BEE-6828b Burning Desires by Fred Sparkrock


Chapter 1


Chad Ponkert studied the pale, golden clearness of the Chablis. Letting
the aroma of the wine drift to his nostrils, he raised the glass to his
lips and savoured its full fruity flavour. Satisfied, he let his eyes
rise to the field of jonquils to equally drink in the form of the girl
moving through the yellow blossoms.

No, he mused, girl was the wrong word. Karin was a woman! He personally
had provided the physical transformation almost a month ago. The change
was visibly apparent. Karin seemed to radiate life.

"Karin!" he called to his companion.

Brushing long strands of frosty blonde hair from her eyes, the woman
looked up and smiled. He raised the glass of wine as a summons. Her
smile widened in acknowledgment. Half running, her bare feet seemed to
float among the deep yellow blooms as she made her way to the towering
oak that shaded Ponkert from the warm June sun overhead. Her movements
mesmerized him. She was some free-spirited meadow nymph out to capture
his heart.

A light summer's breeze gathered the flowing folds of Karin's caftan,
pressing the diaphanous fabric against her body. The effect was just the
opposite of the veiling design of the garment. The delicate cloth
enhanced the well-formed and well-proportioned curves of her body.
Ponkert's eyes relished her every step and he delighted as she lowered
herself to the ground beside him.

"Hungry?" she smiled, tilting her head so that her yellow hair cascaded
over her shoulder like a billowing cloud of golden threads.

"I could eat a horse," Ponkert answered, knowing he was lying, but
willing to allow Karin to play out her picnic game. He was anxious to be
in her. But rushing what would ultimately come would only destroy the
day.

"A horse?" she puzzled at his archaic expression. Then she chuckled,
realizing he referred to a mammal she had once read about in a natural
history class. The animal was now extinct. On a totally urban planet
like Earth, there was no room for animals that didn't provide enough
food to justify their existence.

"Don't make fun of me, wench!" Ponkert chided as he landed a sharp,
stinging swat to her temptingly protruding bottom.

"Ouch! Stop it, you brute!" she laughed, obviously enjoying his playful
punishment. "Stop being silly, Chad. You're only twenty-four. Remember,
I've seen your personal-film. Horses haven't been around for at least a
century. You couldn't have seen one!"

"Correct--and wrong," he mused, leaning back against the tree, sipping
at the Chablis. "I'm twenty-four and you may have been peeking at my
bio-films, but you seem to have forgotten I've been a Voyager since I
was eighteen. And I've seen at least thirty different planets. Some of
which still have horses!"


End of Page 1. See bee-6828b.txt for full story.