This was a friends idea, well, the dogtags only part. The rest of the idea
I got from a JAG story I read once that briefly mentions Harm buying this.
Enjoy. ;)
JAckie
Part 44 – Dogtags Only!
"Oh, thank you God!" I say, rather loudly when the taxi stops outside of Harm's apartment. I hand the cabby the fare, tipping him generously for the expeditious way he helped me arrive to my final destination. "Thank you." I take my luggage from the man and quickly head up to see Harm.
He doesn't know I'm arriving early, this was a surprise.
The last week and a half I've been in Italy, attempting to locate a client that decided to skip town. We did find her and the convening authorities pushed to have her tried aboard the Stennis which was anchored just off the coast of Venice. I sigh at the memory, wishing Harm could have joined me on the trip. I realize I've been turning into somewhat of a romantic sap, but, I don't think anyone could go to Venice and not have the cities charm beg for you to spend it with someone you love. The Bridge of Sighs, the Gondolas, ah well, maybe for our honeymoon?
In the evenings, from the hotel the Navy had set me up in, I'd used my laptop in order to keep in touch. The first conversations were short, he was too busy to talk and I was too exhausted to stay up. The tone, however, seemed to change dramatically as we each began more risqué methods of communication. In layman's term – we had cyber sex and lots of it.
At first, it was just plain silly, Harm seemed as nervous as a virgin on their first date and I was afraid that I would type something just a little too dirty for my prudish flyboy. For some reason, we'd never really had a problem with phone sex, then again, usually all that consisted of was a lot of moaning and groaning. Oh and panting. I found it amusing that we could get off that way, with very little visuals and just a lot of. . .well, panting. Anyway, cyber sex, was a bit more detailed and nothing short of reading some smutty novel where the hero was the hunky Lord of the Sheets.
It was more about mental imagines and exciting yourself which, in turn, excited your partner. And damnit, I was turned on like no body's business and had such an urge to get home and do the things we'd talked about. Of course now, after changing flights three times all I want is a nice, comfy bed with a nice, warm Harm laying next to me.
The ride in the elevator seems longer, maybe it was just my tired mind conjuring up images that would make a two star blush. Hey, I can't help it! The man is gorgeous. And mine, ALL mine!
Using my key, I unlock the one hundred and one locks Harm has installed since us becoming involved and step in to hear the shower running. "Mmmm." All ideas of going to sleep seep out of my head as I imagine one Naval Aviator slash Lawyer clothed in nothing but water drops and soap suds. Damn, I must say, the imagery is quite tempting. Quietly, I close the door behind me, lock all of the locks and place my duffle right by the door. I make quick work of my blouse, slipping it on the back of one of the dinning room chairs.
Taking three steps, I walk into the bedroom only to find his bed a total mess. Odd and definitely not a Harm kinda thing. But, that's when I spot it, the laptop on table that's on the side where I normally sleep. Makes sense, we did speak sometime. . .last night? And it was a umm. . .heh, well. . .non-G rate conversation. If the mess of the bed and the box of tissues on the side table say anything, Harm was just as excited as I was.
I pull my pants down to my hips and sit on the bed as I push them down the rest of the way and then work on my socks. Standing, I consider removing my undies when I hear the water stop completely. "Damn." I curse under my breath.
Actually, this could be a good thing. He doesn't know I am here and I would be hard pressed to find a straight male that wouldn't like a half naked woman in his bed. "Ah, what the hell?" I remove the last two scraps of clothing and slide onto the bed. Forget this half naked woman crap, commando is the word.
I lay on my side, propping my head up with my hand and wait for Harm to step in. Something hard is under me and it's not the laptop, which is still on the table. Whatever the hell is under me is poking my right hip, around the bone area. "What in the hell?" My decision to reach behind and grab the offending object falls short when I see a half naked Commander stepping into my sight.
Harm's wrapped up in a big, fluffy, burgundy towel that I gave him in hopes to put a little Marine into the place. He doesn't see me at first, scrubbing his hair dry with a smaller navy blue towel is obscuring his vision and then that towel sudden falls to the floor, I then realize he's finally noticed me. "Nice dogtags." He recovers nicely adding a flirty, mischievous grin.
"Surprised?" I ask coyly.
His eyes drink me up from head to dogtags to toes. "Pleasantly so."
While Harm is standing there in his red towel, blue one on the floor, ogling me is starting to make me a little restless. "So, you going to come say 'hello?'"
"Uh huh, just admiring the view for a moment. I'm a man, I need the visuals." Yup and there goes that cocky, self assured, egomaniacal flyboy. I swear, that ego is so handed over with the wings. Slowly, he stalks his way over to me. And yes, he's stalking, trust me! It's this whole predatorily, jungle cat type of movement that is, oh, so sexy.
He lays next to me and I lick my lips in anticipation. "I missed you." He draws out in this husky, bedroom voice that probably just melted a polar icecap somewhere. Then our lips meet in a slow, deep, passionate kiss that takes the breath away from me.
"Woah, sailor." I say a little drunkenly as my arms wrap around him. Harm pins me down on the mattress and as he moves above me the only thing I feel is pain. "Oww!" I cry out, feeling the aforementioned object that was poking me decided, at this particular moment, to stab me.
"I'm sorry!" Harm, true to form, is off of me in a heartbeat. The poor guy is even sitting up. "Mac, I didn't hurt you did I?" He's eyeing me suspiciously, looking for possible sings of my discomfort.
Reaching under me, I pull out the offending object and stare at it with mild amusement. No. No way in hell. Holding up the item, I give Harm a questioning glare which he is just not meeting. "What is this doing here?"
"What? Oh, that." He looks over the item and then takes it from me only to shove it into the night table on his side of the bed. "It's nothing." I really can't believe that's all he's going to say about. . .THAT. It may not be the oddest thing I've ever seen but, it sure as hell is the oddest thing I've ever seen in Harm's apartment.
Reaching for the covers, I drape them over me and then sit up, using the wall as a support. "That's not 'nothing', Rabb." The use of his last name makes him cringe. Good! I want answers!
Nervously, Harm shifts on the bed, sliding himself, effectively to the other side. "Maaaaac, don't make it into something it isn't, okay."
I fold my arms over my chest and continue to glare. "Well, how did it get here?"
"I bought it."
HE BOUGHT IT! You know, for a moment, I was going to say that it belonged to me, but, I have all of my items cataloged in my head. I know I've never brought that here. "You actually walked into a shop and bought it?"
"Yup."
"That's. Just. Weird." I punctuate, my head still trying to wrap around the notion of Harm. . .no, it's just weird.
Harm's trying to shrug it off as something normal. "Nothing weird about it, Mac. . .People do it every day."
Oh, yes, I am sure macho jet jocks like Harm are at the Romance section of the local bookstore everyday. "Harm, Harlequin?" And it isn't just romance either. I mean, Harlequin is famous for their racier selection which is exactly what he got.
"I was researching for you, okay! There, happy?" Woah, he's angry now. How did that happen? Harm's turned away, sitting at the edge of the bed toying with his Naval Academy ring as I try to grasp his reasoning.
"For me?"
Harm reaches inside of the drawer and takes the book back out. "Yeah, I mean, the first couple of times we did that cyber thing. . .or tried." He adds with a grunt, "It was, fun. . .but, you know." Trailing off, he turns and brakes out that award winning (okay, fine! So it hasn't won any awards, but it should!) grin. Harm's hand finds my leg under the covers and his fingers start to delicately move over my skin. Damn him! This is so a stall tactic. Damn me for letting it affect me the way it does. I need to face it, my body betrays me every time he's around. Hah! As if I mind.
I clear my throat in hopes of getting some semblance of control back and then slide my hand under the covers to remove his hand from my thigh. "It was fun but?"
He sighs again, knowing he's been had. "Look, I just wanted to 'spice it up.'" The last part is said with quotation fingers followed by a heavy shrug. "Before you say anything, You gotta admit: it worked." That shit eating grin is on his face now and, I can't argue with him there, it certainly did work. "By the way, how do you know what Harlequin is?" He stares at me guilty and that damned grin isn't going away. "Has my little Marine grown tired of Tom Clancy and Nelson Demill?" He questions in the same tone of voice one would use to speak to a little child. "Hmmm, I'll bet you've always read these." He says, waving the book in front of my face.
Annoyed, I reach for and then smack him gently over the head with said book. "In case you haven't noticed, I am a woman, Harm."
"Oh, baby, don't I know it." Seductively, his fingers start to trace my clavicle.
I am not saying that every woman has read Harlequin, but, "I'm a very passionate woman at that."
"No argument here." His mouth replaces his fingers and I feel his tongue slip out over the pulse point at my neck.
"And although the books are not the best example of Prose or literary epical genius. Some of the historical romance novels are excellent." I say in my best matter of fact tone.
Harm is staring at me as if I've grown two heads. "Historical Romance?" By that face he's making – scrunched up nose and one eye brow quirking it's way upward, a cringe is coming on. "Like, medieval times and stuff?"
"Medieval times, Renaissance. They are very descriptive about the time, the place. Although, I've read that they are never really historical adequate enough." I shrug. As if a person buying Harlequin is actually looking for accuracy? I never understood all of the complaining, if you buy that stuff it's for one reason only, the smut.
I can tell Harm's still trying to wrap his head around the specifics, but then accepts defeat. "This one is about a CIA pilot who saves a female Marine who's running away from a rogue CIA agent."
The expectant look on his face is simply adorable and I don't ignore the tidbit about the storyline either. "Ah, so it's about us?"
"No, but, in my mind it was. Except that David, the pilot, a dark skinned, Cuban-American and Cathy, the Marine, is blond haired with blue eyes."
I cringe at the thought, mentally picturing myself with blond hair. Eww. Anyway, "So, did you find anything interesting to write about?"
Harm moves closer to me and one of his hands starts to gently tug away the covers off of my body. "Nope, but it did give me an idea of the kinda stuff you girls like to read and hear."
Chuckling, I lean into his kiss. If men really knew the half of it, they would run away, blushing. To believe that they are more dirty minded than women, please! I can give the man a run for his money. "And what kinda stuff do you think I would like?" I say breathlessly onto his shoulder as I kiss across towards the crease of his neck.
Harm clears his throat and lets out a deep, relaxed breath. Damn, I love coming home to him, it's the single best event of all of my days. "Well. . .Let's see – Harm's strong, muscular arms wrap sensuously around Sarah's waist. With a tug, their bodies are close together, touching in all of the right. .plmmmm." I feel the ripple from his chuckle as my lips take his own stopping any of the other ideas the book has given him.
Breaking the kiss, I look into his eyes and grin. "One thing about books, flyboy, it's just pretend. I much rather have the real thing."
"I would agree with you there, Marine." He kisses me again, grinning devilishly as he backs off slightly and looks me over again. "Wearing dogtags only. . .Mmm. Would be a good name for a Romance novel, dontcha think? 'Dogtags Only'?"
My ability to think of a witty rebuttal goes out the window when, said dog tags join his wet, blue towel, on the floor.