MGM owns SGA

Little ol' Des owns little to nothin'

Stargate: Atlantis

Hot Flashes

by Destiny Brighthope

2. Size Matters

(2 of 3)

Jennifer's words hung in the air like fog. Rodney had seen her bounce back from torture, kidnapping, and more near-death experiences than he cared to recall. He refused to see her done in by mere vanity. Desperate to bolster her flagging self-esteem, he blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

Big mistake. Her shoulders stiffened in his grasp, and the hand over his heart curled into a fist. "If I'm crazy," she growled, "then why don't my uniforms fit anymore?"

He gave brief glances to her trousers and the shirt beneath her open jacket. "Maybe it's a little tight, but it looks just fine to me."

"Tight?" Her jaw dropped. "This is a new one, a size larger."

"Oh. Well, obviously I didn't get a good look." He leaned back. "Nope, not tight at all. Plenty of room to spare."

"Room for me to grow into?" she snapped.

"You're a beautiful woman, Jennifer, my beautiful woman. A few extra pounds won't change that." Standing swiftly, he lifted the young doctor to her feet. "Light as a feather," he murmured and lowered his mouth to claim a kiss.

She ducked her head at the last moment. Undaunted, Rodney brushed his lips against her cheek instead. A mischievous grin teased the corners of his mouth as he stepped back.

Jennifer furrowed her brow. "What are you up to now?"

He made a great show of looking her up and down, then motioned with his finger, indicating he wished for her to twirl.

She crossed her arms. "Absolutely not."

"What if I do it first?" He rotated in place a full three hundred sixty degrees. "See, nothing to it."

"No, Rodney."

"Please. For me."

She spun quickly. "There. Happy?"

"Slowly," he insisted. "Like I did. And take off your jacket first."

Grumbling that eyes as blue as his ought to be outlawed, Jennifer slipped the jacket off her shoulders and draped it over a console. The sight of her bare arms shallowed Rodney's breathing and set his pulse racing. He wondered if the quartermaster stocked long-sleeved tops in Jennifer's new size. He hoped not.

The slow spin that ensued allowed Rodney the chance to study her figure critically. Though it left a bad taste in his mouth, he owed Jennifer to try and view her body from her perspective. Certainly, she wasn't perfect. Her stomach poked out a little; her hips were rounder and her face fuller than when they met. But where she spoke of flaws, he saw a ripe fullness that emphasized her femininity.

Moreover, she possessed the same intelligent sparkle in her eyes and the same vulnerability in her features that stirred in him—a man never famed for bravery or fighting prowess—an almost reckless need to protect her. And she always would, no matter how much weight she gained.

He ambushed Jennifer with a kiss before she completed her circle. Caught off guard, she resisted. But as he deepened the kiss, the arms that rose to fend off his advance wilted and settled against his chest. His hands roamed freely across her back, and she made no protest when he snaked one underneath her shirt to stroke her flesh.

Renewed strength flooded her limbs, and she clutched at the edges of his jacket to draw him closer. Their bodies were molded together from chest to knees when their lips parted. Jennifer trembled in his grasp and rested her forehead against his shoulder. Her warm breath tickled his throat.

Her own throat was close enough to nuzzle, and his lips throbbed in anticipation. He could already hear her squeals of delight as his teeth scraped lightly across her sensitive flesh. He held back. Much as he longed to lower her to the floor and slake his lust—her heavy breathing and the way she clung to him were proof she wouldn't object—he needed hers to be a conscious decision, a decision of the heart as well as the hormones.

Jennifer's hand disappeared beneath his jacket to trace a circular pattern into his chest. "Turn out the lights," she cooed.

He was tempted to obey, but his protective streak had already identified Jennifer's insecurities as a major threat. His next word was the single most difficult he'd ever spoken: "No."

Jennifer shook her head. She didn't understand.

"I want to see you," he insisted in a tone that was more petulant and pleading than suave and seductive as he'd intended.

"A few weeks in the gym, and I'll tone right up." She tugged the shirt out of his waistband. "Then you can see me."

Rodney held firm. "Now, Jennifer. Or...or this isn't happening."

"I'm offering myself to you."

"And I want you, all of you."

It was a gamble to be sure, one that each passing second had Rodney more and more convinced he'd lost. Jennifer slipped out of their embrace and retreated several paces. Chewing her lip, she fixed him with a searching gaze. He smiled in a manner he hoped was reassuring. Her gaze dropped, and he nearly cursed aloud.

[to be concluded]

This one probably should have been posted as a new story rather than a Hot Flash, but the title made yours truly blush a little too deeply. Thanks to RoryFaller for beta reading and pestering me to finish. Thanks also to DaniWilder for use of one of her patented cliffhangers.

Till next time, darlings,

Des