After a couple of hours following the coast in the opposite direction from Auckers, Vera turned inland towards the hills. Vera drove the mule to a tiny gap in the hills and through to a small valley which was totally hidden from the outside world. Trees overhead blocked the view from above of an oasis of lush green with a waterfall. Jayne whistled appreciatively. Vera smiled, "My personal hideaway. The mule stays hidden behind these first trees and no-one knows I'm here. Follow me." They grabbed their bags and set off. She led the way along a path towards and behind the waterfall. A small, hidden cave entrance opened out into a space lit initially by fluorescent moss. Vera pressed a switch on the wall and subtle artificial lighting illuminated a sunken sitting area with loads of cushions, a hot tub, small galley kitchen and huge bed beyond. "Wow; all the comforts of home." "Yes; bathroom beyond the bed. Had to put my ill-gotten gains to some use, Jayne." "So there *were* some?" Vera laughed and Jayne's libido jumped automatically in response, "Yes, plenty. You know I was a bad girl before I became a sheriff!" "This is a great spot, but why... OH!" Jayne stopped, dead. Vera had removed her coat and that gorgeous showgirl outfit was underneath, but there now seemed much less of it somehow.

"Like what you see?" Vera was calmly removing the straps from her bustier. Jayne nodded, not quite believing the evidence of his eyes. The bustle was next, then Vera unpinned her long brown hair which fell like a rose-scented waterfall down her back. She looked at him, "Jayne?" His lips curved as she came closer, "Looks more'n damn fine; but you said I didn't stand a chance, Vera." She put her hands on his chest, untucking his tee shirt and grinning, "And if I was offering you a very *personal* reward?" Her eyes were suddenly dancing with mischief and a whole slew of lust. Jayne's grin became wolfish as his hopes, and a certain other part of him, rose eagerly, "We getting sexed up here?" Vera's grin grew wider, "As much as you can handle, for the next few days." Her hands landed softly on his stomach and fire raced all over Jayne's body. "Aw, gorram, Vera; when you put it like that..." He hadn't kissed a woman on the mouth in a long time, but no power in the 'verse was going to stop him getting a taste now. His lips met hers and the kiss exceeded even his wildest expectations. Had to repeat the kiss quite a lot, just to be sure. After that, coherent talk went out of the window for quite some time.

*** [If you really don't know what happens during these stars, ping me off-list!]

Next day

Jayne and Vera were lying in a naked, sweaty blissed-out tangle in her bed. She was idly stroking through his chest hair with her fingers whilst he held her close. Jayne grinned, "Damn, all that was worth waitin' for. You sure made up for lost time, darlin'. Passionate, abandoned, demanding..." his grin widened, "just the way I like it." Vera grinned back, "And you, Jayne Cobb." She reached into the drawer by the side of the bed and brought out a very big cigar. Jayne took it, "Wow; that's a high quality smoke there." Vera snipped the end, then paused, seeing the look on his face, "Like me to roll it on my thigh first?" Jayne chuckled, "Yeah; mebbe your breasts too." "No problem." She did so, to his obvious approval and then handed it back. He lit it and took a drag, blowing out a smoke ring, "Mmmm, best I ever had." He twinkled at her significantly. She took the cigar and blew a smaller but adequate ring of her own, "Best I ever had, too." They both knew it wasn't the cigar they were talking about.

Jayne puffed in silence for a while, then a question rose in his mind, "This isn't where you turn all sheriff on me and slap the cuffs on, is it?" Vera chuckled, "Only if you *want* to be cuffed to the headboard so's I can have my wicked way with you!" Jayne grinned again, "Hot damn, I love your dirty mind! With whipped cream to lick off?" Vera propped herself on his chest, "Haven't got the cream - will chocolate sauce do, followed by a long hot shower sometime later?" "Hell, yeah! Can I return the favour - much, much later?" "That could take another day or two - not that I'm complaining. I have a weakness for naughty boys, Jayne. 'Specially ones that are big, hairy and well hung. " "Sounds like me.." he made a point of looking under the covers and grinned like a school-boy, "that'd be me all right!" Vera's hand wandered southwards in appreciation, "Sure is; and you damn well know what to do with it, too." He turned his face to her, "I'm lovin' all this; but I can't stay *that* much longer." "I know." "Part of me would like to...but sooner or later, I gotta go, Vera." "I know *which* part, cheeky! You need to be out there among the stars doing what you do...well, what you do *just* as well as sex. You can always come back for a visit. I plan to be here for quite a while, and if that turns out not to be the case, I'll leave a trail you can follow." There was amiable silence for a while.

Jayne stroked her hair with his free hand, "You're the first woman who's got me even thinkin' 'bout settlin' down." Vera purred; she loved having her hair stroked, "You're the first guy - even Maaka was a passionate fling." "I can't promise there won't be other women." Vera shrugged, "No more than I can promise there won't be other men, Jayne. Just take precautions." "Value my own hide too much not to take care." After breakfast and a shower, Jayne got to having a good look at the scars both Vera and Cliff had mentioned. There was a fine line on each of Vera's calves; the one on the right leg near the ankle, "What caused these?" "One of my bounties thought that slicing me would make me lose concentration." Jayne chuckled, "Hwoon dahn idiot wasn't thinking too straight!" Vera smiled, "He soon did. I got him by the short and curlies." Jayne winced, "That gets a guy's attention." "I'll be gentle with yours." Jayne kissed her right hand, "I'd noticed!" He saw the larger diamond-shaped scar on the inside of that wrist, "That looks nasty." "Another bounty decided that jumping through a window was a good plan. I sliced my arm on the glass following him. He shot me, I killed him and then hobbled to the town doctor. Nineteen stitches without anaesthetic and the removal of one bullet later, I had to hole up for a day or two to regain my strength." "I'll bet," Jayne kissed the place, then the tiny scar where the bullet had gone through her arm further up, "Lucky it missed your bones 'n vital stuff." Vera looked at Jayne's chest, "Can't see any scars there, Jayne." He ruffled the hair under his right rib, "Got some ancient tiny scars somewheres 'bout here from being peppered with shot way back when I was thieving chickens." "Ooch." "I'll say. The tattoos on my arm are covering up bullet wounds, s'part of the reason I got 'em. Got minor leg scars too, from fightin' and this one on my face, which every damn person can spot a mile off." "Knife wound?" Jayne chuckled, "Could say so; but it weren't that go se special. Fell into barbed wire when I was tiny, just learnin' to walk, and the barb on my cheek tore a little." "Bet your Ma wasn't too pleased." He grinned, "She nearly had kittens - apparently - thinkin' I was majorly scarred for life and no-one would want me; or so she told me later." "*I* want you, sexy wan nao." Jayne's grin went wolfish again, "I know!" Vera could imagine even toddler aged Jayne had got that wicked, sexy grin down pat. There was amiable silence for a while.

Jayne got out of bed to do some stretches, press-ups and crunches. Without a bench press or weights to hand, he wanted to keep supple. Vera seemed to enjoy the view, especially as he was putting on a nude show. He came back to bed, stretching and rubbing his shoulderblades. "Would a massage help?" "You can do that?" Vera nodded, "The basics; I can usually help get knots out and ease the kinks. I've got some oil in the drawer." Jayne layed down across the pillows on his stomach and growled softly, "You puttin' your hands all over me is likely to make my John Thomas get all perky again!" Vera chuckled dirtily, "I think I can handle whatever pops up!" Jayne grinned, "Sometimes your very naughty mouth takes me by surprise, Vera! Anything you'd like in return for the massage?" Vera put oil in her cupped palms and set to work on Jayne's back, "Mmm, yes. Your hairy torso is a major turn on." "I'd noticed, from the way you've been caressing it on and off." "What I'd really like is to have every inch of my body slowly stroked against it." Jayne moaned, "Damn! Vera; you are definitely my kind of kinky!" Vera giggled and carried on with the massage, "And you're my kind of kinky, Jayne!"

Maasage was followed by what Vera had requested and another bout of slow loving. After that it was lunch and throwing clothes on to have a walk in the valley outside for some fresh air. When the temperature got too hot, Jayne and Vera headed back for a siesta which led to a pillow fight and laughter, leading to a tickle fight and a passionate quickie. After that, Jayne and Vera both slept for most of the afternoon. The days slowly slipped past like wine.

Some days later Vera eased out of bed on the last morning, gloriously naked, and went to a cupboard that had stayed locked until now. She pressed the keypad combination at one side to unlock it. "This used to belong to Maaka, but you've earned it by helping me catch Redbeard." He grinned, "You mean the red hot sex was a freebie?" "I wanted you from the moment I saw you, Jayne." "So why the wait?" Vera laughed loudly, "I'm not *that* easy!" Vera placed a fairly large metal box on the bed. Jayne opened it. "Gorram... A Callahan..." His face beamed thanks. He lifted it out of the box and checked it over. Vera grinned, "So you can carry on being a bad boy. Maybe write or send messages sometimes to let me know *exactly* what you'd like to do with me when you come back." Jayne's grin widened, "Dirty postcards?!" "Something like that. Get me all hot and bothered, remembering you." Jayne's grin threatened to reach his ears, "And then when I come back..." Vera finished for him, "You can give the law full and *complete* satisfaction!" Jayne pulled her back onto the bed and proceeded to give her a very long and thorough practical demonstration.