A Valentine's Night

Warning: Romantic Content to follow, please read at your own discretion!

(Translation - Bring along your favorite chocolate-based indulgence(s), have a quiet sit-down and, hopefully, enjoy)

I felt like whipping together a romantic bit for Tony and Maya, being Valentines Day and all. I haven't given it a specific time, place it where you will in Yr2 or Yr3, doesn't matter.

Humbly submitted for your reading pleasure, comments and/or suggestions are always welcome. Here's hoping you all have more than enough love in you life!

Gabbie

Tony Verdeschi allowed himself a look in the mirror as he finished getting ready for tonight's dance. It was the first social event to be held on base for some time and majority vote had elected a disco over a more formal dance. In Tony's opinion, either choice had been good, they had been through enough lately and a disco seemed the perfect choice to vent tensions and allow the weary Alphans a chance to relax.

He debated for a few minutes over what to wear before choosing his best pair of black khakis and a black short sleeve dress shirt. The outfit had been a birthday present from his Mom and he had only worn it a few times. He retrieved his belt and shoes from the closet, then finished dressing. He fiddled with the top buttons on his shirt before opting to leave a few undone. This made him laugh. It was not like he had an official date for the evening, although he knew exactly whom he was spending his evening with.

It had not been easy, but Sandra had managed to coerce Maya into attending the dance as well, with the rest of the girls. Maya had not wanted to go, claiming fatigue due to the long hours they had all been forced to endure. Sahn had insisted that partying was good for all troubles, alien induced or otherwise. Tony suspected that Maya's reluctance was due in part because of the current holiday, according to the old Earth calendar. It was Valentine's Day, a romantic holiday for couples.

While he and Maya flirted and spent enormous amounts of time together, they were not exactly a couple, officially. It was no secret, at least among the people he had been closest to, that he fancied the pretty Psychon. O.K., he could not keep his eyes off her, fantasized about her, even lusted her. Well, he hoped they did not know that part. Another smile crossed Tony's face. He had taken his fair share of ribbing these past few months from Bill and Alan, especially the Aussie, over his developing relationship with Maya.

At first both he and Maya had tried to downplay the instantaneous and ever growing attraction. They were both, after all, senior command staff and, as such, necessarily spent a lot of time together. Yet, neither had been willing to cross the fine line that still prevented their friendship from blooming into fiery hot romance. Both realized the potential existed, had existed from the very beginning. Quiet evenings spent together, a few shared kisses, and an undeniable sexual tension had proved that. Yet, they tried to maintain nothing existed beyond the scope of great friends. Until recently, that is. One too many secretive glances across Command Center combined with the many hours they spent together obviously did not cut it among their friends. One could only use the excuse of indoctrinating Maya into Alphan culture for so long.

Subtle hints from their coworkers that had been easily overlooked had now developed into blunt suggestions that had left both Tony and Maya in no doubt as to what everybody else thought. It seemed easy enough, a simple courtship between the Psychon and the Italian, no problem. Sounded easy enough, right?

If that was the case, then why was he was anxious about his appearance tonight. Why did he worry so much about where their relation was headed instead of focusing on what they could have right now? Tony reasoned he knew why, or at least he thought he did. He could not ask for anything else in a woman, now could he? Maya was a tantalizing combination of beauty, brains, humor, bravery, and innocence. An innocence that he alone wanted to claim, and soon. It was all complicated, sort of. She was a Psychon, an alien, and he was second in command of Alpha, a position that earned him the right to become expendable at the drop of a hat. Get a grip man, he told himself. It's just a dance and Maya's still Maya, the same sweet girl you have been friends with for what now seemed like forever. Oh yeah, that's right, there's part of the problem. Tony Verdeschi had realized that he didn't want to be just friends with Maya anymore, he wanted more, an eternity more.

Realizing he would be late if his brain kept analyzing, he finished dressing, slipping the expensive gold watch that had been another present from his parents when he had earned his astronaut creds on his wrist. A final glance in the mirror told him his trousers fit and were completely zipped, his shirt was on right side out, and his dark hair properly combed. Just for good measure, Tony pulled out a bottle of his favorite after-shave splash, a woodsy musk scent that he had worn once and Maya commented on.

Maya cast a dubious glance into the mirror, surveying the low-rise, extremely faded jeans that Annette recommended for tonight. They were snug and emphasized the Psychon's slender hips, while also revealing a glimpse of the silver bar that graced her belly button. While allowing herself to be properly attired, as Sandra called it, the other girls had been amazed to discover that Maya sported such a body piercing. Maya had explained that it was traditional for most Psychon girls, at some point after their sixteenth birthday to acquire one, if not a few body piercings. Some girls had, if they were very daring, acquired a few more to grace the upper body, but Maya did not possess that kind of nerve. Alibe had laughed at that and proudly announced that she was an Earth woman who had had that sort of nerve. Laughter had filled the room as the young women finished their preparations of hair and makeup.

Borrowed from Annette, Maya was now clad in a funky, black midriff baring, halter-top and cute, open toed, high-heeled sandals that revealed freshly painted pink toenails. While Maya thought it a scandalous amount of flesh to be baring in public, she surveyed that the other women were exposing more. Alibe's black leather pants were teamed with a tiny white tube-like shirt that barely covered her cleavage. Annette had donned a micro-short mini with an equally tiny top. Even Sandra's outfit left little to the imagination, an equally short black dress that dipped daringly in the front. Thankfully, Maya's outfit was not quite as risqu.

All of this for a dance that Maya would have rather not attended, instead wanting to just hide away in her quarters with a good book and hot cup of tea. She did not have further opportunity to ponder it as Sandra declared it time to head out and party down. Maya found herself pulled along, after receiving the obligatory explicit instructions to have a good time. Having no other option, Maya resigned herself to a night of partying.

Standing at the bar, Alan, Bill, and Tony were drinking and perhaps even enjoying beers and jokes as they passed the time until the girls arrived. Tony had been surveying the rec room, keeping an observant eye out for Maya, knowing that neither she nor the rest of the girls had arrived yet. He wondered how long it would be before she got there, and then, as if right on cue, his question was answered. Tony Verdeschi's mouth dropped open. The sexy auburn-haired beauty who had just entered the rec room could not possibly be the same innocent girl he teased on a nearly daily basis in Command Center. He watched in complete fascination as the girls threaded their way through the crowd to the table. As he observed Maya, something deep within Tony stirred. The desire he had been acutely aware of since the first time he had set eyes upon the Psychon beauty reemerged abruptly and powerfully. He gulped a large mouthful of his drink.

Maya joined her friends at their table; still wondering if attending tonight was a good idea. The loud thumping of the music and the free flowing chatter were all things she was not used to. Maya had been no stranger to Psychon gatherings as a teenager, but they paled in comparison to an Alphan party. In fact, she thought as she sipped politely at the drink that had mysteriously appeared in front of her, Psychon parties had been rather dull.

She watched in idle amusement as Bill came over and tried to tease his wife, causing Annette to shoo him away. Apparently, their deal was to spend the first hour or so of most social events apart. This allowed them both equal opportunities to mingle with their respective friends, individually, before rejoining as a couple. It seemed to be an amicable arrangement between the happily married couple and Maya observed them with a slight pang of envy. Both Alibe and Sandra managed to attract the attention of male admirers. In no time at all the girls were surrounded by men, more men than Maya felt comfortable with.

From Tony's view, he could watch Maya with mild amusement, as well as growing concern. The women had quickly attracted attention, and while most of the fellows flirting with them posed no hazard, there were a few that Tony was wary of. Give them a bit more alcohol and they might become more daring. While Maya was wearing that polite smile of hers, her eyes revealed her insecurity. He watched as she took another sip of her drink as a young man from technical asked her something. Jealousy reared an ugly head; an almost barely contained anger surged within the Italian. The feeling was nothing new; Tony felt it anytime some wannabe Romeo advanced towards Maya. Rapidly bidding Carter farewell, he made his way over to the table, unaware that Carter was now sporting a huge grin.

Maya felt the gentle hands upon her shoulders and breathed an inner sigh of relief. Instinctively she knew whose hands they were, even without turning around. Then Tony leaned closer to her ear and spoke.

"Come dance with me?" he whispered.

A nervous flutter emerged in Maya's tummy. She nodded, stood, and politely took her leave. She felt Tony's hand gently at the back of her waist as they made their way away from the tables and onto the dance floor. The gentle contact on the much too bare skin of her back made her tingle with a delicious mix of sensuality and security.

Thankfully, the first song was a slow one that would give her an opportunity to relax. At least that is what she initially thought. Within seconds, she became aware of something new that was just as unnerving as the feelings she had experienced back at the table, surrounded by all those men. Suddenly she wondered if being this close to Tony would prove to be just as dangerous.

While they were not indecently close, as some others on the dance floor were, she was all too aware of the handsome Italian, in every sense of the word. From the moment she had first met him and gotten too close physically, this odd feeling swept through her. Tonight was no exception, just many times stronger. There was always an undercurrent of sexual tension between them, not quite acknowledged, and always swept away before things ventured too far. Tonight, Maya wondered what it would be like to just give in, to let herself be caught up in the emotions that he elicited.

Soon, one song led to another and Maya forgot to think. She was having too much fun learning new dance steps and laughing. The music ranged from 70's true disco through 80's monster ballads and everything in between. If a song had been deemed danceable, Tony explained, it was on the playlist. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of blissful fun, they took a break. Tony led her over to the bar where he retrieved two drinks for them and they found an empty table. Munching on junk food and sipping their drinks, they watched other dancers. Tony watched Maya surveying the different dance steps of the people on the floor with interest. Maya had no need to worry; she could more than hold her own on the dance floor. She had a natural grace and rhythm, allowing her and Tony to meld just as well on the dance floor as they did at work.

Maya was quite content to just sit there for awhile, especially since Tony had slid his chair beside her. Occasionally somebody came over and joined them for conversation or to try to coax them out onto the dance floor, as Carter and Fraser had been doing. They laughed at the antics of Ben Vincent, and shook their heads sadly as Sandra tried, in vain, to teach an older hydroponics tech the difference between his left and right feet. When the tempo of the music slowed down a bit, Tony coaxed Maya back out to the dance floor.

The lights had dimmed, the beat had slowed, and Maya found herself pulled close to Verdeschi's lean body. His hands were wrapped around her waist as they swayed to the music, allowing her to inhale his scent and feel the heat radiating from his body. The caressing touch of his hands on her back provided the final ingredient that sent Maya into sensory overload. She looked into his eyes and they both smiled. Tony playfully rubbed his nose against hers and she giggled.

When the next song began it was a much faster paced song, complete with pulsating techno beats that washed over one's senses. She did not recognize the song but that did not matter. Her hands traveled up Tony's chest and twined around his neck, allowing her to position herself right against him. Exactly where she wanted to be.

Tony inhaled the clean scent of Maya's long hair, the curls cascading down her bare back. She smelled wonderful, felt heavenly, and he wanted her. Wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman. All of the months of secretive glances, friendship, and adrenaline inducing situations were coming to a head. Tony pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her neck and then pulled back a bit to look at her face. She had an odd look. Feeling more daring, Tony leaned closer to kiss her, a light but nonetheless very sexual kiss. This time the expression on Maya's face made him smile.

Yes, she was wondering if he had just done that, actually kissed her in public. As the beat of the music intensified, the jungle beat now pounding away, they became lost in one another with more kisses. Maya was quite sure that this type of dancing would have been banned on Psychon and yet she rather fancied it. She was free to feel uninhibited, allowing her body to join in the now frantic pulse of the drums, while enjoying the feel of her dance partner. As the beat intensified, she felt Tony's hands slip downward, from her back and then lower still. Surely, that was outlawed, she thought. Then Tony's lips caught hers again and she melted against him. All thoughts of proper etiquette between senior staff rushed out of her brain, replaced by the erogenous thoughts of what she would like to do with the Chief of Security in the privacy of quarters.

Tony's mind was spinning similar thoughts. A part of him acknowledged the fact that the second in command on Alpha should not be displaying such erotic behavior on the dance floor, especially with their science officer. A science officer who, coincidentally, just happened to be the most desirable woman in the room. Another part of him reasoned that just because they both were senior staff did not preclude them from pursuing a personal relationship. Besides, there had been more than enough hints thrown at both of them over the past few months to just, in Carter's words, frickin' get busy.

From Maya's responses, getting busy seemed to be right on the agenda for the evening. As the song ended and seamlessly flowed into a ballad, the beautiful blue eyes that had been locked on his revealed a sparkle and a hint of something else. Maya was totally lost to him, oblivious of the universe around her. Suddenly, needing to be anywhere, totally alone, and away from the masses, Tony took her hand and pulled her off the dance floor. Somehow, they managed to weave their way through the crowd and out the nearest exit door. Amazingly, they managed a respectable enough walk along the corridors to his place.

They stopped outside of Tony's quarters. Tony took in the young woman at his side and smiled as she moved closer to him. Unable to maintain the distance between them any longer, he pulled her into his arms. His reward was a soft laugh and he lowered his lips to hers, slowly. The kiss began as something gentle and progressed quickly to something filled with passion and power.

Maya's hands moved up his chest, to settle around his neck while Tony clasped his around her back, pulling her closer, against him where he could feel her warm body. They became lost to everything but each other, oblivious to anything around them. The corridor was residential and remained empty until the moment when their passion progressed from hesitant touch to smoldering blaze. Someone would have picked the moment when Tony's hands had threaded their way through her long curls and their bodies could not have been physically any closer to turn down the corridor. Said Alphan got more than an eyeful, came to an abrupt stop, and hastily beat feet back the way he had come. The two young lovers never noticed.

At some point, Tony managed to key open the door to his quarters and they made their way in, still locked in a passionate embrace, through his door. Once inside, when the doors were safely shut, Tony scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the couch. Laughing, they settled down, still in each other's arms.

The smile on Maya's face radiated pure happiness, leaving Tony certain he had never seen anything so amazing. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Coffee?" he asked, amazed that he even had a voice to speak with at the moment.

She replied with a nod, not certain she would be able to produce anything resembling an intelligent response. Maya watched with growing interest as he left her side to walk the short distance to the counter. Every fiber of her being was intrigued with the way his body moved, from the raised arms to retrieve mugs from the cupboard to the way his khaki's fit his butt. For a panicked second Maya wondered if she was actually drooling. She brought one hand up to her mouth and lightly wiped a finger across her lips. Thankfully drool-free she fought to regain some composure while he keyed on his audio system and then returned to the couch, mugs in hand.

For a few moments they sipped their beverages, each trying to maintain composure as their pulses continued to race. Acutely aware of Tony's proximity, Maya concentrated to control her breathing while mentally telling her hands to ignore any libidinous thoughts of traveling over to Verdeschi's thighs. It worked, for about thirty seconds.

Both of them placed their mugs down on the coffee table at the same time, their hands lightly contacting. They stopped in mid-motion, taking a slight pause as they both registered the spark of electricity delivered from the brief contact. Maya left out a slight exhale as Tony's hand clasped hers. With his thumb, he softly caressed her soft skin. She kept her gaze focused firmly on the mug she'd just set down, fully aware that he was looking at her and probably wanted some sort of response. At present, she was incapable of coherent speech and afraid of looking him in the eyes. She knew that if she did look any self-control that she might still possess would vanish.

"Maya." His voice was a husky soft whisper. When she did not respond he placed a hand under her chin, turning her head towards him. "Maya?"

Still she found herself incapable of speech. Slowly she lifted her dark lashes to look at him, revealing a face full of shy desire for the man sitting next to her. Unknowingly, she scraped her front teeth over her bottom lip, an action that intrigued and excited Tony. He knew, had known from the start, that she was a virgin. From the very beginning, he had fought to ignore the ever-growing fantasy of being the one to introduce her to the delights of passion. From the look in her blue eyes, he acknowledged that, yes, she was interested, but Maya was not the type of woman to casually take a lover.

As he moved closer to her, gently kissing her, Verdeschi recognized the fact that his relationship with Maya was anything but casual. Maya was indeed a very special young woman. What he felt for her was indefinable and extremely strong, a powerful enough emotion to cloud his judgment and increase his desire for her a thousand times while sending him down this path of the still unknown. She was totally seductive and beautiful, willing and responsive, and she was Psychon. For a moment he pondered this, she was an alien. How did one make love to a Psychon? Was it even possible, and if it was, did she want to travel that path with him, tonight?

Carefully he pulled back from their kiss and placed his hands on her shoulders. He watched her with tender concern as she slowly opened her eyes. If they were going to have any type of intelligent conversation regarding the matter, now was the time.

"We need to talk," he said.

A puzzled look appeared on her face. Mindful of his approach, he paused for words. When he felt ready to speak, he squeezed her shoulders lightly.

"I don't want you to go home tonight Maya."

"I didn't think so," she whispered.

"We both know, if you stay," he began, needing to know that she was well aware of the consequences.

"I want to stay." She gave him her response quickly and Tony ventured his next question.

"This," he paused briefly, "is new to both of us. I mean, this might sound stupid, but I don't have any experience in making love with a Psychon," he paused, mindful of how this would sound to her. He hoped he did not sound like a complete idiot.

To his surprise, Maya offered him a sweet smile and placed her fingers on his mouth, tracing along his lips. "You've made love to women before?" she questioned softly, her voice a delicate whisper that washed across his senses.

He answered her with a nod.

Relief filled Maya's face. "Than you have the advantage and," she stumbled for words, then shrugged. "Despite our differences Tony, you won't find any in the bedroom." She tried to sound casual.

She was not sure what answer he had expected but this one seemed to relieve him immensely. Just telling him relieved her. There was no need for both of them to be unsure tonight, bad enough she felt like an inexperienced child. She did not have long to ponder the thought as he kissed her again, a short but sweet kiss. He followed this with another, heady with passion. So much heat flowed between them, her insides melted completely, and her ultimate decision to sleep with Tony in every sense of the word was sealed.

She allowed him to push her back onto the couch, welcomed the weight of him as he pressed against her. There was no question of how much he wanted her, she felt the hardness of his arousal, desired it. Maya closed her eyes to the exciting sensation of his body on top of hers, sighed as he fingers undid the tie of her halter-top. Warm fingers pulled the fabric down, exposing her breasts. For the first time, male lips settled upon her body, intimately. While his moist lips and tongue created the most delicious erotic feelings, his hands cupped and caressed her. The feelings he brought forth were intense, mind-blowing, and addictive. The more he introduced her to, the more she wanted.

Tony's hands began to travel down; to gently trace a circle around the silver jeweled bar that Earth men obviously found as intriguing as Psychon men had. While one hand skimmed the soft flesh of her flat tummy his other found the way to her jeans. She felt him undo the snap and tug the zip downward. He uttered a groan at the ridiculously tight fit of her jeans and proceeded to tug them down a bit, finally able to access her.

She felt his hands skim the silky scrap of underwear and then tug them down as well. His hand soon found her most intimate core and she murmured aloud as his fingers sought her out. Gentle touches sent waves of pleasure through her as he slowly proceeded. Try as she might, she had never been able to imagine the intensity of pleasure that Tony now gave her, and she knew this was only the beginning. It was wondrous, new, thrilling, and erotic. When Tony's touches finally sent her over the edge, causing her to tremble, she squeezed his other hand, the one that had been holding hers.

When she caught her breath, she allowed herself to open her eyes. His dark ones met hers. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her gently.

"Cara," he murmured huskily. "Come to bed with me?" he offered.

"Yes," she whispered.

Maya found herself being scooped up into his strong arms, carried to his bed and then lovingly settled down. He settled down beside her then, looking into her eyes.

"You are so beautiful," he told her. He moved then, to slip her sandals from her bare feet before tugging her clothes off. This left her naked on his bed, waiting for him. Tony suddenly chuckled as he realized he had missed something on the couch. A tiny tattoo adorned Maya's body, very low on the far right side of her tummy. A pretty flower, much like a single rose on a stem. Tiny and indiscreet but very daring, he believed, for Maya.

"You surprise me," he said.

She smiled. "Nobody's ever seen that, except for the artist and now you."

"I take it your parents did not know about this?"

A giggle escaped her. "No." She shrugged. "Psychon might have been a dying planet Tony, but our sense of adventure wasn't. My best friend and I got these, several weeks before her wedding."

Amused he laughed as he lowered his head towards her. Tony's mouth found hers then, kissing her in a manner that she had never experienced. His tongue slid between her teeth and she felt her very world tilt around her. He filled her with fire, one that only he could extinguish. She wanted him to quench it, right this minute. She found it impossible not to respond to him and soon begged him to join her in a state of undress. He willingly obliged, beginning with his shirt. His naked torso revealed to her, Maya's fingers stroked against his warmth, lightly through the dark hair on his chest down to the top of his belt buckle. Tony caught her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, where he kissed each finger gently.

To satisfy her, he undid the belt buckle and soon had shed his trousers and underwear. Maya's anxious look upon the revelation of his manhood touched him on a very protective level. He stroked her cheek lovingly. He was not sure there were words to ease her concern so he spoke honestly.

"I can't promise it won't hurt at first, cara."

She placed her fingers on his lips as she shook her head. "Tony no, don't worry. I do want you."

"Then I'm all yours, beautiful."

She left out a little gasp as he lowered his head to her breast, drawing one nipple into his mouth, sending ripples of pleasure through her. He nibbled at her skin, and then traveled upwards to her neck, tracing a moist path of heat along her throat. Maya sighed and closed her eyes, giving herself completely to his lovemaking.

When his hand again found the heat between her legs, she murmured aloud. Eyes still closed, she allowed him access, to pleasure her. The pleasure did not stop there, as she soon realized that more than just Tony's hand was now having its way with her. Maya's cries of pleasure mixed with the romantic guitar ballad that filled the room, as his tongue sent her straight to heaven and she gave herself completely to the now uncontained desire that had exploded between them.

She had scarcely had time to catch her breath when he moved back up the bed; to hover over her, his weight easily supported by strong masculine arms. When she opened her eyes, it was to look right at the man she wanted to spend eternity with. For Maya there could be no other, he would be her first, her only.

With a tug, Maya pulled him down upon her. "Make love to me Tony," she begged.

For a few brief moments, he kissed her, passionately, roughly. He claimed her mouth thoroughly and reveled in the fact that she met him with equal yearning. All rational thought fled his brain as his body sought the warmth of the woman he loved. He had waited, watched, fantasized, and anticipated for many long months this night, their night. One masculine thigh separated her long legs and for some time he kissed her, murmuring soft words of love to her until she had dissolved into a pool of longing for him.

Quickly he plunged into her very depths; catching her cry with his mouth and feeling her nails dig into his back as he broke through her innocence. Slowly he pulled out, only to enter her again and then to remain motionless, still enfolded in her warmth. He kissed her forehead gently, then her lips, before whispering her name. When she finally opened her eyes, he traced a finger along her the darker lines on her cheek.

"Cara," he breathed, "God, I've needed you for so long."

A shy smile crossed her face. "And now you have me," she offered, her voice slightly shaking with emotion. She did not just offer him her body; she offered her very soul, her heart.

With a groan, Tony buried himself into her, plunging repeatedly, his mind-numbing strokes filling the Psychon completely. She absorbed him, all of him, physically and emotionally. All concepts of time or thought vanished, replaced instead by the oneness that they had become. What Maya felt was a love so complete it was frightening, much more so than anything Alpha had faced lately. She opened her eyes to his, and he claimed her mouth with his as passionately as his body claimed her. With each bucking movement, she met him feeling waves of incredible sensation ripple through her. Instinctively she clung close to him, needing him to fill her completely.

Then her world fell apart, shattered into a million heavenly pieces as his movements intensified. She cried aloud, sure she would die from the excruciating pleasure he gave her. Tony's lips claimed her throat, her neck, and her shoulders as his thrusts pressed deeper and faster.

He cried her name aloud as he thrust home one final time, sending both of them on a dizzy ride of tremors of ecstasy. She cried out and he groaned as the hot warmth of his desire spilled out in one final convulsive tremor.

She did not know how long it took her pulse to return to normal nor did she even know what time it was. At the center of her universe was one man, the one who now held her tightly in his embrace, pressing soft kisses along the back of her neck. Making love with Tony, in his bed, was the one right thing in the crazy universe that the tiny moon careened through.

"Maya?" he whispered her name lovingly.

"Hmm?" she whispered.

"You're beautiful."

She turned to face him. "You're incredible," she said softly, allowing her fingers to trace his lips.

A small laugh escaped him. "No, we're combustible, together, you and I."

"Do you think anybody heard?" she asked worriedly.

Tony's smile teased as he traced a finger along her throat. "You are quite the noisy one, but no, I don't think sounds like that carry through these walls."

A look of relief filled Maya's face and he laughed harder. "Come on Maya, as a head of security, I can assure you we've never received any calls regarding situations like this and I've been on Alpha a very long time."

Finally, she allowed herself a small laugh. Tony moved to kiss her again, very thoroughly, leaving her boneless and wanting him to fill her again.

"God," she whispered as his caresses reawakened her desire. "Again?" she pleaded as she snuggled closer to him.

"Insatiable, are we?"

She blushed even as she playfully swatted a hand at him.

"Not insatiable Tony," she said. "Just," she paused as she searched for the right word.

Tenderly he kissed her again. "How about in love?"

Maya's eyes widened. She had longed for him to say that, to really mean it. He smiled at her.

"Yes, I do love you Maya." His tone was filled with warm emotion, causing Maya's pulse to quicken, along with other feelings.

"Love me again," she demanded fiercely. "Show me Tony."

Eagerly she wrapped her arms around his neck, initiating the kiss with such fevered demand that Tony could not deny her. The passion between them ignited full force again and his arousal hardened with need. He moved above her again, intent on showing her just how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

"I'll love you forever," he whispered to her tenderly as he moved to enter her again. Her reply was not verbal, but just as equally satisfying. Her soft cries of pleasure mingled with his as they moved together in a dance as old as the ages, all of their late-night fantasies finally coming true. As the old moon continued her journey in the darkness of space, two lovers now caught up in the flames of burning desire and tangled among the sheets, experienced the eruption of passion, a burst of emotion so intense it rivaled the beauty of any of the stars around them. It was, quite simply, a night for lovers.