Harm's resolve didn't last long. At five am the next morning, he found himself lying awake next to Mac, aroused and unable to fall back asleep. After frustrated efforts to distract himself, he finally left their shelter, rousing Mac in the process. She noticed the empty spot next to her, and registered it's meaning through sleep-filled eyes. Groggily, Mac got up in search of her wandering partner, and found him standing in shallow waves, gazing at the pre-dawn horizon. She came up behind him and wrapped her hands around his waist. She felt Harm startle at the contact, while she leaned her head against his back.

"Hey."

"Hey to you," Harm said in a gravely voice, as if it was the most usual thing in the world to be up that early.

Mac moved her hands up his chest, familiarizing herself with his taut form. Harm reveled in her affectionate touch. He turned around and caught her up in a tight embrace. When he pulled back, in the dim light he saw the most amazing look on Mac's face. Her features were filled in anticipation and hope. A dam of held back longing broke loose inside of Harm, cascading upon his reservations, covering over his uncertainty. Harm knew they didn't need to wait any longer.

"Mac"

"Yes…"

"Isn't this technically the next day?" Harm asked in a promising tone.

Mac smiled and said, "I think you might be right."

Harm gave a cursory scan of the water. "You know, I don't see any cruise boats in the vicinity either," he pronounced with a growing smile.

"Nah, not a one," Mac affirmed, the humor evident at the corner of her eyes.

With a shared look of recognition, Harm took her hands in his and led her back to the dry sand. They stood facing each other, both marveling at the unparalleled intimacy, savoring the awareness of what they were about to embark on. Harm's face was beaming with love and desire. He reached out to caress her face. His hands trembled slightly from all of the pent up energy beneath his fingers. He felt a bit nervous. This would be his last first time. Mac's body was essentially unknown territory to him, and he hoped to he could bring her enough pleasure. He wanted to learn all of her hidden secrets, every curvature, every fantasy. He'd have to let instinct show him the way, but then, he was sure his Marine would let him know when he got it right.

Mac tentatively explored the feel of Harm's wide shoulders and torso, amazed that she was finally free to touch him in that way. She moved her hands underneath his t-shirt and skimmed the smooth ripples of his abdomen, feeling too shy to venture down further. She heard Harm's unrepressed groan, as if his body was aching for her caress. She sensed such a longing in him, and was suspended by the thrilling knowledge of how much he wanted her. She inhaled sharply at the gentle pressure of his lower body, teasing her for only a fleeting moment. Then Harm whispered seductively, "Breathe, Mac" and she let out the air she had been unconsciously holding inside, shaken by his insight. He had already thrown her off her axis.

Mac let her curious hands roam freely over Harm, sending him a jolt of desire from her touch. In response, Harm pressed against Mac more fully, letting her know how aroused he already was. Needing to know every inch of her, craving contact, Harm's hands wandered over Mac's body possessively. He was desperate to have Mac beneath him. Without warning, Harm pushed her down in the sand, kissing her senseless, taking what he wanted. He moved against her urgently, giving Mac a glimpse of the unrestrained force behind his sexual drive. All the while, Harm covered her hair and neck with zealous kisses. His teeth grazed her skin, and he bit her teasingly at the nape. Mac shuddered at the mix of pleasure and pain. Harm's fingers moved down to trace the outline of her figure.

Harm was lost, completely saturated by the intensity of their foreplay, out of control with love and lust. Like an avalanche, he could not stop the force of his freefall if he wanted to. The desperation for release was too fierce, built up through an epoch of abstinence. He felt potent and raw, his composure hanging by tattered threads. Mac, too, felt overwhelmed by the tremendous sexual chemistry between them. She had always known that their lovemaking would be passionate, but this….this was beyond anything she had imagined. Mac felt electrified by sensory awareness, and helplessly propelled with the desire to know Harm intimately. Their mutual crusade to pursue and uncover became a tug of war, a clash between strength and softness. They engaged in playful competition over who would be the focus of attention, and fought to take turns with giving and receiving pleasure. With the first morning light, Harm and Mac became a burning, entwined heap on the deserted beach.

If Harm had planned to make love to Mac slowly, if he had aspired to ease into their consummation, all that was shattered within the first moments of their encounter. He couldn't take her with tenderness and care; he was driven by a raging, compulsive need to be joined with her. He spiraled uncontrollably towards madness – to know all of her, to make her his. His heartbeat raced in his chest, and his breath came in erratic pants. In the midst of all of their passion, Mac looked at Harm's face, eyes closed and forehead furrowed in intense concentration, and commanded him in a sultry voice, "Don't forget to breathe." With a near painful sigh, he opened his eyes and smiled, covering her mouth with a searing kiss. Then he pulled back and said apologetically, "I don't think I'm going to be able to go slow."

Mac nearly laughed out loud at his confession…Take it slow, she thought, astoundingly! Who wants to go painstakingly slow after seven years? In answer, Mac pulled Harm down towards her and kissed him sensually on his neck. She could feel the masculine stubble brushing against her face. She flushed with excitement from the taste of Harm's skin.

They resumed their love making, and both became lost in the wonderful sensations. As Harm fought with their clothing, a momentary thought crossed his mind.

Just as a stab of precaution, appeasing his more rational side, Harm asked hoarsely, "Uh, Mac, tell me there was a condom in that first aid box, right?"

"No, there wasn't." Mac voice sounded swiftly concerned.

A rising anxiety began to build within Harm. "And you're not on the pill, are you?"

"Fraid not…" All their driving momentum crashed head long into a wall.

"Oh, God…" Harm leaned his forehead on Mac's in complete shock. "This can't be happening."

For reasons beyond his ability to fathom, Harm had never actually considered the issue of birth control. Not once had it come up in their discussions about sex. Yet, it went without saying that they couldn't have unprotected intercourse. They were nowhere near ready to have a child.

"Oh, Harm…no, no…Tell me there's some recourse…" Mac's voice faltered.

Harm sunk down a little on this arms that were holding him above Mac. He closed his eyes and felt his spirit nearly cave in under the weight of such heavy disappointment. It had to be some cruel cosmic joke. Was he destined for a life of celibacy? He wanted Mac so badly. His whole being was ready to make love to her at last. He just couldn't bear the notion of forfeiting that union. It was such a natural progression of their love for each other, a culmination of all of the years that they went without expressing their feelings. Now, being utterly vulnerable and exposed, Harm desperately longed for that completion with her.

He swallowed harshly, and stared back down into Mac's lovely face. Harm's body was still vibrating from the adrenalin of sexual excitement. With an infinitesimally small movement, Harm's hips crept closer to Mac. Harm's head dropped down, as he grappled with control over the mounting waves of pleasure. The temptation was profound, drawing him in…pulling him down to her. He didn't want to stop. In a rush of insanity, Harm decided he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mac….I can't wait…I just have to… know…" he whispered in impassioned breaths. Harm waited for her objection, but none came. Mercifully, she let him know that it was okay, and caressed the small of his back lovingly. His whole body pounded with the force of his desperation. "I'll stop before…" he justified to her, hoping he'd remember. They began making love, but true to Harm's promise, they didn't complete the act. They found other ways to pleasure each other. Afterward, they held one another close, and lingered in the bond between them. Despite the less than ideal circumstances, the happiness and resolution they felt at being that intimate was tremendous.

Harm reached out and caressed Mac's soft tresses, smiling in fascination at the woman beside him. He felt a shiver run across her shoulders and began to help Mac pull her clothing back on. Likewise, Harm attempted to put himself in order, and had to laugh at the absurdity of his half-dressed condition.

"This isn't quite how I had imagined our first time, Mac," he chuckled to himself.

"You've thought about us together…?" Mac smiled in return.

"Sure…plenty of times, but I never envisioned us like this…"

"You mean, half-naked and stranded on a deserted island…I kind of like that scenario." Mac laughed in amusement.

Harm finished the top snap of his jeans, and pulled Mac into his arms, soothing her flushed skin with tender fingers. "No, I mean, in such a heated rush…and then, you know…" He looked into her eyes and searched for her reaction.

"I'm glad we made love, and I don't care if it was wild and hasty. I'm just sorry you couldn't enjoy it more," Mac said sympathetically.

"Believe me, I did." Harm kissed her and traced her lips delicately. "I love you, Mac."

"I love you, too, Harm." They hugged and kissed for a while.

Finally, Harm spoke again, with a gleam in his eyes. "I warned you, ya' know. I told you I'd be all over you, and I was. Next time, it will be better, I promise."

"It was fantastic, Harm…" Mac said with a brilliant, knowing smile.

"Yes it was," he confirmed. "You know, you drove me to it anyway, spinning your web around me… leaving me perpetually aroused," he teased.

"Oh, so you're trying to pin this on me?" Mac laughed. "I'm not the one who lacks self-discipline…who couldn't wait, even though we didn't have a condom. Now, what are we going to do from here on out? "

Harm conceded her point with a thoughtful smile. "It sort of puts a damper on things, doesn't it? Being stuck in paradise with a gorgeous woman…in this case, the love of my life…without protection." Mac's heart swelled with his words, but also took in the seriousness of their problem.

"I guess we can just fool around, and enjoy each other in other ways…"

Harm expelled a strained sigh. "Yeah, we shouldn't take another risk like we just did. I must have been out of my mind! I've never done that before," he admitted. He continued to grapple with their options. "But honestly, I don't think I can resist you, Mac. Not now that we've crossed that threshold. You feel so good….It's futile to even consider trying to abstain from intercourse, don't you think? It's just not realistic, at this point."

"You're probably right. I mean, when we're faced with the same temptation, we'll just throw caution to the wind again. It's impossible to imagine not being with you now…since I know what it's like."

"I feel the same way," Harm smiled. "I guess we'll just have to be creative."

They watched the amber sunrise stream out above the sea, a celebration of life made just for them. They held each other close and continued to discuss how they were going to handle this aspect of their relationship. With their best plan laid out before them, Harm and Mac got up and went for a walk along the beach, talking and flirting easily, bound together by intimacy and open to any challenges they might face.