Disclaimer: Bioware owns the playground. I just play in the sandbox.

Author's Note: Not much to say other than I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I sure enjoyed writing it. I also want to give a big hug and heartfelt thanks to everyone who favorited and followed this story. I especially want to thank those of you who took the time to review. As a writer, the feedback I receive from reviews is paramount to my betterment. It also happens to be the fuel that keeps me chugging along.

Playing for Keeps

"Samantha T—" Oh yeah, that's a smart idea. Give the Ardat-Yakshi your real name. I frantically tried to think of a name to give. For reasons beyond me, the first thing to pop into my head was my parent's pet cat. "Ting-Ting," I finished lamely.

I almost expected the girl to call bullshit. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ting-Ting. My name is Liara T'Soni."

-.-.-.-.-

An alias, huh? Now I was even more relieved I hadn't given my real last name. "Please, call me Samantha." I didn't think I could handle being called a cat's name all night.

"Oh! Then I must insist you use my first name as well." Liara, or should I say Morinth, seemed oddly pleased that we were already on first name basis. Those blue eyes practically sparkled.

"Sure," My eyes narrowed, trying to figure out this girl's game. "No problem."

It seemed 'Liara' was determined to play the easily embarrassed, inexperienced young maiden. Fine, I could play her game too. I'd be the most charming and respectful lady that any respectable girl could swoon over.

With a surge of confidence I didn't know I possessed, I placed a hand on the Asari's knee and kept it there. The edge of the sarong-styled skirt she wore tickled at the tips of my fingers. I could both see and feel the girl's leg quiver at the contact. "Tell me about yourself, Mo—Liara."

The Asari began speaking something or other about Protheans. I didn't really bother listening since it was all lies anyways. Instead, I couldn't help but focus on the way those blue eyes lit up from the inside as she rambled on. I was once again slightly startled by their depth and color. They were the type of eyes I could never tire of seeing. What really threw me was how open and, well, kind they seemed to be. I had to keep reminding myself that everything about this girl was a ploy—a clever deception put in place so she could lead me to my grave.

I had to look away. It almost hurt to know that they were a scam.

Unfortunately, lowering my gaze wasn't the smartest thing to do since my eyes landed on something even more dangerous.

Her lips.

I stared, transfixed by the softest pair of lips I had ever seen. They had a natural pout to them, the bottom lip only slightly fuller than the top and they were oh so kissable. My heart was sent into a frenzy (why the bloody hell does it keep doing that?)

"—Sorry you probably find this subject matter to be dull. Most do." I was able to catch the tail end of the girl's speech, effectively snapping me out of whatever daze I had been pulled into.

I took notice of the Asari's downcast gaze and could practically hear the mental chastening she was giving herself. I hated the way I immediately rushed to console her. "I don't find it the least bit dull. I admit I don't know much about the Protheans but I find your enthusiasm contagious."

I must have said something right going by the shy smile I was given. My own lips quirked upwards in response.

Damn it! What was I doing? This Asari was a fake—a total sham—and here I am totally falling for this facade. She's an Ardat-Yakshi. She kills people. Innocent, good people who didn't deserve to die in such a horribl—

The angry voice inside my head is immediately silenced as Liara, I mean Morinth, hesitantly moves closer. She's so close, in fact, that the full length of our thighs are firmly touching. My nose is assaulted by the sweet smell of her perfume and I had the sudden urge to caress the knee still under my palm. I pushed the urge down and instead watched the way blue eyes became suddenly too shy to meet my gaze.

"You're very kind," she uttered soft enough that I barely caught the words over the start of the next song pounding through the speakers.

"I'm just honest." As soon as I spoke, the words curdled at the tip of my tongue and left a sour taste in my mouth. Glancing at my companion, I watched as she fidgeted in her seat, her brow creased cutely from our proximity to one another. No, nothing about this was honest.

A hush settled over us as we both ran out of things to say. We both had our eyes fixated on the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor as I wracked my brain for something to say in order to get the conversation flowing, but I was drawing a blank. The maiden's fidgeting increased the longer the silence stretched and I could see her jaw working from the corner of my eye as she appeared to be struggling to continue our exchange.

"So—"

"U-um—"

The pair of us turned to each other in unison and spoke at the same time. We both started to smile shyly at the other until we took notice of the small gap separating our faces. Alarms immediately started to set off in my head but the rush of blood roaring through my ears easily drowned them out. My mouth went dry and before I could stop myself, I licked my lips. Those blue eyes immediately honed in on the action and followed it intently.

I wasn't sure who was drawing closer but the gap between our lips was steadily closing. It wasn't until I felt our breath mingling and mixing into an addictive cocktail that I realized the dangerous position I was in.

I could see it perfectly—laying claim to those soft lips which had a natural pout to them, the bottom lip only slightly fuller than the top. I would brush my own mouth against them, feather light before pressing more firmly into the kiss until they kissed back just as wet and fervently.

I pulled away as quickly as if I'd been burned, grateful that I had managed to pull away at the last second. I winced as the Asari's eyes fluttered open to reveal confusion and, I dare say, pain at my rejection blooming in their depths. My chest ached from the sight no matter how right I had been in breaking away. I hurried to put the light back in those eyes.

"My lips are chapped!" I exclaimed in a jumble of rushed words. "They're absolutely terrible and I have this thing where I'm always chewing on them, which only makes them worse, and I wouldn't want to kiss lips as chapped as mine so I know you wouldn't want to get all up on them since that would just be a horrible experience to put you through."

I finally had to stop to breath and I was once again mortified at the words that managed to spew forth from my mouth. The Asari's eyes looked almost startled at my hurried speech but I was thankful that the hurt had disappeared. "Sorry. Just ignore me when I do that," I said with a grimace. I needed to hurry and say something to dispel this atmosphere so I blurted out, "How about a dance?"

A mental celebration occurred within my head at my momentary brilliance. Dancing equals minimal talking. The celebration is over as quickly as it began. Dancing also equals bodily contact. Dear Lord, no.

"I confess I don't really know how," was the timid reply.

Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. "All the more reason to dance then."

A small smile curved those kissable lips and I knew I had my answer. Leaving enough credits to cover the drinks and tip, I slowly slid out from the booth. The cool air hugging the back of my legs was a firm reminder of my short dress. Though, the girl seemed to appreciate the view going by the wide-eyed look I caught her giving my backside. Helping her from her seat and ignoring the tightness that formed in my chest as her soft hand slipped into mine, I led us to the dance floor. The pulsing music was much louder there and I expertly weaved us through the multitude of grinding bodies until I found enough space for the two of us to dance. The poor girl looked highly uncomfortable from the way she held one arm in front of her body while the other had her shoulder trapped in a death grip.

After reminding myself again it was all a clever ruse, I coaxed the maiden's arms around the back of my neck then tentatively placed my hands upon her hips. I tried to keep a respectable distance between the two of us for the sake of my sanity but the other patrons converged and pushed in on us as the dance floor became more and more crowded. A body momentarily collided into the Asari from behind and my heart sang as she fell into me. I could clearly feel the length of her front pressing firmly against me. A gasp fell from my lips before I could stifle it and I prayed that the blasting music was able to drown it out.

My body was definitely reacting to the newfound closeness. The combined feeling of an ample chest brushing against me and the tightening of the arms around my neck was leaving me breathless. Those blasted alarms were going off again as a loud voice in my head kept shouting about how I shouldn't be feeling this way. Not about an Ardat-Yakshi, for fuck's sake. She'd be the death of me. Literally!

I fully expected for the maiden to gently extricate herself and put some much needed space between us. Unfortunately, she only seemed to press closer and my traitorous body practically melted at the feel of warm, moist breaths grazing the sensitive area right below my ear. Swallowing thickly, my hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they pulled the Asari's hips close. My brain must have been firing out the wrong synapses because the next thing I know, I'm rolling my hips into the girl and it feels breathtakingly good. A strangled gasp is breathed into my ear and it sends the fine hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I undulate into her again and receive the same welcoming sound.

Suddenly, it felt so hot I could barely think. My head felt weightless and every part of me seemed hyperaware and tuned in on the Asari in my arms. One of my arms snaked up Liara's spine, feeling every ridge through the material of her shirt, as my hand came to rest at the back of her neck, coaxing her impossibly closer. The hair I normally had tucked behind my ears fell forward and the girl immediately buried her face in it. In response, I softly ran the pads of my fingers along the underside of her crests and reveled in the resulted shiver it caused, all the while rocking my hips into Liara in time with the pulsing music.

I felt delirious as lips brushed under my jaw. It was soft and chaste enough to be passed off as an accident but I was desperate for more either way. I wanted to claim those lips until they were properly bruised and all the more delectable. I wanted to see those impossible blue eyes grow dark with lust for me. I wanted to lay bare everything that made Liara who she was and call it beautiful and—and she could never be beautiful.

Liara was a lie.

Liara never even existed.

Reality was like a punch to the gut and a bucket of cold water thrown at my face. I felt my eyes burn in shame that I had let this—this murderer get the best of me. I blinked furiously to stop the onslaught of tears.

This needed to end. Now.

I couldn't take much more of this. This was supposed to be a simple mission of luring a murder some place quiet where the Commander could put down another heartless criminal and, in the process, save innocent lives.

My thoughts were interrupted by the feel of a delicate nose brushing briefly against the column of my neck and I felt sick at the way my skin hummed in response.

I attempted to swallow against the thickness of my throat before croaking out, "Would you, maybe, want to go somewhere a little more private?"

And I died a little inside as the Asari nodded her acceptance.

-Blamethebluebirds