Jenny's apartment in Naples, Italy
January 17th, 1999
He pressed up against her back.
Hot breath on her neck as steam billowed under her watchful gaze.
"You need to work on your collars," he whispered as he looked down at the blouse she was ironing.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Nope."
He saw no need to tell her that he'd been watching her pitiful attempts at ironing with growing amusement.
Or that he found the sight of her at the board incredibly arousing.
She'd find out for herself soon enough.
Her hand twitched as he placed his own over it, and her right temple pressed against his cheek.
"You need to hold it down. Like this."
His other hand picked up its counterpart and placed it on the collar.
He spoke so gently that his words seemed to ease the wrinkles out of the fabric almost before the iron.
Jen smiled as she let him take over, and he could tell that his adeptness, as she watched him angle the blouse, surprised her.
Even if, with his background, it really shouldn't have
"The front needs to be smooth," he said as he ran his fingers up the front of her dress till he reached her chin, "so that the collar can sit properly here." His fingertips caressed her skin. Running arousing circles around her neck. "And the shoulders need to be flat," he added as he ran his palms over hers and trailed them down her arms, "so that they can support its weight properly."
"That's it?"
Clearly she hadn't missed the smugness in his tone.
"Ironing 101."
He pushed her elbows in and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"What about the back?"
"Gets creased the moment you sit down. Not as important as the front."
"Is that so?"
Her smile broadened as one hand uplifted a breast and thumbed it expertly, and the other made its way past the waistband of her sweatpants.
Clearly the lesson was over and it was time to move on.
Inspired by the ironing board in Gibbs' house in Outlaws and In-laws, and by my own personal experience.
Not only do I love to iron, I was also taught to iron properly by an man.
The same man who taught me how to change a fuse and a flat tyre.
Life skills every woman should possess.