Disclaimer: They ain't mine and no money changed hands. Thanks to Joss and all for inspiration, Jacqui for beta and support, and to my own big, bad man for 'technical guidance'. Thanks to you readers for all the great comments and encouragement - that's what makes the work all worth it. If you've just found this series, for Pete sake, start at the beginning. Makes a lot more sense like that, yes? And by the way, Mal's on his way back to the ship...

Waited Long Enough Part Ten: Dessert Course

The shattering glory faded an’ Jayne gently lowered Kaylee to her feet, both of them clingin’ unsteadily to one another as they gasped for breath.

“Guess we better finish gettin’ rinsed off.” He suggested. The emotional and physical intensity of recent events had them both feeling more’n a little vulnerable an’ awkward.

Without speaking, they finished showering, frequently reaching out to touch one another, seekin’ reassurance. Jayne turned off the water and opened the shower door, peering into the steam-filled room. “We musta been in here a while, huh?”

“I’d say so, goin’ by that fog.” Kaylee stepped out after him.

“Ai ya! Didn’t even think about grabbin’ no towels for us.”

Kaylee giggled. “Wasn’t like ya had a free hand to grab em’ with, anyways.”

Jayne scooped up their piled clothes and gestured toward the door. “Let’s make a run for it – I’m gettin’ cold. Head for my bunk; it’s closer.” He stopped at the threshold long enough to step into his unbuckled boots. ”I hate walkin’ barefooted on that gorram gratin’.”

Kaylee turned around in the corridor and stared back at Jayne, just shakin’ her head an’ hooting with glee at the big, wet, naked mercenary standin’ there in nothin’ but his combat boots.

“What? What’s so ruttin’ funny?” Jayne looked all around, oblivious to the extraordinary sight he offered.

So tickled she was unable to even speak, Kaylee tried to stifle herself with one hand an’ pointed the other in his general direction.

Jayne scowled. “What’ya laughin at my John Thomas for? Ol’ feller’s cold and he done his job just fine.” He held the bundle of clothing in front of his crotch. “Ain’t right to laugh at a man’s - you know…”

“Jayne, you idget, I ain’t laughin’ at your daio. I’m laughin’ at you all nekkid in them boots! You just make a right funny sight, is all.”

“Yeah, plumb high-sterical.” He snorted in disgust. With his remaining shreds of dignity, he stomped past her to his quarters, opened the door and descended the ladder.

Giggling to herself, Kaylee trailed after him, debating whether it was wise to follow an irate mercenary into his lair.

He did have her overalls, though, so she tentatively clambered down the rungs into his bunk, planning to retrieve the garment and head back to the safety of her own room across the corridor.

When she got to the bottom of the ladder, she turned around to find Jayne sitting naked an’ bootless cross-legged on his rumpled bunk, looking for all the world like a mad little boy.

“Don’t like bein’ laughed at.“ He declared sullenly. “Folks laughed at me my whole ruttin’ life an’ I get gorram tired of it. If it ain’t this jing zi fuckin’ name I got stuck with, it’s how I talk or somethin’ I do, not even meanin’ to be funny.” He looked so disheartened. Kaylee couldn’t bear it. She sat down beside him, leaned her damp head on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean ta hurt ya. I know you’ve been picked on an awful lot. Folks can be awful mean, sometimes.” She reached up and smooched him on the cheek. “I’m sorry, bao bei.”

“Aw, I know ya didn’t mean nothin’ by it, Kaylee-girl. Guess I’m just feeling like we launched ship without any charts for programmin’ a course”

“I know. A lot’s changed mighty fast.” Kaylee was getting chilled herself and snuggled up closer to him. ”I’m freezin’, Jayne.” She finally admitted, teeth starting to chatter.

He pulled back the covers and backed himself in, his rear snuggled up against Vera and the Girls so she’d have room to slip in beside him. “Come here, baby girl. I’ll get ya warm.” He punched the switch to dim the lights.

She wiggled in close to the big, radiant mass of him, pressing as much cold skin against his heat as she could. They lay like that for a long, quiet stretch with only their breath and heartbeats marking time. Jayne’s bunk smelled like Jayne: a dear, funky mix of gun-smell and man-smell, a safe smell, a sexy smell.

He’d extended his right arm and her head was cradled on the breadth of his hard bicep, with her face nuzzled into the soft fur of his chest. Her left arm lay lightly around Jayne’s waist an’ his curled around her shoulder. Kaylee felt like she could just lay there forever.

His breath slowly deepened and he began to snore ever so softly.

I don’t want to ever forget this, she thought. I want this day to stay with me forever.

****

Kaylee slowly awakened, realizing she was snuggled up next to a soundly sleeping Jayne. He’d rolled onto his back during the night an’ she could see that the place where he’d cut his head had scabbed over cleanly.

Studying his profile, she drank in his strong, swai features, the planes of his cheekbones an’ forehead, the sensual curve of his lips, lips that had tasted her, even kissed her. For the first time in months her body felt truly relaxed and vibrantly alive. Amazin’ what a good romp’ll do for ya, she thought to herself. Especially rompin’ with a lover like Jayne.

It still seemed unreal, that after all these months of flirtin’ an’ teasin’, she an’ the merc had finally taken the leap. The faint tenderness in her nethers told her otherwise. Leap they definitely had. Her belly felt all achy-sweet, her nipples well-mauled and sensitive. Yep, they’d leaped for sure.

As she lay curled against Jayne’s side, she thought back over the events of the past twenty-four hours, wild an’ sweet and amazin’ events. He was right – there was a lot of uncertainty facing both of ‘em, uncertainty about their relationship, about how to deal with the Cap’n’s reaction once he knew, still a lot of discoverin’ an’ sortin’ out to be done. But somehow, just lyin’ there next to the man, listenin’ to his soft snorin’, Kaylee felt confident they’d be okay.

She nuzzled his chest, the short dark hair ticklin’ her face, an’ decided it was time for fair turn about. She leaned over him and exhaled over his nipple, just a long, hot out-breath. The dark skin reacted immediately, puckered right up, pretty as you please. She grinned, pursed her lips and blew softly on the nub.

Jayne made a faint, throaty sound and shifted slightly in his sleep.

She extended her tongue and ever so lightly circled the sensitive flesh, just enough to moisten it, then blew again.

The sleeping merc groaned aloud this time and a noticeable bulge began to rise under the covers.

Oh, goodie, she thought gleefully, ‘guess I done woke ‘him’ up again…

Kaylee ever so carefully lifted the covers and turned them back, baring herself and most of Jayne. There, she could really look at him and not have to feel shy about it, especially at the portion that most especially fascinated her right then.

He lay restin’ slightly on his right hip, his head turned back and away, throat bared and vulnerable, dark stubble shadin’ his jawline. His right arm stretched out across the bunk where she had slept, the left flung up over his head, corded tendons taut. The position drew his skin tightly over the planes and hard muscle that shaped his chest and abs, hollowed belly framing his hip bones and jutting sex. Crisp dark hair streamed down the middle of him and spread out thickly to frame his cock and balls. His skin was paler there, unlike his neck and arms, and the engorged length of him just made her gut do flips.

He was every bit as big as she’d remembered. No way she’d get her hand around him. Made her wonder how he even got the whole thing inside her, although she knew he had. She ran a delicate fingertip around his nipple again and then ever so softly trailed it down his ribs and across his belly, watching in amazement as he pulsed in response and his balls tightened.

For a merc, he was sleeping like a dead man.

Ever so slowly and carefully, Kaylee inched her way down toward Jayne’s groin, fascinated and getting more turned on by the second. She’d shift a little, wait to see if he awakened, then shift again, and in time her patience brought her nose to tip with Jayne’s “monster”. She just stared, shaking her head in disbelief at the magnificence of the phallus before her, its shaft rigged with thick veins, the crown like a deep, velvety plum.

Glancing back to make sure his eyes were closed and his breathin’ regular like, the girl bent close and delicately licked at the glistenin’ droplet gathered at his opening. He tasted of sweetness and salt and Kaylee wanted more. She peeked back over her shoulder again; still no response. Opening her lips, she could feel the delicate softness of velvet over steel as she took him into her mouth. No way was she going to be able to swallow much of him. She mouthed him gently, sucking lightly at his crown.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Jayne groaned out loud, involuntarily arching to thrust himself deeper into her mouth. “Uunnnhhh! Now that’s what I call one helluva wakeup!”

Kaylee nearly jumped out of her skin, sat up fast, babblin’ and turnin’ all shades of red.

“Aw, hell, Kaylee, ya stopped…”

He laughed at her embarrassment and patted her butt fondly. “I was wondering how far to let ya go before lettin’ on I was awake.”

He wasn’t surprised when she punched him.

“You sneaky sonuvabitch!”

“Well, sweetheart, I guess not sneaky enough, since ya stopped!” He pulled her back down beside him an’ began to run his hands over her, electrifying her skin and making her clench and ache inside. His mouth went to her breasts, hungry an’ worrisome’, nippin’ at her strawberry nipples.

The girl squirmed against him, her breath fast and shaky, soft whimpers an’ hisses escaping her at his knowing touches. He fondled her mound, teasing the soft wetness that surrounded her opening, feathering the small nub of her clit until it stiffened an’ rose under his fingers.

She could feel his cock, hard against her thighs, and wanted him inside her.

“Jayne, roll over.”

“Shumma?”

“Roll over on your back.” She shoved at his shoulder, making her plan clearer.

The big merc slipped to the center of his bunk, one hand at her waist to steady her as she threw a leg across him. With his right hand, he guided his cock into the hot wet center of her, then drove himself up and deep, cursin’ with the exquisite pleasure as Kaylee settled herself astride him and began to move.

“Ai ya, girl!’

Her turn now. She’d waited long enough. Kneeling over him, her dark eyes rolled closed an’ she dug her fingers into his chest, finding the purchase to anchor herself as she began to ride him. He wrapped his hands around her hips an’ grabbed the sweet globes of her ass to match his thrusts with her movements. A wild gallop, the girl takin’ what she wanted from him, grinding herself against the root of him, hot an’ fast an’ sweet, goin’ for the hard burn, panting, gasping.

“Look at me, Kaylee.” He ordered. “I want ya to look at me.”

She did an’ what she saw in his eyes told her all.

Jayne growled low and harsh as he sank himself deep and fired his load into her. Kaylee sobbed at the overwhelming rush of his orgasm and hurtled headlong into her own, leaning down against him, her breasts pressed to his chest, her arms fast around his neck, heard him whisper, faint as a ghost. “Sweet Jesus, how I love you, Kaylee.”