Thanks to DaniWilder for a quick beta read and to RoryFaller for making certain I didn't encroach on her turf by keeping the smut factor low.
Reviewers for the last chapter include: BetherdyBabe, DaniWilder, ElisaD263, and LeftyBaroque. Thanks as always.
Disclaimer: MGM owns SGA; KOI does NOT. Disney owns Enchanted. Not my kind of flick, so I don't even own a DVD copy.
Rating: T (for sexual situations)
Canonicity: Canon-friendly
Minor Spoilers: 5x11 The Lost Tribe; 5x16 Brain Storm; 5x20 Enemy At the Gate
Valentine's Day In the Bay
Impulse Control
by koinekid
At first he thought her new lipstick must contain some exotic flavoring – mango, perhaps, or papaya. S'just me, she said. Then he figured the chardonnay served with dinner must be affecting his perception. But he'd drank only one glass. In the end Rodney was left with one incomprehensible yet positively undeniable truth: that his girlfriend's lips tasted sweeter when he kissed them in public.
Any moment, one of their colleagues might lose interest in the film and notice the show the two geniuses were putting on in the the audience. The knowledge emboldened Rodney, made the kiss hotter, more intense, more dangerous. Before he could stop himself, his hand had slipped past the hem of her skirt and begun stroking the taut flesh of her outer thigh. Thank God the lights were out.
Jennifer too kept her hands busy: rubbing his chest through his crisp, white shirt; squeezing his bicep through his woolen jacket; and – with no pesky barrier in her way – caressing his face and neck. The instant he touched her thigh she lost it, moaning and collapsing against him in a trembling heap. Her position denied him access to her lips, so he planted feather light busses against her neck and clavicle. When she had strength enough, Jennifer returned the favor, staining his neck and cheek red and further marking the man as her own.
Ideally, those marks would be visible to all when the house lights rose during the credits. At the rate their passion was building, though, it didn't seem likely they'd make it past the film's opening animation before racing off to bed. Jennifer didn't mind skipping out early so long as they left a big impression as they exited. That shouldn't prove terribly difficult considering they were seated in front of two of the city's worst gossips.
On her way to nuzzle Rodney's ear, Jennifer stole a glance into the row behind them. Chuck was too busy putting the moves on his date to pay attention to her and Rodney. Amelia, though, was staring right at them. Unfortunately, so was her date.
Ronon Dex had pursued Jennifer for longer than a year. Months ago, she told him she wasn't interested in anything from him beyond friendship. She assumed he'd moved on. Maybe he had, but being this close to the woman he used to desire while she made out with her new boyfriend seemed to be a mood killer. For Amelia too. Her crossed arms and locked-in scowl confirmed it.
Jennifer felt a stab of guilt at being so thoughtless, but Rodney's magic touch soon banished all thought from her mind. His fingers rubbed heated circles in the flesh beneath her skirt, and Roland and Emily – or whoever – became distant memories that quickly faded away.
This night she'd made so many wonderful memories, and many more were to come. There simply was no room for any but the most precious. Like the way she and her lover danced slowly, eyes closed, cheek-to-cheek; the way he held her hand throughout most of dinner and they drank their wine with locked arms; and, best of all, his reaction to the first dress she'd ever purchased just to impress him.
Rodney's hand hovered over the door. Five, four, three, two, one. At precisely 1900 hours local time, he delivered three quick raps, then lowered his arm to his side. Twice in the last hour, he'd synchronized his watch to the city's official time. He'd just sat down to access the server and check once more when he realized he was about to be late and rushed off to the nearest transporter.
Jennifer's door slid open with a gentle swoosh, and Rodney decided to reevaluate his belief in the supernatural. Because he'd obviously died and gone to heaven. Framed in the doorway was the sexiest angel he could ever imagine. His angel was dressed in red from head to toe. The pumps, the polish on her nails, even the clips in her hair were scarlet. And the dress. Oh my God, the dress.
Its cut emphasized the delicate breasts he'd become acquainted with these past three months. When she spun to give him the 360 view, skirt twirling triumphantly around her hips, Rodney groaned. The dress was almost backless; Jennifer wasn't wearing a bra.
Consumed by arousal, he stepped toward her, intent on skipping the party if she'd permit it and spending the evening locked in her room. When she faced him again, though, arousal gave way to an entirely unexpected emotion: protectiveness.
The fabric clung to her tummy, and as he reached out to caress its gentle curve, her hand covered his and they shared a look that bespoke an almost psychic connection. Each knew the other's thoughts, and though it was too soon to speak those sentiments aloud, that didn't make them any less true.
Some day this beautiful belly would expand to carry a child that was equal parts his and hers. The possibility once terrified Rodney; now he'd taken his first step toward eager anticipation. I'm not afraid, Jennifer, his eyes said. Not anymore.
Rodney, darling, hers said, I never was.
Out loud, he said, "You look amazing. I think I forgot how to breathe for a moment."
"I know the feeling, Rod." Her own breathing was shallow. "You look great."
He smiled. "Must be the tie."
She cupped his cheek. "No, it isn't."
Rodney leaned down and pressed the gentlest kiss imaginable to her painted lips. For once he didn't check to see if they were alone.
Offering his arm, he said, "Shall we, my love?"
The moment she saw Rodney in his dark suit, wearing the tie she picked out for him, Jennifer wanted to pull him into her room, and to hell with the party. She had Enchanted on DVD. They could watch it here. Naked. But her desire for his body was overruled by her desire for him to project in every aspect of his life the strength and confidence she knew he possessed. That included romance.
Her determination wavered when she saw his eyes roving over her body. Her stomach did flips, and blood rushed to her face and neck. Ostensibly to show off, but really to give herself a moment to regain composure, she twirled. It didn't work. Just knowing she was treating him to a view of her bare back deepened her flush.
What he did next wiped away her smile. Before they began dating, frequent visits to the gym to work off her sexual frustration kept Jennifer trim. Lately, the stress of her job and a chronic lack of free time meant her workouts were limited to horizontal romps with her beau. The few pounds she'd gained lately hadn't escaped her notice, especially in the store when she tried on the dress.
When she expressed her doubts, Marie told her she was being an idiot, that she was gorgeous, and the sales girl backed her up. Jennifer was already planning to drop the weight, but she hadn't thought it would bother Rodney. She loved his body the way it was. Why couldn't he—?
She hated herself for doubting him. The purity of feeling reflected in his eyes brought tears to her own. His hand on her stomach was no commentary on three or four extra pounds. It was...oh my.
Yes, she wanted to cry out. Yes, I will. But it was too soon. He understood this as she always knew he would.
In the shadow of the movie screen, while Amy Adams made a dress out of Patrick Dempsey's curtains, Rodney McKay teased Jennifer Keller to a slow simmer. Rodney had always been an eager kisser. The first time they made out his mouth opened to take hers in when, despite her deep love for the man, Jennifer had been too shy to part her lips. Under his gentle coaxing, that shyness evaporated, and she ended up going further on the first date than she intended.
This man destroyed her self control. Not that she was complaining.
Breathing heavy, he pulled back. Frustration unlike any she'd experienced that night filled her when he looked to the left and right. If he was getting bashful now, she'd scream. He straightened, smirked, and secured both her hands in his. Loud enough to be heard several rows in both directions, he said, "I love you, Jennifer."
Happiness flooded her heart. Practically giddy, she returned even louder, "I love you too, Rodney."
With half the eyes in the room on them, Rodney pressed forward to reclaim her lips in a smoldering kiss. "Let's get out of here."
That part at least was said in a whisper, which was fine by her. She didn't need him to be that confident. "My place."
"Mine's closer."
Jennifer pulled him to his feet. "Trust me."
"It'll be worth it?"
"Oh, yes." When she slipped into what remained inside her two-toned pink bag, Rodney would agree. "It'll most definitely be worth it."
Next: Self Control
Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.
