“Hey Jen.” Harm was juggling a bag of groceries and his keys as Jennifer stepped off the elevator.
“Evening, sir.” Jen mumbled before turning towards her front door.
“How’d your date go?” Harm nodded for Jen to follow him inside as he pushed his door open. He was a little surprised to see her home so early.
“Is there something wrong with me, sir?” Jen followed him inside, a glum expression on her face.
“Excuse me?” Harm’s eyebrows shot up as high as Jen had ever seen them.
“I hardly ever get asked out, and when I do, well… let’s just say I’d be better off staying home.”
“That bad?” Harm grimaced as he puttered around the kitchen putting away groceries.
“Oh, it could have been worse. I did get fed.” She shrugged
“If I were to make a salad and heat up some left over salmon, would you be interested?”
“That obvious?”
“Thought so.” Harm smiled.
“Sir, you’re a handsome, smart man. You tell me. What’s wrong with me?” Jen looked Harm straight in the eye. She wasn’t letting him off the hook. She wanted an answer.
“What makes you think there’s something wrong with you?” Harm held up a bottle of water and a bottle of juice, silently asking her which she’d prefer. Somehow he wasn’t sure this was the best topic of discussion for them to be having.
“I’ve been on exactly three dates in the last four years. What conclusion would you come to?” She looked intently at her two choices. “You wouldn’t happen to have any wine?”
Placing the two bottles back in the fridge, he reached into the lower shelf pulling out a bottle of white wine. “Will this be okay?”
“Thanks.” Jen nodded.
“There’s nothing wrong with you. I’d say the only ones with something wrong are the young men too stupid to ask you out.” Harm handed her the glass.
“Thank you. Sometimes I feel like that old Linda Rondstadt song.” Jen took a sip of wine before getting up to help Harm with the food, her frustration dragging along side her.
“Which one would that be?” Harm handed her a head of lettuce to tear while he cut up a tomato.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked away.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Jen, I’m a good listener. Really.” Harm tossed the tomatoes in the bowl.
Taking a deep breath, “The one that goes all she needs is someone to lay down beside her.” Jen reached for the glass, too embarrassed to look up at Harm.
Hesitating a minute, Harm tilted his head slightly to study the attractive young lady before turning away to pull the salmon from the fridge.
“The song is called Some One To Lay Down Beside Me.” Harm took a deep breath. “If that were true, why are you here instead of still with your date?” Harm transferred the salmon to a baking pan with a little butter and lemon and placed it in the oven.
“Sir, do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had any kind of an intimate relationship?” Too frustrated to care if this might be considered an inappropriate subject matter, still holding the lettuce in her hand, Jen turned to face him
Harm stared stiffly at the oven. He was glad he hadn’t been facing her when she asked that. Very slowly he turned back to look at her.
“To be honest Jen, I don’t really pay much attention to the details of your personal life. It wouldn’t be considered appropriate behavior for an officer.” Harm tried to hide his unease behind a slight smile.
“I’m sorry, sir. It’s just… I hardly meet any nice guys. The ones I really think would be nice never ask me out. The ones who do, well, if I gave in and actually slept with one of them I know I’d wind up with an albatross around my neck. I’m not interested in a long term relationship with that type of guy but I’m so tired of being alone all the time.” Jen sighed and swallowed her wine down in a long gulp.
“Maybe you should take it easy with that.” Harm reached to refill the glass.
“This will be the last glass, sir, I’ll just take it and the dinner home with me.” Jen stood up from the stool. Her toes were already tingling from the first glass. Maybe one more would make the pain stay away a little longer.
“Drinking alone is a bad habit to get into.” Harm finished pouring her glass and then poured himself a glass.
“Yes, sir.” Without looking up at him, Jen reached for the glass then took her seat on the stool again.
“Jen, you’re a beautiful young lady.”
“I’m 28, sir. In some cultures that’s considered an old maid. Mattie is a young lady. I’m a woman.” Jen took another long sip of wine.
“What would I need to do to get the interest of someone more like you or even Commander Roberts. Someone smart, sensitive, attentive.” From the stunned look on Harm’s face she knew she had probably pushed too far. Needing to break the tension, she walked over to the oven and pulled out the salmon. She didn’t care if it was warm enough, she needed to do something to get out from under his intense glare.
Harm didn’t know what to say. In his own defense he’d made it a point to look on Jen as another daughter. He couldn’t run the risk of anyone misconstruing their relationship. The ramifications were too serious. Thinking of her as an attractive woman now was not an option.
Searching for the right thing to say, he watched Jen working effortlessly in his kitchen. Quietly she took the dish over to where she’d left her glass of wine. When he realized she was getting ready to carry it back to her apartment, he knew he needed to say something, anything, he couldn’t let her go home upset like this.
“Sit down, Jen.” Harm waved towards the table. “You don’t have to change a thing. You just have to be yourself.” He sat down at the table next to her. Maybe a big brother approach would work.
“I know it’s not easy being alone.” He continued. “Look at me, I’m almost 40 years old. It doesn’t get any easier waking up by yourself every day.” Harm chuckled to himself. “Believe me, I know.”
Harm
stared a minute at the glass of wine he was holding. When did his life
go so wrong? He was supposed to be teaching his son how to fly by now.
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
Harm chuckled loudly. “You’re kidding?”
Shaking his head in amusement, heaven help him if this wasn’t already speaking freely. “Permission granted.” Harm nodded.
“Why didn’t you and Colonel MacKenzie ever get together? I remember that Christmas when I first met her. I thought there might have been some history there. There was certainly something special between you.”
Pausing before speaking, Harm looked up at Coates. “Chalk it up to bad timing. We were too afraid to risk the friendship, our careers. Who knows? She gave me a chance once and my honor got in the way.”
“Your honor?”
“It’s a long story. Not worth going over.” Harm swirled the glass before him.
“Sorry, sir.” Jen finished her last bite. She was hungrier than she had realized, practically inhaling the food before her.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Jen. Someone worthy of you will come along. You just need to be patient.” Harm lifted the glass to Jen in a toast before drinking.
“Thanks for the wine.” Jen put her dish in the sink and swallowed the last drop in her glass. “And the friendly ear.”
Finishing what was left in his glass, “You’re welcome Jen. Anytime you need to vent I’ll be happy to listen.” Harm placed his glass loudly on the table and followed her to the front door.
He stood holding the door when he noticed her hesitate.
“What?” he asked, sincerely confused.
Encouraged by the two glasses of wine and the weight of her mood, Jen leaned up on her tippy toes as she had done years ago on the steps of the church, only this time she didn’t aim for his cheek.
For just an instant Harm forgot he was an officer and Jen was enlisted, or that he was in love with Sarah MacKenzie. For just a moment, all he remembered was that he was a man who had not been physical with a woman in too long and he was holding a beautiful body with extremely sensuous lips.
Surprised at how good his kiss felt, she heard a voice in her head say ‘Oh, what the hell’. Her arms snaked around him pulling him closer just before she eased her tongue across his lips.
Oh, she felt so good. He could feel her breasts pressed up against him as she pulled him closer. Her tongue teased his lips and reality snapped.
Gently pulling himself away. “I could get court martialed for what I’m thinking.”
“Only if you tell someone.” She was being brazen but she didn’t care. He was a gorgeous, sexy man who she was willing to bet was disease free and knew how to treat a lady in bed.
“Jen,” Harm tried to put more distance between them. This was a mess. How did he back away and not ruin their friendship. More importantly how did he turn her down without making her feel more undesirable.
“I can’t do this.” Harm took a deep, calming breath. “Besides the fact that this is most definitely against a multitude of codes in the UCMJ, I care about you too much to just have sex with you.”
His heart was racing. Jennifer Coates was an extremely attractive woman and right now his heart knew this was wrong but his other head didn’t care.
Reaching across the distance he’d placed between them, Jen ran her fingers over his chest. “Is it the rules or is it me?”
“I live my life by rules, Jen.”
“I’m not asking for much. There are no strings attached, sir. I know you’re in love with Colonel MacKenzie. I just want to feel wanted, even for one night.” Jen tried to close the distance between them. “Even though it’s not real.” She quoted the rest of the line from the Linda Rondstadt song.
Harm stepped back, his hands stilling hers.
“Jen. You deserve so much more than a one nightstand from anyone. Especially me. I, I ... Oh God, you are so beautiful when you look at me like that...” Harm had to get a grip. Maybe 28 was a woman, and the twelve years between them wasn’t really that big a difference, but there were rules a gentleman and officer lived by. If he let his mind linger on wanting the woman in front of him, he’d be breaking almost all of them.
Jen closed the distance between them, running her fingers up his arms.
“Please. If you mean what you say about nothing being wrong with me, show me. Just one night.”
“Jen, never mind my career. If anyone found out, scuttlebutt would make your life a living hell.”
Before the words were completely out of his mouth, Jen reached up with one arm to pull his mouth close to hers. Her other hand deliberately made its way to his crotch. Grabbing a firm hold of his already struggling arousal. Her lips pressed tightly against his.
As soon as her hand took hold of him, he was overcome with desire. His blood began to boil as every drop pulsed forcefully through his body. It had been too long. She was too good. He was only human and his human body wanted this woman.
Before he knew how, the two were standing by his bed, a trail of clothing behind them. His shirt was left by the front door. Jen’s top lay nearby, her skirt only a few feet away.
Except for the few seconds it took to remove her blouse, Jen hadn’t dared release her hold on his lips for fear his sense of honor would win out and he’d change his mind. When her legs bumped up against the side of the bed, she knew this was it. Dragging her hands down his chest, her fingers swirled and stroked until they came to rest on his belt buckle.
She’d often dreamed of being seduced by a strong, charming, handsome man, but she never dreamed she’d be the one doing the seducing, and it most definitely never occurred to her that she would be on the receiving end of Harmon Rabb’s reputation. Just the thought sent tingling sensations exploding everywhere.
If he was going to break every rule in the book, by God it was going to be a night to remember. He didn’t want her to wake up regretting her choice. Finally breaking the kiss, he bent over and scooped her up in his arms to gently lay her across the bed.