Fourth in the Kissing Kathryn drabble series. Thanks always to BeachBum for beta reading.

I should have known she wouldn’t let me get away with it. To be honest I’m not even sure what came over me. I was standing in the cargo bay staring at my crewman’s ass! Just the thought of it caused me to shake my head in disbelief. What was worse was that someone else had been in the cargo bay besides Seven. At least Jennifer Delaney had her head down the entire time and hadn’t a clue that the captain was in the room with them. At least there was that!

Being completely honest with all of the turbulent emotions that had surfaced over the last week was very hard for me, but I demanded it of myself. I’d never been a coward before and had no intention of starting now.

The fact was that I wanted Seven; wanted her with a passionate intensity I’d never before experienced. I couldn’t resist the desire that I knew shown in my eyes and that was mirrored back at me from the stranger that had come on my ship and dared storm my defenses. I heard her gasp when I wet my lip and that sound caused me to realize I was seconds away from grabbing her in a heated kiss. The kiss would have been the fulfillment of what began days before when she stalked unannounced into my private quarters.

Powerless, speechless, I could only hurry from the cargo bay before I revealed more than I already had. Of course it was enough for her to know the truth and now I was faced with the consequences. I looked again at the padd in my hand, hoping somehow that the contents would have changed in the last thirty seconds. They had not. I still held an invitation to dinner with the most amazing woman on the ship. What was I supposed to do now?

Refusing was a waste of time; she’d just barge into my quarters like before. Accepting was the only possible response, but what then? Tell her that I’d been acting like a fool and that nothing more than friendship was possible? As if! She knew better. I could always spout Starfleet and the regulations, but my heart protested loudly against such an idea. I loved her and I needed her. She’d break through any excuses in nanoseconds and I’d be lost. I yearned to be with her and I knew from her hungry look every time we met that she felt the same.

Maybe this was one of those rare times I needed to stop being the captain and just be Kathryn. The very thought was anathema to me, but it was also the only real answer.

I glanced again at the padd and realized I was prevaricating. It was time for me to do something out of character; I needed to talk with Seven without taking the time to plan how I wanted the encounter to go. The master tactician in me needed to take a backseat while I talked openly and honestly with this very special woman. She deserved that much from me.

A glance at the chronometer said that our shifts had ended over an hour ago, but a quick check with the computer told me she was still in Astrometrics. Not a very private place for what was sure to be an intimate conversation!

"Janeway to Seven of Nine."

"Seven here, Captain."

Her response was immediate and even over the comm channel I could hear the emotion in her voice. I smiled, but tempered my voice. "Could you meet me in holodeck one in twenty minutes?"

"Is this in response to my query, Captain?"

She was asking if I’d accepted her invitation; if this was a date. "No. I’d just like to speak with you somewhere a little more private." Asking her to my quarters was impossible. I’d have her on my bed within moments of entering the cabin.

This time her response was hesitant, unsure if she wanted to hear the bad news I obviously bore. "Very well. Twenty minutes."

I took time to splash water on my face and run a comb through my hair. A look in the mirror was silent testament to how much sleep I’d lost obsessing over events of the last few days, but I didn’t think Seven would really mind. Finally I left the ready room, barely giving a nod to the officer at the conn, and took the turbolift for deck six.

She was already waiting in the corridor. Had she been anyone else, Seven would have been leaning against the bulkhead. Instead she stood ramrod straight with her hands at her sides.

"Computer, run program Janeway red omega."

The doors parted and we entered a quaint Irish pub that in Tom Paris’ version was called Fair Haven. I’d changed the program to suit my personal tastes and had deleted all of the characters except one. A young serving girl that I’d never bothered to name stood wiping down glasses behind the bar.

"Let’s sit over here." I led the way to a small round table in a deserted corner and Seven followed without comment. The girl would not come to take a drink order unless I signaled her.

When we were finally seated Seven couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. "You wish to inform me that we will not continue our current personal interaction."

Her voice was strong, almost angry, but the look in her eyes told another story. They shone suspiciously with repressed tears and I wondered at how she could have jumped to such a conclusion. Did I truly have the reputation for leading people astray and then abandoning them?

"No." My hand reached for hers and I touched Borg implants. They were softer than I’d imagined but I knew how strong and capable those hands were. I remembered being pushed backward by them onto my bed and fought the shiver of desire.

My need was strong, my heart was ready and for once, my head was in full agreement. I looked into her eyes and saw I had surprised her.

"I needed simply to be with you, to find out if this is possible. I know we want to be together and I’d be a fool to deny it. I also want it clear that this has to be between us, no one else can know."

"You are ashamed of me." Her lip trembled and I felt horrible that she could think such a thing.

"Never. I’m proud to be the one you want, but I have a problem with my private life being discussed among the crew. Can you understand?"

I squeezed her hand and felt the pressure returned. A small upturn curled the corner of her mouth and she smiled. "May I kiss you now?"

I felt a grin cover my face and my heart thudded in response to her question. "I thought you’d never ask."

Seven’s eyes became lidded and I saw her pupils expand with sudden desire. The reaction I witnessed left me breathless and I could only wait as she slid out of her seat and came toward me. Her hand, the one with the implant, reached for my face. The touch was so gentle that I almost believed I imagined it, but I did not imagine the soft sweetness of her lips when they brushed my own. Barely a touch, a feathered whisper of flesh against flesh before she pressed her lips firmly to mine.

I felt the moan start deep in my chest before it finally erupted and I helplessly parted my lips, surrendering to her. Absently I heard the holodeck doors part and voices that came to an abrupt halt, but pulling away now was beyond me. It was Seven who ended the kiss and reluctantly I turned to see Commander Chakotay and Harry Kim standing at the entrance with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.