Chap. 10 - Magnum
"I love you Thomas."
A chill traveled through his whole body when he thought of how long he had waited to hear those words from her, to have his feelings reciprocated by the woman he loved. But the timing couldn't be more wrong, not when he had already made his decision.
"Don't say that."
He pushed her slightly away so he could escape to the other side of the kitchen near the bar. Her proximity was distracting and he needed a clear head to think things through.
"Why?" She asked through her tears.
Thomas looked at her, with her red eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks and he truly hated it when she cried. It was like the strongest person he knew had finally crumbled in front of his eyes and his stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight.
"Don't say it unless you mean it," he begged her.
He wouldn't recover if she wasn't honest with him, not about this.
She wiped her cheeks to erase the tear tracks and looked at him, even more hurt than before it seemed.
« You think I intended to put on a show like that just to confess a lie? How manipulative do you think I am? »
« I know you're not like that but you have to admit the timing is a bit suspicious. »
He wanted to believe her, so much, but a small part inside of him couldn't help but feel wary.
« Well, I have been thinking about my feelings for you since you called me a coward a few days ago. I thought I was finally beginning to understand them and was willing to come to talk to you about it when you announced you were leaving me to be a Seal again. Pardon me if it doesn't fit in your busy timetable, » she ranted.
« Just because you told me those three little words doesn't mean I'll change my mind though, » he told her, even though he was mostly trying to convince himself as he could already feel his resolve crumble.
« I didn't say this to make you stay, Thomas. Even if I want my words to have that much power, I'm not naive enough to expect them to. I just remembered what I said in my vows. I promised I would try to make you feel the way you make me feel and even if we never said those words before today, I want you to know that the way you've been treating me since the whole visa debacle started has made me feel so loved. I guess I wanted you to feel loved by me too. And if you leave, I'll be here waiting for you, " she delivered her speech with a clear and sure voice as if she had no hesitation about the veracity of her words.
She wiped away the last of her tears and he could now feel her resolve, as if it suddenly became very important to her that he believed her.
Magnum's heart raced when he heard she wanted to reciprocate all the love he tried to convey to her without even realizing it. He also couldn't forget her earlier words about her wanting this married life with him and he had to admit he wanted everything she had listed with her and then more.
« So you love me? » He asked her as he took one step towards her.
« And you love me too? » She asked to make sure his hasty confession was real.
He nodded slowly but vehemently.
"I do. So much. Like I've never loved anyone before."
« Finally something we can agree on! » She exclaimed as she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He grinned widely when she was securely in his arms and tightened his arms around her waist before seizing her lips with his own to kiss her at last.
They kissed desperately: their lips moving against the other's, their tongues mingling rapidly and their teeth clashing from time to time but Thomas didn't care. They were done holding back; no more undercover PDA, no more tentative touching because neither of them was willing to admit their attraction for the other, they were all in without any pretense.
Juliet moaned softly into his mouth and he pressed her even closer to him. He had wanted her for so long he could feel his blood boil with arousal. The fact that she was still in her running outfit and only wearing a sports bra, which allowed his fingers direct contact with her heated skin, was not helping him restrain himself.
But he tried to keep himself under control. They weren't holding back, yes, but the last thing he wanted was to scare her off.
They eventually broke apart when they were out of breath, and when their eyes locked, a grin slowly appeared on both of their faces. He couldn't help but notice how dilated her pupils were and it did something to his lower belly; it was a rush of want for his wonderful wife.
He smiled affectionately as he trailed his fingers in her blond curls, realizing how lucky he was to be living in this exact moment with her.
"I love you, Juliet," he breathed.
"I love you too, Thomas."
He wrapped his arms around her petite figure and pulled her into a hug, so relieved they had finally admitted how they felt. She returned his hug and ran her palm gently up and down his back before speaking again.
"What happens next?"
He let her go so they could look at each other; he didn't want to hide anything from her anymore.
"I guess I'll go to my appointment tomorrow and tell them I can't reenlist."
"What happened to my words not changing your mind?" She asked him with her eyebrows raised in questioning.
He grinned at her.
"They didn't…. Or maybe they did. Would it be so bad if they actually made me change my mind?"
She sighed as she pushed her hair back and Thomas thought it wasn't a good sign.
"You know how I said that, this," she spoke as she showed him her wedding rings "Didn't mean that I belonged to you? It's the same for you. I want you to stay here with me if that's what you want, but if being a Seal is what you truly want to do, who am I to stand in the way? I can just be here and wait for you to return while being very proud of my Navy Seal husband."
He understood her logic but his wish to become a Seal again had less to do with the pride he felt while he was on a mission than a desire to keep his distance from her when he had thought his love wasn't reciprocated.
"The thing is, I also want the morning cuddles with you, the partnership at work and everything you mentioned earlier. I want to build something with you, have a family. I can't have all of that if I'm all the way across the world. While I'm extra proud of my work as a Seal, that part of my life is in the past and you are my future. I used to be a Navy man and now I want to be a PI, but I also want to be your husband and the father of your children."
Her lips slowly stretched into a wide smile.
"Children? Plural? I think you're being a little ambitious here, Mr. Magnum," she said in a seductive voice.
He took her hands in his and pressed a kiss on the knuckles of her left hand. He would give her anything she wanted; if she didn't want kids at all or wanted five kids he would be happy as long as he was with her.
"I want whatever you want, Love."
He relinquished her right hand when she cupped his cheek and pressed her closed lips to his for a short kiss. It felt so natural and intimate that his heart beat just as fast as their more heated kisses from earlier.
"We don't have to decide right away you know?" She told him.
"Yes, we will have to practice a lot in the meantime because I think I forgot how to make babies," he teased her as he drew her closer again.
She smiled and hummed her approval against his lips as she went for another kiss.
"We'll need lots of practice then."
"What do you say, Mrs. Magnum, should we christen our conjugal bed?"
She trailed her fingers into his hair and he couldn't resist the lure of her lips again.
"Do you mind if we make a detour by the shower first? I'm all sweaty and disgusting from my run," she asked as they broke apart.
"I don't mind as long as I'm the one washing your back."
They both grinned mischievously.
"Deal!"
They climbed the stairs quickly and headed towards the bathroom. While Magnum turned on the shower, Juliet removed her sneakers and socks and when he turned back to her she was removing her purple sports bra, offering him a nice view of her small but oh so beautiful breasts.
He had already seen her naked - several times even - but today felt different. It didn't seem forbidden, even if he tried not to ogle her. She deserved to be romanced and respected, not to be lusted after by some horny man.
He walked towards her and quickly removed his t-shirt that he had worn to cook breakfast. She smiled at the sight of his naked chest and slowly peeled away her leggings. When he arrived in front of her she was only wearing her panties and he was just wearing his boxers.
She placed her palms on his pecs and trailed them upward to his shoulders. His hands wrapped around her waist while their eyes never left each other's before he slid his fingers beneath the cotton fabric and pushed it downwards until it fell to the floor.
She did the same for his underwear and they were now both naked, not that they could actually see anything from standing so close to one another while they stared at each other's eyes.
"You look gorgeous," he told her anyways; because he knew she did.
She blushed slightly and Magnum thought it was the most adorable thing. She didn't say anything but grabbed his hand and led him to the shower where she stepped under the spray of warm water.
He watched her and his breath hitched; never before had he felt so enamored with anyone. She was it, the woman of his dreams.
She broke him out of his reverie when she presented him her bottle of shampoo with a smile. He grabbed it and pressed a small dollop into his palm while she turned around to present him with her back. He started lathering her hair, massaging her scalp gently with his fingers until he drew a soft moan out of her.
He swallowed his saliva, as he felt himself stir at the vision of water streaming down her pale skin and the sound of her enjoying his touch in her hair. He kept his distance from her body, not willing to be too aroused before they had even started anything.
Once he finished washing her hair, he turned her around with his hands on her hips and urged her to tilt her head back so he could rinse her locks. He didn't resist bending slightly to press his lips to her throat eliciting a giggle from her as his kiss tickled her.
When all the shampoo was gone she came closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to fuse her mouth to his, mingling her tongue with his. He quickly pushed her hips slightly away from his, preventing any contact between their lower bodies. The feeling of her breasts against his chest was enough of a turn-on already.
She broke away from his mouth but kept her arms around him.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
"Nothing. I'm… just trying to pace myself, " he mumbled while avoiding her eyes.
"Are you ashamed of being aroused?"
He chuckled nervously.
"What? Of course not."
She raised her eyebrows and threw him a smirk, seeing through his lie perfectly. He sighed.
"I don't want you to feel like it's the only thing I'm thinking about."
"I know you, Thomas. I know that's not the only thing on your mind. Besides, I would be worried if you were not aroused right now to be honest. Also, just because you can't see it, that doesn't mean I'm not turned on as well."
He smiled and took advantage of the fact that she talked about herself to redirect the attention.
"I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one having some trouble with that issue during our time living together."
" What do you mean? " She asked as she tilted her head to the side in curiosity.
" I mean that I heard you that morning while you were in the shower pleasuring yourself," he grinned.
Her eyes widened and a blush crept up on her cheeks.
" You did?"
" Yes, and you have no idea what it did to me. I had to escape before I barged into the bathroom and joined you. I went kayaking instead, and since it didn't go down… , " he said as he gestured to his crotch. "... I had to take matters into my own hands as well. "
He hoped she would feel less embarrassed when she learned he had done the same as she had.
" Really? "
" Yeah, and I fell down into the water. A kayak is not the best place to masturbate, who would have thought? " He joked.
She laughed.
" Oh my God, is that why you came back soaking wet that morning?"
He cringed at the memory.
"Yes."
She laughed some more.
"Do you know that I thought really hard on how it was supposed to be my fault?"
"Well, it was! You were already sexy as hell on any given day, but when I heard you moan in that shower, God, I didn't know how I would keep on living so close to you and not explode."
She cupped his cheek and pressed her lips against his other cheek.
"Maybe it's time we put an end to this dry spell?"
"Oh yes, please," he begged.
She chuckled.
"Just give me a minute."
She let him go and turned away again to grab her shower gel.
"Hey, I was supposed to wash your back!"
She squirted a dollop into his palm.
"I'll do the front and you do the back, okay?"
They quickly washed themselves, trying to be as fast as possible, before they stepped out of the shower to dry themselves.
She dropped her towel on the floor when she was done and turned around before walking away from him in the direction of the bedroom. Her sashaying hips were hypnotic and he couldn't tear his eyes from her retreating back side until she stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"You coming, Babe?"
Thomas almost choked on his own saliva; not only at the use of the moniker but also at the thought that, yes, he was going to come any minute if she kept that up.
It took him a minute to regain his senses and when he finally joined her she was already stretched out on their bed, awaiting him.
He stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her, her toned body bare for his eyes only, and felt humbled that she chose to share her entire being with him.
« What are you waiting for? » She asked him as she propped herself up on her elbows.
He fidgeted on his feet, feeling stupid at how nervous he was.
« I've been waiting for this for so long, I don't know where to start, » he admitted.
« Come lie down with me and kiss me, please. »
She extended her hand for him to take and he finally joined her before he lay down on his side. She did the same so they could face each other and he trailed his fingers into her wet curls as he joined his lips to hers for a slow kiss that turned heated in a few seconds. She scooted closer to him and Thomas groaned when their naked bodies were flushed against each other.
It felt so good, too good; so he broke away from the kiss and tried to take a few calming breaths.
"Thomas, what's wrong?" She asked him in a concerned tone.
"Ah, nothing's wrong, Love. I just need to catch my breath."
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Don't lie to me, Thomas Magnum. You're in excellent shape so there's no way you would be this out of breath with a simple kiss."
"First of all, it was a great kiss and I'm surprised that you're not breathing quickly. And second of all, you're right. I guess I'm nervous for our first time."
She cupped his cheek and her eyes grew soft at his admission.
"But, why? Don't you want this?" She asked nervously and Magnum felt bad for worrying her for nothing.
"Of course I want it, Love. I want it too much if you know what I mean."
He pushed her hips towards his so she could feel how hard his member was for her.
"Oh!" She gasped.
"Yeah. This is what you do to me Juliet. I want you really bad but I want our first time to be memorable and I want to please you so much."
"Babe, this is our first time, it's going to be memorable in itself," she pressed a gentle kiss on his lips, "And I'm sure I will enjoy it because I want you as much as you want me. So please, don't put pressure on yourself and let's focus on ourselves, ok?"
He took a deep breath again and nodded at her. He knew she was right. No pressure. He just needed to regain control of his urges again.
He pushed her slightly so she would roll on her back before he hovered over her body. He met her eyes and they both smiled at each other.
"I love you, Mrs. Magnum."
He didn't know why he deserved such a wonderful woman, but he would try to show her everyday how thankful he was to have her by his side.
"I love you too, Mr. Magnum."
He kissed her and thought he would never tire from hearing her say those words to him. He brushed his lips across her cheek towards her neck and while he mapped the gorgeous column of her neck she spoke again.
« You know what? I secretly love it when people called me Mrs. Magnum. »
He chuckled against her shoulder, still mindful to keep minimum of contact between his lower body and her skin.
« You do? Well I'm glad to hear that because I hope it will be your name for a very long time. »
She threaded her fingers in his hair and scratched his scalp gently making him moan against her collarbone.
« I hope so too. »
He licked a trail from her collarbone to her breasts before nipping the soft swell of them, making her restless under him. He finally gave her what she wanted when he wrapped his lips around her left nipple and flicked it with his tongue before giving the same treatment to the right one. He kept alternating between them both until she groaned out of frustration.
« You're not the only one who's impatient, you know? Can you move along, please? »
He grinned against her skin, so pleased that she was as aroused as he was. While he was thinking about her own pleasure, he wasn't focused on his own, allowing him to reign in his desire for now.
« As you wish. »
He chuckled when she rolled her eyes at his answer but she had been the one insisting on watching the movie Princess Bride a couple of weeks ago and now he kept annoying her with this response.
He continued his journey downward, trailing his nimble fingers across her taut stomach until they reached her hips. His lips followed and settled below her bellybutton where he pressed a kiss. He tried not to imagine this belly swollen with a baby they would have conceived out of their love. It was much too soon to think about that, but it didn't stop his heart from swelling at the image his mind had conjured.
He felt Higgins' pelvis rise from the bed to urge him towards where she wanted him the most. He caught her eyes as he spread her thighs and lay on his stomach between them. Her chest was rising rapidly as she panted her anticipation, eager to feel his touch.
He started peppering light kisses across her inner thighs until he reached her center.
Thomas spread her folds gently with his thumbs, and his mouth watered when he saw how wet she was for him. He must have stared at her for too long because Higgins made her impatience known.
"Please, Magnum!"
He leaned down so he could run his tongue from her entrance to her clit, as if he was licking an ice cream cone, and he discovered she was just as delicious as one.
Her hips flew upwards as one of her hands ended up in his hair again while the other one gripped her own locks. He pushed her hips back down and placed one hand on her stomach to keep her in place as he watched her and her reactions to everything he was doing to her; from flicking and suckling her clit to thrusting one, then two fingers into her heat.
Thomas was really enjoying himself, drawing out all those wonderful sounds from her lips that showed him he was bringing her so much pleasure just like he had wanted all along.
Her moans were getting louder so he knew she was close. He sped up the rhythm of his fingers and scraped his front teeth down her sensitive clit, causing a surprised cry to escape her lips.
He removed the hand on her stomach that was keeping her down and let her move her hips against him to chase after her release. She gripped his hair tighter and arched her neck as she pushed on her heels to accompany his movements until she clenched around his fingers and shouted his name to the ceiling.
Magnum's eyes widened as he watched her whole body tense and become covered with goosebumps as she rode her orgasm while he kept his mouth and fingers busy to prolong the sensation for as long as possible.
Only when she sagged down on the mattress did he release his hold on her. His breathing had quickened as he watched the woman he loved - his wife - overwhelmed with pleasure that she had gotten from his touch. He smiled as all the nervousness from before disappeared.
This time when his body covered hers again, he didn't hold back and made sure all of their skin was finally in contact. He waited for her to catch her breath as he buried his nose in the soft and fragrant skin of her neck, inhaling her trademark scent that he loved so much.
He felt her take a deep breath as she caressed his shoulders and he took it as a cue to start kissing across her cheek until he reached her lips and seized her mouth in a deep, languid kiss. She moaned as she registered her own taste on his tongue.
"You have no idea how incredible you looked while you came," he breathed against her lips.
She hummed as she stretched as much as she could while being pinned to the mattress by his weight. The slight friction between their bodies felt amazing.
"You're the incredible one. I can't believe you were worried about it not being enjoyable for me."
They kissed some more while their hands tried to touch as much skin as they could until they couldn't take it anymore.
"Can I be on top?" She asked him.
He grinned.
"Of course you can."
He rolled them over while keeping her body pressed against his as much as he could and watched in awe as she sat up, with her legs on each side of his hips, giving him an excellent view of her gorgeous curves.
His fingers ran up her thighs to wrap around her hips loosely, letting her decide when she would be ready for the next step. She trailed her hands from his belly up his chest and no words were needed between them, not with the way their eyes held each other.
Magnum was so caught up in her soft gaze that he startled slightly when she rose up on her knees and grabbed his erect penis to align their bodies together. He held his breath while she slid slowly, inch by inch down his member until he was fully sheathed in her wet heat.
He closed his eyes and dug his fingers into her hips to keep her in place as he breathed slowly and deeply. He needed to think about something else other than what they were actually doing or he would be embarrassed very soon.
It seemed like she also needed time to adjust to his intrusion as she kept still for a full minute but then, she drew a circle with her hips to test the waters, and Magnum suddenly wanted more. He was overwhelmed by his desire and wanted to see her in the throes of passion again so he tried to push his pelvis slightly up to initiate movement.
She understood his message as she undulated faster and harder and let him thrust into her to add more friction. Their pants and moans filled the room while she braced herself on his ribs to gain more leverage in her moves. They were both becoming desperate for release as they sped up and Thomas was amazed at the vision of her, with her bouncing breasts and dancing hips above him, so much that he needed to do something quickly to divert his attention.
He sat up suddenly and she stilled as he surprised her, but when their eyes met and he banded one arm around her back, she caught up with his idea and wrapped her arms around his neck. They rearranged their legs so they were now sitting Indian style and there was no denying how intimate this position was - their chests pressed against each other and their gaze so heated and so close that they couldn't escape it.
Juliet pushed her heels against his lower back to resume her moves and Thomas couldn't resist kissing her lips that were right in front of him, swallowing her moans. They were both close to their climax so he slipped one hand between their bodies and pressed his thumb to her sensitive bundle of nerves. She groaned against his lips and sped up her rhythm.
When she closed her eyes and arched her neck while biting her lower lip, he couldn't hold on anymore.
She must have felt his inner turmoil as she whispered.
"Yes, come, I'll be right behind you."
Magnum finally let go of the tight leash he had on his desire and growled her name loudly as his lower body clenched and then released.
In the midst of his climax, he felt her inner walls squeeze him and flutter as she reached her orgasm in a long cry.
As soon as they had both ridden the waves of their pleasure, they slumped against each other and Magnum tried to lie down slowly while keeping her against him until they were both stretched out on the bed.
He caressed the expanse of her back, enjoying the feel of his fingers against her soft skin and her whole body on top of him while they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
He had never felt that way before with anyone else - that fulfilled - showing him how his love for Juliet had changed everything in his life and he would do anything he could to keep her by his side.
He tightened his arms around her body to squeeze her closer to him until she lifted her head from his shoulder and brushed her lips against his. She stretched above him, sliding her legs along his with him still nestled inside of her making him hiss as he felt her walls clench around him. She grinned, apparently very proud of herself as she kept teasing him with her lips, not fully kissing him but sharing the same air. She was driving him nuts and he loved it.
After a few minutes of this he got frustrated and grabbed the back of her head for a real, deep kiss, making her moan into his mouth. She broke away before they got too carried away and stroked his stubbled cheek. She seemed lost in her thoughts so Thomas took the opportunity to observe her, her serious expression so distant with her wild curls that had dried messily around her face.
« What is it? » He asked her when the silence stretched between them.
She took a deep breath and met his eyes.
« I have something to confess. »
Magnum smiled softly.
« Did we make a baby already? »
She chuckled as she shook her head.
« Hold your horses, Magnum. I'm still on the pill for now. »
He felt she was anxious to tell him what was bothering her.
« Hey, » he said softly as he lifted her chin with his fingers to meet his eyes again. « You can tell me anything. »
« When you proposed at first and I agreed to marry you for the visa, I had a lot of doubts and after a conversation with Katsumoto I was ready to decline your offer. »
She paused to gauge his reaction but he wasn't surprised by what she was telling him. He knew her and of course she would have tried to find any other solution than marry him at first.
« I couldn't find a way out of marriage because I only had one week before I had to leave the country, so I went to ask TC if he would take your place. »
Magnum's eyes widened; he didn't see that one coming.
« What? » He asked, feeling like he had been doused with cold water.
« I went to TC because the thought of marrying you was giving me tingles in my belly and that's certainly not something I wanted to feel about a fake wedding. I didn't know about it then but I was already in love with you, Thomas. TC was safe, but he refused to do it and urged me to give you a chance. He said you would surprise me in a good way. »
He took a deep breath; he wanted to be hurt by what she had just told him but he also understood how she must have felt back then.
« And have I? » He asked her.
Her eyes became misty as she pressed her forehead to his.
« I discovered the real you, the one who is not putting on a show for everyone, and I became even more in love with you, with how funny and caring you are. Living with you has made me realize how perfect we are together, so different and yet so complementary. »
His heart raced at her words; she was truly in love with him.
« TC told me something else too. When I second guessed your motivation for your proposal, he said that you would do anything to keep your Ohana together. »
She grabbed his left hand and ran one finger along his wedding ring.
« I thought about it for a long time and when I went to retrieve our wedding bands, I had something engraved in them. »
For the umpteenth time today, Thomas was astonished by this woman.
« There's something engraved inside our wedding rings? »
She smiled softly.
« Yes, and you didn't notice when you looked at them before the wedding. I was quite nervous because if you had, I don't know what I would have told you to justify it. »
He removed his ring to see what was written and, when the light caught on the word « Ohana », heat bloomed inside his chest as emotions he couldn't even identify ran through him.
« And it's written in yours too? » He croaked out.
She nodded.
« As long as we both wear them, our Ohana will be united. »
« I love you so much, and marrying you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. »
« Same here, » she concurred as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
At that same moment, her stomach grumbled loudly and they laughed, lightening up the air around them.
« Are you hungry, Mrs. Magnum? »
« Well, someone promised pancakes but I still haven't seen one yet. »
He caressed her butt gently.
« Come on, let's eat. We'll need strength for later, » he told her as he waggled his eyebrows.
She laughed as she got up, leaving his inviting body heat. She went into the walk-in closet and re-emerged wearing his blue shirt with the mandarin collar with just a few buttons fastened. He growled at the sight but remembered that he would be the one removing it from her body later. He quickly went to retrieve his bathrobe and joined her.
« Hey, Higgy? Will you go out with me? »
She laughed as she rolled her eyes.
« Babe, we're already married. »
« Yeah, I know but we're not traditional people. We do things backwards. »
She wrapped her arms around his neck and Thomas took the opportunity to graze his hands across her naked butt that was now uncovered when his shirt rode up.
« Feed me first, and I'll see if I'll take you up on that date. »
He pecked her lips.
« Deal! »