Title: My Collection to You

Author: Kimberly Knipp

Rating: PG

Classification: Romance - Harm and Mac

***********************************************************************************

10 Sept 01

Dear Mac,

It’s been a week since I left JAG. After I returned the last time I never thought I would serve another tour on a carrier. I guess it doesn’t matter what lifelong plans you might have when a country goes to war. I hope things are going well there. You must be very shorthanded with Bud, Tiner and Gunny all being called back to duty. How is Harriet holding up with Bud gone? Tell her I’m thinking about her.

Being back here feels totally different than it did before. Now I’m not back trying to recapture a lost dream and I’m working with other men and women who don’t see me as an interloper. We’re all working toward the same goal and that’s to keep this war from happening. Mac, I hope they don't call you back to duty. It would make it harder for me to concentrate if I had to worry about where my best friend is and if she was safe. I don’t want to lose touch like we did the summer I went back to flying. I think we’ve come too far for that now so keep your eye out for my emails!

There are a lot of things I want to say to you but I think for now they can wait. I know you have a lot to worry about on the home front. Keep the Admiral in line and don’t let him pull out the rest of his hair. I know it hasn’t been all that long since Mic left and I hate it that I’m not there with you now. I feel like this is when I should be there most. Or maybe you don’t need me too much. With Renee gone, too, I guess we’re back where we started. Everything I want to be is on hold now and I hate it. But make no mistake – you and I have a lot to talk about and we’ll have our day.

I guess I’ll get going for now. We’re about to go up for another drill. The news broadcasts have been steady regarding the peace talks. I guess we’re all still hoping they’ll find a solution before the President’s deadline.

Take care of yourself and make sure you eat and get some rest. I know how you are about forgetting those important things.

Love, Harm

The car that picked him up at the transport dropped him off in front of a small, nondescript base house that looked like millions of base houses all over the world. He knocked on the door and waited for a minute. When there was no answer he knocked again. Frowning, he set his flight bag down and walked around to the back of the house. He saw a lone figure sitting in an old porch swing in the backyard, looking up at the stars. She looked up as if sensing his presence and they both froze.

His heart slowed almost to a halt before starting a thunderous beating in his chest. Very slowly he walked toward her.

"You look like you’ve just seen a ghost, flyboy."

Her words were as real as her voice and he could have wept when she called him by the first nickname she ever gave him.

"No ghost – just the most precious gift I’ve ever had," he whispered huskily.

"You look exhausted," she murmured, her eyes taking in his tall form clothed in his khaki uniform.

His eyes searched her from head to toe. "You look as beautiful to me as ever. Your hair is lighter."

"It’s the sun," she answered, almost choking on the emotion that clogged her throat.

She went to him then without hesitation and he drew her close, sliding his hands up her back to cradle her close. Her blood raced wildly through her body and her heart was beating so hard she was sure he could hear it. Something primitive in her was calling out to him and for the first time in their history, where and who they were had nothing to do with the situation. For once they were simply feeling. Instead of talking and getting things mixed up, they were looking at each other and doing.

He read the look in her eyes and thought surely it was a reflection of his own. The mental connection that had existed between them from the beginning was there as strong as ever. His arms contracted tighter, almost stealing her breath as his eyes roamed her face. Electricity hummed and warmed.

"I’d like very much to kiss you," he breathed, his deep voice swirling around her in a haze.

"I really wish you would," she sighed tremulously.

His mouth caught the last word before it completely left her lips. Her breath caught and she melted against him, letting him take her weight. His hands came up to embed themselves in her silky hair and he angled her head so he could settle his mouth more fully on hers. She moaned softly when the tip of his tongue traced the seam of her closed lips. They parted and he slipped inside to explore the darkness within. What started as gentle and exploratory changed to hard and feral, as if he were trying to seek a way inside to her heart. She met him head on, straining up on her tiptoes to get closer, driving him the brink of wanting. He felt his control slipping.

"You have two seconds to turn around and walk away," he muttered against her lips.

"One, two," she rejoined, her mouth never leaving his.

She felt his smile go right into her mouth and then he lifted her into his arms and headed for the back door. In the bedroom, he placed her on the bed and followed her down until he lay over her, his big body pressing her into the soft mattress. He watched her without talking, studying the contours of her face. Feeling shy all of a sudden, she met his gaze, sighing when she felt his rough fingers caressing the planes of her face. He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly, letting his lips play along hers for a moment. When his tongue pressed at the seam of her lips, she parted them without hesitation and he slid inside, thrusting in and out slowly, making sure she felt every small nuance. His hands trailed slowly down her arms to her hips, shifting her slightly so that he rested between her thighs. Her hands slid across the breadth of his shoulders and into his hair, holding his mouth close.

A shiver coursed through her when she felt his fingers working the buttons on her blouse. When the last one was free, he parted the material, baring her full breasts, encased in their silky white covering. Meeting her eyes, he released the front clasp of her bra and parted the cups, baring her to his gaze. She heard his ragged breath and felt the tightening of his lower body against her.

She was more beautiful than he ever imagined in his dreams.

Almost hesitantly, he traced the curve of one breast, shaping its fullness and finally circling the nipple, bringing it to a hard peak. Lifting himself slightly, he repeated the movement on her other breast until they were both straining toward him, aching for something further. Her eyes drifted shut when his head lowered. At the first tentative touch of his lips, a low moan slipped from her tight throat. His tongue rasped lovingly over her nipples, taunting the peaks until she was writhing beneath him, her hands tugging at his head. Without lifting his head, Harm moved down her body, his tongue leaving a moist trail across the quivering muscles of her stomach. His hands gripped her hips, digging into her skirt. Her eyes drifted open and she watched the top of his dark head as he carefully removed her skirt and panties, baring her to his gaze.

"You’re so beautiful," he whispered hoarsely. "More than I ever dreamed."

His palms cupped the curves of her hips and she felt a tightening in her stomach. His head lowered and her eyes followed the path he made down the length of her right leg, then the path up the left one. A stunned gasp slipped from her mouth when he pressed his lips against the soft mound that lay beneath. Her throat was so tight that she couldn’t speak, so she grasped his hands instead. Without lifting his head, he looked up at her.

"Relax," he whispered again, his warm breath teasing her.

He moved away from her and stood – almost faster than it took her to realize he’d moved and stripped away his clothing before coming back to cover her slender form with his own. Cupping her rounded hips in his palms, he pulled her against him and she shivered as his manhood slid between her legs, nestling against her moist heat. Framing his hands around her face, he tilted her head and brought his hard mouth down to cover hers. She parted her lips and his tongue delved inside, finding the dark corners, stating occupancy in her heart with that one deep kiss. Her arm slid around his shoulders, her head spinning from the pressure up his mouth on hers.

He kissed her as if he’d never kissed her before and was just being allowed to sample for the first time. One long arm banded over her smooth buttocks and ground her against him. Kissing her deeply, he grasped her slender thighs and drew them apart, making room for his presence. Leaving her mouth, he trailed his cool lips down the column of her neck to the slope of one pale breast. Tenderly, he licked the beads of water from her nipples. She gasped softly and let her head fall back. He shaped the full mounds of her breasts in his hands, lifting one to meet his mouth. A small cry slipped through her lips when he trapped the tight peak against the roof of his mouth and began suckling hard on it. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around him, pushing her breast more fully into his mouth.

Her slender fingers stroked his tight bottom for a minute before sliding between their bodies to encircle his swollen length. This time he was the one who gasped when her cool hands gently stroked him, smoothing over his velvety head and catching the drop that beaded there. Releasing her breasts, he eased her back slightly and pressed moist kisses to her belly, his eyes trailing to the patch of darker curls below. He couldn’t see all of her in the shadows of the moonlight but the feathery glimpses tempted him all the more.

Languidly, he bushed his fingers over her curls, parting the velvety folds of her womanhood until he discovered the treasure beneath. She gasped, her back arching off the mattress when his tongue touched her again. Her fingers went to his hair and not sure whether she meant to pull him away or urge him closer, he continued. He pushed her body closer to its peak, wanting to give her pleasure and show her how much he desired her.

He kissed her deeply, tilting her head back and sliding one arm beneath her to bring her closer. She met his tongue, kissing him back with every thing she had in her. Lovingly, his hands began kneading her silky skin, moving over her hips, down to her thighs, shifting until she cradling him fully. She felt the weight of his hard manhood resting against her velvety folds and a shiver raced up her spine, raising goose bumps on her skin. Leisurely, his mouth moved downward, his tongue tracing a pattern over the veins in her throat and finding her pulse before moving on until he came to the slope of her breast. Her body moved restlessly beneath him as he stoked the flames of passion higher, marveling at her response to him.

He caught her hand in his and guided it to his chest, groaning deep in his throat when her fingers found the hard nipples there. Knowing that she had the same power over him, she teased them lightly, hearing his ragged gasp. Curious, she continued her exploration, slowly massaging the hard wall of muscle before moving down to his flat stomach. He jerked beneath her touch and she smiled. Having forgotten all about being shy, her eyes strayed downward, even though she couldn’t see anything while his body covered hers. But she found it didn’t really matter. She had other senses to go by and she had all her dreams.

When her slender fingers closed around him, he ground his teeth together so hard his jaw ached and groaned, feeling his body pulse. Knowing she hadn’t hurt him, she squeezed rhythmically, feeling him grow even harder beneath her touch. He endured that small bit of Heaven he found at her hands for as long as he could before he reached down and caught her wrists. Grasping both hands, he stretched her arms above her head. Holding them in the grasp of one broad palm, he slid the other hand down to her leg. She trembled with a combination of anticipation and desire as he lifted her leg to rest over his thigh. Sliding his hand between their bodies, he guided his manhood to her moist opening. Releasing her legs, he gathered her close, giving her a chance to become accustomed to the feel of him. After a while, she became aware of the new sensations. He was big and she felt her body stretching to accommodate him, holding his length. There was a delicious throb where he rested and emotion swamped her at the sweetness of it. Having him inside of her - a part of her. This exact moment had lived in her heart for so very long that now it seemed almost surreal and she was afraid if she even moved wrong it would shatter around her into a million tiny pieces. But at the same time, nothing had ever felt more real. She felt empowered – like she could take on the whole world. Tentatively, she nudged him with her hips. Receiving the signal that she was ready, he started to move.

Drawing her leg over his hips, he slipped his hands beneath her bottom and began to move against her. She sighed deeply, her head dropping back against his arm as he slid away, only to come back, filling her, taking everything she was willing to give. Lazily, he pushed against her, his manhood teasing her with smooth strokes, heightening her awareness of him.

"God, you feel so good," he murmured against her throat. "So hot and tight."

She raked her nails lightly over his nipples, earning a moan and she smiled. Feeling him respond to her was a powerful aphrodisiac. He captured her mouth for a hard kiss, suddenly feeling restless. She smiled again as he shifted, coming to his knees. Draping her legs over his hard thighs, he began to move faster. She felt the sensations building deep in her body. Letting go of her control, she felt the convulsions sweep through her and cried out. He felt the clutch of her warm sheath around him and it nearly pushed him over the edge but he was determined to draw this out as long as he could. To make it good for her. She caught his eyes.

"Do it harder. You won’t hurt me."

That was all it took for the tight leash on his self-control to snap. Sliding his arms beneath her legs, he brought them up high and began to drive into her soft body with forceful thrusts. She sobbed helplessly, feeling the spring in her womanhood winding again. Surely it couldn’t be happening again this fast. With her legs over his shoulders, she was completely open to him and his thrusts were hard, filling her to the hilt.

He wanted to slow down, to make it last as long as possible. He wanted to feel this one moment with her forever but the tension between them had been building for far too long. He could remember when he started wanting her and now the feel of her body clenching around him, drove him to the brink of madness. Suddenly it was upon both of them. She screamed his name and somehow she heard the hoarse cry of his voice calling hers. Small quakes rolled forth, drawing her body up tight and then releasing it. She felt his body tighten and release as well, felt him filling her with his seed. He collapsed against her and they lay there locked together, their sweat-dampened bodies clinging. When he could breath again, he lifted his head and looked down at her.

"I love you, too. With all my heart and soul."

To: Ninjagirl@aol.com

From: F14flyboy@aol.com

I know we haven’t been able to write since we left Elmendorf. I wanted you to know that the memories we made that night will be with me always. I love you more than I can ever tell you with mere words. The fighting here is going stronger than before. I’ve been making bomb runs but I’m going back to the air raids tonight. We’ve been given coordinates for several key targets to Milloric’s defense. Be safe and know that I love you…

To: F14flyboy@aol.com

From: Ninjagirl@aol.com