Disclaimers: Stories mine, characters aren't. I'm just playin' a while.... Paramount owns all things Trek bow before the powers that be (yak)
Special thanks to Monica for her wonderful beta efforts, and a thanks to Mana for the encouragement. You ladies rock bigtime. Also a special thanks to all those who encouraged me to write the series to begin with. Thanks!!!
While this can be a stand alone, it makes more sense if you read Damage Control first.
Experiments in Human Sexuality I
Candles and Moonlight
NC-17 by Kat
Jonathan Archer stared out over water. Risa was just as beautiful as he remembered it. Moonlight sparkled over the water, and a sense of peace held him firmly in its hand. It had been over two years since he had stood on a balcony like this one. Then he'd had nothing but a desire for rest, an obedient dog, and a book. It was enough at the time. He had those things now. Heavens knew he needed a break. The hectic job of saving the Earth and the space/time continuum had taken its toll on him.
A soft rustle from the bedroom caught his attention and he turned toward the candle lit space. This time he had something worth fighting for, something to celebrate, and someone to celebrate with. T'Pol had joined him on this long overdue vacation. With everything that had happened, they hadn't had much time together. It seemed they had no sooner consummated their love then all hell had broken loose. Duty had called them with a blinding force and they had answered with all that was in them. It seemed almost anticlimactic now. A dream, something that didn't seem possible. But he only had to look at the woman in his bed, every bit a miracle as their survival, and he could believe it, believe in all sorts of things. Love did that.
He moved closer to the bed, staring in wonder at the sleeping form. She looked so peaceful and innocent even as she slept. His heart began to beat faster as he watched her. Candlelight spilled gently over the planes of her face, dozens of tiny flames, a mastery of shadow and light. He ached to touch her but was reluctant to do so. She was exhausted, just as he was, and he had barely given her the time to settle in before he had tumbled her to the bed and taken her with the voracity of a starving man.
If that weren't enough, as she had showered, he had dug up all the lovely candles lighting the room, lit them, and ordered a light dinner to their room. When she had exited the bathroom, she had clicked something in him, and down they had gone once more. It was much later that they had eaten, and then he had taken her again.
He couldn't believe the need he had for her. It was as if, with the temporary release of his command, the stress of the world had fled as well. He was as randy as a teenage boy with his first woman, and was enjoying every minute of it. She was his and the need to claim her as such, to prove his love, and demand hers in return, was a driving force within him. Sleep eluded him. Their lovemaking should have exhausted him as much as her, instead he was invigorated. The urge to touch, to see if her skin was as silky as he remembered bit at him, and he turned away, deciding on a cold shower instead.
Warm water cascaded over his skin as he lazily soaped his body. After the initial cold spray, he had adjusted the temperature to a warmer setting. Since he was acting like a sailor too long at sea, he figured the least he could do was shower frequently and make sure housekeeping changed the linens regularly. T'Pol enjoyed their lovemaking, but he certainly didn't want to offend her. Human males where musky creatures. When it came to their intimate relationship, he wanted her to remember their lovemaking, not the smell of their lovemaking.
Content that he was well scrubbed, he placed the soap back on the rack and leaned forward with his hands on the wall of the shower, allowing the spray to pour over his head, face and shoulders. Just the thought of T'Pol was enough to make him consider adjusting the temperature. What was wrong with him? The way he was going, the poor woman was likely to get saddle sore. He grinned slightly glancing down at himself. Little Jon didn't seem the least bit concerned about that fact. It was a good thing both his heads were in working order. With a shake of his head, he reached over to turn off the water. As his hands closed on the knobs, another set wrapped around his waist. A supple silky body pressed against his own and he nearly hissed with pleasure. Breast, belly, and thigh flush against his back. Straightening slightly, his hands stroked over those wrapped around him. He shivered slightly as teeth nibbled along his shoulder blade. "My lady would object strenuously to you molesting me in the shower ma'am. She's pretty strict about proprieties."
Slender fingers sprawled across his belly, making a slow, tantalizing trek up his abdomen. The tangled a moment in the slick mat of hair on his chest before moving on. Finding taut male nipples, they paused to pluck gently at them, bringing them further to attention. "Then perhaps she is a fool for leaving you alone."
"Do you think so?" His breath caught as her hands made a leisurely trail back down, tracing teasingly at the line that joined hip with groin. "Perhaps I'm the fool for leaving her. I wanted only to give her a chance to rest."
"Ah. Perhaps then, she has had enough rest, and merely wishes to be with you once more." She pressed closer to him with a subtle movement that dragged her breasts along his back.
"Far be it from me to leave a lady unsatisfied." He turned in her arms, catching her face and placing a tender kiss on her lips.
She nipped at his lower lip, sucking it into her mouth, flicking her tongue over it. "I need you again Jonathan. It is as if a flood gate has opened inside me. I crave you like the air I breathe. Is this normal?"
He cupped her cheeks, rubbing his forehead against hers before meeting her eyes. "I feel the same way, Love. Each time I make love to you, I'm fulfilled, and yet soon after I want you again. It's only you I want. I've never felt this way before. Even as the sweat cools, I'm imagining other ways to make you come apart in my arms. I want to try them all."
Her eyes were clear and full of emotion he knew she wouldn't want to admit to. "I told you once that I was willing to experiment with you. I am. I would learn all of you, your wants and needs and desires."
A slight shadow flashed in her eyes as she looked away. He caught her chin, lifting it back up so he could search them. "What is it?"
"There is a possibility that we may become closer still. My people have the ability to bond telepathically to their mates. I do not know if it is possible for us, but it is something to consider. The more intimate our relationship, the more we learn and bond to one another, the more likely it is that we may hear each other's thoughts."
He studied her for a long moment, taking in the drops of water coating her face and hair. She looked magical in the soft light of the bathroom. Almost as if she were some exotic goddess playing in the rain. He thought of the things they had already shared, where they had been, and how far they had come. He couldn't imagine them any closer than they already were, and yet, if it were possible, would he really mind? He kissed her again, a soft closed mouth kiss, one of comfort and companionship rather than passion. "I accept all of you T'Pol, everything you have to offer." His eyes searched hers for a long moment. "Do you trust me?"
She blinked as if shocked by the question. "With my katra, my very soul."
The smile he gave her was slow and sweet and full of joy. He nodded slightly, then reached behind him to turn off the water. He had a dream of taking her in the shower, but now was not the time. He wanted a bed, someplace soft and comfortable so he could make love to her all night long. Stepping out onto the plush rug, he caught her hand and drew her out as well. Her brow rose slightly as if to say "I wasn't done yet," but no words left her mouth. Plucking a thick towel from the rack, he began a seductive mapping of her body. In the guise of drying her, he used the texture of the towel as a tool to tease her flesh. Subtle traces of the material smoothed over her breasts in a whisper soft caress. A soft sigh echoed through the room, and Jonathan dropped the towel, and took over the task with his tongue. Content for the moment that the job was satisfactory, he stepped back. One arm caught her close around her shoulders as he dipped and caught the other under her knees. Despite her shocked gasp, he lifted her easily, carrying her into the bedroom and placing her gently on the bed. The soft glow of the candles and the delicate scent of jasmine coated the room with romance. The lust that had needled him early seemed shelved somewhat. The need to love and learn and be learned, paramount.
Stretching out beside her, he took a moment to study the lines of her body. Everything about her spoke of an innate grace that blended so well with her beauty. He was the luckiest man in the world. Shifting so that he could prop his head on his hand, he stroked the free one over her cheek. "I can't believe we are here like this. I'm afraid to go to sleep for fear of waking up and finding it all a dream."
She started to roll toward him, only to be stopped as he threw a hard thigh across her own. "Jonathan?" Her brow rose slightly at his presumption, but she settled back and allowed him to continue his feather soft caresses across her face.
"It is just awe T'Pol. I'm so glad you made me face my feelings for you, and act on them. Who knows where we would be or how things would have ended up? You reminded me that I don't always have to be a man of stone, that it is okay for this very human man to have feelings." He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her eyelids. "And most of them are for you."
She lost the chance to reply as his mouth claimed hers. With teasing little nips and gentle forays his mouth explored hers. His free hand stroked over her, tracing the lines of her collarbone to the V in the hollow of her throat. His mouth followed suit, taking the time to map each bit of skin as if it were uncharted territory. Her breasts were treated as if they were his favorite treat, something to be sipped at and savored. Her navel was a treasure to be explored. Every part of her, from head to toe was something worthy of exploration as he learned again what pleased her. And when he was done with his explorations, he knelt between her thighs and watched her.
She was a glorious sight. Her eyes burned like stars, her hair a wild nimbus around her head. Fists curled in the sheets and her body shifted restlessly. He wanted to cover her, to drive home as if he had never been there before, and yet he wanted to watch her, take in every move, every expression, every flushed point on her body.
Catching her hips, he shifted slightly until he was poised at her entrance. Her thighs were draped over his own as he knelt there. All of her was exposed to him. His fingers twitched slightly as he struggled for control. His thumbs stroked a steady pattern along her groin line. Each time they neared her center she shivered slightly. Slowly he moved forward. His breath caught at that first sweet pop of penetration. A smile whispered across his face as she gasped, her body tightening subtly around him, arching ever so slightly into him. Each inch seemed to take forever and he savored every minute of it. There was nothing like it in the world, this depth of intimacy. It was too much and not enough. Finally he was seated to the hilt. How he managed to be still with her laid out before him like a buffet he didn't know, but he never wanted this to end. He glanced at the place where they were joined and his heart began to beat faster. Slowly his fingers moved closer to that spot, sliding through her nether lips to pluck at the sensitive little bud at the core of her. She jolted as if touch by a brand, and he smiled. His hands slid up her body, and out, wrapping around her fists and encouraging them to release the bedclothes. As they twined around his own fingers, he pulled her up until she was sitting in his lap.
Her eyes widened at the change in their position and the depth of him inside her. Her breath came out in little spurts. As her legs curled around him, he kissed her deeply. Her arms curled around his shoulders, and his around her waist, and together they began to move until there was nothing left but the two of them and their goal to become one.
Exhaustion swept over him with his release, and he tumbled backward on the bed. T'Pol fell with him tonelessly, trusting him to keep her from harm. They were still amazingly joined, with her lying sprawled on top of him. He reached down and caught the corner of the sheet, and flipped it over them. He took a moment to glance around at the few flickering candles still burning. Most of them had burned out and the ones left were soon to follow. Moonlight was the main light in the room as it spilled in from the open balcony doors. He thought about getting up and closing them, but he didn't have the strength to move. He was truly spent. As T'Pol snuggled against him, he hugged her tighter and revised that thought. He was truly spent, until the next time. With that thought, and the women in his arms, he drifted into sleep, full of ideas for the next lesson.