Kaylee woke up on her own, gradually, which she thought was surprising, as soon as she was awake enough to be capable of thinking clearly. She was even more surprised when she rolled over and found that she was alone in the bed.

Lately, Simon had been waking up before her, and finding inventive ways of waking her up. Just the day before, she had awoken to find his fingers inside her and his tongue trailing up her inner thigh. She grinned to herself at the memory. Her prim, proper doctor had a wild streak that she found completely irresistable. He swore it was something that she brought out in him, which of course made it even better.

Wrapping the sheet around her naked body, she crept across the hall to his room. When she found it empty, she became a little concerned. But she didn't hear any running, shouting, or any of the other noises that usually indicated trouble. She did, however, hear footsteps approaching, and she quickly slipped back into her room, in case it was anyone other than Simon.

She had just sat down on the bed when the door slid open again and Simon peered in. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Mornin'." Kaylee replied, leaning back and smiling at him. "Where have you been?"

"I went for a walk." Simon explained. "We're going to be parked on this moon for a couple days, thought I'd do a little exploring. I thought about waking you up, but you looked so sweet, all curled up like that. And I figured you needed to sleep in a little."

Kaylee giggled. "I wonder why." She noticed that he had one hand behind his back. "What do you got there?"

"Not much, I just..." Simon held out a small bouquet of wildflowers.

"Not much?" Kaylee repeated. Her face lit up like he was offering her a bunch of orchids. "They're beautiful." Letting the sheet fall to the floor, she slid off the bed and walked over to the sink to put the flowers in a cup of water, then went right back to the bed, grabbing the front of Simon's shirt and pulling him with her. "Come here and let me thank you proper."

"I've got a better idea." Simon told her, giving her a quick, soft kiss on the lips. "Why don't you get dressed and have breakfast, and then we'll go for a walk?"

Kaylee was disappointed, until she noticed a gleam in those pretty blue eyes. "What are you up to, Dr. Tam?"

Simon tried and failed to look surprised by the question. "Just escorting the woman I love on a romantic walk in the woods."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Kaylee wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and kissed him. "Give me fifteen minutes."

___________________

She had worn that skirt. That short, snug-fitting canvas skirt that she had once told him, in no uncertain terms, was basically an open invitation. He'd known from the almost smug look on her face when she met him in the cargo bay that she knew exactly what she was doing to him. As they walked, he kept letting his hand drift from her waist to her bare thigh, but she just smiled sweetly at him and placed his hand back on her hip. She was clearly trying to make him lose control.

And it was almost working. But he had a plan, and he was determined to stick to it.

"What're you thinking about?" Kaylee asked innocently. The look in her eyes made it painfully clear that she had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking. She was enjoying teasing him.

"You." Simon answered, leaving out the part where he was also thinking about pushing her up against a tree and shoving that damned skirt up over her hips. "How beautiful you are. How much I love you. The same things I'm always thinking about."

Kaylee smiled and leaned into him. "It's nice out here."

"You haven't seen the best part yet." Simon told her. He silenced her questions with a soft kiss. "Just a little further."

"What are you up to?" Kaylee pressed, purposely brushing against his body. She noticed that the trees around the path were getting sparser, giving way to small patches of grass and flowers similar to the ones Simon had given her. And just beyond that..."Oh." She said softly.

They had reached a clearing that surrounded a small pond. It was clear and shallow, with a small stream feeding into it in a slow waterfall. The sun sparkled off the water like diamonds when a gentle, warm breeze rippled the surface.

"I thought we needed some time away from the ship." Simon explained. He spread out the blanket they had brought and knelt on it, pulling Kaylee with him. "As much as I have grown to love it."

"It's nice to be on solid ground every now and again." Kaylee finished for him. "It's beautiful here, Simon." She kissed him softly, moaning as he lay back on the blanket, pulling her down on top of him.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, exchanging slow, passionate kisses and gently caressing each other. She whimpered into his mouth when he slid one hand up the back of her thighs, then under her skirt, cupping her bottom through her thin cotton panties. She squirmed against him, rubbing against the hardness that was pressing into her hip.

"Kaylee." Simon groaned. "I love you so much." He slipped his hands under the back of her shirt, slowly dragging it up.

"I love you." Kaylee whispered, moaning as he rubbed her back. Eager to feel his skin on hers, she sat up and started unbuttoning his shirt. He sat up and let her pull it off of him, then pulled her top over her head. She wasn't wearing a bra, and Simon murmured his approval when she leaned forward so he could stroke and suckle her breasts. His ministrations sent jolts of heat and pleasure straight to her core, making her wetter and more desperate to feel him inside her. "I need you."

"You've got me." Simon replied huskily, gently grasping her shoulders and turning her over. He took a moment to appreciate the way she looked in the bright, warm sunlight that gave her skin a soft glow and brought out the red highlights in her light brown hair. "Ever and always." Kissing her again, he reached down and undid the buttons on her skirt before lifting off of her just enough to let her wriggle out of it.

"Your turn." Kaylee purred, reaching down to unfasten his pants and push them down, using her feet to shove them down completely. She turned her head to the side as Simon's lips connected with her throat, sucking gently. The sunlight on the water next to them caught her eye, and she smiled wickedly and pushed Simon off of her. She sat up and slipped her underpants off. When he reached for her, she rolled away, laughing at the confused look on his face."Feel like a swim?" She asked.

Simon's jaw dropped as Kaylee slipped into the pool and sank under the surface, popping back up a few feet away. She looked amazing, like his own personal water nymph or mermaid.

"Come on in." She beckoned to him. "The water's nice and warm, you won't lose your..." She glanced pointedly at the tenting front of his boxer shorts. "Momentum."

"I can not believe you just said that." Simon chuckled as he pushed his shorts down and kicked out of his shoes. He didn't bother to place his clothes in a pile, just pushed them aside and slid into the water. She was right, the temperature was very pleasant. Not that cold water would have been enough to slow him down.

He reached for Kaylee, frowned when she pulled back and splashed at him playfully and swam out of his grasp.

"Kaylee..." He groaned. He tried to touch her, but she splashed him again and dove back under the water, emerging across the pool next to the waterfall.

"You gotta catch me first." She giggled. As soon as she said the words, he pushed through the water and caught her off guard, catching her around her waist and pulling her close. This brought their lower bodies into contact and she gasped, dropping her head against his chest.

"Caught you." Simon whispered. "Now what?"

"Now..." Kaylee broke off into a soft moan as he kissed her neck, lightly scraping his teeth against her skin. "Oh, God, Simon, anything. Whatever you want. Just don't stop touching me."

"Never." Simon mumbled against her lips. He wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her, letting his other hand drift down between their bodies under the water, finding her slick and ready for him.

Kaylee wrapped her legs around him and held on as he moved, slowly and somewhat awkwardly, over to the edge of the pool. He turned around and leaned back against a tall, smooth rock next to the waterfall. She arched her back as the motion pressed his hard length against her, and he took advantage of her position and lowered his head to her breasts, tracing the drops of water that rolled down them with his tongue.

Bracing herself on the rock with one hand, Kaylee tangled her fingers in his hair and drew his head up for a deep, hungry kiss. He groaned and loosened his grip on her waist just enough that she was able to lift herself up, then slowly slide down, tearing her lips away from his to moan as her body stretched to accommodate him.

Simon let his head fall back, momentarily overwhelmed by the incredible heat of her body contrasted with the tepid water surrounding them. He just kissed her and stroked her back for a minute, willing himself to calm down before he started moving, drinking every sweet sound that she made.

It was almost too much for Kaylee, the force of his thrusts seemingly increased by the water. Clinging to his shoulders, she could tell that she wasn't going to last very long. Then he started cupping her breasts with one hand, stroking and pinching her nipples lightly, and she let out a sharp cry and snapped her hips against his. She started kissing and sucking at his neck, slowly moving down to his shoulder. He groaned in response and pushed himself deeper into her, hitting a sweet spot that she could have sworn she hadn't felt before.

Almost four months into their relationship, she marveled, and he still managed to find new ways to take her right over the edge. She was so close now, and Simon must have sensed it, because he slowed his pace inside her, resting his forehead against hers.

They both took deep breaths and moved against each other slowly, letting the sensations build and wash over them until they couldn't hold back anymore. Simon grabbed Kaylee's hips and tugged her down over him as he thrust up, feeling like he had to be as deep inside her as possible when they both climaxed.

"Simon!" Kaylee gasped, pitching forward and biting down lightly on his shoulder to hold back a scream. She came long and hard, shaking and jerking against him until he cried out and she felt the hot, slick spill of him inside her still-trembling body.

"Wow." She said softly after catching her breath. She let her legs drop, grateful for Simon's strong arms and the water holding her up. His lips touched her flushed brow lightly, and she felt him smile. Then he tensed.

"Ah...Kaylee? Where are our clothes? And the blanket?"

_________________________

Zoe's eyes widened and she bit back a startled exclamation when she saw the couple enter the cargo bay. They were both dripping wet and naked, with only a few leafy tree branches held in front of and behind themselves preserving their last shreds of modesty.

"Hello, Zoe." Simon said, blushing as far down as she could see. "Something you want to say?"

"No." She replied, realizing she'd been gawking at the spectacle they made. She recovered quickly. "No, I think words would just spoil the moment."

Hearing voices, Inara leaned over the catwalk. "Hey you t...oh."

"Hey 'Nara." Kaylee said, sounding uncharacteristically shy.

"Do I want to know?" The Companion asked, trying not to further embarass her friends by laughing.

"We don't want to tell you." Simon admitted.

Mal entered the cargo bay at that moment. "Zoe, where's-" He stopped short. "Huh. That explains it."

"Explains what?" Kaylee asked, now blushing almost as deeply as Simon.

"Jayne and River ran through here a few minutes back like they was being chased, carrying what looked like clothes and a blanket." Mal explained. "Think they stuck 'em in the freezer or something."

Simon became aware of laughter coming from the doorway that led to the infirmary and common area. He turned his head and saw Jayne and his sister, both of them almost doubled over. "You..."

Jayne held up his hands. "Hey now, Doc, wasn't my idea. I didn't think it'd be right, prankin' on you two during such a private moment, but she...manipulated me...with her brain...and I..." He burst out laughing again and turned to River. "Aw, gorrammit, Crazy! I was trying to keep a straight face!"

Simon wasn't sure what was more disturbing, the fact that his sister had apparently seen him having sex again, or the fact that she and Jayne were laughing together like they were suddenly best friends. He decided that the thought of those two joining forces was more troublesome, but only by a narrow margin.

"Honey?" Kaylee's voice brought him back to reality, and he realized that his sister and the mercenary were gone. "Don't fret on it too much, River's just having some fun. And Jayne...well, Jayne's just being mean, but that ain't new." Careful to maintain the meager cover provided by the tree branch she held, she leaned in closer. "Besides, if you let this one slide, I'll..." She stood on tiptoes and whispered in his ear.

"Well..." Simon's eyes widened. "We'll be in our bunk."