Title: We've Got Tonight

Summary: The coin toss never happens, and Harm and Mac go their separate ways. But they run into one another over the years and find the spark is still there.

Notes: This is smutty. Pure smut and a tiny bit of plot. And yes, I know I already have tons of stories ongoing, but after reading the most vulgar, disgusting, disturbing book ever, I need to find a way to see the human body pleasantly again. Hence this. Not sure how long it's going to end up being.

April 2005

Harm's Apartment

"Well, we could wait until I retire."

She winced, despising the thought of living in limbo. "Yeah. What's another decade or so, huh?" It was his turn to wince because they both knew he wouldn't punch out at twenty.

"I love you, Mac, but I don't want to give up my Navy career, and you don't want to give up the Marine Corps."

"I love you, too," she said. "But you're right. I don't want to give up my career. I can't.

He took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I know."

She ran a hand through her hair and moved away from him. "So where does that leave us?"

He swallowed hard. "At the end, I guess."

The words take her back to a time when they had been so close to what she had always wanted. But this time, there was no chance to go back to the beginning. This time there was only him in London and her in San Diego and two careers that mattered to both of them more than anything else in the world. She looked at him, and his expression showed her that he was lost in the same memory. She took a breath and leaned forward, kissing him one last time. "Take care of yourself, Harm."

"You too, Mac."

3 Years Later - July 2008

Boston, Massachusetts

I spot her as soon as I enter the overly decorated ballroom. She's a devastatingly beautiful woman, and she always stands out in a crowd. But tonight, in a low-cut gown with a shimmering gold pattern, she's literally glowing and impossible to miss. God, she's beautiful. She turns to speak to someone, and I take a breath as she turns her back to me. The back of the dress dips even lower than the front, showing off bronzed, smooth skin. Her hair is gathered at the nape of her neck in a messy bun, and I itch to pull her hair free and run my fingers through it.

It's been three years since I've seen her. Three years since she kissed me goodbye and headed to San Diego. Three years of fantasies and wanting and seeking out only blondes and redheads for companionship. I've dated one brunette since I've been in London. Her name was Olivia, but I called out Mac's name as I came and have tried to steer clear of women with dark hair ever since.

I turn my back to her and turn toward the table with the seat assignments. I scan the paper cards folder until I see one with her name. She's at table fourteen. I find my own name and see I'm at table twenty-two. I replace the card next to hers with my own and make my way to the bar.

Once I have a drink in my hand, I head toward table fourteen and let out a breath when I see that she's already in her seat. I try to slow my pace and act as casually as possible as I pull out the chair next to her and sit. She looks at me, and surprise flashes in those remarkable brown eyes for a moment. But then she smiles and cocks her head to the side.

"I could have sworn I was sitting next to someone named Candice."

I shrug and take a sip of my drink. "I thought Candice would have a better time at table twenty-two."

"That's so nice of you to think of her. I'm sure she appreciates it." Her smile widens, and she lifts her glass and taps it against mine. "It's good to see you, Harm."

I smile and nod. "It's good to see you, Mac. You look beautiful."

She lowers her eyes and blushes demurely, and I'll be damned if that doesn't send a rush of blood to my groin. "Thank you." She bites at her bottom lip and then tentatively reaches out and straightens one of my medals. "You look great, too." Her fingers linger on my chest, and I cover her hand with mine. "Maybe I was wrong about dress whites being overrated."

That one touch was my undoing. Now, I'm touching her whenever and however I can. I drape my arm over the back of her chair and let my fingers brush over her bare back; I toy with a stray strand of hair that has come loose; I lean in and whisper an observation into her ear, and I let my lips graze the outer edge.

I would feel guilty; inappropriate, but she's touching me as much as I'm touching her. Our chairs have managed to move closer to one another over the course of the evening. She's leaned into me, she's complimented my cologne, and her hand moved to my thigh when one of our table mates made us laugh and has stayed there throughout appetizers and the main course.

Now the plates are being cleared away, the band has started back up, and people are returning to the dance floor. I watch as most of our table gets up to leave, and then I turn to her. "Want to dance?" She nods, and I stand and offer her my hand. I keep her hand in mine as we move to the dance floor, then I place both hands on her hips, and we begin to sway to the music.

"So, what are you doing here? You're a long way from London."

I shrug and move my hands up her back, wanting to touch her skin. "You're a long way from San Diego." She raises an eyebrow, and I smile. "I had requested leave to visit my grandmother. And when the social Secretary found out how close I would be to Boston, it was decided that it made more sense for me to attend this instead of sending Admiral Cramer out here." She nods, and I smile. "Same question."

She lets out a breath and shrugs lightly. She seems a little self-conscious, a little evasive, and I feel a familiar gnawing in my belly. I've seen her like this before. Four times, in fact. Once with John Farrow. Once with Dalton. Once with Brumby. And once with Webb. "You're with someone," I say, and I drop my hands as if I was burned.

"No," she says softly, and she stops dancing. "I was, but it didn't work out. But he works in the same building as I do, and when the General asked if I would come in his place, I jumped at the opportunity."

We stand there awkwardly for a long moment, and then I pull her close again. "Why didn't it work," I ask.

She leans back enough to tilt her head up and look at me. "He drives a Volvo and listened to easy listening and booked plane tickets at least six months in advance, and when we order Thai food, he always orders a spice level of 1."

I think back to the brutally spicy takeout we used to order, and taking her up in Sarah and driving around in one of our Corvettes with the top down. This woman thrives on adventure and I've always loved that about her. "He doesn't sound like your type at all."

Our eyes stay locked, and she shakes her head. "He wasn't. He's a very nice guy, and he will make some woman blissfully happy someday."

I run my fingers over her spine and watch as she shivers. "But not you," I say.

"Not me," she agrees.

I know there's more she'd like to say because there's more I'd like to say. But we don't. Instead, we hold each other close and away in perfect unison to the music.

"I had a good time," I say at the end of the night as I walk her to her car.

"This is me," she says, and we come to a stop at a sleek black sports car. She leans against the car and looks up at me. "I did too. It was so good to see you."

"How long are you in town for," I ask.

"I head home tomorrow." I nod, but I don't move, and neither does she. Instead, her tongue sweeps over her lower lip, and my eyes are drawn to her mouth. She seems to be aware of this and takes a shaky breath. "What are we doing, Harm? Nothing has changed."

I know this. I know she's in San Diego, and I'm in London. I know there is no possibility of a future, at least not anytime soon. And I know I don't want to wait for her, and I don't want her to wait for me. But I also know I want her. I always have. "One thing has changed," I say quietly. Her eyes widen, and I swallow. "We don't work together anymore."

"We'd only have tonight," she says. Her voice is low, and her lips part slightly when she reaches for me.

I cup her face. "I know. Will that be enough for you?"

She shakes her head, but before I can pull away, her fingers grip my jacket tighter. "One night will never be enough. But if it's all we have, I want it."

And then we're kissing. And it's the best kiss of my life. I think I've thought that each time we've kissed, and it's been true each time. But this kiss… dear god. I've never wanted anyone as badly as I want her at this moment, and I've never felt so wanted. She presses her body flush against mine and then gasps into my mouth when I press my hips into her, and I know she can feel how hard I am.

"God, Harm…" she says as she pulls away. She snakes a hand between us and touches me through my pants, and I close my eyes at the sensation. She gives me a gentle squeeze, and I curse under my breath. She's watching me, and her mouth parts slightly as I push a strap down her shoulder and move my lips to her neck.

A car turns a corner, and the sound of squealing tires seems to cut through the fog of lust and want, and we pull apart. "We need to get out of here," I say. She nods, and I open her car door for her. "I'm at the Four Seasons on Dalton."

She leans up to kiss me once more. "I'll see you there."

Mac gets there first and is waiting for me in the lobby. I take her hand, and our fingers instinctively twine together as if we've spent our whole lives touching like this. I direct her to the elevator, and we're still and quiet while it rises to the 18th floor. She smiles when we step off and are instantly rewarded with a stunning view of the city. I tug her hand gently and gesture to the left with my head. "This way." I lead us down the hall and only let go of her hand to reach into my pocket and pull out the key. I open the door and let her in first. She sets down her purse and walks over to the windows, and I watch her as I dump the card and the contents of my pocket on the dresser. I take off my jacket and make my way to her, standing behind her and pulling her close to me for the umpteenth time that evening.

I run my hands up her arms and toy with the tiny straps of the dress. I push both down and lower my lips to her skin. She smells incredible, and I kiss my way from her shoulder to the base of her neck. "Turn around," I say quietly.

She does as I ask, turns to face me, and nearly takes my breath away. Her eyes are almost black, and her lips are parted, and if seeing her like this makes it hard for me to breathe, I'm not sure how I'll handle watching her come.

"You're so damned beautiful," I whisper.

Mac takes a deep breath, reaches around to her back, unzips a small zipper at her waist, and gives the material a gentle tug. The dress falls to the floor in a shimmering puddle of black and gold, and she's standing in front of me in nothing but black panties and gold heels. She's flawless - a goddess, and I want to fall to my knees and worship her. I move my hands to her waist and guide her back to the bed. She sits back and watches as I undress. My clothes join her, and my ego is stoked when I pull off my boxers, and she licks her lips. She reaches for me, but I shake my head, and now I do kneel before her. I take a foot in my hands and undo the straps of her shoes, then pull them off and toss each one aside. She whimpers as I place a kiss on her calve, then the inside of her knee, and then her inner thigh.

"Harm," she says, and I look up from her shapely legs. I raise an eyebrow, and she swallows. "Please."

I move my hands over her thighs and stop when she whimpers again. "Please, what?" I know what she wants, but I want to hear her say it. She's stubbornly silent, and I run my finger around the edge of her panties. "What do you want, Sarah?"

She gasps, reaches for my hand, and flattens it against her. "Make me come," she manages, squirming against my hand.

I peel the panties off, toss them aside, and spread her legs wide. "How do you want me to make you come," I ask. I run one finger over her opening, feeling her wetness, teasing her clit. "Fingers or tongue?" I lower my head to her and let my tongue follow the same path. She arches up, and her hands instinctively go to my head in an attempt to hold me in place. I'm stronger, though, and I'm able to pull back. "Tell me what you want."

"Go down on me!" The words rush from her, and they're a cross between a gasp and a sob. And it's all I need before I lower my head to her again and cover her with my mouth.

I make her come over and over with my tongue, enjoying every second of the experience. She's passionate and unreserved, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of how she pants my name and claws at whatever part of me she can get her hands on.

I finally stop and kiss my way up her body, admiring every inch of her. "I love your body," I say, and I place kisses over her firm stomach.

"I'm glad."

I keep my eyes on hers as I move up her and then turn my attention to her breasts. Her bikinis over the years have left little to the imagination, and I've indulged in more than a few fantasies, but the reality is so much better. I tease a nipple with my teeth and grin against her as she arches up.

"Wait," she says. She pushes against my chest, sits up, and then her hand trails down and wraps around my painfully hard cock.

"God, Mac," I hiss. It's so good; it's too much, and it's not enough all simultaneously.

"What do you want?"

She gives me a little squeeze, and I close my eyes. "Your mouth," I manage. "Take me in your mouth." We switch places, and now she's between my legs, and I'm in her mouth. This can't last long. If we only have one night, I want to come inside her. But this feels better than anything ever has, and I just want to enjoy it a little bit longer. I finally make her stop when she does something with her tongue that has me wobbling on the edge.

"I want to be inside you," I say.

"I want that too."

I push her back against the mattress and hover over her. "100% sure?" I have to know that she's sure. I'll never regret this, and I don't want her to regret it, either.

"100%," she says softly.

I guide myself to her and tease her with my tip. She closes her eyes, and that's when I freeze. "Goddamnit," I say.

Her eyes open, and she frowns. "What's wrong?"

"I - I don't have a condom."

"Shit." It's her turn to swear, and she props herself up on her elbows. "Are you… safe?"

I frown and nod. "Yeah." I am. I always, always use protection, and I get tested frequently. "Are you?"

"Yeah. And I'm on the pill."

I frown and study her. "Even with… even though it's only 4%?"

She blushes and nods. "Yes." The look in her eyes is strange, and I don't allow myself to overthink what it could mean. "If you'd rather not, that's okay. I mean, we could do other things…."

I shake my head. "I want to know what you feel like." She lets out a breath, and this time it's her hand that guides me back in place. She closes her eyes and I lower my lips to hers and kiss her gently. "Open your eyes."

She does as she's told, and our eyes lock as I gently - very gently - push inside of her and let go.

The next morning comes too quickly. We don't talk about the previous night. We don't talk about the multiple times we made love. We don't talk about our future - or lack thereof. Neither of us says 'I love you,' even though I still do, and I'm sure she does too. As incredible as last night was, at the same time, it's almost painful because it's a glimpse into what could have been if things had gone differently.

She puts the beautiful dress back on and winces at her reflection. "This will be one hell of a walk of shame."

I come to stand behind her again. But this time, I don't begin to undress her. I stare at our reflection for a moment. I admire her - us - and how right we look together. "Want to borrow something?"

She shakes her head and then turns to look at me. "It'll be fine." We stand there in silence, and then she swallows and looks at me. "I need to go."

"Have a safe flight, okay?"

"You too." She reaches up and kisses me on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, Harm."

I need to kiss her again, one last time. I lower my head to hers and brush my lips over hers. "You too, Mac." One more kiss, then she brushes her fingers over my stubble, and she's gone.

End Part One.