�I�ll see your strawberry shortcake and I�ll raise you, one pineapple cobbler.� Malcolm Reed upped the ante.

�Oh, for God�s sake, just place the bet and stop trying to bluff.� Hoshi rolled her eyes as the internal voice in her head shouted. �Shit, I have a great hand and no desserts left. Oh well!�

�Broccoli?� Trip mumbled and didn�t even lift his head from his hand. He stayed in the hand and threw in his bet. He wasn�t very interested in this game. Now, if he were playing strip poker with a bunch of women, that would be another matter entirely.

�I�m out of desserts.� Hoshi shrugged apologetically.

Travis shrugged, threw into the kiddy and prayed everybody was bluffing.

�Ah!� Malcolm unbuttoned his Henley. �What I wouldn�t give for a shower right about now.�

I was wondering what that smell was. Hoshi wrinkled her nose. It was a tolerable smell, but not at all pleasant, but everybody was smelling �that way.�

�When this hand�s over, maybe you can look into building one.� Malcolm stated to Trip in all seriousness.

Hoshi looked between the two superior officers, wondering when this powder keg was going to blow�ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five�

�Would you like a sauna while I�m at it?� Trip replied and adjusted his card.

Travis could barely contain his amusement at the comment.

Hoshi looked straight at Travis as though they were on the same wave length and started counting�four, three�

�You knew we would be stuck in here for over a week. You might have given it a little thought to making it tolerable.� Malcolm grumbled.

Oh wow! Whiny Malcolm! I�ve never experienced him firsthand, but from what Trip says he is a real hoot�two�one! Hoshi could barely suppress her curiosity.

�I only had four hours, Malcolm. You�re lucky we�ve got a toilet.� Trip nodded, but remained calm.

�Well, I obviously overestimated your people�s abilities when it comes to indoor plumbing.� Malcolm set his cards down and continued goading the engineer about his department.

Uh oh! Those are fighting words Malcolm! You shouldn�t have made a snarky comment about the engineering department. Is that steam I see coming out of Trip�s ears. Hoshi�s running dialogue with herself had almost resulted in fits of giggles.

�You wanna take a shower?� Trip asked calmly with his lids lowered.

Oh yes! He is pissed! Now that�s entertainment!

Malcolm nodded silently in answer to Trip�s question.

�Build one yourself.� Trip folded his cards

Malcolm cleared his throat getting ready to continue the exchange of friendly fire.

Thank God Chef arrived in the knick of time with dinner. A round of thanks went out to Chef as the meals were passed around. Everybody thanking him except one�

�Pot roast? Agh, gah! That�s the third time in three days.� Malcolm stated ungraciously as he winced and almost dropped the hot dish.

Hoshi looked down, trying to hide her annoyance at Malcolm�s behavior. First it is Trip with the plumbing, now he is knocking Chef with the cooking. Trip was right. Whiny Malcolm is annoying. Why does he have to be so hot?

Yes, she was sitting here playing a hand of poker�strip poker in her fantasies� with three of the best-looking men on board. And she had had several fantasies regarding the armory officer, but she wasn�t too sure about it now. He certainly was� well� um� prissy. And if he didn�t stop complaining about things, she was going to throw her pot roast at him. Her hand twitched, resisting the urge to do so.

�Anybody know what they�re showing tonight� Travis grumbled obviously not thrill with pot roast again.

�The Day the Earth Stood Still,� Trip groused as he looked down to his dinner, not touching it.

�We�re having movie night? In here?� Malcolm�s voice rose in disbelief.

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You are so whiny! Whiny! Whiny! Nag! Nag! Nag! If you weren�t my superior officer, I would be telling you like it is. What! Another old movie! Would somebody please impale me on a long sharp object? Hoshi threw her head back in exasperation.

�Cap�n�s orders! I set up a monitor in compartment five. The screen�s a little small,� Trip waved his hand trying to explain, �but��

That�s it! �Who�s picking these movies? Shouldn�t we all get a vote?� Hoshi could hardly keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Trip sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

�I think there�s something burning.�

Hoshi couldn�t see over the crowd. But, she could hear Trip yelling at their �guests� about a plasma manifold. The next thing she knew Malcolm walked by her holding a pan and grousing about pot roast and showers.

�Poor baby.�

She didn�t mean to say it out loud, but knew she had as soon as Malcolm stopped and turned toward her with raised eyebrows.

�Excuse me. Did you say something, Ensign?�

Hoshi stood there like a deer in the headlights, her mouth gaping open trying to form words. �Would you like me to take that to Chef?� Hoshi volunteered.

�What a brilliant idea, Ensign.� Malcolm grinned as he handed her the pan with the unusual smelling �food� in it.

Hoshi just smiled back at him.

�I�ve isolated your comm frequencies. They won�t hear a thing.� Hoshi affirmed, looking back and forth between Malcolm and Captain Archer.

�Tell Travis,� Archer yelled through his helmet, as their comm. systems were not yet turned on, �to wait for my signal.�

Hoshi nodded. Damn! There is just something about Malcolm in an EV suit that makes him irresistible. Maybe it�s the way the lighting hits his face, or the way his earpiece fits into the curve of his ear.

Hoshi sighed and then grabbed on to something as the ship jolted as though telling her to snap out of her lust for the armory officer. Now was not the time.

Hoshi occupied her thoughts and anxiety monitoring their communications. Hot! So hot! I think we should be allowed to strip down to our boxers. She listened to the conversations between Captain Archer and the invader. Concern for Captain Archer�s health gripped her as he convinced the invader that he would destroy the ship. Thankfully, he was only acting.

Hoshi�s thoughts were shaken from her as the ship continued to rock back and forth. She could hardly hear the voices in her communicator.

Hoshi couldn�t sleep. It wasn�t the confines of the catwalk or the events of the last few days. She didn�t know what it was. Unfortunately, Trip�s teams didn�t get a chance to install a gym either, so Hoshi got up and started pacing the length of the catwalk.

It wasn�t long before she ran into the object of her frustration, Lt. Malcolm Reed. She hadn�t realized until that moment, he was what had woken her up. She was about ready to do an about face, but he had see her already. He was coming from Dr. Phlox�s flap holding his stomach.

�Good Evening, Lieutenant. Are you feeling okay?�

Malcolm straightened. �Yes, Ensign. I�m fine. Were you looking for me?�

Hoshi had to resist the urge to roll her eyes and the urge to sound incredulous. �No, Sir.�

Just then the storm rocked the ship, knocking Malcolm forward into Hoshi, bending her back over the railing. Hoshi�s thoughts went into melt down, as Malcolm was pressed flush with her. Her arms had wrapped around his back and were holding him to her with an iron grasp. One of his hands grasped the railing so they wouldn�t flip completely over the railing; the other was placed on one of her breasts.

Oh my God! Oh my God! Hoshi watched as Malcolm licked his lips. They were so close to hers. She could smell his breath, which was surprisingly fresh considering they had been cooped up for five days. All she had to do was move her head one tiny millimeter and she would be able to place her lips on his.

Suddenly Malcolm jerked back covering his mouth.

�Bloody hell! I think I am going to be sick!� Malcolm bent down in front of her taking deep breaths.

Humiliation flooded every fiber being. That is not what I wanted to hear. Suddenly the overwhelming urge to kick his posterior got the better of her. It was like a really bad movie as she saw her foot connect with his ass and pushed him forward. There she was pushing the object of her wet dream face forward. The feeling that she was also flushing her career down the toilet flashed before her too, as he fell forward.

�Oh my God! Sir! I am so sorry! It was totally intentional! See, it got your mind off of your stomach, didn�t it?� Hoshi blathered, looking him in the eye trying to play innocent.

�No, no! Ensign, I-I am the one that should be apologizing.� He looked down at his hands as thought they had a mind of their own. He flexed the one that had been placed on her breast.

Hoshi�s breast still tingled from the contact. She could see him struggling for words and extended a hand to help him up.

The ship was still rocking and they held on to one another for support. Luckily, most everybody had gotten use to the turbulence and continued sleeping right through it.

Hoshi placed a hand on his lips to stop the blubbering of his apology, but it continued. Let�s see if this will work.

She grasped the back of his head and placed her lips firmly onto his. He did something totally unexpected.

He kissed her back. Expertly.

Their bodies were pressed flush with one another�s, her hands on his head, his hands roaming the expanse of her back. It wasn�t long before his tongue sought permission to invade her mouth. She gladly encouraged him in, thrusting her tongue against his. A moan escaped his throat as she greedily drank it up.

They were ripped apart as Malcolm suddenly realized where they were and his communicator chirped.

�Reed here.� He barked into the device.

�Malcolm,� the ever-friendly voice of Captain Archer sounded, �am I interrupting you?�

Hoshi could see the staunch British armory officer personification had taken hold over him as he answered his hail.

�N-No sir.� Malcolm�s clipped voice replied. He continued starring at Hoshi.

�We need you in the command area, for a second.�

�I�m on my way.� Malcolm closed his communicator and looked at Hoshi. His eyes were dark.

As he brushed by her, she thought she felt a spark.

Hoshi sat down on the plank with a pole between her legs and bashed her head against it lightly. No coherent thought would come to mind. She touched her lips as they still tingled. His taste�

Hoshi sighed and stood up. Maybe I should go back to sleep and continue the kiss in my dream. The only problem with that is it wouldn�t just stop at a kiss.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Captain came on over the PA system. Were her sharp ears deceiving her? What the Captain saying they could leave the catwalk? Her heart pounded at the thought of a shower. She started gathering her things, feeling like she needed to rush so that all the hot water wasn�t gone. People were milling around her, gathering their things. The room was buzzing with talk of showers.

Whoa there! Hoshi balanced her PADDs, or at least tried to.

�Do you need some help there, Ensign?� the familiar British voice asked.

Hoshi�s heart jumped to her throat then an idea formed in her mind. She was certain it would wind up a cold shower, not because of lack of hot water, but because of her erotic dreams over the last couple of nights.

�Could you help me with these,� she motioned to her PADDs. �I don�t think I am going to be able to get them all in one trip to my quarters, and I really want to be one of the first to get a shower.�

�Me too.� Malcolm replied then realized the implications and blushed.

�Hmmm,� Hoshi thought to herself. Perhaps a shower was indeed in order. Perhaps� well, first off I need to get him to my quarters.

�I would appreciate any help you could give me, Lieutenant.� Hoshi smiled demurely and piled some PADDs into his waiting arms.

Like leading sheep to a slaughter. Hoshi could barely contain the bounce in her step, but did not contain the wiggle to her hips. She could actually hear Malcolm swallowing.

It wasn�t long before they reached her quarters in a companionable silence. There really wasn�t much to say because people were rushing up and down the hall with their belongings.

�Where would you like these?� Malcolm asked as he looked around her quarters, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

�On the desk would be fine.� Hoshi said, as she went into the bathroom to start the shower.

She walked right up to Malcolm, purposefully invading his personal space, and unzipping her uniform. �Your know, there won�t be any hot water by the time you get to your quarters. Would you like to shower with me and conserve water?� The last few days had been enough for Hoshi. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted him. Regulations be damned. What�s the worst that can happen? He could say no and walk out.

She took her sleeves slowly down her arm, never breaking eye contact with his beautiful blue eyes. As she went to unbutton her Henley, his hand stopped hers.

�What are you doing, Hoshi?� Malcolm�s voice sounded raspy. The hand on hers had to will to enforce its master�s intentions.

She could tell he was battling with his conscience, so she leaned in and kissed him. She trailed her tongue along his lips. �I�ll be in the shower. The invitation is an open one if you decide to join me.� She walked away, continuing to disrobe.

She left the door open, letting the steam waft into the rest of her quarters. She was completely naked now. Maybe I was too forward. I haven�t heard the door to my quarters open. I wonder if he is still here. Her confidence wasn�t as high as it was a few moments ago.

She closed her eyes as she stepped into the shower, and let the warm water caress her skin. She took a deep breath and let the tears fall with the water. Great, now that she propositioned her superior, perhaps she could melt through the deck plating and evaporate into nothingness.

She had her eyes closed and was running soap into her hair.

�Here, let me get that.�

Hoshi jumped at the sound of Malcolm�s voice, and then his hands touching her hair.

Her heart soared. His hands were magic in her hair massaging her scalp. She leaned back into him. She could feel his arousal pressing against her backside. She gasped as he turned her in his arms, letting the spray rinse the soap out of her hair.

When she opened her eyes, she looked into his blue ones. His brow furrowed in concern, as he could tell she had been crying. His hands wiped the shower spray and tears from her face only to be replaced by his lips, as he kissed her eyelids, her cheek and finally her mouth.

The kiss they shared unleashed the passion they felt for one another. Tongues dueled as teeth clashed.

He held her close to him as he spun them around so he could get wet. Spray still hit her body, trickling down the valley of her breasts, quickly followed by his teeth and tongue.

She gasped and felt desire pool between her legs. His hands and mouth were on her breasts, suckling, plucking and whispering promises of things to come. One of her hands probed her labia and slipped between her slick folds.

�Oh yes.� She groaned, encouraging his actions.

�Please, Malcolm. I want to feel you inside me.� She turned, facing the wall, grasping one of the handrails in the shower. She leaned over making her wishes clear.

Malcolm growled deep in his chest. He ran his hands over her back then pressed into her welcome warmth. Hoshi marveled at the ease, the sensation and his size, as he started moving gently inside her, trying to establish a rhythm. He place one hand on her hip as though to steady himself while the other continued to wander the contours of her back.

The rhythm he set was slow. It was as though he had been savoring this moment and didn't want it to end. To her, she had pictured this for so long, she yearned for completion. She thrust back onto him, urging a quicker tempo.

Malcolm shuddered in response, but did not give in to her wishes. He held onto her, true to his original pace. The only motion he made to stop her movement was a gentle hand on the small of her back.

Hoshi could see their reflection in the metallic surface of the shower. The vision was blurred, but she could see the bodies merging as one. "Malcolm's pace was set, there was no changing it, or goading him," she thought to herself.

She never would have figured him to be a 'take-your-time' lover. She had heard things about his past -- more appropriately, about the women in his past. She could feel the spring of want tighten. The spring wanted to burst out of her. She reached a hand down and started stroking her swollen clitoris. She actually didn't need to stroke it, as she placed her hand there, letting Malcolm's movements move her clitoris onto her nimble fingers.

Before she knew it, she felt the spring burst from her body as her orgasm took over. She shuddered, bucking back onto her new lover. "Oh yes, Malcolm. That's it!"

Only after his lover had obtained her release, did he seek his. He lunged into her one final time. His pace always the same. He could feel her muscles constricting around him as he poured into her.

They stayed that way for what seemed like eternity -- Hoshi bent over with her head bowed in reverence, and her hand still holding onto the handrail. Malcolm rested with his chest and head on her back.

No words were spoken as they finished washing each other. Soapy hands explored and aroused one another, but the water soon turned cold encouraging them to continue making love in another venue.

They stepped out of the shower, taking turns toweling each other off. Their eyes seldom left one another as her dark brown ones bore into his light blue eyes. He was toweling her legs off and moving her to her bunk as he nuzzled the nest between her legs.

In the fog of renewed desire, Malcolm had placed her on the bed with her legs spread before him. He knelt as though praying then kissed her inner thigh. Hoshi threw her head back in expectation, actually never expecting Malcolm to be the type to do what he was doing.

She gasped, arching her back, as she felt his tongue and fingers probing her depths. His fingers stroked deep and curved upwards while his tongue danced on her clitoris. Her release was instant and shattering.

"Oh please... yes... no!" Hoshi pleaded as he continued to lavish attention on her. The pleasure was sharp, almost painful. She jerked away, unable to stand anymore.

Malcolm sat back on his haunches. He joined her as she opened her arms in invitation. He was surprised when she turned him over and straddled him and had to smile to himself when she purred, "It's your turn."

The path she kissed down his toned torso didn't take long. She took his shaft in her hand and stroked it up and down as the warm cavern on her mouth covered it. He moaned and grasped her ebony hair. She could feel his legs trying to kick her off, but she held firm and continued her ministrations. She swirled her tongue around the tip of his manhood while one of her hands cupped his hardening sacks.

Malcolm tugged on her hair gasping for breath. "Please...Hoshi...luv...not...like...this...I ...want to... cum... inside... you."

Malcolm's request was ignored as she continued. She increased the rhythm, making her intentions clear. She didn't have to wait long as she felt Malcolm's salty, warm spray flood her mouth. She kept on licking and kissing his sensitive member earning pants and moans from her lover.

"Hoshi, if you keep licking me like I am cream and you're a cat, I am going to have to take you again." Malcolm said in all seriousness as he held his arm over his eyes.

"I wouldn't mind." She purred and gave his sacks another lick.

"But, I do. I'm dead tired and need to get some sleep before my shift starts...before our shift starts." Malcolm pulled her body flush with his and plundered her mouth with his.

"I guess you�re right," Hoshi pouted, but soon dozed onto his sweat-covered chest.

When she woke, she was alone. Had it been a dream? She didn't remember setting her alarm. She looked over to her desk. The stack of PADDs were still sitting there where Malcolm had put them. She stretched and felt a little discomfort. No. It wasn't a dream. Before he left, he must have set her alarm.

Alone. She was alone. Always alone. She sighed mentally kicking herself for seducing her superior officer...her friend. What did she expect -- undying confessions of love?

"Yes." A little voice niggled.

"Well, welcome to reality," Hoshi said to her reflection and set her shoulders, choosing to ignore the ache she felt in her chest.

TBC?

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