The sun, as it came up over the horizon, felt so good on her skin. Mal had run inside for a couple of blankets after they’d finally climbed from the water, and they’d stretched out on the cut grass, dozing in each other’s arms. Now, as the dawn receded and the birds calmed, she lay on her own, Mal having gone to find breakfast.

She ran her hands up the outside of her thighs, her hips, above her waist, just grazing the curve of her breasts before putting her arms above her head, stretching, the sun making her feel lazy, sated, as if everything else were too much hassle.

Something wet and warm moved against her toe.

“If that’s not you, you’d better stop.” She kept her eyes tight shut.

“Which you are we talking about here?”

“Well, there’s only a few men on board Serenity, and as they’re all pretty much taken …”

“Maybe I'm the doc, and decided to get a taste of something different.”

“Well, you’re not Hank. Zoe would kill him.”

“And Kaylee wouldn’t kill Simon? How about Jayne? Maybe I'm a big mercenary of very little brain.”

Freya giggled. “Maybe.”

“Did you just giggle?”

She shook her head firmly. “No.”

“You did. You giggled.”

“I don’t giggle. I'm too old to giggle.”

Mal grinned. “I don’t think you’re too old for anything.” He put his mouth back around her toe and sucked gently.

“Mmn.”

“You like that?”

“Yes.”

“So do I. Now they’re all healed up and you‘ll let me, somehow I can’t seem to keep my hands off ‘em.” He began to massage her other foot. She jerked slightly. “Hey, you ticklish?”

“No,” she said, biting her lip.

“You are. Never knew that ‘bout you before.” He ran his thumb down her instep. “Keep learnin’ new things about you.”

“I'm … stop that! I'm not ticklish!”

“Really?” She felt him move up her leg. “How about here?” She felt his fingers graze behind her knee.

“No.” The shudder that ran through her said otherwise.

“Interesting.” He touched her thigh, just his nails pressing ever so gently into her skin, the