Chapter 4
She was watching him. While the party kicked into full swing and they schmoozed with former colleagues, Harm could feel her watching. It made his heart race and those stupid little butterflies fluttered in his stomach as they did when they first met.
Mac was also trying to avoid him. If he would weave through the group towards her, she would catch on and move away. When he'd deliberately try to lock eyes with hers, she'd close them as if that would make him disappear. Then she blushed; the pretty tint of pink making him smile arrogantly.
He would speak to her tonight, it was a challenge he gave himself, to wear Mac down until she gave in. Maybe he could just come up from behind, toss the Marine over his shoulder and run away with her? She'd kill him and the thought made Harm chuckle.
Harm made another lap around the party feeling a little subconscious that he hadn't anything better to wear. The other men had dress shirts, slacks while he was merely in jeans. Not that it stopped two of Bud's single subordinates from stating their interest. He politely chatted with both women, one of which felt familiar enough that she reached out to touch his forearm multiple times during their conversation. Mac caught one such touch and a short time later he found her sneaking out the front door.
She didn't want to see him flirt. Time hadn't made him any less a ladies man, women were still attracted to him like bees to honey. It irritated her greatly and as she stood on the porch enjoying the brisk air, Mac wasn't surprised to hear the door open.
He would follow. He always would follow. As annoying and desperate as it was, Harm always followed her and she always followed him - until they didn't. "You okay?"
"I needed some air." She stood with her back to him, hands flat atop the wooden porch railing. The air was crisp but not bitterly cold and it felt good to pull away from the group for a while. "You retired."
It was a statement more than a question and he heard a little resentment in her tone, something he found odd from a woman who supposedly loved her current position and was finally promoted to full bird a month prior. "I did."
"When?"
"After the NCIS assignment wrapped up." It caught him by surprise that the ship life he adored so much was giving him little comfort once he returned. As the days passed, Harm realized his time on a carrier had come to an end, there was nothing left of Navy life for him anymore. "I had four months left on tour, asked the skipper to find a suitable replacement. I was done."
"That was...that was-" Mac sighed. Her internal clock never failed to tell the time and yet this news of his retirement had left her shaky.
"Six months ago...give or take." He supplied for while carefully making his way to her side. Mac turned to him and he found a question lingering in her eyes, the why a man who loved sea life so much could just turn it down. "I hate to admit this but, I got tired of being in the Navy."
"You did? I don't believe that for one minute."
"Shocking right? I do miss the jets… that rush of take off and landings is hard to let go of but…"
"But?"
Harm shrugged, "It was time and I was going out on my terms, not the Navy's."
Mac turned a curious eye at her former partner. He stood just a few feet away, his tall frame bent so that he could lean his forearms against the railing. While his eyes scanned the front yard, there was no regret shadowing his face, no apprehension or sadness. If anything, Harm seemed carefree, the small smirk on his lips a sign of happiness. "Do you like what you do?"
"Yeah, I do. Can't say I don't miss being in a courtroom but I much prefer being a liaison to having my own command."
"I remember how stressed you always were after we moved to California." He also remembered how her demanding position often left little time for them. Mac was driven, always had been because as a woman in a man's World she needed to be twenty steps ahead. She had to constantly prove herself and her Marine work-a-holic state of mind didn't mesh with his laid back Navy thinking. "You hated that job didn't you?"
She nodded slowly, recalling how the excitement of her own command dwindled far too quickly for her liking. Mac knew it would be difficult even when she welcomed tough challenges but the toll it took was far too great. "Too much politics involved. Don't get me wrong, I still have to deal with politicians but at least no senator gets their panties in a bunch if I don't convict the right guy. Of course, I still have to apprise the SECNAV of certain developments but it's easier."
"I don't miss the SECNAV. If you remember, they all seemed to hate me."
She chuckled at that and then nudged him slightly with her elbow. "You were the one who shot up a courtroom, remember?"
Harm laughed at that, antics from the past had garnished him quite the reputation one that would follow him for the rest of his career. "There is that…I still don't miss it, practicing law. I enjoyed the investigations."
"You were always good at all of the sleuthing."
"And you're the better litigator, it's why things always made sense when we were on the same side. We complement one another." The way he said that last statement made her look up only to be held by his gaze. Harm was being sincere, she knew because in truth, they did complete each other. A soft smile tugged at Mac's lips, one that died when the automated Christmas lights flickered on and bathed the porch in a warm glow.
They stood in silence for several long minutes, his eyes not leaving hers. It was making her internal clock waver once again because, for the life of her, Mac couldn't tell how long he stood there just looking at her. There was a sense of intimacy in the way his eyes held hers and it felt familiar and yet new as if he was seeing her for the first time. Try as she might, Mac couldn't kick start that damned clock of hers which is why she couldn't tell how long it had been since they'd shared this kind of silent conversation.
Her heart ached each time she mentally countdown how many months it had been since he last held her. The tears would come next when she'd calculate how many hours passed since they broke one another's hearts. Sometimes it was better that her clock remained frazzled; time wouldn't bring back the precious time they lost.
It was the slight breeze, the gentle ringing of a bell above him that forced Harm's eyes to look up. Attached to a hook hung a golden bell on a thick red red ribbon which wrapped around a sprig of mistletoe. What a curious placement for the fabled plant, Harm thought. "Look." He said while pointing an index finger upwards so that her eyes followed.
Berries, a sprig of green all bundled in a pretty red bow could only mean one thing. She studied it for a moment, hoping it was anything but the parasitic mistletoe. He was watching her, Mac knew, the molten heat of his gaze actually stung while she made the decision to stay or run. When her eyes came down to his, she found Harm was staring at her lips and licking his in anticipation. He looked so cute with twinkling eyes that turned a pale shade of blue, a sexy grin and a raised brow. Harm issued a silent challenge and the nearness of him was so evident it made her stomach twist in knots.
"I'm ashamed to admit, I've lost count of our awkward moments."
"They were only awkward because we're two very stupid, very stubborn people." Harm clenched his fist to stop his hand from shaking, he didn't want her to know that his nerves were on high alert when Mac took a step towards him. She stood but a breath away, her lips slightly parted, her eyes expectantly searching for answers in his. When he learned his head in, Harm saw her eyes closed and the second their lips met, he was sure the stars had finally aligned for them.
