Chapter Three

The score was tied, and Jack was in position behind Sam, ready to serve the ball. Those who were not playing had gathered around the pools' perimeter to watch, chanting and shouting support for their chosen team.

Jack tossed the ball in the air and let his fist fly, knocking the ball just barely over the net. He had hoped that poor little Patty would miss the ball and it would hit the water, but his hopes were dashed when Bill Davis swooped in behind Pat and slapped the ball with both hands, sending it smashing back over the net toward Sam.

Sam saw the ball begin to come at her, and then she felt a large body crash down on top of hers, as Jack jumped into her and swatted the ball back to the other side of the net. It landed with a resounding plop in between Siler and Diana, thus giving the win to Jack's team.

Jack had tried to break his fall, but there was no way he could prevent himself from landing on top of Sam. They both went under, and Jack's arms came around her and pulled her to him in a tight embrace, one of his hands sliding over her left breast before coming to rest on her stomach. She could feel his hard body pressed to her back, his thighs brushing her butt as his legs kicked furiously to bring them to the surface.

They came up together, gasping for air. Jack let go of her and turned to shake Daniel's outstretched hand. Then he turned back to Sam, swiping his hair back with one hand before reaching out to gently touch her shoulder.

"Phew! Are you okay?"

Sam was breathing hard and trying to compose herself, as the rest of the team congratulated each other to the sound of cheers...and a few boos...from the crowd.

"Okay," he asked her again, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah. Okay. But why did you do that," she asked him.

"What?"

"It was my play. Why did you hit the ball?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted it to be over...so we could eat. I'm hungry," he told her, wondering why he was having to explain himself for winning the game.

"I could have scored," she told him, and she turned her back on him and swam to the stairs.

Jack just stayed there for a minute, genuinely surprised that she was hurt by what he'd done. Most girls he'd known would have been worried about breaking a nail or something equally as silly, and would have been thankful he had stepped in. He certainly had never intended to upset her, and now she was obviously mad at him.

'Well, this is sure an odd turn of events,' he told himself, watching as she walked across the deck toward the house.

"Okay, who's gonna burn the meat," Janet shouted as she turned on the gas grill. When no one offered to cook, she turned to Jack who was just climbing out of the pool.

"Jack, how about you doing the honors?" He looked up just in time to see Sam going into the house.

"I don't know, Jan. I don't think I wanna trust my ten dollar porterhouse to Jack," Daniel said snidely, and Janet elbowed him in the ribs.

"Okay, smart ass! Then how about you doing the grilling," she asked him, and he ducked his head and moved away.

"I'll do it," Jack said, "but give me a minute to pee first." He walked off toward the house, hoping to talk to Sam privately.

"Ewwww! Too much information, O'Neill," Kawalski remarked, and Amy slapped his arm. "What? You don't like it when I use the 'p' word in public places, so why can he?"

"Because he's a god damned national hero, you idiot," she shouted back at him with sincerity, and everyone laughed. She had become the 'dumb blonde' of the entire base because of her unusual way of looking at things, and today she was certainly in fine form.

Inside the house Sam was in Janet's master bathroom getting ready to leave. Her sudden anger at Jack had surprised even her, and for some reason she couldn't let it go. And now all she wanted to do was get away from him.

'He's not getting one more feel of me today,' she said with conviction, remembering how his hands had come in contact with her breasts on more than one occasion. She was sure it hadn't been accidental, and suddenly she remembered that Janet had started to say something to her about Jack. Was it about his wandering hands?

Sam had just removed her bathing suit top when she heard a light tapping on the door.

"Yes?"

"Sam, it's me," Jack said quietly, his face against the door. He really wanted to apologize, and he was afraid she was going to leave before he got a chance. For some reason this young woman had made an impression on him. She was everything the women he usually dated were not: intelligent, kind, sincere, and proud. And Jack wanted to get to know her better.

"I'm changing. I won't be finished for a few minutes. There's another bathroom, you know."

She reached into her purse and pulled out her brush, smoothing it through her long, straight hair, which she had freed from its elastic band.

"Sam, I want to talk to you," he said, and Sam's hands stilled. She couldn't decide what to do. Should she refuse or open the door and talk to him?

"Sam, please! I want to apologize," he said, and she slowly pulled on her T-shirt, looking at her reflection in the mirror. 'Watch yourself around this guy, Sam,' she warned herself silently, but a big part of her wasn't listening.

Sam opened the door and Jack almost fell through the doorway. He quickly recovered his balance and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. Sam heard the lock click and she gulped, suddenly feeling crowded and vulnerable.

Jack looked down at her breasts, the perky pink nipples showing through the thin white T-shirt, and then he stared straight into her big, blue eyes. He wanted her more than he had wanted any woman in a long, long time...maybe ever.

She wasn't just some woman he could pick up in a bar just to pass the time with, or to impress with his medals. He could tell she had high standards and a sense of self-worth that none of those women possessed, and it made him want her even more.

"Sam," he spoke softly, brushing his nose over her cheeks and lips...his hot breath on her face. "I want you. You're driving me crazy! Tell me you want me too. Please," he begged.

Nothing like this had ever happened to her before! This incredibly sexy, older man wanted her, and right now she didn't want to do anything but feel all that he had to offer.

For a brainiac like Sam Carter, this was a monumental occasion; thinking had just become very over-rated.

"Yes," was all she could manage, but Jack understood her loud and clear.

He slowly lowered his head to hers, his thin lips lightly brushing the surface of her fuller ones. She responded by placing a hand at the back of his neck and one on his shoulder, pulling him down for another kiss. They came apart and looked at one another again, his eyes almost black with lust.

In an instant his hands grabbed her by the biceps and he turned them around, his body pinning hers to the bathroom door. Jack's pelvis ground against hers as their lips came crashing together again, this time in a searing kiss.

At first she had been so startled that she hadn't opened her mouth, but then she relaxed and let him in, wanting to see what he could do with his tongue...wondering if it was anything like what he'd do to her down there, should she ever take that chance.

Sam's hands were both at the back of his head now, her fingers exploring his cropped, silvered hair. She loved the soft feel of it...the silky texture surprising her and making her want to smell it, rub her face in it, maybe even rub her breasts in it.

So strong was her desire to do these things that she literally pulled on his head, finally pressing down on his shoulder with an impatient hand, until he understood that she wanted him to lower his head. Apparently other women had asked to do the same thing.

He bowed his head and Sam smelled his hair and rubbed her face in it, feeling the soft, fine hairs tickle her nose. She reached down and pulled frantically at the hem of her T-shirt. Jack helped her pull it up over her head, and then she was finally able to clutch his head to her chest and rub her nipples through his hair, moaning her enjoyment, as Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and held on tight.

Slowly he dropped to the floor in front of her, his lips leaving a trail of wet, sloppy kisses across her breasts, over her ribcage and down to the top of her bikini bottom, his head still clutched firmly between her two delicate hands. Jack hooked his thumbs in her suit, before looking up at Sam's face to make sure she wanted him to remove it.

"Take it off," she hissed, delirious with excitement. She leaned her head back against the door and closed her eyes, luxuriating in the intense feelings he aroused in her. He was like an addictive drug, and Sam was the junkie!

God! She knew this was wrong, but for some reason she just couldn't resist him! Jack pulled the tiny scrap of pink nylon down, watching as inch by inch of her creamy, smooth flesh was revealed to him. His eyes focused for a split second on her pubic hair, pleased to see that it was as blonde as the hair on her head.

She held onto his shoulders with both hands and stepped out of her suit. Jack tossed it behind him and remained on his knees, his hands moving up her thighs to cup her round little ass as he brought his face closer to the apex of her thighs.

Sam held her breath as she felt the first gentle touch of his nose as it skimmed across her damp curls. He nuzzled her lips apart and then began to lick them, his long, pointed tongue delving in between her labia to slurp up the fluids that had gathered there. Sam gasped and moved her feet apart, wishing he would shove his tongue as far inside her as possible...only she was too shy to say the words.

So instead she pressed her hand on his head, urging him closer to her, and Jack responded by lifting her leg over his shoulder, opening her up to him for a full frontal assault. Then he inserted his tongue as deeply as he could into her vagina and twirled it around, tasting her sweet, hot flesh. Sam let out a little scream, and Jack pulled back and looked up at her.

"Shhhh! Quiet, honey," he warned her.

Sam tried to control herself, but she sensed that this man could make her scream like she'd never screamed before.

"Sorry," she panted, and Jack went back to what he had been doing...fucking her with his tongue. And very soon she felt the urge to scream again, but she denied it, pulling on his hair instead.

"What," he asked, thinking she wanted him to stop...that maybe he was hurting her.

"No! Don't stop," she hissed.

Suddenly they both heard the sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door.

Jack jumped up and put a finger to his mouth, indicating that she should be quiet.

"What d'ya want?"

"Jack, are you okay in there?" Dammit, it was Janet!

"Yes, fine! Why?"

"Why? We're all waiting for you to grill the meat, Jack."

Jesus, he had totally forgotten about the damned meat!

"Start without me. I've got a little upset stomach," he said, hoping she'd go away.

"Okay, I'll get it started. Oh, if you need anything, there's a bottle of Pepto Bismal and some Immodium in the medicine cabinet. Oh, have you seen Sam?" she asked, and Sam went white.

"No! I think she left," he lied, shrugging his shoulders when Sam looked at him.

While Jack had been talking to Janet, Sam had grabbed her T-shirt and shorts and slipped them on, preparing to make a hasty get-away.

Jack watched her, thinking that it was probably wise if they continued this some other time anyway. But he had a bad feeling that there wouldn't be another time.

"Are you still going to leave the party," he asked her in a whisper, and she nodded, throwing her hair brush into her purse. Then she wadded her suit up and wrapped it in her towel, before pulling out her car keys.

"Yes! I don't think I should stay. This was a mistake, Jack. Believe me, I've never done anything like this before! And I don't know why..."

She just shook her head and opened the bathroom door, before cautiously walking down the hallway and to the front door. Jack followed her closely, needing to tell her how sorry he was for every stupid thing he had done that day...and the list certainly was a long one!

"Sam, I'm sorry for everything. Really! I would like a chance to get to know you better. I'll behave. We can go slow. I promise!"

She stopped at the door and looked back at him with sad eyes, before giving him a reply that left him feeling bereft and disappointed.

"I don't think I'm your type, Jack. Good-bye."

TBC