He kept her gaze all the way until she lunged, and he met her kiss with a small smirk on his lips. He tilted in against her, but let her push him back a little, allowing her aggressive need to guide her. Heat bloomed in his gut and rushed like warm ice through his nerves as he realized just how intense her need was. His hand slid up her arm to her shoulder, pulling her in closer. He turned more toward her, his hand lifting, reaching for her thigh, her waist, her chest, something, anything more. Before he could touch her, though, the AI chimed in, and they wrenched apart.<br/><br/>He glanced up at the sound of AIDEN's disembodied voice, then back at his commander. He watched her stand, and as she spoke he slowly licked his lips, letting her see him take in every ounce of what she'd left behind. He stood and nodded, his expression serious despite the urge to smirk. She had been lovely in her blushing eagerness, and even the hint of pink on her darker skin was deeply alluring. He wanted to touch her, to caress her jaw, to run his thumb over her lips and then down the swell of her throat and down, down, down...<br/><br/>But instead he nodded once, slowly. "Apologies not necessary, ma'am. We'll make the time to... talk... when we can." His voice was soft and low and full of promise. He turned sideways to let her pass, and exhaled sharply once she'd left the room. He looked up at the ceiling again. "AIDEN, do me a favor. The next time I'm alone with the Commander, engaged in physical contact, just... butt out. Especially when her hand is on my thigh like that, good<i>god</i>..."<br/><br/>Calypso had taken the trouble to drag a cushy chair all the way into the conference room, and had made it very clear that this chair was hers. Any ass found inhabiting it would be met with a biotic lashing of the decidedly not kinky variety. She was chomping a fresh cigar, though she hadn't lit it--every time she smoked in front of Faustus she found herself treated to a doctrine on the ill effects of tobacco on asari respiratory systems, and would rather avoid such lectures. She snorted at Talyet, though. "Honey, I spent forty years on Kahje, served as the shrine maiden for an Enkindler temple. I have seen my fair share of drell, but only a handful are even<i>nearly</i>as handsome as you." She winked at him, but when the commander entered she stood and took the cigar out of her mouth, standing ready.<br/><br/>Faustus was scowling and shaking his head, the white markings on his face especially bright against his darker exoskin. "Humans are among the single most grotesque creatures in Citadel space, not counting krogan--present company notwithstanding, of course, you're one of the tidiest creatures I've ever met. But this lieutenant, oh, spirits, Pol, he's utterly<i>heinous</i>..." Like Calypso, when the commander entered he stopped talking and stood to attention, arms clasped loosely behind his back.<br/><br/>Cole wasn't too far behind her, entering the room at the same time as Suni, who shoved him into the doorframe as she slipped past. "Move your chunky human ass," she snapped, assuming her spot at the table as far from Pol as she could manage.<br/><br/>Cole rubbed his side where he'd smacked the bulkhead, and stepped quietly into place next to Talyet. He glanced sideways at the drell as the other members of the crew gave the commander their undivided attention. "Thanks for the drawers," he said quietly, then followed suit, paying close attention to Amari's voice.