what to do with myself."

"Well, I have an idea, if you want to hear it." Luke decided to take a chance.

"Oh and what would that be?" Mara was curious where this was heading.

"Well, for starters you could come over and have dinner with me tonight." Luke replied hopefully.

Mara looked at Luke incredulously, //Did he just ask me for a date?// Mara thought to herself, a little shocked. She never expected Luke to do that.

Luke picked up on Mara's question to herself. Normally, he wouldn't answer her, for fear of retaliation and her customary 'stay out of my head Skywalker,' but this time he decided to do it, consequences be damned. "Just two friends having dinner together." He didn't want to scare her off by saying that it was a date.

Mara looked sharply at Luke, and then smiled "I never thought you had it in you Luke. I always pictured you looking down and scuffling your feet when you asked a woman out."

"Ha ha make jokes if you want, but at least answer me." Luke teased back, hoping she would say yes.

"Ok, Skywalker," Mara answered after a moment. "I'm game. So what's the plan for dinner? Are we eating in or out?"

"I planned on making something for myself, so how about I make it for two?" Luke and Mara had reached the transportation hub by this time, and stopped before they got to the clerk to finalize their plans.

"Ok, sounds good." Mara stopped and turned back to Luke, "You can cook can't you?"

"Very funny, Jade. You'll just have to come over to find out." Luke bantered back.

Mara laughed out loud, and asked, "What time should I be there?"

Luke glanced at his wrist chrono, and tried to calculate how long it would take him to get everything ready. "How about 7:00? That will give us both a chance to clean up and get ready."

"Sounds like a plan." Mara approached the clerk to arrange a transport. "Can I drop you off?"

"No I have a couple of stops to make first." Luke said.

"I'll see you at seven, then" Mara replied getting into her transport.

Luke smiled at Mara as he shut the door for her. "See you then, Mara."

Luke smiled as he watched her speed away, then got into his own transport and sped off towards the market to get what he needed.

Chapter 2
Dinner at Luke's
By Maara
PG

Luke dropped off his flight bag at his apartment and went out to the market. Since it was close by, he decided to walk. It gave him time to consider what to make for dinner. Mara liked light food like he did, so maybe some kind of fish, and maybe the seasoned noodles and saut? vegetables his Aunt Beru used to make.

Luke thought about Mara. Why had he just up and invited her to dinner like that. He hardly realized what he was saying until the words were already out of his mouth. But it felt so right.

He could definitely be himself with Mara. She expected no less than that from him. You couldn't hide who you really were from her for very long. She'd eventually flush the truth out into the open. And that was something Luke needed. Spending an evening with Mara would more than make up for Leia not being there.

Entering the market, Luke grabbed a hover cart, and began to search out the ingredients needed to make a very important dinner.

As Luke found his supplies and took them from the shelf, placing them in the hover cart. Luke thought about the evening and hoped it would go well. After a time, he found everything he needed and was heading to the check outs, when he saw the perfect desert. Before him was a display of large sweet red berries, and cans of chocolate sauce and whipping cream. Mara had a sweet tooth, so he loaded them into the cart, knowing she would love them.

Just before the check outs, he decided to throw caution to the wind and pick up some Corellian red to drink with dinner. He secretly loved wine and suspected Mara did too, so he added two bottles to his cart.

Satisfied he had everything, he got in line and waited to pay for it all. Standing there, Luke realized he felt much better. His initial disappointment had disappeared when Mara had shown up. In fact, his mood quickly lightened after that and he smiled at the memory.

Luke realized he was thinking like they were having a date. He hadn't really dated too much, and they had all soured. But he had to admit, he liked Mara a lot. She was very attractive, with the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. Luke shook his head ((what am I thinking, this is Mara.)) He would rather stay friends with her than lose her friendship all together. That was something he was not willing to lose.

Luke smiled; he would play it by ear. If he thought she would respond well, he would tell her, if not he wouldn't. Simple.

As Luke stood in line, a bouquet of flowers next to him with very exotic blossoms caught his eye.

Exotic. Luke smirked, that word reminded him of Mara. On a whim, like his day seemed to be developing into, he decided to get them for her. He selected two of the nicest bouquets and added them to his hover cart.

Luke was lost in thought, when he felt a tap on his arm. He turned to see an elderly woman standing there holding her own flowers.

She held out the flowers to him, "This is nicer than that one dear." Luke took them from her and compared them to one of his own. "I think she would like these better, don't you?"

Luke looked at the old woman, surprised at her intuitiveness. "Yes, I think those are nicer, but aren't these yours?"

"Oh, go on and take them. I have lots of flowers. You go ahead." She said with a smile.

Luke took the flowers and smiled warmly at her. "Thank you, you're very kind."

The old woman patted him on the arm, "You're welcome dear."

Luke noticed she had only two items of her own, Luke waved his arm, motioning for her to go ahead of him in line. "You only have two things and I have many, please go ahead of me."

"Oh no, I couldn't." the lady blushed.

Luke smiled at her, "Please? I insist." He stepped aside and let her step in front of him.

"Now, it's my turn to thank you, dear." She patted Luke's hand, "that's very nice of you."

"You're welcome." Luke was intrigued as to how she knew the flowers were for a woman. //Oh, I might as well ask.//

Luke cleared his throat. "Excuse me." He smiled once again at the old woman as the moved forward in line. " I was just curious, how did you know that the flowers were for a woman?"

"Well, just an educated guess," she quickly looked him up and down, "you're a handsome young man, and you look very happy and excited, like you had a date with someone special, and you are buying flowers." The old woman smiled warmly up at Luke.

"Well, it's not exactly a date." Luke tried to sound as if that's all it really was, "Just my best friend coming over to share a meal." Then he quickly added, "but she is a girl."

"Well, that's how the best relationships start out, as best friends." The woman put her items on the conveyor belt, "I mean, who else would you want to spend the rest of your life with but your best friend. They know everything about you, good and bad, and don't hold it against you. "

The woman turned to pay the clerk, then turned to Luke as she took her packages, "You just have a good time, dear. And don't worry, she'll love the flowers."

"Thank you ma'am. You have a good evening yourself." Luke smiled as the woman turned and left the store. ((Friends make the best spouses)) her words echoed softly in his head. Giving his head a shake, Luke reminded himself, that for now, they were just two friends having dinner together - as for the future, he would just have to wait and see.

Luke waited as the clerk rang up his purchases, trying to think of something else for them to do tonight. As he paid, he noticed an entertainment store across the street and decided to get some music discs. Luke took his bags and headed over to see what they had.

Luke wandered around the store and selected a few of the latest music discs to play for Mara that night. He wasn't sure what kind of music she liked but hoped he picked some acceptable ones. Luke paid for them too and headed home. If he hurried he had just enough time to go get dinner ready and have a shower before Mara was due to arrive.

Chapter 3
Dinner at Luke's
By Maara
Still PG

Mara keyed the entry to her apartment and headed straight for her bedroom, eager to take a nice relaxing shower. She threw her flight bag onto her bed and went to her closet to figure out what she would wear for tonight.

Mara had never really spent an entire evening with Luke before--at least one that didn't involve some covert mission, and was surprised to find she was excited about doing so. Something in her wanted to know more about Luke. She knew a lot about him already, but discovered there was always something new.

It had been a long time since she had been to her apartment. Mara made it a habit to keep a somewhat updated wardrobe there, just in case she had last minute functions to attend, and was sure she would find something decent to wear. Tonight called for something other than her regular uniform flight suit. Sorting through garments she came across a dress that she had bought the last time she was on Coruscant. It was of a soft, shimmery material that, against her skin, felt barely there. It was an emerald green, sleeveless dress, cut low in the front and lower in the back; Over all a very sexy dress.

Perhaps, the dress was over doing it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to look that good. Holding up the dress in front of her, she decided to go for it. She was on vacation, after all, and giving Luke a shock would revive him.

Mara smiled, imagining what his reaction would be. The dress showed a little cleavage and was pulled in tight at the waist to emphasize her shape. Hopefully it still felt as good as it did when she first tried it on. Mara hung the dress on the hook outside her closet door and headed towards her long awaited shower.

A short while later, Mara emerged from the fresher wrapped in towels. Taking the towel off, she used it to fluff dry her hair, then rummaged through her dresser, pulling out her undergarments. Mara stepped into them and sat at her dressing table to brush out her still slightly damp hair.

Mara applied light make-up, going for the minimalist look, and decided to leave her hair down; she curled the top portion, giving her a natural, sultry look.

Mara's train of thought drifted to the evening before her. She didn't know Luke could cook. She wondered what was on the menu. Luke was unlike anyone she had ever known. Honest, unselfish, caring, kind and compassionate. He was always there for her and she had come to trust no one else as much as she did him.

Not long ago, Mara realized she was thinking of him quite a bit. Furthermore, she found herself smiling when she did so. When she had a decidedly erotic dream about them together, she finally had to admit to herself that she felt more than friendship for him. All she could clearly remember was the two of them, bodies intertwined, and flames of passion between them. In her dream, his lips set her skin on fire, and his touch made her quiver inside.

Mara smiled at the memories of that dream. She wasn't sure just how strongly she cared for him, but she was willing to find out. The attraction was obvious but she wanted to spend time with him, to get to know him better.

Mara felt her cheeks warming as, once again her mind drifted back to her dream, picturing him kissing her. She wondered if it would feel like it did in her dream. What would Luke do if she kissed him? Would he run screaming, or pull her to him and deepen the kiss.

Mara shook her head, to clear her thoughts. ((stop wondering, woman, go see how the evening goes.)) She smiled and stood up to retrieve her dress. Slipping it over her head; she smoothed it out as it slid down her body. Next, she slipped into a matching pair of pumps and walked over to the full-length mirror to see the results.

Smiling, she turned sideways to see all the way around. ((Watch out Skywalker)) Mara stopped short, how did Luke feel? He had to feel something for her, he asked her out. Maybe he did just think that two friends could have dinner together. Mara again wondered if the dress was a good idea. She didn't want to push him. But the dress did look and feel good. She decided against changing into something else. Might as well see where this evening would lead.

With a little time before she was due to leave, Mara grabbed a glass of water, and checked her COMM messages. A few were from Talon but nothing of real importance. She walked over to her desk and opened the top drawer. Reaching in she pulled out a holo she had of Luke.

During one of Mara's brief visits to Yavin, she had passed by the Community Bulletin board and saw a group of holos posted. One of Luke's students had taken them and then posted the copies inviting the other students to choose the ones they wanted to have. Mara saw the note and started to turn away when one holo of Luke caught her attention. In it, he was poised as if in a lightsaber duel. He had taken off his robes leaving only a tank top on, showing off his well-muscled physique. The look of concentration on his face was absolutely riveting. She never let on that she was the one who had taken it, and kept it put away so no one would wonder why she had it.

But now she would hide it no more, and placed it on her desktop. ((Time to go)) Mara thought to herself. She gave herself a last look in the mirror. ((Ok, here goes nothing)) and headed out the door towards Luke's.

Dinner at Luke's
Chapter 4
by Maara

Luke hurried around his kitchen finishing the meal preparations. He ran his mental check list (salad-in the cooling unit, the Mako fish-in the steamer done in 5 minutes, seasoned noodles-in the warmer, ready to go, saut? vegetables-working now.) Luke finished cooking the vegetables and put them in the warmer with the noodles.

He rubbed his hands together and went to set his table for a romantic dinner for two. ((Easy Luke, this is supposed to be two friends having dinner, not a date. Besides, you don't even know how she feels about you.)) Luke shook the thought off and turned to his table.

The table was small and round with two place mats with matching linen napkins, rolled up with a thin ring around them, placed at the head of the setting. The wine goblets sat to the left of the plates, with the salad bowls on the plates themselves. Luke took a rose from one of the bouquets of flowers and put it in a bud vase and set it on the left side of the table, so he would be able to look at Mara without looking around it. A candle was placed next to the rose. Luke lit the candle and dimmed the lighting a bit. Finally, he stood back to survey his work.

Perfect.

Luke went over to the entertainment center and put the music discs into the player and programmed it for random play.

The music began to softly play, while he looked around the room ((something is missing)) his eyes went to the rose. ((The flowers, I almost forgot to put them out.)) Back in the kitchen, he arranged the flowers into two vases and put them on the end tables on either side of the couch and set candles around the room. After a moment, a wonderful fragrance filled the air. Finally, Luke lit a fire in the firepit. With the lights down low, it cast a romantic glow about the room. Now everything was ready.

Surveying the apartment, Luke began to wonder if he wasn't going overboard. This was not the setting for just two friends. This was what he would do for a date. ((Let's face it Skywalker, you want this to be a date)) Luke did like Mara. The main reason he was afraid to call this a date was because he didn't want to risk their friendship if she didn't like him in the same way. Still, he hoped she too wanted something more between them.

Luke thought about Mara and what her reaction to all of this would be. He smiled when he pictured her surprised expression. He wanted to keep her off guard, and when it came to Mara Jade, that was no easy task. Luke had even abandoned his blacks for a more colorful outfit of blue slacks and a lighter blue shirt made of Calamarian silk. The material felt wonderful against his skin. As an after thought, Luke left a couple of buttons open on his shirt, wanting to convey a more relaxed atmosphere.

Luke was so preoccupied with making everything just right he almost missed Mara's presence approaching. He spun around and headed for the door, then stopped. He should at least wait for her to ring the chime.

Mara was walking down the corridor towards Luke's apartment, when she started to feel nervous. She, Mara Jade, was actually nervous. In an attempt to pull herself together, she slowed her walk down. How would it go tonight? Would it be awkward between them? What would they talk about? What would they eat? ((I guess the question is, can he cook?)) She'd just have to try and hide it from him if she didn't like it. Maybe fake being full. Mara smiled, ((I have a feeling I won't need to fake anything.))

Self-consciously, she ran her hands over her dress in a last minute check. How would Luke react to her choice of clothes? What if he doesn't react? Suddenly Mara found herself standing in front of Luke's apartment door and thoughts of doubt flashed through her mind. Maybe he's not really interested. Something in the Force rippled over her, and clearing her head, she took a deep breath. Well, only one-way to find out. Mara raised a shaky hand to activate the door chime. Mara hesitated only a moment then pushed it. She only had her hand half way down to her side when the door slid open and there stood Luke Skywalker.

Luke paced in front of the door, wondering what was taking her so long. When the chime sounded, he kept himself from rushing too quickly to the door and smoothed down his shirt and slacks. Grabbing a rose, Luke reached out to open the door, and his jaw dropped. Mara was absolutely stunning; he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Luke let his gaze wander over her. The green of her dress brought out her eyes, and her legs, oh her legs were perfect. She was so small, yet so strong. He had to calm himself before he reached out and swept her into his arms. Luke held out the rose to her.

Smiling, Mara took the rose from Luke, amused at his reaction, "You going to invite me in, or are we going to stand here for the rest of the evening?" Luke blushed slightly and Mara smiled, very pleased. Stepping past Luke into his apartment, Mara was aware that he was still watching her. She heard the door slide shut then turned to look at him again.

He looked fantastic. He had actually worn a color other than black. Mara's eyes traveled up and down his chest, loving the open shirt. He was sooo sexy.

"I must say, Skywalker, I like the outfit. " Mara looked him up and down again. Yes, he looked terrific, she was happy he decided to forgo his Jedi blacks. "Very nice."

Mara expected Luke to be embarrassed again, and was surprised when Luke openly appraised her, instead. "Well, Mara, I am equally stunned by you." Luke stepped closer to her, "you look absolutely beautiful."

Mara's smile widened, and she noticed a wonderful smell throughout Luke's apartment. She turned to see what it was exactly, then noticed how he had his apartment set up. He had gone to a lot of trouble, just for her. Mara looked up at Luke again, he had gotten even closer.

"Mara," Luke held out a hand to her, "do you want to have a drink in front of the firepit before dinner?"

"Yes, " Mara commented, "I don't know about you, but I need to unwind a bit." She placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the couch.

"I bought some Calamarian Red, how does that sound?" Luke asked as he went to the bar in his apartment and got down two glasses.

"That sounds great, actually." Mara kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs, getting comfortable. Watching Luke pour them their drinks.

Luke looked up and saw Mara watching him and smiled at her. He picked up the glasses and walked over to take a seat by her on the couch as he handed Mara her drink.

"You sure did go to a lot of trouble." Mara looked around again and listened to the soft music playing on the music system.

"Not so much trouble. I wanted to create a relaxing atmosphere. I figured we could both use that." Luke pointed out.

"As well as a, oh how should I put it?" Mara smiled teasingly, "a romantic setting, too?"

Luke couldn't help, but smile, "I wanted to make tonight peaceful and relaxing." Luke raised his glass to her and took a drink.

Mara sipped her own drink. "I like the firepit, it makes the place very cozy." Mara wiggled her toes in the warmth from the fire.

Luke smiled, "I always like sitting in front of the firepit to meditate. It's very relaxing to me." Luke drank again, "Sometimes I just sit here and think."

Mara stared at Luke; she suddenly realized just how lonely he was. It was easy to spot; she felt the same way sometimes.

There were plenty of times when Mara had wondered if she would always be alone. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I love sitting in front of the firepit, forgetting everything and just relaxing in the warmth of the fire."

Luke smiled; somehow he knew she would understand. "Thank you, Mara."

"For what, Luke?" Mara asked

"For understanding and being a friend." Luke placed his hand over hers.

Mara smiled, his hand seemed so big on hers, so warm. He was very charming when he wanted to be. "You're welcome." Mara paused a moment, "Luke," she inquired, "are you always this charming?"

Luke laughed, the mood lightening some between them; there was plenty of time. "I like to think so." Luke drained his wine glass. "Would you like more wine?"

"Yes," Mara drained her own glass, "yes I would."

"Why don't you take the glasses to the table, and I'll bring the bottle, and we can eat dinner." Luke looked at Mara hopefully, "You are willing to eat my cooking aren't you?" Luke tried to sound as if he was joking, but Mara knew he hoped she liked it.

"Yes, I am" Mara slipped her hand into his and Luke helped her up from the couch. Picking up the wine glasses, Mara headed to the table. Luke went to the bar and grabbed the ice bucket and bottle of wine and went to join her. He poured them both a new glass and Mara felt Luke's hand on her shoulder for a moment, "I'll be right back," before he disappeared into the kitchen. This was going to be a wonderful evening. An understanding came over her, and she knew then that he cared for her in the same way she did for him. Now they just needed to play it out and see what happened.

Luke came out of the kitchen carrying two plates and set one in front of Mara then set his own down. "I know you like fish, so I decided to go that route."

"Luke, this looks wonderful." Mara leaned down and inhaled, smelling the scent of the dinner before her. "Mmmmm, well, now I am surprised. I really didn't think you could cook."

Luke let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I kind of got that impression. Try it." Luke watched her; he wanted to see her reaction.

Mara speared a piece of fish and slowly brought it to her lips. She looked up and kept her eyes locked with Luke's as she took the first bite. ((Oh my stars, how wonderful)) Mara's face revealed to Luke how much she loved the dinner. Content in the knowledge that Mara was happy, Luke sat back and dug into his own dinner.

Mara and Luke ate in silence for a bit, then Luke looked up to see Mara watching him. "What?"

Mara smiled, "Nothing." Mara emptied her glass and watched Luke automatically refill it for her. "I was just wondering, if you cook like this all the time or just when you have company?" A little teasing seemed to be in order.

Luke smiled, "I cook like this when I'm in the mood to." Luke chuckled, "If I waited to cook like this just for company, I don't think I'd eat very well." Luke drained his own glass and refilled it, emptying the first bottle.

Mara laughed lightly, picking up her own glass, she took a long swallow. "I know what you mean." Tilting her head back, Mara closed her eyes and felt the pleasant buzz of the wine drift through her mind. When she opened her eyes, she found Luke looking closely at her.

"Why did you decide to take a vacation now?" Luke was feeling very good himself and he sat there, his elbows leaning his elbows on the table, peering into those beautiful green eyes of hers.

Mara leaned her own elbows on the table, "Well, like I said Karrde was having me do a lot of work and I needed a break." She picked up her glass and downed it, "I just felt stressed out. I am surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"No why would take it now? Why not next week or earlier?" Luke drained his own glass and got up to pull the other bottle out of the cooling unit. Mara grabbed both glasses and followed him into the kitchen.

"I was in a sparring match, you know, for exercise." Mara held out the glasses as Luke filled them, while she related her tale. "And I ended up putting my sparring partner in the medical bay."

Luke just looked open mouthed at Mara. She just giggled, putting down a glass, she reached a hand up and closed it for him. Luke laughed, "I think you are right, you do need a vacation."

"Oh and what about you, farmboy, why did you decide to take a vacation now?" Mara leaned back against the counter and sipped at her wine, waiting for his answer.

Luke leaned against the counter opposite Mara, "I was getting tired of being 'Master Skywalker'. I felt trapped somehow. Kam and Tionne took over my duties so I could get away for a bit and try to relax." Luke took a drink. "I wanted to see Han, Leia and the kids anyway. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to spend any real time with them."

"Well, I'm glad you decided to take one. You work too hard sometimes, it's good to take a break once in a while." Mara smiled at Luke, "Why don't we go sit by the fire for a bit. I need to warm my toes."

Luke smiled and looked down at her bare feet. "Well no wonder, why didn't you put your shoes back on?"

"The carpet felt wonderful on my feet." Mara remarked as she entered the living area once again. Making their way to the couch, the wine started to catch up with Mara. Suddenly feeling light headed, her step faltered and she fell over slightly.

Walking right behind Mara, Luke saw her sway and quickly reached out grab her around the waist. Both of them looked up to get their bearings and found Luke was holding her so they were nose to nose. Their eyes locked. Mara could feel her pulse begin to race. Luke in turn felt himself break out into a cold sweat as his pulse also pounded.

"Are you alright, Mara?" Luke's voice was so low it was almost a whisper.

Mara's eyes were locked to Luke's. "Yes, I'm ok." A slow smile came to her face. "I guess I'm a little more drunk than I thought I was."

Luke chuckled. Turning Mara towards the couch, he let his arm stay around her waist. "I can definitely understand that."

Once seated on the couch, Mara began to wiggle her toes in the heat of the fire. "Are your toes that cold?" Luke asked her as he reached for her feet.

"Yes they are. Your kitchen floor is freezing." Wondering why Luke had taken hold of her feet. Mara watched as Luke placed them in his lap and began to massage them. Mara immediately began to feel the heat flooding into her feet. (Oh my stars does that feel good.) Just then Mara began to feel a tingling traveling up her legs.

"How's this?" Luke asked, looking at Mara.

"That feels great." Mara commented as she set aside her drink. "You know what, Skywalker?" Mara stretched slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think this vacation thing has merit after all."

Luke laughed out loud, "So I take it you are relaxed?"

"Oh yes,' Mara smiled back, "the dinner, the setting, the wine, the music and the foot massage. Mmmmm...The Force is definitely with me."

"Good, that's what I want to hear." Luke smiled and sank back into the couch, the music playing softly in the background, with Mara's legs still in his lap.

Dinner at Luke's
Chapter 5
By Maara
NC-17

The fire light danced on the walls of the apartment as
soft music played in the background. Luke sat on the
couch, Mara seated next to him, her feet in his
lap. "This is nice."

"Yes it is." Mara concurred. "I like the music, too.
Nice touch."

Luke looked over at Mara, (she is so beautiful) His
head swam in thoughts of what it would feel like to
hold her in his arms, and warmth radiated through
him. "Mara?"

Mara turned to face him, her facial expression soft and
beautiful, but her eyes seemed to penetrate his soul
and gooseflesh formed on his arms... "Yes, Luke."

His heart froze for a nanosecond and his eyes dropped,
could they really have more than a friendship? Looking
up at her, their eyes locked and he knew. "Dance with
me?" he asked without doubt or reservation.

Luke's heart skipped a beat as Mara nodded her
agreement, their eyes never leaving each other as Luke
slowly pulled Mara to her feet, carefully slipping his
arm around her waist and taking hold of her hand,
pulling her close. Mara and Luke swayed to the music,
Mara resting her head on his strong shoulder.
"I don't know if it's the wine or just me but I am
feeling very good right now." Mara stated in a low
voice.

Luke smiled. "It's probably the wine."

"No, that's not what I mean." Mara unconsciously began
to stroke the hair at the nape of Luke's neck, "I
meant, that right now, here in your arms, I feel
wonderful." Mara's voice dropped to a whisper and her
eyes seemed to draw Luke into them, "This feels
right."

"Yes, it does." was Luke's only reply as he reached up
to trace the outline of her jaw with gentle
fingertips. "Mara," he paused a moment, "I have a
confession to make."

"What is it?" Mara's voice shook slightly.

"I really did want this to be a date." he confessed in
a whisper.

And before she had a chance to respond, Luke dipped
his head to tenderly capture her lips with his own.
For a moment he lingered there, enjoying the feel of
her beautiful mouth, then pulled her closer to him,
deepening their kiss.

When the kiss was over, Luke and Mara parted slightly.
"Mara, I care about you a great deal, but..." Luke's
eyes searched Mara's, hoping he wasn't pushing her too far,
but desperate to know the truth. "I need to know if you
feel the same way." He held his breath awaiting her answer.

"Yes, Luke," Mara ran her fingertips around his ear,
"I do feel the same way, I've felt like this for a
very long time." A small thrill shot through him, at
her own admission. Taking a gentle hold of his ear,
she pulled him to her and their lips came together
once more in a mind-jolting kiss. Luke let his hands
roam lovingly over her back as the passion built
between them.

Luke's hand dipped down to her lower back, pulling her
against him. Mara felt his hardness press against her
belly and felt a thrill run through her as Luke ran a
hand lovingly over her backside, while she slowly let
her hands slide down his shoulders. Mara unbuttoned
Luke's shirt, pulling it free from the waistband of
his pants, running her hands across Luke's belly,
up to his chest and across his shoulders, to slide his
shirt off. Neither noticed as it fluttered to the
floor.

Luke brought his hands up to Mara's face and pulled her
in for a toe tingling kiss, letting his hands slid
down her neck, pushing the straps of her dress down
her arms. As the dress slid off, Mara brought her
hands up to stroke her soon to be lover's cheeks. Luke
pulled away slightly, to look at and touch her soft,
warm skin, while Mara's hands drifted down to the rub
the bulge in his pants, eliciting a low moan from him.

This gave her more incentive and she reached for the
fastenings of Luke's pants, letting them drop down
around his ankles. Mara pulled away from Luke and
kneeled down to take his boots off one by one, letting
Luke step out of them and his pants.

Mara stood up and watched Luke run his eyes up and
down her lingerie-clad body. Smiling she returned
the appraisal, and her breath caught when she saw how
muscular he really was. Even the holo she had of him
hadn't truly showed his chiseled physique. As their
gazes locked, both walked towards each other, reaching
out for one another, and brought their mouths together
in a passionate kiss.

Slowly, Luke lowered Mara to the floor in front of the
firepit and stretched his body across hers. As he
kissed her, he felt Mara's hands run up and down his
sides and across his back, leaving a trail of fire
wherever she touched him. Luke kissed his way down
her neck towards her breasts as he slowly removed the
lingerie from her magnificent body. Luke brought his
hands up and encircled her breasts, licking and
suckling her nipples, causing Mara to gasp and arch
her back. Luke slid his arm around her holding her in
place as he began to nip and kiss his way down her
body.

As Luke worked his way down Mara's body, he released
his grip on her and eased her legs apart, kissing his
way down her hip to the crease between her hip and her
hot, wet mound, and felt her buck as he worked his way
down her inner thigh. Luke stopped a moment to look up
at Mara, and saw her watching him with desire etched
across her beautiful face. Knowing what she wanted and
what he wanted to give her, Luke then lowered himself
down to run his tongue cross her folds.

Mara watched as Luke began to pleasure her and moaned
loudly as he found her special spot. When Luke put a
finger in her molten core, she let a harsh gasp of
pleasure and began running her fingers through his
hair. "Oh Gods, Luke." He was driving her insane! It
had been so long since she had felt this good. She
could feel the desire building and with a loud cry,
Mara felt her body tighten and give the ultimate
response to Luke's loving ministrations.

Luke's spirit soared at the ease he and Mara were
pleasuring one another and worked his way back up
Mara's body to crush her mouth with his. Mara tasted
herself on him and felt her excitement grow.

Luke pulled back and looked deeply into Mara's eyes, and
watched her face as he slid slowly inside her. "Oh
Mara," Luke began to move very slowly in and out, wanting this feeling to last.

Mara bit her lip as Luke moved excruciatingly slow. She
had never before experienced such erotic lovemaking
as she was now. No one had ever made her feel like
screaming in pleasure the way Luke was.

Luke moved his arms under Mara's legs, raising her
hips a little higher and began to increase his
pace slightly. Mara cried out at the change in
positions, and responded by grabbing Luke's legs,
giving herself leverage to move against him. Suddenly,
Luke changed position again and put Mara's feet
against his chest, opening her up to him fully. Luke
grabbed her by the knees, thrusting himself even
faster into her.

As Luke changed positions, Mara began to moan loudly,
and the tension built up to a level neither had ever
felt before. Luke felt Mara's inner muscles contract
and tighten around him, throwing him over the abyss
into waves of ecstasy.

Luke slowly lowered Mara's legs and leaned down to
gently kiss her. He pulled back to look at her. "Oh
Mara," Luke smiled at her, "you are amazing." Luke
watched the fire dance in her eyes as she smiled up at
him.

"You're not so bad yourself, Farmboy." Mara reached up
to trace the lines of his face. "Luke?"

"What is it, Mara?" Luke reached down and placed a
gentle kiss on her nose.

"Is this how you treat all of your dinner dates?"
Mara asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

Luke couldn't help but smile. "I haven't had a dinner
date in quite a while, but to answer your question,
no, it's not." Luke smoothed her hair back. "I want you
to know, that this is not something I do all the time.
I haven't been with many women." Luke slipped
off to Mara's side and pulled her closer to him. "When
I make love to a woman, I want to be only with her and
no one else."

Mara propped herself on her elbow and stroked Luke's
cheek with the back of her hand. "I didn't figure you
for the one night stand type." Mara smiled, "And I
guess I should tell you, that I want to be with you
too. Only you."

Luke smiled and pulled Mara's head closer to him for a
kiss. "I have something else for you."

Mara looked at Luke. "And what might that be?"

Luke smiled and got up, looking down at her,
"Dessert." Luke had a sly look in his eye as he
headed off toward the kitchen.

Dinner at Luke's
Chapter 6
By Maara
NC-17

Mara watched Luke disappear into the kitchen, marveling at his gorgeous body, and the way he made her feel. What had happened between them had been more than she could ever have hoped for. Mara stretched in the warmth of the fire and smiled. //I wonder what he has in mind for dessert. Judging by the smile on his face, it must be something good.//

Mara turned over and caught a glimpse of the stars outside Luke's window. They seemed to glow more than they ever seemed to before. Mara got up and walked over to look out the window, marveling at the drastic change in her life, smiling, she decided that this was the best thing that had ever happened to her. All she wanted was to be with Luke. Nothing else seemed to be as important right now. Mara heard the kitchen door open and close, and turned to face her lover, a smile firmly etched across her face.

Luke smiled as he entered the kitchen. He felt wonderful. Him and Mara, together. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He wanted to make her feel as good as he did. Pulling out a serving platter, Luke pulled out the whipped creme, chocolate sauce and the red berries, hoping to have a wonderful dessert by the fire.

He never thought he would love again, had vowed to never let himself feel this way again. But when he was around Mara, he realized how lonely he was. It was easy, over the years, to not fall for anyone else, by then he was already head over heels in love with Mara. No one else ever measured up to her. Now they were together, and Luke knew he would never feel lonely again.

Luke picked up the platter and headed off into the living room, a happy bounce in his walk.

Mara turned when she heard the kitchen door open to see Luke headed towards her, a large tray in his hands, and a huge smile on his face. He radiated a happiness she rarely saw in him. "What do you got there, Skywalker?"

Luke chuckled quietly; "It's berries and chocolate sauce with whipped cr?." Luke set the tray on the end table and walked over to where Mara was, slipping his arms around her waist and snuggling into her neck.

"Mmmmm...now that's dessert!" Mara ran her hands along Luke's arms, loving the way he made her feel when he touched her. Luke looked out at the stars, "They're beautiful aren't they? I chose this place because you could see so many stars from here. All the other apartments I looked at had other buildings blocking most of the view. It makes me think back to when I was growing up on Tatooine. I used to sit on the stoop at night and watch the stars, dreaming of getting off planet and into the Academy." Luke smiled at the memory, "I could sometimes see the flashes that marked a battle up in space. My Uncle Owen would chase me back inside, and I'd be back outside, looking at the stars, the moment I thought he was asleep."

Mara smiled as Luke shared his happier memories with her, feeling his happiness. "Those are wonderful memories, Luke. I can almost picture you gazing up at them, dreaming of being out there with them." Mara snuggled deeper into Luke's arms, and closed her eyes as she heard their hearts beating together. She had never felt so complete.

Turning in Luke's arms, Mara kissed him warmly. "How about dessert?" Mara grinned. "I seem to recall you said red berries and cr??" Mara licked her lips. "I am definitely ready for something sweet."

Luke smiled and took her hand, "Right this way." and led her to the waiting tray. Mara sat on the floor in front of the fire as Luke took the tray and sat it in front of her. Taking his place beside her, Luke reached over and dipped a berry into the whipped cr? and fed it to her.

"Mmm..,good", Mara licked a bit of cr? that had settled on the corner of her mouth, "very good. But what about you?"

Mara reached over and grabbed a berry, dipping it it the chocolate sauce, she held it up for Luke to bite. A drop of chocolate ran down from the corner of his mouth. Mara leaned over to clean it off with her tongue, driving Luke to distraction.

Luke closed his eyes as Mara's lips and tongue, wiped the chocolate sauce from his face. Normally she would have thought it a silly thing to do, but now...now she thought it was an incredible turn on. When Mara pulled away slowly, Luke opened his eyes and smiled at his beautiful lover. "I like your idea of dessert." She reached over and took another berry. Dipping it in the chocolate, she leaned over to feed Luke, making sure to drip some on his shoulder.

"It looks like you need to be cleaned up some more." Mara said with a sly grin on her face. Luke took the berry into his mouth, and gasped as he felt Mara's tongue cleaning the sauce off of him. Mara smiled at him. "This is the best dessert I've ever had."

Luke laughed, "Same here." Luke moved over closer to Mara and he reached over and picked up berry. "Now, I believe it's your turn." Luke fed her a chocolate dipped berry watching as it dripped on her breasts. As Mara ate, Luke lowered his head to clean off her chest, saving her nipples for last. Mara moaned loudly and ran her fingers through his hair as he took first one then the other nipple into his mouth.

Luke and Mara continued to feed each other berries, the passion building once again between them. Mara pulled away from Luke then pushed him onto his back. "Mara..." Luke began, but Mara silenced him with a kiss. Luke watched as Mara picked up the whipped cr? and dipped her finger into it. Looking at Luke, she ran her tongue suggestively around her finger, licking off the cr?. Luke swallowed hard and felt a stirring in his loins.

Mara smiled a feral smile and dipped more cr? from the bowl and began to spread it across his hardening shaft. Luke felt a shiver course through his body as she touched him, coating him completely. Luke put his head back, enjoying her hand on him, when he felt Mara's tongue trace lines through the cr?, his eyes flew open and he watched Mara slowly lick the cr? off him.

Mara looked up to see Luke watching her, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. Mara began to move faster on him, until she felt strong arms hook her under her arms, pulling her carefully away. Once she was free of him, Luke pulled her up, flipping her on her back.

Lowering his head, Luke crushed her mouth with his. He kissed her deeply and passionately, not letting her mouth escape his, as he maneuvered his way between her legs.

Mara's senses were assaulted by the love and lust emanating from Luke as he held her mouth captive with his. Suddenly Mara felt Luke slide into her and she arched her back letting out a sharp gasp. Only then did Luke release his hold on her mouth. Luke felt his control waning and began thrusting into her faster and faster.

Mara started moaning deeply as she felt Luke moving in and out, getting louder as his pace quickened. Luke's control broke as he felt Mara's muscles close tightly around him.

Mara felt the feelings building deep inside her, she cried out Luke's name as she climaxed, Luke exploding inside her a moment later.

Their bodies heaving in desperate need of oxygen, Luke pulled Mara closer and kissed her deeply. "Oh Mara, you are wonderful." Luke pushed the damp hair back off her face as he spoke to her.

Mara smiled up at him and chuckled. "Why thank you." Mara stretched and reached her arms around him to caress his back. "I have never had a dessert quite like that before."

Luke smiled at her, a distinctive glint in his blue eyes. "I think this is my favorite dessert."

"What? Berries and cr??" Mara asked.

"No, berries, cr? and you." Luke pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away he looked into Mara's eyes, stay here with me tonight Mara. Don't go home."

Mara smiled, cupping his face with her hand. "I wouldn't think of going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way." Luke pulled Mara to him and they sat ther a long time, talking, laughing and touching as the firelight danced around the room.