A/N: It's been forever. Sorry that I'm just randomly popping in and out. But my mind and life are all over the map. So, please enjoy this random fic!
Burk at the night club with the boys and Alisha for a Valentine's bash. He did not want to be here, he was single and his life was complete mess. He didn't need to be reminded of that on the most romantic night of the year. He was still grieving the loss of Cruz and his father who died a week after Burk returned. He'd spent the last weeks at home looking after all the arrangements as his mother was in such a deep state of grief that she could bare function. He hated leaving her, but his sister Amelia was with their mother while he and Cameron returned back to base.
Since their return, he'd been buried in paperwork and frankly just hiding. Hiding because he felt like the world was just one bad happenstance after another and he was tired of it. But his brother and friends dragged him out.
He was regretting it as the techno music was giving him a headache and he just didn't want to be here. But he plastered on a smile, he drank with the group and was now dancing. He had to admit the more the alcohol settled in and seeing his friends smile, the more he loosened up. He felt better for being out, for just letting go as he just wanted to be lost in music and the night.
Maria sat at the bar, watching the dance floor. She came with a purpose, she had saved enough money for a babysitter to have one night off. One night where she could forget herself, to pretend she was not a mother and responsible adult. To be young and free, to act like the 27 year old that she was and honestly; get laid and feel so much pleasure that she couldn't remember her own name. It wasn't like she trawled the bars every time she had a babysitter or hated being a mother.
Quite the opposite, she loved her three kids but men around her age didn't want to settle down. Not with a ready made family like her situation. She was tired of investing time in makeup and getting to know a man when he'd dump her after she said 'my sons'. No, tonight all she wanted was an orgasm or two. But she'd settle for one where she felt like a vivacious and sexual woman.
She knew exactly the man she wanted, she didn't need to know his name. She just needed tall, incredibly handsome and ready stranger. She found him, 5ft tall, handsome African American man with a great smile and ass. He could move on the dance floor like he was made of liquid.
She smiled, like a predator who'd spotted her prey. She downed her shot of moonshine, she felt the burn as it slid down her throat and her courage build as she made her way through the crowd to him.
"Hi," She shouted over the music, the man stopped dancing and looked her. She saw him give her the once over approve. Her own smile broadened. "Dance?" she asked as she held out her hands. He gave a nod as took her hands.
The music changed to something more pop and sultry, Maria swayed her hips and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she let it take over. She moved closer the man, his large hands smoothed over her arms and back in timed manner to music. She felt him move in time with her. It felt good to just give in to the moment and the music.
"So, what do you do?" He asked, Maria opened her eyes and wished he hadn't spoken. She didn't need small talk. She wanted to dance, then to make out and find a dark corner for more.
"Admin, you?" She asked, lying completely as she was in fantasy mode. She knew she'd never run into him again, so what was a few lies for some fun.
"Male model," Burk lied, only because he felt lucky that she didn't recognise him from the news. Women had a tendency to go a little crazy when they found out who he was or recognised him. They'd go all wide-eyed as fantasies of being swept off their feet by a real-life hero filled their heads.
Burk had no desire to sweep anyone off their feet tonight, unless it involved sweeping this appealing brunette in his arms to the closest bed. He realised maybe this Valentine's was salvageable after all. Not that he thought he'd hook up with anyone but she came his way. Her killer smile, the way she looked at him excited him.
"Interesting. Do you pose in the nude?" She asked him, he could tell she eager and looking for a good time. She hot, 5ft 6', light brown eyes, wild curly dark brown hair and olive skin. A curvy, beautiful body encased in a form fitted yellow dress. It didn't leave much to the imagination. Right now, with the booze and his imagination were imagining what it would be like to peel that dress off of her.
He dipped his head to her ear, "All the time, I could give you a private show if you'd like." He offered, a line pre-pandemic would have gotten him a slap or a drink in face now had the opposite effect.
She laughed, the sound quickly swallowed by the current song that pounded out of the speakers. She leaned up on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips over his ear as she said, "First you can dance with me, then I'll decide if I want to see you naked." She told him cockily.
Burk grinned and pulled her closer to him. She pressed her body to his and started to move. Those curvy breasts teased his chest, sending sparks of heat through his body. He rested his hands on the middle of her back. The dress was so low cut at the back he could feel her soft skin. They moved their bodies to the rhythm, he slid his fingers over her warm flesh, enjoying the silky feel of it. She sighed, her breath tickling his collarbone and searing right through the fabric of his shirt.
"How am I doing so far?" he asked her. She tilted her head up to look at him, an enticing smile playing on her lips.
"So far, so good." She punctuated the words by rubbing her lower body against his pelvis. Turning him on, he really should've had more control but months of celibacy were taking their toll.
"What's your name?" he asked her.
"Isobel." She replied, she slid her tongue over the shell of his ear before sucking on the delicate lobe. Burk nearly faltered and forgot himself as his body responded. Their gazes locked, and the blatant sizzle of sex in the air between them. He was definitely be having sex with this whiskey-eyed seductress tonight.
She clearly shared the same sentiment, because the next thing he knew she was kissing him passionately. Burk thrust one hand into her long, curly hair and angled her head for better access before he slid his tongue deep in her mouth.
She tasted like moonshine and sex. His erection pulsed as she flicked her tongue over his, over and over again, and then she nibbled on his bottom lip and his cock damn well near exploded. He was harder than he ever thought possible, and in serious danger of coming in his pants from one incredibly erotic kiss.
"Let's get out of here," he muttered against her lips, shaping her ass with his hands and thrusting his aching groin against her belly.
"No, I want you now." She said before she kissed him again, long and hard. Burk was not going to argue, he was more than happy to celebrate Valentine's with this woman however she wanted it. He broke the kiss and took her by the hand to find somewhere for them to be alone.
A week later, Burk took a pull of his root beer wishing it was alcoholic. Whoever thought a day in the park in late February was a great idea needed to get their head checked. But here he was, along with every other member of the Nathan James and their families.
It was luckily a sunny day, but being the last few days of winter, thee weather was just on the slightly chilly side. It made him glad he's worn layers and brought sun glasses. Unlike majority of the crew, he didn't have any blood relatives at the picnic. His brother Cameron was visiting home, it left him floating between the 'orphans' of the crew and his friends like Danny and Kara with their 18 month old Frankie.
The little kid was growing like a weed and learned to run like the wind which was hilarious to watch as Danny had already spent half the event chasing his tiny son around the park. Burk when it had been his turn to look after Frankie had tossed the kid on his shoulders. Frankie had loved the view and Burk didn't have to chase the little tacker around the place.
"Hey, Burk." Kara called, Burk turned and nearly choked on his root beer. Kara strolled up to her with Isobel by her side. Isobel looked just as surprised to see him, actually she didn't look happy at all. But she did look beautiful, dressed in a maxi caftan dress with her hair tied back with wisps of curls framing her face and a 18 month old boy on her hip. Presumably her child as he could see a lot of her features in the boy.
"Hey." He replied as he lifted his sunglasses up to make sure he was seeing things clearly. Yep, his hot one night stand on Valentine's who gave him the time of his life and no phone number stood before him with Kara.
"I'd like you to meet Maria Cruz, Javier's sister. Maria, this is Carlton Burk." Kara said making introductions between them. Burk kept a neutral expression as he realised Maria had lied about her name. In doing so, left out the part where she was Cruz's younger sister who had three kids. "This little guy is Manny." Kara said as she tickled the toddler's bare feet. The kid giggled and hugged his mother more closely.
"Maria." Burk said warmly, though inwardly he wasn't sure who he was more pissed off at. Himself or her, because if he'd known who she was; he wouldn't have hot sex in a supply closet of a club. Hell, he wouldn't have touched her in anything more than a platonic manner. But he couldn't change the past, but now he felt a little used and discarded. But nonetheless, he held out his hand and pretended it was the first time he'd met her.
"Burk. My brother spoke fondly of you." Maria said as she shook it.
"I doubt that." Burk quipped, he held onto her hand just a little longer than necessary. He couldn't help it as he was still in shock. No, he was blindsided by his Valentine's hook up.
"Do you two know one another?" Kara asked them. She had been watching their exchange with curiosity.
"We meet at a grocery store. Burk tried to pick me up, he said the way my bananas were positioned said I was open to it." Maria said with a frown. Lying through her teeth, but Maria was sweating and her heart pounding. She remembered their hot interlude at the club. She had been imagining it for weeks but in more sanitary and less public places.
"She shot me down, obviously. But the bananas were facing up." Burk said, helping cover for her lie. She wondered how angry he was at her as she really did 'fuck and run' on him. But he'd suited her purposes and she didn't want to open her life to a man at the moment. Her life was a chaotic mess, no man was interested in that.
"I will never understand that." Kara said, her attention drifted and Burk turned to see Danny holding Frankie upside down by the legs. "I need to go stop Danny before Frankie spews. Excuse me." Kara said with a strained smile before she dashed away.
Maria and Burk stood in awkward silence for a long moment. Both not knowing what to say. Maria did feel a little bad for behaviour. At least the lying but not the rest as she felt if men could do it, then why couldn't she?
"Thank you for not telling them the truth." Maria said to Burk, breaking the silence.
"What? That we hooked up in a club bathroom and you really enjoyed it. Does that make me your dirty secret?" Burk asked in amusement. Amusement was something Maria could work with.
"No, it's just not anyone's business. It was average." Maria remarked, Manny rested his head on her shoulder and she knew he was falling asleep as he was growing heavy in her arms.
"It was well above average, exceptional. You lie a lot." Burk told her.
"Aren't you just full of yourself. You know that you were just used as a living vibrator that night. It was nothing special. I just picked you at random because I wanted to let off some steam. Do you even know how hard it is for me to get a date let alone get to the sex stage of the relationship? Cause let me tell you, finding a unicorn would be easier." Maria snapped, she didn't even know why she was getting annoyed at him. Then it hit her that she liked him, and she knew he would reject her based on being Javier's sister with three kids. So, she wanted to reject him first.
"If I'm nothing special. Then why have you not stopped checking me out since you got here?" Burk asked smugly. Maria fought to roll her eyes as she adjust her sleepy child on her hip. The man was annoyingly right but it was his fault for looking so good.
"I don't want to do this, Ok. We both lied about who we were and had sex for different reasons. Whatever." Maria told him in a snappish manner. She remembered he was supposed to a male model. Not that it mattered, but she was holding onto his lies as he was picking on hers or eventually would.
"You're the one making a big deal out of it." Burk told her with a grin. His anger had fled when her hostility came out as she was just so adorable. It hard to stay angry at a woman with holding her child and being snappish.
"Trust me, if I'd known you were my brother's friend, I wouldn't have hooked up with you. Let's be real, you never would've hooked up with me if I'd told you who I was. Or maybe you wouldn't have have cared as you didn't care enough to show up from Javi's funeral." Maria told him.
"My father died. So, I'm sorry that I couldn't be there but I had to go be with my family. It wasn't an easy choice but family comes first. I'd think you'd get that. I'm sorry, I didn't show up afterwards but I've not been myself since the last deployment. Losing your brother, escaping death to come home to find my Dad dead. It through me through a loop." He told her in a cold manner, he immediately regretted it. She didn't deserve his ire or grief.
"I'm sorry. I- no one told me." Maria said sincerely as she hadn't known. But then she never asked. He shook his head and gave a shrug.
"No, I shouldn't have snapped like that. I just- it's been rough few months and the night we hooked up was kind of a big deal for me. It made me feel shitty that I didn't get your number or go after you but it was also the best 15 minutes; I'd had in a long while." He said with a smile. Maria couldn't help but return it as it felt good to know she impacted his life in the same way he did for her.
"It was 20 minutes." She corrected, Burk snorted a laugh. Maria smiled. "Look, let's just chalk it up to a moment of craziness and de-stressing. It was for me." She told him casually.
"Cool with me." Burk said before he took a pull of his root beer.
"Well, I have to go make sure my kids aren't killing anyone." Maria told him.
"Ok," He said, he watched her walk away but couldn't help but call out. "Hey, Maria." He called out, Maria turned to him.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"If you ever wanted to be crazy again, you come find me." He told her.
"I'll keep you mind." She replied, she turned and walked away. Burk smiled as he had no idea if she'd find him again but he liked the bubble of hope and excitement it gave him.