She hadn't noticed him until the end of the ceremony. He sat somewhere near the back, and then left before the short ceremony was over. Apparently he only planned on stopping by for a bit; but once she had noticed the tall fringe and white markings on his face, she'd been distracted the rest of the day going through the motions of paperwork after the ceremony and greeting the few well-wishers and dignitaries aiming to be seen at any Alliance ceremony.

She was busy. Everything felt like it was moving a bit too fast. She was just promoted, sent to a brand new state of the art ship, and then these strange feelings about a turian—of all things. As much as she had been gunning for the time away from a mission, she was suddenly longing for the simplicity of giving orders, being obeyed, completing a mission. Especially since she couldn't get her emotions to fall in line like well-trained soldiers. All she could think about was that stupid alien and his damn purring kisses.

So when the C-Sec elevator to the docking bays opened to his smirking mandibles, she suddenly felt as though she'd accidentally grabbed a set of shorted out wires. She wondered if it would be at all possible for them to get just unclothed enough to have a quickie in the elevator before it arrived at the Normandy's docking level.

But as the doors to the elevator began to automatically slide shut, she realized he had been staring knowingly at her for long enough for the automated doors to tell her to move on… she jumped and finally stepped into the elevator.

"Commander." He greeted, with a laugh evident in the subharmonics of his voice. She shoved his shoulder in retaliation as the doors slid shut. Once she heard the click, though, she jumped him.

She grabbed his neck above his hard cowl and pulled him down to her mouth. He reached his hands around to grab her ass and pulled her hips hard against him.

But again—too soon—the hiss of the doors sounded, and she jumped away from him, stumbling on her feet from suddenly not being pressed against him. She ran the sleeve of her dress uniform over her mouth.

He gestured—very gallantly, she had to admit—indicating that she should exit the elevator first. She gave him a glare that she hoped wasn't too biting, and tugged her stiff jacket back down into place.
Shepard started a bit when she realized that somehow Udina and Anderson had somehow beaten them up to the ship, and were standing chatting at the gangway to the Normandy.

She couldn't help the need to giggle, but covered it—she thought—well as she walked out of elevator.

"How did you get here so fast, Anderson?" She called out to the older man. She let herself grin, but tried very hard not to laugh. "Reporting for duty, sir." She gave him her best regulation salute, then turned to Udina. "Councilor."

"Shepard." The tight faced councilor nodded. "Nihlus."

"I just took the elevator, Commander. We'd been wondering when you would get here. Actually once the two of you board we're ready to ship out." He turned towards Nihlus. "I ah… see you've met Nihlus. Good to see you again" Although he held his hand out to the tall turian with confidence, Shepard caught a note of uncertainty that she couldn't quite place. She tried to reassure herself that he wasn't eyeing the spot on her neck covered in his obviously non-human bite marks.

"Indeed. We happened to meet on the elevator." Nihlus spoke quietly, somehow betraying nothing. She supposed that they had just happened to meet on the elevator…

"Well there really is no reason to waste more time, then is there?" Udina sputtered. As much as she hated this man, Shepard nodded.

"Absolutely. I'll see you on board." She nodded to both men and stepped into the airlock of the Normandy. Nihlus followed.

"While your councilor seemed not to notice anything, I believe your captain noticed how red your face was." He whispered once they were isolated in the airlock cycle. "Is that a normal human thing or is there any way you can turn it off?"

Shepard laughed and hid her face in her hands. God, her cheeks were hot. He placed a soothing hand on her head.

"Oh, I fucking wish I could turn it off."