[USS Tempest] Promises and Compromises
- From: TKilyle@xxxxxxx
- To: usstempest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, ussgeorgetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 11:45:08 EDT
Promises and Compromises
by Tawa Pax and B'nn't of Reynam with C'ss'l of Calhoun
***Takes place right after 'The Battle of the Five Armies'
***warning***adult content***
That coffee really had tasted bad, the flavour left long after the coffee
had been absorbed. With a small pout, Bennet padded up to Cassiel and tugged
on his sleeve. "When can we go?"
"Gods, woman, go now if you want but I'm not responsible for your friend
here leaving the area," Cassiel said, shaking his head over another scan of a
patient there in the room.
"I didn't expect so, sir," Tawa said wryly. "I can take responsibility for
a small tour and some fresh air."
"Ha! Knew you weren't as stiff as you make out, old man," Bennet crowed as
she grabbed Tawa's hand and pulled him to the exit. "Promise not to do
anything too embarrassing."
"For the Humans or for the Xenexians?" Cassiel asked with a snort, actually
almost smiling.
"Nah, the fusions," Tawa replied brightly as he allowed himself to be pulled
along.
The instant the door slid shut and they were alone in the corridor, Bennet
shoved Tawa against a wall and kissed him hard. "What embarrasses fusions?"
His arms still around her when he came up for air, Tawa grinned at her.
"Not much really. At least, not this one."
"Hmm..." That sounded like a challenge to her. She slid her fingers down
his chest, biting her lip as she reached his waistband. "Really? Not much?"
He grabbed her hand playfully, his ears tingeing a bit emerald. "Alright
not much but exhibitionism." He kissed one finger tip. "I might be a bit
short sighted most of the time but if we can leave, so can everyone else, if
you
know what I mean."
"So?" she asked softly, her head tilting to the side. "I didn't say here.
I just... I thought... y'know..."
He laughed brightly and kissed her on the forehead. "Then take me away from
here, silly Xenexian," he said, smelling of citrus amusement.
Her grin was back full force as she dragged him off, bouncing as she ran.
"How about the holodeck? No one will be there, right?"
"You're asking me? We got tossed around a bit before. That generally means
being shot at. If they're open and we aren't being shot at...sure. This
is actually only the second ship I've been on my entire career."
"It's either that or we see if the quad is empty," she shrugged.
"I'm yours, gorgeous. Take me where you want," He leaned slightly closer
and nuzzled her ear before whispering, "Just not here."
"Like I'd share a beautiful body like yours," she teased as they almost fell
into a lift. "I still wanna see how far down those spots go."
"Better yet," he teased, his arm securely around her as he held her against
him, "I want you to count them."
"Mmm," she purred. "Now that's a dare I can definitely go for." Putting
her lips against his neck, she kissed him lightly. "One..." then again,
"two..."
He barely bit back a groan of contentment. A small part of him nagged that
it wasn't fair to his friends, that he shouldn't be even contemplating a
thing with a beautiful woman when Josh was who knew where and so many were ill
or
dead. The rest of him told that part to shut up, that life was for living
and enjoying it didn't mean he'd forgotten anyone. "You smell really good,
you know, like fresh air," he fairly purred.
"What does fresh air smell like?" she asked as she kissed her way back up to
his lips, took his bottom lip in her mouth and sucked very lightly.
"Hard to explain," he breathed heavily , forgetting some of his propriety as
he reached to caress her breast. "Orions can smell pheromones of all sorts."
"Really..." When he touched her like that it was as if he was setting her
whole body on fire and she pressed herself closer to him, her fingers finding
his hair and wrapping through it.
"Mmm hmm. I can smell anger, deceit, fear...individual scents. Your..the
doctor kind of reminds me of hot sand by the spice forests on Risa," He told
her. Goddess but she had such an effect on him. He squeezed her just a
little tighter, wanting to feel more of her.
"He's a good guy for a stiff," she breathed. She could feel her nipple
harden in his hand. "Gods, Tawa... Take me somewhere..."
He was nipping softly at her neck but he lifted his head to look into her
eyes. "You take me," he said huskily. "It's your ship. I'm not familiar..."
"Gods, I don't know," she sighed, her head sinking to his chest. "We could
try the quad, everyone's probably busy." Idly, she played with his nipple
through his uniform.
"Wherever you want's fine so long as we're alone." Bright blue eyes took on
a look of doubt then as something jarred his memory. "Tell me this is
because you want me and not because I'm too damned much of animal to control
my
pheromones. Please?"
"Your ferra-whats?" she asked as she lifted her eyes to meet his then
frowned at the worry she saw there. "Tawa Pax, you're the first man to make
my
knees weak when I kissed you. You're the very first man to stun me to silence
and you're also the first to be just as obnoxious to me as I am to everyone
else. I want you. I think you're one of the Gods in flesh."
"Told you it was hard to explain and it isn't because you're dense because
you aren't." He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his thick black hair.
"Back on the George, there's a Bajoran who used to be my mother's boyfriend.
The stupid bitch almost killed the guy because she used her pheromones, her
scent, on him all the time. He had no idea. I can't do that to you,
Bennet. I'm not some Goddess be damned animal."
This was too confusing. "How... how do I know if what I really want is you
then? How do I prove it to you?"
"Easy," he said with a self conscious shrug. "I make a conscious effort to
stop putting them out. You just sort of attracted me any way but...I can't
hurt you. I'm not like that."
"If you don't trust me then do that," she nodded, a frown making a crease
between her eyes. "If you don't believe me."
"Gorgeous lady, it isn't you I don't trust: it's me. I don't want to be
like her. I mean, Eislin's a decent guy and she just let him damn near die
and
left him." Tawa stepped closer, one large finger tracing the crease that had
formed on her face. "At least tell me if you feel weird?"
"Feel horney, does that count?" she mused innocently, taking his hand and
leading him off of the stopped turbolift and deep into Marine territory.
Tawa laughed brightly at that then kissed her cheek soundly. "Only if I get
the same," he said, tugging on one of her curly locks. "Smart ass."
She stuck her tongue out at him then doubled her pace, making them almost
run down the corridor to her cousin's quad. She keyed in the code, peered
inside and beamed. "No one here!"
"How very fortunate," Tawa said mildly before pulling her to him for a deep
kiss, his hand once again gently squeezing at her breast. "I have to," he
whispered in her ear, "prove to some gorgeous red haired Xenexian that she's
worth everything."
"I am?" she said softly, already letting her fingers squirm up under his
shirt.
"Yes, you are or I wouldn't've come with you," he murmured as he nuzzled her
neck. "A fierce, smart assed, beautiful lady."
Her heart totally melted and she sighed happily. "Tawa?" she murmured as
she started to pull up his shirt. "Can I take this off?"
"Now you can--yes," he said with a silly grin, even as he reached for the
opening on her top. "Start counting spots."
"Where was I?" she giggled, tugging his shirt over his head. "Damn, they go
all the way down, don't they?" she gasped when she realised they disappeared
below his belt.
He snorted in amusement at that. "Straight down my back." He started
opening her top slowly. "Of course, I'm pretty sure you haven't got any."
"Got freckles, does that count?" she grinned, her tongue darting out to
trace his spots from his neck slowly round to his back and lower.
He bit his lip to keep from laughing. The sensation both tickled and
excited. "Freckles're cute. Mmm...that feels nice, you know. I thought you
said
Xenexians had no clue about being soft."
She'd reached his belt and was kneeling on the floor. With a grin, she bit
his ass through his pants then slipped her hands around him to flip the catch
on his waist open. "Who said I didn't? Maybe I've learned since I left."
"I'd say so," he hmmphed huskily. No doubt about it, she was definitely
turning him on more with every second. He didn't move just yet, wanting to
see
what she was going to do. One thing was for sure, by then he was definitely
ready for her.
Once she'd pulled his pants down to the floor, she giggled in surprise at
exactly how far down the spots went. With total delight, she started kissing
and licking her way back up then round to his front where she traced her
tongue up his hardness.
"Goddess..." he breathed, his hands reaching to curl through her hair.
"Whatever you do: don't stop."
"Really?" she teased as she grazed her teeth down his shaft then up again.
She took the tip in her mouth and licked her tongue all around it, loving the
silkiness.
"Never had this done to me..." he said with a shuddering breath, his eyes
closed. "No fair to you though."
Letting his go, she sat back on her heals and peered up at him, a silly
smile on her face. "Oh, I don't know, the view's damn pretty." Then she
chuckled as she took him totally into her mouth and sucked gently, her fingers
stroking up and down his legs, over his thighs and his buttocks.
"Ahhhh....yes..." he groaned his fingers tightening through her hair. The
woman was magic, pure magic that smelled damned good.
One finger found a sensitive spot between his legs and tickled it
insistently as her tongue tickled the very tip of his hot hardness. She could
feel how
ready he was and it pleased her more than she cared to admit. She'd never
wanted to do this for a man before.
Self control was never his strong point and he knew it. He couldn't even
think about that though. He could only think of what he was feeling and that
she was doing that for him. He didn't want to make her gag but he had to,
just had to, thrust into the warm suction of her mouth. He didn't think he
could take much more of it.
His thrust made her swallow, adding to the sucking action, her teeth
scratching up his shaft. She cupped his buttocks, using him to lean against
as she
pulled him even deeper into her mouth.
He shuddered all over at that, groaning out loud as he spilled into her
mouth. "Goddess, woman..." he breathed.
She swallowed quickly then sat back to stare up at him, an appreciative
smile on her face as she teasingly played with the soft hair between his legs.
"Damn, you're sexy. That was so worth it."
Tawa stood there blinking bright blue eyes, too amazed to speak for a
moment. "Come here," he said softly as he held his hand out to her. "I have
to
thank you."
"Let me go brush my teeth first?" she asked softly as she rose to her feet.
"You don't wanna kiss me right now, trust me."
Tawa hmmphed softly and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Maybe
not but your 're amazing, Bennet. I...you're just plain outright amazing,"
he said with a lazy smile, not caring a bit that he was standing in a
strange place without a bit of clothing on.
Her eyes closed, she leaned her cheek into his hand. "Amazing indeed," she
hmphed. "Any girl can do that for a man. Any silly girl."
"Don't want any silly girl," he told her. "And not any silly girl's ever
looked at me except one. You're the second."
"Let me just clean up, okay?" she asked softly as she backed off but took
his hand to lead him with her. "I want to kiss you and not have you be all
grossed out."
"Ah, what about my uniform?" he asked even as he allowed himself to be led.
"Somebody might come home."
"So? It'll give them fore warning, won't it?" With a wink, she dragged him
into Aisling's room and closed the door. "Now, I need to brush my teeth.
Don't move." With that, she disappeared into the tiny wash area and pulled
the curtain across.
Chuckling to himself, Tawa folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned
up against the wall. He'd forgotten, after a few months of family quarters
with T'Pern, what sharing a room was like. This one was neat and clean,
though. It smelled of that crazy skinny doctor and a female.
Her teeth were scrubbed to within an inch of their mouths as she tried to
make sure he wouldn't choke. Then she met her own eyes in the small mirror
and
sighed. Who was she kidding? He was probably gonna eventually anyway.
With the brightest smile she had, she swanned back in and flopped onto the bed.
Grinning broadly, Tawa dropped down next to her, gathering her in his arms.
"Hey, gorgeous, how are you?" he asked. "Miss me much?"
"Missed you too much," she giggled, wrapping her arms around him and laying
her head against his chest. "But mostly I'm...." Scared? Petrified? Out
of her depth and drowning? "tentative."
"Why? What did I do wrong?" he asked, his brows drawing together in a
frown.
"Nothing!" she gasped, actually gaping at him. "Gods, man, you're the most
perfect thing I've ever seen. You... You're some kind of warrior. I'm
just... I dunno... I'm used to men thinking I'm pretty until they screw me
then
they lose interest." Worry filled purple eyes as she fixed them on his.
"Tawa, I don't want you to lose interest in me. Not ever."
"Oh, Goddess--no! Bennet, you're not only beautiful, you're strong and
nearly fearless. You remind me of me...only a hell of a lot smarter," he
chuckled. He stroked bright red curls from her face. "I won't treat you
badly,
Bennet. I couldn't."
She wanted to make him promise like a little girl making her father promise
he'd come home but she bit it back. Instead, she kissed him very softly,
deepening it to something that smouldered.
"I want you to come with me," he said softly, as he worked his hand down the
rest of the opening of her clothing. He kissed her neck, flicking his
tongue down to the hollow of her throat. "I want you to come to Georgetown,
help
me figure out T'Pern, and just plain love you."
"Love me..." It left a bright light dancing in front of her eyes. "I need
to talk to Aisling before I leave," she said slowly. "I don't wanna run off
without her knowing. I need her approval."
"It sounds like the decent thing to do," he agreed even as he slid her top
away and then popped open her bra. "Damn, woman, you're gorgeous."
She giggled as she was exposed, brushing her bare skin against his. "A God
made flesh," she teased as she flicked one of his nipples.
"Hey, c'mon...I'm ticklish, too," he just about giggled. Bright blue eyes
watched her as he kissed softly down her chest, his tongue stopping to tease
her nipples. "You should be respected and treated like a warrior queen."
"You say the prettiest things, did you know that?" Letting out a contented
sigh, she stretched out so that she fully moulded to his form. Her hands
drifted down to play over his back.
Slowly, as if he were memorizing every inch of her soft skin, he worked her
pants down, mischievously tickling her warm folds as he slid back up her
side. "Somebody should say pretty things to you," he said seriously, kissing
her
lightly. "If nothing else, I learned from my mother that women are to be
respected and treated properly. Fool is the man who didn't do that for you."
"Tawa," she breathed as he touched her and spoke so sweetly to her, "you
really have no idea what you're doin' to me. I could so easily love you."
"I want a normal life," he murmured as he nipped at her neck even as he
lightly thumbed a nipple. "I want what I didn't have all the years I was
growing
up."
"You want a family?" she asked tentatively.
"I don't know that inflicting my genes on anyone would be very fair
but...yeah." He snorted in self deprecation as looked up at her. "I'm not
doing too
good a job watching T'Pern but...I don't know. I would want t'give a kid a
better start than I had."
Her cheeks flushed as she swallowed before saying in a soft, worried voice,
"I don't wanna be a baby machine, Tawa. My mother's one of those, two of my
sisters too. I don't wanna end up fifty, look back at my life and see
nothing but babies."
"Don't have to be," he said softly, stroking her cheek. "All I want is to
know that there's somebody who I can say is family, somebody I chose and who
wants me, too. I have my baby sister and my father but it's not the same
thing, y'know?"
She bit her lip but nodded. "I kinda do... Baby? You really want a kid?"
"I don't know. Maybe." He touched his forehead to hers. "All I want is
what my father's got with his bondmate. They're happy and neither of them
gives a damn what anyone thinks about them. I want somebody who'll love me
enough to fight for me because...I'd do that for you."
"I'll fight for you, baby," she told him honestly, seriously, as she touched
her lips to his.
"Even if I'm immature, hot headed, and lacking in foresight?" he asked, his
nose touching hers. "I'm no catch but if you catch me, I can only promise to
treat you like you ought to be treated: like that warrior queen."
"I caught you, buddy," she laughed, fingers pulling him tight against her.
"You're mine!"
Tawa held her tightly for a moment. grateful she was going to put up with
his insecurities, before kissing her deeply. She felt so warm and soft
against
him. His hand moved to caress the fullness of her breast, stopping finally
to tease at the nipple, before he shifted his mouth to it. He nipped and
sucked lightly as his other hand teased at the other one.
Her fingers tangled in his hair and she pushed herself closer to him. She
slipped her other hand down his spine, dancing and playing with his soft skin.
He smiled against her skin, happy that he was pleasing her. He gently
squeezed both breasts together, his tongue flicking the nipples lightly before
moving to kiss a line down her belly. A bit of mischief struck him as he
reached her navel though. "Ticklish?" he asked before her licked a light
circle
around it.
"Ah!" she squealed, her muscles dancing beneath his tongue and she squirmed
a little. "Very!" But this was a level beyond tickling. "Don't stop.
Please."
He chuckled a little then kissed lower and lower. When he reached her warm
center, his thumb teased gently at her sensitive spot, gently but
insistently, while he traced her folds with his tongue.
"Mmmm...." she murmured, arching closer, "not ticklish there." Definitely
not, she thought, her mind fuzzing with joy.
"Good," he said softly. He was fighting to control his own pheromones, as
excited as he was, but hers were doing no such thing. They went straight to
his brain, telling him she wanted him, wanted more. For that, he could ignore
his own throbbing for a bit. He nibbled lightly at her as he slid two
fingers into her and began tickling.
She swallowed back a crying groan but her fingers clamped down on the bed as
she felt her body tense then start to shudder. She couldn't hold it, the
pleasure was too much to deny.
Tawa kept at his attentions a little while longer, grinning the entire time.
No, there was no sense in 'owing' her anything. He simply wanted to please
her. Slowly, he slid up her side and kissed her. "Mine," he said, his
voice roughened with passion.
"For the rest of my life," she sighed out as she relaxed against his body.
She could feel his arousal pressed against her and she reached down to
playfully flick it very lightly.
He shuddered with the effort to keep from simply grabbing her and sinking
into her. "Goddess, woman, I need you," he murmured, his breath unsteady with
the effort.
"I'm just here," she teased, her tongue flicking out to trace his lips. "If
you want me, come get me."
With an appreciative growl, he moved to hover over her for a moment, his
bright blue eyes staring into her vibrant purple ones. Kissing her deeply, he
slid into her deeply, clutching her to him as he did.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he moved in her. He was
managing to touch just about every part of her, more than any other man had.
He groaned aloud at the sensations she was creating in him as they matched
their pace. That and the very scent of her in his nose gave him a high he'd
never quite felt before. He moved faster and harder but not so hard that he'd
hurt her. He was no beast to think only of himself. He moved his hand to
thumb one of her nipples.
"Don't stop," she mumbled against his neck, unable to control herself as she
shuddered with his attentions. "Tawa..." He was magnificent, utterly
unbelievable and glorious.
"Don't want to," he breathed, arching his back to go even deeper.
"Bennet...Goddess...you were made for me..."
Her scream echoed around the small room, petering out to a gasping sigh as
she collapsed backwards. Panting heavily, she laid kisses down his neck and
shoulders. "I was?"
That sudden burst of scent from her was all it took to send him over the
edge and he held her tightly, barely able to breathe steadily, for a while
before he could trust himself to speak properly. "Yes," he said roughly,
kissing
her on the nose, "you were. Absolutely perfect."
"That was... incredible," she whispered unsteadily. "I've never had a man
take that much interest in me before."
"That's just..." He shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. They were
just a bit scattered by the high she'd given him. "It's wrong. You aren't
just a damned fine body. Of course you should have interest paid to you.
S'crazy."
"Told you, sex is more like fumbles in the dark, a quick screw then moving
on," she shrugged and gave a self-depreciating snort. "Most Xenexians aren't
too imaginative in the bedroom. Most of the time, bed is only for sleeping
and sex is left for dark corners." she tilted her head to the side as she idly
played with his fingers. "Sounds kind of sleazy now I say it out loud."
Slowly, he moved from her but only enough to stay at her side, hsi arms
around her. He propped his head up on his hand as he watched her playing with
his fingers. "And I look at it as something deep. Everything my mother did,
chances are I'll do the opposite. I learned my lessons, just not like she
thought. Sex isn't cheap and it isn't for flings," he said softly. "It's
for...well...caring about the other person. Loving them."
"Love's for family," she said softly, almost deliberately not meeting his
eyes. "I've never loved anyone outside that... til now."
"Oh yeah?" He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead, brushing back sweat
dampened curls. "See now, I don't know Xenexian custom because I
legitimately never met one til now. What do I have to do to make you family?"
"Marry me, I guess," she shrugged, butterflies starting in her stomach.
He tapped her nose playfully. "That's kind of what I meant, silly," he
teased, blue eyes dancing. "I haven't got any customs because I didn't have
any
grounding, not til I got on Georgetown any way, so..."
"So... what?" she asked, her butterflies deciding that doing acrobatics
would be a good idea. She snuggled down so that her head was on his chest and
her eyes were half-closed.
He hmmphed, half irritated that he couldn't make himself clear and half
amused by that fact itself. "You're enjoying making me squirm, you smart
ass,"
he teased, his hands stroking her hair. "So, what do I have to do to do
things right and make you mine according to Xenexian laws?"
"I told you," she said, her words mumfled by his chest.
"Ask your cousin? That's it?" he asked dubiously.
"Marry me!" she huffed, pushing back and frowning at him. "Deaf much? You
wanna make me an honest woman then you gotta marry me. If you don't then you
don't." She shrugged one shoulder and returned to cuddling him and
avoiding his eyes. "Like it makes much difference either way."
"With these ears? Are you kidding?" he asked wryly. "Hey," he added as he
reached to tilt her chin so that he could see her face, "that's what I was
asking you to begin with you know. I might be a bit dense but I meant what I
said. Xenexians have to have some sort of marriage customs, don't they? What
do I have to do according to them?"
"Barter, mostly," she snorted. "There's a dowry and land issues and all
sorts of mess. It's easier to avoid them altogether and just... be as we
are."
She didn't want to get married, she desperately didn't. She also
desperately wanted him to ask her outright. It was a strange feeling. She'd
always
been so adamently against marriage but now she was seriously letting this man
force her into giving it some thought. "I don't even know if our customs
work with Aliens. I'd have to ask my mother."
"Shit," he said with a hiss, mussing his hair even more than it was.
"I...that's kind of something I always told myself I'd do, because my mother
wouldn't and because my father's so damned happy with Lish. You, ah, aren't
keen
on the idea? Hell, I'd elope if we weren't on a ship but I'd rather you marry
me, Bennet. I respect you too much."
"Look," she sighed. "I'm the youngest daughter of five. You've got about
as much chance of getting any of my family's land as you do of ever becoming
president of the Federation. You're more likely to get a kick up the backside
and told to take a hike coz my father's lil girl needs to settle down and
marry some damn idiot Xenexian. That's why I don't wanna marry you, Tawa.
That's what the reaction would be. I don't want you seeing me the way they
do."
"I don't...I can't see you like them because I'm not them. In fact, I have
absolutely nothing to offer you except what's in my cabin and that's pretty
much of nothing." His arms tightened around her as if he would lose her
otherwise. "Would you marry me if there was a compromise?"
"What's the compromise?" she asked tentatively.
"Damned if I know. I'd have to ask Seren or Lish about any ideas. I'd ask
Uncle but I somehow doubt his answers would be very helpful," he said wryly.
""Woulf you be really mad if I said no right now?" she asked, cringeing at
how pathetic she sounded. "I need to think about it, okay? I don't wanna end
up making you unhappy."
"Mad? No. Disappointed maybe but...I'll get over it." He hoped. He'd had
one disappointment after another in his life and so far the only constant
thing, even if he did occasionally screw it up, was his Fleet career. If she
rejected him later, if she...no, he told himself to be more positive. "Stay
with me anyway?"
"That goes without saying," she said as she met his eyes. Her hands held
his cheeks as she kissed him softly. "Can I stay forever even if I don't
marry
you? Will you let me?"
"If you'll understand that I might think about us as married," he said
carefully, fear of rejection pounding in his heart.
"It's the way I'd feel," she whispered, laying another kiss on his lips
before snuggling down again. "Kinda like life-partners."
The tiny icicle of fear that had wedged its way into his thoughts melted at
that and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on hers. "So long
as we both know what we want," he agreed.
"Want you," she mumbled into his chest then grinned to herself as she
cuddled him tighter. "You're comfy, did you know?"
"Mmm...so are you," he murmured. "All soft and shaped right. Do we have to
get up?"
"Only when grumpy pants gets back," she said, one finger tracing up his arm,
smiling at the well toned muscles. "Aisling would prob'ly leave us."
"Mmm...I have my own quarters on the George. It's just me and T'Pern," he
said lazily.
"Yeah and T'Pern," she sighed. "Not exactly gonna be welcome there, am I?"
Tawa snorted lightly. "You haven't met that kid yet. She looks at every
adult like they're some sort of strange alien and I'm no exception. She's not
that bad, though. Kinda sweet in her own weird way."
"So a lot like you then," she teased.
Tawa hmmphed at her then kissed her neck. "Yeah except I'm not the one with
a future as a demolitions expert. I break things, I don't blow them up."
"Aha! The perfect team," she chuckled then sighed lightly at his attention,
pushing herself close to him again. "You can smash them up and she can blow
up the remains."
"What? You're not going to help me smash things? We'd make a hell of a
team in that, too, don't you think?"
"Only if it means I get to clean you up afterwards," she grinned, kissing
his cheek very lightly.
"If it's anything like how you got the taste of bad coffee out of my mouth,
I'll take you up on that," he said happily.
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