Free Shepherd by Piers Anthony

citizens. I have never heard of a colonist achieving an exchange as a primary figure. Only as a secondary one, like my present host.”
    “There is an exception. The spouse of an Earth exchangee can qualify.”
    “Well, yes, so that married couples can go together. If I were married, my wife might have been able to come here with me. We'd both be in foreign bodies, but our relationship would continue.”
    “I believe there is an obscurity in that regulation. It does not say the spouse has to be a resident of Earth.”
    Shep laughed. “Well, it doesn't have to. How can it be otherwise?”
    Elen merely gazed at him.
    Then it dawned. “That's why you want to marry me! Because I am of Earth. So you can exchange to Earth!”
    “That is why,” she agreed.
    “You have been playing up to me to make me amenable to such an arrangement.”
    “Yes.”
    “Not because you really liked me for myself.”
    “True.”
    “And now you are offering me endless sex, as an inducement.”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “You can have the sex without marrying me. Then you can leave me.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    “Because it will work out long-term only if you love me.”
    Shep shook his head. “I don't know whether you are being supremely generous, or supremely cynical.”
    “Both. The sheep gave me my chance. What I make of it is up to me. But I do not want to take you by subterfuge. You must understand and accept it.”
    His head was spinning. “I'm not ready to digest this right now. I will need time to ponder.”
    “Of course.”
    “But I do have one question. You want my love, but you do not love me. Is that fair?”
    “If you come to love me, I will allow myself to allow you.”
    “ Allow yourself?”
    She nodded. “I am under siege. You possess the qualities I want in a mate, and you are of Earth. My body and mind want to love you, and will do so if I yield. But to love you only to have you leave me would be heartbreak. I must avoid that, just as you had to avoid being taken by the vamps.”
    The parallel moved him profoundly. She could love him! “You haven't even met my real body on Earth!”
    “Women are more practical than men about these things. I can accept your body as the host of the man I love.”
    “Whereas you use your pretty body to besot my foolish male nature.”
    “I would not put it that way, but yes.”
    Shep sighed. “It is true. Men are fascinated by appearance. I am typical in that respect.”
    “And I am typical in judging by your position and mind.”
    “So our cards are now on the table. You want to marry me for my position. I want your body for sex. Probably most marriages are of that nature. But I think I am not ready to make any kind of decision at this moment. You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor.”
    “Shep, there is no need. Take my body now, without commitment, as long as you recognize the risk. There is no need to torment yourself.”
    He considered, then reversed the call. “Do you want sex with me?”
    “Yes.”
    “Because I wouldn't care to force it on you.” Then he did a double-take. “You said yes?”
    “Yes. I get pleasure in it too. I hated holding off to win the holddown, and to shield you from the vamps, but did it because it was necessary. Now it is not.”
    “You actually want to have sex with me, without commitment?”
    “Yes, now that we understand one another.”
    “You like sex for its own sake?”
    “Yes, if I respect the man. My interest may not be as extreme as yours, but I certainly would enjoy doing it with you.”
    He knew she was not one to deceive him in a matter like this. “Then I take you at your word. Let's do it.”
    She moved into him, and kissed him ardently. Her hand found his member and guided it into her. Then he was thrusting and spurting with abandon, and she seemed to be climaxing with him.
    “Oh, Elen,” he said as he ebbed. “I have longed to do that since I first saw you.”
    “I, too.”
    He had ejaculated, but his