As she lay in bed, Inara's thumb traced the frame of the vid-capture Kaylee had made for her. It contained snippets of all the crew, but it was the image of the captain that she kept replaying again and again. He wasn't doing anything special, just chatting in the mess eating some soup with the others. But it was the way his eyes crinkled around his eyes when he laughed that brought a delicate smile to Inara's lips.

She played it again and again until her eyes finally closed and it dropped from her fingertips, sliding off her silk pillow until it sat cock-eyed at the edge of her bed.

Morning came all too soon for the Companion. She felt restless. All the arrangements had been made for her meeting with the Admiral. She had studied his profile and knew his greatest desires and preferences. She felt confident she would be able to convince him not to pursue his son -- and Serenity.

She prepared a basin of water laced with lavender. Stepping out of her robes, she kneeled in front of it and dropped the large sponge in to soak up the warm bath water.

He paced outside her door. Only a damned fool would act this way at his age, and here he was... debating whether to go in or not. She twisted him up on the insides. It had to stop. And that included her talk of whoring with that Admiral. The man had to be so old he could be her father. It just wasn't right.

He knocked on the door and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Hell with it, it was his ship, he could go in when he wanted. Putting his hand over the sensor so it would recognize him, he entered. "Inara, I want to..." Stopping mid stride, he stared at her. All of her. From that glorious mane of hair, down her full round breasts, her narrow waist and curves any man would die to drive.

Inara didn't flinch, she merely looked up at Mal with annoyance. "Did you hear me give permission to enter?"

He licked his lips and found his gaze had roamed uncontrollably back down to her breasts. Sticking his index finger into his co