Harm and Mac's wedding night... This chapter has been writen, deleted and redone a few times. I think I'm happy with it now...maybe?

Chapter 22

An exchange of simple vows and rings to show fidelity. A kiss that lingered far longer than it should. A dance to an instrumental version of "Endless Love" and then they took their first steps as husband and wife.

Not much longer Harm whisked Mac away to the top floor where the honeymoon suite was located.

Under protest, laughs and giggles, he carried her over the threshold, a tradition Harm refused to ignore despite arguments from his annoyed bride.

When he set Mac on her feet, her arms looped around his neck and she pulled him down for a series of steamy kisses. "Help me out of this dress."

"No. Not yet." There were more important things, another box to check in the endless list of fantasies involving Sarah MacKenzie.

The room had a seating area adjacent to the balcony, a sofa and large chair with a coffee table in the middle and a small bar in the corner. He took Mac's hand and led her towards the chair where he had her sit. "What are you doing?"

Harm dropped to one knee, his hand hovered at the hem of her dress as he stared mischievously at his new bride. "May I?" Off Mac's confused look, his fingers lightly grazed her calve and slid just a hair upwards. "Your garter."

"Oh, my garter, hmm? How'd you know I'm wearing one?" She tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably when his hand inched up to the back of her knee.

"You wouldn't deprive a man of such tradition would you?"

"I don't know." She cocked her head to the side and shrugged. "In my opinion it's a little antiquated and very silly. I didn't wear anything borrowed or blue." Mac trapped his hand between her knees and laughed when he couldn't easily snatch it back. "But you can check if you want." She raised her skirt just to the bottom of her knee and watched his eyes darken as his hand was released.

Mac leaned to one side as his hand resumed its Northern trajectory that ended when his fingers touched the lower half of the lacy elastic wrapped around her thigh. His eyes had the color of a stormed tossed sea and the grin Harm sported made her heart race. She raised the skirt even higher to give him a better look at the prize he'd won. "Do you like it?"

The garter had a tiny, light blue bow and the lace was "borrowed" from the same material used to make her dress. It was placed much higher than traditionally worn and when Harm's fingers slid under the fabric, Mac's breath caught.

She was happy this wasn't a normal wedding with silly traditions like removing the garter - with teeth- for show. The intimacy of it was only shared between the two of them where she could fully enjoy his teasing touch without cat calls from an over enthused crowd.

"It's pretty." Harm commented, his eyes trading glances between Mac's thigh and her eyes. "And you look…so beautiful, stunning.. I mean, you've always been beautiful but-" There weren't adequate words to describe how ravishing she was that evening.

"You look pretty handsome yourself. Sexy as hell. I didn't miss the dress whites or any of your uniforms." The all black suit was tailored impeccably so that it showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist. Stripes in off white gave a pop of color to the tie along with the white rose on his lapel.

"Aren't my dress whites overrated?"

"Not on you."

Her voice was heartbreakingly sweet and he thanked whatever God or deity had finally put them on the right path. "I love you, Sarah. I really, really love you."

"Then show me how much. Help me out of this dress."

His fingers curled around the elastic and with utmost care, he tugged the garter down her slender leg, past the strappy, silver heels Mac wore. He held up her leg and pressed a kiss on the inside of her ankle just above the strap. "Leave these on."

"I had a hunch you'd like them."

"No, I love them. Please leave them on."

He enjoyed anything that made her already incredible legs look sexier. As Harm stood, he brought Mac up with him, smiling when her arms looped around him. He began untying the straps that criss-crossed her back, releasing each one while he kissed her neck, her lips and even the tip of her nose. He found and lowered the zipper at Mac's backside, loosening the material so that with one gentle pull, the straps at her shoulders gave way.

He'd undressed her before and become quite proficient in removing every last stitch of Mac's clothing. But removing her wedding dress was like unwrapping the most precious gift he'd ever received.

The garment slid off her body, pooling in a lacy puddle at her feet. It was mesmerizing the way she delicately stepped away from the dress giving Harm a chance to admire the way she looked in a high cut lace panty and a bra set that barely contained Mac's ample breasts. "You're incredible."

"And you're overdressed." To make her point she slipped her hands under the jacket and used her fingers to push the heavy fabric off his shoulders. Next went his vest and tie that joined the growing pile at their feet. She took great care with the buttons of his shirt, letting her knuckle graze his chest on purpose. It was a soft touch that didn't linger and yet her teasing had Harm breathing hard. "You enjoy teasing me."

"Yeah, I do." Mac was deliberately slow until Harm's frustrated growl had him yanking the dress shirt off. "Patience, Captain." She teased and when the zipper of his pants pulled free, the sound held an erotic vibration which moistened her center.

It was easy to admire her husband who wore form fitting, black boxer briefs, a choice of undergarment she found he used when not wearing a uniform. And damn if he wasn't the sexiest man on Earth - not the stick boy she'd teased years ago. Harm had filled out his frame bulkier with lean muscles that made her treasure his body.

"You're beautiful." Her hand pressed against his chest and followed the thin trail of hair that disappeared at the waist of his boxers. "I love you, sailor. I've loved you for such a long time."

Her arms opened for him and when his body touched hers it stoked the fire burning between them. Harm kissed her shoulder, her neck finally pressing his lips against hers in a kiss that left Mac breathless.

Deft fingers found the clasp of her bra which was removed with a simple flick of the wrist. It too fell to the floor and her naked breasts pressed against his chest when he kissed her again. His dark head dropped to Mac's chest and Harm's greedy mouth found one taut nipple that he lavished with attention.

Each pull from his lips and lick from his tongue sent warming vibrations spreading down Mac's tummy to build the pressure between her thighs. She held his head still, urged his ministrations as her fingers ran through his dark locks.

Mews and sighs urged him to continue and tease her other breast which Harm let go of with an audible pop. And then Mac was unexpectedly raised into his arms. He kissed her as they moved across the lavish bedroom where she was placed in the center of a four poster king sized bed.

Harm was sure she'd never been so beautiful, partially naked with only a scrap of lace covering her sex. She came up to her elbows to watch him and Mac's proud breasts heaved with every breath she took.

It was arousing to see him looking, his eyes so intently focused as if seeing her for the first time. She felt beautiful under his gaze and the wanton part of her sparked to life when her eyes traveled down his body to his growing manhood still trapped in his boxers.

"Make love to me." Mac demanded because the thought of waiting any longer to consummate their marriage made her heart ache. "No foreplay."

Harm almost protested, he started to but his body was craving hers so badly that his hands shook when he hooked his fingers on the elastic of her panties. Finally, he slipped his boxers off. Harm's heart galloped so hard he was sure she could hear it. He took a shaky breath and crawled his way into her waiting arms. "I love you."

"Then show me how much." She reached for him, her palm stroking his length, aligning him with her center. Mac always believed that whole "feels like the first time" was a silly cliche but this union felt new…different. A lifetime of wanting him to be more than her friend finally met the correct resolution.

She clung to him as he moved. Kissed him and nipped his jaw. She came hard almost instantly and felt wave after wave of pleasure building inside her. Harm was not anything if not a consummate lover. He was slow at first until the tremors from her body made him seek release.

Mac's legs wrapped around his waist, her heels digging into his backside. Fingernails ran up and down his flank and desperate control snapped at once. He couldn't be slow or gentle any longer, it would kill him to do so when the sweetness of her was gripping him passionately.

Harm pulled back once to look in her eyes, she never looked as beautiful as when he was inside her. Mac's face was flushed, her eyes stared at him in wonder and an ego that didn't need more inflating practically burst at the sight of her. "So beautiful." And she was his now, really his - the wedding band gleaming on her finger would make sure of it.

His strokes grew faster, her body tensed. shuddered and tightened its hold on him. Harm closed his eyes when the pulsating pressure grew in waves and her moans became staccatoed and louder. He arched his back, lowered his head to her shoulder and frantically pushed in and out of Mac.

Their connection was blissful and dizzying; bodies moving in time reaching the edge and falling over and over until one final thrust had Harm spilling himself into her.

"I didn't want to get married."

Mac was half asleep when his comment had her eyes snapping open. Her husband lay on his side, their faces just a couple of inches away which made it easy for him to kiss her.

"I figured, the old adage held true - if the Navy wanted me to have a wife they'd issue me one." His hand slowly moved up and down her back, his lips met hers again and he sighed happily. He couldn't stop touching or kissing her. Mac's body was as addicting as the strongest drug that he'd never get enough of. "I guess they did… You came into my life at Mach 10, Mac. I wasn't prepared for someone like you."

She sighed as he kissed her again. "Yeah, I wasn't looking to fall in love either. After John, the whole 'pen in company ink' thing, I was trying like hell to stay away from men and then you showed up… I wasn't prepared for you either."

"I wish we would have had this earlier."

One time she did too, the time lost couldn't be given back and Mac would always live with a pang of regret. "It wasn't our time. I think we needed that break to remind us what we were missing and damn did I miss you."

"I'm glad this happened. It's not ideal, the thing with Vukovic but I would do it again."

"Don't mention him, not until we get home. I don't want that man to ruin this." He'd likely ruin things enough when it was disclosed that they were suddenly married. "So, Annie, Diane…you never thought about marriage?"

Harm shrugged, "I wanted to see what the future held for me and Di but, we'd have to figure out how to work as a couple and both of us were terrible at that." His relationship with Diane was closer to a "friends with benefits" kind of thing that could have turned serious if either of them really wanted to. "Looking back, we wouldn't have lasted."

"And Annie? You'd get this look like you were so smitten."

"I was - with the young girl from Pensacola that married my best friend. I'm not sure if I just never noticed how neurotic she was or if I was chasing a dream. I don't think Luke dying turned her the way she is either…If I married her it would have been to save Josh." And would have divorced soonly after, he knew.

"Why'd you marry Chris?"

Mac often wondered that herself, "He asked and I was so desperate to leave home that it made sense. We weren't sober, it was a shotgun wedding but he was good to me - bought me a pretty dress, he even wore a suit that was a size too big. He was the first boy I was with, made sure it felt good for me, took care of me."

If he hadn't a penchant for breaking the law, it was possible they might have still been together. "He just couldn't stay out of jail long enough and after the crash with Eddie, I was faced with a tough decision - continue as I was and likely die or join the Corps."

"I'm glad you chose the Corps, we wouldn't have met otherwise."

She pressed a hand against his cheek and gently kissed his lips. "Mmm, I don't know. I have a feeling we would met somehow, somewhere - I'd've fallen head over heels for you."

Harm toyed with his wedding ring, twisting it on his finger. "Would you've been happy with Mic? I wanted you to be happy but I didn't. I know that makes me sound like an asshole."

"I don't know. I was settling, trying to find what was missing in my life. I think we might have had a couple of kids and eventually divorced." She rolled her eyes at how content that made him look. "Don't look so smug about it."

"I could have stopped it. I should have told you that I loved you and stopped all of it."

"And run away with me?" Lord how she wished for that night on the Admiral's porch, to be whisked away like some fairytale. One kiss was all it took to turn her World upside down. "Aren't there better things to talk about than our exes?"

"You're right…there are better things to talk about-"

"And there are things that don't require words." Mac loved the way his eyes closed the second her hand wrapped around his length. "I want you."

With a gentle push Harm rolled on his back, pulling Mac with him so that she straddled his torso. "No foreplay." He groaned when her slick folds teased him, gliding over his length without taking him inside. She actually laughed the moment his hands gripped her hips and slowed her movement. "You set the rules and I'm abiding by them. No foreplay."

Even as he spoke, a hand slipped between them, fingers finding her curls. She threw her head back to enjoy each delicious sensation until her need grew so much it was impossible to resist. Mac sheathed him a moment later, sighing happily once the hardness of him filled her.