For those of you who would like to see the prompt table I'm working from Go Here.

These stories are all standalone's unless otherwise noted.

Thanks to Tamsibling for the beta!

I'm back from vacation! I know, you all missed me sooooo much. Heh.

Thanks to Kaynara's nagging, there is some M/I goodness here. There will be much more in this story's sequel and the one after that as well.

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33.Cuddle

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This is the sequel to: Foreplay.

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Inara sighed as she rested her head on Mal’s shoulder. One hand lay splayed across his abdomen, a finger tracing patterns along the damp skin. She knew he wasn’t asleep. His uneven breathing and the way his hand cupped the back of her head, fingers gently massaging her scalp, was a clear indication.

After what they’d just done, the passion and urgency with which they’d just given themselves to one another, it amazed her that they weren’t completely unconscious. But the excitement, mingled with a bit of trepidation, coursing through her veins kept her wide awake and when she pressed her lips to his neck, was rewarded with a low, feral groan.

“Why is it again we waited so long to do this?” Mal asked, his voice rough.

“Because you’re a stubborn, idiotic –“

His free hand slid beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Handsome, masculine –“

“Hou zi de pi gu?”

Mal’s eyes narrowed as he craned his neck back to look at the offending piece of flesh. With a roguish grin, he glanced down at the woman in his arms and offered, “Didn’t hear you complainin’.”

When Inara opened her mouth to speak, he covered it with his own, drawing her lower lip into his mouth and sucking teasingly on it before moving up to its twin.

Whatever words she had sitting on the tip of her tongue were lost in an instant as she pressed herself deeper into his strong embrace. Her fingers danced across his muscular bicep before disappearing into his hair to tug insistently at the soft strands. They kissed for what seemed like forever and when they parted Inara felt a sadness bury itself deep in her bones.

Mal smirked proudly at the dazed look on her face. “You were sayin’?”

Inara blinked as she heard the words but did not register their meaning. When she could finally form a coherent thought, she scowled annoyingly at him. “You don’t have to look so proud of yourself, you know.”

“An’ why not?”

He still hadn’t lost that stupid grin and Inara found herself bristling, as if she was a prize he’d finally won.

“I’m not some bounty you’ve captured nor some piece of meat that –“

Mal chuckled, low and deep and Inara stared down at him, not sharing his amusement.

“You ain’t nothin’ to be owned nor kept. I done told you that.”

Inara closed her mouth as her eyes ghosted over the slightly raised skin that would forever mark the scar he’d received when trying to ‘defend her honor’. She swallowed thickly, unsure of what to say but knowing it needed to be something. A Companion was never at a loss for words. But this man could render her speechless with a single look – not that she would ever stoop to admit such a thing to his face.

“Where do we go from here, Mal?” Her voice was light, but beneath it he could detect the wary tone.

“Back to my bunk?” he joked, but the smile slid off his face as he took in her unreadable expression.

“This isn’t a joke, Mal. Everything’s changed now. I –“ She tried to sit up and shivered as she moved away from his warm body.

“Ain’t gotta.”

Inara stared down at him, her face impassive. “I – “ She looked around the shuttle, at the pieces of her life that she’d brought back to Serenity after her few months away. Zoe was right when she’d told her so long ago that no one ever truly leaves Serenity. At first Inara thought the woman had meant the war. But now she’d come to see things very differently.

Mal watched her as her eyes roved over the room and he realized that if things didn't change, after what they’d just done, he would be a decidedly unhappy and, more than likely, jealous man. And in the process, end up losing her - for good.

With a tightness in his chest, he asked slowly, “Plannin’ on takin’ clients again?”

His question snapped Inara’s eyes back to his.

She didn’t know what to say. Her training and her upbringing dictated that she say yes immediately. Her heart and its resounding cries demanded that she say no. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t like sharin’.” As soon as the words fell out of his mouth he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Damn if he hadn’t reverted back to behaving like Simon around Kaylee all those months ago before they’d finally gotten it right.

Inara’s eyes flashed and she didn’t even bother to bite back the angry retort that instantly formed on her lips. "So you do want to own me then? Dictate my life? Whom I see. Where I go. How I make a living."

Mal shook his head and reached for her. “That ain’t what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean? Speak clearly Mal.”

“I’m – I –“ He shook his head, frustration evident on his face. “Ah! You confound me woman!”

Mal sat up and instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

“Let me go, Mal. This was a mistake.” Her voice was muffled where it was pressed against his shoulder.

“It weren’t no mistake an’ you know it. You wanted this an’ so did I.”

“Regardless, we’re done now and you need to leave.”

Her decisive tone struck straight to his heart. “Nope, sorry darlin'. You can yell all you want, but I ain’t leavin’.”

"I'm a Companion, Mal, and if we ..." She tried, but couldn't lift her eyes to his face, knowing the hurt look that would be there, knowing she couldn't possibly stomach it. "If I take clients ..." Her voice trailed off as she whispered, "I don't have any answers."

He tightened his arm around her waist and she exhaled a soft sigh, relaxing a bit more as he pulled her back against him, lying down with her head pillowed on his chest.

Mal tried in vain to keep the nervousness out of his voice. “We ain’t gotta talk about this now.”

“Then when?”

“It can wait.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders an inhaled the sweet scent of her. They could put it off. A little procrastination never hurt anyone.

“Morning will bring with it a new set of problems.”

“No doubt ‘bout that. River probably told ‘em all.” There was a hint of annoyance to his tone that made Inara giggle.

She didn’t really want to talk about them either, not right now. She wanted to enjoy the remainder of the night in his arms. She found it amusing that he was worried that River, their resident psychic who took great joy in telling the crew all about her brother’s sexual escapades, would tell the crew about them. “I’m sure she’s run out of fun little quips to embarrass Simon. You’re probably right.”

“I really wish you hadn’t agreed with me so quickly.”

~*~

Kaylee giggled as Simon’s fingers absently brushed across her nipple, cupping and squeezing languidly as they lay cuddled against one another. Simon raised an eyebrow but didn’t bother to ask as he leaned over and swirled his tongue around the rosy nub, tugging it into his mouth and biting down ever so gently.

“Ai ya, Simon,” Kaylee gasped, her entire body going rigid at the sharp sensation that raced down her spine.

“You know,” he mumbled as he drew the flat of his tongue around her breast. “You could damage a man’s pride by giggling in bed.”

Kaylee draped a leg over his thigh and pressed herself close, feeling the evidence of his growing arousal swelling between them. “I can fix it back up right as rain.” Her eyes fluttered shut as his mouth closed around her other nipple, sucking deeply. “Mmm, sweetie, gonna be ready for another go in a minute.”

“Not until you tell me what was so funny.” His voice was muffled as he continued to lavish one breast and then another with attention.

“Oh.” Kaylee tugged at his hair with one hand and fisted the other into the bed sheets. Her eyes fluttered as his fingers slipped between her thighs to tease her. Just as she arched her hips up to push those probing digits closer, he pulled them away and lifted his head.

“Well?”

“Ai ya, Simon. You’re cruel.”

A devious grin played across his lips and Kaylee felt the sudden need to wipe it off his lips by any means possible.

“Just thinkin’ ‘bout River.”

Kaylee giggled at the look of disgust Simon tried to hide.

“While we’re in bed?” He leaned away and stared incredulously down at her. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

Kaylee laughed outright then and slapped playfully at his shoulder as his grin returned. “No, silly! ‘Bout what she said.”

Simon’s eyes rolled upward and said to the ceiling. “Of all the things that were said in the last few hours, she remembers that one. I’m clearly doing something wrong.”

Kaylee pushed at him playfully and then wrapped her arms around his neck to reassure his male pride. “Honey, you ain’t one for much talkin’ durin’ the act. An’ I was thinkin’ more ‘bout what she said before you started gettin’ – frisky with me.”

Simon deposited a few quick kisses to her lips and then settled into the mattress, drawing her down against his chest. With a sigh, he asked, “All right then. So what did she say that made you laugh?”

“The eagle has landed.” Kaylee couldn’t say it without giggling and Simon’s brows drew together in confusion.

“Uh. Okay, is that supposed to mean –“

Kaylee lifted her head and met his eyes. “Honey, sometimes, you really are dense.”

Simon opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Kaylee’s finger against his lips. “But I still love ya anyway.” She moved her finger and kissed him but he returned the kiss only lightly determined to understand why she found River’s comment so humorous.

“I don’t get it.”

“Huh?” Kaylee blinked and then giggled when she realized what he meant. “Oh! I think it means that the Cap an’ ‘Nara finally did it.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed. “Is that it?” He shook his head disapprovingly. “River and I need to have another talk. I really don’t need to know these things.”

Kaylee lay her head back down and rubbed her cheek against his chest trying vainly to think of a way to salvage their romantic moment of only a few seconds before. She snuggled against him, not quite sure what to say, but wanting to be close.

When he tightened his arms around her, she sighed softly. Even though their moment had been interrupted, Simon pressed his lips to her forehead and then rubbed his cheek against her hair, content to just hold her.

After a moment, he slid a finger beneath Kaylee’s head and tilted her chin up. When her eyes fluttered open, he grinned, and dropped his head to kiss her long and deep.

END

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There will be at least two more stories in this little series.

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