Good Answer
By Denise Raymond
Disclaimer: Not mine, Alliance's. Deal.
All questions, comments and kicks in the head to rattlecatcher@yahoo.com. There is no need to be gentle, I'm a big girl and I've got good aim.

BF/RK, PWP, no spoilers, rated R for language. My thanks to 5Ps for all comments, especially Audra (love the elipses) and Chris (Ray's nipples thank you).



"You know, Frase, people always ask me the same question," Ray said one afternoon, apropos of what I did not know. I was wrapped in the sweaty comfort of his arms. We had just christened our new bed. Ray's voice was still rough, though no longer breathless.
"Really, Ray? What do people ask you?"
He shifted his weight and leaned over me on one elbow.
"They wanna know what it's like to have sex with a Mountie."
I pulled away to stare at him from a distance of approximately twenty-three centimeters. I didn't believe him, of course, but the very thought made me cringe. His smile, half-smile, really, and the way he pursed his lips before continuing gave away the joke, and informed me that he knew I knew he was not serious.
"And do you tell them that's personal and they shouldn't ask, Ray?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, yeah, right. And maybe I'll try hiding Cheetos from Dief, while I'm at it."
"Ah."
"I guess I could tell them 'Ah,' that'll throw them off the scent real good there, Benton."
"All right, Ray, what do you tell people?"
Even though this was all in jest, I could feel the blush rising on my skin. With one finger, Ray traced my left ear, moving that finger slowly down to my neck.
"I tell them it's the best I've ever had," he said softly, staring at my ear, and the invisible trail he made through the salt on my skin. I grabbed his free hand and kissed the palm.
"Does that work, Ray?"
"Yep. I mean, they see you, they figure you've gotta be fucking good."
"Pardon the pun."
"What? Oh!"
Ray laughed, snorting a little, which made us both laugh. We kissed some more. We were neither of us really ready for a second round, but I had every confidence in Ray's ability to "bounce back," as he would say.
"You know, Ray, it's rather strange, but I've been asked that same question myself on many occasions. About you, of course, not about another member of the RCMP."
"Yeah? What do you tell them? Oh, wait – you tell them it's none of their business, right?" He reached over me to the nightstand for his waterbottle. He stayed in that position, poised over me and balancing on one hand as he drank. He was still listening, but I was still, listening, listening to him swallow, great gulps of water that may have benefited Ray but did nothing to cool me or slake my thirst. From my angle, I could not see his head very well, but in my mind I saw him drink, lips around the neck of the bottle, pulling, sucking…
"Earth to Mountie, come in, Mountie!"
"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Ray, I was distracted."
He grinned that easy grin, looking down at me. He took another swallow.
"I did tell them that, at first. But, like you, I realized such an answer only whets their curiosity," I said, gently biting at his right nipple, now conveniently placed a few scant centimeters from my mouth. This provoked certain physical responses, which had been my plan, and as he groaned and put the bottle down, I pushed him onto his back, the better to reach some of Ray's more sensitive spots.
"So? What do you say, Frase?" Ray asked. His voice became rough once again as he raised one arm to facilitate the path my nuzzling led me on. Ray had showered that morning, but, probably as a result of our activities, he already had a good, clean sweat in his armpits. His purr as I kissed him there, a mix of sigh and growl that could have easily come from Diefenbaker, let me know he was nearly ready to continue the christening.
"I tell them that sexual relations with you are terrible."
"What?" he yelped. "What the hell –"
"I don't want people desiring you, Ray," I said with my best earnest look, the one Ray says seems to have a Stetson of its own. "I'd rather they never find out how amazing you are in bed. People know you're a good dancer, that's public knowledge. But how well you pleasure me is information that could only lead to envy."
"You're a cruel, cruel man, Benton."
"But I'm very, very satisfied, Ray."
He laughed, then kissed the top of my head.
"So officially, I'm a lousy lay, huh?" he asked. My teeth grazed his pectoral. I looked up and nodded slowly, and then smiled, even more slowly. His eyes narrowed, and then he shrugged and smiled back. "I can live with that."
"Oh, yes, Ray," I said. I continued my exploration, nuzzling down to his hip as I spoke. "I say that we have sex less than once a month –"
"So they don't find out we fuck like horny wolves in heat."
"Exactly. I also reveal that you rarely last three minutes, and always fall asleep in four."
"As long as you're happy, Benton."
"Very, Ray. People believe you have no idea how to please anyone but yourself, and that your penis is certainly smaller than the norm—"
"Uh, Frase…"
"Understood."