Sam stared at him. "Absolutely not. I can't carry a tune in a bucket."
Jack smiled, standing so close she could almost feel the heat of his body reaching out to her. "You don't have to sing well, Carter. Just sing."
Bouncing Lorelei gently, she walked to the large glass windows that looked out onto the dark night. The moon reflected off the pristine white snow, making everything light with an ethereal glow. She could see Jack's reflection in the glass as he stood across the room, his eyes on her. His presence was such a comfort, and she was still in awe of what he had managed to do. He took a screaming baby and a crying woman and brought them both back to peace – all in less than forty-five minutes.
"Maybe you should do the singing, sir."
He walked towards her, and she watched him come closer in the glass. Her heart sped up, and she tried to wipe from her mind the reckless thoughts that kept pushing their way through. The incredibly right feeling of it all. They were dangerous thoughts. Pleasant, yet almost painful thoughts.
He stopped behind her, as always just short of actual contact. Sam met his gaze in the reflection of the glass.
"Try swaying instead of bouncing," he said, his voice low.
"Swaying?"
"Here. Like this."
She had to press her eyes closed for just a brief moment as his arms came around her and his chest pressed against her back. His hands covered her own where she supported Lorelei and his chin hovered over her shoulder. Her nerves were alive, her insides almost trembling. His hips rested against the small of her back, his height giving him the slight advantage.
Then he began to sway, taking her body with him in a slow dance. Held against him, both she and Lorelei in his embrace, he taught her what to do.
"Now sing," he said, his mouth so close to her ear she felt his breath on her cheek. "Anything."
Sam swallowed, her mind on overload. "I can't think of anything." Then she looked past the glass to the starry night outside. "How about Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?"
"Fine choice."
The seductive weight of his voice was as exciting as it was soothing, and as they continued to sway together, she met his gaze again in the reflective glass. He watched her, and his fingers moved over her hands in a gentle caress. Sam cleared her throat and summoned all the courage she had left.
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. How I wonder what you are," she sang softly, just barely above a whisper. After the first line, Jack's baritone timbre joined her. "Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are."
"Sing it again," Jack coaxed.
Sam nodded, and they went through the simple verse another two times before Jack moved one hand to press his finger against her lips.
"I think she's asleep."
"Good..." was all Sam could think to say. Inside, she was almost disappointed. It meant she would leave his embrace.
Jack leaned over her shoulder and pressed a long kiss to the top of Lorelei's head, and something grew in Sam's chest. It pushed out and expanded until she thought she would explode, or that it would begin to seep from her pours.
Love. Deep, intense, undeniable love.
He lifted his head and looked at her, his gaze shifting over her face before it settled on her mouth. Unable to control the reaction, Sam pulled her lower lip through her teeth, running her tongue over it. A gentle quake rumbled through his chest, vibrating against her back. Jack moved his hand from where it helped her support Lorelei, and pressed his palm against her cheek.
She held her breath in anticipation.
The brush of his lips against hers wasn't the kiss of unbridled passion. Of unfulfilled need. It wasn't a kiss of seduction. But the tidal wave of cold heat that flashed through her body was nearly enough to knock her down at the knees were it not for his arms around her.
She parted her lips beneath the gentle caress, and for one all too brief moment, his hot tongue slipped inside to rub against her own. Electricity shot through her. His thumb stroked the corner of her mouth as he sipped at her lips.
Sam swallowed against the rush of tears that threatened to fall when he broke the contact to rest his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled, and nothing needed to be said.
Jack smiled, standing so close she could almost feel the heat of his body reaching out to her. "You don't have to sing well, Carter. Just sing."
Bouncing Lorelei gently, she walked to the large glass windows that looked out onto the dark night. The moon reflected off the pristine white snow, making everything light with an ethereal glow. She could see Jack's reflection in the glass as he stood across the room, his eyes on her. His presence was such a comfort, and she was still in awe of what he had managed to do. He took a screaming baby and a crying woman and brought them both back to peace – all in less than forty-five minutes.
"Maybe you should do the singing, sir."
He walked towards her, and she watched him come closer in the glass. Her heart sped up, and she tried to wipe from her mind the reckless thoughts that kept pushing their way through. The incredibly right feeling of it all. They were dangerous thoughts. Pleasant, yet almost painful thoughts.
He stopped behind her, as always just short of actual contact. Sam met his gaze in the reflection of the glass.
"Try swaying instead of bouncing," he said, his voice low.
"Swaying?"
"Here. Like this."
She had to press her eyes closed for just a brief moment as his arms came around her and his chest pressed against her back. His hands covered her own where she supported Lorelei and his chin hovered over her shoulder. Her nerves were alive, her insides almost trembling. His hips rested against the small of her back, his height giving him the slight advantage.
Then he began to sway, taking her body with him in a slow dance. Held against him, both she and Lorelei in his embrace, he taught her what to do.
"Now sing," he said, his mouth so close to her ear she felt his breath on her cheek. "Anything."
Sam swallowed, her mind on overload. "I can't think of anything." Then she looked past the glass to the starry night outside. "How about Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?"
"Fine choice."
The seductive weight of his voice was as exciting as it was soothing, and as they continued to sway together, she met his gaze again in the reflective glass. He watched her, and his fingers moved over her hands in a gentle caress. Sam cleared her throat and summoned all the courage she had left.
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. How I wonder what you are," she sang softly, just barely above a whisper. After the first line, Jack's baritone timbre joined her. "Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are."
"Sing it again," Jack coaxed.
Sam nodded, and they went through the simple verse another two times before Jack moved one hand to press his finger against her lips.
"I think she's asleep."
"Good..." was all Sam could think to say. Inside, she was almost disappointed. It meant she would leave his embrace.
Jack leaned over her shoulder and pressed a long kiss to the top of Lorelei's head, and something grew in Sam's chest. It pushed out and expanded until she thought she would explode, or that it would begin to seep from her pours.
Love. Deep, intense, undeniable love.
He lifted his head and looked at her, his gaze shifting over her face before it settled on her mouth. Unable to control the reaction, Sam pulled her lower lip through her teeth, running her tongue over it. A gentle quake rumbled through his chest, vibrating against her back. Jack moved his hand from where it helped her support Lorelei, and pressed his palm against her cheek.
She held her breath in anticipation.
The brush of his lips against hers wasn't the kiss of unbridled passion. Of unfulfilled need. It wasn't a kiss of seduction. But the tidal wave of cold heat that flashed through her body was nearly enough to knock her down at the knees were it not for his arms around her.
She parted her lips beneath the gentle caress, and for one all too brief moment, his hot tongue slipped inside to rub against her own. Electricity shot through her. His thumb stroked the corner of her mouth as he sipped at her lips.
Sam swallowed against the rush of tears that threatened to fall when he broke the contact to rest his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled, and nothing needed to be said.