Erotic Novels
Kaylee smiled.
She was reading one of the smutty novels that Inara always made sure to buy for her whenever she was on a planet that sold such books. Kaylee had become sick and tired of flirting with Simon and getting nowhere with it. She made her most feminine pouts and batted her eyes like Inara had shown her, but now she assumed that Simon was intentionally dense. Either that or he had been leading her on. Neither scenario made her feel very good about herself.
She needed to know that someone was actually having a romantic life out there, even if it wasn't her and even if it wasn't even real. Kaylee loved the glittering lives of the people in novels Inara bought for her; they lead the richest of lives, even if they were supposedly poor, and spoke with the finest of tongues. What she wouldn't give to trade lives with one of those women. Just one day to wear silk ball gowns with yards of material, her hair piled high on her head, every man in the room staring at – and wanting!- her.
Kaylee sighed happily and glanced up from the book. Oh, life would be good if only she could be one of those debutantes again. At least the captain had let her keep the dress.
She turned back to her book. She was getting to the good part where the hero finally gets so hot for the heroine that he rips off her clothes and takes her wherever they happen to be. Kaylee loved how there was always something soft for the woman to lie on while the man did his business. Well, maybe that part needed a little bit of changing. For one thing, Kaylee certainly didn't personally know any woman who just laid there and let the man do his thing above her. Every woman she knew was a bit more, well, active in bed.
Kaylee began to softly speak the words of the characters with voices she imagined that they would have. She turned the narration into a boring, British-accented commentary.
"'Oh, Hector, I cannot! What if my father were to find out?'" Emily cried out, her voice a lovely tone to his ears. He swept forward and took her arm in his massive, manly hands.
"'To hell with your father and anyone who dares to cross our love! Emily, I have loved you for so long and through so much. Do you think that your engagement to Sir Darny wasn't an arrow through my heart? But, no! No man is going to stop me from having you, Emily. You are mine.'"
"Oh, Hector, you sound so determined.'" Emily's heart was pounding. He was so persuasive. She feared that it would be no contest to whom she would give in. She wanted, at least, to put up some kind of a fight against him, knowing that he was against her beloved father's wishes. Oh, heavens, what should she do?
"'Give yourself to me tonight.'"
Emily's breath caught in her throat. He was so bold, so sudden. He left nothing to her imagination. She knew exactly what he wanted to do with her and now, suddenly, she knew precisely what she wanted to have from him.
"'Take me, take all of me, I'm forever yours, my love.'"
There was a cough and Kaylee almost dropped the book in shame. She tried to shove it under the red and gold pillow beside her, but Simon was too quick and scooped it up just as her fingers released it.
"Madam Emily's Choice?" he asked, studying the tiny book with the gold trimmed pages. "This isn't one of those smutty novels, is it, Kaylee?"
Kaylee made a half-hearted attempt to snatch the book back; Simon held it up above his head. Kaylee had a brief flashback to the second grade. She shook her head to clear it and made another attempt, with more effort, to get back her book. Simon only laughed and jumped on top of the couch.
"It's called an erotic novel and yes, it is! Besides, how did you know about it? It was supposed to be a secret!" Kaylee cried, getting louder with each sentence. Simon held out his empty hand innocently, a boyish look of innocence playing across his handsome features as well. Kaylee frowned. Damn him for looking so good just when she wanted to slap him upside the head.
"Mal mentioned that you leave them lying around in the engine room," Simon replied, looking very much like he regretted taking the little book from her in the first place. This is what you get for butting into other peoples' business, she thought. Of course, this is also what you get for leaving your dirty laundry out where everyone can see it.
When did my mother get into my head?
"Oh, God!" Kaylee moaned and hid her head in her hands. She felt her hair tumble in front of her like a curtain. "Everyone knows about my books if the captain does."
"Well," Simon replied slowly. "It's not so bad. I mean, everyone knows what Jayne does when he announces he's going back to his bunk when he sees a pretty girl. Remember you telling me what he did that when the counselor came on board?"
Kaylee lifted her head and stared incredulously at him. "You're not making me feeling any better, Simon Tam."
"Right…" They both stared at the small book in Simon's hands. "You know, Kaylee, you were just getting to the good part when I rudely barged in on you."
Kaylee blushed. "Aw, Simon, how would you know? You've never read one of these books."
"I could."
Kaylee make a face. "What? You wanna borrow it or something?"
He smiled widely. "Or you could just keep reading aloud. In your bunk. And, I could listen." Kaylee's blush turned red hot. "And I won't take no for an answer."
Kaylee giggled nervously then took the book as he handed it back to her. "I guess a little reading aloud never hurt anybody."
"Not yet, at least," he murmured with a tiny smirk. Then, before Kaylee could say anything back, he placed a small, chaste kiss on her cheek, straightened up and began walking towards the crews' bunks. Kaylee placed a couple fingers over where he had kissed.
"Well, but soon," she replied softly before scrambling to her feet with the book and racing behind after him.
