Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss Characters: Mal/Inara: Rating: R Timeframe: After Objects In Space

Part 3 - Of Companions And Whores

Something’s Gotta Give : Part-4 - Of Captains And Desires By Lattelady

With one hand Mal ran callused fingers across a smooth satin breast while the other hand was knotted deep in rich curly black hair keeping the woman’s neck exposed for biting kisses that traveled from her ear to her navel. The scent of warm flowers and citrus filled his nostrils. “’Nara,” he muttered and reached for the slender shaking woman who lived in his dream. Instead of the honeyed curves he sought, his arms wrapped around his pillow.

“Gorramnit,” his voice cut through the silence as he battled the seductive dream that had him in its grips. “Leave me alone, woman!” He shook his head as he came awake in a tangle of blankets to find he was indeed alone.

“Ohhh,” Mal gasped when he tried to stand. The swelling in his pants made movement painful. Cussing a blue streak he pulled off the restrictive clothes and flopped back down on his bed. He ground his teeth as his hand moved lower. A week of dreams like the one he’d just woken from had taught him that there was only one way he was gonna get any sleep.

Later, when he lay in his bunk panting in relief he fought hard to bury the fantasy of ‘Nara that had taken him through his release and hoped it was only his imagination that he’d cried out her name as his nerve endings exploded leaving him a quivering mass of almost sated desire.

The Captain blamed Shepherd Book for his predicament. Up until the late night conversation the two men had had regarding whores and Companions Mal’s dreams about her had been relatively infrequent. When she’d still been on Serenity he’d had the occasional sex dream ‘bout her, but it had been just that, a lonely man dreamin’ about a beautiful woman. Now his dreams raged in color and intensity. To make it worse, he was always the aggressor and she always the innocent.

“Innocent, my ass,” he grumbled. “The damn woman earns her livin sexin’ up men.” But no matter how he tried to phrase it, Mal couldn’t think of her as he had in the past. That was what was eatin’ him up, confusin’ him, and makin’ him feel as if he were spinnin’ in a fog.

The dreams he was havin now were about sex, but not like any sex he’d ever had. They were filled with feelings and emotions. The prominent one being Mal’s ragin’ desire that ‘Nara feel everything. Since Book had told him that Companions only concentrated on the needs of their client, the Captain had developed an overwhelming need to change all that, an overwhelming need to touch every inch of her soft skin. A need to feel her beneath him as he moved over her until her body vibrated beneath his and she cried out in completion.

He’d never thought of himself as a greedy lover, but in recent years when he’d been sexed, he usually paid for it. Though he always liked to get his money’s worth, whenever credits was exchanged, he liked to think he was careful that the woman received something more in return. But this was so much more than that.

In the morning he was usually able to convince himself that the dreams about ‘Nara were nothing more than pride, or an extension of the one-ups-manship game they had played. She was a beautiful, desirable woman and the idea of being the first man to make her respond would give him powerful joy. It was hard for him to believe that most clients didn’t have that attitude, but then the Companion’s Guild was a strong one with strict rules to protect its members. If they weren’t supposed to feel then it had to be written somewhere that a Client wouldn’t be allowed to force ‘em to do so. With a feral smile Captain Malcolm Reynolds realized he was very glad he never was nor never could be one of Inara Sarra’s clients.

He didn’t dare to look any closer at his feelings than that. To do so would have been to have to ask what came next. His mind shied away from anything beyond having the dark-haired beauty in his bunk. To go there was dangerous territory and the only reason he was glad the woman had left.

By breakfast Mal was almost able to convince himself that his night time passions didn’t really exist. He had a tight reign on his feelings and though he missed some of the talks he had with Inara, he was his own man, free to go and do as he pleased. He sipped his coffee, contented as the crew chattered on about the plans for the day.

“How long will we be at this mining settlement, Captain?” Shepherd Book was looking forward to some time with ground beneath his feet.

“I reckon we’ll be at Haven for a day or two.” He shrugged. “They got supplies we need and there’s talk of a job ‘a haulin they need doin’. They’s willin’ to do some barterin’.” ‘Yes,’ told himself, ‘it was startin’ to be a right nice day. A legal job was just what he needed to get his mind back on business.’

“Cap’n” Kaylee called as she came running into the dining area. “You ain’t never goin’a guess what I found!” She was grinning with pleasure. The first real smile Mal had seen since Inara left. “You just never goin’a guess.”

“Well then maybe it would be a good idea to tell me.” Mal nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

“I was in Inara’s shuttle, planin’ on doin’ some cleanin’ and she done forgot a trunk!” Kaylee’s eyes sparkled at the revelation. She moved to slap her Captain on the back as he choked on his coffee. “You just gotta come and see it!” Her eyes danced with mischief as Mal gasped. His day had just been flipped ass backwards!

Part 5 - Heartbound