Warning: Sexually explicit material within. Just fair warning ;)

He could still taste her flesh on his tongue; a pleasantness beyond comprehension. Could remember the way her body felt, hot and yielding beneath him. Could still feel the adrenaline from their fight and the resulting feeling of wanting more. Why did his thoughts so frequently return to that memory? Lately it had been tearing him apart and he didn't know how to handle it. Raising himself from the couch, he began to pace. It seemed as if they had been avoiding each other the last few days. She hadn't visited and he hadn't sought her out. He'd hoped the avoidance would take his mind off of this need he had been feeling… But it hadn't. A walk would perhaps clear his head. However, he couldn't be certain if that was entirely it, or if a part of him hoped he would run into her.

As he approached the mess area he'd instantly picked up her scent. But there was something off about it; something that caused his blood to pulse in his veins. The presence of pheromones hung in the air, causing his body to heat at an alarming rate. He was about to turn back when he saw her hovering in the kitchen space. Crimson hair hung around her face like strands of ribbon. Steel-grey eyes remained half hidden behind her strange human lashes as she sipped from her coffee cup. When she noticed him staring, her eyes widened and she lowered her cup to stare back. His legs, worked against his better judgment, carrying him into the room to be nearer to her. She began to fidget uncomfortably at his increasing closeness. The smell of pheromones grew more pungent as he approached.

"How you humans drink that stuff is beyond me," he said, growling voice cutting through the silence.

"You don't know how good it is until you've tried it." She hadn't meant to sound so coy in her response… Had she?

"Oh?" he growled with interest, catching the unintended double-meaning in her words and playing with it. He noticed the way her cheeks flushed a bright pink. The way her lips parted wordlessly as she typically did when embarrassed.

"Something wrong?" she asked, catching him as his mind began to wander.

"No," he responded gruffly. He paused for a moment, studying her expression. "Something wrong with you?"

"No." Yes, she thought inwardly. For days she had been trying to get these thoughts out of her head and his current proximity was not helping. Damn Mordin for planting this infectious seed.

"Hmm." She was lying. He could tell that much. There was a change in her demeanor. The way she was acting around him was… uncomfortable. "The salarian send you information on cross-species mating, I assume?"

His question was blunt, and certainly to the point. Saren wasn't one to dance around anything, but this was a whole new level of candor. She could only stare at him, open-mouthed. It was evident her lack of response was enough of an answer for him.

"Ah. So that's it," he said smugly.

"What?" Her brows drew inward in irritation.

He chuckled mockingly. "I can smell your arousal. Your body is reacting to my presence in ways a human cannot sense." Moving in closer he could almost feel the heat emanating from her body. "You can't deny it. You like the idea."

She scowled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Arterius."

"I don't suppose you know how the salarian derived at such an idea? You and I… A mating couple?"

"Don't look at me!" she snapped. "Nothing I said would have alluded to such a thing."

"So you do know what I'm talking about," he said grinning. "The whole idea is ridiculous."

She laughed and seemed to relax slightly at his frank observation. "Tell me about it! Mordin is out of his mind if he thinks that you and I—" Her assumptions were cut short when he moved against her, pushing her backside against the counter.

"I said it was ridiculous, not improbable," he said lowering his head to breathe against her face.

She swallowed hard, seemingly nervous by his very intimate proximity. But he could still vividly sense her growing need. It surrounded him like the heat of the Palaven sun. He wanted to bathe in it. Wanted to soak in its radiance. "What are you getting at Arterius?" Her voice was soft and breathy, and it licked at his loins.

No matter how much he just wanted to walk away, he couldn't. He didn't care about the shame or embarrassment he should have felt. Spirits, he just wanted her, this… human. And he could tell, just by her scent, that she wanted him too. Her breath felt hot as it feathered against his neck in a ragged rhythm.

He held himself flush against her, almost certain that she could feel his desire, hard and throbbing for her. "Shepard… I—"

"Commander," Joker's interrupted, cutting through the comm system. "You're needed in Engineering."

"—I'm going to kill your pilot," Saren finished with a growl, taking a step back from her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked Joker, an obviously irritated tone lacing her still breathy voice.

"Not sure, Commander. But it may be important," Joker replied.

Saren stared at her intently, but made no move to continue his earlier actions. If he did, there would be no stopping. "You'd better go," he told her. Without another word he turned and left her standing alone in the kitchen.

Joker leaned back in his chair, staring up at the agitated turian. "You know she's going to be pissed when she finds out she wasn't really needed in Engineering."

Garrus shook his head. "You saw what was going on down there. It needed to be stopped."

"Just cause you wanted it to stop, doesn't mean she did." Joker pointed out.

"Don't be stupid! What would she want with Saren?" His words held more of an edge than he intended.

Joker guffawed. "I could guess! With all those cybernetics, I could only guess what other enhancements he has going on."

"Shut up, Joker," Garrus warned, narrowing stormy eyes at the pilot.

"I think somebody's jealous," the pilot sang, spinning back around in his chair.

"Pfft. Am not," Garrus denied, crossing his arms. "Shepard's my best friend. I'm just looking out for her best interests. And those don't include Saren."

"Alright…" Joker said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Anyway, I'd better call down to Engineering and have Adams make up something to tell the Commander."

"Good idea." Garrus agreed. "And thanks," he added before taking his leave from the cockpit.

Thankfully Engineer Adams didn't have anything concerning to report. His main reason for wishing to speak with her was to place a request for a GX12 Thermal Pipe for the drive core. Since installing this would heavily improve the core, she agreed. She also approved of any additional upgrades Adams may come across next time they hit the Citadel. The survival of the galaxy rode on every edge they could get against the Reapers. Now was not the time to be frugal.

Shepard rubbed her forehead with tripod fingertips. She still couldn't get over what had happened – or what could have happened – in the kitchen with Saren. The whole situation was just confusing. Was he just playing with her? If so, what would he gain? The self-satisfaction of seeing her squirm? To prove that she was just as deceivable and foolish as he believed humans to be. She groaned in frustration. The whole thing really was ridiculous. Saren Arterius hated humans. That reasoning was answer enough to her questions.

Arriving at the door to her cabin, she quickly inputted the code and stepped into the dim, cool comfort that was hers. Before even thinking of involving herself in anything else, she made straight for the bathroom and stripped out of her clothes. Turning on the shower and stepping into its spray caused her to release a contented sigh. It felt so good to get out of her tacticals and bask in the comforting heat of the shower. It was enough to take her mind off of earlier events. When she was finally finished she felt wonderfully refreshed. Wrapping a towel around her wet body she retreated from the warmth to begin reviewing her mail.

"Do you humans always take so long in the bathroom?" a deep voice erupted from the other room.

Shepard's hear jumped in her chest at the sudden sound but relaxed slightly when she saw Saren ascend the small set of stairs from the room below. His lightly colored plates were beautifully illuminated by the blue light of her fish tank, and for a moment, she found herself awestruck by their reflectiveness. However, her appreciation quickly turned to anger when it appeared to her that he'd snuck into her room for yet the second time, uninvited. She stormed forth to stand before him, accusation present in her flashing eyes. "What are you doing sneaking into my cabin again, Saren?" she spat angrily. However, while her tone held a biting edge, something within her faltered at his close presence. Thoughts of their recent encounter invaded her mind, teasing and cruel.

He stared back at her intently, his gaze lingering on the towel that hugged her still-damp body. "To finish what we started," he replied.

She knew precisely what he meant, and the memory made her shamefully burn with lust. But she could easily remain in control, especially when the other party was intruding upon her privacy. "Get out, Saren," she snapped.

Saren stiffened, standing his ground. "Not until you face this… Whatever this is, between us."

She dug her hand into his chest, twisting the fabric of his casual outfit in her grasping fingers. Bringing her face close to his, she painted a scowl on her features as she glared up at him. "I won't play your games, Saren. There is nothing between us."

He grinned, almost too smugly. But he remained wordless, staring down at her as if her words were laughable.

Her brows knitted in anger. Hand still twisted in the fabric she spun away to pull him to the door. She gasped when her hand was forcefully wrenched loose of the tight grip and she found herself thrust against the tank. Her instant response was to throw a right hook, which he easily dodged. Clawed hands encircled her wrists and pinned them securely to her side. The bulk of his body pressed firmly against her to quell any other ways in which she may lash out. Her restricted position caused her biotics to flare up, illuminating her in a purple-blue haze.

"Why do you resist, Shepard?" he inquired, hot breath fanning her face.

"Because I'm not interested." Her tone was low and full of warning.

"Your scent says otherwise," he said in a deep raspy voice.

She had no counterattack. Her body had given her away and any further denial would fall on deaf ears. The way he felt as he pressed against her, was becoming nearly overwhelming. She could feel his evident interest straining against the press of their bodies. It filled her mind with all kinds of images that would've made a photographer of Fornax blush. Her charged biotics began to recede, leaving them illuminated in only the glow of the tank.

Sensing the change in her aggression, Saren released her wrists. When she made no move to push him away, he raked his claws lightly up her leg, making his way up her towel. He grinned in satisfaction when a gasp escaped her lips and she arched her body towards him.

"Do you still wish me to leave?" he mocked.

"No."

Her response was breathless and filled with submission. It sparked something feral within him. Twisting both hands into the fabric of his shirt, she drew him forth and proceeded to nip at his neck in ways he'd never imagined a human could. And when he yanked the towel from her, he delighted in the way her body shivered against him.

With her towel gone and leaving her exposed to his fervent touches, all reasoning that this was a bad idea was easily shrugged off. Lost in the ardor, her mind could only concentrate on the heady scent of his skin. It faintly reminded her of leather. It was so deliciously masculine and sent her hormones into a frenzy.

"Take these off," she murmured, tugging on his shirt.

More than willing to follow that order, he began doing just that. However, he paused momentarily to watch her saunter towards the bedroom. His sharp gaze followed the tantalizing sway of her curvy hips, the dip of her waist, and the trail of damp red hair that dripped water droplets down her toned back. He finished removing his clothing as he followed after her. When she turned back to face him, her eyes scanned over his body with increasingly peeked interest. His reinforced plates that had once been hidden beneath his clothing, now reflected the low light of the room more than others. These only caught her attention for a brief moment, until her eyes fell towards his erection. He puffed up with pride when her concentration lingered there. As he let her study him further, he took this time to take in her true splendor. She was soft but well-muscled. Few fresh scars lined her body, but none seemingly more than a year old, likely due to being rebuilt by Cerberus. Unlike the woman in the vid, she had no hair between her legs. Since the presence of such was a commonality among human women, he could only assume that it was perhaps against her preference. He certainly wasn't going to complain.

After a few moments, he had decided he had inspected her long enough and reached out to grab her. When she backed out of his reach he released and audible growl.

"Why do you toy with me?" he snarled.

"Because it pisses you off," she admitted with a grin.

"Turians aren't known for their patience, Shepard," he warned. "Come here."

"I don't take orders from you," she sneered in return.

His growl was spurred from a mixture of arousal and annoyance. He had suffered far too much frustration recently to be toyed with now. Grasping her in his clawed hands, he shoved her down onto the surface of the bed.

The wicked grin that spread over her soft lips stirred within him an unending hunger. His eyes held onto orbs of steel-grey as he crawled over her. Moving between her legs, he positioned himself at her warm, inviting entrance before thrusting into her. The movement wasn't as quick as he intended. Her body was tight around him, gripping his cock like a vise. The sensation drew grunts from both of them as he continued to push forward.

"This hurts you?" he asked, raking his tongue along her collarbone to her neck.

She shuddered slightly, tilting her head back to further expose her neck to him. "No. Keep going," she responded breathlessly.

Her legs were wrapped around his waist, rubbing hard against the sensitive area as he began moving within her, gradually increasing the velocity of his thrusts.

Shepard winced as razor-sharp claws pierced the flesh of her thigh. Though, the pain didn't last, overwhelmed by the intense pleasure he was giving her. He was large, but her body had finally adjusted to him, leaving her to enjoy the gratification of his fervent thrusts. She could feel his tongue, rough and strong, licking at her nipple with unbearable precision.

His actions were drawing illicit cries from the woman beneath him, making her enjoyment clearly evident. Slinging her legs over his cowl, he drove in deeper, taking pleasure in the way she clamped down around him with her wet heat. It was nearly overwhelming and he had to fight to keep control. It was easy to lose oneself to instinctual habits and he didn't want to hurt her too much.

This more vulnerable position in which he'd placed her, made her head spin as rough plates rubbed against her already sensitive area. He had her mewling, begging him not to stop. The intense friction and the way he filled her was sending her to a quick and steady climax. Before she knew it she was panting and convulsing around him, bucking her hips with rigid movements. The way his organ throbbed and twitched within her indicated he was nearly there as well.

And indeed he was. Her passage gripped his cock as she came, pushing him to his edge. As instinctive reaction finally overtook him, he bit down on her shoulder, claiming her and holding her still while he took his pleasure. Possessive, lustful growls filled the room as he spilled into her. His body jerked in the final throws of passion. When his movements finally slowed, he rolled onto his back, bringing her with him to rest upon his chest.

She could feel his heart beating hard against her cheek as she rested upon his chest plates. With her body spent, she allowed herself to rest there, unmoving. It wasn't long before her breathing fell shallow to that of a deep sleep.

She stood on a sandy landscape that seemed to go on for an eternity. A bare hand brushed hers. Skin against skin. Unlike any other time she had found herself here, she's not alone. Dark brown eyes stare back at her, warm and inviting. Soundless words form on his lips; words she cannot read. The wind begins to blow, as it had each time. The ground shakes beneath their feet. Sand turns to blood. Then darkness overtakes her.

Shepard woke with a start, sheets twisted around her sweat-damp body. Rolling onto her back she found the other half of her bed empty. The only proof he had been there was the red blood stains that remained from their earlier romp. She was alone. No surprise really. Except this time she wasn't the one that had left. Her body was unusually sore. Dried blood streaked her thighs and shoulder, a result of his feral passion. Welts had begun to form where plates had rubbed flesh raw. She knew she'd need to apply medigel to the cuts and Mordin's ointments to the welts, but that required movement she didn't want to make just yet. Instead she gazed at the skylight above her bed. Stars streaked by like tiny bugs in the night

The sudden swish of a door snapped her attention towards the other room. A turian, pale in color, emerged from her bathroom. Steam trailed out from behind him, remains of a hot shower. Her mouth nearly fell open in surprise as she was certain he had left.

Not bothering to cover his bottom half, he draped the towel around his cowl. His intense gaze found her, lying naked on the sex-messed bed. The lack of cover around his groin made his continued interest in her clearly visible.

"I thought you left," she told him.

He made his way towards the bed, coming to stand before her in all his male glory. "I was going to. But then I remembered you had a private shower." His teeth flashed in a wide grin.

She made a face. "Don't think you'll be using me for my shower."

Saren scoffed. "That's not the only thing I'll be using you for." His voice was deep and growly. Illuminated blue eyes held her imprisoned in their intensity.

"Intriguing," she purred, arching her brow. And with that she scooted her sore body towards the edge of the bed. "I hope you didn't use up all the hot water."

He considered her hungrily. "Perhaps I did… I suppose that means we have some time to kill," he said, tackling her back onto the bed. He nipped at her neck, taking care to avoid the still-raw bite wound from their previous bout. Hopefully she wouldn't be needed today as she didn't anticipate leaving her cabin for a while…