TITLE: My Wild Irish Rose
PART: 3/3
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 shook her head. It was hard to tell in the candlelight, but Tom
thought she was blushing. "Don't tell me I've embarrassed you."

"I'm just not used to being lusted after like this - not that I mind."

"Come to think of it, I don't know *what* you're used to. You know all about
my love life, but I hardly know anything about yours. Doesn't seem quite fair
to me."

"There's not that much to tell." She nudged him over with her hip and moved
out of the wet spot to drape herself lazily over one side of his body. There
was no reason not to tell him; Tom wasn't the jealous type. It was obvious he
was simply curious about her past.

"I'll start at the beginning, since it's such a short story. My first time was
with a boy I'd been dating off and on all through high school. He was going to
college off-planet and I was going to the
Academy. We wanted to say a proper good-bye."

She hadn't thought of Alan very often over the years, but when she did, it was
with affection. "I sneaked out my window one night and met him in the woods
behind my house. It was awkward and brief and very sweet."

Tom was rubbing her back lightly. He closed his eyes, imagining the incredible
sweetness of being the first to touch her. "I can't tell you how much I envy
him."

Kathryn rested her cheek on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You may
not have been the first, but I want you to be the last." She held her breath a
moment, afraid that her confession would scare him into backing off. When he
was completely silent, she looked up to find Tom staring at her, dazed.

He seemed to have forgotten how to speak. All he could do was envelope Kathryn
in his arms and rain soft kisses on her face. There was a suspicious moisture
at the corners of his eyes. They clung
to each other for a moment before she resumed her comfortable place on his
chest. Tom cleared his throat and strove for his usual light tone. "Don't
think that gets you off the hook. You were telling
me about your many conquests."

She wasn't fooled for a minute. Heart singing, she resumed her narrative,
happy to indulge her lover's curiosity. Her past life seemed impossibly remote
and completely irrelevant. "I had a brief
affair with my roommate my first year at the Academy. She was a little older
than me, a medical student. I thought she was terribly beautiful and
sophisticated. I was all skinny arms and legs and
hair that wouldn't behave. My family loved her, although I think they wondered
what she saw in me." The memory made her laugh. "Then I spent a semester at
the Vulcan Science Academy. Her letters got farther and farther apart, then I
got a 'dear Jane' letter saying she had met someone else and they were getting
married."

"The woman obviously had no taste."

Kathryn scowled. "I was teaching a seminar at the Academy a couple years
before we came out here and her *son* was in my class. I felt positively
ancient. Thank you for reminding me of that on my birthday."

"Poor Kathryn. It must be rough to be that old. Ouch!" Tom rubbed his
stomach where she'd smacked him. An evil smile stole over his face. "So, did
you continue the family tradition? It would've been a great way to get your
revenge."

She would have bopped him with a pillow to wipe that annoying smile off his
face, but that would have involved moving. So Kathryn settled for kissing him
until he nearly suffocated. Her point made, she continued.

"The boy had all the personality of a turnip. Besides, I wasn't mad at his
mother. I met Justin almost as soon as I got back to Earth." The memory still
made her smile. "He was the most damn irritating man I've ever met - well,
until I met you."

She was about to continue when her stomach growled loudly. "Didn't I see a
table set for dinner? I'm starved."

Tom couldn't help laughing. "I can see where your priorities are. Okay, I'll
feed you. Just don't put on too many clothes. You won't be needing them much
tonight."

They showered and dressed quickly in their night clothes, sitting down to a
light but delicious dinner. Dessert was chocolate mocha mousse, something Tom
knew his favorite coffee-fiend would love.

Kathryn quickly finished off her own dessert, then appropriated Tom's. She
compensated him by curling up in his lap and sharing plenty of
chocolate-flavored kisses. Cleaning the spoon of the last drop, she thrust her
tongue into his mouth, letting him lick off the cool confection.

They were quite content to sit there for a while, listening to the fire crackle
while she nuzzled his neck and Tom's hands stroked her body through the
delicate silk. Finally he rubbed a thumb over an
already hard nipple. She made a small sound in the back of her throat and he
chuckled.

"Getting hungry again?"

"For you, my love, always." She shifted and attempted to unbutton the top of
his pajamas, but found her hands restrained.

"Not tonight. I have something special planned." He stood with Kathryn still
in his arms and crossed to the bed, setting her down on her feet. She squirmed
and laughed as Tom undressed her, doing her best to get the pilot out of his
own clothes.

He finally wrestled his naked captain to the bed, although he'd lost the top of
his pajamas and the bottoms were getting distinctly tight. "If you don't stop
wriggling, I'm going to lick you until you pass out. Then you'll never know
what your surprise was."

Kathryn stopped moving immediately. She knew from experience that he could do
it. He'd once demonstrated this remarkable talent in the public head outside
the briefing room, after their shift was over, of course. It took a moment to
decide whether she preferred the reward or the 'punishment.' With a dramatic
sigh, she released Tom from her embrace and scooted up to recline against the
pillows as directed. "What exactly does my surprise involve?"

"Actually, I got the idea from one of Megan Delaney's little games." He very
much enjoyed the look on Kathryn's face. "Don't worry, I've modified it a
little." He leaned down to brush a kiss over
Kathryn's lips and whisper in her ear. "I intend to torture you with
pleasure."

There had been a few alterations made while Kathryn was showering earlier. The
sheets had been changed and two strips of material were tied to the bedposts
next to the headboard. They were made of the same champaign-colored silk as
the rest of the bed coverings. Tom picked up the loose ends and showed them to
her.

He laid down next to her, touching her face gently. "You know I would never
hurt you, Kathryn. I never want to give you anything but pleasure. Do you
trust me?"

"With everything I have." She kissed the palm of his hand, eyes blazing with
emotion.

He was caught in her gaze, drowning in it. It was moments like this that he
wanted to fall at her feet in gratitude for letting him experience a kind of
love he'd never even imagined.

Kathryn leaned her forehead against Tom's, rubbing noses. The look in his eyes
was the best birthday present she had ever gotten. "Didn't you say something
about torture?"

She was quickly tied in the soft restraints. They left her with enough room to
bend her arms a bit, so they wouldn't be locked uncomfortably over her head.
Tom showed her how to undo the knots
whenever she wanted to escape, not that she imagined she'd want to.

Tom sat back on his heels admiring his work. Kathryn was sitting up slightly
against a pile of silk pillows, the candle light gleaming on her fair skin,
throwing flickering shadows over her sleekly
muscled form. She was breathing deeply from the kisses he had lavished on her
beautiful body, which was spread out before him, a feast of sensual delights,
and he intended to savor every morsel.

Another silk cloth was tied around her eyes. Opening them, she realized that
although she couldn't see around the blindfold, the light from the fire and
candles filtered through, enveloping her in a
warm, golden glow. Tom's hand rested lightly on her stomach. She felt the bed
shift as he leaned toward the bedside table. There was the sound of liquid
being poured, no doubt the champaign she had noted chilling on the table. The
bed shifted again and the glass was waved under her nose, the bubbles tickling.

"Would you like a drink before we start?"

Kathryn, who had never refused champaign in her life, nodded her assent. It
was cold, and fizzed as it slid down her throat. She felt Tom straddle her
legs. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Happy birthday, Kathryn." She could hear the smile in his voice.

Suddenly, something cold and wet dripped onto her chest. The liquid sizzled
against her skin as it trickled between her breasts. Kathryn gasped in
surprise, then again as the cold liquid was followed by a hot tongue.

"*Tom!*"

"Surprise. I hope you like your present."

She didn't have time to answer before another shower drenched her left breast.
She could feel the droplet hanging from her nipple as it puckered from the
cold. Another rivulet trickled into the crease
below. She was aware of every bubble as it sizzled against the incredibly
sensitive skin.

Shivering in anticipation, Kathryn breathlessly waited for Tom's hot mouth to
descend on her. She moaned and arched into his touch as the droplet was licked
from the nipple, his mouth greedily sucking at her flesh. The performance was
repeated with the other breast, then a small pool was poured into her navel and
left there while the rest of her body was attended to.

It felt as if the champaign had gotten under her skin, fizzing and popping
along her nerve endings, radiating from the pool in her navel to the throbbing,
needy place between her legs. Kathryn was nearly writhing off the bed. There
was no more thought in her mind except where the next droplets would fall.
Every part of her felt alive and electrically charged in a way she had never
experienced before. Tom left none of her skin unattended to. Underarms,
thighs, toes. He even drank from the hollows at the base of her throat. He
was almost completely silent, not wanting to distract her from the exquisite
torture for one moment.

At last, Kathryn felt Tom lower himself to the bed between her legs. Beyond
words, she lifted her hips in supplication. Gentle hand caressed her thighs,
followed by butterfly kisses. Fingers parted
her lips, revealing the dripping folds within. She could smell her own
arousal. She waited, not breathing, not moving, for what was to come. Even
so, Kathryn cried out and strained at her bonds when the cold liquid drenched
her heat.

It seemed to reach into every crevice, sending electric shocks through her
entire body. Tom let her lie there a moment savoring the sensation before his
tongue began thoroughly cleaning her of every
drop. Kathryn's universe narrowed until there was nothing left but the
sensation of that rough tongue and soft lips. He licked her in broad, firm
strokes, tongue repeatedly flickering into her opening.

As Tom sucked and tugged at the swollen flesh with his lips, the mewing sounds
coming from Kathryn's throat became frantic moans. If she could have spoken,
she would have begged. Finally, finally, he swirled his tongue over her apex,
diving in for the kill with his lips. Kathryn didn't know and didn't care if
she was screaming out loud or only in her head. She frantically clutched the
soft material of her restraints, bucking wildly as Tom's hands fought to hold
her still. Wave after wave of pleasure slammed into her, crackling through her
veins like phaser fire until everything faded into
a searing white haze.

The warm golden glow of candle light filtered through her blindfold. Kathryn
felt Tom's hands on her, stroking gently. He was calling her name in an amused
voice. She slipped out of the restraints, curling her entire body around her
lover. The blindfold could stay on a while longer; she looked forward to
seeing how much of his body she remembered by touch alone. "You lied. You
said you would lick me until I passed out if I *didn't* cooperate."

"Any complaints?"

"Only one." Her wandering hand had found his neglected and achingly hard
erection. "But it's a big one." She neatly flipped him on his back, settling
in to remedy the complaint as soon as possible.

Tom regarded the ruin around them. It was a good thing this was a hologram;
the bed was soaked with a wonderfully pungent combination of champaign and
Kathryn. His love lay sticky and purring in his arms. With a sigh that
quickly became a moan, he relaxed on the wet sheets as her strong hand worked
its magic. The best part was that this was for keeps. With any luck they
would still be wrecking furniture together fifty or sixty years from now.
Sheer bliss.

--------------------------------
Emerald-green velvet swirling around her, Kathryn Janeway greeted her guests.
She basked in their admiring glances. The dress fell to her ankles, loosely
skimming the body beneath, but managing to cling to all the right curves.
Shining auburn hair hung below her shoulders, unrestrained. She felt beautiful
and loved and it showed.

There was a small pile of presents forming on one of the pool tables.
Sandrine's was packed with people who had come in to celebrate the captain's
birthday and/or the defeat of the Hirogen. Kathryn surveyed the loot as she
added another brightly wrapped package. She always asked people not to bring
gifts, but they always did. The present Chakotay had given her earlier was
there - a beautiful silver pocket watch. He had volunteered to stay on the
bridge this afternoon so some of the beta shift officers could attend the
party. Harry and B'Elanna had given her a collection of musical recordings
from their last stop at an alien planet. There was the sheer nothing made of
red lace that the Delaney sisters had intended as a joke, and which Tom would
probably have shredded in no time.

Almost by instinct, she located him across the room, talking to a member of the
holographic band. He looked up and smiled, caressing her with his eyes.
Kathryn sighed contentedly. Last night had been one of the most powerfully
erotic experiences of her life. She could still feel the warm glow of Tom's
touch on her skin. Afterwards they had wallowed in the freshly changed bed
until late morning, making love, talking and eating breakfast.

"If you two keep looking at each other like that people are going to start
talking."

Kathryn started and turned around to greet B'Elanna. The short gold sheath she
wore complimented the warm brown of her skin. "So what did Tom get you for
your birthday, and why did it involve me taking holodeck 1 out of service until
this morning?" The younger woman didn't really expect an answer, but her
captain's deep flush of embarrassment told her it would have been an
interesting one.

"I'll make you a deal, B'Elanna. I'll tell you about Tom's birthday present if
you tell me how you ended up *swallowing* Harry's rank insignia the other day."

"How about I buy you a drink?" B'Elanna good naturedly conceded the point.
Harry had to request permission to replicate another collar pip and swore he
would kill her if she told anyone about how much he loved to be bitten. The
engineer wondered briefly if the captain and Tom ever got that wild, but
dismissed the thought. Janeway was much too stuffy.

The women found places at the bar as Harry joined Tom and whispered
conspiratorially with the holographic band. Finally a drum roll caught
everyone's attention. Tom addressed the crowd. "I had a tough time deciding
what to get the captain for her birthday." He flashed Kathryn a grin full of
the memory of last night. "It's hard to find the perfect gift for a woman who
has her own starship. So I wrote a song and I'd like to dedicate it to her.
It's called 'My Wild Irish Rose.' The title isn't original, but the lady is
one of a kind." He and Harry and the band launched into the song he had
written for Kathryn weeks before.

Everyone in the bar was looking from Kathryn to Tom in surprise. Several
people knew that he played the piano, but they also knew he didn't like to play
in front of an audience, much less something he had written himself.

B'Elanna looked impressed. "I can't believe he's actually playing in front of
people. I've been bugging him for years to get out there."

Kathryn dropped her head into her hands. *I can't believe he called it that.*
She liked it when Tom called her his wild Irish rose when they were making
love, but if he ever explained the title to anyone ... She threaded her way
through the crowd toward the piano thinking dire thoughts. By the time she got
there all she could think about was the look on Tom's face, the joy he so
obviously got from playing. His eyes were fastened on her the entire time and
she knew he was playing only for her.

A sudden sense of freedom pervaded her as Kathryn realized what she was going
to do. This secrecy had gone on long enough. They had already wasted too much
time.

As the last notes died away and Tom stood to bow to the applauding audience,
Kathryn stepped up beside him. He knew she was planning something from the
determined set of her jaw, but he was totally unprepared for the kiss. She
quite deliberately wound her arms around his neck and caressed his lips with
her own. Laughing eyes looked up at him as he automatically took her in his
arms. As Tom realized what Kathryn was doing, he responded passionately to her
kiss. It seemed she was giving *him* a present for her birthday. So much for
discretion.

She relinquished his lips, but remained in the shelter of his embrace. "I love
you, Tom Paris." Her warm throaty voice was loud enough to be heard by the
audience. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Kathryn addressed the crowd
gaping at the couple on the stage. "Anyone who has a problem with that can go
stick their head out an airlock."

The End