I'm back and posting slightly later than expected - but here it is.
Thank you for all the lovely comments on the previous chapter. I really appreciated them, especially considering it was just a bit of a filler, but you all seemed as happy to have Patton back as I did.
This chapter begins their camping adventure :)
I don't own The Brave or any of it's character... But I wish I did!
Chapter 46
"Try not to miss me too much, I'll only be gone for a couple of days."
Adam watched in amusement as Jaz said goodbye to Cassiopeia before they left for their camping trip. The truck was packed ready to go and Jaz had just put a slow feeder into Cass' bowl.
"We're only going to be gone for two nights."
Jaz looked up, "What if she does something cool while we're gone?"
Adam raised his eyebrows, "Like learn to swim?"
She threw the empty slow feeder packet at him, "Shut up."
He laughed as he ducked and held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay. Remind me to set up surveillance on her bowl the next time we leave."
This time she strode towards him, ready to pop him one in the shoulder, but he caught her fists before she had the chance and pulled her close instead. Grinning at the look of determination in her eyes, he held her even tighter, knowing that Jaz would be able to get out of this hold easily if she wanted to.
Fighting back her own smile, she said through gritted teeth, "Stop teasing me."
"I thought you like it when I tease you."
"Depends what it's about."
"Is that right?"
"Uh huh."
With a quick thought she moved her mouth close to his, her lips brushing softly and lightly against his own, feeling them start to respond to her. She felt his hands relax their grip on hers and as soon as they did, she twisted herself out of his clasp and gave him that punch to shoulder, though not nearly as hard as she was capable of.
Feigning pain, he scowled, "Okay, I see how it is."
"Don't get between me and my pet."
"Noted." But he couldn't hide a small smile. He loved that she loved the pet he had bought her. He loved seeing this side of Jaz. But he also really wanted to leave for this trip together.
"Finish up your goodbyes. We move out in five mikes."
She saluted him with her middle finger and he just chuckled as he went to put Patton in the truck.
Another thing he loved about her—about them—was that despite the elevation of their personal relationship, the easy friendship and teasing of each other that they had previously enjoyed, hadn't stopped or changed. It was what had made the rapport between them so easy and where the attraction began. He never wanted to lose that.
It was an hour's drive to the spot Adam wanted to camp at. It was a place he had been numerous times alone, but this time he wanted to share it with Jaz.
Parking the truck, they grabbed all the gear they needed before a short fifteen-minute walk to the camping spot.
With Adam leading the way and Patton trotting along next to him, Jaz couldn't help but be amazed as the forest they were walking through all of a sudden gave way to a small clearing overlooking a huge, blue lake. The sun light reflected off it, turning it into a mirror and the trees surrounding its entire edge were large enough and leafy enough to provide a considerable amount of shade.
Not another person was in sight, which made Adam happy. He had never had any other company at this particular spot, and he was relieved that Jaz was about to be the first. He wanted this spot all to themselves.
Turning to look at her, he could tell that she was in awe of the beauty of this location. Her eyes were wide and she was just walking around taking in every piece of the scenery. He understood that look. When he had first found this spot, quite a few years ago, he wondered if it was paradise. The lake provided an instant feeling of tranquillity and the peace he felt when he was here, was hard to compare to anything else.
"What do you think?" He asked as he held his arms open wide, indicating to their surroundings.
Jaz quickly wiped the look of awe off her face and shrugged nonchalantly, "I mean it's ok… if you like water… and trees… and… nature."
Adam rolled his eyes, "And of course you don't like any of those things."
"Guess I'll just have to suck it up for the next couple of days, huh?"
"Well it's going to be a long couple of days with all the fishing and swimming that I had planned."
"Swimming huh? Good job I packed a bikini." Jaz smirked as she watched his eyes darken with lust and his tongue lick his lower lip in anticipation.
He could feel himself grow hard just picturing Jaz in a bikini. He had no resolve where she was concerned. Swallowing and shaking his head to get himself back under control, he pointed in the opposite direction of the lake, "Five minutes that way is a public toilet block, for when you need to… uh… escape nature."
Not that that bothered her, considering the situations they often found themselves in on missions, but it was still a sweet gesture that he had factored that in to his planning.
"Meh, I guess that'll do." Then she smiled at him, the gleam in her eye indicating her real thoughts towards this location. It was stunning. Absolutely stunning. And she couldn't think of a better spot to spend a couple of days alone with Adam Dalton. And Patton.
They decided to set up camp before doing anything else.
They erected a small two-man tent, but Jaz frowned when she watched Adam moving their bags inside of it.
"There won't be room for us to sleep with our bags in there."
"Actually, this tent is just for our bags, to keep them covered up and the food away from any scavengers in the area."
"Then where are we going to sleep?" Jaz asked, confused.
Adam picked up what looked like a rolled up tent, "In this, it's called a swag."
"A swag?"
"Yeah. I worked with a couple of Australian SAS members in a crossover mission in Kabul a few years back. One guy, Mick, shared my interest in the stars. He told me about this type of tent that are popular in Australia. Basically it's a cross between a small tent and a sleeping bag, with a built in mattress inside. It zips all the way up so it covers your head, but there are zips on either side, so the canvas on top can be rolled down, leaving a layer of mesh. You can see the stars through the mesh. You literally sleep under the stars. Without the bugs."
Jaz liked the sound of that. Star gazing was another hobby that Adam had introduced to her.
"It looks kind of small." She observed as Adam was setting it up.
"This a two-man swag, so you can imagine how small a one-man swag is. No bigger than an individual sleeping bag really. We'll definitely be cosy in this though. Hope you don't mind sharing."
She smiled when he winked at her. She did not have a problem with being cosy with Adam Dalton.
Not in the slightest.
It was a hot day, so fishing in the river seemed like the perfect way to spend some of the day.
Adam set up camp chairs on the shore of the lake and they sat there happily, under the shade of the large surrounding trees, passing the time and catching their dinner.
He couldn't remember being happier.
Here in these Blue Ridge Mountains, passing time with his favourite hobby, surrounded by nature in all its beauty and sitting alongside the most perfect woman in the world—did life get any better than this?
Looking over at Jaz, he couldn't help but muse on the last three years that she had been in his life. If you had of told him three years ago, that the head strong, stubborn, but highly skilled sniper that was new to his team, would be the woman that he would fall in love with, he wouldn't have believed it.
She was beautiful—that had been instantly obvious—but he hadn't let himself get caught up in it. He didn't want her to ever feel like she was a token on the team, like she only had her spot for some political correctness. Because that just wasn't true. She was the best person for the job, plain and simple. Her record spoke for itself.
She had come with a chip on her shoulder, and for the most part he understood that. Being a female in the military was already hard, but being a female who was more competent at her role than any male, than any other person full stop, had ruffled a few feathers along the way. Her file was exemplary, but she had moved around a lot. It was obvious that her prior teams hadn't appreciated her skill, purely based on her gender, and he was determined to be the exception.
But that's not to say her beauty hadn't been noticed. It had. And it was the kind that grew on you and then continued to get noticed over and over again. But only when he let himself, only when it hadn't gotten in the way of a mission. Mostly.
His entire team were exceptional, but her skills as a sniper were second to none. She was superior to every other person taking the same shot, and she continued to hone that skill. Her dedication to this job had impressed him for the very first moment and that alone had him suppressing any other feelings that had arisen over the years.
Until it had just become too difficult to do so.
Until it began to play on his mind.
And until fighting it became harder than acknowledging it.
Jaz was a part of him now. She had been an integral part of the last three years and he couldn't even remember what his life was like without her.
Jaz sat with a fishing rod in her hand, perched on a camp chair next to the lake and couldn't help but just bask in the serenity of her surroundings.
These Blue Ridge Mountains just spoke to her and with her new found hobby, soaking up this amazing setting and sitting alongside the best person she had ever met, she wondered if life could get any better?
Sneaking a look over at Adam, she couldn't help but reflect on the last three years that he had been in her life. If you had of told her three years ago, that the proud, sarcastic, and best leader she had ever come across, would be the man she would fall in love with, she wouldn't have believed you.
He was extremely handsome and attractive, that had been instantly obvious, but she hadn't let herself get caught up in it. She had put her head down and just concentrated on doing her job to the level she knew she was capable of.
She became best friends with Elijah, became close to everyone on the team, and she never, ever felt like a female in their unit. She was just another member of the team, chosen because she was the best person for the job. That's how this whole team was chosen.
Her level of respect for this team was high, but for her Captain, it was second to none. He never questioned her ability or her position on this team and he was the only CO she had ever had that didn't look at her and see a woman first. And when he had told her that he may not see it, but he doesn't forget it because he knew that getting where she was had been harder for her than he would ever understand—her level of respect for him had gone sky high.
That level of respect that she had for him and his level of integrity only made him even more attractive in her eyes, and that along with his blatant masculinity had been noticed over and over again. But only when she let herself, only when it hadn't gotten in the way of a mission. Mostly.
Her appreciation for her position on this team, the actual people on this team and the feeling that she had finally landed where she was meant to be, had her suppressing any other feelings that had arisen over the years.
Until it had just become too difficult to do so.
Until it began to play on her mind.
And until fighting it became harder than acknowledging it.
Adam was a part of her now. He had been a significant part of the last three years and she couldn't even remember what her life was like without him.
With a few fish in the cool box for dinner, they went on a quick hike so that Adam could show Jaz some of the surrounding area. It was denser than the area encompassing his cabin, but it's beauty left Jaz awestruck.
Patton as always trotted along next to them, delighting in all the new smells and trails for him to explore and for Jaz and Adam, it felt so right having him there with them.
When they got back to the camp site, the late afternoon's heat and their bout of physical activity left them with virtually no other option that to take a swim in the inviting lake. It beckoned to them, and their love for the water, and each other in the water made it an easy decision.
Knowing that she had packed her new bikini, put a glint in Jaz's eye as she got changed. Adam was already in the lake, having just stripped down to his boxers right there on the shore, and he had charged into the lake with Patton right there by his side.
Watching him stop dead as he was playing with Patton when he saw her come out of the tent, made her both smirk and flush.
By now, Adam thought he should be used to the sight of Jaz in a bikini. He felt like a teenage boy every time he was reduced to this bumbling mess, but the vision of her still made him speechless. And hard.
He hadn't seen this bikini before; she must have bought it when they were in town the other day, but it couldn't be more perfect. It was a halter neck top, emphasising the swell of her perfect breasts and he licked his lips at the sight of them. The bottoms had a thick band holding them up, but sat high on her hips, accentuating her long, tanned and toned legs and he couldn't help but picture them wrapped around his waist as she strode out to meet him.
The part that made this bikini so perfect was the print. Predominantly khaki in colour, it was a camouflage print, similar to the one they wore on their uniforms and he couldn't help but grin at Jaz wearing an army print bikini. It combined all the best parts of her. Her incredible talents as a soldier, and her inconceivable beauty as a woman. It was perfect, and so was she.
As she stopped in front of him, he swallowed against the lump in his throat and the desire in his veins.
"New bikini?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but feeling nonplussed.
"Yep." She answered simply.
A grin spread across her face as she watched his composure quickly collapse and heard the growl in his throat as he reached out to grab her, lift her so her legged were wrapped around his waist and kissed her, devouring her, as if his life depended on it.
His strong hands were everywhere and hers held on tight to him as the flood of feelings attacking every one of her senses overtook her body. As always, they lost themselves in each other and their swim became much more than that.
A hell of a lot more than that.
The fish they had caught earlier in the day was a tasty dinner as Adam cooked them over a campfire along with a few other things they had packed for their trip.
Jaz took great delight in producing a packet of marshmallows to toast over the fire to make one of their favourite snacks—s'mores. This was often a treat they made on base, a lot of the time following missions and she couldn't help but smile at the moment they found themselves in. Did it get any more clichéd than s'mores around the camp fire after a hearty dinner you had caught yourself, while sitting under the giant canvas of stars above them? Whatever the answer, she didn't care. Months ago, she would have scoffed and rolled her eyes at clichés, but now, even though she would probably never admit it to anyone, it was kind of nice.
Dalton was thinking the same thing to himself. All the years he had been camping, all the years he had done this solo, he had enjoyed every minute. These solitary trips had always been the way he had recharged and detoxed himself from the ravages of war; from everything they saw and dealt with while trying to keep the world a better place.
But now, sharing all of this with Jaz—his home, his hobbies, his life—he couldn't imagine it any other way. And as for sharing his heart, that was the real game changer here, and he wouldn't change that for anything.
Jaz lay there in awe. They had crawled into the swag after a long day of fishing, hiking, swimming and other tiring activities. After Adam had zipped the roof back, leaving just the mesh, the two of them just stared at the vast sky above full of glittering stars.
The clear night made for a chilly evening, but laying there side-by-side in the closeness of the swag kept them warm. Jaz couldn't imagine a better way to camp, with mother nature's beauty making this night and this trip, all the more magical.
"Remind me which one is Cassiopeia."
Adam looked at her sideways, "Is that the only constellation you care about now?"
"No, but I wasn't paying attention the first time you pointed it out to me." She admitted.
"What?"
"I was, umm, distracted. By you."
"Really?"
"Yes really. At first I thought you had had a little too much to drink, but I soon realised that you just had a genuine love for the stars. By the time I figured that out, I had already missed which stars you were pointing to."
Adam let a smile cross his face and reached out to hold her hand while they lay there, "It was a good night. You looked beautiful."
"What?" Jaz couldn't help but ask, echoing his own earlier question.
"That night, under the stars in Seville, I've never really shared them with anyone before. Sharing them with you felt right, and the fact that you looked amazing with your hair down and in a sexy black top, you're lucky I even remembered which constellation was which—not that it mattered it would seem."
Much the same as Adam a few moments earlier, a wide grin crossed Jaz's face. She had often wondered if she had imagined the electricity between them that night, and on a few other occasions actually. But that night had been perfect. She had loved getting to know more about him and the companionable silence they had fallen into afterwards, hadn't felt awkward at all.
"So you were flirting with me?"
"We were flirting with each other." He gave her hand a quick squeeze before propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her, "Am I right?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
Jaz tried really hard to keep an innocent, straight face, but with Adam looking right through her, knowing she was lying, she ended up laughing out loud before he could even respond.
Watching her laughing was like watching a sunrise, and he wanted to embrace that light. While she still laughed, he leaned down and kissed her, stopping her laughing and instantly reacting to his closeness.
Adam moved his lips over hers, moulding them to her lips and pinning her down. He ran his tongue over her lower lip and hers opened to give him access to her mouth. He massaged her tongue with his own and she tasted of the sweetness of the s'mores.
She moved a hand to the back of his head, threading her fingers through his hair to hold him close. The kiss deepened as they both tilted their heads, their mouths glued together, tasting each other in long, slow and deliberate strokes.
They were breathing hard when they pulled away to catch their breath. The swag didn't afford them much physical space, but with the night sky shining above them, it felt like they had all the space in the world.
With their foreheads resting against each other, Adam ran his hand up her side and brushed the side of her breast softly, whispering against her lips, "I want to make love to you under the stars, Jaz."
His words made her shiver, but not from cold, "I really want that too."
She pulled his head back down to unite their lips again and continued to shiver as his hand moved up to her shoulder to pull the strap of her tank top down. Freeing her breast, he took its softness into his hand, feeling her erect nipple rub against his palm. He massaged it and kneaded it, hearing her moans deep in the back of her throat as his lips never left hers.
Giving the same attention to her other perfect breast, he felt her grip on the back of his head tighten, and knowing that she needed more, he left his hand wander lower, gliding smoothly over her flat stomach, leaving tingles everywhere he touched.
Feeling bold, she grabbed his hand and moved it under her shorts, showing him exactly where she needed him. He liked this boldness; he liked that she knew what she wanted. As his fingers instantly found her clit he felt it pulsate beneath his touch and Jaz moaned out in desire, "Fuck."
He liked this response from her, he liked how all her inhibitions fell away when they were together like this. He stroked her clit up and down slowly, feeling her spread her legs further apart for more access.
All of a sudden she sat up and quickly discarded her clothing not enjoying the restriction between them since they were already lacking in space. He did the same and then quickly placed his fingers back on her, using her own juice to glide his fingers all up and down her slit.
She reached out for his already hard cock, flat against his stomach and wrapped her small hand around it. She pumped him slowly, running her thumb across the sensitive tip, earning her own "Fuck," from his mouth as she spread the bead of moisture already present there up and down his length.
His fingers started to make circles around her sensitive nub and her hips began to move in the same matter as if dancing together. His lips found their way to her nipples, sucking hard and causing fireworks to spread from her nipple all the way to her core. She was practically dripping, and as she pumped her hand on him in time to the rhythm he was playing her, she knew she needed him inside her—right now.
Upon telling him so, he wasted no time in sliding on top of her and in sliding inside of her and they both groaned at the feeling of joining together.
"You feel amazing." He couldn't help but moan, never getting enough of how incredible this felt.
"So do you." She whispered hoarsely in his ear, lifting her hips to feel him slide even deeper inside of her.
They may have been in a confined space but it only added to the intimacy of the moment, and as they began to thrust against each other, the cold night air only added to the exhilaration.
Their bodies undulated with each other, fitting together as perfectly as always. Adam buried his face in the crook of Jaz's neck and their movement's together had his beard scraping against the hypersensitive sweet spot, adding to the overall stimulation. They moved faster and faster gripping each other tightly, grateful for the solitude as their moans only became louder as their bodies let go with earth shattering orgasms.
They rode out the waves of pleasure together, and as Adam rolled off Jaz, he brought her with him, pulling her against his chest, to hold her tight. They lay there panting, sweat glistening on their still warm bodies, the night air helping to cool them down.
As they tried to get their breath back, they both looked up at the dark night sky and the gleaming stars, remembering the first time they had sat under the stars together.
Lifting a hand to point to a particular constellation, guiding Jaz's gaze, he whispered "Okay so these five right here, that's Cassiopeia. She was a vain queen. Never allowed to set below the surface of the ocean. Apparently she pissed off Poseidon, insulted a few sea nymphs."
"Vain queen? I still feel like that's some kind of message."
She felt his shoulders shake with laughter beneath her head, "Well, if the shoe fits."
She couldn't help but laugh along with him and couldn't be happier at how they had progressed since the last time he had given her that explanation. This time she was determined to remember which constellation was which and made a mental note to ask him about more in the future.
Laying in each other's arms, a feeling of contentedness and peace washing over them both, Adam pulled her even closer to press his lips to her forehead. There, underneath the stars, both still naked as the day they were born, they fell into a deep sleep, both of them feeling more peaceful than they could ever remember feeling.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter continues with their camping trip.
A massive THANK YOU to you all for continuing to read this story, especially since it has been over a year since this incredible show was cancelled. You are all appreciated so much and big love to those of you who comment. The motivation they provide is second to none.
Much love and have a great week! XXX