Notes: Thanks so much for the reviews and the criticisms! They are very helpful. So, here's more... gets mushy.
.......................................
The crew hauled the Blue Sun crate out of the hole, watching it suspiciously.
"How the guay does she expect to fence this? It's all marked!" Mal muttered to himself.
"Well, sir, she did say she already had someone to do that. It is technically their problem, not ours," Zoë added.
"Very true." Mal sighed. "Well, let's go back and get the location of that ship from our... most esteemed client."
Simon and Kaylee began packing the shovels while the others shoved the crate onto the mule.
........................................
He was dreaming. Images of skin flashed in his mind. Velvety, breathy pants punctuated each still shot. He was touching her, kissing her, loving her. He held her to him, as tightly as he could, kissing her everywhere he could reach. He wanted her... all of her... needed her. Now.
Now. She was his now. Her hair was sliding across his face, his chest. He pulled her face to his, sucking her bottom lip. The gasps from her mouth were getting louder, more insistent. A moan broke him from his sleep. His eyes shot open.
"River..." he groaned. He was lying on top of her, one arm wrapped beneath her hips, the other pulling her head to his. Her face was so close. Her eyes were wide open, but their dark depths were cloudy.
She was awake, she had been watching him move his lips in his sleep, watching his chest rise and fall with each rushed breath. Seen his hands clench and his muscles tighten. His mind was wild. She had been startled... and thrilled... when he suddenly purred her name and rolled on top of her, running his hand underneath her body, cradling her. She loved the way he said her name, growling out the consonants, muttering it like a starving man. But now, he was awake. And terrified.
Jayne's heart stopped. He shouldn't be doing this. He needed to keep in control for now. The crew wouldn't understand. Heck, River probably wouldn't understand.
"River..." he whispered. "Tyen... sorry."
He rolled off her and lay on his back, trying to catch his breath. He felt like an idiot. But, then, River knelt beside him, then crawled on top of him. She stretched out like a cat against his chest, his hips, his legs. She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and then lifted her head to look at him.
He didn't know what she was doing. Was she upset? Was she going to go along with him? He wasn't sure but he knew he couldn't keep his hands off her. They rose of their own accord, grasping her waist, rubbing her back, trying to get her closer to him.
She pressed her lips to his chin and whispered, "I would like it very much if you could love me."
Huh, he was not expecting this. He could lay motionless and think about the great mysteries of love, or he could give in to the goddess who was willingly dropping kisses on his neck. Always the man of action, he moved his hand to the back of her head, pulling her up toward his mouth. His breath catching in anticipation, he brushed his lips against hers, faintly, testing the waters. He followed the flesh of her lip, for once in his life taking the time, smelling, tasting, touching, listening. He needed every sense.
Her eyes closed, she felt him so near. His thoughts that constantly penetrated her were now very single-minded. She was the only thing on his mind. It was disconcerting at first, seeing herself so clearly in his thoughts. Then his lips touched hers. Her focus snapped back. His mouth, his breath. The soft feel of his lips. The slight burr of his stubble. Combined, it was glorious. She flicked her tongue out and ran it across the length of his bottom lip. His mouth parted, then took her own. Their mouths cleaved to each other. Their kisses were ferocious, powerful, expectant.
Her hands tangled under his shirt. She brought her knees down on either side of his hips and sat up, pulling Jayne with her, his hands grasping for her. She sat astride his lap, wrapping her legs around him, pressing her hips into his, pulling his shirt over his head. He couldn't stop touching her face. He ran his fingers over her cheeks, her eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, the slant of her chin. He left no feature untouched.
Her fingers fluttered over his chest, the curve of his shoulders, up the length of his arms. She loved touching him. The feel of warmth, of humanity, of passion and strength was overwhelming. She willed her soul to crawl out and join his, anything to get closer to him. She slipped her arms around his chest, drawing him tight to her breast.
"Ai ren, ai ren," she chanted into his mouth. The growl of desire rose deep in his chest. He pounced. Bringing her down beneath him, crushing her hips under his. While one hand supported her neck, he slid his other hand up her thigh, pushing her dress up to her waist. And, just when everything in the world seemed right, a series of loud thuds started coming from the door.
"Cut it out, you rabbits! You're kidnapped, for Buddha's sake. Act appropriately!"
Their fevered motions froze, reality invaded their passion.
"Nee ta ma duh. Tyen-shia suo-yo duh run doh gai si," Jayne hissed angrily under his breath, then stood abruptly and paced. He kicked the door as he walked past.
He stopped on the opposite wall, pointed at River and said "Go to sleep, girl. Keep your gorram hands to yourself." He paused, his frustration easing at the sight of her sitting, watching him, her hair tangled, her mouth stained and swollen, her long legs exposed. He hurriedly walked up to her and kissed her, hard and quick, winked at her, then walked away again to wait out his surge of lust.
Jayne sat against the wall, far away from River. She had gone to sleep easily. Too easily for his ego. His blood was still pounding, giving him a headache. He rubbed his temple with the handle of his knife. Lao tyen, he was royally humped. This woman was driving him crazy. He was boiling over thinking of her.
.......................................
The crew hauled the Blue Sun crate out of the hole, watching it suspiciously.
"How the guay does she expect to fence this? It's all marked!" Mal muttered to himself.
"Well, sir, she did say she already had someone to do that. It is technically their problem, not ours," Zoë added.
"Very true." Mal sighed. "Well, let's go back and get the location of that ship from our... most esteemed client."
Simon and Kaylee began packing the shovels while the others shoved the crate onto the mule.
........................................
He was dreaming. Images of skin flashed in his mind. Velvety, breathy pants punctuated each still shot. He was touching her, kissing her, loving her. He held her to him, as tightly as he could, kissing her everywhere he could reach. He wanted her... all of her... needed her. Now.
Now. She was his now. Her hair was sliding across his face, his chest. He pulled her face to his, sucking her bottom lip. The gasps from her mouth were getting louder, more insistent. A moan broke him from his sleep. His eyes shot open.
"River..." he groaned. He was lying on top of her, one arm wrapped beneath her hips, the other pulling her head to his. Her face was so close. Her eyes were wide open, but their dark depths were cloudy.
She was awake, she had been watching him move his lips in his sleep, watching his chest rise and fall with each rushed breath. Seen his hands clench and his muscles tighten. His mind was wild. She had been startled... and thrilled... when he suddenly purred her name and rolled on top of her, running his hand underneath her body, cradling her. She loved the way he said her name, growling out the consonants, muttering it like a starving man. But now, he was awake. And terrified.
Jayne's heart stopped. He shouldn't be doing this. He needed to keep in control for now. The crew wouldn't understand. Heck, River probably wouldn't understand.
"River..." he whispered. "Tyen... sorry."
He rolled off her and lay on his back, trying to catch his breath. He felt like an idiot. But, then, River knelt beside him, then crawled on top of him. She stretched out like a cat against his chest, his hips, his legs. She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and then lifted her head to look at him.
He didn't know what she was doing. Was she upset? Was she going to go along with him? He wasn't sure but he knew he couldn't keep his hands off her. They rose of their own accord, grasping her waist, rubbing her back, trying to get her closer to him.
She pressed her lips to his chin and whispered, "I would like it very much if you could love me."
Huh, he was not expecting this. He could lay motionless and think about the great mysteries of love, or he could give in to the goddess who was willingly dropping kisses on his neck. Always the man of action, he moved his hand to the back of her head, pulling her up toward his mouth. His breath catching in anticipation, he brushed his lips against hers, faintly, testing the waters. He followed the flesh of her lip, for once in his life taking the time, smelling, tasting, touching, listening. He needed every sense.
Her eyes closed, she felt him so near. His thoughts that constantly penetrated her were now very single-minded. She was the only thing on his mind. It was disconcerting at first, seeing herself so clearly in his thoughts. Then his lips touched hers. Her focus snapped back. His mouth, his breath. The soft feel of his lips. The slight burr of his stubble. Combined, it was glorious. She flicked her tongue out and ran it across the length of his bottom lip. His mouth parted, then took her own. Their mouths cleaved to each other. Their kisses were ferocious, powerful, expectant.
Her hands tangled under his shirt. She brought her knees down on either side of his hips and sat up, pulling Jayne with her, his hands grasping for her. She sat astride his lap, wrapping her legs around him, pressing her hips into his, pulling his shirt over his head. He couldn't stop touching her face. He ran his fingers over her cheeks, her eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, the slant of her chin. He left no feature untouched.
Her fingers fluttered over his chest, the curve of his shoulders, up the length of his arms. She loved touching him. The feel of warmth, of humanity, of passion and strength was overwhelming. She willed her soul to crawl out and join his, anything to get closer to him. She slipped her arms around his chest, drawing him tight to her breast.
"Ai ren, ai ren," she chanted into his mouth. The growl of desire rose deep in his chest. He pounced. Bringing her down beneath him, crushing her hips under his. While one hand supported her neck, he slid his other hand up her thigh, pushing her dress up to her waist. And, just when everything in the world seemed right, a series of loud thuds started coming from the door.
"Cut it out, you rabbits! You're kidnapped, for Buddha's sake. Act appropriately!"
Their fevered motions froze, reality invaded their passion.
"Nee ta ma duh. Tyen-shia suo-yo duh run doh gai si," Jayne hissed angrily under his breath, then stood abruptly and paced. He kicked the door as he walked past.
He stopped on the opposite wall, pointed at River and said "Go to sleep, girl. Keep your gorram hands to yourself." He paused, his frustration easing at the sight of her sitting, watching him, her hair tangled, her mouth stained and swollen, her long legs exposed. He hurriedly walked up to her and kissed her, hard and quick, winked at her, then walked away again to wait out his surge of lust.
Jayne sat against the wall, far away from River. She had gone to sleep easily. Too easily for his ego. His blood was still pounding, giving him a headache. He rubbed his temple with the handle of his knife. Lao tyen, he was royally humped. This woman was driving him crazy. He was boiling over thinking of her.