Purgatory

Chapter 25 – Healing

A gloriously shining sun washed over them as they stepped out of their rental car into a warm breeze blowing in off the bay, the taste of salt water and the tang of evergreen forests dancing around their senses.

"Nice of Craig to assign you four weeks of protection detail. Cushy job," Gibbs said with a grin.

"Got that right," EJ agreed. "Except the client's kind of a pain-in-the-ass," she sneered at him.

"Great place to spend the time, huh?!" she added, looking around the secluded property and the front of a small, modern log cabin where they had parked. "I hear the weather this time of year in the San Juan Islands is incredible. If it stays like this, it's gonna be really nice and relaxing. Did you hear that Jethro?" she raised her eyebrow at him. "I said relaxing."

"Yup," his tone was dismissive but a playful smile curved his lips. "Nice place," he said, scanning the cabin which was set back about 25 yards from a shallow rocky beach at the edge of the sparkling blue bay. "Who'd you say loaned this out to us?"

"Lt. Commander, Cozort. He's the head of security at Bangor. It's his vacation cabin." EJ reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. The guy who covered for you with Craig," he winked at her. "Think the director will ever know you and McGee quit your jobs?"

She gave he a wicked grin. "Nope. Cozort won't spill the beans and Bishop and his guys are afraid of me. I think I've got it covered."

"Oh, by the way," she continued, "Cozort wants to met you before we go back to DC. He said to make sure we also send him a wedding announcement when we set a date."

"Should I be jealous of this guy," Gibbs chided her.

EJ shot him a seductive smile and then stretched up on her tip-toes, grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him, hard, biting his lower lip, her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth. Gibbs grabbed her hips and moaned, parting his lips, allowing her to control the kiss she had started. Her mouth was hungry on his, her tongue pushing, probing and tasting, dueling back and forth with his as she deepened the kiss. When both needed to breathe she pulled her lips back and forced her forehead against his, still on her tiptoes with his hands still on her hips.

Panting, she husked back at him, "Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice dusky and as full of need as hers.

He pulled her back into another kiss, just as passionate and demanding as the first, drawing a moan of pleasure from her throat this time. His hands moved from her hips to the small of her back, pulling her into him, crushing her breasts into his chest, pulling her hips into his. This time he directed the kiss, making sure she knew she was his and no one else's. Pulling apart again for air he saw her eyes had gone dark confirming that she wanted him as much as he wanted her and that now would not be soon enough. He nodded toward their bags in the back seat of the car and without hesitation they grabbed their gear and headed straight toward the cabin.

EJ keyed the door open, pushed inside and threw her bag on the floor. Hot on her heels Gibbs stepped over the threshold, dropped his bag and turned to close the door. As he turned back he was slammed backwards against the door, EJ crashing her entire weight against him as she grabbed his jacket lapels pushing them backwards so Gibbs shoulders were pinned to the door, a feral look on her face as a low growl came from her throat.

As his back hit the door he let out a painful gasp, the bruises on his back and his broken rib painfully reminding him he still had not fully recovered.

EJ's attack wavered for a moment, her face flashed with regret. "Sorry," she hissed. "I can lighten up if ..."

He cut her off, his voice raw and gravelly, "Don't stop."

Her eyes flashed dark again, his command obviously fueling her desire. She grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him to her in a searing kiss, raking the finger nails of her other hand through his scalp. The kiss was hard and short as she pulled her mouth away, pushing it up to his ear. "I can't do slow. Not right now," she husked.

He nodded, his voice rasped, gulping for air, "Fast now, slow later."

He felt her nod against the side of his head, then rewarded her with a groan as she took his ear lobe into her mouth, sucking and biting. He pulled her closer as their breathing became labored and moaned as she ground her thigh into his growing arousal. He started to pull her into another kiss but she pushed backwards with her hands against his chest. His disappointing groan lasted only a moment as EJ dropped down into a squat and attacked the belt, button and zipper of his jeans. He kicked off his loafers as EJ slid his jeans and boxers down to his feet in one motion, stepping out of them as he grabbed her arms and raised her back to her feet in front of him.

He didn't know how it was possible but her eyes shone even darker than before, her breath shaking and erratic. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted up, her arms rising as he pulled it over the top of her head and threw it on the floor. Without hesitation she reached around with one hand, unclasping her bra and let it fall to the floor. Grabbing the back of his neck with her other hand she forced his face down to her breast, urging him on as he teased and licked her erect nipple and then pulled her breast into his mouth, lavishing it with his tongue and lips. Bringing her other hand to his head she pushed his face to her other breast where he attended to it with the same adoration. The silky smoothness of her skin was warm and soft against his lips, the tautness of her nipples tantalized his tongue. He felt himself grow harder as she moaned her appreciation.

While he obeyed her direction to attend to her breasts EJ reached down around Gibbs head to unfasten her jeans and divest herself of pants and panties, then brought her hands to the hem of his shirt and lifted up, pulling his mouth away from its ministrations. He let out a short moan of displeasure but then realized her intention and lifted up his arms and finished removing his shirt.

Now completely devoid of clothing they stood before each other, a lull in their urgency as his eyes drank in the sight of her. His throat tightened and his eyes burned as the longing and desire for her, beaten down for the past three and a half months, broke through, searing his heart and setting his body on fire.

"You … are … exquisite!" he whispered. "I love you so much, Erica."

Reaching out he pulled her to him, his hand fisting in her hair as he bent down, covering her lips with his, his desire fueling the passion of his kiss. His mind spun, forcing away all thoughts as he reveled in the warmth of skin against skin. Holding her tight against him he backed toward the couch as she shuffled her feet to move in unison with his. Reaching his destination he sat, resting his sore back against the cushions. Pulling her to him she straddled his lap, dropping her knees to the couch on either side of his thighs, grinding down and moving her hips as he cupped her butt with both hands. She stilled for a moment, pulling his chin up to meet her eyes.

"God, I've missed you," she sighed.

He nodded, his eyes fixed on hers. He pulled her hips hard into his, grinding his length into her core.

Her breath hitched. "Fast, now?" she hissed.

"Fast, now!" he confirmed, his voice rough and low, dripping with lust. They began to move against each other, slowly at first, then gradually speeding up until the urgency of their need melded their bodies together.

The afternoon passed with the sounds of their passion echoing throughout the cabin. Hours lost their meaning as the hard, frantic and long awaited reunion of their bodies was matched later with the slow sensuousness of their need to touch and whisper and soothe. Their desire for each other sated only temporarily, they were driven to more mundane tasks as hunger eventually overtook them.

Gibbs laid back in the long lounge chair on the deck, chewing the sandwich he had crafted and sipping a beer, staring out at the indigo blue bay. Seagulls dived and darted, skimming the top of the small waves whipped up by a warm, late afternoon breeze. EJ walked onto the deck, nudged his legs apart and sat in front of him on the lounge, leaning her back against his chest. Setting his plate and beer aside he wrapped both arms around her, nuzzling her neck as they looked out at the sun hovering over the horizon, soon to disappear.

Pulling his knees up on either side of her and resting her hands on his thighs she let out a deep sigh and he knew she felt as content as he did in that moment. The world had righted itself again. They were together and that was all that mattered.

After a long while gazing at the horizon, EJ finally broke the silence. "Life's a lot shorter than we think," she murmured.

He looked down at the back of her head with a half smile, "Yup," he responded.

"You can't wait for happiness to find you. You have to make it yourself," she said, her voice decisive as she held up her hand and examined the ring on her finger.

He tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Uh ha," he agreed.

"That would make a good rule," she mused.

"What would?" he questioned.

"Making your own happiness," she said. "How about this? Gibbs' Rule #2 - 'you make your own happiness'."

"Not bad. But already got a second rule."

She turned her head and saw the smirk on his face. "What do you mean you've already got a second rule?"

"Just what I said. Already got one."

"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Gibbs pulled her into him, wrapping his arms even tighter, bringing his lips close to her ear, "It has something to do with sex," he whispered.

Slowly her mouth curved into a coy smile and he felt a shiver run through her body. She turned into him, brushing her lips softly against his and whispered back, "I bet I'm gonna like that rule."

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