Our two lovers return to the beach house and Jacob makes plans. As mentioned in my introduction to the last story, all my following pieces are based upon the assumptions set up in "A Warm Weekend"
For reasons that will become apparent later in the story, Jacob has chosen an old Billy Joel song to accompany the events in this piece.
Soundtrack: She's Always a Woman to Me – Billy Joel
Oh, she takes care of herself,
She can wait if she wants,
She's ahead of her time.
Oh, and she never gives out,
And she never gives in,
She just changes her mind.
And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden,
Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleedin'.
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be,
Blame it all on yourself,
Cause she's always a woman to me…………………..
Rachel rubbed her eyes and yawned. With her eyes still closed against the morning light, she reached one hand out and felt around in the bed. He wasn't there.
She sighed. Why couldn't he just stay in bed for once? She'd had some very, very nice dreams about him during the night and was looking forward to some morning sex when she woke up. She curled onto her side, imagining his warm body wrapped around her and his lips on her neck.
Opening one eye to check on the time – it was 10am – she noticed a note propped up on the bedside table next to her. In Jacob's casual scrawl was written, 'Get up sleeping beauty. Have a shower and get ready – I'm taking you out for the day.'
She reached over, took the note off the table and rolled on to her back. She read it again and groaned. She didn't want to go out for the day. She wanted to stay in bed all day with her gorgeous new lover.
"Give me strength," she muttered to herself.
This was the first time they had been back to the beach house. It was over a month since he'd first brought her here, and since leaving they had worked on virtually back-to-back cases, with only a few days here and there free in between. She had begun to regret making the rule about no sex on assignment, and although they had been together for over a month now, she could count the times they had been intimate since that first weekend, on one hand. Her rule seemed to have achieved nothing other than some very trying car journeys; some spectacularly tense plane trips and some unusual conversations through adjoining hotel room doors.
It had been very late by the time they left DC the night before and it was pushing 1am when they finally arrived at Bethany. They had fallen into bed, both exhausted, and she had drifted off to sleep with the promise of a glorious weekend of skin on skin on her mind.
But she knew Jacob would have been awake at 5am regardless of the time they went to bed. Would have been outside swimming in the sea not long after and by now, had probably gone into town. She sat up in bed and scanned as much of the beach as she could see in case he was laying out there fresh from the sea, but no such luck.
So she dragged herself out of the big white bed and took a long, hot shower in Jacob's beautiful bathroom.
She looked at herself in the expansive bathroom mirror and smiled ruefully at her reflection – she hated to admit it to herself, but she'd spent more time in the last month looking at and buying dresses than she had for most of her adult life.
She knew Jacob hated her standard work clothes of sensible pants and a shirt. He loved her in (and out of) a dress and for as much as she thought that it was none of his damn business what the hell she wore, she had doubled her dress wardrobe in the past month.
The new one she dressed in this morning was a crisp white cotton knee length with spaghetti straps and a deep v at the neck. She realised when she put it on that it wasn't really a dress you could wear a standard bra with and seeing as she had neither a strapless with her or her invisible straps, she decided to go without.
Plus, she thought to herself with a little smile, he would like that.
The weather was extremely humid and she pulled her hair up into a high pony to keep it off her neck. She couldn't be bothered with a lot of makeup on her weekend off, so just dabbed her lips with some gloss and swept her eyelashes with light mascara.
After wandering out to the deck and scanning up and down the beach for a sign of Jacob, she went back inside and poured herself some coffee. She felt like a piece of fruit for breakfast or some pancakes, but the fruit bowl was empty and her chief pancake maker wasn't there.
She was wondering what else she could find to eat when she heard car tyres pull up in the gravel out the back and the low rumble of Jacob's Corvette. When he walked through the door a minute or so later, her heart gave a little start in her chest. She had forgotten for a moment how beautiful he was.
He was in a good mood. With a big smile on his broad face, he swept her up in his arms, sat her on the kitchen bench and kissed her.
"Oh, I've missed you sleeping beauty," he said with a laugh. "But I've been into town and picked up everything we need, so are you ready to go?"
"Well I'm ready," she answered hesitantly, "but where are we going?"
She really wanted him to keep kissing her and to undress her and make love to her on the kitchen floor, but she had a sinking feeling that he was serious about taking her out for the day. She ran her fingers through his tousled hair.
As it had the first time they had come to the beach house, it surprised her how different he seemed here, how happy and carefree. She could swear he was twice as good looking as when he was working, beaming at her with his easy smile, wearing his favourite button fly jeans and a cool white t-shirt that clung ever so slightly to his body because of the humidity. His green eyes sparkled as he looked into her face happily.
"We're going for a little road trip. A couple of hours down the coast is a beautiful stretch of beach in a national park, completely secluded, I want to take you there for lunch on the beach. I ordered a basket from the deli yesterday and I've had the car washed and detailed, a bottle of champagne, you and me. What else could you ask for?"
She looked at him, eyebrows raised.
"Driving? Jake we drove for 3 hours just to get here, why do we have to go driving further. Can't we just lay on this beach, surely a beach is a beach!"
"Oh, come on Rachel, don't be like that," he replied with a glint in his eye, "where's your sense of adventure? Plus, I have a present for you."
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a key ring with 3 keys on it.
"This is for you," he said with a wink, handing it to her.
She held the key ring in her hand and ran her fingers over the smooth surface. It was a brilliant aqua blue and green enamelled sea horse. She looked at him questioningly.
"This is the key to the DC house," he said, reaching over and pulling one key apart from the others, "this is the key for here, and this," he said with a big smile, "is the key for the Stingray".
She looked into his face.
"I'll let you drive today," he said.
She knew she should feel happy but instead she felt a knot in her stomach and tears stinging her eyes. 'Shit, why did he make her cry so easily?' She blinked them away, smiled at him and drew his face to hers, kissing him hard and passionately.
He wriggled his face out of her grip.
"No, no, no, come on," he said, "before we get distracted. Let's go. The tide will start to turn at 2pm and I want to get there while it's still low. Why don't you slip your swimsuit on under that dress, which I like very, very much by the way," he touched her breast gently, "especially the no bra effect. On second thoughts, just bring your swimsuit with you. I like the idea of a braless woman driving me to my favourite beach."
'Good god Jacob, you could drive me to my favourite place,' she thought to herself, 'and we don't even need to leave the house.'
He took her by the waist and lifted her to the floor.
"I'll meet you outside," he said kissing her gently on the forehead. And with that he was gone like a giant overexcited 12 year old.
She sighed, gathered up a few things, stuffed her new bikini into her bag and made her way outside, locking the house door with her new key. Jacob had just finished changing his jeans for board shorts and was doing up the string that appeared to miraculously hold them on his hips although she didn't quite know how. He threw the jeans into the boot and slammed it shut then made his way quickly to the driver's door, opening it for her.
"Do you know what Jake?" she said. "Would you mind driving there? I'm still a little tired. I'd quite like just to sit back and relax."
What she really meant was that she just wanted to sit and gaze at him for two hours.
He looked at her in surprise, eyebrows raised. "Are you sure?"
"Quite," she said, "I'll drive home".
"Ok, fine with me," he shrugged, then glanced at her, biting his bottom lip slightly, "but you do realise that the driver gets to pick the music".
She didn't mind his choice of music and as she sat there with the breeze blowing in her hair, watching Jacob drive happily in his laidback style, one hand on the steering wheel, elbow resting on the open window, the wind tousling his dark hair, she felt content.
******
In what seemed like no time at all, they pulled up in a small car park right above the beach. When she got out of the Corvette and looked down at the sea, she saw a little bay surrounded on both sides by a tumble of rocks. The sea was shallow and green and calm.
"Nice," she said, nodding her approval, "very nice." The beach was empty and she realised that there were no other cars in the car park.
He grabbed their bags, towels, rug, and picnic basket from the back of the car and headed down a small sandy track through the dunes down to the beach.
"Come on, I'll race you down there," he called to her. Never one to back away from a challenge, especially one she thought she could win, Rachel plunged after him, down the track to the beach. Not being loaded up with bags, she scampered easily past him and was sitting on the sand waiting when he finally arrived.
He dumped the bags on the beach and took a flying leap towards her, knocking her backwards onto the sand. He lay over her and kissed her playfully.
"I think you might have sand in your hair," he teased, knowing how much she hated that. "How about you be a devil and get it wet as well". He smiled and kissed her again, slowly this time, seductively.
Just as she was beginning to relax into his embrace though, he was gone. 'Crap'. She lay there for a few moments with her eyes closed, absorbing the enveloping warmth of the humid morning and let some of the tension escape from her body. She hated the humidity when she had to work in it, but when she could relax in it, there was nothing better.
She heard a splash and opened her eyes. Jacob had shucked off his t-shirt and was, predictably, already in the water and making a good pace towards the rocks on the right hand side of the beach. She sat up and sighed, knowing that he would want her to come in with him. She stood and looking around to see if there was anyone nearby, swapped her panties for her bikini bottoms under her dress, then quickly slipped it off and put on her bikini top. She made her way reluctantly down to the waters edge. By the time she reached the water and waded in as far as her ankles, he had already swum back.
"You can't do it like that," he laughed, treading water about 30m away from her. "It's much better to just dive in."
"Shit Jake," she protested, "it's cold".
"Not cold," he replied laughing, "bracing. It's good for you, helps increase your metabolism".
But it was cold, really cold. Just those few weeks' difference had seen the Atlantic change from relatively warm in the height of summer to much chillier as the season began to wane. She walked in a bit further, the sea reaching her knees. It wasn't getting any warmer as far as she could tell. Just then a small wave broke on her legs, slapping right up onto her stomach. She screamed as the freezing water touched her.
"Jesus Christ," Jacob laughed. "Sometimes you're such a girl! Where's Ms Gun Toting, Door Kicking, FBI Agent now then? Afraid of a little bit of cold water!"
He swam off to the left hand group of rocks and by the time he got back, she had reached mid thigh. He floated and watched her tentative approach, laughing, then he swam forward towards her. In a flash he had swept her up in his arms and was carrying her into the sea.
"I can't bear it any more," he said. The cold water enveloping her body literally took her breath away and she gasped. Struggling to take a breath, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him hoping that his warmth would protect her from the bracing ocean.
"You'll get used to it in a second or two," he laughed, swinging her around so she was facing him, her arms still clinging to his neck. They were chest deep in the water now.
She hooked one leg around his waist for support and before she realised it he had moved her other leg to match. His hands moved around her buttocks and he pressed her into him. She felt him hard against her. Her lips found his mouth in a deep kiss, and she suddenly realised that she didn't feel cold any longer.
He took his mouth away from hers and whispered, "you do realise there are some people over there don't you?"
She looked over his shoulder towards the beach and her eyes found some new arrivals, a small family group – 2 adults and 2 small children – playing on the sand. She groaned in disappointment.
He smiled and whispered, "poor baby, you'll just have to swim instead".
When she gave an exasperated snort he raised his eyebrows and murmured into her ear, "relax Rachel, remember the anticipation is often as good as the act".
"I'm not convinced about that," she replied seductively, "at least not when you're the one performing the act".
He walked with her into deeper, shoulder height water, the movement of his legs pressing his erection against her centre in an unbearable rhythm. All that was separating them was the thin fabric of his board shorts and the crotch of her bikini and his hands pressed her hard into him until it felt like the fabric was about to give way.
"You're driving me wild," he whispered. "I think maybe we should go and have lunch now before I lose every ounce of my self control".
She let go of him and swung her feet down onto the sand. Away from his body she felt the cold of the water envelop her and she swam for a little to try and warm up. He too swam until he was respectable enough to leave the water and then they walked hand in hand up to their bags.
They lay on the rug and ate the beautiful basket of food that the continental deli had prepared for them – a big Italian loaf hollowed out and stuffed with salami, mortadella, prosciutto, preserved capsicum and eggplant, semi sun dried tomatoes and slices of cheese; a bowl of fresh salad, some big fat olives marinated in garlic and chilli, a platter of fresh peaches and raspberries, and a bottle of champagne. Jacob had even organised a small flask of strong black coffee and a box of Baci chocolates and they amused themselves reading the little love notes enclosed in each one.
After a post lunch doze in the sun they went for a walk along the beach and climbed the rocks at the end of the bay. They splashed around in the rock pools like a couple of children and he showed off to her identifying the various species of starfish, crabs and shellfish that they found. And for a short while she forgot that she really wanted to be at home in bed with him.
But that didn't last long.
Eventually, they lay on the sand together soaking up the warmth of the humid afternoon. The only contact between them was through the fingertips of their hands, his left, her right, as they brushed against each other. Rachel felt her body humming with sexual tension. She hadn't felt like this since she was a teenager.
"It's nice here Jake," she whispered, "but I'd really, really like to go home now".
The inference in her words was apparent and he turned towards her. He brushed some stray hairs back from her face and his lips feathered her shoulder and her upper arm.
He stopped kissing her and paused for a few moments. Then he raised his hand and gently rubbed the tiny, hard, rod under the skin of her upper right arm where his lips had touched. He exhaled through his nose, a kind of sigh, and his lips twitched as he struggled to find the right words to say. He tentatively spoke.
"Look, I know you're not going to like me saying this Rachel," he said, "and I know you're just going to overreact, but I have to tell you that I'm not really happy about you having this contraceptive implant".
She moved her arm away from his hand. "You're damn right I'm going to overreact," she replied sharply. "It's none of your business Jacob".
"It is my business," he replied calmly, "I know it's convenient and provides you with a level of um, protection, but I don't agree with pumping your body with a constant stream of synthetic hormones".
"It's perfectly safe Jacob. They wouldn't issue them if there were any safety concerns."
"They have side effects and risks,"
"Everything in life has side effects and risks."
"Yes but these are avoidable. Why subject yourself to risks if they're avoidable".
"Come on Jacob, the risks are minimal and you know it".
"Minimal, not non existent. All hormonal contraceptives have an increased risk of thromoembolic disease, um, you know, blood clots, as well as breast cancer and a reduction in bone density. And they're not 100% effective against pregnancy anyway".
"Nothing is 100% effective except abstinence and that's not likely to happen."
"That's true Rachel, but there are no side effects from condoms. You aren't artificially messing with the natural rhythms of your body".
"Oh yes, the natural rhythms of my body. You do realise that I haven't had a period since I've had this implant".
"How is that a good thing for Christ's sake?"
"It's a good thing for me."
"Well it's not a good thing for your body."
"It's a damn good thing for your sex life."
"MY sex life, MY sex life. You have to be kidding me Rachel. What does it have to do with my sex life?"
"Well there'd be no sex for a week"
"Why?"
"You wouldn't want to."
"Are you saying that I wouldn't want to have sex with you while you're bleeding? Jesus Christ Rachel, this is me you're talking to. It wouldn't bother me. I would lick the blood off your thighs if you'd let me."
She was silent. She couldn't believe he had said that.
He put his hands over his face and exhaled in frustration. "I do not understand women. For as long as I live I will never understand women. Why do you not understand that I love your body?"
After a few moments she spoke quietly.
"Is this about Maggie?"
Finally he snapped. He sat up and looked at her, his eyes flashed black with anger.
"This is nothing to do with Maggie, Rachel. Nothing at all. This is about you and me. This is about you denying who you really are. There was nothing, nothing that Maggie did to bring on her cancer. If something like that can happen to someone like her for no reason whatsoever, why would you deliberately put yourself in danger like this? I don't understand it."
"Maybe you don't try and understand it Jacob. Maybe you just want to see everything from your own perspective."
He got up and walked down to the sea. Dived in and swam away from her, out to sea, a long way out. The air was still warm and the sky was becoming heavy with cloud, the sea reflecting its darkening greyness. There was a storm in the air and it was getting increasingly still.
He was just a small speck when she saw him stop and start swimming back to shore. She breathed a sigh of relief. He finally swam all the way back in, but when he left the water, he turned and walked down the beach to the rocks rather than coming back to her. He made his way out to the very tip of the rocks and sat, tossing pebbles out to sea.
Reassured now that he was out of the water and safe, she lay down on her stomach and stretched out in the warm, heavy air.
It was really none of his business. He could shout at her and carry on as much as he liked but she wasn't giving in on this. She liked her implant, she liked not having to use condoms with him, she liked not having periods and she didn't buy into this side effects business. No, he wasn't winning this little battle. Or any other battle for that matter.
And he wasn't getting the last word.
She must have drifted off to sleep because she awoke to the sound of Jacob packing up the picnic gear and folding towels. He had put his t-shirt back on, it was damp and a bit sandy and she liked the way it outlined his body. She wanted to say something to him but his face was still closed and angry.
"Come on," he said. "It's getting late. We should go before this storm breaks".
And with that he started making his way up the sand to the car.
She was really annoyed with him now. Was this how he acted when he didn't get his own way. There was nothing she hated more than sulky men. He needed to learn that she was her own boss and she wasn't going to cave into his demands whenever he made them – whatever they were.
She pulled her dress back on over her bikini, then made her way up to the car. He was in the drivers seat. She threw her bag into the back, went round to his door and opened it.
"Out," she said to him. "I'm driving home, that was the deal."
He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head a little. Then he got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side.
They drove home in silence. She enjoyed the feel of the big engine as it powered along the road and the feel of the wind in her hair, but the tension in the car reduced her pleasure. At one point he reached over and touched her face, but he didn't speak and she didn't acknowledge him.
******
It was around 6pm when they arrived home. He bought the bags inside and flicked on the TV to watch the evening news.
It was evident to her that he wasn't really interested in what she did with herself at that point in time, so she decided to go and have a bath. As she luxuriated in the warm water and played absent mindedly with the bubbles, she thought that maybe he would come and join her. They hadn't had sex in the bath yet and the idea became more and more appealing as she thought about it. The warm, silky bath water was so much nicer than that horrible cold salty sea as far as she was concerned. She called him a few times but he didn't come.
'Be like that then,' she thought to herself crossly.
With the water beginning to get a little cold, she pulled out the plug and got out of the bath, wrapping herself in one of his big white towels. She wandered out into the living area. The TV was still on but he was nowhere to be seen. She flicked the TV off and after finally working out which button on the remote control withdrew it up into the recess, she walked towards the picture windows and out onto the deck. She could see him walking along the beach away from the house in the fading light.
Sighing, she went back inside, put on some fresh underwear and wrapped her bathrobe around her body. She opened a bottle of red wine and put it and two glasses on the coffee table. Then she turned off all the lights in the house and sat down on the couch in the twilight waiting for him to return.
But he didn't.
Eventually she went back out onto the deck to see where he was. Night had fallen and the thunderstorm seemed imminent. She hoped he wasn't swimming.
Of course he was swimming.
So for what seemed like an eternity, she stood out on the deck, leaning on the balcony, looking out over the dark sea, watching him. The air was still and heavy with the promise of rain and she could hear the sound of crickets chirping loudly in the still of the night. The sea was quiet, with just a small wave rolling in gently from time to time.
She saw him emerge from the water, pick up his towel from the sand and dry himself. Then he made his way up to the house.
She didn't turn but heard the sound of his bare feet on the steps. He came up behind her quietly and wrapped his arms around her body.
"I love you Rachel," he whispered, "I don't want to fight with you."
His skin was cold and still damp and she could feel the wetness of his board shorts soaking through the back of her robe.
After a few moments she spoke in a quiet voice, barely more than a whisper.
"Sometimes I dream about you holding me like this. Wrapping your body around me and kissing my neck."
He exhaled into her ear, his hot breath almost scalding her. He held her closer to him.
"Talk to me," he whispered. "I want you to tell me what you dream about."
"I dream about you Jake, about you holding me, kissing me, touching me here," she moved one of his hands to her opposite breast, "and here," and the other hand down to her groin.
He murmured and pressed his body into hers.
"Then I dream about you holding me like this," she moved both his hand to her hips, "and taking me."
She moved her hand backwards, down to his groin and could feel him thick and hard in his board shorts. She reached for the string holding them up and pulled it loose. The shorts finally conceded their futile resistance against gravity and fell away, leaving him naked in the humid air.
His hands on her hips drew her closer to him and he pushed up against her bottom. The feel of him hard against her was almost more than she could bear. She felt like she'd been waiting for this for so long now.
He kissed the back of her neck, nipping at the skin behind her ear. "Come to bed with me," he whispered.
"No Jake," she murmured, moving her ass against him and pressing backwards into him."Right here, now, like this."
He groaned, "God Rachel."
"Come on Jacob," she whispered, "here, now, like this."
He kissed her neck fiercely, and his hands moved to the front of her robe undoing the tie holding it together. With the robe open he had free access to her naked breasts and as his big hands cupped them his thumbs caressed her already hard nipples.
"Turn around so I can kiss you properly," he whispered, "I want to lick your beautiful breasts."
"No Jake," she murmured lasciviously, she was enjoying this. "I'm not turning around 'til you finish me off."
He moved away from her slightly and drew the robe down off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. He kicked his feet out of his board shorts and while he ran his tongue slowly down the length of her spine, he kicked both robe and shorts away from them.
They were both naked now except for her panties. He moved his hand down to the damp fabric between her legs.
"Well these are hardly going to put up much resistance," he whispered hoarsely. He hooked his thumbs into the band on either side of her hips and eased them downwards. They fell to the ground and she moved her feet out of them and kicked them to one side.
He was pressed tight behind her now, and the scent of his salty body and the feel of his heavy erection in the small of her back were driving her wild. His chest and belly were warm against her back; his tongue was lapping a path from her shoulder upwards to her ear. One of his big hands was cupping her breast, his thumb flicking her nipple and stimulating the direct current that ran from there to her groin. His other hand was between her legs, caressing her hot nerve endings and making her groan. Both of her hands were gripping the balcony tightly and she pushed back into him with her naked bottom.
She spoke quietly, passionately, "fuck me Jacob"
"I think they might just be my three favourite words," he whispered, his voice ragged with desire as he pushed into her roughly. And as he buried himself deep between her thighs she felt her orgasm, which had barely been contained all day, starting to pulse from her groin out through her belly and down her legs. Her knees buckled a little.
"It's alright Rachel," he whispered "I've got you. I feel you."
She was seeing stars and as she began to tighten around him there was a rumble of thunder. She lifted her bent head and looked out to sea, and way off in the distance she saw a flash of lightning lighting up the sea and the sky. The thunder boomed again, closer this time, and she felt like a bolt of lightning was cracking through her as she came, pulsating in his hand, again and again and again.
She was struggling for breath and could barely stand, but wanted to feel him ram into her.
"Harder Jake " she whispered, "harder and harder."
He had moved his hands to her hips and his fingers dug into her flesh. He slammed home, lifting her feet off the ground and she heard him gasp her name as he came ferociously.
After a few moments he collapsed down over her back and held her tightly to him as they both fought for breath.
That was how she liked her sex, she thought to herself as the lightning flashed, illuminating their naked bodies.
Hard and fast and passionate.
******
Later, as they lay spooned together in the middle of the big white bed, listening to the thunderstorm and the sound of the rain on the roof, he whispered to her "great sex isn't the answer to everything Rachel. I still want you to have that implant removed".
She sighed.
"Please Jacob, not now."
He was silent, but she could feel his eyes on the back of her head, hear his breath.
After a few moments she spoke again.
"You do realise why the FBI issues us with them don't you? You may be happy to use a condom, but generally rapists don't carry them."
She felt his body tense a little and he pulled her tighter into him.
"You know what I really want," he said quietly.
"I'm not leaving the FBI, Jake. I've worked hard to get where I am, I can handle myself in dangerous situations. I know you worry about me but some things are my decisions."
"I know," he said quietly, "but I don't have to like them."
"No, you don't have to like them," she replied, "but you do have to accept them."
He sighed, and the feel of his hot breath on the back of her neck made her nerves tingle.
"I could say your three favourite words again, if it would make you feel any better," she whispered wriggling her bottom back into his groin.
He moved his hand slowly to her breast and thumbed her nipple into hardness. She knew he was smiling in the darkness.
"Well, I guess it might help a little," he murmured.
"Fuck me Jacob.............."
"You have no manners," he whispered.
"Fuck me Jacob.............. please"
So he did.