Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.
A/N: You might note some obvious similarities to cedricsowner's story "desert nights". Please also note that my story is posted here with her express permission.
Grumbling and muttering, Winston rolled over onto his side and drifted off to sleep within a minute. "Whoa, must have been the good stuff," Chance commented as he watched his friend relax. "We're probably doing him a favor".
"All strictly, for medical reasons, just as I said." Jessica carefully tugged at Winston's pillow to make him more comfortable. The cot wasn't exactly designed for a man his size. Straightening up, she turned to face Chance. "And now on to my next patient. Take your shirt off."
Chance looked at her with arched eyebrows and a lopsided smile, gesturing around the cramped tent. "Right here?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Treatment room's through there. We want to do this properly, don't we?"
"Treatment room" was quite a grandiose name for the small compartment separated from the tent's patients' area by nothing more than a loose tarp strung over a rope. But it did have a surgery couch, even if it didn't look exactly stable. A single lantern bathed the room in a dim, golden glow that was surely too low for any medical examination, but just perfect for…..other things….. Chance walked over to the couch, put his hand on one corner and rattled it slightly.
"Don't worry, it might not look very stable but it will hold your weight." Jessica walked in and drew the curtain close behind her. "Chance? Your shirt?"
Just like he had been told, Chance shrugged out of his shirt and Jessica gestured for him to turn around so that his back was to her.
"Can you actually see something in that light?"
"I can see enough. And a good doctor never relies on her eyes alone." Jessica walked over to the lantern and turned it down even more before resuming her position behind him. Then she fell silent for a long while. All Chance could hear was her slightly uneven breathing, and all he could feel was the featherlike touch of her hands as she meticulously catalogued each and every scar, her fingers finally coming to rest on the one from the Tanarak mine.
"So, what's the verdict, doc?" he asked softly.
"Looks good, but I see you collected some new ones. Turn around, I need to see if there are any others that need to be checked." Once again Chance complied and Jessica continued her examination, slowly running her hands down his arms, across his chest and then down to the waistband of his pants. "You're shivering."
"Well, desert nights are cold and since you have me standing around without a shirt…"
"You're right, we can't risk lowering our body temperature like that…." Jessica grabbed a blanket from a pile on the floor and wrapped it around Chance's shoulders. It was a native Syrian one, brightly coloured, oversized and immediately providing warmth. Chance took hold of the ends and before Jessica could even think about moving away, wrapped them both in it with one fluid motion, ending up with an interesting fold behind her back so that it couldn't fall off.
"A very eminent doctor once told me that sharing body heat is the best remedy in cases of temperature reduction," Chance murmured softly. His hands gently grasped her waist and tugged her closer. She gave in and rose on her tiptoes as he leaned down for a long, lingering kiss.
Just before lack of oxygen could become an issue, Jessica slowly withdrew and instead started a trail of nibbling little kisses down his chin, throat and chest, until Chance stopped her by tenderly sucking at her neck.
"You know, this works even better with skin contact," she whispered.
His calloused hands wandered under the hem of her shirt and pulled it off. "Doc," he said, "you're not wearing a bra."
"Old desert safari wisdom – the less underwear, the less possibility for sand to get caught and cause abrasions."
Chance chuckled, placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up to face him. "Does that go for panties, too?"
"Why don't you find out?" She pressed herself closer to him, captured his lips in another searing kiss and guided his hands down her loose workpants.
"Doc…"
Jessica felt his lips curl into a smile. He went back to nibbling at the back of her neck again, his tongue teasing and tickling a particularly sensitive spot, sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold of the night. The thought of what kind of feelings his tongue might case in other places if it already produced such a strong sensation at this relatively innocent spot made her knees buckle.
Before she could land unceremoniously on the floor, Chance had already scooped her up in his arms and gently deposited her on the pile of blankets, stretching out beside her, making sure the blanked was still wrapped around them like a warm cocoon, soft and protecting. His hands ghosted up and down her body, spreading a different kind of heat wherever they touched.
The dim glow from the lantern chose exactly that moment to snuff out completely, leaving the tent bathed in a soft, velvety darkness that could – and would – hide a multitude of sins…..