Hehe. I wrote this fic a long time ago but I forgot to post it. I like it now that I read it over, I wasnt too sure before... Please enjoy! I love the sensuality in this piece ^^ <3

"Kaylee?" Inara pressed the button on the comlink, buzzing the engine room. A second later, she heard the click of the button on the other comlink being pressed.

"Yeah, Inara?" asked Kaylee's cheerful voice.

"Could you come to my shuttle? I need help with something..." Inara told her, trying to keep some frustration out of her voice.

"Sure thing!" said Kaylee happily. She hopped out of her hammock and headed down the corridor towards the shuttle. Inara moved towards her bed and sat, pressing a half done-up corset to her chest. Kaylee entered the shuttle a minute later, saw where she sat and went over to her. "Hey Inara, what did you need help with?" Kaylee asked, looking curiously at the half-dressed woman.

"Can you help me do this thing up?" Inara asked, standing up. "Its pretty much impossible to do on my own, I already tried..." she said, turning around and showing Kaylee her exposed back, framed by the open corset. Kaylee smiled and stepped closer, looking at how the laces interweaved with each other.

"Its beautiful, Inara!" said Kaylee, as she picked up the laces and began to thread them through the loops. "Where did you get it?" Inara looked over her shoulder so Kaylee could hear her better.

"From the Companion House. Apparently they sent every Companion one. They've encouraged us to try it with at least one client." she said lightly, trying not to wince as Kaylee did the garment up and it squeezed her tightly.

"Well, it sure should work wonders." commented Kaylee, pulling a bit harder as she moved up to Inara's ribs where it became tighter. Inara gasped involuntarily as Kaylee tied the very top parts, feeling uncomfortable and too confined. "You okay?" Kaylee asked in concern, tying the laces into a bow and then sitting down on the bed in front of Inara. "Can you even breathe in that?!" asked Kaylee, looking in awe at how incredibly thin it made Inara look. Inara winced and wiggled a bit, trying to get it more comfortable. She gave up and sighed.

"Its alright. But I will only be using it for the one client..." Inara commented. Kaylee laughed and helped her into a crimson dress with beautiful hangings, trimmed with gold. "Thank you, Kaylee.." said Inara gratefully after she was ready. "I appreciate it." Kaylee beamed at her beautiful friend.

"You're welcome! You look so meili..." Kaylee said in awe, wishing she could look like Inara. The Companion smiled and lead Kaylee to the door.

"Xiexie, meimei. I'll see you tomorrow." Kaylee nodded and left with a wave. Inara closed the door and began to put everything away in her shuttle that wasn't in its place, preparing for that evening's client. She was due for lift off in a few minutes, and just as she'd finished straightening the covers on her bed (wincing, as the corset barely let her bend), her comlink buzzed and Wash's voice drifted into the room.

"Inara? Your client just waved... he said that something important has come up and that he can't have you meet him tonight." Inara hurried over to the comlink and hit the button.

"What? Why?" she asked, surprised.

"Didn't say... Guess you're staying home tonight." Wash said apologetically.

"Its alright... Thanks, Wash.." Inara sighed. All this preparation for nothing. She walked over to her bed and sat down, making a face at how straight she had to keep her back because of the corset. She sighed and let herself flop not-so gracefully back onto the covers, feeling like she was wearing a medical back board. She stared up at the canopy of her bed for a while before her eyes closed, the incense she had started to burn minutes earlier soothing her.

She woke up some hour or two later to a knock on her shuttle door. She was jolted out of a dream and struggled to sit up, the stiff corset not allowing her to bend. Eventually she managed to, straightened her hair and blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"Qing jin." she called, quickly pulling a brush through her hair. She smiled when the door opened and Simon stepped into the room. "Hello Simon." Simon smiled at her and closed the door as he approached.

"Wash told me you were staying in tonight... problems with your client?" he asked conversationally, his eyes wandering around the room. No matter how many times he was in her shuttle he always loved to look at everything; all the fabric, the ornaments, the decor. It was all so beautiful and elegant and suited Inara perfectly.

"Yes... Apparently something came up." shrugged Inara. She didn't particularly care that she couldn't go; it was not getting the money she had counted on that irked her. She went over to the small table in front of the couch and bent over uneasily, wincing and trying not to show how uncomfortable she was to Simon as she reached out to light a candle. He, however, noticed immediately how stiff she was and stepped forward, concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, laying a hand gently on her back as she stood up, looking pained.

"Yes... its this..." she felt her cheeks turn the tiniest bit red, "this stupid corset... the Companion house wanted everyone to wear them, but its very uncomfortable." she confided. She wondered why she had told him that, but she knew why, really. She had always been attracted to the young doctor, just like she knew he had always been attracted to her. The few kisses they had shared had been secret, but they had both wished they could be together more. He nodded sympathetically.

"Its late... why don't you take it off?" he suggested calmly. Inara turned to look at him, a small, curious smile playing on her lips. She looked down for a moment and then back at him and nodded. He smiled and approached her as she walked towards the bed and stood facing it, her back to him. He carefully undid her dress and pulled it over her head, exposing her skirts and the corset. Simon carefully draped the dress over the chair beside him and set to work on the corset. He felt it give substantially as he undid the first lace, and he was amazed that she could breathe. He heard her make a small noise of relief as he worked, and he was glad that he was helping. After he'd released it enough that she could breathe properly, he slowed down and took his sweet time, brushing his fingers across her smooth skin, smiling when she shivered.

He took a step closer to her, and she swallowed thickly when she suddenly felt his breath on her neck, her heart fluttering. He gently ran his hands down over her arms from her shoulders to her wrists, sending tingles all along them and down her body. She felt his hands close over hers and he moved them so they were resting over her stomach, enclosing her in his embrace. Her eyes closed automatically as Simon leaned in and gently brushed his lips over the skin of her neck. He knew how much she loved it when he pampered her like this, and gently kissed the skin of her bare shoulders, her neck, the skin just behind her ears. She shivered in excitement and eventually he turned her around to face him, the corset hanging loosely, just barely covering her breasts.

He smiled and leaned in again, kissing her shoulders and neck again, over her collarbone and down her chest to just above her breasts. She sighed contentedly, her arms draped around his shoulders, and he pulled her close, his arms looping around behind her as he untied the rest of the corset blindly. She snuggled into his shoulder as he worked gently, perfectly happy in his arms. He finally felt the ends separate and he gently pulled the garment from her, glad to hear her relieved sigh.

There was still a bodice under the corset and he quickly unzipped it, letting it slip down her shoulders and off of her chest naturally, rather than tugging at it. She smiled at him and traced a finger along his jawbone. Simon gently guided her back onto the bed and lay partially over her, admiring her body, the beautifully smooth, tanned skin over her stomach and chest. He leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, tasting a hint of cherry from the makeup on her lips. She wrapped her arms around him and they deepened the kiss, let their passion out. After a long time she pulled his shirt off, and Simon's heart jolted to feel her bare skin pressed against his.

All in all, Inara was quite glad that her evening plans had not worked out. She wondered as Simon slowly began to slip off her skirts, whether this would have ever happened had her plans not fallen through.