A/N: A short, smutty one-shot set shortly after the Battle of the Citadel with Kaidan and Nick from my longfic The Long Road. And no, you don't have to read TLR to read this, but of course you're more than welcome to :) Also a huge thank you to Vorcha Girl for beta reading!

Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect


"Not bad, LT," Ashley said as they left the dance floor, her arm hooked around his. "I had no idea you knew how to dance. Where did you learn?"

"My mom insisted us kids took at least one class." Kaidan flashed her a crooked grin. "You don't know everything about me, Ash."

"That may be. But I'm willing to bet a shitload of credits that you've spent every dance so far wondering if you should ask Skipper for a dance." The gunnery chief smirked and handed him a drink.

Kaidan's gaze darted to Shepard's table. She was staring at the glass in her hands, turning it slowly; she hadn't been overly happy about being seated apart from her squad.

Ash was right; he had been thinking about it.

He glanced back at his friend who was widely grinning, and sighed.

"Well, yeah," he admitted, letting his gaze wander over the dancefloor. His eyes landed on Shepard again. He could tell Nick was lightyears away with her thoughts. His own thought didn't wander quite that far, just to her cabin on the Normandy. He took another swallow of beer. Making up his mind he set his glass on the table and headed her way ignoring Ashley's quiet laughter.

"Commander, may I have the next dance?"

Kaidan was grateful his voice sounded steady as he stepped up to Nick's table, very aware of the presence of Captain Anderson and Admiral Hackett. Heat rose from his collar and hoped the two older officers wouldn't notice. He watched as she glanced at the table, set down her drink, and smoothly stood up, tilting her head to look at him. Her eyes were a sparkling blue in the dazzling light, and the smile on his face widened.

"Lieutenant Alenko, I didn't know you were such an enthusiastic dancer," she remarked with a smile of her own. Her hand slipped into his easily. "You've danced, what, five or six dances?"

Kaidan laughed as he lead her away from the table, grasping her fingers firmly and running his thumb along her knuckles. "I'm not. But I figure time will pass faster this way than standing off to the side waiting for it to be over."

She faltered as they reached the dancing area. "Kaidan, I'm a horrible dancer."

He stopped and looked at Nick before pulling her gently onto the hardwood floor, placing his right hand lightly on her back. "I find that hard to believe. Just think of it as a kata and follow my lead."

Focusing on the beat of the music he tried to ignore the feeling of her toned muscles shifting under his hand as they danced. Their gazes locked and he moved like in trance, lost in a pair of bright eyes. Everything around him was a colorful blur.

God, he wished they were alone.

His feet moved automatically. Apparently having an older sister that had taken every ballroom dancing class and forced her younger brother to practice with her and a mother that insisted all of her children take at least one dancing course was worth something after all.

I should thank them sometime.

The song carried on, and he couldn't keep his eyes from dropping to Nick's lips. They were parted slightly and her tongue darted out to wet them at just that moment. He snapped his gaze back up to her eyes, pulling her a little closer than was appropriate, the hand resting on her back slipping as low as he dared.

"We should get out of here," she murmured barely loud enough for him to understand over the music, her fingers gripping his back tighter.

"Any ideas, Commander?" he asked, his voice low.

The music came to a stop before she could answer. They froze, holding each other closer than they should before stepping apart. He watched her glance around, worrying her lip before she looked back at him with the hint of a smile.

"I doubt there's anybody in those offices on the higher levels tonight." Her smiled widened to a grin as they left the dancefloor and her voice dropped to a seductive whisper. "We could meet upstairs in five minutes and see what we find. I happen to know you're pretty good at hacking locked doors if we have to."

The Citadel tower library was cool and dim compared to the noise of the charity ball they were escaping. The door closed behind them, muffling the clamor of music and conversations.

They glanced at each other, and, as if by a secret signal, crashed together in a lust-fueled kiss. His hands roamed eagerly down Nick's back to cup her ass, pressing her closer against him. She moaned softly, parting her lips and inviting him to deepen the kiss. His tongue slid over hers, tasting lime, and rum, and a hint of cinnamon.

This is madness, he thought for a moment as she fumbled with his belt, but the feeling of her hand dipping under the waistband of his skivvies and closing around his growing erection chased every clear thought out of his mind. She pumped his shaft slowly with her hand. Kaidan groaned as she thumbed over his tip, squeezing his member with her hand. He slipped his hands under her skirt, hitching it further up and reveling in the feel of her soft skin.

She dragged her leg up his thigh and hooked it around him.

With a low growl he hoisted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his back, her arms now around his neck as she pressed herself against him. They kissed as he carried her to a table, tongues swirling around each other teasingly. Setting her down he stepped back to admire her. Bewitched he watched as she began unbuttoning the blouse of her dress uniform, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, eyes glittering in the dim light falling through the windows.

He gently pushed her hands away, undoing the buttons just far enough to expose her bra. His heart thudded hard in his chest at the heated look in her eyes. She was so beautiful. He brushed her shirt aside and cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over the delicate lacy bra that emphasized them in the most wonderful way. Her nipples pebbled under his touch.

"Kaidan," she breathed, his name a prayer on her lips as he leaned forward and gently bit down on a rosy bud through the lace, swirling his tongue around it. He dropped one hand to her thighs, running it slowly to her apex while his other hand shaped the flesh of her other breast. The delicious little moan that escaped her lips when he brushed his fingertips over her panties was music to his ears and he grinned as he ran his tongue under the edge of her bra teasingly before pushing the fabric down over her breasts.

Nick arched her back. He watched the dim light cast soft shadows in the valley between her breasts, her rosy tips standing pert now that they were no longer confined. She gasped as he caught one bud between his teeth, pulling slightly before flicking his tongue over it while he pushed her panties to the side with one hand.

Kaidan groaned in approval at finding her wet and ready as he ran his fingers along her slit. Nick's hips jerked upward when he rubbed over her clit lightly, laying her head back and arching her back even more. He dipped first one, then two fingers into her hot core, moving them slowly in and out making her moan.

"Do you like that?" he asked smokily.

"Fuck yes," she panted as he curled his fingers against her sweet spot. He dropped to his knees and pulled his fingers from her. He wanted to taste her.

She let out a disappointed groan that turned to a gasp when he began exploring her slick folds with his tongue. He pinned her legs down, holding them spread apart as he teased her clit with the tip of his tongue; circling around it, flicking over it, until she was making low keening sounds in the back of her throat as she drew close to her climax. Her hips bucked when he flicked his tongue over her sensitive bundle of nerves again, and she shuddered, her fingernails scraping over his skull. He continued to tease her mound repeatedly, licking, sucking, until she was a quivering mess.

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ," she mewled, writhing and squirming under his touch. She shuddered again at the flick of his tongue. "Kaidan, fuck me."

His erection throbbed with want at her request and he stood up, pushing down his trousers and skivvies just far enough, the tip of his shaft teasing her entrance. He slid his member along her slit, coating it in her wetness, and then pushed slowly into her hot, slick core. Her inner walls clenched around him.

Nick gasped, her eyes widening as he filled and stretched her. She held the edge of the table firmly as Kaidan gripped her hips, pulling her closer. He started thrusting into her with slow, controlled movements, rolling his hips as he gradually picked up speed.

"Harder," Nick moaned and he obliged, increasing the speed as he thrust into her hard and fast. The table jarred loudly, and he stopped, furrowing his brow. He pulled back slowly before thrusting back into her heat, and again the table rattled. Shepard giggled.

"If we make any more noise, someone might hear us." It sounded almost like a dare.

"Not happening," he growled, slipping his hands under her ass and lifting her up so her knees lay hooked over his elbows. She clung to him as he braced her against the nearest wall. She gasped "Fuck, yes" and gripped his shoulders tightly her fingers bunching his uniform as he pulled out of her completely only to slam back into her heat.

The new angle felt incredible.

A sweet tension spread through his groin, coiling tighter and tighter as his orgasm built with every thrust. He screwed up his face willing down his biotics as he came undone and he spilled himself in her, grunting softly. He thrust deeply into her again and again until she stiffened, biting down hard on his shoulder to stifle the cry accompanying her release.

Holding each other close they gasped for breath.

"We should probably get back," Kaidan eventually mumbled against the crook of her neck. Regret laced the whispered words as he slipped out of her and slowly set her down. He didn't want to go back to the music and constant murmur of voices around them. He lifted his head to look at her.

Nick captured his lips in a slow, lingering kiss letting him know she would much rather be alone with him. She broke the kiss and sighed. "Only if you come by my place once this is over. I want you to myself, and I doubt we'll have time for another round as long as we're here." Her fingers brushed lightly across the nape of his neck sending a delightful shiver down his back.

He nodded, the corner of his mouth pulling into his typical lopsided smile.

They had almost finished straightening their uniforms when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. For a split second they froze before dropping behind the cover of a low bookshelf.

"We better find them soon," Garrus' two-toned voice carried through the closed door.

"No kidding! I'm running out of excuses to tell Hackett and Anderson," Ashley put in.

Kaidan hoped they weren't too serious about finding them. A sweep of the room with an omnitool would quickly reveal their presence. The door opened, letting a cone of light fall into the dim room. The sound of music and numerous conversations swelled. This was it, he thought. Their best friends were going to walk into the library, find them not quite dressed, and quickly put together one and one. He glanced at Nick. She looked as though she was fighting back the urge to laugh, covering her mouth with one hand. The other squeezed his arm.

The door closed and Kaidan breathed out slowly. He listened to the receding steps as Ashley and Garrus walked on, their voices ebbing away.

"Good thing they didn't open that door two minutes earlier. Talk about a close call!" Nick said in a low voice. She leaned against him and kissed him again. Suddenly she laughed softly. "I bet Ash's standing around the next corner watching each door. So, is there another way out of here? Like a balcony or something?"

"We could always say we were reading," Kaidan suggested.

"In the dark?!"


A/N: I hope you enjoyed it as much as they did! Reviews are most welcome :)