Playing With Fire, Part 55
Disclaimers and other info in index.
The Barker property
5/31/03
2130
Mac sighed and leaned back against AJ. They were sharing one of the low camp chairs, wrapped in a sleeping blanket with their legs stretched out in front of them on the ground.
He tightened his arms around her and said softly, "Tired?"
"No. Just happy." She looked around the camp, which glowed in the combined light of the torches and the fire.
After sitting for a while on the bank of the pond to get her legs and emotions under control, she and AJ had walked back to camp and prepared for the evening ahead. She had pounded the torches in the ground around the site and lit them against the coming night while AJ built a fire and started supper.
She licked her lips, remembering the taste of the fish he'd grilled, and the potatoes he'd made in a skillet set on a grate and laid over the fire. Simple, and probably not the most well-balanced meal she'd ever eaten, but it had been absolutely wonderful. He was right. The fish had been much better cooked over the fire.
Tilting her head up, she kissed his jaw. "When are you ever wrong?" she asked playfully.
She giggled when he tipped his head to the side like he was in deep thought and finally said triumphantly, "Well... you know... I don't think I ever am!" He laughed a bit, but then sobered. Kissing her on the head, he said softly, "I take that back. I can think of at least one time I was wrong."
Hearing the strained tone of his voice, Mac shifted so that she was sitting on his lap facing him, instead of resting between his legs, facing away. "What are you talking about?"
Smiling sadly, he said, "You and Joe. I was wrong about you and Joe, and I hurt you badly as a result."
Laying a hand on his cheek, she whispered, "AJ. It's forgotten. There were... we were..." She sighed, "Well... we both were wrong about a lot of things."
He licked his lips and nodded slowly. "I know. But that was a time I was very wrong."
"True." Mac leaned down onto his chest and put her head on his shoulder. He'd brought up something that she'd been trying to put out of her mind, and up until now, had been doing quite successfully. Knowing she needed to bring it up, and not sure there would be any perfect time, she sighed and sat up. "I never told you what Karen wanted to talk to me about."
"You said it was a wedding detail." He smiled. "What's wrong; your dress come back in the wrong color?"
"I wish it was that simple." She saw his puzzled look and said softly, "She wants me to meet with Joe... talk to him."
"Why on earth would she want you to do that? I would think that would be painful for both of you."
"Because I'm in the wedding party and he's her brother. We're both going to be there... and I'm sure she's hoping by that time you and I will be arriving as a couple." She smiled at him. "She knows the reason Joe and I aren't together anymore." She saw his eyes widen and smiled, "Women talk about these things, AJ; don't look so surprised. Anyway... I think she wants to head off any unpleasantness at the pass... and I can't say I blame her."
"What if I don't go? Or we don't go together?"
Mac shot him a look before beginning in an even tone of voice, "All right... two things. One... the wedding isn't until September. I'm not willing to keep our relationship secret for that long. It was necessary when we both at JAG, but not anymore."
"I agree..." He stopped when she put her finger on his lips.
"Second... what's the real reason you don't want me to talk to Joe? Are you afraid that something might happen between us?"
"NO! Of course not." He touched her cheek. "Mac. I trust you. That's not the issue. The issue is that things were not left on a good note with you two. I don't want him... well... being mean and spiteful to you when he finds out we're together."
"I don't think there's much of a chance of that. Karen said he's seeing someone."
"Then... WHY do you feel like you have to do this?"
"Because... remember... it was your name I called out. And... I was still under your chain of command at the time. If he makes any comments at the wedding about that, then it would raise suspicions about our involvement."
"But... if he's seeing someone... why would he do that?"
"You're a man! You tell me!" She snorted. "I'm not talking about the particulars of the incident! Just comments about how we're now together. Seriously... I don't think Karen thinks he will; I think she's just covering all the bases and trying to make things as easy for everyone as possible."
"And... having you talk to... him... will do that?"
"I don't know."
Leaning back down, they sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts for a while before AJ spoke again. "You're right. I'm sorry I'm giving you such a hard time about it. When do you think you'll talk to him?"
"Soon, but I don't know when."
AJ stroked her back softly, and they lapsed into silence again, listening to the night around them. Mac thought of a comment AJ had made about Hank while they ate, and asked him about it. "AJ... are you doing all right... about Hank, I mean?" His comment had been slightly bitter, and it had puzzled her.
"Yeah. I'm all right." He sighed. "I guess I'm getting a little angry, though."
"Angry?"
"He didn't have to do it. On one level, I can understand his motivation; not wanting to be a burden on his family or have them remember him as a shell of the man he was. But... damn it... he chose to kill himself weeks before his daughter is going to give birth! And Robbie was getting ready to graduate from college, and his youngest would be going into college herself in just a few months!"
He shook his head, his face at once sad and angry. "All those happy events will always be... I don't know... tainted... in his kids' minds because they will have the shadow of his death hanging over them! On top of mourning her father, Katelyn will always mourn that he never got to see his grandchild. Robbie will always regret not seeing the look of pride on his dad's face when he accepts his diploma. And... Janice has lost the strong male anchor she's going to need while facing all the new challenges that are waiting for her."
He swallowed and then said softly, "And... God... there's Margie. He was dying. He knew and so did she. But he robbed her of the chance to say goodbye... of those last few months to just... I don't know... be with him!"
"And what about you?" Mac asked against his chest.
He said tonelessly, "He robbed me, too. I don't think I ever told him how much his friendship meant to me. Both when we were kids and then adults."
"I'm sure he knew, AJ."
"Probably... but I never took the chance to tell him, and now I've lost it."
"So this is about you?"
AJ laughed. "No. Not really. They always say death is hardest for the ones left behind. It's true."
Mac wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. After a moment, AJ shifted her off to put another log on the fire, and Mac used the opportunity to use the bathroom... or the tree she'd chosen to be her bathroom.
When she returned, she found AJ already back in the chair, wrapped in the sleeping bag. The night had turned a bit chilly, so she hurried back to the chair. AJ smiled and opened the sleeping bag, letting her settle back down.
"Oh... what's this?" she said, wriggling a bit, finding he'd taken off the jeans he'd put on when they'd returned to camp.
He grinned. "Thought I'd get more comfortable. It was getting a little chilly out," he said, drawing the sleeping bag around them.
"AJ... if you're cold, you don't take OFF clothes!" she laughed, snuggling into his bare chest and feeling him against the juncture of her thighs.
"Oh!" He smiled, rubbing her back under the long sleeved t-shirt she was wearing. "So that's why it got... more comfortable... after I took my pants off?"
"What did?" she asked, kissing his collarbone lightly, feeling like she was being set up for some reason, but not really caring so long as he kept touching her.
"This," he said, shifting his hips so she could feel his growing erection. "It got a little uncomfortable in my jeans after watching you walk into the trees, but when I took off my pants the problem just seemed to... shrink."
Mac licked his neck up to his ear and whispered, "Why did you get uncomfortable in the first place?"
"Did you know, Ms. Mackenzie, that the shirt you're wearing does not cover your... bottom... completely? And that once again, you chose to put your underwear somewhere other than on your body?" He tilted his head so she could suck at his earlobe and smiled. "Do you know what a... very... appealing... sight you made?"
"No... tell me."
AJ turned his head and kissed her instead. He slid his closed lips across hers, just barely touching her. Raising his head, he looked at her. Mac shivered a bit at the intensity of his gaze and he brought a finger up to trace her cheek. She closed her eyes at the touch, and opened them when he took his finger away.
AJ continued to stare at her. The need and desire were clamoring in his body, demanding he act, while at the same time, he just wanted to sit and savor the sweet weight of her on his lap, to drown in the love he saw in her eyes.
He slipped the sleeping bag off their shoulders and leaned her back a bit. Mac's arms rose as he slid the shirt up and over her head, finally tossing it to the ground beside them. Her nipples hardened a bit in the cool air, and she smiled, seeing AJ's eyes grow heavy-lidded with desire.
AJ reached out and traced a line from her neck to her navel, admiring the way the firelight glowed on her skin. He moved his finger back up and traced the necklace she wore. "Do you ever take this off?" he asked, not able to remember seeing her without it.
Mac looked down and saw the opal he'd given her glowing in the firelight. "No. I never do."
She sighed as he raised his hands slid up from her waist, and she arched her back so that he could cup her breasts. She watched his face as he stared at his hands and saw her nipples become pointed from the tugging of his fingers. She went willingly when he pulled her closer, and breathed his name softly when she felt his lips replace his hand. Raising her hand, she stroked the back of his head and neck, holding him to her.
AJ smelled, and thought he could taste, the warm scent of the vanilla soap rising from her skin. He held her breasts cupped together in his hands and alternated his sucking caress between them. He felt her warm breath, and heard her sighs against his head when she bent forward, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. He flicked his tongue against her nipple, feeling how it become engorged and hot from his mouth. Closing his teeth on her gently he pulled back, scraping and pulling on her. Hearing her breathy whimper, he repeated the action on the other one before resuming the deep suckling.
Raising his head from her breasts, he lowered her face to his and captured her lips. He opened his mouth over hers, but was contented to rub their lips together, never deepening the kiss. He heard her growl low in her throat at the same time she pulled his head sharply to her, boldly thrusting her tongue inside his mouth. AJ groaned softly against her lips when he felt her stroke his tongue roughly then lightly. He closed his lips around her, flicking his tongue against her slowly and relishing in the groan he felt vibrating on his lips. They kissed for many minutes before AJ felt her undulating slightly on him.
He slid his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks in his hands, kneading them and sliding her against his cock. He felt the wetness of her flesh, and felt how swollen she still was from their encounter earlier. Mac bit her lip and felt him position himself at her opening. She was tender and not quite sure she could take him again, but didn't want this feeling to end, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
"You can, you know," AJ said, reading the doubt in her eyes as he slid he head of his cock against her clit.
"Can what?" she breathed, feeling the tightening in her belly already.
"Take me," he said, pulling her downward and slipping into her to the hilt.
Mac's eyes flew open and then closed on a moan as she felt him fill her. He moved his hands to her hips and guided her movements. Slowly, he raised and lowered her, breathing her name and grunting the word yes on every downstroke. She was very swollen and felt even tighter than she normally did, and the feeling was incredible. Mac was whimpering and crying out softly each time her clit came in contact with the base of his cock. He felt the tremors starting to slide through her body as she strained, riding the wave of feeling that preceded her orgasm. Knowing she was tender by the expressions that sometimes crossed her face, he purposely kept the pace slow, letting her body ride him instead of thrusting up into her or slamming her down on him.
Mac's hands raised up to cup her breasts, and AJ groaned at the sight of her tugging and rolling her nipples between her fingers. "Faster, AJ," she breathed, and he obliged by moving her quicker. He heard her soft cries coming faster, and sped her up again, this time grinding into her as she slid down. He threw his head back, feeling her clench around him, and closed his eyes, letting the sound of voice calling his name wash over him as she came.
She slid onto his chest, unable to hold herself upright, and felt him hard and thick inside her. He waited until she'd lain completely down, then began to slide her on him again. At her urging, he began to thrust upward each time he slid her down and he felt himself rushing to the edge. He felt her swollen breasts dragging against the hair on his chest, felt her lips and tongue on his neck and heard her voice, begging him to make her come one more time. His body overrode his mind's directive, and he began to love her with abandon.
He slid his hands around her hips so that his thumbs rested on either side of her clit, spread his legs and angled his hips so that he went as deep as he could inside her, squeezing his thumbs together in the process. He felt her straining against his arms and heard her voice asking him to let her go. He relaxed his arms and felt her surge upward again.
His eyes shut and his mouth opened on a long, low groan as she planted her feet on the grass beside the chair and ground into him. He was no longer guiding her movements, his hands resting on her hips and burrowing in her curls for her satisfaction only. She bounced on him steadily, using the strength in her legs to leverage herself almost completely off him, before sliding back down and circling her mound against him.
She placed her hands on his chest, and when he started grunting out the unintelligible sounds she knew meant he was close, she slid them up to his flat nipples. On the next downstroke, she pinched them between her fingernails and drank in his shout of surprise with a triumphant laugh. Her laughter trailed out into a moan, though, as his hands gripped her hips tightly again and pressed her almost painfully to him. She felt him pulsing inside her as soon as she felt the added heat of his seed flowing out of him. He continued to surge upward and moved his fingers so that he was no longer just surrounding her clit, but directly stimulating it, and soon Mac's cries joined his as she tumbled over another peak.
Their bodies were still joined when she lay back against him, and their hearts were still pounding in their chests when he tilted her head up. He kissed her softly and sweetly before pulling back to look at her.
"You're mine, Sarah."
Her heart melted and her smile was brilliant, hearing her name spoken so softly by him. "And you're mine, AJ. Don't ever forget that."
Lying back down on him, she felt the sleeping bag being pulled back around her shoulders. She must have fallen soundly asleep, because the next thing she remembered was waking up in the pre-dawn light and being curled up against him inside the tent. She kissed him gently and watched the soft smile drift across his face, before snuggling closer him and falling back asleep.