HBX Challenge January 06
Title: Sleep’s Good...but other things are better

Author: Hollyjp

Disclaimers: JAG and its characters are the property of Donald P. Bellisario and Paramount Studios.

Challenge Dialogue From: Webb of Lies.

The loft apartment was so cold. Mac couldn’t seem to get warm. Somewhere she knew that the actual temperature wasn’t as severe as it seemed because the real chill was inside her. The more she learned about Clark Palmer and what lengths he would go to in order to destroy Harm the colder she felt. Harm was being cool about the whole situation and she knew he thought it a bit strange that she was so insistent on staying with him tonight under the pretense of protecting him so he could sleep.

Mac moved to stand by the window partly to watch the activities in the darkened street below and partly to catch any heat as it came out of the vent in the event the furnace actually kicked on. Mac didn’t see the bucket on the floor near the window, and when she stepped closer, she hit it with her foot. Trying to quiet the vibrations from it before the clatter woke Harm, she knocked into it a second time.

“Mac? You okay?” Harm called from the bedroom.

“Yeah...sorry...go back to sleep.”

“Okay.”

“Harm, is it always this cold in here?” Mac asked.

“You want me to turn up the heat?”

“A little heat would be good,” Mac admitted figuring as long as she had woken him anyway it didn’t matter too much. She turned them to watch him stroll down the steps from his bedroom and go to the thermostat to turn up the heat dressed in only his light blue boxers. “Oh my,” Mac thought. “This isn’t what I expected when he offered to turn up the heat.”

Refraining from fanning herself she faced away from him, and thought about what would happen if Clark Palmer got to him. Mac was lost in thought and didn’t seem him approach until his hand cupped her cheek to brush the tears away.

His deep voice, so velvety soft in the dark haven of his apartment rumbled in that picture perfect chest, that she now couldn’t take her eyes off of. “I appreciate your concern for my safety, but don't you think you'd be better off going home and getting a good night's sleep?” asked Harm.

“ I wouldn't be able to sleep if I was home. I seldom do.”

“What do you mean Mac? Why don’t you sleep?”

“There’s always something on my mind I guess that keeps me from relaxing.”

Harm’s large hand reached out then and cupped her shoulder letting his fingers test the muscles in her collarbone and neck. “You are tight...what’s going on Mac. Do I make you nervous?”

“No.”

“Are you really that worried about Clark Palmer getting to me?”

“Not if I stand guard.” Mac quietly but firmly told him.

“Turn around here...you need a neck rub...no wonder you’re not sleeping,” Harm murmured as his hands went to work warning and then soothing her muscles. “Mac, you need to relax...is that any better?” he asked after working on her neck for four or five minutes.

“Mmmm,” was the only response from Mac. Harm felt her sway backwards toward him and instinctively caught her upper arms and eased her back against his naked chest. Her hair, so silky soft, tickled his face as he lowered it to inhale her scent, her essence.

God, she was so beautiful, so warm in his arms, leaning against him. Harm began to think he wasn’t very wise to be this close to her wearing nothing but his boxers. He could feel his body’s reaction to her close proximity and tried desperately to put those thoughts out of his mind. He was fighting for control, only not of a 40 million dollar aircraft this time, but of his body and his wayward thoughts. Slowly Harm became aware of Mac’s weight increasing against him.

“Mac?” he waited and no response. “Mac?” he called a second time, just before her head lolled, and tipped back against his shoulder. With his hand he guided her chin so he could look down into her face. “So much for not sleeping...” he whispered against her forehead with a gentle smile. “Let’s get some sleep...both of us this time.” Harm scooped Mac up in his arms and returned up the stairs to his bedroom. Carefully he placed her on the nearest side of the bed. He pulled the covers that he had rolled back when he got out of bed over her, tucking her in with infinite care. He brushed the hair from her forehead as she snuggled under the covers. Smiling he walked around the bed and slipped in on the other side. He turned so he could see her in the dim light.

“I’ve waited for a long time to see you here in my bed with me. I hope this isn’t the first and last time, Mac....because neither of us is in shape to do much about it tonight.” He watched mesmerized as Mac, rolled closer to him, seeming to seek out his shoulder for her head as she slept. He wrapped his arm around her, dropped another kiss on her brow just before sleep reclaimed him.
Mac slowly woke up aware first of all of feeling warm and cozy, and then second of all feeling more refreshed then she had in a long, long time. She knew she was in Harm’s apartment, but she didn’t remember his apartment being this warm or the couch this comfortable. As she started to move, she realized that there was a large arm across her. Her eyes opened wide as she focused on the hand and arm draped across her body. She slowly turned her head and carefully rolled over until she was looking directly into the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen...Harm’s.

“Morning Mac...sleep well?” Harm asked with a gentle smile.

“I can’t believe I slept at all...how did I get in here?” Mac asked.

“You kind of fell asleep after I rubbed your neck, so I carried you,” Harm admitted.

“You carried me?”

“Yes.”

“Not bad enough that I was suppose to be protecting you, but you end up putting me to sleep and carrying me to bed!”

“Don’t sweat it Mac...you don’t weight much...and it felt good to have you here.”

“It did?”

“Yes.”

“And you were a gentleman, too, weren’t you?” Mac asked, tongue in cheek.

“As best I could. You want to use the shower first?”

“Not really...I’m too comfortable to move.”

“I know what you mean. I’ll shower while you snooze a little longer. Then I’ll make breakfast while you shower...you did tell me once that you expected the men you spent the night with to provide you with breakfast, right?”

“Yes...I can’t believe you remembered that,” Mac blushed.

“That and so much more...Go back to sleep. I’ll call you when its your turn.”

Mac took him at his word and rolled over hoping she could go back to sleep. No such luck. She couldn’t stop picturing him in those boxers and then imagining what he would like when he removed them. She turned then and realized that she could see the outline of his naked form in the glass block shower. She smiled to herself. She wondered if the beautiful wonderful prude that was Harmon Rabb Junior knew how good he looked and where her mind wandered while she watched him shower. She could almost feel the texture of his chest hair under her hands when she watched his silhouette soap and then rinse each part of that large wonderful body. Suddenly Mac was feeling how warm the room was, and it had nothing to do with the thermostat setting this time. No, Mac had one hot partner to work with.

While Mac thought about the effects his shower was having on her, she longed to take a cool shower. Her partner was such a prude that she figured he wouldn’t know what to do if she suddenly appeared as naked as he was in the shower with him. The temptation was almost overwhelming. She shook herself and laugh, “Great, I get a few hours of good sleep and I’m tempted to jump his bones - at least once. What’s wrong with me?” Mac cried.

“Mac? You okay?”

“Yeah....why?”

“You called out...asked what was wrong with you...” Harm explained as Mac slipped out of bed.

“I’m fine...really...finish your shower.”

“I’m all done...just got to dry off and dress,” Harm announced as Mac caught a glimpse of the towel wrapped shape of Harm as he emerged from the bathroom to dress.

“Guess I didn’t watch your six last night very well sailor,” Mac apologized.

“Its okay...you just watched my six a little different then usual I guess,” Harm chuckled.

“Don’t count on it ‘Flyboy!’ Mac said with a smile.

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I got a good nights sleep and now my mind is thinking up all kinds of things for us to do,” Mac admitted as she stared at Harm’s still naked chest.

It was more then Harm could take. With two steps he was in front of Mac and lowering his lips to hers. Just before they made contact he asked, “May I?”

“If you treasure your life you’d better,” she whispered.

Harm closed the distance between them letting his lips taste, nibble and then plunder her mouth, as Mac returned the gesture taste for taste and touch for touch. As they parted in wonder Harm smiled and said, “So that’s the effect of a goodnight’s sleep on you, huh?”

“Yeah...because someone like you sure wouldn’t get me all hot and bothered like this.”

“You think not, huh?”
“Couldn’t be you...we’ve worked together all this time and its never happened before until I had my first goodnight’s sleep in months.”

“I don’t care what you blame it on, as long as you promise to finish what we started, if not today in the not too distant future.”

“I think that can be managed...I think you need to warm it up in here for me again thought,” Mac whispered playfully as she loosened Harm’s towel and let it drop at his feet.

Neither of them had much to say for awhile as they learned what tastes and touches tantalized the other until they were ready to go out of their minds. No one thought about sleeping or about Clark Palmer as they learned to satisfy one another over and over again.

The End