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 Karma

Chapter 8

The next thing Jessie knew, Cam had her hand and was leading her through the apartment. Before she had a chance to ask him what he was doing, they were stepping into a bathroom. For a moment, Jessie was speechless. The room was huge, especially compared with her small bathroom at the house. This one had a separate shower and tub—hell, the shower was large enough it could fit three or four people comfortably, and had two showerheads at either end. She watched as Cam went over to the shower and turned on the water, adjusting the temperature until it was hot, but not too hot.

At her questioning look, he said, "I figured you could use a good shower. If the women’s showers on base are anything like the guys, the water pressure sucks. These showerheads are adjustable, anything from a rain shower setting to deep massage." Walking over to her, he kissed her softly. "Take your time." With that, he left the bathroom and closed the door.

Jessie hesitated for a moment before she started removing her clothes, her eyes taking in the different items in the room. ‘Let’s see,’ she thought, ‘I started out this morning replacing fascia boards, went off world, wrestled in a mud pit, choked somebody out, and now I’m in Cam’s apartment about to take a shower. Yep, definitely qualifies as the twilight zone.’

Stepping into the strong spray, she let out an involuntary sigh as the hot water pounded against her skin from the front and back. She wasted no time in wetting her hair and shampooing it thoroughly, feeling like she was actually getting all the residual mud out. Two lathers and rinses later, she took the conditioner and applied it to her hair, working it through the strands. Moving to where the water was beating down on her back, she stood there for a while, giving the conditioner a chance to do its job. Once enough time had passed, she rinsed her hair again, making sure she got all the conditioner out. Twisting the excess water out, she pulled her hair over one shoulder, turning to where one showerhead was hitting her in front, the other beating the hot water across her back. Standing there, she felt the tension start to melt away.

The gentle touch on her shoulder caused her to jump.

"Shhhh. Don’t turn around."

Another rush of adrenaline coursed through her, but this one was different than the one earlier today.

"I didn’t hear you come in."

She heard a chuckle. "You weren’t supposed to."

"How…how long have you been in here?"

"A while."

The spray hitting her back ceased as Cam stepped in between it and her. Strong hands, slick with lather, began to knead her shoulders. Using his thumbs, he pressed firmly into the muscles, working in a slow rhythm and increasing the pressure as the tension began to ease. He took his time, moving down her back, visually inspecting the planes before he massaged, avoiding the few bruises he found, stroking his hand gently over those areas instead.

When Cam bent down and began working on her legs, Jessie reached out, steadying herself against the shower wall. While there was nothing overtly sexual about his touch, just the fact that he was in the shower with her, naked, the hot water pouring over the both of them caused her senses to heighten, desire mixing in lazily with the relaxed warmth spreading throughout her body.

The slight drowsiness that had settled on her was erased when she felt the angle of the water change, Cam rinsing the lather from her body. The water was blocked once again as he stepped up behind her, close enough to be aware of him, but not yet touching. Reaching out, he began to massage the back of her neck, easing his way up until he threaded his fingers through her hair, his fingertips massaging her scalp.

If Jessie had thought the massage to her back felt good, she was in absolute heaven now. She tilted her head back slightly as he began to knead in a circular motion at her temples, the palms of his hands cradling her head as he did so. It was such an exquisite sensation, she forgot about them being naked, the shower, her tension, everything. Cam felt her body completely relax, and he smiled as he continued the gentle massage, moving from her temples to her scalp and back again, more than content with just making her feel good.

When he finally took his hands from her head, she was so relaxed her legs felt a little weak. Cam reached around Jessie, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, fingers splayed as he steadied her.

"Ready to get out?"

She nodded her head, and he turned the water off. As she began to turn, he stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"Stay there."

Jessie heard him move out of the shower, and a moment later he returned, draping a soft, thick terrycloth robe over her shoulders.

"Put this on."

Reaching up, she slid her arms through the sleeves, bringing it around her and tying the sash. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Cam standing there, a bath towel secured around him, riding low on his hips. His hair was spiky, droplets of water still clinging to the ends. Her level of desire definitely clicked up a couple of notches.

He waited until she stepped from the shower before coming up to her, casually resting his hands on her waist. Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Feeling better?"

Jessie nodded. "Very much so."

"Good." He enfolded her in his arms, giving her a gentle hug. "I don’t want you waking up hurting tomorrow." He felt a little shiver run through her. "I also don’t want you to think anything else has to happen tonight. I could tuck you into bed and you could sleep, and know you’re safe."

Jessie was quiet for a moment before raising her head, looking up at him. "What if…if I want…something else to happen?"

She watched as his eyes darkened with desire, but he kept his control firmly in place. "Only if you want it to, Jessie."

Jessie tugged at her lower lip with her teeth, wanting to be honest with him, but also a little nervous. "I know on Nanda we were forced to do something we normally wouldn’t have done then. The fact that you took things slow after we had gone that far showed me just how much of a gentleman you really are. Today…" Jessie took a steadying breath, "…today when I was fighting that woman, I was scared out of my mind, and incredibly angry. After she passed out and I climbed out of that pit, there was something more than the fear and the anger. I…I looked over at you, and I got turned on. I mean, really turned on. If I could have had you right then and there, I would have." Jessie dropped her gaze, willing herself not to blush. "Knowing what it’s like to be with you, the way you make me feel," she looked back up at him, "it’s all I can think about. I want to feel that again, but only if you want me."

"If I want you?" Cam felt his more primitive side gaining the upper hand, his hand tightening momentarily on her waist. His voice dropped an octave. "You have no idea exactly how much I want you, Jessie." Hooking the fingers of his left hand through the sash of her robe, he led her across the bathroom to the opposite door.

The hair on the back of Jessie’s neck was starting to stand up. There was something about Cam’s voice, that subtle change which caused her heartbeat to increase. She was distracted from that sensation, though, when he opened the door and they stepped into his bedroom. If she had thought the rest of the apartment had a sensual ambiance, it was even more pronounced here. The lights were dim, and she could see candleholders placed randomly throughout the room, though the candles weren’t lit. A fireplace graced one corner of the space, and a plush rug was positioned in front of it, a bench with curved armrests nearby. Another rug covered the hardwood floor at the end of the bed, a chair with a small table and reading lamp placed in the opposite corner. The biggest piece of furniture in the room, though, was the large four-post bed against the far wall, a dark jewel-toned cover folded across the lower part of the bed. She had a strange sense of déjà vu, looking at the room, and especially the bed. Odd coincidence that it so closely resembled the one they shared on Nanda.

The clicking of the door closing echoed in the silence of the room. She felt Cam behind her, slipping a hand around her waist. He bent down, his mouth near her ear, and she heard him slowly inhale, taking in the scent of her. There was something so primal about that action, she felt goosebumps raise up along her neck.

"Are you sure, Jessie?"

The shaft of desire that shot through her was sharp. She wasn’t sure whether it was from the way his voice sounded, or from the way she had been feeling since that afternoon.

Her answer came out as a half moan. "Yes."

He turned her towards him, running his hand up through her hair, holding it in a loose grip. "I don’t know how gentle I can be tonight," he murmured against her mouth.

Looking into his eyes, she realized he had been just as affected by the events that afternoon as she had been. Swallowing hard, she made her decision.

"As much as I love the gentleman in you, Cam, tonight I want the man."

That was all the permission he needed for her to give. Bringing his mouth down to hers, he parted her lips without any hesitation and slid his tongue inside, kissing her with an intensity he had kept a tight rein on, until then. The response in her would have scared her if she had been with anyone else. Whereas her arousal had been on a low simmer, it flared just as quickly as if a match had been thrown on gasoline. His arm tightened around her almost painfully, his hand in her hair not allowing her any leverage as his tongue plundered her mouth. She found her body arching against him instinctively, seeking out what she knew he could provide. His hands found the sash to the robe, jerking it free before pushing the fabric from her shoulders. It landed in a pool at her feet. At the same time, her hands encountered the towel at his waist, tugging on it until it pulled free.

He pulled his mouth from hers, moving down until his lips found the sensitive skin of her neck. Using his teeth, he bit hard enough to sting, but not break the skin. Cam heard the hiss of her indrawn breath.

"This afternoon—the adrenaline," he growled against her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the floor, "it intensifies the hunger." A few long strides and he was laying her down on the bed. Climbing up with her, he laid his body across hers as he continued kissing her. As badly as he wanted to be inside her, he tried to tamp down that urge for a little while. He understood the feral nature of sex after combat, but this was her first experience dealing with that. He wanted to give her enough of the primitive side to satisfy that hunger, but he didn’t want to scare her.

Jessie’s breath was coming in pants. Her arousal had never been this strong, this quickly before. She groaned out loud, her back arching as Cam brought his mouth to her breast, capturing the taut nipple between his lips before suckling hard and deep. He reached over and massaged her other breast firmly, squeezing the soft flesh and causing her nipples to harden even more.

"Cam," she gasped as he moved lower, his hands grasping her hips as he moved between her legs. There was no finesse this time around. He gave her one long lick, then another before sucking her clit into his mouth.

"Oh God!" she cried out.

Cam worked her over, licking and sucking, tugging on her sensitive flesh as she bucked against the bed, the sheets fisted in her hands. He wanted to push her over the edge hard and fast, so he slid two fingers inside her, finding and massaging that sweet spot right behind her pubic bone.

"You gonna come for me, Jessie?" he asked, flicking that sweet, swollen bud with the tip of his tongue.

"Cam…"

"You are going come for me Jessie," he said, stroking her from the inside, "right…about…now." With that, Cam suckled her swollen clit, clamping down on the base gently with his teeth while his tongue massaged that sweet little bud in time with his fingers against her G-spot.

Her scream signaled her release just as much as her walls clamping down tightly on his fingers. His voice of reason tried to soothe his conscience with the reminder, ‘I warned her’, as he immediately moved up her body and drove his cock deep into her with one smooth stroke. Her arms came up and he instinctively grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the bed as he began thrusting into her slowly. He didn’t want to hurt her—she was so incredibly tight—but the primal side demanded he take what was his. Cam raised up and time slowed to a crawl as the scene was imprinted on his brain; Jessie laying beneath him, her hair fanned out around her, him pinning her wrists on either side of her head, the feel of…oh God…her legs wrapping around him. Pulling his gaze back to her face, he realized her eyes had turned an even darker green with desire, and he heard the one thing that assuaged any guilt he might have felt.

"Yessss."

If there was any doubt before that he might have been hurting her, that one word washed that all away, along with the realization that she was meeting him thrust for thrust.

"God, Jessie," he whispered against her lips as he took his pleasure from her, and gave her just as much in return.

He could feel his orgasm teasing him, tantalizingly just out of reach. There was a part of him that was still holding back, afraid of losing control, afraid of scaring her. He could feel Jessie moving beneath him, trying to increase the pace.

"Easy, Jessie," he groaned, "I don’t want to hurt you."

"Doesn’t hurt, Cam. I want it so much."

‘Oh Christ,’ he thought, fighting to maintain control. "Jessie, don’t," he growled in warning.

Hands still pinned down by his, she turned her head and caught his gaze. "Cam, I don’t want you to hold back. Please."

The sound that came from Cam’s lips was almost inhuman as his control snapped. Releasing her wrists, he leaned back long enough to slip his forearms underneath her knees before coming back down on her, angling her body for a much deeper penetration.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you," he whispered just before he started pounding into her.

This is what Jessie had wanted, no, needed, all day long; she just hadn’t known. Her breath was hissing between her teeth with how deep Cam was sliding into her, but her arousal was so intense as her body stretched to accommodate him, there was just an indescribable amount of pleasure.

"Yes," she whispered in Cam’s ear, his head tucked just above her shoulder as he drove into her. Her teeth caught his earlobe and bit firmly. "Feels so good." She could feel her muscles tightening down on him, another orgasm imminent. Going on instinct, she continued whispering in his ear. "You’re gonna make me come again, Cam. God, I want you to come with me, come inside me, fill me up. Please, baby; feels so good, so fucking deep."

That did it. Jessie whispering in his ear conjured up all sorts of wicked images in his mind. His orgasm built with an intensity he had never felt before.

A low, strong growl rumbled from his throat. "Baby. I’m gonna come." All it took was three thrusts before he buried himself as deeply as possible inside her, his orgasm crashing over him. He was vaguely aware of Jessie arching against him, crying out her own release at the same time.

It took a few minutes before Cam regained the ability to move. Pulling one arm from beneath Jessie’s leg, he used his hand to support her leg as he let it down slowly. Repeating the motion with her other leg, he moved over to her side, propping himself up on an elbow. Cam looked down at her.

"Jessie, honey, you okay?"

Jessie had to concentrate in order to focus on his face. The genuine concern she saw there caused her to reach up, cradling his face between her palms, stroking her thumbs against his face.

"I’m fine, Cam. S’all right."

His hand stroked over her hair, worry showing on his face. "Damnit, Jessie, I could have hurt you."

She shook her head. "You wouldn’t hurt me, Cam. I knew what I was asking for—it was what I needed."

He continued stroking her hair. "Jessie, you went two years without sex. That length of time, your body reverts back much to what it was like when you were untouched. This is only the second time we’ve been together. I could have hurt you."

Not knowing how else to reassure him, she leaned up and kissed him softly on the mouth. "But you didn’t, and that’s all that matters. And yes, I’ll be sore in the morning." She gave him an impish gin. "But I like that kind of soreness."

"Woman," he growled, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her softly, the gentleness in stark contrast to the savageness of their lovemaking moments before. Looking into her eyes, he saw a peace and contentment that he didn’t think he had ever seen. ‘Almost like coming home.’

There was that thought again. He didn’t have long to ponder it, though. Jessie had reached up and was stroking her fingers through his hair. It was such a soothing sensation. He felt his eyes sliding shut, the incredible release he had experienced having drained whatever energy he might have had left. Snuggling down next to Jessie, holding her close, he fell into a dreamless sleep. He missed the whispered ‘finally’ that echoed through his mind, and somewhere across the galaxy Brojorn smiled.

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