Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. I just play with their stuff.

A/N - I say this each chapter, but thank you my readers and follows, and especially to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (TLCinbflo, Jules Hawk, Nicniviean, Candle in the Night, Lady Aimee, Lady Velvet C, Irohanni, Sophie Shepard, Samolfran, lilliliah, watcht0wer, MizDirected, Chaseingthewind, topshoteffect, ella11, Galactic Alien, Jason Thursday, Simone TRH, theherocomplex, VeeIsMe, Tinyturian, noradrenaline & guests). Your feedback and support means a lot to me and your response to the last chapter blew me away.

Hopefully this chapter won't scare you all away. I'm going to be honest. This chapter is smut. Almost all of it. It wasn't supposed to be, but Rennah and James overruled me. I hope you enjoy it and as always, I'd love to know what you thought so if you can spare the time, drop me a review!


Shepard closed her omni-tool and stepped into the elevator with James, the two of them trying to look casual as Traynor bustled about the CIC. The doors slid shut and she instantly relaxed as the familiar hum of the Normandy's engines enveloped her. It was a soothing sound, comforting and relaxing, and it made the small space seem more intimate. As though they were the only two people in the world.

James looked deliciously sexy in his black dress shirt and slacks and he flashed her a wolfish smile that made her stomach flutter.

"All done?" He asked as he moved closer, their bodies brushing together.

"Yep."

"Good." James slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

His chest was firm and she relaxed into his arms, her eye drifting shut as she breathed in his scent; a mix of aftershave and freshly laundered clothes. It was intoxicating and she pressed closer still, memorising the feel of his body against hers.

She spread her hands against his chest and grinned as he sucked in a short breath. "Kaidan has the deck for the next eight hours while I get some sleep …"

"Sleep?" James teased. He slid his hands slid down her body suggestively. "I think we can find something better to do with our time."

"You're a terrible influence."

"I try, Lola."

She shook her head, chuckling at his flippancy. Sometimes she forgot what an incorrigible flirt he could be, especially when he was sure of himself. And he was very sure of himself right now. For good reason! After that mind-melting kiss up on the keeper platform on the Citadel, they both knew why they were rushing to her cabin. The air was practically buzzing from the energy between them.

She tried to focus on the important issues, and not on the muscles she could feel under her hands. "I've scheduled a mission briefing in the morning. Liara knows we're heading for Thessia and has requested to come along, so the ground team will be me, Liara and Garrus."

James' hands stilled on her body and he leaned back to look at her. "I hate that I'm not going with you to Thessia, Lola." He managed to maintain his sombre expression for about half a second and then he smirked broadly. "A whole planet of blue beauties! I hate to think what I'll be missing out on …"

"Letch!" Rennah condemned, wriggling out of his arms as the elevator opened.

She took two steps towards the door before James' arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her back against his chest. "Wait up one moment. I kind of have a surprise for you inside."

A surprise?

She glanced at him suspiciously over her shoulder. "I'm not a big fan of surprises, Jimmy. In my line of work surprises tend to jump out at me with guns."

"You'll like this one." He spun her around to face him and his eyes twinkled. "I promise."

The air almost shimmered between them as his eyes dropped to her mouth, and then James lowered his head and kissed her, his lips teasing hers apart. The kiss was explosive, intense, and Rennah gave in to his plundering mouth as his tongue danced against hers. His hands, strong and firm, swept down her body and he backed her up to the door. Lust shot through her veins, electric and hot, and she groaned and clung to James as he fumbled and opened her door.

It swished open suddenly, and only his arm around her waist stopped Shepard from toppling over when the door against her back vanished. He chuckled when she made a girly squeak, and the deep masculine sound sent heat snaking to her belly. God he was so sexy! Willingly, she let him guide her into her room, content to let James to take control and do things his way.

He glanced over her shoulder and grinned at whatever he saw. "Okay, here's your surprise."

For a split second she hesitated, nerves getting the better of her, then she gave herself a mental shake. James had gone through a lot of trouble tonight and she'd already ruined dinner. She wasn't going to ruin this!

Nervously, Shepard turned around and almost laughed in surprise at what was sitting on her coffee table. Flowers. Chocolates. Champagne. Never in a million years would she have pegged James as a romantic. Nor would she have guessed that his surprise would be a huge bunch of red roses, chilled champagne and an oversized box of crème chocolates. It was all so romantic. So cute. So not her.

… but she loved it.

No one had ever bought her flowers before, let alone roses that looked like they were fresh and real. He must have spent a fortune getting roses out here. She stepped forward and breathed in the scent of the blossoms, and the heavenly aroma sent her senses into overdrive. They were magnificent! And their deep floral perfume was so strong she could almost taste it on the back of her tongue.

"You like 'em, Lola?"

James sounded surprisingly nervous and Rennah grinned as she faced him. "Like them? I love them! I've never been given flowers before …"

"What?" He feigned shock and closed the distance between them. "You've been seeing the wrong men!"

"Well, you're here now, Zvezda Moya."

"Yes, I am." James' voice was heavy with need, and he caught her in his arms and pulled her back against his chest.

His hands skimmed down her body, cupping her breasts and sliding down her hips and long thighs. It felt deliciously good and when he kissed her neck, slivers of desire arced through her. She could feel him pressing against her from behind, his body hard and excited, and Rennah shifted her hips and ground against him.

It was all the encouragement he needed.

He slid the straps of her dress over her shoulders, first one and then the other. Each move he made was slow, loving and careful. It was as though he wanted to torture her with pleasure. He kissed the exposed skin of her shoulders, and then his mouth left a tingling trail down her spine as he peeled the dress to her waist.

"James!" Her voice was breathless, her knees almost giving way as he knelt behind her and stroked the back of her knees.

He paused, his breath hot against her lower back as she felt him look up at her. "I have you, Rennah."

The husky sound of her name on his lips sent a shiver rolling through her body, and she wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Her breath was coming in small gasps as his hands caressed, squeezed and stroked their way down her legs, tingles of pleasure zinging through her limbs. It felt so good! So mind numbingly good! Each tiny kiss was torture, but it was torture of the very best kind.

His slid her dress over her hips, a throaty sound of pleasure slipping from him as it pooled around her feet and exposed the black lace panties she wore beneath. His mouth continued its journey down her body. He kissed and nibbled his way down over the curve of her derriere, and then lower, down one leg and up the other. Shepard wobbled, numb with pleasure, as James pushed himself to his feet again, dropping feather light kisses along the crook her neck as he pulled her back against him.

By time James slid her matching bra and panties off, Rennah couldn't think straight. She was dizzy, drunk on sensation and out of her mind with pleasure. He lay her down on the bed and she watched, spellbound, as he stripped his shirt off. His muscles rippled in the dim lighting and his body was briefly outlined in blue from light of her fish tank, temporarily making him into a biotic. He bent down and kissed her, his tongue dipping into her mouth as her body arched hungrily towards his.

"Close your eyes." James' voice dropped to a low sexy purr.

Rennah nodded and let her eye drift shut. Her world narrowed down to what she could hear; the burble of the fish tank, James' feet padding across the floor, a crinkling sound as he picked something up off the table. Nervous butterflies danced in her stomach as the bed gave under his weight and she heard the sound of something being opened and the rustle of paper.

"Keep them closed, Lola." He trailed a hand down her body. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation or doubt in her mind. She trusted him completely.

She gasped and trembled as he placed something small and slightly cool in the hollow of her throat. Chocolates? She could smell something sweet, and she bit her lip as he placed more chocolates on her body; one on each breast and another at the apex of her thighs. She shivered. And delicious anticipation ebbed through her body as she heard James unbuckle his pant and slide them off.

"Are you eating all those chocolates by yourself? That seems awfully greedy." Her voice was breathy and soft, laced with desire.

James chuckled and kissed her. "Don't worry, I'll share."

She felt him move over her and fought to keep her eye closed as he traced something soft down her face. It moved softly around her eyes, along her cheeks and over her lips. A rose.The smell of it danced along her senses, and her breath hitched as James traced the blossom down her body, circling the chocolates he'd laid out and dipping the rose between her legs with a small chuckle as she whimpered in pleasure.

His weight on the bed shifted as he moved closer, the heat from his body radiating against hers. His tongue flicked out across her neck and Rennah struggled to keep her body still at the tickling sensation. He scooped up the chocolate from the hollow of her throat with his tongue and kissed her, pressing half of the chocolate against her lips. It tasted wonderful, and she kissed him as she bit into the chocolate, their lips clashing in a whirl of chocolate and strawberry crème.

A low moaned escaped from the back of her throat as she swallowed the treat down, and James' hands found hers and he laced their fingers together. He kissed his way down to one of the chocolates on her breasts. His tongue swirled around her nipple before he took the chocolate and her breast in his mouth, sucking gently. His teeth lightly grazed her sensitive flesh and she Rennah cried out in a low moan as her body burner brighter, her hands clutching at his.

He moved to her other breast and repeated the process, his mouth hot and wet against her flesh. Then his mouth moved lower and he teasingly ate the chocolate of her pelvic region. Her heart was pounding, hammering in her chest, and heat pooled in her belly as James released her hands and kissed his way further down her body.

Her hips were moving restlessly on the bed, the pulsing need inside of her drawing tighter and tighter with each touch of his mouth on her skin. When James spread her legs and settled himself between her thighs, she twined her hands into the bed sheet and held on for dear life. She'd never felt so close to losing control before.

He kissed the soft skin of her thighs and moved his mouth to the very core of her, flicking his tongue against that sensitive nub before engaging on a thorough investigation of her silken folds. She quivered at the electric sensation, whimpering as James chuckled and his deep base rumble made her moan all over again.

Heat pounded through her body and the wonderful tension she knew so well began to spread through her, winding tighter and tighter. James slid his hand under her ass and angled her hips up as his tongue delved into her cleft, licking, sucking and exploring her innermost parts. Her orgasm grew inside of her, starting in her belly and rippling outwards.

Closer and closer the pleasure came until it was upon her. Her toes curled, muscles tensed and her back arched as she cried out, James urging her on with short strokes of his tongue across her sex. Finally, gasping James' name, Rennah saw stars and her body burst in a supernova of sensation.

She spiralled back to earth slowly and sank into the cool cotton sheets of her bed. When she eventually opened her eye, she blinked dazedly at James as he crawled up her body, a satisfied smirk on his face. He kissed her, tasting of lovemaking and chocolate.

"Feel good?" he asked when as he broke the kiss, his eyes raking over her face.

"Yes, that was lovely, but …" She stretched against him and grinned as his hardness brushed against her belly.

"But?"

"But," she trailed her fingers delicately down the muscles of his chest and abs, then took his hardness in her hand. "I still want to fuck you senseless."

He tossed his head back and chuckled, then abruptly gasped and made a sound of pleasure as she began to stroke her fingers up and down his shaft. "Jesus Lola, you sure know how to charm a man."

Rennah shimmied down his body and tightened her grip on him, rolling his length in her hand. He was hot and hard, velvety smooth and, judging from James moans, more than ready for her. She brushed her thumb over his tip and smirked as he jerked and shuddered under her touch.

He swore, loudly and fluently in Spanish, as her lips slid around him and she drew him into her mouth. He wouldn't last long, she could tell from the way his body moved. So she swirled her tongue around his head and slid her mouth down his length, sucking gently and then harder. James made a high pitched sound, almost like he was in pain, as she managed to work her way to the base of his shaft, and his body spasmed under her.

"No more!" He caught her in his hands and pulled her back up his body, his furred with passion. "If I don't have you now, I'll die."

She laughed as she straddled him. "Well, we don't want that."

"Hazme el amor." James' gaze burned into hers intensely. "Make love to me, Lola."

Her answer was a kiss as she settled over him and guided his hard length into her body. Both of them groaned as he sank into her warmth, and the feel of him buried deep inside of her sent spams of pleasure rolling through her already aroused body. It felt so good. She spread her hands on his chest and began to move with slow rolls of her hips.

It felt wonderful to be with James again, to have this amazing connection that made them into one person. It filled her with a radiating glow of pleasure to know that James, such a strong and physically imposing man, was putty in her hands. He made her feel safe and loved, as though nothing in the world could hurt her so long as they were together.

"Lola!" James gasped her name desperately and his hands tightened about her hips, encouraging her to move faster.

Rennah was happy to oblige.

She surrendered to her bodies cravings with a wild intensity that swept aside all common sense. Her muscles bunched and coiled as she moved in an age old dance, giving into the hammering, driving need inside of her. James reached up and pulled her into a kiss, and Rennah responded with blazing passion, devouring the sounds of pleasure he made as she rode him.

She wanted him to cry out her name, and to feel him shuddering under her as he lost himself in her completely.

The motion of his body sliding slickly into hers, pounding deeper and deeper, carried her away in a sea of sensation. They moved together, anticipating each other's moves, knowing instinctively what the other wanted as the excitement built to breaking point. Finally, James pulled her close and his hand slid around to the back of her neck, caressing her port.

Fiery ecstasy rocked her body and she screamed in pleasure as she convulsed, her body tightening around him as a tsunami of euphoria roared through her, dragging her under and tumbling her around until she didn't know which way was up. James echoed her cry of fulfilment with his own as he rolled her under him and drove into her wildly as he came, his breath hot against her neck as he groaned and held her close, his body trembling with release.

She lost herself in James, melted into him until she didn't know where she ended and he began. It was a moment of perfect peace, and for a long time, neither of them moved. They were content to hold each other as they drifted on a gently flowing river of bliss. Finally, James made a sound and rolled off her to flop on his side, a happy sigh fluttering out of his mouth.

From the corner of her eye Shepard saw him wince and she dragged herself up on one arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He laughed softly and pulled her to him. "Just my tattoo."

"Not your chest?" She light ran fingers down the side of his chest and across the shiny pink scar and the bruising that still surrounded it.

"Nope, I'm all good. I don't think that counted as strenuous exercise when you did most the work." He smirked at her, but his eyes were glowing with contentment and Shepard snuggled closer to him, her body humming from the afterglow. "Besides, that was worth a little bit of pain."

Rennah closed her eye and rested her head on his shoulder, exhaustion seeping through her bones. This was a perfect way to end their night, especially after James had gone through so much trouble to make it special. She'd never given herself over to another person so completely before. Did James have any idea how hard it was for her to trust others? Especially when she was exposed and at her most vulnerable?

He knew.

He swept a hand down her body and carefully got up. "Champagne?"

"Sure." She stretched and managed to pull a sheet around herself as she settled against the headboard. "Any of those chocolates left? Or did you devour them all?"

He glanced back at her as he walked naked to the table, completely comfortable in his own skin. "Hey, I fed you half of one!" The smile he flashed made her blood fizz in her veins. "The box is on the bedside table and there's plenty left."

Rennah reached over and picked up a chocolate, then sat back and watched as James popped the champagne cork and poured out two glasses before padding back to bed. He was so gorgeous when he was naked. Totally masculine and yummy. Exhausted as she was, her tummy filled with butterflies just watching him walk towards her. He slid into bed and handed her a glass.

"I've never felt like this before." James confessed as he slid an arm around her, pulling her close again, as though he couldn't stand to be so close without touching. "I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned against him, her body warm and languid. "And tonight was wonderful. Very erotic." Sighing happily, she popped one of the chocolates in her mouth and sipped her champagne. "I can't believe you actually got me flowers and chocolates. I could get used to this."

James glanced across at the roses and then back at her. "I'm glad. I was half afraid a big bad Spectre like yourself might throw them in my face and laugh."

She snorted softly and set her glass down, sliding under the sheet so she could cuddle against him. "Maybe you didn't notice, but I'm also a woman, Jimmy, and I happen to like it when you give me presents. Especially delicious presents."

"I'll try and remember that for our next date."

James leaned over and kissed her thoroughly, then dimmed the lights and snuggled close, spooning his body against hers. She lay in silence for a time, listening to him breath and enjoying the warmth of his body, then she reached up and peeled her eye patch off, dropping it on the bedside table next to her. A wave of exhaustion swept through her and with a contented sigh she relaxed into his arms.

"You know James," She murmured into the silence of the room as she hovered on the edge of sleep, "the chocolates weren't the only thing I enjoyed eating."

James laughed sleepily, his chest rumbling against her back. "Now that I will remember."

Shepard settled more comfortably against his body and gave in to the comforting drowsiness that seemed to flow across her. She was asleep within minutes. And for the first time in weeks her sleep was deep, uninterrupted and dreamless.


A/N - Phew! Steamy! I hope you you enjoyed it!