Summary:

The Reader Returns

It wasn't in him to hope for the impossible. He'd found Furya, sent the Necros off to their Underverse forever, and figured he'd gotten his allotment of miracles for one lifetime. So he did not hope he'd see the gorgeous Rim dressed Core woman at the bar again. He had that much self-discipline at least.

Of course when she walked into the place, straight to the bar and collected a drink his jī ba damn near stood up and took notice. Hell if his groin had a horn it'd be sounding the charge already. Just another of God's tā mā de jokes. Putting a woman like that in front of him, deadly and gorgeous and so clearly out of his league he might as well have tried to hump a Companion.

He didn't think it was possible for him to be caught off guard anymore. But if he hadn't known the place so well, known the creak of the floor, and instinctively looked towards it, she might have simply appeared at the edge of his vision.

She stood at the end of the table, the entrance of the alcove, two clay mugs of beer in her hands. If she wanted to get at her guns she'd have to drop them. No way she'd get to those pistols before he put a shiv in her throat. Be a damn shame but if it had to be done…

"Not a merc," Low voice, like cinnamon, honey and cayenne. Smokey and sweet. "Like him. Different, stronger, stranger…" Smart, to keep her hands on the mugs, no obvious threat.

"Know what I am," He leaned back and looked her up and down. "So what're you?"

"May I sit?" She slid one of the mugs towards him. "Rather not take off my guns if you don't mind. Give my word, not interested in attacking you."

"Sit if you like," He nodded and slid over so he could still face her, catching the mug in his hand. "Something you want?"

"You might could say," She nodded. "Why don't we start with what you want?" She sat so she was across from him and he could look her in the eye.

"You don't know what I want," He managed to keep his eyes on her face but damn that took some serious effort.

"Got an idea from the way you were staring at my backside yesterday," She returned, smiling as she took a sip of her beer with evident enjoyment. "I'm sorry that's not on the table at the moment."

"That's too bad," He shook his head. "Because you are without a doubt the sexiest woman I've seen in a decade."

"Mr. Riddick, I think you might need to get out more," That amused voice, dark eyes gleaming at him as they met his over the rim of her mug. Those eyes almost made him forget she'd said his name when he'd never offered it.

She didn't blink at the shiv at her throat, breathing normally, and he growled, "You'd better have a good reason for being here."

"Very good reason," She met his eyes, no fear and seemingly ignored the blade pressing against her carotid. "I need your help. Willing to pay for it."

"Lady, who in the tián mì de xié 'è tā mā de do you think you're talking to," Riddick snarled at her. "I'm not for hire." He wasn't some tiān shā de merc who went around killing people for money.

"I think I'm talking to Richard B. Riddick, the man who can escape from any slam in the 'verse," She hissed back at him. "I don't need you to kill anyone for me. I can kill my enemies myself."

That was a new one. He'd had more than a few people think he'd do murder for hire, it never failed to be insulting. He hadn't ever had anyone get insulted right back, "All right. What do you want me for then? Doubt it's the same as why I want you."

"Men," She groaned. "All the blood drains to the groin and the brain stops working." Her honest exasperation tickled him more than anything else and he chuckled.

"Can't be the first time you've had someone react like this," He shook his head, putting the shiv away, still chuckling.

"He is an anomaly," She shrugged. "Very few men who are not Core find slender and pale appealing. Rim and Border males prefer curves, hips to grab, among other things, and skin that does not burn in the sun."

"Right," He didn't see it himself. Sure, he liked curves, but he wouldn't say he had a type, per se. "So why do you need someone who's broken out of every slam he's been put in."

"Story to tell you," She took a deep breath. "Not for the faint of heart."

He stared at her when she was done and finished the beer. "You want to break into Belle Reve, using me as a diversion/trojan horse, and bust everyone out, including your Captain who got thrown in because he's the man behind the Miranda wave."

She nodded solemnly, "Will pay him well. And compensate him additional with work on the cortex, husk his records to remove his image. Make hiding from the law easier."

"And what about what else I want," He eyed her curiously. She didn't seem the type to put her body up for sale but damn he'd be tempted even if she was.

"If he will partner with her, and still wishes the same after the job is done…" She regarded him over her beer thoughtfully. "Not entirely certain what it is he wants."

"I want you under me," Riddick told her bluntly. "I want to go balls deep in you and feel you shatter around me and beg for more." The shiver that crept over her skin was not of revulsion, her eyes dilating minutely, and her tongue slipping out to wet her lips. "And you want that too. But you're not a slut to just jump into bed with someone you don't know."

"The idea is not unappealing, purely from a physical sense," She admitted. "You're a very…attractive male. I'm not immune."

"But you're also a Reader and you don't go around touching folks you don't know," He understood that. He wished it was as easy to block out his senses. "All right. Partners, you and me, until the job is done."

"If she is interested," She began. He'd noticed as she'd explained her history and the job in question that her pronouns had begun to slip a bit. Seemed like a symptom or tell, something to keep a good eye on. "Apologies, if I am interested in…more than partnership…will he…you… be interested in continuing…to work together?"

"Yeah," He nodded slowly. "Don't generally like people as a rule but you're more interesting than most." Riddick leaned back and looked at her, "You got a place you're staying tonight? Or a ship you're going back to?"

"Rented a room," She shrugged. "Independent evaluation before involving the rest of the crew."

"So maybe you could give me a little taste," Riddick grinned. Very unlikely but so much fun to ask. And whatever else her reactions, she didn't seem to find him offensive. "Give me something to look forward to?"

Her smile, slow, a little shy, and sweet, and touched with a wicked twist spread those lush lips, "Maybe. What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"

Obviously a quote of some sort, he'd have to look it up, but he got the gist, "Thought maybe we could spar some… and I'd try to steal a touch or two." He'd really like to get her under him, give them both something to anticipate when the job was done, even if their clothes stayed on. She seemed like she'd be a lot of fun.

Her smile tilted into a pleased grin, "Would like that very much. Please and thank you." He liked that her scent matched her words and expression. A rarity these days; no one said what they meant.

"Yeah?" He grinned, "You ever gonna tell me your name?"

"River," She half smiled. "River Tam."

Author's Note: I suppose I should have said that I'm going to be posting chapters here pretty erratically and they're not going to be super long. I like to have at least a few chapters cushion between what I post and what I'm currently writing if I'm going to start posting anything that isn't finished, which is my preference.

But since this is a bit open-ended because I'm not trying to work in a plot I figured it was safe enough to put something else up. Hope you enjoy.

Chinese Translations:

jī ba (dick / penis)

tā mā de (fucking)

tián mì de xié 'è tā mā de (sweet unholy fuck)

tiān shā de (goddamn)

Quote Sources:

What satisfaction canst thou have tonight? – Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare