The chirping avians on the terrace and the gradually lightening sky stirred Luke into that half-awake state where he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to fall back asleep or greet the morning and all it had to offer. Leaving the slider open last night was a great idea, Luke thought with a yawn. I haven't slept that well in ... I don't know how long.

As he was about to stretch his arms and back, he froze. A manicured hand rested lightly on his right bicep. Slowly, he rotated on his blanket until his eyes caught sight of Naluma lying next to him on the floor. Even when sleeping, she's gorgeous. I know my hair is a haystack right now, but she barely has one out of place.

She mumbled something, not quite a word. Not daring to risk waking her, he just watched. Her slight smile set him at ease. Hope she's dreaming about me.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he cancelled it. Pinching his eyes shut and biting his lip, he thought, No. Skywalker, you are the leader of the Jedi Order. You have a reputation to uphold, a pattern to set. You cannot give into your fleshly urges.

But her light fragrance intoxicated him. He couldn't break away. His eyes focused on her full lips and her almond-shaped eyelids with smeared shadow and smudged eyeliner from the night before. Her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath.

When a squawking bird fluttered and perched on the back of the chair on the terrace, Naluma stirred in her sleep. Luke felt her awareness coming to life. In a few minutes—no, seconds—she would be awake. He anticipated her expression when he would be the first thing she would see.

As her eyes flickered open, her lips slowly transformed into the warm smile that sent beams of light straight into Luke's heart.

"Good morning, my love." Oh, that was so lame, he thought.

She pulled her bare arm out from under the covers and clasped his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "Good morning." The Force shot between them, enveloping them in its colorful energy.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded and gave a sleepy grin. "Once I joined you."

"On the floor? Wasn't the bed comfortable?"

"Yes, but it was missing you." She raised his fingers to her lips and kissed them. "I was missing you."

He extracted his hand from hers and started stroking the dip between her thumb and forefinger, something he knew would calm her at the same time arouse her. Immediately, her Force-aura brightened, shimmering like a lake of placid waters. You can't, Skywalker. You just can't. Stop it. Control!

The villa warmed as if high-summer on Tatooine. Luke teetered on exploring the limits of their relationship, but Naluma's soft moan rooted like a weed in his conscience.

You can't, Skywalker. You just can't. Stop it. Control! Luke threw off the covers and stood in his tank and shorts.

"What's wrong, Luke?"

"I didn't think I could stop myself if I went ..."

Naluma sat up, the covers falling from her body to reveal a lavender silk nightgown with spaghetti straps and crystal beading around the bodice. The sight of her golden skin accentuated by the light-purple silk didn't help Luke's situation. Control was the last thing that was going on.

He turned his back to her. "I'm sorry, Naluma. I ..." he said as he faced the terrace.

She stood and put her hand on his shoulder from behind. "I want more, too, Luke. There's nothing to apologize for."

"But we can't." He spared a quick glance toward the reflection in the slider window—her long legs extending from the short hem of the nightgown. He didn't even want to acknowledge what was going on with his own body. He felt his cheeks burn with heat, with shame.

She breathed on his neck and whispered in his ear, "No one would have to know."

He gulped, gasping for air as his hair stood on end. "No." He turned to her. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I'd regret it."

Her face fell. He felt her anguish. "You'd regret me?"

"I didn't say that." He stepped toward the terrace, away from her. "I said I'd regret taking advantage of you, dishonoring you. I respect you too much to make you my plaything."

"Then marry me."

He spun to face her. "Now?" His voice cracked. "Here?"

She echoed with pursed lips, "No one would have to know."

Luke shook his head. "No, I don't want to hide you from the world, and I don't want to worry about the news vids catching a whiff of anything inappropriate. We've got enough problems with the Senate. And we certainly don't need to be confusing the kids."

A long silence ensued as both bodies tensed like stone, the Force wavering now, not as strong.

The tears in her eyes said it all. She turned her back and grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe before heading into the refresher unit.

"'Luma, I'm sorry."

But she was gone.

✧ ∙ ° : * ✧ ∙ ° : * ∙ ° ✧

Luke sat cross-legged on the marble deck of the terrace waiting for Naluma. While he tried to sink into meditation, all he could think of was how she was blocking him out of her mind. Her aura was the darkest purple he had experienced in a long time, the red and blue tendrils snaking, strangling Naluma. And he didn't know how to fix it ... how to make peace.

"There you are." She was drying her sable hair with a towel, fluffing it at the door to the terrace. She wore a simple sundress in muted burgundy. She bent down to slip her sandals on, giving him a glimpse of her chest as her bodice dipped open.

He quickly turned his head, but the image was engraved on his mind. While he fought for control of his thoughts, he caught her wicked smile. Yeah, she's doing this on purpose. He rotated his head and locked his eyes with hers. Two can play this game.

"You're wearing that?" She grimaced at his chosen attire.

Luke stood from his meditation pose and crossed to the table. "What's wrong with it? I'm comfortable."

Sitting in the chair and brushing her hair, she said, "We're on Naboo. They're sophisticated. Can you name one person you saw in jeans and T-shirt yesterday?"

"I don't know ... but there might have been."

She waved the hairbrush at him. "Oh, Luke, you can be so unobservant."

"Hey, my eyes were on you the whole time. Didn't want to notice anyone else." He sat at the wrought-iron bistro table and removed the cloche lid from the plate of croissants. "Breakfast?"

She huffed.

"What's wrong now?"

"I was hoping to eat at one of those cafés we saw yesterday. People watch." Nevertheless, she took a roll and bit off a corner before pouring a cup of stimcaf. "I'm so tired of looking at the same people every single day." Her eyes bored into Luke like a lightsaber skewering his heart.

"I'm sorry. Tomorrow okay?"

She crinkled her nose and upper lip before turning her back to him, ostensibly gazing at the view. "I guess."

A few more minutes of silence passed with Naluma refusing to look at him.

"I've booked us at the Natural History Museum today. And tonight, tickets to the Nabooan Opera. They say it's almost as good as the one on Coruscant."

She didn't answer. She nibbled on a piece of fruit and stared at the sparkling pool below their terrace. "Have you planned every waking minute, Luke?"

"Ye—"

"Did you even think to ask what I wanted to do?" She slammed her half-eaten Shuura on a plate, rattling the dish on the metal table. "This is my first vacation in over ten years, and you have me following you around like a lost puppy? No say in what we do or where we go?" She leaned back in the chair and raised her hand across her chest. "Well, forget it. You can do whatever you want. I'm going to stay here and go for a swim. The pool looks marvelous."

"You think I've had a vacation ... ever?"

"Well, at least you get off-planet once in a while."

"Trust me, that's never a vacation. Far from it."

"Whatever."

"I can't get a refund, Naluma. These tickets were expensive." Is this the hill you want to die on, Skywalker? I thought Jedi were the great negotiators. You're going to lose her if you don't compromise somewhere. He crossed in front of her and knelt beside her while taking her hand in his. "Please. Can't we at least spend today together?"

He worked the Force, flowing it against her shield, not battering, but letting her know it was there and ready to be accepted, if only she would.

She sighed. "I'd really like to do some shopping. I only have the two dresses and one evening gown. And a swim this afternoon, even if only for a few minutes."

"Yes." Luke closed his eyes and buried his deepest secret. I can't swim. How am I going to do this?

"Go change, then, while I dry my hair."

He stood and slurped the rest of his stimcaf and crammed the croissant with ronto strips into his mouth.

She kissed him on his rough cheek. "And shave."

"Hey, I was going to grow a beard this week."

"Not if you want any more kisses from me, you won't." She let down her shield and sent the fleeting thought through the intimate channel of mind-speech. Love you.

Love you more.