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.
Part Twelve
March 2013
San Diego, California
It's been eight months since I watched Harm board a carrier and sail away from me. Eight months.
Eight months of Skype dates and phone calls, and emails. Eight months of having dinner alone and going to bed alone.
Eight months without my husband.
Because, yes, of course, it made perfect sense for two people who danced around one another for fifteen years to elope two days after getting engaged. We thought about waiting until he came to the States in July. It would have made sense, and we could have had his family and our friends there. But once he asked, we both realized we didn't want to wait any longer than we had to. We did a little research (and I had just finished reading Pride and Prejudice for the four thousandth time which likely influenced the location), and two days later, we drove to Gretna Green in Scotland to get married.
His family was initially furious that they weren't there, but they didn't stay angry for long. Especially since we agreed to let Trish throw us an elaborate party at their home before he deployed. Neither of us wanted the party – especially since he was leaving just over a week after it. We were both greedy and wanted every moment to ourselves. But in the end, we were so happy to have had that night with so many friends and family.
When he left the following week, I was heartbroken. He put on a brave face, but he's not as good at hiding his emotions as he used to be, and I knew our separation would be as hard on him as it would be for me. That final week went by in a blur, especially the night before he left. Time was moving so quickly that I was convinced my internal clock was on the fritz. I remember breaking down and crying when I realized my clock was working and we had less than twelve hours remaining. He held me while I cried. Then he kissed me. And the kisses quickly went from consoling to consuming, and then we were undressing again, and he was making me come.
Eight months since those last orgasms. Oh, he's helped over the past eight months. The man I once called a prude has become brilliant at phone sex, and it's unbelievable how wet I get when he starts telling me all the ways he wants to touch and lick - and all the ways he wants to make me come.
Eight months without the love of my life.
And now those eight months are finally coming to an end. The massive aircraft carrier is now visible on the horizon, and the large group of people I'm standing with begin to cheer. I look around, taking in the husbands and wives, parents and children, and while I never pictured myself on this side of a homecoming, I have to admit it's exciting. I'll never be the woman in the white dress with a red, white, and blue scarf as a headband or the woman holding a piece of posterboard with exactly how many days it's been since they've kissed their sailor. Still, the excitement, joy, and anticipation running through the group are palpable.
The ship is getting closer, and now we can see people standing on the ship's decks, and my heart starts to beat harder. We're so close. So close.
He's barely had a chance to set his bag down, and I'm throwing myself into his arms. He nudges the bag out of the way with his foot and pulls me close. Our kiss is chaste since he's in uniform, but his mouth against mine feels so good that I wouldn't even complain about a simple peck right now.
"Eight months is too damned long, Mac," he practically growls against my lips.
I pull back and glare at him. "I'm pretty sure I tried to tell you that, sailor."
He laughs and smiles that smile that I've missed so much. "Well, you know how hard-headed I can be."
I make a point of looking down at the front of his pants and then raising an eyebrow. "It's been eight months, Harm. You may have to remind me."
"Jesus, Mac," he mutters and pulls me to him again. This kiss is less chaste, and we don't pull apart this time until someone bumps into us.
"Excuse me, sir, ma'am."
"Not a problem, lieutenant," Harm says. The younger man hurries away, and Harm lets out a breath when he turns back to me. "I'm probably not setting the best example right now," he says.
"Probably not," I agree. I smile and reach for his hand. "We should head home."
"You've read my mind," he says. He squeezes my hand, and we begin maneuvering through the crowd and to my car. I drove his Corvette today, and his eyes light up as he takes in the classic car. I pull the keys from my purse and toss them to him. "God, I love you," he says.
"Well, that was easy," I say. "I should have given you a set of car keys a decade ago." He rolls his eyes, and I smile as I climb into the car. He shuts my door and moves around to the driver's side.
He runs his hands over the steering wheel and lets out a contented sigh. "I've missed this car," he says.
"I know," I say. "That's why I brought it." He squeezes my hand, starts the car, and takes a deep breath. He sits there for a moment with his hands on the wheel, and I cock my head to the side and spend a moment taking him in. I've missed him so much. "Take me home, flyboy."
He smiles, and he begins making his way back to the apartment. When he left London, we decided he'd move into my apartment instead of us rushing to find a place that would be ours. Usually, I love the fact that I live so far from the base – I crave that separation between home and work. But right now, I'd give anything to live on base – or at least down the street. Harm keeps one hand on the wheel, the other tracing lines onto my thigh, and the want I'm feeling is overwhelming. He's barely kissed me and has only touched me in the most innocent ways, but I already want him more than I've ever wanted anyone in my life – including him.
The traffic gods smile on us, and we're home reasonably quickly. We're quiet while we take the elevator to our floor and careful not to touch it while it climbs floors. We both know that the slightest touch would break the dam that needs to hold firm until we're cocooned in our private bubble.
He hovers behind me while I unlock the door, and the sizzle between us is nearly as tangible as his breath on my neck. Once we step inside, he drops his bag, and I toss my keys and purse aside, and then his mouth is on mine. This kiss isn't chaste or tentative – it's hot and demanding, and when he groans, my entire body vibrates. I gasp when his tongue brushes against mine, and when he nips at my bottom lip, I feel a jolt of pleasure between my thighs.
"I need you," I whisper against his lips. I tug at his shirt and pull it free from his pants. "Right now," I say.
"Patience," he says, his voice low and thick. He breaks the kiss and moves his lips to my jaw and then my neck. I whimper – I actually whimper – and I can feel his smile against my skin. He moves his mouth back to mine, nipping at my bottom lip again and then sliding his tongue across it.
"I need you, Harm. I need you now." He opens his mouth, and I cover it with my hand. "if you tell me to be patient again, I will literally take matters into my own hands."
"Oh really?"
I nod and take a step back. His eyes darken as I reach around and unzip the zipper on the back of my dress. He watches as I push the fabric off my shoulders, and the blue cotton falls to the floor. I push down the black lace panties and kick those out of the way, and then unhook the matching bra. My fingers skim over my breasts, down my belly, and settle between my thighs.
"What are you doing?"
"I told you," I say, gasping as my fingers tease my clit, doing nothing to soothe the aching throb. "I'm taking matters into my own hand," and this time, I moan as my thumb presses harder.
"The hell you are," he says, pulling me back to him. He lifts me into his arms, my legs wrap around his waist, and we fumble towards the couch. He sets me down, drops to his knees, and pushes my thighs apart. He dips his head and moves his lips up one thigh and then the other before parting me with his tongue. I cry out and arch, and he tightens his grip on my thighs and sucks on my clit.
The orgasm comes hard and fast, and I feel like it goes on forever. When I finally come down, I look at him, and I feel like my heart will explode. He's looking at me like I'm the whole world, and I pull him up and kiss him. "I love you," I say.
"I love you, too," he says softly.
"Can I show you how much?" He nods, and I reach out and begin undoing the buttons on his shirt. He helps me pull off the stiff material and then stands so I can work on his pants. Once he's naked, I lean forward and take him in my mouth.
"No," he says and gently pushes me back. "Inside you," he whispers. "I need to feel you." I nod, and he pushes the ottoman out of the way and kneels on the floor before pulling me down with him. He hovers over me, takes his hard cock in his hand, and angles himself toward me. We both gasp when the tip nudges at my entrance, and I cry out his name when he grabs my hip and pushes into me. He drives deeper & deeper into me than I ever thought possible, and I dig my fingers into his back as I feel myself getting closer and closer to the edge.
"God, Mac," he moans. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to last long."
"Baby, I'm almost there," I manage to say. "Come with me." He closes his eyes and lets go. I call out his name as another orgasm makes my thighs convulse, and he moans as he empties himself inside me.
He kisses me and then lifts off me and moves lay on his back. I roll onto my side and decide I could spend hours like this - just staring at him, memorizing his beautiful features.
He folds his hands behind his head and smiles. He looks utterly satisfied, and god, it's a turn-on. "You're staring," he says.
"I am," I confirm.
"Like what you see?"
"I love what I see," I correct. "I run my fingers down his chest, letting them tangle in his chest hair.
He watches me silently for a second and then sits up. "Stay right here, okay?" I nod and admire his naked body as he moves across the apartment and picks up his bag. He unzips it and rifles through it for a moment before pulling out a manilla envelope. He grabs a pen from my junk drawer and returns to me. He settles next to me, and once I've sat up, he hands me the folder.
"What's this?" I open the flap and pull out a typed sheet of paper. I skim the words and swallow hard when I realize what I'm holding. I look up at him and then back at the paper. "Your resignation." He nods, and I read it again. "Is this what you want," I ask.
He hesitates and brushes a piece of hair off of my face. "I want you," he says. "I got my chance to end my career on my own terms. If I resign now, I'll be happy and proud of how my Naval career ended."
"Do you want to resign," I ask again?
"If you need me to, I will."
I stare at the sheet of paper again and take a shaky breath. Eight months without him was terrible. But it was doable. And it was actually good for us. Since we only had the phone and email, we talked—a lot. And we got to know one another in a completely new way. I missed him, but the Navy is a part of him, and being on a carrier makes him happy. I slide the sheet of paper back into the envelope and hand it back to him. "I don't need you to," I say softly. "Not yet, anyway. But I reserve the right to change my mind down the road."
He tentatively takes it back and presses his lips together. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," I say.
He nods and tosses the envelope aside. "Okay. But, there's one more thing we need to discuss," he says.
"Oh yeah?" I run my fingers over his jaw and his full lips. "What's that?"
"A baby," he says softly. I stiffen, and he reaches for me and pulls me close.
"I can't, Harm." I shake my head and feel like I'm on the verge of tears. "I can't have a baby, Harm. I waited too long."
"I know we can't have a baby," he says. "But we could try to adopt one."
End Part 12
