Chapter 11

Kaylee stretched languidly against the warm body curled beside her. She yawned and buried her face in his shoulder inhaling the faint cedar scent that seemed to permeate his skin. The events of the previous night flashed through her mind and she shuddered, not wanting to relive those painful memories. When strong, protective arms tightened around her shoulders, she glanced up at him, her eyes bright.

"Is it morning?" he asked sleepily, brushing his lips against her forehead.

"Not until we get out of bed." She wiggled against him, drawing a sleepy smile to his lips.

"I, ah – see."

Kaylee giggled and raised her leg across his hips, brushing intimately against him. "Time ta do more'n see."

He slid his hand down over her shoulders and arm, fingers dancing to her side and down her hip before curling around the back of her thigh. He was in no hurry to face the world outside of the shuttle. In here, it was just Kaylee and him. "I think I can do that."

"Think less, too." Kaylee murmured as she responded to the subtle pressure of his hand at the back of her thigh and slid atop him. She rolled her hips against his and was rewarded with a low groan.

While Kaylee slumbered lightly, Simon extricated himself from her boneless limbs and looked around the shuttle, hoping he would find what he was looking for. With a small, calculating smile, he located the water picture and the basin on the far side of the bedside table. He poured a generous amount into the basin and then picked up the cloth that lay beside it.

When he'd returned to the bed, he found her smiling at him through sleepy eyes. "Who's tired now, hmm?" Simon winked and was rewarded with a giggle that made his heart turn over in his chest.

"Your fault."

"For being the cause of your exhaustion?" Simon put the basin on the bedside table and sat next to her. "I accept the blame."

She reached for him and he took her hand, knowing it to be the one that had stroked him earlier. He lifted the cloth from the basin, squeezed it out and slowly, methodically, washed each finger, while Kaylee looked on in obvious delight.

He could feel her heart rate quicken as he dipped the cloth into the water and slid it along her arms. Kaylee trembled at the touch of his fingertips on her skin and the roughness – compared to his soft, smooth fingers – of the cloth. She trembled and he grinned, giving her that swai smile that had the power to simply melt her insides.

He trailed the fingers of his other hand down across her stomach, causing gooseflesh to pebble her skin, and parted her thighs. The cloth encased in his other hand followed, gently washing away the remnants of their coupling. He bathed her slowly, tenderly, soaking the cloth and then returning to the soft skin between her thighs, probing gently, stroking the soft folds with the tip of a finger.

The scent of her aroused and intoxicated him and he could feel himself hardening as he finished washing her. He lifted the dry hand towel and carefully rubbed it over her, his hands gentle, his touch light, as he drew the plush material over her skin. He coaxed her onto her stomach and she complied willingly, unable to muster the strength to refuse.

He noticed a vial sitting beside the table and lifted it, smiling coyly as Kaylee tried to sit up to see what he had in his hand. After a bit of insistence, he'd convinced her to just lie there and let him work. He tipped the vial and spilled some of the lotion into his hand. When he rubbed it into her skin, carefully caressing every inch, she squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered. It had a slight flowery fragrance to it, which reminded him of her, and it got warmer as he worked it into the skin. As he brushed his fingertips across her back, he leaned over her, pressing slow, languid kisses to the soft skin of her shoulder. Carefully moving her honeyed hair to one side, he pressed his lips gently to her neck, his tongue making slow circles against the skin.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before continuing down her body to massage the lotion into her lower back, his lips following the motion of his hands, bestowing fluttery kisses on her sensitive skin. When he reached her soft, rounded buttocks, he let his hands linger, rubbing and massaging. The curves fit so well into his hands, he had a difficult time resisting parting her legs right then and there and taking her from behind.

He knew she was aroused. He could feel the muscles in her back and legs tense when he bent and rubbed his cheek against her lower back, his lips moving lower to kiss the firm roundness just below. His fingers continued lower, teasing the skin of her upper thigh, before moving down to her ankles. He massaged and rubbed the lotion deep into her skin, before softly instructing her to turn over.

"Simon – please," Kaylee begged, for the first time lifting her suddenly heavy hands and pushing them into his hair. She tugged at the dark strands, hoping to stop this slow torture.

She loved his hands, his touch, his mouth, everything about him; so different from her, so cultured and refined; skin so pale and perfect. But after the wonderfully sensuous massage that had every nerve in her body on edge, the feel of his wonderfully gentle and soft hands on her body, there was only so much a girl could take.

"Good things come to those who wait, bao-bei." Simon's voice rose barely above a whisper. He nibbled on her ear, licking and sucking before traveling to her mouth. He cupped her cheeks, gazing at her with an unfathomable expression of love and adoration.

Kaylee closed her eyes as he leaned closer, anticipating the kiss that did not touch her lips.

Simon kissed her closed eyelids first, lips sliding down her cheek before finally ending at the corner of her mouth.

By the time Kaylee and Simon reached the passenger dorms, they could hear voices coming from the galley. Kaylee refused to leave his side, even though her stomach had growled more than once during their morning tryst, as he went to check on River.

To their great surprise, Shepherd Book greeted them as Simon slid open the door to River's bunk.

"Shepherd?" Simon's eyes immediately fell on his sister, legs curled beneath her, reading from the history pad Simon had brought with him. "Is she –" He released Kaylee's hand and moved to River's side.

"She's fine," Book and River said together and Book chuckled.

River closed the data pad and looked up at her brother with a smile. "Waiting for you."

Book pushed himself to his feet and moved toward the door. "Yes, we should get to the galley before Jayne eats all the food."

"Well I'm sure he got a belly full last night. He couldn't possibly be hungry now." Simon said with a twinge of spite.

"I'll shove his fork into a very uncomfortable place if he eats our food." River stood and padded to the door, wrapping one arm around Kaylee's and her other around Simon's, leaving the Shepherd to follow behind, not particularly wanting to think about the possibility of the tiny girl actually carrying out that threat.

Inara smiled brightly when she saw them come through the door. Wash's fork poised halfway at his mouth until Zoe slapped his arm and he lowered it to his plate. Jayne continued to talk about the upcoming job and Mal simply watched uncomfortably as they approached.

Book took a seat beside Wash and Simon led River to a seat beside Jayne, pulling out the chair for her as she shot a knowing smile at the large man. Simon briefly touched Kaylee's arm as she reached for her chair and she smiled demurely at him as he pulled it out for her. He finally took a seat between his two ladies as Kaylee reached for the bowl at the center of the table.

Mal stood quickly, awkwardly fumbling for the beginning of the speech he had been up all night preparing. Inara had been right, even if he didn't want to admit it to her. Simon and Kaylee deserved an apology and rather than taking the coward's way out and giving it to them in private, he had chosen to wait until everyone was at the table. Everyone deserved to witness this.

Jayne closed his mouth when Zoe kicked him under the table and even Simon turned less than sympathetic blue eyes on the standing Captain.

"Before you start, there some things needin' to be said."

Inara stared at him, her unwavering gaze warning him to do this right. He couldn't afford to lose the best medic and mechanic he'd ever had. And she had no doubt if he couldn't accept their new status as a couple, he would drive them away.

"Some heated things got said last night –"

"I'll say." Kaylee leaned back in her chair with an irritated sigh. It wasn't common for Kaylee to hold a grudge but the tension flowing off her now couldn't even be cut by the highest quality laser saw.

Simon reached across the table and took her hand giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze.

"Let me say my peace, lil' Kaylee, before you lay into me, k?"

Kaylee nodded and slid her chair closer to Simon's, an act of subtle defiance that was not lost on anyone.

Mal took a deep breath and continued. "I was wrong last night." He raised his hand when Kaylee opened her mouth to speak. "But Simon set me straight. Inara set me straighter. Hell, even my first mate abandoned me." He gave a short chuckle. "That should tell ya how wrong I was." No one smiled and he continued. "Simon said a lot of things last night. Things I hadn't thought about." He shrugged, not sure if he should continue. He was more than a mite uncomfortable but – truth be told it was his own fault. He had to make it right. "I want to protect you, lil Kaylee, you're part of my crew. Ain't no secret that I hate shipboard relationships. Causes all kinds a problems. You all know that. But – we all seen this comin' for a long time now." He shook his head. "I suppose I just didn't want to admit it was gonna eventually happen."

The normally bright, cheerful light returned to Kaylee's eyes and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Ain't my place to tell ya who ta be with. Shoulda learned that with Wash 'n Zoe. God knows I fought that tooth an nail." Mal knew he was babbling but it didn't matter. All that mattered was seeing that bright smile on Kaylee's face again. "But I'm a mean, grumpy old man and I'm sorry for hurting you lil Kaylee." He glanced at Simon. "You too, doc. An' while we'da had a conversation about this eventually, with me threatening to throw you out the airlock if you so much as make lil Kaylee frown, I think you made it quite clear last night that is the last thing you'll ever do."

Kaylee's smile brightened to its normal, familiar intensity. The entire room, and the hearts of those sitting in it, lightened instantly. She released Simon's hand and hurried to Mal, enveloping him in a happy embrace. "I love my Captain."

River spoke for the first time, her eyes clear, her voice firm. "A light in the darkness of space burns brightly when lit with love's never ending glow. Can never be extinguished."

"Right." Mal blinked at the crazy girl and with a grin released Kaylee, subtly pushing her back toward Simon's side. "Now get to eatin', you're late. Wash, full burn for Osiris. Want ta get that delivery over as soon as possible."

TBC