<div align="center"><strong>~ First Officer Sasha Dearing; in her cabin and...yes, it has been confirmed by a reliable source... in dishabille on top of Simeon Gaorong ~</strong></div><br/>Sasha’s body tumbled gracelessly on top of Si, the sudden press of her weight shoving his body down into the soft mattress. A quiet whoosh of air rushed past her lips as the lush softness of her chest impacted with the chiseled hardness of Si’s upper body. Her slender forearms landed on either side of his head, the delicate skin of her mostly naked breasts pressing against the crisp fabric covering his chest. Sasha’s muscles were toned and firm from her constant, disciplined fitness routine, but still her woman’s body naturally yielded, curving willingly to the harder contours of Si’s male form. Her long dark hair cascaded around his head in a silken curtain, a breath of space between their faces within the shadowed intimate space framed by her hair.<br/><br/>Sasha’s ripe youthful body immediately registered multiple sensations at once, each note of sensation competing for attention and yet at the same time coalescing into a single, interwoven composition of feeling: a sonata of sensuality. Her thighs lay warmly between Si’s legs, her hips and abdomen resting intimately against him, his belt buckle pressing sharply into the tender skin of her belly. Sasha’s breath caught and her stomach muscles tensed in reaction as Si’s warm, strong hands ever-so-slowly stroked upward to gently grip her hips, her expectation being that he was positioning himself to assist her back to her feet. However, as his hands lingered, partially touching her black silken panties and partially touching her bare silken skin...and as he continued to make no effort to dislodge her from where she lay, she began to wonder.<em>Why...isn’t he moving? Why haven’t <strong>I</strong> moved?</em>She didn’t know the answer to either question, and for the moment at least, didn’t care.<br/><br/>Leaning onto her left arm, Sasha raised her right hand to tuck a thick swath of her hair behind her ear, allowing her to see Si’s face. The movement of her body caused multiple points of friction where their bodies touched, and was like a long, slow fuse being lit to a stick of dynamite. The extra-sensitive tips of her rosy nipples tightened in response as they brushed against Si’s shirt. Her lips softly parted, her long dark lashes veiling her eyes briefly as her gaze unconsciously dipped down to Si’s mouth before she dragged her blue eyes back up to meet his dark eyes. Only short moments had passed, but time had seemed to slow to a crawl as the unlikely pair lay intimately motionless, neither one seemingly eager to break the mesmerizing yet tentative spell that their accidental physical contact had cast upon them.<br/><br/>Almost of their own volition, Sasha’s delicate fingertips caressed gently over Si’s dark eyebrow, slowly tracing its shape and then feathering down across his cheek before coming to rest along the side of his jaw. Looking intently into his eyes, she marveled at how completely unexpected it was to have<em>this</em>man beneath her. Earlier in the day her body had been humming in pleasant anticipation of an enjoyable assignation with Jacob this very night. With that rendezvous thwarted her body was apparently more than willing to accept a substitute, but her mind struggled with it.<em>A fellow crew member</em>?  A sudden pang of wistful longing raced through her as the image of Griff’s face floated into her imagination. Baffled at why she would conjure up the Captain’s image seemingly out of nowhere, she shoved Griff’s image roughly from her mind.<br/><br/>Well, after all, it was only her own personal code of conduct keeping her from choosing a lover she could be with on a regular basis; why not try something different for a change? Someone mature enough to handle an intimate yet casual relationship? A physical, not emotional involvement? Jacob fit the bill nicely - all but the benefit of close proximity of course. So, of the current active crew members on board the ship...why<em>not</em>the gentle older man who was apparently willing to offer himself to such service? Nobody else seemed up to the task. Or, was Si simply patiently waiting for her to initiate removing her body from his?  Was his unflagging chivalry not allowing him to present any indication to a woman that could possibly be interpreted by her as rejection? No, she definitely wasn’t getting the impression that he was completely unaffected or was simply biding his time until she extracted herself from him. But she could be wrong.<br/><br/>The fact that she herself was not unaffected was...intriguing. The warmth from his fingers seeped languorously into her skin, her body enjoying his touch and the implicit promise of male hands positioned<em>just so</em>on her body. Obviously<em>experienced</em>male hands.<em>Mmmm...</em>Biting back a soft moan Sasha squirmed restlessly but quickly stilled her movements, needing a minute to think before her body rushed ahead to make the decision for her.<br/><br/><em>Wait.</em>Suddenly the myriad of small, subtle changes in Si’s behavior toward her rose together in her mind, forming a new perception of her trusted right-hand man. Had she been missing something? Had Si actually been making subtle advances toward her? Maybe there was the potential for something between them; after all, wasn’t it Si who had repeatedly been the only one able to diffuse her rampaging anger and calm her roiling emotions?<br/><br/>The intimate press of Si’s body against hers and the heat rising up between their bodies recklessly teased the unsatiated passions prowling just beneath the surface of her control. Maybe an older, undemanding, serene man would be the perfect counterpoint she needed to balance her own fiery passions. As her eyes locked with Si’s, the churning thoughts and emotions rushing through her made their way to her expression. Her eyes held an intense and complex mix of pain, confusion, the longing for peace, and the smoldering heat of passion.  The resulting look in her eyes would likely be indecipherable, but the intensity of what she was feeling would be hard to miss.<em>No. I’m not going to take advantage of Si just because he happens to be conveniently lying underneath me...in my bed...</em><br/><br/>With a small wistful smile, Sasha tightened her body in preparation to push herself off of Si and away from the precipice of something she didn’t feel prepared to deal with. A spontaneous and exciting one night stand with a stranger?<em>Delicious.</em>But with someone she was already becoming vulnerably close with?<em>Dangerous.</em><br/><br/>However, her body countermanded her subconscious order and instead of getting up, with infinite slowness Sasha lowered her mouth to Si’s. Her red lips slowly parted in anticipation, hovering temptingly just above Si, her warm breath whispering over his lips. Until finally her warm mouth was on him, pressing softly against his. Si might breathe in her spicy jasmine scent, might taste the hint of whiskey from her lips, might feel the silken brush of her hair against his cheek and neck. Sasha slowly relaxed into Si as she kissed him, her palms cradling the sides of his face as she gently sucked his lower lip into her mouth, the tip of her tongue lightly caressing warm wetness against his tender flesh trapped delicately between her teeth. Releasing his lip, she pressed her mouth firmly against his, slanting another slow, sensuous kiss across his lips before lifting her mouth from his lips. Her pulse picking up speed and her chest rising and falling with quickened breaths, Sasha looked into his eyes as she strove to gauge his reaction to the unexpected and dizzying physical contact.<br/>