Title: Lover's Delight
Author:Mindy35
Rating: T
Disclaimer: You know it.
Spoilers: Not really.
Pairing: Jack/Liz forever.
Summary: Jack wants to sleep with Liz. Liz wants to sleep with Jack. It's simple.
-x-x-x-
Liz wants to eat the Lover's Delight. As filthy as that does sound. It's all she wants for Valentine's Day. Their first Valentines Day as a couple.
Jack knows this because he asked her, and she was able to recite verbatim his previous description of the decadent dessert available only at Plunder. When he first told her of it, he'd had little idea she'd been paying such close attention, but evidently, she was hanging on his every word. He isn't certain whether that is due to her customary lust for food or her newer lust for him or some twisted combination of both. Either way, Jack believes strongly in encouraging Liz's lusts, whatever they may be, so he booked them a table at Plunder for Valentine's. So that together they could eat the Lover's Delight.
Of course, it's not all he intended on doing to mark this special occasion. Jack already gifted her the customary flowers and chocolates. They were on her desk when she arrived that morning and he followed them up with a phone call to tell her how he loved her. Something they usually did not admit or discuss while at work. But Liz has gone too many years without being treated to such relationship standards. Now that she is his, she will never go without them again.
Jack is also hoping to give Liz something else this Valentine's. Something more personal. Something more passionate. Jack is hoping that the night they share the Lover's Delight will also be the night that he and Liz finally consummate their relationship.
They have been dating for three months. Three wonderful, surprising, at times agonising months. At the beginning of those three months, Liz asked him to wait. Actually, what she told him was that she found the idea of them getting naked and sweaty together a bit creepy. Jack tried not to take this too personally. Especially when she hastily added that she did wish to sleep with him. Eventually. Just…not right away. Jack respected her wishes, of course. And it has still been an exciting, fun-filled courtship. Not only because of how well they already know each other and like each other, but because the slow build to physical intimacy is a rare indulgence for Jack.
The kissing alone is simply sensational. He loves seeing her eyes go soft and expectant as he moves in close. He loves feeling her body, even through her clothes, finding where his hands fit best on her curves and which places make her moan hardest. He loves just having her as his to hold and taste and touch. She loves that too. It took her a little while to warm to it. But she has. He can tell.
In fact, the last time they made-out, on her couch after a casual mid-week meal, Liz got so carried away by their kissing and touching that she voluntarily climbed into his lap. Straddled him, stuck her tongue down his throat. Felt him up as eagerly as he was feeling her up. Unfortunately, that was as far as they'd gotten that night. Or any night. He'd said goodnight at her door, kissed her in such a way that he hoped would melt both her knees and her reservations and have her dragging him towards the bedroom. But they still both slept alone that night -- though truthfully, Jack hasn't had a good night's sleep in long time.
Because he is ready. He's been ready for awhile. He suspects Liz is too. Only it was hard enough for her to tell him she wasn't ready for them to be together. Now he isn't sure she knows how to tell him that she is. That she wants him, wants to be with him. Wants him in her bed and in her body. If she only knew just how simple it could be, how little it would take. The slightest invitation, the tiniest gesture and he would be there. Really, totally, unequivocally there.
After all, he's been waiting for this for years. Not that either of them was aware of it during those years. And though Jack has vowed to wait for as long Liz needs, he really hopes it isn't another four years. He couldn't go another four weeks, let alone months or years. He just couldn't. He'd go insane. But Liz jumping him the other night gave him hope. The warmth in her tone when she told him over the phone that morning that she loved him too, also gave him hope. And the bright red dress she chose to wear on their inaugural Valentine's date, that too, gives Jack reason to hope that tonight will be his – or rather, their – lucky night.
All he is looking for now, is a way to insert this desire into their flailing conversation. He's been pushing his food around his plate, while surreptitiously eyeing her in her red dress for the last ten minutes. Their conversation has stalled due to an undercurrent of tension. Which is odd because those strained pauses, previously so prevalent in their former friendship, rarely effect them now that they've committed to being a couple. But it seems that sex is the one subject on which they don't converse with ease. After three long months and four much longer years, it has become the all-too-obvious elephant in the room.
A room now filled with candle-lit tables and glowing couples and opulent food. Since they entered Plunder's hushed, glittering interior, they have both been put on edge by the blatant display of romanticism surrounding them. Somehow it seemed to highlight what only they knew was absent from their relationship. What they both knew this day was actually about. They are halfway through their second course when Liz, unable to take the tension any longer, drops her fork with a clang and looks up from the plate that has had the bulk of her attention all evening.
"Okay. I really don't know how to say this--" she tells him falteringly: "so…I'm just going to say it."
Jack puts down his fork too, composed despite his surprise. "Alright."
She picks up her glass, takes a gulp of very expensive champagne. She nods once, then blurts out: "I want to have sex with you."
Jack bobs his head a few times. "…But?"
"No! No but--" she insists, leaning forward urgently: "I really, really wanna sleep with you. Like…tonight, I wanna sleep with you."
Jack pauses. A smile begins to stretch across his face. "You have no idea how much I've waited to hear those words from your mouth."
"To be honest," she goes on, seemingly unable to stop herself now: "I've wanted to for awhile, I just…didn't know how to…say it out loud."
"Liz," he chuckles as he puts a hand over hers, lowering his voice to a suggestive rasp: "there are other ways to communicate desire besides speech."
"I practically jumped you the other night," she points out, eyes wide.
"You certainly did," he murmurs, relieved to hear that she is as frustrated as he. "I remember it well."
"And you still went home walking funny," she adds with a sigh.
"I was not walking funny," Jack states.
She takes another sip of wine, shoots him a wry look. "Believe me, Jack, I had a good view and you were walking pretty funny."
"And who's fault is that?" he asks, eyeing her askance.
"Mine, I know," she moans, one hand pressed to her chest: "I made you wait! Longer than we needed to. Because I'm really, really ready. I really want to." She draws back, eyes flicking over him a moment before she asks: "Are you…ready?"
"Are you kidding me?" he replies bluntly.
She shrugs. "I thought I'd check."
He releases a low, pained laugh, scanning the restaurant for the closest exit: "I would leave right now if you asked me to."
"No!" She puts a hand on his arm as if to stop him whisking her away without her consent. "We haven't had our dessert yet."
Jack turns to her, taking in the overly distressed look on her face. "Is it really that important to you?"
Liz opens and closes her mouth a few times, pouts a little. "I…wanted us to share the Lover's Delight," she says in a little voice. "I thought it would be…romantic."
Jack tilts his head, mouth curving up in one corner. "You're trying to be romantic?" he asks, because he knows such a tendency does not come naturally to her.
"I was making an effort," she huffs, dropping her head into her hands. She peers through her fingers at him: "And now I'm messing this up, aren't I? Am I messing this up?"
"No. You're not." He shifts closer to her in the booth, pulls her hands away from her face
Liz slumps in relief, a piteous expression on her face: "Jack…I'm trying to pull off a hair-do here, I can't breathe in this dumb dress--" she lowers her voice to a covert whisper: "I even went out and bought sexy…underthings."
His eyes widen. "You didn't?"
"Don't get too excited," she says dryly, scratching herself through her red dress: "There's nothing…obscene going on under here. They're just…kind of lacy – itchy, actually -- and matching, for once."
Jack sits back in his seat, shaking his head in wonderment. "You really did that for me?"
"I was trying to…I dunno," she smiles ruefully: "woo you a bit…make it special."
Jack smiles back, eyes glowing warmly. "I was trying to do the same thing."
Her eyes meet his. "…Yeah?"
He nods, holds her gaze. "Yeah…"
"Also--" her eyes drift away from his, the uncertainty returning to her tone: "I did want to talk to you before we…you know…"
Jack reaches over, runs a hand down her back. "Make love for the first time?"
Liz shivers visibly. "Right," she gulps: "Exactly. I wanted to…well…"
He leans in, kisses behind her ear. "Talk to me, Lemon."
She pulls back to look at him, gaze wary, anxious. "I wanna make sure you don't get too carried away. This first time."
"I intend to get carried away," he informs her, looking her straight in the eye: "There's nothing you can say to stop me from getting carried away. And I sincerely hope I will not be the only one."
"What I mean is," she fumbles, drawing in a breath: "I don't want us to get…too wild…first time out."
He shakes his head, bemused. "What exactly do you think I'm going to do to you?"
"How would I know?" she mutters.
"Well…" he murmurs coaxingly: "rather than worrying about what you don't want to happen…" he tucks a curl of hair behind her ear: "why don't you just tell me what you would like to happen between us tonight?"
She releases her breath, spreading her hands: "I just wanna have nice, normal sex. That is all. No…weird stuff."
"Be specific," Jack prompts: "I want to get this right."
"Well. Let's say…we just kiss for awhile," she begins haltingly: "cos I'm loving the kissing, the kissing is great, really, just on it's own."
"I feel exactly the same way," Jack replies smoothly.
"Then…you know," she shrugs, smiles a little: "when the time is right, we go into the bedroom…"
Jack leans closer. "Yeah..?"
She points to him. "You can take off my clothes."
"Uh huh…"
She points to herself. "I'll take off your clothes."
"Yes." Jack nods, mesmerised: "And then?"
"Then we get into bed…" her voice tapers off, she waves a hand: "and well, you know the rest."
"Say it for me anyway," he urges in a gravelly voice.
She snorts slightly. "No!"
He leans back in his seat. "Tease."
She rolls her eyes, shifting in closer. "But…can you work with that, Jack? I know it doesn't sound too exciting--"
"It sounds plenty exciting to me," he says, lacing his fingers with hers: "I can definitely work with that." He leans in, places a lingering kiss on her neck, whispering: "I don't want anything more than that."
She breathes. "Good."
"We can save the kinky stuff for later."
"Jack.'
He pulls back, grinning. "I'm kidding."
"No, you're not," she mutters, but runs a hand down his chest.
"You're right, I'm not." He pauses, regarding her fondly a moment: "But tonight…is all about romance. It's about the woman I love, showing her how much."
Liz laughs, ducks her head. "Oh brother. Are you tryin' to get me to skip dessert with this stuff?"
"There's certainly no harm in trying," he remarks, taking a leisurely sip of champagne. "A man can live in hope."
She is silent, her head tipped to one side, eyes running over his face. After a long pause, she says a simple: "Okay."
Jack looks over at her.
She raises both brows at him. "Let's go."
A look of shock passes over his face. "…What?"
She nods shortly. "Let's go." She slides out of the booth, gets to her feet: "Let's go have sex."
Jack blinks profusely. "I'm sorry, what?"
A waiter approaches, tentatively glancing between the two of them. "Is everything okay here?"
"Everything is fine," Liz replies, turning to him: "Can we get the check now please?"
Jack holds up a hand. "Lemon–"
"Your desserts were pre-ordered," the young man points out politely: "They…cost a thousand dollars. Each."
"That's okay," Liz tells him with a shrug: "we're going to skip dessert."
Jack chuckles uneasily. "She's kidding, she doesn't mean what she's saying."
Liz gives him a glare. "I'm not kidding. I do know."
"Sit down," he hisses at her, then shifts his gaze to the confused waiter: "We will be staying, thankyou. I think you can bring our desserts now."
The young man gives a nod: "Yes, sir," then swiftly collects their plates before they change their minds.
Liz settles back in the booth, a puzzled look on her face. "I thought you wanted to have sex."
"Make love," he corrects. "And I do. But I can wait another twenty minutes."
She arches a brow. "You can?"
"Liz…" He takes her hand, holds it in both of his: "just the idea that you would even consider skipping dessert in order to sleep with me sooner is the best Valentine's present I could ever imagine receiving."
Her face relaxes into a lopsided smile. "Don't forget the sexy underthings."
He runs an eye over her. "I haven't, believe me."
She squirms a little in her clothes, commenting: "You know I think I want to get out of these things even more than you want me out of them."
"That's--" Jack pauses, peering at her under his brows: "not possible, I assure you."
She smirks, pulling him closer, one hand wrapped around his tie. Her lips open, then press against his, then slide, slotting between his as he murmurs sweet nothings against her mouth and kisses her back. Her other hand lifts to his cheek as Jack tips her back, arms snaking round her body, holding her tight.
Mid-kiss, mid-moan, they are interrupted by a discreet cough. They break apart, looking up to see their cherubic waiter holding two dessert bowls brimming with rich ice cream and decadent chocolate and topped with gold leaf. They both smile smugly, moving apart as the two Lover's Delights are placed in front of them. Their waiter scurries quickly away, almost hiding a roll of his eyes. Catching the gesture, Liz cranes her neck, glancing around the elegant restaurant too see that she and Jack are not the only twosome who feel the need to express themselves in this way, on this day. The place is full of couples embracing and canoodling and feeling each other up under the expensive linen tablecloths.
She nudges Jack, cooing happily: "Aw, look, Jack. We're one of the creepy, inappropriate couples."
Jack looks around, then at her. "To be fair, it is Valentine's Day."
"Right." She grins, gazing at him with unabashed love: "We can be as creepy and inappropriate as we want."
Jack gazes back lovingly. "We certainly can."
"Alright!" She sits up straighter in her seat, eyeing the dessert in front of her and licking her lips anticipatorily: "This better be awesomer than a microwaved donut."
"It will be," Jack murmurs, picking up his spoon.
"I meant the dessert," she replies: "not the sex that we will be having."
Jack smiles: "Both will be." He scoops up some ice cream and chocolate, extending the spoon towards her mouth.
Liz pulls back dubiously. "You're kidding, right?"
Jack shakes his head, blue eyes twinkling, and waits for her to lean in and take the spoon between her lips. Which she eventually does, involuntarily emitting a dark, low moan.
"Well…?" he asks as she swirls the confection around in her mouth, then swallows.
"Oh my God, are you freaking kidding me?" she sighs, eyes wide: "This is better than sex."
Jack hums, collects another spoonful of Lover's Delight. "We'll see."
END.