It started at suppertime. Mal was just about to dig into the surprisingly fine meal Jayne had prepared when it happened.

He was lying back on his bunk, naked and sheathed to the hilt inside Inara, who was keeping those beautiful full breasts just out of reach of his tongue as she rocked back and forth.

Just as he had convinced himself it was real, he was suddenly snapped out of it by Kaylee asking him to pass the peas. He coughed and spluttered a bit to cover what had just happened, but he could tell he would have to be very careful when he got up from the table.

Mal stole a glance over at Inara, who looked completely unruffled. What the hell had just happened?

H managed to distract himself after supper with a few hands of tall card before heading for his bunk.

River called out after him, “Sweet dreams, Captain.”

Right after he finished brushing his teeth, it happened again. Except this time, he had Inara up against a bulkhead, her skirts around her waist and his pants around his ankles as he thrust furiously up into her.

The sound of the toothbrush clattering into the sink as it fell out of his hand brought him back to the reality of his harsh breathing and aching groin, alone in his bunk. He stared at himself in the mirror.

Maybe you’ve just been overworked, Reynolds.

The third time it happened was when Mal was getting undressed for bed. Suddenly, it wasn’t his bed, and neither was he alone. Instead, he was hovering over Inara, her long legs up over his shoulders as he worked himself inside her. Just as he was about to have his release, he again found himself sitting on his bunk, gripping the edge with white knuckles, chest heaving.

No rutting way was he getting any sleep tonight.

After he was certain he could walk without doing himself any serious damage, he very slowly made his way to the mess. Maybe some tea would clear his head.

There, sitting by herself was the last person Mal wanted to face in his current condition – Inara. She looked far too warm and real, not