Time for Change

30

Shelby runs her hands over Tyler's chest the next morning, she gets a reaction, but not the one she was expecting, "Stop! there is only one person that is allowed to touch me like that and she's not talking to me right now."

Shelby is somewhat pleased but unsure if he's teasing or not. She decides to do it again. This time she kisses him. "I said stop! Only my wife is allowed to-" Tyler opens his eyes angrily. 

Shelby smiles at him, "Are you sure you want me to stop?"

Now that Tyler can see who it is he stops fighting her and pulls her to him. "I'm sorry, I thought someone had..." he stops speaking.

Shelby takes the chance, "Was your meeting important?" She worries about that, that because of her he missed an important meeting last night.

"What meeting?" Tyler doesn't remember missing a meeting.

"The one you didn't go to last night because you stayed with me." Shelby says in a small voice.

Tyler debates telling he the truth. He's afraid she'll take things the wrong way if he does, but he doesn't want lies between them. "I wasn't going to go to a meeting, Shelby. I was going to go out and get drunk."

Shelby stiffens in his arms. He hurries and explains, "I screwed things up with you. I don't know how to make a relationship work because I've never tried before. None of the females I've ever been with were important enough to me to even try. For a week I couldn't even get you to talk to me. Last night was my last ditch effort and it made you cry. I couldn't take it any more."

Shelby is quiet, "So it's my fault I drove you to drink." Now Shelby wonders if maybe it was her fault with her ex all along as well. "I'm sorry." She pulls into herself.

"No," Tyler assures her. "I made the mistake all on my own. Flirting and allowing it to go too far. You left to soon though. I yelled at the sales girl for what she did. My stupid ass mistake cost me greatly, that's why I was going to drink. I almost got you ra-" Shelby doesn't want him to say the words. She's been having nightmares about that all week until last night.

Shelby's kiss is unexpected but very welcome and Tyler deepens it. When she doesn't pull back or otherwise try to stop things he does what he's been wanting to do all along.

Afterwords Tyler asks her a question. "There was a slap mark on that traitors face. Where...?"

"He kissed me. I didn't like it so I slapped him. Of course he slapped me back and then things got nasty." Shelby doesn't like remembering anything about that day after they left the store where she saw the unicorn statuette.

Tyler stills, he knows how much his kisses drug Shelby. All elven kisses are supposed to act like that on humans so... "His kiss didn't make you want more?"

"No." Shelby shivers in disgust. "It did just the opposite in fact, it made me sick. I've kissed several men but none have ever made me ill before."

Elves are considered beautiful to the humans but he's never noticed Shelby being attracted to any of them. He's not even sure that she's attracted to him. "Shelby, when you first saw my receptionist when you went to return the stones, what was your reaction physically?"

"A pretty boy that's stuck up just like the rest of you." Shelby responds immediately and her answer both amuses and irritates Tyler.

"What about when you first met me?"

"Tyler are you sure you wish to go there?" Shelby asks sitting up a bit on her elbows so she can see her husband.

"Please, it's not likely to be good I already know that." Tyler sighs at this, he's considered the most sexy man alive on Earth but he has a feeling Shelby isn't going to give him good reviews.

"I of course saw your beauty, but thought your arrogance and conceit out weighed it. In fact once I factored in everything I thought you very nearly ugly." Tyler winces as Shelby's matter of fact tones.

"No wonder you didn't want to marry me," Tyler says softly after her words echo around the silent room for a bit.

"I warned you not to go there, but that wasn't why I was reluctant to marry you. Your looks had very little to do with it. It was your attitude and your reputation. You were too much like my ex for me to be comfortable with. I am aware that in comparison I don't have much in the way of looks and I never will. But I have to say, you are one damn fine kisser."

Tyler is amused and pulls Shelby over to him, or rather over him. He chuckles as he says, "Oh is that why you married me?"

Shelby looks at him soberly and replies, "No, I married you to save your people and my people. Thousands and millions of lives. In comparison to that my thoughts and feelings don't really matter much at all.

"Your history with women left me sure that marriage with you will be as bad as it was with my ex and I really didn't want it."

Tyler lets the silence hold for a bit then softly asks, "Have I done anything right?"

Shelby answers softly back, "Yes. You haven't yelled at me or hit me. You've treated my children with kindness. You've been trying Tyler and I see that and appreciate it. I'm sorry I haven't been the wife you should have."

Tyler kisses her before he replies, "No, the mistakes have been mine. You are here to teach us all, including me to behave better."

The silence lasts for some time, "I really am sorry for letting her flirt with me like I did."

Shelby responds, "I know. It was just seeing you do that...I thought things were going to be just like they were with my ex all over again. I can't, I won't live like that. Then that elf that assaulted me. I..." Tyler holds her close.

"He is going to have his trial tomorrow. He was a high lord and knew perfectly well who you were Shelby."

"He knew who I was and still did that" Shelby's voice had become high and unsteady.

"Yes," Tyler's voice is low and angry. "He'll be tried as a race traitor for the assault on his queen after he had taken oath." And since Tyler is the judge he'll be found guilty. He had to work too hard to get Shelby here for some perverted asshole to ruin it all and kill his people just because he couldn't seduce a human.

"Do you find any of the elves attractive?" Tyler takes it back to the previous subject.

"Why this fascination, Tyler?" Shelby demands but answers his question anyway, "No, not really. Other than you anyway." Tyler breathes easier. He's glad that she finds him attractive now at least.

"Now answer my question, why?" Shelby demands of Tyler.

"His kiss should have drugged you. Instead of him being with someone unwilling you would have been found seduced.  I would have had no recourse but to execute you for unfaithfulness."

"Oh, that's right, your law that would kill me but let you do what ever." Shelby says in a low voice once more.

"That's not going to happen again. It's been hell this week trying to get you to speak to me again. I don't even want to think about if things had gone further." Shelby is more reassured by his reaction while he was still half asleep than his words now.