Oh sweet fancy Moses. I cannot believe I wrote this... A chapter with a lemon.

HUGE thank you to NeverTooLate03, who proofread it and assured me that "no awkward turtles were spotted." Thanks, girl!

Okay, so here's how this goes - most of the chapter is just general fluffy stuff. The lemon is marked by these:

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THIS IS WHERE THE LEMON WOULD BE WRITTEN.

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If you don't want to read the lemon, just don't read what's between those patterns.

This takes place the evening of the day they got married.

Oy vey. Here we go...


"Okay, bye!"

"Bye!" Morph repeated, happily fluttering among the group gathered to see Tabitha and Jim off.

"Wait just a minute, Jim!" Sarah scolded as she hugged him and kissed his forehead.

Tabitha hugged Sarah, then Silver. "Bye, you guys. Thanks for everything!"

"Yer welcome, Tabby," Silver said, ruffling her hair.

"You kids have fun," Sarah added.

"I'm sure t'ey will," Silver chuckled with a wink.

"Sure t'ey will," Morph mocked Silver's actions.

Rylee pulled Tabitha to the side. "I added something extra to your suitcase."

"What?" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"I'm not telling..."

Tabitha's smile fell. "Do I want to know?"

Rylee giggled. "You'll see soon enough."

"Okay, bye!" Jim said again, pulling Tabitha towards the ship.

"Eager, Jim?" Graham teased.

"We're running late," Jim insisted, despite the fact he was blushing bright red.

Graham rolled his eyes. "Mm-hmm. Whatever you say..."

Jim scowled, but Tabitha simply laughed. "We really should be going."

"We'll see you soon!" Sarah waved as they headed towards the ship.

"See you soon!" Morph cried out as he started to follow Jim and Tabitha.

"Oh no you don't, you little squid," Jim said, grabbing Morph from the air. "You're staying here."

"Here?" Morph whimpered.

"Aw, we'll be back soon, Morph," Tabitha cooed.

Morph burst into tears, melting into a puddle in Tabitha's outstretched hands.

"Come on," Rylee said, grabbing the blob away from Tabitha. "You have to stay with me."

Morph waved goodbye sadly, but didn't argue anymore. Jim and Tabitha made their way up the plank and stayed on deck with the other passengers, waving to their family and friends as they departed. When they'd finally pulled away from the dock, they turned to look at each other.

"Shall we go find our room, dear?" Jim smiled.

Tabitha giggled. "I suppose, darling."

Laughing, each carrying one suitcase while they're other hands stayed laced together, they traveled down a couple of floors until they found the right level, then down the hall until they found the right room. Jim unlocked the door and pulled Tabitha in.

They'd opted to spend less money on their room so that they could stay on their trip longer. Therefore, their room was simple and standard - nothing extravagant. Bed, dresser, small table and chairs, closet, washroom - the usual makings. Jim walked over and pulled the curtains back, revealing the doors that opened onto their own small private balcony.

"Cool," he mumbled appreciatively.

Tabitha dropped her suitcase and sighed contentedly. "So... what now?"

Jim smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Now, I'm going to take my beautiful wife to dinner."

While Tabitha headed off to the washroom to freshen up, Jim straightened his own clothes and quickly brushed his fingers through his hair. When she left a moment later, he was observing the view from their balcony, with his back to her. Taking advantage of his distraction, she hurriedly opened her suitcase and began to rummage around, trying to find whatever it was that Rylee had snuck in there. She found the small gift wrapped in a piece of fabric and tied with a ribbon. Tabitha took the note off the top and read it: Have fun! She rolled her eyes and warily unwrapped the gift.

Tabitha stared at the lacy lingerie in shock. It was a black, see-through negligee that Tabitha knew would probably reach only her hips. She held it up and surveyed it, feeling her heart rate increase drastically. She knew what this was for, and the very thought of it seemed to electrocute her.

"What's that?"

Tabitha gasped loudly and turned around to face a smirking Jim. "N-nothing," she stuttered, blushing and trying to hide the article behind her back.

"Oh yeah?" Jim teased. "Well then I hope I get to see you wearing 'nothing' tonight."

Tabitha felt her breath catch in her lungs and knew she must have been glowing red by then, so she ducked her face behind her hair and quickly threw the item back into her suitcase. Picking up on her obvious anxiety on how the rest of the night would follow, Jim turned her around and gently kissed her.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous," she muttered.

He tilted her chin up so she was facing him again. "Don't worry. We can figure that out later. Right now, let's just go eat."

"So you still aren't nervous?" she asked as they left the room again.

Jim didn't answer. He simply smiled and leaned down to kiss her once more.

Dinner went smoothly, and Tabitha soon forgot most of her worries she had about what would happen afterward. They laughed, and talked, and acted like the love-drunk newlyweds they were. After sharing a quick dessert, the bill arrived, and suddenly, Tabitha's smile was all but gone again, replaced by the nervous crease in her forehead. Jim paid and Tabitha tried to play off that she wasn't nearly as frightened as she was of what was steadily getting closer. The walk back to the room simultaneously seemed to last decades and go by in the blink of an eye. Tabitha noticed that Jim's carefree attitude was gone now, too. Neither of them spoke a single word until they were back in their room, with the door locked, alone.

Jim mumbled something about getting some air and went to stand outside again, breathing in the cool air of the Etherium to calm his now rapid pulse. Tabitha went to the washroom and splashed some cool water on her face. After a few minutes of deep breaths and reassuring mantras repeated through her head, a sense of serenity washed over her, and she knew she was ready. She donned the lingerie Jim had been so fond of, almost laughing at herself when she looked in the mirror. This lacy thing was something she never would have dreamed of wearing, and yet, here she was. Tabitha attempted to dispel the idea that she looked ridiculous by reminding herself that it would only be a matter of time before she took it off... but she quickly had to shake that thought away when another wave of anxiety washed through her. Despite the fact she was alone, she bit her lip and attempted to cover herself somewhat. Her eyes quickly fell on the complimentary bathrobes. She pulled one on, took one last deep breath, and left the washroom.

For a moment, Tabitha simply watched Jim, his fingers running through his hair, his arms tensely propped on the rail of the balcony, his knuckles white from gripping the railing. He was nervous, maybe even more than she was. She walked out to him and laced her arms around his torso from behind, but he didn't relax.

"Your heart's beating really fast," she began.

"Yeah, go figure," he chuckled.

She released him and moved around to his side. "I thought I was the nervous one."

He didn't react for a moment, then he released a shaky sigh and turned to face her. "Tabitha?"

"Yes?" Jim took another shuddering breath and turned back around. Fearing something was really wrong, Tabitha laced her fingers through his and gently turned his head to face her. "What is it?"

Jim looked nothing short of terrified. "I'm scared out of my mind," he finally admitted.

Tabitha started. "Of what? I thought you were excited about this."

"No! No, I am!" he insisted as he folded her hand between his. "I'm excited, but... I'm worried."

"About what?"

"I..." he flushed and lowered his gaze again. "I don't know... how..."

"How to what?" Tabitha giggled. "It's the same thing we always do, just... more."

"I just want tonight to be perfect... I-I don't want to mess everything up."

She attempted to dispel his fears with a smile. "Jim, do you think I have any idea what to do either?"

"Well, no - "

"Exactly. It's new to both of us."

Jim sighed again. "It's just that... I know how nervous you've been, and I knew it would scare you if I told you I was nervous too - "

"Scare me?" she repeated.

"Yeah..." he mumbled. "I thought it would help you if at least one of us seemed confident."

"So you've been just as nervous as me this whole time?"

Jim nodded. "I've been concerned about how tonight would go since before I proposed."

"Jim... I don't think it's one of those things you plan ahead. When it gets down to it, I'm pretty sure we'll just... know what to do, like we have all the other times," she said confidently.

He smirked. "You don't seem very nervous anymore."

She blushed. "I am, but... I'm excited, too."

Jim's smile quickly fell again. "There's one more thing I'm worried about..."

"What is it?"

He placed his palm to her cheek gently. "I... I don't want to hurt you."

"And you aren't going to."

"But - "

She placed a finger gently to his lips. "You've got it wrong. Will it hurt? Probably a little. But are you going to hurt me? No, of course not," she said sincerely, trying to hide the fact that she was a tiny bit frightened by that prospect as well.

Jim could see right through that facade. He kept his eyes locked on hers, trying to verify that she was as ready as she sounded, then finally released a deep breath. "Alright. But please stop me if I'm hurting you, okay? I don't want to do something wrong a-and, I don't know, end up making it worse. I'm going to try to be careful, but... I-I'm not exactly sure how much control I'll have i-if I get caught up in the moment or something, I-I might not - "

Tabitha silenced his ramblings with a soft kiss. "You're over-thinking things again. We'll be fine. I promise."

Jim sighed gratefully at her words. They smiled and kept there gazes focused on each other. Tabitha finally leaned up to kiss him, softly at first, their lips barely grazing over each others; when Jim reacted though, the kiss evolved into something deeper, more passionate. As he pulled away with a reassured smile, he grabbed her hands, and gently pulled her back inside.

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The idea that they were both a bit scared seemed to relax her even more, and suddenly she felt that anxious feeling dissipate. Their lips found each others once again, both still a bit jittery, but their anxiety slowly being replaced with eagerness.

Jim pulled away, looking concerned. "You're shaking."

Tabitha hadn't realized it, but she was. "I-I'm excited..." she explained bashfully.

Jim's tension seemed to ease a bit more, and his hands began to caress her body. A moment later, Tabitha was pulling his jacket off as he untied the sash of the robe. As he pulled it past her shoulders and it slid to the floor, his jaw dropped.

"Like it?" Tabitha asked, attempting to sound coy, but honestly wondering as well.

"You bet I like it," he answered breathlessly as his heart went into overdrive.

Jim quickly latched his arm underneath the back of her knees and swept her off her feet. He sat her on the bed and quickly yanked his shirt off before pulling her back to him. She moved her hands down and began fumbling with the buckle on his belt. With their lips locked and her hands still trembling, though, she was having a hard time.

"Having a little trouble there?" Jim teased.

"I-I can't do it," she blushed, throwing her hands down in her lap in frustration.

He tilted his head to kiss her reassuringly. "Please don't be embarrassed. It's okay," he whispered.

Jim smiled and got his pants off on his own while Tabitha chewed on her lip and anxiously twisted her hair. He laid down, gently pulling her on top as they kissed once again. This was it - this was as far as they'd ever gotten before now. Anything else that happened was completely new, uncharted, unexplored - something they both craved and feared. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt they were ready, but it seemed they were each waiting for the other to make the first move, to give some sign that they wanted to progress. Hoping to entice Jim into making a move, Tabitha moved her mouth to his neck, softly kissing him as she made her way down to his chest. The oh so light touch of her lips was driving Jim crazy; by the time she got to the waistband of his boxers, Jim was past 'enticed' - he was completely seduced.

Tabitha's heart gave a small, adrenaline-induced jolt as Jim's hands moved up her back to slip her negligee off, then rolled so he was on top of her, tossing the top to the floor. Tabitha felt the heat rise to her already warm face as she watched Jim hover over her, taking in every inch of her as his eyes scanned the length of her body. She reflexively began to cover herself with her arms, but Jim gently stopped her.

"No, dont..." His voice was deep, but the request came out as almost a beg. He was forced to stop mid-sentence when his throat dried, but Tabitha understood. All thoughts of covering herself were forgotten when she saw the effect even something as simple as looking at her was having on Jim. His lustful gaze met her desirous one as every bit of her silently begged for him to be closer once again. Then finally, he was; their lips connected as his hands moved to her chest. The gasp she emitted did nothing to quench Jim's hunger for her, but instead accelerated it until he thought he would die if he couldn't be any closer than he was at that moment.

Jim made a noise of surprise as Tabitha's hand snaked downward. Mistaking the noise for a gasp of complaint, she blushed a bright scarlet and quickly jerked her hands away, laying them on either side of her head. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I-I don't know what... I-I-I mean... I-I thought that - "

Her apology was interrupted when Jim kissed her, hard, eager for her to continue. "No, that was great." Still a bit tentative, she began again and he groaned as a wave of pleasure rippled through him. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "Wha - are you giggling?"

Tabitha was giggling. She bit her lip, trying to stop. A mischievous smile spread across his face, and before she even had time to think, Jim's mouth was teasing an erogenous spot on her neck. "Mmm..." she whimpered, pulling him closer. Every sweet sound she made sent his blood rushing south. He was no longer thinking, or planning, he was simply doing, acting on every animalistic instinct his body had. Jim trailed his hands down her smooth as silk skin. Tabitha was panting with excitement, but her breathing all but stopped when Jim's mouth trailed down her body. God, she had no idea what he was doing, but it was more stimulating and pleasing than she even thought possible.

A deluge of emotions hit her - titillation, bliss, a touch of embarrassment - resulting in her face, neck, and chest flushing bright red as she froze in pure sexual felicity. Jim noticed and lifted his head to look at her, smirking when he saw the effect he'd managed to have on her. He trailed kisses back up, across her chest and neck, stopping at her ear to whisper, "You are so sexy - " Then to her other - "And so beautiful."

Though his compliments did nothing to lessen her blush, Tabitha did manage to release the air she'd been holding. Jim pushed himself up and looked down at her, searching her face for a sign that she was okay. She smiled, her eyes reading an intrigue and longing that Jim found acutely sensual. Every daring glint in her eye, every coy bite of her lip, every angelic sigh she emitted made him yearn for her that much more until his body and mind were pulsing with the need to be closer, so much closer, connected on an even deeper level.

They were down to one simple item of clothing each, just two layers between them and - No, he was thinking again. He couldn't over analyze this; it just made him nervous. Jim was drawn back down to the events at hand when Tabitha moaned and arched against him. He gasped in surprise and looked at her again. They shared a smile and their lips locked. Jim continued to arouse Tabitha, massaging and teasing, touching her anyway he could to earn that coveted sigh of approval.

As she slid her small, warm hands down past his abdomen again, he moaned a sound of pleading against her lips - pleading for more, more of this, more of now, more of her. He moved back again. Ever so slowly, his fingers flitted down her form, stopping at her hips as he grasped her last piece of clothing in his hands and began to slide it down her legs. Tabitha trembled at his touch, still blushing, but now all the more eager and restless for him, all of him. Never once taking his eyes off the intoxicating sight of her, Jim stood up and removed his last article as well.

Each surveyed the other, soaking in the full sight of one another, intimacies no longer hidden beneath undergarments or clothes revealing just enough to make you ache for more. The sight of each other was more than they could stand, and in the blink of an eye, Jim was back in bed, throwing the sheet over both of them. Still wanting to take it slow, for both of their sakes, his hand didn't reach for the new areas yet. Instead, as their mouths stayed locked, he slid a hand around her waist, stroking the small of her back so that she pressed up against him. Uninhibited by clothing, they gasped together at the feeling of this new-found closeness.

Tabitha ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, her body molding perfectly against his. Jim's fingers gently and anxiously began to explore the only part of her body that was still a secret. She released him as she fell back to the bed. "Oh, God..." she panted in ecstasy. "Jim..."

Hearing his name called in such a provocative way sent Jim over the edge. He tenderly threaded his fingers into her hair, locking his ardent, turquoise eyes on her cloudy, impassioned ones. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Their stuttering and general anxiety completely overrun by an all-encompassing need for each other, they had only one more move to make. Descending to a careful, romantic plateau of thrill, their lips met softly as Jim positioned himself above Tabitha. Then, finally, blessedly, they united, Jim slow and testing, exceedingly considerate of Tabitha, unsure of what her reaction would be, trying desperately not to hurt her in any way. Tabitha was fine, beyond fine - she was in Heaven; the small amount of pain there was was so quickly disguised with a feeling full of love and passion and hunger that it was wholly overwhelming, completely indescribable.

Their movements found a harmony as the tension progressed. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his back. His hands grasped tightly onto her hips. Every nerve ending in their bodies was set on fire. All the desire and affection, all the wantonness and devotion, all the spirit and emotion of them collided into one fiery, impetuous moment. The three years they'd been together, all the times they'd stopped themselves before reaching this point, every thought they'd ever had about each other, and every feeling that the other evoked in them crashed into this small frame of time. Tabitha suddenly arched towards Jim, her body clenching as a haze of bliss swept over her. Jim followed close behind, his mind foggy, unable to fathom this uncontrollable impulse of his body.

They collapsed onto the bed, breathing like they hadn't in a week. It was all incomprehensible. It was beyond words, or understanding, or anything they knew. It wasn't until a minute later, when their sweat-slicked bodies began to cool and their minds cleared, that either was able to even consider speaking.

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"Tabitha..." Jim began.

"Jim..." Tabitha returned.

Neither could put together a single coherent thought.

"God, Tabitha, that was... that was amazing," Jim laughed quietly as he gazed up at the ceiling.

Tabitha giggled breathlessly. "Yeah... I had no idea it would be... like that."

"Me either." He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking back at her. "So, uh, you're okay?"

"I'm better than just okay." Tabitha rolled over to face Jim and saw how anxious he still looked. She smiled and sympathetically began to rub his chest to comfort him. "Jim, you did everything perfectly."

Jim's eyes widened. "I did?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything to compare it to, but yeah."

He chuckled. "I guess me sounding so unsure about everything isn't really helping the mood, huh?"

"Au contrare. I'm glad we're talking about it." She leaned down and kissed him once again. "Please don't think a single negative thought or question anything about tonight. I couldn't have anything more perfect than that. It was the best night of my entire life."

"Oh, really?" Jim raised an eyebrow, adopting that playful smirk he was known for. Tabitha rolled her eyes and lay back down. He grinned and reached out to brush her sweaty bangs away from her eyes. "You were unbelievable."

"We were unbelievable. I couldn't have done that alone."

He laughed. "Can we do that - "

"Every day?"

"I was going to say all the time..."

"For the rest of our lives?"

"We might have to take a break to eat sometimes."

It took a second, but then they turned to face each other at the same time and burst into a fit of laughter. Tabitha rolled over to him and laid her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arm around her.

"Do you think it was worth the wait?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yeah," he told her. "Definitely worth the wait."

They both sighed in contented agreement.


Jim was the first to awake in the morning. His eyes blinked in the rays of mid-morning light to adjust. Tabitha was still pressed against his chest, her hair strewn in her face and her bare shoulders just visible over the edge of the sheet. She let out a small happy sigh when she felt him shift beneath her. He chuckled and Tabitha shifted, yawning as she repositioned herself.

"Are you awake?" Jim asked quietly.

Tabitha didn't answer, but she did smile, and Jim was fairly certain she was faking. To test his theory, he lightly skimmed his fingers down her back, earning a light giggle as she tried to shift away.

Jim laughed. "Good morning."

Tabitha sighed and, resigning to the fact that she was awake for good, looked up at Jim. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep okay?"

"I slept great," she smiled as she rolled over to her side of the bed. As she stretched her arms above her head, the sheet slid down her body, and Jim was able to take in more of his beautiful wife. Tabitha quickly noticed where his gaze had fallen and reached to pull the sheet back around her, flushing a pale pink. Jim couldn't help laughing at how adorably shy she still was.

"So... what are we going to do today?" she questioned.

"Well, how about breakfa - er, lunch?" he interrupted himself as he glanced over at the clock, noticing it was almost 11.

"Sounds good. I'm pretty hungry." She looked up at him and laughed.

"What?" he demanded playfully.

"Your hair looks funny," she giggled, reaching out to smooth it out a bit.

"Oh, well, look who's talking," he laughed back as he began to run his fingers through her tangled hair.

"Don't bother," she said, pushing his hands away. "I'll have to shower to get the knots out."

"You know, I was actually just thinking about taking a shower," Jim began mischievously. "Care to join me?"

Tabitha blushed a bright pink. "Oh. Um... I - " but before she could say anything, Jim burst out laughing. "What?"

"I wanted to make sure you still blush," he explained.

"Oh," she mumbled. "So you weren't actually offering?"

"Well, I was - "

"Because..." she rolled over on top of him. "I was actually quite excited by the idea." Jim flushed and started to stammer out an answer, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. "I wanted to make sure you still blush, too."

They laughed together for a moment, then there eyes met and they went silent.

"You know, a shower is probably a good idea," he proposed.

"Yeah, especially if we're going to be seen in public," she added.

"And it doesn't really make sense to shower separately now, does it?"

"No, I don't suppose it does."

"And we - "

"Are you going to carry me to the shower, or should I just get up and go bathe on my own?"

"Hmm," Jim began, feigning a contemplative look. "Well I guess if those are my only two options, then there's only one logical answer, and that is - "

"For you to shut up and kiss me," Tabitha concluded.

Jim laughed as they clambered out of bed. He pulled her back to him and eagerly lifted her off the ground. Tabitha laughed and wrapped her legs and arms around him as he carried her to the washroom, shutting the door behind them.


Tabitha and Jim were unusually touchy-feely that day. What started out as holding hands on the way to breakfast turned into Jim wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close when they left. As they did the activities available on the ship, Jim occasionally slid his hand lower, smirking each time as Tabitha blushed, laughed, and moved his hand back up, only to repeat the whole scenario a little while later.

They ate lunch side by side with no space between them. Tabitha spent the meal slowly running her hand up and down Jim's leg. When she became a bit more daring and slid her hand along his inner thigh, Jim quickly stood up and insisted he was through eating, despite the fact he'd only eaten half. She smirked skeptically at him, but Jim only smiled, refusing to let on to how much she was getting to him.

They headed to dinner, once again sitting closer than really seemed necessary. No sooner had the waiter walked away with drink orders then Jim turned to Tabitha, placing his mouth beside her ear to whisper sweet - and not-so-sweet - comments. Meanwhile, his hand rubbed her leg as she had done to his earlier. She'd been so distracted by the rough, sexy sound of his voice to pay much attention to anything else, namely that Jim has sneakily been raising her dress little by little. That is, until Jim's hand was suddenly on her bare thigh. Tabitha squealed in shock, catching the attention of several of the surrounding tables and startling the waiter who had just returned with their drinks. He looked at them oddly, but made no comment other than requesting their orders. Jim inconspicuously moved his hand away and wrapped it around behind Tabitha as he ordered. Tabitha flushed scarlet, but managed to stammer out a request. As the waiter walked away with the menu's, still eying the couple interestedly, Jim's hand slid back down to her lap and seized her hand.

Dinner passed by with more soft caresses and coy statements made to one another. Then, it was up to the room to grab swimsuits before heading hand in hand to the pool, just after sunset.

"Whoa," Jim mumbled. "It's completely deserted."

Tabitha discreetly let out a sigh of relief, thankful that there would be no audience to see her in the slightly skimpy bathing suit she'd daringly decided to wear. Jim didn't hesitate a bit. He chuckled, quickly stripped off the shirt he had on, and waded into the pool.

"You coming?" he questioned as he tread water.

Tabitha shifted from one foot to the other. "Um..."

"Tabitha," Jim began, instantly recognizing her shyness. "We're alone, and I've seen you in less."

"But what if someone else comes down here?" she wondered.

"Then we can get out if you're uncomfortable," he shrugged. "Though I don't know why you would be - you look incredibly sexy."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's why. It's one thing, for you to see me, but I - "

"If you don't get in this pool right now, I'll get out and throw you in."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Jim's eyes narrowed, and Tabitha immediately regretted her challenge. "Wait! Okay, okay!" - she stripped down to her bathing suit - "I'm getting in! I'm getting - AH!" Her protests were halted when Jim rushed out of the pool and, swooping her up over her shoulder, threw her into the pool. Tabitha wasn't one to be taken down that easily; she pulled Jim in with her.

A moment later they bobbed up together, both coughing and laughing. "Jerk!" Tabitha splashed him. "I was getting in!"

"You were taking too long!" Jim splashed her back.

"You are impatient!"

"You were teasing me!"

"You are over eager!"

Jim shot her an impatient look that quickly faded into sly grin as he slid his hands around her waist to pull her closer. "You bet I am. I had to wait three years for last night - " He moved to whisper in her ear. " - And now I'm not sure I'll ever have enough."

"Hmm, so I've made you insatiable, is that what you're saying?" she mocked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Jim chuckled as he moved his hands to her hips and kissed her.

Tabitha laughed and wiggled within his grasp. He pulled back, smirking, only to be pulled back into the kiss.

"Seems I've made you just as enthusiastic as I am," he chuckled.

"Don't flatter yourself," she teased.

Jim squinted irritatedly at her, but Tabitha only giggled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She laughed hysterically as Jim began to kiss her neck. "Jim..." He ignored her and continued, moving his hands up her back. "Jim..." she feigned complaints as she moved her hands up his arms to his shoulders. He kissed her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jim laughed into the kiss as his hands continued to move, up her back, to the laces of her swimsuit - "Jim!" she squealed as she wrapped her arms across her chest.

"What?" he asked in mock-innocence. "We're alone."

"But we're still in public! Tie it back."

"And what if I refuse?"

Tabitha narrowed her eyes. "I'll make sure you don't enjoy another night like last night for a long, long time."

Jim squinted. "You're bluffing."

"You want to take your chances on that?"

He hesitated, then sighed and swam around around to retie the strings.

Tabitha smirked and moved to put her hands on his chest, gently pushing him back just a bit. "You really ought to learn some self control."

"Hey! I have self control! I just don't feel the need to use it right now."

"Oh, is that so?" she mocked, pushing Jim backwards in the water some more. Jim blinked in shock as he suddenly found his back pressed against the wall of the pool. Tabitha smirked and moved in, pressing her body against his. "Well what if I didn't feel the need to use self control right now either?"

Jim gulped but tried to remain calm. "Fine by me. Do your worst."

Tabitha grinned and ran her hands very slowly down his chest. Jim's pulse increased dramatically, whether from her heated gaze or her touch, he didn't know, but somehow the combination was driving him wild. The entire day of flirtatious comments and touches had him going from zero to sixty in no time at all. When her hands stopped at the waistband of his swim trunks, it took all his strength to keep up the calm facade. Why had he told her to do her worst? It felt amazing, but it was using a lot of his self control not to take her right then and there. Tabitha leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his. Jim leaned towards her, searching for more, and Tabitha obliged. Meanwhile, her hands slowly brushed through his hair, then down his sculpted torso, stopping once again at his waist, but this time, Jim couldn't help the quiet moan of expectation that escaped him.

"Can we go back inside?" he whispered.

"Why?" Tabitha feigned naivety. "You were so eager to go swimming."

"Yeah, well," Jim panted. "Now I'm eager to go do other things."

Tabitha smirked. Her hands moved down only a fraction of an inch, but Jim panicked. He had to take control of the situation. He quickly grabbed her upper arms and spun around so that they had switched positions. Now Tabitha looked as shocked as he had felt. He slid his hands down her body, the same way she had done to him.

Jim pressed himself against her and leaned forward to her ear. "We really need to go inside now," he said in a husky whisper.

"Okay..." Tabitha breathlessly agreed.

Neither of them made any attempt to move. Tabitha lunged forward and pulled Jim into a kiss. Jim gasped against her lips and braced his arms against the wall of the pool. Tabitha wrapped her legs around him. His kisses trailed downwards - jaw, neck...

She gasped and flinched away from Jim. "W-we should go back to the room."

Jim's chest was heaving and all he could do was nod. He quickly pushed himself out of the water, then reached down to help Tabitha too. They wrapped in towels and grabbed their clothes. Jim grabbed Tabitha's hand and dragged her through the halls back to their room, both of them laughing hysterically, thankful that the halls were mostly deserted... Until halfway there, they turned a corner and ran smack into an older man.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" the man questioned.

Tabitha blushed and pulled her towel up to cover herself more while Jim apologized. "Oh, sorry about that!"

The man chuckled. "It's alright. Don't you two lovebirds worry yourselves one bit."

"We... we were in a hurry," Jim laughed, pulling Tabitha behind him when he noticed how embarrassed she still looked, though he just found the situation funny.

"It's okay, son. I can't say I blame you at all. I'd be in a hurry, too," he said with a glance towards Tabitha, and a wink back at Jim.

Jim laughed. "Thanks!"

"Don't let her go!" the man shouted as they continued down the hall.

"Not for everything in the Etherium!" Jim shouted over his shoulder.

They finally made their way all the way back to their room. As soon as the door shut, Tabitha tackled Jim to the bed.

"Have I mentioned I love you?" Jim laughed as he untied her top again.

She threw it off and lowered her lips to his. "Maybe once or twice."

"Well," he smirked, rolling them over so that he was on top. "I guess I need to make it known, huh?"

Tabitha giggled as Jim kissed her, both excited by the knowledge that this was only the beginning.


Ohmygeez. I hope that wasn't too awkward.

The title of the chapter is inspired by the song "You and I Tonight" by Faber Drive. It's very romantic and has a slight sensual tone to it. I LOVE it!

Please leave comments/critiques/etc. I'm not planning on writing another lemon... but then again, I didn't plan on writing this one either, so you never know...

As always, you can leave requests of things you want to see. No guarantee I'll write it, but I will always consider it.

Thanks you guys!

-Emily

+Responses to Reviews+

ADangerousPastime: Yeah, sorry about the wait. Thank you so much though! I really wonder if I'm keeping everyone in character sometimes, so I'm so so SO glad to hear that I am with Jim.

Tsukasa-kun: Your argument idea - AWESOME. I sort of blended it into one of my own and it improved the chapter SO much. I'll be posting it... sometimes :D Thank you!

NeverTooLate03: Damn it! I always forget Morph! What is that? Ugh, anyway, glad you liked the end. I'm definitely going to get Graham a girl, I just haven't figure out how yet... and how Rylee and Tabitha met/became friends is going to be in one of the upcoming chapters! As always, thank you so much!

23jk: Glad you liked it!

malisa: Oh, I know! I can't wait to post the chapters about when Tabitha gets pregnant, but it's going to be a while. I'm glad you like the story!

MistressTaco: I know, I know - I said all along I wasn't going to, and here it is. Haha don't worry - I love lemons, too. You're not alone xD Aw, I had no idea it was so evocative! I'm glad you liked it!

anon: Thanks! Oh right! The profile! I need to do that...

Kristy: Thanks! Aw, I know - Jim is beyond adorable when he's nervous.

CMR Rosa: Nice to see a new reviewer! Thanks! That idea is actually incorporated into one of the chapters already, and it will be posted soon!

Horsygirl 96: No worries! Glad you liked it!