Matchmaker

See part 1 for disclaimers, etc.

Matchmaker, by Ginny Powell


Part 4: Cures for Insomnia

It was 3 am - 3:07, to be exact, Mallory noted, as she glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. She
should be in the captain's quarters right now, in the captain's arms, in the captain's
bed. But she wasn't, because of one very annoying Vulcan.

Across the room, Sub-Commander
T'Pol sat nonchalantly sipping her tea and reading her PADD, unaware of the
withering looks being sent her way by a certain ensign.

"There shouldn't be anyone
around to see you then," Mallory remembered the captain saying when they'd
first set up this rendezvous. And he's right, there shouldn't be. But
there is. Dammit.

Sighing, she went back to
sipping her own warm milk. The only thing she could think of as a cover story
when she'd seen T'Pol heading straight for her in the hall ten minutes ago had
been that she couldn't sleep and needed some warm milk. Unfortunately, it was
working; she was getting sleepy, when she needed to stay awake long enough to
outlast the science officer. Unconsciously, she sighed again.

"Is something wrong, Ensign?"
T'Pol said, startling Mallory as she turned toward the junior officer.

"Uh, no, um, just...couldn't
sleep, you know."

"So you said. Is the warm milk
working?" The Vulcan raised an eyebrow and tried to disguise her disgust at
the human habit of drinking animal secretions.

"Yes, I think it is," Mallory
replied, a look of cunning flashing across her face. Luckily, T'Pol had
already looked back at her PADD. "Is yours?"

"Excuse me?"

"You tea; is it helping you
relax?"

"I require no chemical
assistance to relax," T'Pol replied coolly. "I am simply making efficient use
of my wakefulness." And she lifted her PADD in illustration.

"So, you're gonna work here for
a while?" Mallory pressed.

"Yes."

Good. "Well then, good
night," Mallory said as she rose, disposed of her glass, and hurried out while
trying to look like she wasn't hurrying. As the Mess Hall door opened, she
glanced back and saw that T'Pol was not looking at her. But just to be safe,
she feinted walking to the left. As soon as the doors had slid shut behind
her, she took off in the other direction.

"Come on," she muttered as she
pressed the chime on Captain Archer's door. She was looking back over her
shoulder worriedly, so she heard rather than saw the door open, and when she
turned back, there was Jon, wearing nothing but a loose pair of sleep pants and
a smile.

"Hey," he said quietly, as he
whisked her inside and into his arms. Mallory felt warm kisses rain on her
face, and something warm and fuzzy rub against her ankles. She tried to say
hello to Porthos, but Jon's mouth was covering hers. Then it was removed, and
he was saying "I thought you weren't coming," a touch of worry in his voice.

"Oh, I definitely plan to," she
responded breathlessly. Her quip earned a deep chuckle that she could feel
rumble through his chest as her hands explored the beautiful bare body before
her. "I just ran into T'Pol."

Jon's hands, which had also been
roaming, stopped suddenly and he pulled back just enough to look at her face.
His own face was pained. "Please don't mention her name again."

"Yes, sir." And their two
smiling faces met in a warm kiss once more.

A minute later, the air was cool
and Jon's large hands warm on Mallory's skin, her jumpsuit hanging around her
waist, when the door chimed.

"What the hell-" Jon started
for the door, then turned back to Mallory, then looked at the door again.
"Dammit!"

"I'll be in the bathroom," she
said quickly, and ducked out, feeling sorry for whoever had decided to
interrupt.

Archer watched until he saw the
bathroom door securely shut, then turned toward the door as the chime sounded
again. He was about to call "Come in" when he belatedly looked down. It
wouldn't do to have a visitor in his...condition. Quickly he slipped between the
sheets of his bed and called Porthos onto his lap before finally allowing in
his visitor.

The door opened to his call, and
Sub-Commander T'Pol stepped in.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you,
Captain."

Then you shouldn't have
knocked on my door in the middle of the night, Archer wanted to shout, but
managed to look sleepy instead. "Is there an emergency? What's wrong?"

"No emergency, but there is
something wrong, Captain." Without waiting for an invitation, she stepped right
up to the bed and held out a PADD. He took it automatically. "I have
discovered a flaw in the weapons test scheduled for oh-six-hundred."

"A flaw?" He looked at the
PADD, but without really seeing it; he was too preoccupied with keeping Porthos
in his lap with one hand. He thought he saw T'Pol looking him over out of the
corner of his eye, and clutched the dog even tighter. "Why couldn't you wait
until morning? Or authorize the change yourself?"

"I am sorry, sir. I thought you
were awake. I heard voices."

Jon looked up at her sharply,
was not pleased with her expression. Damn Vulcan ears. "I guess I was
talking to Porthos louder than I thought," he temporized lamely.

"Yes, sir." She didn't sound
too convinced. "I will modify the test myself, then. Good night, Captain."

"'Night. And...good catch,
Sub-Commander."

With a nod, T'Pol was gone.

Jon was throwing back the sheets
before the door had quite closed, earning an outraged yelp from Porthos. He
paused only to give the dog an apologetic pat before hurrying to the bathroom.

"Mallory, I'm so sorry, I-"

His apology was cut short by the
sight before him. During her exile, Mallory had finished undressing, and now
stood before the sink smoothing her hair, the mirror giving Jon a simultaneous
front and back view. He liked what he saw.

"What was that about?" Mallory
asked, as she began to turn towards him. He stopped her with gentle hands on
her shoulders.

"Can we talk about that later?"
he murmured, and moved close behind her.

Her only reply was a gasp as his
lips met her neck.

His hands slid from shoulder to
back to waist and around. Two sets of eyes watched their progress in the
mirror until, finally, they came to rest cupping her breasts. She arched into
his touch, her arms reaching over her shoulders to fondle his hair. This
movement also brought her backside firmly against his groin, and she gasped
again.

"Oh, Jon, take me, please," she
whispered, rubbing herself against the hard bulge behind her, suddenly
desperate for him to be inside her.

"Patience," he murmured back
against the other side of her neck. But he did let one hand migrate down her
belly until his long fingers brushed against her most sensitive flesh,
determined to prepare her thoroughly before doing just as she'd asked. Maybe
she doesn't need preparing, he thought happily, as his fingers found her
slick and swollen. She ground her groin against his hand and moaned lustily,
and suddenly he felt just as urgent a need as she.

He had to let her go for just a
moment to get his pants down, and when he looked back at her, she had leaned
forward over the sink, presenting yet another quite enticing front and back
view. An appreciative "Mmmmm" escaped his throat as he stroked her smooth
flank with one hand and placed himself against her opening with the other.
Slowly but firmly, he pushed into the welcoming warmth, simultaneously meeting
her eyes in the serendipitous mirror.

A jolt seemed to run through
him. He swore his heart missed a beat, and his hips thrust forward without
conscious thought, only to find hers thrusting back. As he disappeared inside
her, the sensation overwhelmed them both and their eyes slipped shut, severing
the too strong connection.

With his eyes closed, Jon was
able to control the next stroke, and the next, savoring the feel of being
surrounded, her smooth skin under his hands, the way her buttocks wiggled
against him. When he chanced another look, he found her head had dropped
forward, exposing her neck, her hands pressing against the tile backsplash,
holding her in place as his thrusts grew stronger.

The sound of slapping flesh
mixed with moans of pleasure echoed off the walls, filling the air. As he
worked, Jon let his hands slide over the expanse of unblemished skin before
him. When he found a sensitive spot near Mallory's waist, she twitched,
changing the angle of their joining in such a satisfying way that Jon groaned.
Then he stroked the spot again, groaning again as she moved. If that keeps
up I won't last much longer.

And he wanted to last, this
time. So once more he let his hand slide around to her front and down her
belly to her groin. He had to lean over her to do it, slowing and shallowing
his thrusts. Mallory's head came up and she cast him a confused, annoyed look
in the mirror. Then his fingers found home, and she didn't seem to mind any
more.

First he circled for a while,
exploring her thoroughly but gently, ensuring she was completely lubricated.
Then he delved deeper, finding the hard nub of her clitoris hidden within its
folds. At last he trailed his fingertips across it in time with long, deep,
slow thrusts of his cock into her. Mallory moaned. He could see her biting
her lip in the mirror.

"You like that, don't you?" he
asked unnecessarily, wanting to hear her answer.

"Um-hmmm," she assured him with
a long sigh as he continued to stroke her. Then he remembered how much he'd
liked her talking dirty to him in the turbo-lift. Maybe she'd like it, too.

"You like that big cock inside
you, doncha?" It wasn't really a question, but her vigorous nod and the
twitching of her hips was a definitive answer. Yet he wasn't done. "You like
it when I play with your pussy, too."

"Oh, yeah," she grunted, arching
her hips against him as he moved his fingers just a little faster.

He leaned over her further,
until his lips hovered by her ear. "I wanna feel you come around me. I wanna
hear you call my name."

"Yes, yes," she responded, her
hips beginning to move rhythmically as he continued his ministrations.

"It feels so good to fuck you,"
he continued, his breath warm on her ear. "Feel how hard you make me?" And he
thrust more forcefully into her, letting her feel the entire length and breadth
of his desire.

"Oh, yes, Jon, please.
Don't...change...anything. Oh!"

He could feel her start to spasm
around him, but as she did she pushed back against him so hard that he nearly
lost his footing. His cock was forcefully expelled and his hands slipped
away. He looked up, seeking her eyes in the mirror to know what she wanted,
but the mirror had fogged completely over. Quickly, she stood and turned
around, pulling him into a deep kiss.

They needed no words as he
helped her to perch on the counter beside the sink. She was making urgent
keening noises, and he was answering with soothing, deep rumbles, until at
last, seconds later, he was buried inside her again.

This angle allowed him even
deeper penetration, and the feel of his cock being taken to the root was almost
more than he could bear. As he felt her tremble around him, then gasping for
breath as the trembling evolved into deep, strong contractions, he heard her
whisper, "Jon, come with me." And with a moan of pure pleasure, he no longer
held back, but poured himself into her.

It seemed to go on forever.
Even after he was sure he was empty, he rocked back and forth against her,
ecstatic tingles bursting up his spine at irregular intervals, matched by her
occasional internal clenches. It was only after she shifted a few times that
it occurred to him that she might not be very comfortable sitting on the cold
counter.

His hands on her waist, he
lifted her down and steadied her as her feet landed on the floor. She swayed,
a hand going to his shoulder, and looked up at him with a tired, but very
satisfied, smile.

"Wow," was all she said. He
just smiled back and led the way out of the bathroom.

The bed looked awfully inviting
when he reached it, so much so that he was halfway in it before he realized
that Mallory wasn't following him. He turned to find her standing awkwardly in
the middle of the floor.

"I really should go before Chef
gets started on breakfast," she said quietly, not looking at all like she
wanted to go.

Jon pushed back from the soft
mattress reluctantly and moved to stand before her. "There's still a little
time, we could...cuddle for a while."

Mallory sighed and looked
longingly at the bed. "If I lay down, I'm afraid I won't get up again for a
long time."

"That's what I was hoping," he
replied, smiling, though he was only partially joking. His hand came up to cup
the back of her neck, his eyes searching hers.

Mallory smiled sadly and leaned
in to kiss him. She intended it to be a quick peck goodbye, but somehow it
became more, their warm mouths seeming to melt together. It was a long time
before either could muster the will power to pull away.

"I...I have to..."

"I know."

He let her go, watching her pad
back to the bathroom before he gave in to his weariness and sat on the edge of
the bed. Though he intended to wait up and say goodbye, a little voice told
him he could wait just as well while laying down, and under the warm covers was
even better.

By the time Mallory emerged,
fully clothed, Jon was sleeping peacefully, Porthos curled up beside him. The
little beagle perked up and thumped his tail as Mallory let herself out into
the deserted hallway.

~~~End Part 4~~~