[SH] The First Time - Part the Second (NC-17)

[shepcrew]

[We uh...we kinda broke the customized comment pages comment buffer. And I like having the custom comment pages because they look better. So, um, yes. Continued from here.]


He's beaming at her until she catches the slight slip of the tongue and the smile turns into an 'aw shucks/so busted look'.

Oops.

He can't lie to her now. It was easy to pretend when she had first arrived, since she had no reason to believe otherwise, and he was nervous enough that his body language masked the lie.

But now..."You, uh. You weren't supposed to find out until I took you back there. To uh...to check on the status of the paint drying."



She may or may not be suppressing a giggle; since she does it successfully it's hard to tell. But she is grinning. "Well, since you've managed to keep me out of your room, the surprise is still intact, even if the knowledge that there is a surprise isn't."

And he's being adorable again. Although, really, he's almost always adorable now, so it sort of goes without saying. So she smiles softly, brilliantly.



"Well, I hope it doesn't lose too much of its impact, now that you know there's another surprise," he says, grinning sheepishly.

And that's about the time when the music being played turns into a fair rendition of the song they first danced to. It's also when he stands and moves to her side of the table.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, holding a hand out to her.



"I can't imagine it..." Oh. Oh. "... would."

Oh.

So she stands and takes his hand, because the answer is "Of course." but it comes out in barely a whisper between smiles and shy blushing. She was way more poised when they first danced.

And then again, when they first danced, she had no idea with whom she was dancing, or what it would turn into. Knowing, now, she wonders what it will turn into this time. If she could possibly love him any more than she does at this moment, as she keeps her eyes on his and she smiles, blissfully happy.



He returns the smile as his fingers close round hers, and he tugs her away from the table. She may or may not notice Lorne call someone over so they can remove the chairs, along with the table and its contents so the couple can have the entire balcony to move around. And that marks the end of Lorne's part in tonight's festivities.

John's eyes never leave Inara's as he pulls her into the opening steps of the dance, holding her slightly closer than he had the first time.

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[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles briefly against his mouth before kissing him back, fingers sliding through his and back away again only so she can gently caress her fingertips over his palm before taking his hand in hers again. Her other hand rests, light and innocuous, on his knee.

Drawing things out in their proper time will only make the consumation of the desires they've been allowing to build all the sweeter. And rushing now would spoil the moment, she's well aware. And besides, she enjoys the simple pleasure of those soft kisses, just the touch of his lips to hers. Just the kiss, chaste as it is, makes her sigh and melt.

Also, perhaps more than that, the easier they both sink into this equally rather than her taking the lead, the easier it may be for him. The question he asked towards the beginning, after she told him what she was, still echoes a little.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And if he knew about that echo, he'd tell her that after this long, he isn't terribly worried about her deception any longer. It's part of the reason why he waited, after all.

And besides, the chaste kiss is something he knows they've had no problems with taking farther and deeper, and the gradualness of it is usually staggering in and of itself.

Once she's sufficiently melty, he brushes his thumb across her cheek lightly, and eases into a deeper kiss, coaxing her mouth open.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's a perfect place to start, really. Starting slow, easing into it, through territory they've crossed before and into new. Not that it does anything for the nervousness more than take the edge off it, make it internal instead of visible or tangible.

It's not nervousness that makes her sigh, lips parting for his kiss, fingertips stroking lightly up and down just above his knee. Definitely not nervousness that makes her taste the wine, the dessert in his mouth, gently exploring again. Long practice lending itself to expertly including, this time, the little nuances and catches of breath that he can feel as they kiss and little movements of lips and tongue that make it more sensual, just a bit. In more ways than she's expressed before, except maybe once or twice.

There's a difference, she reminds herself, between the artifice of skill and the artifice of pretense. She has skills. No reason not to use them.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He moans ever so softly into the kiss, totally focussed on the now instead of the what's to come. And right now, he decides to bring the kiss to an end, lips still hovering close to hers, eyes half-shut. Half-shut becomes open, as he gazes at her, pulling away to take her in, then he's reaching up to try and figure out how to unpin that hair...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Her eyes slowly open as he pulls away, relaxing and smiling softly, almost shyly, as she catches his expression. Her hair is easy enough to unpin, requiring only a little feeling around for the pins, and then the circlet is a simple clasp to undo.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Which is what he figures out after a few minutes of gently running his fingers over her hair. He takes the same amount of care pulling each pin and the circlet out as she did putting them in. No need to cause undue pain, after all.

Each bit that comes out gets put on the bed-side table, and once it's all gone, he runs both hands through her hair carefully a few times before cupping her face and kissing her, this time with a little more ardour.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles a little more, soft and relaxing, closing her eyes again as he runs his fingers through her hair. With the exception of only one person, everyone she's ever met with long hair has enjoyed having their hair played with. She is certainly not the exception.

Her fingers trace softly above his neck over his collar as she kisses him back, letting him take control of the kiss, pliant and most willing without being too eager. Down the collar of his shirt and down to unbutton the few outer buttons. And then, letting that gesture stand, sliding her fingers through his hair because she loves to do so.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And that unbuttoning makes him realize that the jacket is stupid. Whoever decided that a jacket needed to be a part of the dress uniform ought to be shot.

Which is why he's letting his hands fall from her face to get rid of the damn thing. Once it's gone, one hand resumes its post cupping her chin while the other slides around her waist.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles against his mouth, doesn't quite chuckle as she settles into his arm a little more.

Since he's lost the jacket it makes it easier for her to rest her palm over his heart, feel the warmth of his chest through his shirt. Little gestures, little things that add up into big things, flushed and pleasurable things.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He has an idea of what he'd like to do next, and he gives her a taste of it by leaving her mouth to nibble up her jaw to her ear and finally nuzzling her neck very lightly. The hand under her chin trails down, fingers lightly brushing over her skin to the top of her bodice.

They linger there for a fraction before he smooths his hand over the side of her breast and around to her back, gently moving her so he can lay her down on the bed.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Mmm, and she does like the way he's thinking, if the soft little whimper as his fingers brush over her skin is anything to go by.

She settles back on the bed as he lays her down, her gaze somewhere between amused and intrigued. Her fingers move to play at his buttons, then undo the tie, then back to the buttons. She suddenly has a desire to see what's under there. Not necessarily his entire nude body (although he's certainly indicated that's on the agenda) just, what he looks like stripped bare to the waist.

It puts a brief impish flash in her eyes as she smiles up at him, one hand abandoning his shirt to brush a caress over his cheek.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Her indecision on whether to go for the tie or the shirt has him amused, and he grins down at her. He uses one hand to loosen the knot on the tie for her, so she can do with it what she will.

And he won't take away her privilege of unbuttoning the shirt, so if she wants to go exploring in that direction, she's more than welcome to.

And he's a good boy and make no comment about how ties are not leashes, or something.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's probably a good thing. If he made a comment like that she'd be off in a fit of giggles at least for a moment.

She grins back up at him playfully, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. And, well. Since he's already started, she goes ahead and undoes the tie and slides it off his neck. Slowly, gently, a little forward so that the fabric just brushes over the back of his neck and makes that a caress, too.

And then she tosses it over where he left his jacket. Stripping down is as much about the small things as about the large, after all.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

His grin widens into a smile as she discards the tie, his eyes closing briefly. He rewards her with another nuzzle, this one a touch playful, but still soft and teasing.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She closes her eyes, a breathless little sound of quiet laughter for a moment as she flattens her hands lightly over his stomach before sliding them around his waist, holding him gently.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

His nuzzling turns into soft kisses, which he trails down her neck. He traces his tongue down her collar bone; once at the base of her throat he kisses his way down until he hits fabric, then trails his tongue back up, then over the other collar bone, kissing back up her neck until he's nuzzling the other ear.

And yes, he takes his sweet time doing this. You expected anything less?

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Oh. Yes. Yes.

It's teasing, and it's tantalizing, and it's wonderful. Her fingers curl a little into the back of his shirt, tight, and there's a soft little wisp of a moan that escapes as he eases back to nuzzling.

She'll allow herself to keep that tension for a moment before she uncurls her hands and smooths them over his back, relaxing. Trailing a light fingertip along his spine, over the shirt, catching her breath.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Her reaction has him slightly breathless, too. He flicks his tongue out to moisten the spot behind her ear before brushing his lips over her cheek to lick at her lips.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She rather wants to tug him in closer and devour him in a kiss. Doesn't, in favor of parting her lips slightly for his mouth for a moment, and then kissing him swiftly, catching his lip between her teeth in a playful nipping sort of gesture.

And then she kisses him again and then it's her turn to nuzzle lightly at his cheek. Trailing soft little kisses down his jaw, nipping lightly at the curve of neck and shoulder and listening, feeling out his responses.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

A tiny quirk of a smile, as much as he can manage, with her nipping on his lip like that, but the smile is replaced by the closing of his eyes and a tiny breathless moan to match the ones she was giving him not too long ago as she nuzzles and nips down his neck.

He may even shiver ever so slightly at the feel of her lips on his skin.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Male formal clothing leaves less room to maneuver than female, as a general rule. Still, she makes do with what skin is available for her to taste, to touch, lightly swirling the tip of her tongue at the hollow of his throat, interspersing kisses and nips until she's on the other side, tracing the curve of his ear with the tip of her tongue and then finishing with a soft little kiss over his cheek.

She definitely likes the sound of that little moan. Likes the feel of his response, and may be smiling a little against his cheek.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

The breath he didn't know he was holding is let out slowly as she finishes with the kiss on the cheek, eyes still closed. He can't be certain, but he thinks the temperature just jumped several degrees, and the shirt is starting to feel a little stifling.

He takes several deep, slow breaths as he moves to rest his cheek against hers. Yep, it's a good thing they're going slow. He'd hate it if either one of them passed out from the intensity he knows they can (and will!) reach.

And he's also distantly aware of trying to undo the cuffs of one sleeve with his teeth...not urgently, but methodically, to maximize success in actually undoing the damned thing.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

For a moment she just rests there, settling again, letting him settle because she can hear the measured breaths, too measured to be naturally slow and even. There may be a still-innocent young woman somewhere in the back of her mind who is bouncing around in delight at being able to cause such a reaction in her lover. Her first, true lover.

After a few moments listening to him catch his breath she can't quite suppress the chuckle, but she does start to work on his shirt. Undoing each button down his front slowly, accompanied by much unnecessary touching and stroking. Well, unnecessary for undoing buttons, at least. For the purposes of this evening she would consider it very necessary.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And any ideas he had of helping her in the area of cuffs and other assorted sundry fly out of his head as she unbuttons the shirt and caresses him. Those measured breaths take on a slightly breathless quality.

He swallows thickly, preparing to shrug out of the garment once the time to do so comes, and when he's finally shirtless, he pulls away to let a smouldering gaze rake over her face. He even sits up a little, giving her a chance to give him a once-over and appease that unknown need to see him stripped to the waist.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Oh, she is definitely taking her time looking him over. First with eyes, taking in the curl of hair and the colors and tones of flesh and the few (very few) scars. Meeting his eyes again with something of a smouldering gaze of her own; clearly, she very much likes what she sees.

And then looking him over once again, this time with hands. Watching his face as she touches him, explores his body with her fingertips. Tracing down the curve of his shoulders now that the warmth of skin doesn't fade at the edge of his shirt. Tracing the lines and planes of his chest, over muscle and tracing the circle of a nipple and down over his abdomen, and then back up again.