Inara laughed, a genuine and mirthful sound. “Well, the benefits of being a tenant as opposed to being a member of your crew, Captain.” The nature of their business relationship had caused just as much strife as they had benefit, but it would have never worked any other way. The need for them to be on near-equal footing had been imperative.
Gonna take it slow babe Do it my way Keep your eyes on me Your reaction To my action Is what I want to see
Feeling Mal’s eyes on her, Inara found that her heart was beating faster. She had done the ceremony more times than she could count. She had first performed it for her teachers when she was twelve years old. She hadn’t been nervous performing it in a long time…
Rhythmic motion Raw emotion Infiltrating through Sweet sensations Hot temptations Coming over you
Bowing to Mal she began to fill his tea cup. The movements as she walked the table were deliberate and completely submissive. She lived in the home, inviting in a visitor was a surrender of domain, a surrender of privacy and a gift of intimacy. Why did it feel so strange to extend this hospitality to Mal? It hit her that he seemed familiar with the ritual. Another mystery. She had to wonder who would take Malcolm Reynolds as a client? With amusement, she also wondered how he managed to not get a black mark in the Companion’s Registry.
Kneeling opposite him, Inara filled her own cup. Setting aside the kettle, she filled her own cup. She raised it to him and bowed her head again. Raisng the cup to her lips, she took a sip and allowed her lips to linger as a contented sigh escaped her.
“It is. It was my favorite teacher’s Great Grand Mother’s china,” Inara told him. “I received it a few years after I left the Academy when she passed away.” She smiled softly at the pleasant memory of her teacher, not the remembrance of her passing.