Mal stretched his arms and legs experimentally, noting with a little shock that they were slightly stiff. ‘Course, right this minute, he thought with something approaching disbelief, everything was a mite stiff.

Inara lay back on the bed, looking up at him with hooded eyes. Stretching languidly like a cat, her body looked sleek and strong, and Mal felt his pulse begin to quicken at the sight. It was fair amazing to him that she had persuaded him to let her bind him in such a fashion, and even more amazing that he should have so thoroughly enjoyed it. Mal was no blushing virgin, of course, but he was generally unaccustomed to such games. Maybehaps it was something he’d get accustomed to, he figured, being as how the woman in his bed was all manner of imaginative.

He picked up the black silk ties and ran them experimentally through his fingers. Inara watched him, wondering what was going through her lover’s head. Slowly, he raised his head to look into her eyes. “Can I?” he asked, almost wincing at the pleading sound of his voice.

Inara raised her arms above her head slowly, and lay very still as Mal secured her wrists with the lengths of silk. She noticed that he took great care in the tying of the knots, trying not to cause her discomfort. “Good?” he asked, when he was done.

“Mmm hmm,” Inara answered, wiggling a little to remind him of her free ankles.

Mal chuckled, securing one delicately turned ankle to the bed frame. “Think I’ll be having need of this elsewhere,” he whispered huskily, as he held up the last tie.

Inara looked at him, suddenly a little anxious about what he might have in mind. “Try to relax, darlin’,” he said, mimicking her command from earlier. “Close your eyes.”

Inara closed her eyes and felt him move up the bed to her head, slipping the tie around her eyes. The move was unexpected, and caused warm heat to pool between her legs. She felt the bed shift again, and knew that Mal had gotten up. She listened carefully, all of her senses suddenly attuned to her lover’s movements in the room. She heard the quiet opening of drawers and the whisper of objects being pushed about, as Mal searched for something.

“I’m getting a little cold,” she said, hoping to draw him back to the bed quickly.

“Hold your horses, woman,” Mal drawled lazily. “I’ll take care of that in a minute.”

She heard him padding back to the bed quietly, and felt the dip of the mattress as he climbed in. Suddenly hungry for his touch, she arched toward him as much as the ties would allow. He pushed her back gently, trailing his warm hands over her breasts and belly. She began to shiver, well aware it had nothing to do with the cold. “Mal,” she whispered.

“Quiet now,” he said, as his lips closed over her breast. Taking exquisite time with each breast in turn, he drew soft whimpers of pleasure from her until she felt she might burst with the beauty of it. He pulled away, leaving her suddenly bereft. And then she felt it, the lightest touch imaginable trailing across her breasts and abdomen. Her senses in overdrive, she gasped. “What is that?”

“You should know, darlin’. It belongs to you.” Mal’s voice was low and gravelly against her ear.

Mal swirled the soft bristles of the paint brush along Inara’s parted thighs, and the maddening motion made her moan. “Please, Mal,” she said, her breath coming in short pants.

Instantly setting aside the brush, he slid his hand up to her moist center, reveling in the wet heat he found there. As his fingers entered her, she pushed against his hand urgently. Feeling the trembling of her thighs and watching her arch against him, Mal knew with an instinct as old as man what she wanted. Pulling her free thigh over his hip, he thrust into her, burying himself between her quivering inner walls, deep and fast. Her hips rolled under him, matching his thrusts as they were both taken again by the wave of mind-numbing sensation that signaled their fall.

When their passion was spent, Mal rolled off of her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. When he reached to remove her blindfold and untie her restraints, Inara rubbed her wrists gingerly, and blinked in the sudden light. “Didn’t hurt you, did I?” Mal asked, abruptly worried.

“No, love, far from it,” she said, dazzling him with a smile. “That was just….incredible.”

Mal smiled shyly, and she wondered if she would ever truly know the many facets to the man. “Wouldn’t ever want to hurt you, ‘Nara,” he said softly. “Wouldn’t have ever even asked to do such a thing if you hadn’t brought it up.”

Inara molded her body against him. “Is there anything else you might enjoy that you’d never ask?” she said curiously.

Mal sighed in contentment. “Nothin’ comes to mind right this minute, but maybehaps I’ll think on it and let you know. After I get my strength back, that is.”

Inara laughed against his chest, the sound more wild and free than he could have ever hoped to hear. “You do that,” she said, as she settled herself into his arms to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxx Thus ends my foray into fluffy smut, or smutty fluff, or whatever. Feedback is most welcome!