Chapter 6

As they lay tangled in one another’s arms, skin still damp, the com unit Simon had deposited onto the bedside table activated. Moments later they could hear Mal’s very irritated voice.

“Hey, anyone there? You been ignorin’ this thing fer hours. Kaylee? S – Brandon? One of you answer me right this minute.”

Simon closed his eyes and tightened his arms around Kaylee before reaching a long arm over to the table and clicking on the two-way. “Yes, Captain. We hear you.”

“Where the gorram hell you two been?”

“We aren’t due to return for another hour, Sir.” Simon kept his voice neutral in case anyone had tapped their com line.

“Yeah, yeah. Well, we’re takin’ off so you’d better be back on time.”

“Yes, Sir. We – ah, have a bit of cargo to pick up. Can you send the mule? Kaylee went – uh, overboard in spending our – wedding money. She’s filled trunks full with – well,” he glanced down at Kaylee with an amused grin, “I’m not sure what. I try not to ask too closely when a woman goes shopping.”

Mal laughed and they could hear Wash in the background muttering something about not letting any woman he knows hear him say that.

Kaylee playfully batted at his shoulder, a mock look of annoyed shock on her face.

“Give us about an hour and then come get us?”

Silence greeted him on the other side of the com and he nervously hurried to cover the lull. “Ah – the room includes breakfast, Captain.”

“Oh, oh, yes. Fine. We’ll see you in an hour.” The com clicked off and Simon exhaled a sigh of relief.

“He will kill me, you know that.”

Kaylee pressed her mouth to his chest and rubbed her cheek against him. “No he won’t.”

“He doesn’t like me Kaylee. And he will like me sharing your bed even less.”

“He ain’t never cared who I spread for before, and he won’t care now.” Her eyes twinkled as she trailed her hand down his chest and below the sheet. “’Sides, if he complains, I can always remove a coil or three and Serenity won’t go nowhere.”

Simon’s eyes widened and he laughed, a sight