Hallways and Doorways
Jack McCoy heard, very faintly, the tiny voice of self-preservation.
The door's open.
It took an exceptional exercise of self-control, but he lifted Claire off his lap. She murmured in protest as he set her on her feet.
"The door," Jack explained hoarsely, and stood up. Hope to god there's no one still working on 10 tonight. He locked the door that provided a shortcut to Adam's office and closed and locked the door to the corridor. " Adam would sack me on the spot," he said, turning back to the desk.
Claire had settled herself in his chair, but she sat up a bit at his words, eyes suddenly wide and serious. That's right, Jack thought, it's real. Claire bit her lip, frowning, and Jack waited for her to say Listen, maybe …
Then a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Worth it," she said.
"Oh, really?" Jack said. "Even if he sacked you on the spot as well?"
" Adam wouldn't sack me," Claire said smugly, and Jack laughed.
"You're probably right," he said. "Although I'm a little discomfited by how casually you regard my possible unemployment."
She shrugged, the movement doing unsettling things to the blouse skimming her body. "You could find another job."
"Private practice?" Jack suggested, taking her hands to draw her to her feet. Claire leaned against him, wrapping her arms around her neck, enveloping him in the faint scent of her perfume.
"Public Defenders office," she said wickedly, lips brushing his. "You and I on opposite sides of the aisle … "
"Might lead to some courtroom fireworks," Jack said, and Claire laughed softly. The feel of her breath touching his lips and her body moving ever-so-slightly against his set off a few fireworks in Jack's brain. He tangled his fingers in her hair and drew her head back, claiming her mouth again, urgency overtaking tenderness. She was here, she was in his arms, she was his at last and the dizzying heat those thoughts triggered raged through his body, a primeval urge sweeping aside everything in its path. Claire wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her just as fiercely. He plundered her mouth, one hand holding her head still, the other sliding down her back to her ass, pressing her to him.
"Oh god yes," Claire moaned into his mouth, her hips beginning to circle slightly. Jack pulled away from her a little, looking down at her dazed face, eyes huge and dark, lips red and swollen from the force of his kisses.
"If we're going to leave," he whispered, "we're going to have to leave now. Or I'm going to have you on the couch."
Claire considered, absently tracing a pattern on the back of his neck with her fingernails as she did. "I've had some very naughty thoughts about that couch," she admitted with a sly smile.
"Oh god," Jack said involuntarily, his hands tightening on her.
"But I think on balance, I'd like to go someone a little less … legal," Claire said.
"Okay," Jack said. Reluctantly he loosened his grip and took a step back. "Let me grab my coat."
"Uh-huh," Claire said. She took a step towards her own jacket, slung over the guest chair, and stumbled. Jack grabbed her arm to steady her. "Watch that first step," she said shakily. "It's a doozy."
"You okay?"
"A little light-headed," Claire admitted slyly. "And I don't think it's the champagne."
Jack found the elevator ride to the ground floor an agony, the cab ride worse. Claire, who had not argued when he gave the driver his address, sat in the back seat beside him, seemingly lost in a private reverie, fingers playing with the top button of her blouse. By the time the ride was over Jack was almost ready to pull her across the seat and rip the blouse off her and the cab driver be dammed. The sideways look Claire gave him as she got out let him know that she was entirely aware of the effect she had on him. Hastily, he paid the cabbie and escorted Claire into the building.
They got into the elevator and Jack stared at the numbers, willing them to climb faster.
"Have you ever done it in the elevator?" Claire asked, leaning close to him.
"Security cameras," Jack told her.
"Oh really?" Claire said with a sly sideways grin. She leaned back against him and reached behind her to slide her hand between them. Jack gasped. "Do you think they can see this?" she asked wickedly, her hand moving slowly. "Or this."
If the elevator ride had been ten seconds longer Jack was sure they would have been doing it in the elevator and cameras be damned. As it was he wasn't sure they'd make it into the apartment, him trying to get his key in the lock while Claire kissed his neck and rubbed her foot against his leg and begged him to hurry up, hurry up please Jack, hurry up!
He finally steadied his hands enough to get the door open, and then closed and locked behind them, and that was the absolute limit of his self-control.
They ended up on the floor of his hallway, both still mostly dressed, Claire with one foot in the kitchen and the other braced against the wall by the study door, twisting and bucking beneath him like a mermaid out of water, endearments and entreaties pouring from her lips until she had no language left, only urgent wordless cries. Jack felt the wave take her and the sensation sent him tumbling after her.
He gathered her into his arms, not wanting to move even enough to find somewhere more comfortable than the hallway to lie.
"Oh god," Claire murmured. "If I'd known – I would have done this a lot sooner."
"I'm flattered," Jack said sleepily. He stroked her hair.
"You realise you've set the bar pretty high for yourself…" Claire said.
"I'll try to exceed expectations," Jack said. He realised that something was digging uncomfortably into his side. He raised himself on his elbows a little and looked down, and started laughing.
"What?" Claire said sleepily. When he didn't answer she roused herself a little more. "What, Jack?"
"Your handbag," he said. Claire felt about beside her and he watched her realise that she not only still had her coat on but she still had her handbag over her shoulder.
"I was in a hurry," she said reasonably.
"What about now?" Jack asked.
"Now," Claire said, stretching and giving him a wicked little smile, "now I think I'd like to take my time."
.oOo.
A/N: sorry for the long delay in updating! They've been showing the Ben Stone era re-runs so my Jack/Claire muse was missing in action.
