TITLE: My Wild Irish Rose
PART: 2/3
AUTHOR:Reanne Moreau
SERIES:Sequel to Alone and At the Dimming of the Day
RATING:NC-17 (anyone under 18 get lost)
CODES:J/P
ARCHIVE: Anywhere, as long as you leave my name on it (JuPiter Station, of
course)
DISTRIBUTION: BLTS
SUMMARY: Kathryn and Tom celebrate her birthday and bring their relationship
out into the open.

Kathryn turned around slowly for his inspection, a mischievous smile on her
face. "The question is, how do *you* like it?"

He leered comically. "Let me get out of this uniform and I'll show you." He
scooped her into his arms, surprised as always by how easy it was. The captain
was slightly over five feet in height, but
attitude added at least another foot.

He deposited her next to the bed, tilting her chin up to place a delicate kiss
on her lips. "You do realize that you're the most beautiful woman in the
galaxy."

"I am when you look at me."

Tom grinned in pure delight. No matter how stressful his day had been, holding
Kathryn, listening to that warm purr in her voice, renewed him. He tossed the
gym bag on the bed and pulled out a
new green bathrobe and pair of white pajamas. He couldn't wait to get
comfortable, have dinner, then proceed to Kathryn's *real* surprise. A hand
stopped him as he reached for the fastening of his uniform jacket.

"Don't I get to unwrap the rest of my present?"

Tom wasn't about to argue with her. The jacket was soon disposed of, then the
hem of his sweater untucked from the pants. Kathryn ran her hands under the
edge of the sweater, palms flat against his chest, spreading their warmth down
to his stomach and around to stroke his back. She felt the muscles stretching
beneath his skin as Tom pulled the sweater over his head. As usual, it ended
up on the floor. Her hands swept upward to tease his sensitive underarms and
ended up clasped behind his neck. His arms encircled her and held her close.
They stayed that way for a moment, then began caressing again, as if they
needed to relearn each other's body.

"Tom, I love this program. But when did you have the time to do all of this?
You've been working in sickbay almost every day after your duty shift."

An embarrassed flush tinted his cheeks. Or maybe it was because of the way she
was running her fingertips lightly over his chest and stomach. "I didn't
really create the whole thing. I looked for a
Gothic holonovel in the library computer - the kind of junk you used to like -
and copied one of the rooms. I just did a little redecorating."

"It's still wonderful. Thank you." She continued mapping his back and
shoulders, noting the tension that drew the muscles tight.

Tom held her closer and inhaled her scent. Her hair, as always, smelled like
lavender, the inspiration for the nightgown he had given her. He sighed
deeply. This was the best thing that had happened to him all day.

"Tom, your back is one giant knot. What on Earth have you been doing?"

He flexed his shoulders and stretched. "I must have slept funny last night,
and pulling extra duty didn't help. But I have good news. The Doctor said
that now I've got the basic routine down I can start taking it a little
easier."

The scowl on Kathryn's face was only half in jest. "Good. You've been
spending more time with the Doctor than with me lately, and it's making me
cranky."

"We can't have a cranky captain; it's bad for crew morale."

"Then, for the sake of morale, drop your pants and get in bed." She grinned
wickedly at the expression on Tom's face, so exactly like her dog's at the
prospect of a juicy treat. "I'm going to massage the kinks out of your back so
we can enjoy the rest of the evening."

She went to the nearest wall and called for a replicator. Now, what to use on
that wonderfully soft skin? Finally she settled for a cool peppermint-scented
lotion. It should leave him feeling relaxed but invigorated. Relaxed and
asleep would be bad.

By the time she turned around Tom was lying on his stomach on the bed, naked,
head pillowed on his arms. Kathryn unhooked the single button on the back of
the nightgown and let it fall in a puddle around her feet. She draped it
neatly over the foot of the bed. "I can't get lotion on my new nightgown."

"Nope, we can't have that." Tom lazily admired her naked body.

Climbing onto the bed, Kathryn straddled his waist and poured some lotion into
the palm of her hand to warm it. She started with his neck and worked down the
length of his back, fingers searching out
every smallest area of discomfort. Tom moaned and groaned as small, strong
hands kneaded the knots out of his muscles. As his tension melted away, her
touch became more intimate, searching instead for the places that gave him the
most pleasure. Leaning forward, she sprinkled small kisses over his shoulders.
"When was the last time I told you I love you?" she whispered.

"Much too long ago." Tom turned his head further to receive her kiss before
she went back to work. The expression in his eyes and his sighs of pleasure
told her how much he enjoyed this.

Kathryn savored the erotic thrill of running her hands over her lover's
beautiful body. But most of all she enjoyed watching his reactions, watching
tension melt into boneless relaxation, turning to
arousal as his body awakened to her touch. There was no way to hide the
pleasure touching him gave her. The moist heat of her sex against his skin
told Tom that.

Kathryn moved lower, straddling his legs. She massaged lotion into his lower
back, her touch becoming a teasing tickle on a sensitive place along his spine.
Tom squirmed and laughed until she relented, leaning forward to lavish kisses
on the spot she had tormented.

Moving on, slick fingers worked his ass cheeks and thighs, lips following in
their wake. She lingered over the backs of his knees, flicking her tongue over
the creases. Finally she reached his
feet with their long, slightly crooked toes. Looking back up the length of
that magnificent body, she knew he was the most physically beautiful man she
had ever seen, but that was nothing compared to
the gentle soul inside.

The tragedy was that Tom had been used so many times by people who only wanted
to possess that beauty that he had a hard time believing someone could love the
man. It broke Kathryn's heart at the beginning of their relationship to see
how little he expected from a lover in return for everything he gave. He was
surprised by the outpouring of affection he received, the small acts of
kindness, but he was finally learning how to be loved.

By the time Kathryn finished massaging the soles of his feet, sucking a toe or
two for good measure, Tom was moaning and surreptitiously rubbing his erection
against the mattress.

"Would you like me to do the other side?"

Tom rolled over and sat up slightly against the pile of pillows. His hair was
adorably mussed. Eyes sparked with blue fire. The candle light that turned
his fair skin to warm ivory gilded the light covering of body hair. His voice
was rough with desire. "I don't think I could stand it."

"And I don't think I can stand another minute without kissing you." Despite
her assertion, Kathryn managed to take her time running fingertips lightly up
his long muscular legs as she moved closer.
A small amount of lotion remained in the palm of one hand and she massaged it
into his balls with a gentle touch. She enjoyed his heart-felt moans as the
cool lotion and the warmth of her palm nearly
made him come against his will. Leaning down she lapped the fluid that leaked
from the swollen purple head of his cock.

"Kathryn ... god, what you do to me." Tom wrapped one arm around her waist,
pulling her down on top of him. She straddled his hips, her hot sex against
the length of his erection. Her heart was beating as wildly as his own. He
cupped the back of her head, devouring her lips, feeling his questing tongue
sucked into her mouth and taking the opportunity to delve into its depths.
They kissed until there was no more breath left, as if they would consume each
other.

Finally, Kathryn pulled her mouth away, gasping. She caressed his face gently
with her fingertips. "I've missed you so much."

"Then let me love you."

Everything Kathryn felt was shining in her face: tenderness, love, desire and
the laughter that was never far away when they were together. Tom kissed her
sweetly, sitting up a little farther and
running his fingers through the auburn curls between her legs. The probing
fingers drew a moan from her lips and came away wet.

"I enjoyed that massage almost as much as you did." She knelt astride his hips
to guide him to her entrance. Strong arms embraced her, kisses brushed her
throat as she lowered herself onto him.

"I love you, my wild Irish rose."

Kathryn cried out as she took his entire length inside her at once. Arms
wrapped around his neck, she hungrily sought his mouth. Making love with Tom
always felt so right, like coming home. She could spend the rest of her life
making love to this man.

Tom's tongue dove greedily into her mouth as she tightened around him, savoring
the sensation of being filled with his heat. Giving up the sweetness of his
lips, Kathryn leaned backward against his raised knees. He had managed to undo
the clip that held her hair. She shook it free to stream down her back.
Skillful hands roamed her body, cupping and kneading her breasts, lightly
raking fingernails from thigh to shoulder and finally drawing her closer.

Fingers gripped her buttocks, guiding her as she slid up and down the length of
his erection. The breath rasped in his throat as that tight channel massaged
his cock, letting the head almost slip out, then taking him hungrily back in to
the hilt. They began rocking gently together, letting the tension build. Her
clever tongue traced the contours of his ear, teeth nipping at the lobe, moving
on to the
soft skin at the juncture of neck and shoulder. He pulled away with a groan.

"You know how crazy that makes me."

"Uh-huh."

"You asked for it, lady."

Kathryn wound her fingers in Tom's hair, gasping, his lips trailing flame from
her neck down to her breasts, covering each one with that hot mouth as if he
would devour them whole, nibbling her nipples for dessert. Every nerve ending
in her body was on fire.

"Ohhh ... Tom ... don't ever stop doing that."

A low chuckle rumbled up from her tormenter's chest, sending delicious
vibrations through their connected bodies. He left off his task long enough to
reply. "I wouldn't mind at all, ... ahhh ... but it might be a little hard ...
to steer the ship this way." They fell back onto the pillows laughing and
kissing.

Tom drew Kathryn's leg over his hip, thrusting even deeper into her. They
moved together in ever faster rhythm, their need too great for subtlety. He
shuddered with the effort to control himself,
knowing it was a losing battle. "I'm afraid I'm not going to last very long."

"You won't have to." She was already quivering on the brink. It had been so
long since the last time they had made love; the fire inside her was burning
out of control. He grasped her buttocks and ground their hips together. It
felt so good she wanted to scream. "Ohhhh ... god, yes!" She bit his
shoulder. "Come for me, Tom ... please ...please." She ached to feel him
explode inside her.

"Kathryn ... my sweet Kathryn ..." She was deliberately tightening and
releasing the muscles that enveloped his aching shaft. He couldn't hold on a
second longer. Tom buried his face in her hair as
release swept over him, sobbing her name, shaking with the intensity of his
climax.

The sound of his voice would have been enough. The jets of hot fluid erupting
inside her sent waves of heat washing through Kathryn's body. She cried out
again and again, the shock waves seeming to reach deep into her bones, and
finally collapsed with a heavy sigh against Tom's chest, the aching need for
him temporarily satisfied.

They lay there panting, hearts racing, finally rolling onto their backs to let
some of their body heat dissipate. Tom lifted her hand to his lips and pressed
a kiss on the palm. "That was the perfect
appetizer. Intense enough to take the edge off, but not nearly long enough to
spoil the main course."

Kathryn laughed a little breathlessly. "And what's the main course?"

"You are." Tom let his eyes roam over his captain's beautiful body, planning
just what he wanted to do to her later in the evening.

End of part 2/3