Suddenly it didn’t seem to matter that they were sinking to the floor of the Ready Room. “Yes,” she answered him, drawing his head and mouth to hers once more.

The sparse clothing they had donned was quickly removed as Chakotay lay her back against the gray carpet. Trailing feather-light kisses against her cheek, he stopped when he reached her earlobe. He sucked gently on it, nipping her with his teeth, as Kathryn was immediately reminded of her thoughts while he was eating the carrot. Had that only been this evening? It seemed like a lifetime ago, and in a sense, it was. He continued to suck on her left ear as his hands moved down her body to her breasts, thumbs teasing her nipples into hard points.

“Your ears drive me crazy,” he confessed as he switched his attention to her right side. “If you only knew how many times I wanted to do this,” he said so softly, she almost didn’t hear him.

*Probably about as often as I imagined this,* Kathryn thought to herself as she ran her hands through his close-cropped hair. The feel of it against her palms sent shivers through her, added to the fire he was causing in her, it was proving to be a heady combination. Chakotay started to move his attentions south, and stopped at her breasts. Licking the tender flesh, he avoided her most sensitive spot, until she pulled his head over to her nipple. Still he wouldn’t completely oblige her. Touching her with only the gentlest caress from his tongue, he continued to tease her, until she arched her back, forcing her breast into his mouth. Once there, he sucked and nipped the offered flesh, eliciting a satisfied moan,

“Oh, Chakotay, you don’t know what you do to me.”

“I think I have an idea,” he grinned at her, as he gave equal time to her opposite breast.

Chakotay was having a hard time going so slow with her. He wanted to bring her to the brink of insanity, but it was difficult to resist his own needs. He wanted desperately to be inside her, to be as close as they had been earlier, but he was committed to his goal. He wanted her to know how much he loved her, to express without words all he had been feeling for these past years. The longing to be near her, and the simple joy of knowing her, being near her every day, even if that nearness had caused an inordinate amount of cold showers!

He kissed her stomach as his hand traveled down her hip, then to her legs, gently pushing them apart. Sliding his finger into her, he was surprised by the amount of moisture he found there, and the feel of it against his skin almost caused him to lose control.

Kathryn gasped as she felt his finger enter her and another rush of electricity coursed through her. Instinctively, she opened herself wider to him as he found her sensitive core. Her breathing was becoming erratic as the delicious tension continued to build.

“Oh, Chakotay!” She cried, “I need you now! Please!” This time she did say it like she meant it, and he almost accommodated her plea, but managed to hold out just a little longer.

“No,” he said, returning his mouth to hers, “you first, then I’ll join you.” She was about to argue as she felt the spasms start due to his expert touch. Arching under the strength of her orgasm, he swallowed her cry with a passionate kiss. He allowed her a moment to recover before he began his quest anew.

The throbbing between her legs hadn’t had time to subside as he started in on her again, only this time his tongue replaced his hand. He avoided her most responsive area, knowing to was too sensitive at this moment to accept anymore attention. Once again her hands were in his hair, urging him on, as if he needed any encouragement!

“You better not hold out on me again, Commander,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion. The use of his rank left no doubt in his mind she was not about to be satisfied with anything less than his full participation. Positioning himself between her legs, he asked,

“Is that a direct order, Captain?”

“It’s crunch time, Commander.” He couldn’t keep the smile from his face, surprised she had the presence of mind at this moment to inject her dry sense of humor.

“Yes Ma’am!” He replied, as he surged forward. Kathryn wrapped her legs around him, drawing him closer. He tried to go move slowly, to make the moment last, but her movements and her vocal urgings broke the last of his self-control.

“Kathryn. . .I can’t. . . .”

“I. . . It’s okay!. . . Oh, God, Chakotay!” She almost screamed, but it turned into more of a loud moan, as she remembered where they were, and that the walls were not entirely sound-proof.

“Kathryn!” He called out, as his release came, not as careful as she had been in regards to their whereabouts. Gathering her into his arms, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him, his breath still coming in little gasps, as he stroked her hair, her face, her ears.

“You probably don’t want to hear this,” Chakotay said, his voice returning to normal, “but I have to tell you: I love you Kathryn, and I’m not going to deny it or take it back, no matter what you say.” Clearly he expected her to react as she had earlier and was bracing himself for her worst.

“I don’t think there’s a woman alive who doesn’t want to hear that the man they just made love with, loves her,” she said, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingernails, a little too shy to look him in the eye. She was surprised to find herself feeling awkward at the moment. They had just been as close as two people could be, and she found it difficult to meet his eyes. Maybe it was because she was starting to think she too couldn’t live without this contact in her life, now that it had been experienced. She still held fast to all her old arguments, but now there was another voice in her head, lending it’s opinion. It was her voice, Kathryn’s. The Captain’s voice had always been there and would always be, but now the woman in her was demanding to be heard, to at least be considered. Chakotay’s arm still held her close, neither wanting to be the one to break the contact this time.

“. . .’Let us not to the marriage of true minds admit impediment. . .’” She mumbled against his chest. He hadn’t heard her and asked her to repeat what she had said. Lifting her eyes with new-found courage, she re-quoted the portion of Shakespeare’s sonnet she was familiar with.

"I'm not sure I understand," he said.

"The ship didn't stop dead in space," she said, smiling at him. "I can't go back either. I can't live without knowing you like this ever again."

"I'm still not sure I understand," he said, trying desperately not to hope she was considering letting him fully into her life.

Kathryn threaded the fingers of her hand with his, much the same way she had when she accepted his confession on New Earth. "We'll find a way, Chakotay. Together we'll make this work. And them we'll *really* give them something to talk about!"

THE END