Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: Checkmate
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Abbey invited Jed's father to the house when she ran into him at the hospital; John admitted he's having problems with his heart; Jed agreed with Abbey that his constituents want a legislative debate on medicinal marijuana (Chapter 8)
Summary: Jed and Abbey have some fun after Jed does well in an improptu public debate with his political rival
Author's Note: Happy Birthday to Stockard Channing!
His entire body jerked for one solitary second of fright. The door slammed against its frame so loudly that Jed gasped as he turned. It was a hollow gasp, one left trailing in the air as soon as he looked at her. Her face was erupting with passion. Her lips were rosy and plump. Her eyes sparkled like genuine emeralds swimming in a sea of golden flecks so moist that they seemed to shine even her lashes. Her alabaster cheeks were glowing from a heat that was rising inside her.
The way she moved, that enchanting wiggle of her hips ignited a raging fire from the smoldering embers that had burned for hours.
He was already sweating.
Endless dark tresses fell into a soft nest around her shoulders and with every step she took towards him, he was mesmerized by the bouncy curls that shaped her features. By now, he was wearing only a dress shirt and his boxers, obviously ready for anything she had in mind.
Abbey walked to his side at first, their eyes locking as they spun around one another. A small strand of his brown hair had made its way to the middle of his forehead. The end just barely grazed his brow, so she slipped the tip of her finger underneath to sweep it from her view. Her thumbs gripped his boxers next and she pushed them down over his hips with no small amount of force.
Jed meshed his body against hers as his hands worked their way up her smooth, satiny legs and beneath the flowy summer dress that shadowed her shapely figure. He tugged at her panties and neither one of them cared that they ripped slightly when they fell around her ankles. Abbey stepped out of them without so much as a look as she frantically threw the dress over her head and discarded it, then pulled him to her. Her lips claimed his in a steamy assault of sensations, her touch so erotic that his entire frame shivered and any hint of control slowly evaporated from his tingling limbs.
He could wait no longer.
He lifted her left leg at the knee after he pushed her back against the wall. She instinctively wrapped that leg around his hip. Her fingers laced behind his neck, she maneuvered herself until she felt him at her entrance, positioning herself just so to help him probe the sensitive area before he slammed inside her.
She let out a small scream.
Jed stopped himself and searched her eyes for answers, but Abbey's response didn't come in the form of words. Instead, she lifted her other leg and wrapped it around his opposite hip, straddling him as she continued to guide him towards unspeakable ecstasy.
Jed's nails dug into her rear, only a scrap of her white satin slip protecting one tiny segment of her flesh from the crescent indentations. Once she stopped smothering his face with kisses, Abbey's ragged breaths warmed his ear, forcing him to summon his strength to hold her tighter. It wasn't slow or tender, this spellbinding invasion that consumed her body and soul.
It was hard and fast.
That's how she wanted it.
Today, that's how they both wanted it.
An innocent comment made during their daily routine had opened the floodgates and within seconds, they were both swept right off their feet, floating adrift in a rapturous game of sexual tension that had been building all week.
"How complicated a procedure is it?" Jed had asked earlier that morning. His voice echoed through the crack in the bathroom door and rang through the bedroom.
"Not that bad. He'll be in the hospital overnight, but angioplasty isn't uncommon for someone his age, with his lifestyle and eating habits. Think of it as a warning." Abbey reached inside the top drawer of the armoire to pull out a white satin slip.
"And you're sure Robert Nolan knows what he's doing?"
"I would trust Robert with my life, Jed. Besides, your father's had two visits with him. What did he say?" It didn't really matter to Jed what John had to say. He wanted to be sure this was the right decision, regardless.
"He didn't say much of anything. He's been kind of quiet."
"That's not like him."
"No, it's not."
Abbey paused when she heard the blowdryer. When he turned it off, she asked, "What are you doing in there?"
"I'll be right out."
She watched with anticipation as he emerged. His skin was damp from glistening beads of water that dripped from his shoulders and disappeared into the skimpy towel that hugged the firm line of his waist and abs while covering his lower body. His hair was almost dry and when he combed it back, his brows arched in the mirror, widening his baby blues to twice their normal size.
Her reflection popped up next to his, but he never even noticed. This was what Abbey loved more than anything. All that sex appeal wrapped up in a man who could, at times, be completely oblivious to the sensual energy he created with a simple look or an unintentional gesture.
She smiled as she stood right behind him. "Do you have any clue how sexy you look right now?"
"I really don't," he answered with a sly grin. He then turned to face her. "Tell me."
"If you were any sexier, I'd have to say to hell with the event. I'd throw you on the bed and have my way with you."
Jed glanced at the bed, then back at Abbey, approaching her with small steps and a wanton look. "Guess I'll have to work up to my full potential then."
Abbey stole a kiss, but pushed him away after breaking it. "I should have kept my mouth shut."
"No, you really shouldn't have."
"I got us both excited for no reason. We don't have time."
His hands already wrapped around her waist, he pulled her in so fast, their bodies collided. "We can find time."
She relaxed her neck as he began enticing her with a trail of kisses. "You have no idea how much I want to, but we really don't have time."
"It's the first opportunity we've had in a week."
"Don't lose sight of what today's all about. The reason I'm not at work is because you have that Meet and Greet, which we will be late for if you don't stop."
He stopped then, reluctantly. "You really want me to?"
"No," she answered honestly. "But you have to. We need to leave pretty soon so we don't keep my parents waiting. I have to make sure Ellie and Liz don't need anything, wake Zoey up from her nap, get her dressed, and come back up here and help you pick out a tie."
"How do you know I'm going to need your help picking out a tie?"
"You always need my help picking out a tie."
"Perhaps that was true in the past, but today, I know exactly which tie I want to wear."
"Which one?"
"The red one. Or, you know, the one that you think is actually plum." He was surprised when she scrunched her face disapprovingly. "What? You like that one."
"Well, first of all, the tie you're thinking of isn't red and it isn't plum. It's maroon."
"How do you know I'm not thinking of the plum one?"
She ignored the question. "And I do like it. But not today. Not for this." She reached for his true red tie, then abandoned it in favor of the blue one. "I think you should go with the blue."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It's a gorgeous color on you and it'll bring out your eyes."
Jed pondered this for a moment, then reached for his maroon tie. "Yeah, well, today, I'm in the mood for this tie. Call it maroon or plum or whatever, but it's got some red in it so that's what I'm going for."
"Okay. I was just trying to help."
"I appreciate it, but I like this one."
"Suit yourself."
She turned to leave the room, but before she did, she caught one last glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye and grinned triumphantly as she saw him replace the maroon tie with the blue one she suggested.
Jed grumbled when he made the switch. He did actually like the maroon one with the suit he was planning to wear, but Abbey was rarely wrong about these things. In fifteen years of marriage, she had learned every inch of Jed's body, every distinguishing mark of his features. She knew how he looked in every pair of pants, how his body conformed to every shirt. She knew which jeans brought out the voluptuous curve of his rear and which ones he felt the most comfortable wearing. She knew the hairstyle that made him look like a husband and father, lounging around the house, and the one that left no doubt that he was a handsome politician ready to take on the world.
Sometimes, she knew his body better than he did. He trusted her judgment. And so, for this event, he would wear the tie she picked.
By the time she returned, he was already dressed. "Girls all set?"
"Just about." She glanced over at him. Just as he picked up the tie, she smiled. "Nice tie."
Jed looked in the mirror and adjusted the ends around his neck. "Wipe the smirk off your face."
"Come here." With her hand on his shoulder, Abbey spun him around. She loved helping him tie his tie and Jed loved it when she did. "You know, I was reading one of my medical journals last night."
"Yeah."
As her hands worked the fabric into a loop, she slowed her progress. "I read the most fascinating article - kind of like a he said-she said thing - between two doctors. The one who took the opposing viewpoint was an oncologist in Los Angeles...Dr. Lloyd Parker."
"Go on."
"He argued that just because a drug shows promise in individual physician-directed case studies, it doesn't mean more research isn't needed before there's widespread approval of the drug. In some cases legalization."
"I agree with that."
"I'm sure most people do, but what I found particularly interesting was that he talked about specific drugs and, unlike most doctors, he was pretty frank about the medical ignorance surrounding them. In fact, he refused to support them without extensive studies on long-term risks and side effects."
"What drugs?" He realized she hadn't completed the task yet. She was stalling.
"Well, he focused on a few. He's suspicious about whether or not anti-malaria drugs can help Multiple Sclerosis patients the way they help patients with other autoimmune diseases. He mentioned that, along with infertility drugs, and drugs for cancer patients, like marijuana."
"He talked about marijuana?"
She looked up at him. "Yeah."
"And he's an oncologist?"
"Yeah."
"He sees cancer patients for a living."
"That's right."
"And he doesn't think marijuana should be used to treat them?"
"He didn't say that. He said he needs more information before making up his mind."
So far, Jed hadn't found a doctor who would publicly dismiss the medicinal marijuana debate. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I told you. I found it interesting," she repeated as she tightened the tie around his neck and started to step back.
Jed grabbed her waist to stop her. "Why else?"
"Nothing else." Abbey accepted his kiss, but when his hands dropped to her lower back, she squirmed. "You're just torturing yourself, Babe. We really don't have time to take this any further."
"We have fifteen minutes."
"I still need to help Zoey with her shoes and Lizzie with the clasp on her necklace."
"You can do that in less than five minutes, which leaves us at least ten." He snuggled closer. "And while I'd prefer a longer window, I'm adaptable."
"Jed," she sighed when he nibbled on her ear.
"It's your fault, you know. You're the one who mentioned throwing me on the bed and having your way with me."
"I meant it. If we had more time, I'd do it."
"We have ten minutes," he reminded her once again.
"The girls are downstairs waiting for us. Now is not the time to be naughty."
"You know how much I love it when you say 'naughty' in that provocative whisper of yours."
"You'll love it much more when I say it later." Her hands ran up and down his back.
"Get into bed," he urged her.
"Don't tempt me."
"Seriously."
"Seriously, I'm going to get out of this room before you get your way."
"Abbey..."
"Later, Jed." She threw him a saucy grin as she poked her head in the doorway on her way out.
"I knew we shouldn't have taken 'obey' out of the marriage vows."
And so they temporarily suppressed the desire burning inside them and left for the Meet and Greet.
It was an informal affair, sponsored by the local media and a popular diner in town in hopes of getting the community out to exchange ideas with the candidates. Jed, along with his colleagues, showed up eager to shake hands with a few dozen of his constituents in what was supposed to be a casual afternoon.
The tone of the brunch changed abruptly, however, when Jed was cornered into an impromptu debate by his rival, Jake Tillman.
"Medicinal marijuana poses no greater risk to patients than some of the conventional drugs doctors are using now. Just ask about the side effects of morphine, for example," Jake said. "In fact, my challenger is married to an MD. We already know she's in favor of it, so I'd be curious to find out if the two of them have actually sat down and discussed it."
Abbey's eyes narrowed in Jake's direction, but before she said a word, Jed stepped in. "We have, as a matter of fact. We've talked about it quite a bit and I've also done plenty of independent research on the subject."
"As have I," Jake replied.
"What else have you researched? I'd love to get your thoughts on how we can help the small business owners in the area. The farmers. Business and agriculture in general."
Jake was a one-issue candidate and just as Jed predicted, when he was asked to answer questions outside of that issue, he hesitated and stuttered. "Well...I think...I think...we definitely need to...make sure the farmers and business owners know we support them no matter what."
His answer was met with a scattering of applause as Jed's eyes met Abbey's. "I agree with you, but do you mean monetary support? And if so, how do we do that? Do you have a plan?"
"I've got quite a few ideas, actually. I think we need to restructure the community, support the things people care about. That's why I believe legislative debate is a good thing, especially when it comes to an issue as crucial as medicinal marijuana."
He never even addressed Jed's question, but no one but Jed and Abbey seemed to care. Jake's reversal was expected, though, and Jed was ready to respond. "Again, I agree with you."
"What?" Jake asked, caught off-guard by the admission.
"I agree with you about a debate. If it's important to the district, I'll support a debate on medicinal marijuana. What I am not prepared to do at this moment is to green-light my vote on legalizing marijuana, even for medical use. There's not enough evidence to convince me. That could change at some point, but until there's more information, you and I will just have to disagree on that."
Tom Phillips, the journalist who had questioned Jed once before, approached the two men. "Representative Bartlet, the majority of physicians agree that this medicine could help their patients. What more do you need?"
"In the early 1900s, physicians also agreed that heroin cough drops were perfectly safe for children. This is just a guess, but I'm pretty sure most physicians wouldn't dare prescribe heroin today." Jed's endless body of knowledge always served him well.
"Marijuana is not heroin," Tom clarified.
"What I'm saying is we don't have all the information we need to make an informative decision right now. We may in the future and I intend to keep an open mind, but, remember, to date, the FDA hasn't given federal approval for this drug and no state legislature has made it a legal to its terminally ill patients."
"New Hampshire could be the first," one of the attendees pointed out.
"Yes, it could, Susan." After acknowledging Susan by her first name, Jed returned her smile. "But I won't sign my name to it until I'm certain that it's safe for the people of this state and I can't be sure of that when we've got doctors questioning its validity as a legitimate form of medicinal therapy."
"Doctors support it, Jed." Jake echoed Tom's earlier statement.
"You shouldn't make generalizations, Jake," Jed replied.
"That's a pretty safe generalization to make."
"Really? Have you talked to Dr. Lloyd Parker about it?" When Jake looked away, Jed addressed the crowd. "Dr. Parker, an oncologist in Los Angeles, deals with cancer patients on a daily basis. In this month's issue of Today's Medicine, he's quoted as saying he's uncomfortable giving his support to a drug that has a non-existent documented success rate and ambiguous long-term side effects."
"What's your point?"
"Before doctors have a prayer of convincing the country, they're going to need to convince each other. In the meantime, I can't bring myself, in good conscious, to approve something that might further jeopardize the health of our most vulnerable residents. Those who are sick and are counting on doctors to heal them - and us to protect them - deserve a more judicious and perhaps cautious approach than you're willing to give, Mr. Tillman."
Abbey sat back in her chair. If this was a private moment, she would have jumped to her feet to challenge Jed on his opinion. But she didn't. Today, she was perfectly content knowing that he did what he had to do to win this spontaneous debate in front of his constituents. His intelligence and charming wit pulled him through and, at the end, a round of cheers marked his victory.
She waited for a break in the swarming crowd afterwards before she displayed her pride. "I can't begin to tell you how great you were up there!"
"You think so?"
"If you don't believe me, just ask the girls. While you were being congratulated, I overheard Ellie telling Mom that her father's DEFINITELY going to win this election."
"Ellie said that?" Jed peeked over Abbey's head to see his two oldest daughters waving at him and his youngest one smiling.
"Let's go over," Abbey suggested.
"We will, but wait a second." He grabbed her arm and led her to a more secluded location behind the door. "That little tidbit about Dr. Parker helped me and I suspect you knew it would if I got into trouble today. That's why you told me, isn't it?"
Abbey nodded. "I had no idea it would turn into this, but I figured you could use some back-up from the medical field just in case Jake got nasty."
"Thank you." He tilted his head and gave her a kiss.
"You know, there's a lot of other information in that article that might change your mind." She grinned.
"See, we're having a pleasant little moment and you want to trick me," he teased her.
"Trick you into seeing my point?" Her voice was as calm and lighthearted as his. "Just because I won't argue my stand with you in public doesn't mean I won't do it in private."
"How about we wait until we get home and then, we'll talk about it for as long as you want."
"Talking isn't what I had in mind," she informed him as she fingered his tie.
"That's even better," he whispered.
"You know, marijuana does have other benefits." She was talking softly now, her tone seductively low.
Just as she hoped, it made him weak in the knees. "Like what?"
"Virility."
So caught up in the moment, Jed nearly believed her, but then he narrowed his stare as he accused her of blatant manipulation. "Okay, you're just lying now."
Abbey's gaze met his and in that instant, she confessed. "Yes, I am, but hear me out."
"Nice try." He chuckled, ushering her back through the door and towards the rest of the family.
That afternoon, the Bartlets returned home a raw bundle of sexually driven energy. Abbey said goodbye to Lizzie, Ellie, and Zoey and after the three girls were driven away for quality time with their grandparents, she sprinted upstairs, pushing the bedroom door open so fast that it bounced off the wall and closed behind her.
She heard Jed's gasp when he turned towards her. His chest was heaving like he was already fighting for every breath. A stubborn strand of brown hair spilled over his forehead, contrasting beautifully with his pretty blue eyes.
His dress shirt and boxers. How she loved that combination.
She walked to his side and when she locked into his stare, she saw more than just his passion. There was an arrogant playfulness pouring out of those sapphire orbs - one she always adored, especially in the bedroom. She swept his hair with the tip of her finger as her thumbs gripped his boxers, pushing them down with pure, unadulterated force.
Jed pressed his body against hers and she sighed deeply when his hands began manipulating the hem of her dress. She heard the seam of her panties rip on the way to the floor, but she simply kicked them without a second thought as she tore the dress over her head and threw it across the room.
Out of her mind with desire, Abbey jumped into his arms, her lips claiming his with a kiss so steamy, she felt him swell against her belly. He lifted her leg at the knee and she willingly complied, pushing herself into the wall behind her for support. She wrapped that leg around his hip and with her fingers laced behind his neck, she bore into his skin and suffocated his face with kisses.
His nails dented the soft flesh of her rear as he maneuvered to find the right angle for entry. She threw her head back when she felt him and when he froze after he heard her scream, she raised her other leg to straddle him - a reassuring gesture to let him know she was okay. He couldn't wait any longer. Her warm breath was tickling his ear and he held her firmly as he moved. His hips were rotating faster and faster as every second ticked by, but then he stepped to his right and stumbled.
"What's wrong?" she asked when he almost dropped her.
"Nothing."
"Jed?"
"Nothing." He covered her mouth with his to silence her.
His adrenaline masked the pain, so he delicately pulled out and pushed her onto the mattress. She began to wiggle her way to the head of the bed, but Jed grabbed her hips and pulled her back down, his grip also clutching the slip as it started to rise beneath her. Once she was where he wanted her, he tossed the sheer material up over her head and removed it with one smooth stroke. He unhooked the front clasp to her bra, then settled between her legs. Abbey tugged at his shirt. The sound of tearing buttons was soon replaced by his grateful moan when his chest was exposed to her tantalizing touch.
He penetrated her quickly, but he paused immediately afterwards. Tenderly clearing her face of her dark, shiny locks, he took in the hungry look in her eyes, the one that urged him to speed his pace.
His body was grinding against hers, giving her the friction just where she needed it. Within minutes, Abbey buried her head so deep into the cushion of the pillow that her hips shot straight up to meet his every thrust. Her legs quivered. Her nails embedded themselves deep in his back and she secured her ankles around his rear.
Jed went even faster, withdrawing nearly all the way before he slammed into her over and over again. Her feminine walls spasmed around him and he called out her name just as she screamed his, both reaching a mind-numbing climax that left them gasping for air.
Physically drained, Jed remained inside her for a bit longer as she grasped the back of his head and held him in place. Eventually, he slipped out and rolled to his side. His arm provided a protective cocoon for her to slide into.
"I love you," he said as he kissed her head.
"I love you too."
"Let's try to do that more often."
She stopped laughing when she noticed him fidgeting. "What's the matter?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Jed."
"I think I just twisted myself around when we were standing. My back feels weird." He tucked his hand under himself to massage the muscle.
"How bad?"
"It's not really pain. I wasn't feeling it at all a few minutes ago."
"And now?"
"I feel it, but it's not that bad."
Abbey sat up and crawled across the tangled sheets towards his feet. "How's that?" she asked as she lifted one leg.
"That's okay." She lifted the other and he squealed. "Don't do that!"
"I'm sorry."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Could be just a muscle, but you should take something for the pain tonight and tomorrow, I think you may need to see your doctor."
"You're my doctor."
"Well, yeah," she tweaked his toe. "But I mean your real doctor, just in case you need an X-ray. Bulging or slipped discs are quite common when people twist their backs, especially when they're holding something as heavy as another human being."
Jed took her hand and pulled her to him. "I enjoyed every minute of it."
"I did too. Just to be safe, though, we probably shouldn't do that again."
"We've done it before. It's never been a problem."
"It is now. You're in pain."
"You're right." He winked at her, then rolled over to his stomach. "Heal me, Dr. Bartlet."
"You're incorrigible, you know that?"
"Yes, I do."
She didn't need much convincing. Abbey straddled the back of her husband's thighs and worked her hands down his spine while she leaned forward to supplement every touch with a healing kiss.
TBC
