PART 2. SHEP'S P.O.V

She was not a shy woman.

Never had been, really. While normally beneficial, it certainly brought along it's own share of trouble now and then, too. For the time being though, it was extremely useful in catching the assassin off of his guard — and he had risen to the challenge to do the same, much to her delight.

At first, she wondered if those lingering looks of his had been misread. While he may have been humanoid in appearance, Shepard really wasn't familiar with the physicality of his species.

Miscommunication could definitely happen, on either end.

Which is why the first time she feels him brush against her as they move for cover, she doesn't think too much of it. Hell, even the second and third time it doesn't do much more than cause a split-second pause that is quickly overrun with the fact that bullets were quickly heading her way.

Clearly her lack of response warranted an up in ante though, because the next time they're in a firefight and in cover, he makes it impossible to interoperate the action as anything less than lascivious.

"These guys just keep on comin', don't they?"

Even among the onslaught of fire heading their way, she can hear his low chuckle to her side. "So it would appear. However, they are poorly organized. A small mercy, in the face of their numbers."

In her ear, she can hear Garrus being a smart-ass, lining up shots from the safety of his perch. Well, maybe safe was an overstatement, but the point remained — she'd like to hear him talking smack with explosives constantly getting hurled at his face.

A parted mouth, and she inhales, prepared to fire back at her long-time friend until that track of thought is quickly dissolved by the sudden encompassing body heat that envelopes her own. It's brief, in the grand scheme of things, but there's no way ignore it. Thane's chest is pressed against her back, his hand brushing lightly over her thigh, venturing upward.

"Pardon me," He murmurs, voice like a rumble of low thunder against the back of her neck. Against her will a faint shiver rolls up her spine, the tiny hairs on her neck standing on end with the even expels of hot air against the exposed skin. With controlled ease his fingers curl around one of the extra thermal clips to the utility belt around her hips. It pops out of it's holder with an audible sound, and he's still unnecessarily, but deliciously, close while he reloads his pistol as if he wasn't purposefully trying to put her hormones into overload.

While she can't see it immediately, she can practically feel him smirking when he says, "Thank you. " And pulls away to his own cover once more. Her suspicions are confirmed though when she manages a look amidst not getting her head blown off.

That sneaky bastard.

"That wasn't very nice, Thane." It probably doesn't help her argument if she doesn't look the least bit upset by it. It definitely doesn't help when her body is running more than a few degrees hotter, and she had shamelessly checked him out the rest of the mission.

Turn about was fair play though, and she was looking forward to it.

She can't quite pin point when this little game of theirs started — only that it had. There was no doubt in her mind where she wanted it to go ( a woman has needs, doesn't she? ) and from her perspective, it seemed like he might be, at the very least, curious.

Curious was good, she could work with that, see where it led.

The best part about the whole scenario though was that in his ploy to throw her off her game, to seduce her a little bit for the thrill of it, he seemed to wind up seducing himself a bit, too, if what she'd felt when he was pressed against her was any indication.

So, maybe she had a little more than curiosity to work with here. And damn if the whole thing was exciting and fun as hell. Although far from shy about her desires, the opportunity to indulge in them seemed to rarely come along. Before, it was mostly Alliance regs holding her back, combined with a tight schedule and just a lack of interest in anybody.

Her sex drive was far from silent, and she was never embarrassed by her sexuality, but few people held sustainable interest when it came to that department. Thane was the first person since she'd been brought back to catch her eye — with that two toned voice of his, like rough, dark velvet and an impeccable physique to match. Alien to her, maybe, but beautiful and alluring all the same. The similarities were nice, but she was more interested in discovering what the differences were.

If she was lucky, the interested would be returned.

A suicide mission an important, noble effort, and she was happy to be apart of it. But that didn't mean the thought of having sex, even once before possibly dying ( again ) wasn't an appealing one. It definitely was, and who could really blame her?

Back in her cabin a few hours after their return, she's seriously considering going for a run in the rec room to burn off some of the extra energy that's been eating at her. The scalding hot shower had been nice, but it had done little to dispel carnal thoughts from her head when she was trying to focus on mission reports.

Her skin felt hot, oversensitive — even being in only black panties and a loose tank top had helped that tight, almost uncomfortable feeling.

God, it really had been a long time since she'd had sex, if she was still feeling from that little encounter on the field.

EDI's voice over the intercom snapped her from her thoughts before things could have a chance at going downhill….again. "Shepard."

Rearranging some of the pads of paperwork, she responded with a faint sigh, "Yes, EDI? What is it?"

"Your privacy lock is on, and Sere Krios is outside. He wishes to speak with you. "

Eyebrows raising faintly, she could feel her pulse quicken faintly, heading to all the wrong ( right ) areas. It was either too good to be true, or a cosmic prank to worsen her sexual frustration for the amusement of the gods.

Well, she mused, only one way to find out. "I'll handle it, EDI. "

"Understood. Logging you out, Shepard. "

Standing from her desk, she nearly reaches for some proper clothes — pants, a bra — before her nature gets the better of her, and she decides to roll with her preferred straightforward, if reckless, approach.

It seemed like a fool-proof plan, at least. If he was only just messing with her because she was teasing him, it'd be pretty obvious. But, if it was more than that, she'd have her answer for that, too. At least in theory. Still, no time like the present, right?

Using her fingers to come out her hair slightly, it fell in gentle, natural waves over her shoulders without any immediate, unsightly tangles. But she wasn't going for perfect here, just presentable. In a casual, half-naked kind of way.

Padding over to her door, she unlocks it with a swipe of her hand. As the door slides open, revealing Thane with his hands behind his back, she does her best impression of casual, leaning against the door frame with a hand curled along her hip — grey eyes firmly locked on his frame from beneath dark lashes.

She lets a moment pass between him, taking stock in the slight shift in his weight, the surprised flutter of eyelids over dark, fathomless eyes. Which, for him, was fairly telling, considering who he was.

Reaffirmation settles into her gut, and her thighs press together slightly, further exaggerating the curve of her hip, causing the thin fabric of the tank top's hem to rise just a bit more —

"Thane. Something on your mind?"