Seduction plan part I. Enjoy, guys! ;-)
October 28, 1997
Harm glanced at the clock again. The girls were taking their time getting ready. Not that he knew exactly what for. Sarah had told him that they were going out, that he needed to get ready and that she'd laid his clothes out on the bed.
Without much protest, he'd shaved, showered and dressed, and when he was done, the girls had disappeared into the master bedroom to get ready. Getting impatient, he drummed his fingers on the table, then rose, shrugging into his jacket. What was taking so long? And where was he supposed to go with all this nervous energy?
It had started with his birthday breakfast. Something about Sarah was different. Like she'd realized something, although he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. He suspected it was a hint of the confidence he'd seen hidden underneath that tough Marine exterior. She'd been flirtier with him. More physical. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself in check.
Before he could stop himself, he stepped into the hallway, catching a glimpse of the two girls in the bedroom. Tally was pulling on her sleeve, becoming frustrated.
"It won't…"
Smiling, Sarah crouched down, high heels and all, and pulled the garment into place. His eyes lazily trailed the long line of her spine, convinced he could watch for hours.
"You got all this way without help. Well done, baby. Turn around, please." Brushing hair out of Tally's neck, she buttoned up the dress. "Let me look at you."
Tally spun around, her usual smile back into place. "Do you think Daddy will like it?"
"Daddy will think you're gorgeous, just as I do."
Picking her wrap and clutch out of her lap, Sarah rose and his jaw all but hit the floor. On any other woman that dress would've been lovely. Pretty. But Sarah Mackenzie wasn't any other woman. The sheath model emphasized all those divine curves, without being flashy. He hadn't expected the dark teal, but it was utter perfection.
Tally voiced the thought before he could. "You look really pretty, Māmān."
"Thank you, honey."
"Is it because it's Daddy's birthday?"
"It is."
With that, the door completely opened and for a second he felt caught. Sarah shook her head at him, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Impatient, azizam?"
He pulled a shoulder up, looking her up and down. "Wow."
"Yeah?"
"You look ravishing."
The smell of her perfume filled his nose as she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, wiping the lipstick away with her thumb. "You look handsome yourself, sailor."
"Daddy!"
His daughter. He was so mesmerized by this woman that he could forget his daughter. "I'm sorry, honey." Reaching down, he lifted Tally up in his arms. "You look just as stunning as Mommy does. Is that a new dress?"
Tally grinned. "Yay! Māmām got it, so we match!"
"All this because we're going out?"
Sarah handed him Tally's coat and with three words, she fanned embers into flames. "All for you."
He was distracted as he helped Tally with her coat. How was he supposed to get through dinner when she looked like that? It was going to be torture. Good torture, but torture nonetheless.
"Are you sure about the no tie?" he asked, just to keep the conversation going. His brain had trouble engaging if he kept staring at her.
"I'm sure."
All right. Letting go of Tally, he opened the door, checking his pockets for his wallet and keys.
They detoured. They ended up at Molly's but they detoured and took a longer route. Apparently, Sarah wanted a stroll before dinner. He grinned as he looked up at the facade. Where else were they going to go for dinner? This was their favorite. Tally could do her thing. It would be fine.
Molly kissed him on both cheeks and wished him a belated happy birthday. She had a hushed conversation with Sarah as he lifted Tally up in his arms again, if only to keep the girl close. The place was packed. They'd have a table on the upper floor.
His eyes shot daggers in the direction of every man whose eyes followed the woman in front of him. He could burst with pride that she was there with him. How she dealt with three-inch-heels, a tight dress and those stairs he'd never know, but he did appreciate the view. When he finally tore his eyes away from her, to search for their table, he found his parents, his friends.
Setting Tally on her feet, his eyes traveled around the table, then rested on Sarah, who was taking her coat off, talking to Teagan, who'd greeted her with a "You look amazing!" Sarah's eyes met his.
"This your doing?"
"Maybe."
He swallowed. When had he turned into such a sap? First his birthday breakfast, now this…
Trish wrapped him in a hug. "Happy birthday, honey."
"I thought you had a dinner party."
"Well, don't we?" His mother winked.
There was that. "You didn't have to come all this way just because it's my birthday."
"We did. If only because we haven't the past couple of years. Sarah insisted, and to be honest, she was right. She wanted to make this special."
He didn't completely realize how special until he was seated at the table, with a printed menu in front of him that contained all of his favorite foods, and he suddenly remembered that Tally needed to sit down. His eyes searched for his daughter, and landed on Sarah, who was undoubtedly instructing Tally to sit still and behave herself as dinner was being served, and that she had to listen to Auntie Andrea and Auntie Leslie if she wanted to sit next to Rose and Pippa.
Finally, she slid into the seat next to him, frowning when she saw his expression. "Azizam, what's wrong? Did I forget something?"
"No." He cleared his throat. "It's perfect. All of it is perfect, sweetheart. I'm just…"
Overwhelmed. He was overwhelmed. He'd been a single parent for a while, with no-one to lean on when it came to Tally, and the fact that he could just sit here, while she'd taken it upon herself to get Tally in a seat, and gather their closest friends and family, and apparently pick a menu, just so they could celebrate his birthday…
"When did you manage to do all this?"
"Somewhere between your parents leaving, work and therapy. It wasn't all that much."
"Sarah…"
She looked up. "It's your birthday. We needed to do something special."
"Breakfast and pictures of my favorite girls wasn't enough?"
"No." She leaned into his ear. "You're the one who told me that I should enjoy the fact that I have family and friends. So should you, azizam. It's the three of us now. We have all this. Let's celebrate that."
His heart could burst with love for her. She understood. She was getting there. And there was that word again. She'd been calling him that all week. He understood that it was Farsi, but he wasn't exactly sure what she meant. "Are you ever going to let me know what it means?" he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
"What what means?"
"Azizam."
Sarah tilted her head to the side, her eyes filled with something that he could only describe as utter happiness. "'My dear.' It means 'my dear'."
His face basically split in two grinning. She'd been using a term of endearment for him. Just for him. She didn't use it for Tally. Only for him.
Teagan looked up from her menu, eyes twinkling. "Who picked the menu?"
Sarah turned her head away from him, but kept her body close. "I'm sorry, Teag, it's all of his favorite things." Her shoulder nudged his. "And since our beloved Mr. Rabb here thinks his body is a temple and all that…"
"Hey," he protested, throwing his arm over the back of her chair. "I distinctly remember that the chocolate cake on here for dessert is your favorite."
"Which you always eat at least three bites of." Sarah stuck her tongue out at him. "Just don't expect us to be eating like this the rest of the year, too."
"I'm pretty sure you'd take Talls out for Beltway Burgers if I even tried, just to spite me."
"I would."
Dinner passed with easy conversation and laughter. Sarah was exuberant, flirty, engaging. Harm watched her have a laughter-filled conversation with Teagan, being comfortable and herself. He could barely look away from her, even for a moment.
She teased him about his eating habits with every course, making his parents laugh. When Tally started to get irritable during the main course, she was out of her seat before Harm could put his fork down.
He caught her wrist. "I can get her," he said.
"I know." She squeezed his hand. "I know you can. Let me, though."
With wonder in his eyes, he let her go, watched as she plucked Tally out of her seat and exchanged words in a language no-one else at the table understood. God, it was good to have someone to share this with. Knowing that he could leave it to her and things would be taken care of. He'd never tire of seeing the two of them together.
Coming back to her seat, she lightly touched his thigh. "Strong-willed little girl." She leaned into him. "Can we compromise that numbers two and three are a bit less… stubborn?"
"You wouldn't change her for the world," he said.
"Bit less wouldn't hurt, though." Squeezing his leg, she turned back to her plate, while keeping half an eye on his daughter, talking to Frank and his mother.
She kept fanning the flames she'd ignited earlier that evening; squeezing his hand, tracing patterns on his thigh while sitting beside him, leaning into him, catching his eye, batting her long lashes at him. What was she trying to tell him? If she was trying to tell him anything at all? He'd been wishing to see this side of her for a long time, maybe he was imagining things, now. If only she knew what effect she had on him.
By the time their main course was gone, the band downstairs had started, filling the restaurant with soft and smooth jazz tones. Sarah threw a look at him from where she was sitting talking to Leslie and tilted her head.
"Dance with me?" she mouthed.
How could he decline? He excused himself from Jack, Dylan and Cedric, took the few strides over to her and held out his hand. "Milady?"
He admired her form as she walked ahead of him to the stairs, and he tugged her back in his direction. He was going to go stir crazy if he didn't get to kiss her soon. Before Sarah had time to realize what was happening, his lips were on hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck. It took a while before the need for air became too much.
Smoldering eyes locked with his. "Come dance with me."
He could spend hours with her on the dance floor, wrapped in his arms. But before long, they were called back upstairs, where Molly presented him with a chocolate birthday cake.
"Make a wish," Sarah encouraged him.
What could he possibly wish for? Everything he'd ever wanted was right here. So he took a deep breath and prayed that things would stay exactly the way they were.
