![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seren_ccdTitle: Sapphire and faded jeans
Fandom: Primeval
Ship: Jess Parker/Hilary Becker
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 4,322
Warning: sex and language
Disclaimer: They are not mine. And the title of the fic comes from the song Girl, put your records on by Corinne Bailey Rae.
Spoilers: Season five.
A/N: Umm, yeah. I'll just be sitting over here, looking for my shame. I'd also like to mention that I don't actually know anything about burlesque. I have probably taken some extreme liberties. Beta'd by the amazing![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fringedweller who thinks this should be subtitled 'Jess Parker, you minx.'
Summary: Becker calls Jess' bluff. He really should know better.
“See you later, Jess!” Abby called from the living room. “You sure you don’t need a hand?”
“I’m sure,” Jess called back from her seated position on the floor of the bathroom. “I’ve almost got this thing put together. Have fun! Take pictures!”
“You got it! See you!”
Jess heard the door close and continued to struggle with the shelving unit she’d picked up from Ikea to put over the toilet. It wasn’t actually all that difficult, just unwieldy.
She’d finally gotten joist G matched up with shelf B when there was a knock at the door.
She frowned. Abby or Connor must have forgotten something. If it was anyone else, she’d have had to buzz them in.
Delicately putting the shelves down, she went to get the door, her bright green flip-flops slapping the floor. Seeing as it was Saturday and her only plans included a bit of light carpentry, she was wearing an old pair of jeans that were worn around the back pockets and a navy blue tank top.
She opened the door with a, “Forget something-oh! Hi!” Jess smiled at the sight of Becker standing on the other side.
“Hi,” he said looking very laidback in his jeans and leather jacket. “Shouldn’t you ask who it is before opening the door?”
“I thought you were Connor or Abby,” she said.
“I was just dropping off one of the smaller EMDs for Abby to take on their trip,” he said shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Abby wanted an EMD?” she asked. “Why?”
Becker shrugged. “She said something about not tempting fate and better safe than sorry.”
“Fair enough,” Jess said shaking her head.
“They told me to come up because you needed help with something?” he said nodding at her flat.
“Oh! Well, yes, of course come in,” she said stepping to the side. As he brushed past her she caught the scent of his aftershave that she knew he only wore when he wasn’t planning on being downwind of any predators. It smelled delicious.
“I don’t actually need help,” she said walking back towards her bathroom. “I’m just putting up a shelving unit over the toilet. I’ve got it together. Mostly.”
Once in the loo, Becker looked at what she’d done so far and nodded. “Were you thinking you’d be able to actually lift it up and over the toilet, though?”
Jess made a face. “I hoped I would?”
He smirked. “Move over. I’ve done this before.”
“Oh, I can only imagine,” she said hopping onto the counter next to the sink watching him take off his jacket and half-heartedly throw it next to her. She picked it up and folded it neatly, then set it back down. “Are you a joiner in your spare time?”
“Not recently,” he said picking up where she’d left off, and deftly putting the parts together. “But, I had a summer job when I was a teen working with a mate and his dad helping to do some renovations on a house. It was a good learning experience. Lots of splinters and smashed thumbs.”
“Ouch,” she said watching the way the muscles under his t-shirt flexed and shifted. “Is that how you got the scar on your forehead?”
He looked up at her and smiled a little. “No. That was at Sandhurst.”
“Really? What happened?”
“Well,” he said looking back down and taking the mallet she offered to hammer in the small nails, “it was during one of the training exercises. One of the other cadets wasn’t very coordinated and when he swung his rifle around, it swung right into my forehead. Needed seven stitches in the end.”
“But I bet you finished your training exercise,” she said crossing her legs.
“Of course.”
“Blood streaming all over your face.”
“In the rain and mud.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Hey, it made a man out of me.”
“Oh, no doubt about that.”
He peered up at her and she just grinned unrepentantly. Becker just chuckled and went back to the shelves.
“What about you?” he asked. “Ever have one?”
“What? A traumatic experience at military school?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes. “No, not that I recall.”
He glared up at her. “I meant a summer job.”
“Oh, yes, actually,” she said blinking. “One summer during uni, I worked at a shop.”
“Let me guess, clothes?” he said setting the shelves upright and testing their sturdiness.
“Amongst other things,” Jess said slowly, wondering if she was really going to tell him what the other things had been.
“And shoes?” he offered standing up and eyeing the space over the toilet.
“Amongst other things,” she said feeling a spark of mischief spread through her.
“Jewellery?” He lifted the unit and started to put it into place.
“Amongst other things.” Jess was grinning and really rather enjoying herself. She hopped off the counter and helped him to manoeuvred the shelves into place, her bare arm brushing against his.
“Hats?” he said through gritted teeth as they worked the shelves into place.
“Amongst other things.”
“Christ, Jess,” he said shooting her an amused look as they stood back to look at the shelves and judge their suitability. “What else do women wear?”
She grinned. “It was something of a specialty shop.”
“What kind of specialty shop?” he asked slowly. He was looking at her fully now and she decided to put him out of his misery.
“Well, the front part was simply clothing, mostly vintage,” she said stepping forward to press her hand on the shelves and nodding at them. “The back section sold burlesque clothing.”
She smiled in satisfaction at the shelves and turned to tell Becker thank you, but bit her lip when she saw the, well, flummoxed expression on his face.
“Bur-burlesque?” he said. “As in, stripping?”
“That’s a fairly common misconception,” Jess said matter-of-factly. “While it does include some ‘stripping’, it’s more about the tease and the fun, rather than just taking your kit off.”
She smiled a little and looked back at the shelves. “My roommate at uni worked there and they were short-staffed one summer, so I pitched in. She used to tell me that it was the fact that she could get people smiling and cheering with just the suggestion of nudity that was the most fun.”
Jess looked back at him. “Plus, she was a dance major and was brilliant at choreography. A lot of burlesque is dancing and routines. Entertainment.” She paused and stepped towards him. “And you look like I’ve just hit you with a blast from an EMD, are you all right?”
Becker blinked. “Yeah, yeah. Just... Well, I never thought of you as the burlesque type.”
“Well, I never performed or anything,” Jess said. “But I love clothes and they needed someone to, well, model stuff from time to time. It was fun.”
“Model?” If Jess wasn’t mistaken, his eyes had just glazed over.
“Yeah, model. Try stuff on. Show people how it fit together.” She paused. “And how it came off.”
He stared at her and the bathroom suddenly felt very, very small.
“How it came off?” he repeated.
“Un huh. Only to the women,” she added quickly. “Never to, well, men. It wasn’t that kind of shop.”
He swallowed hard and Jess was mesmerized by the movement of his throat, and wondered if he’d taste as good as she thought he might.
“I... I’m not sure I... Are you having me on?” he finally asked, his brow furrowing.
Jess’ jaw dropped. “Well, I’m hardly lying, thank you very much. Is it really that hard to believe? That I might have worn something sexy and fun and frilly?”
“Well, that’s not hard to believe,” Becker with a smirk. “But the rest? I don’t know, Jess. I think I’m going to have to call your bluff here.”
“Hmmph,” Jess said feeling not a little offended. She turned to look at the shelves, and then whirled around. “Thank you for putting up my shelves, Captain.”
“Jess,” he said, smirk disappearing. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just can’t really see you--”
“Oh, I know,” she said. “And I wasn’t kicking you out. I was merely thanking you for your assistance. Now, please go into the living room and have a seat. I’ll be with you momentarily.”
She turned as elegantly as she could in flip flops and walked out of the bathroom towards her bedroom.
“Jess,” Becker said standing just outside the bathroom looking far too sexy for his (and her) own good. “What are you doing?”
“Something that I probably should have done ages ago,” she said over her shoulder. “Now, go and sit down, Captain. I can make it an order...?”
He held up his hands in surrender and headed out to the living room.
Jess took a deep breath and steeled herself. Oh, yes, she thought as she went to her closet and pulled out a small forest green suitcase. I’m doing this.
When she was ready, she paused just outside the living room, and stared at the back of his head. He was seated on the edge of her large white sofa and appeared to be leafing through one of Abby’s National Geographics.
It’s not too late to call this off, she thought nervously. Laugh it off or something? You really don’t think this is the best way to get him to notice you? If he hasn’t made a move by this point, why put yourself through the agony of him possibly laughing in your face?
No, she answered herself. This is not just about him making a move or me making a move. It’s about feeling comfortable in my own skin and doing something fun. Remember? This is about fun. Darn it.
Jess squared her shoulders and walked into the living room, her patent leather, blue and white sling-back, peep-toe pumps clicking steadily beneath her.
Becker looked up and she was gratified to see the magazine slip a little in his hands.
“Jess--” he breathed out.
“You called my bluff,” she said with a smile. “I take that kind of thing very seriously.”
His eyes followed her as she walked to stand a few feet in front of him. Her deep purple silk robe fell to just below her knees, showing off her sheer black stockings. Jess put her hands on her hips.
“Now, the ensemble I’ve got on is traditionally used in actual burlesque shows, but can also be used at home,” she said, her voice clear and precise. She faltered slightly and mock whispered, “I had to memorise the sales pitch, I hope you don’t mind.”
It took him a moment, but eventually Becker cleared his throat and said “I don’t mind in the slightest.”
“Great!” Jess smiled and her hands went to the belt of her robe. She loosened the bow and said, “Now, remember, the first rule of burlesque is to have fun. The second is to tease.”
She shrugged her left shoulder and her robe slipped off, revealing an expanse of bare skin from her throat to her elbow. Becker’s eyes widened and the magazine slipped completely from his hands.
Jess laughed a little and there must have been something in her expression that made him relax a little, because he laughed a little himself.
“Now, if you’re ready, I’ll show you the ensemble?” she asked, amazed at how easy it was to fall back into the role of salesperson.
“By all means,” he said sounding dazed.
With a little twirl of the end of the robe’s belt, she undid it completely and let the robe fall off her body. She stood there in her dark blue and black lace corset and mini-petticoat.
“Jesus Christ, Jess,” Becker breathed, his eyes slowly raking over her body. “I will never doubt your word again, so help me, God.”
She grinned and fought the urge to look down at herself. “I told you I wasn’t lying.”
“I believe you,” he said not blinking. “I really, really do.”
She smoothed her hands over her sides and said, “Well, on with the pitch. I’m wearing a traditional burlesque outfit which includes stockings, suspenders, sweetheart knickers, petticoat and corset.”
“The point of the outfit is, of course, to be easily removable,” she said turning to the side and showing off her profile. Her hands went to the top of the lacy petticoat. “This comes off with just a release of the snap.”
Jess released the snap and let the petticoat fall to the floor, revealing her black suspenders and knickers.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he said, smoothing his hands over his knees.
“Yes, I can see the headlines now,” Jess said with a grin. “SAS man falls over dead while watching woman remove clothing. Buck up, soldier. You can take it.”
“I’m not sure I can,” he said meeting her eyes. “Jess-- You look fucking fantastic.”
She bit her lip and felt her cheeks flush. “Thank you,” she said softly. They held each other’s eyes for a few moments, before she arched an eyebrow. “Do you want to see the rest of the pitch?”
“There’s more?” he asked, his eyebrows rising as well as his voice.
"Just a few more interesting features," she said her hands playing with some of the little ruffles on the corset. "For example, these are easily taken off."
She plucked at a row of lace ruffle and peeled it off slowly. Jess dropped the lace on the floor. She repeated the move on another row.
"Jesus," he said under his breath.
"Now, I called this" -she indicated her mid-section- "a corset earlier, when it's actually a waist cincher fitted underneath a strapless bra."
Becker blinked. "That sounds painful."
"Well, it can be," Jess admitted. "Which is why you should get properly fitted for one."
He smirked. "I should?"
Jess smirked right back. "You'd be surprised. Would you like to touch it?"
His smirk fell right off his face. "What?"
"It's part of the pitch," Jess said, her earlier uncertainty creeping up on her and tapping her shoulder. "Would you like to feel the material and the structure?"
"Yes," he said hoarsely. "Yes, I would very much like to touch you. It. Both."
A happy smile spread across Jess' face. She took a step forward and held out her hand. Becker took a deep breath and put his hand in hers. She grasped it with both hands and placed his hand on her side.
"You can feel the boning here," she said unevenly, not having counted on his hands being quite so large and bloody warm. "And the material is softer than it appears, isn't it?"
"Yeah," he said his hand curling around her waist and sliding up her side. "Very soft."
Jess turned so that he was faced with her back. He sucked in a breath and she wondered if it was due to the bit of her lower back that was exposed thanks to the sweetheart cut of her knickers.
"The cincher has eye-hooks in the front to help ease putting it on," she said wondering if she was pushing her luck. "But, this one has actual lacing in the back to cinch it tighter, if you wish to."
She felt his hand run up the length of the lacing and shivered. Taking a chance, she asked, "Would you like to try tightening it?"
His hand stopped and she thought she heard him groan. "What?" he asked.
"You can tighten it, if you want," she said looking over her shoulder at him. He was staring at the lacing but looked up to meet her eyes. She reached behind her and indicated the loose bow at the bottom of the cincher. "Just pull, like you'd tighten your bootlaces."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," she said honestly, referring to far more than the offer to tighten her laces.
He cocked his head to the side and then nodded. He took the two loose ends of the lacing in his hands and tugged gently.
Jess pursed her lips. "I think you can do better than that, Captain."
A look of determination came over his face and she quickly sucked in a breath right before he tugged properly on the laces. The cincher pulled in at least an inch at her waist. Jess slowly let the breath out.
"Holy fuck, Jess," he said, his hands caressing her waist and ribs. "Did I hurt you?"
"No, no," she said turning around. "I knew you could do it."
He shook his head. "You have no idea how amazing you look. I had no idea. Jess..."
"It comes off, too," she said. His head snapped up to look at her. She nodded. "It's actually my favourite aspect of the whole thing. You just press in on the eye hooks and it comes off. The bra stays in place."
He let a finger trail up the tiny eye hooks on the front and then over the top of the bra. He never let his finger actually touch her flesh, just the material, but she shuddered and felt warm all over.
"Show me," he said softly.
"You can help, if you'd like?" she said. He nodded and she took his hands in hers and placed them flat on her ribs. Her hands rested on top of his. "Now, we'll just press them towards each other. On three. One. Two. Three."
She guided his hands and pushed them in and down. The cincher came undone and Jess let it fall to the floor, her pale, flat stomach revealed in the process.
"Oh, God, Jess," he said sounding out of breath and turned on and just on this side of desperate. "Do you know how much I want you? How much I've wanted you for months now?"
"Really?" she asked, taken aback. "Months?"
"Months," he confirmed with a nod as he looked up into her eyes.
"Since when?" she asked still focussed on the fact that he liked her. Had been liking her for some time. "The bomb at Ethan's?"
He nodded. "That was a pretty big indicator. But the clincher was probably when Lester told me that you told an Admiral, to his face, that you liked your coffee frothy, thanks very much." He shook his head. "I know I've said it before, but bloody hell, Jess, you're brilliant."
"Oh," she breathed out. "So, you don't feel like laughing in my face with me all" –she gestured to her lingerie- "like this."
"Laughing is definitely not the urge I've currently experiencing," he said with a perfectly straight face. "In fact, the urge I'm feeling came on me the second you opened the door wearing those flip flops."
Jess blinked and felt a mixture of disbelief and arousal. "You mean-- I didn't have-- You wanted-- Ugh. You'd better be bloody good at this."
And then her hands were framing his face and she was kissing him.
It took him only a fraction of a second to catch on and then he was kissing her back, his hands grasping her now naked waist and pulling her onto his lap. She happily straddled him, licking into his mouth and running her hands through his hair.
His hands held her hips steady as he ground up against her. In a move that surprised her, he lifted them up slightly and turned so that she fell onto the couch on her back. She scooted up slightly, straining upwards to keep her mouth to his.
He groaned as their kisses became wicked and dirty. His hands came up to cup her breasts over her bra and she tugged at his t-shirt, pulling it up and off. Her hands smoothed over the planes of his chest, gliding over muscle and stopping to tease his nipples.
"Jess," he said into her mouth and she just nipped at his lower lip, before sucking on it.
She could feel him trying to unhook her bra and giggled when he cursed.
"Such a boy," she said reaching around to unhook it herself. He spared a moment for a short glare as he threw the bra across the room before he lowered his head and encased her nipple in the wet, warmth of his mouth.
The feeling was so welcome and so very good, her back arch clear off the sofa and she hooked her leg around his hip, grinding up against the bulge in his jeans.
He switched to her other nipple and Jess writhed beneath him, stretching to reach the fly of his jeans. She unzipped him and reached her hand in to palm his cock.
They both moaned at the feel of her hand on him, and Jess relished how hard and heavy felt in her hand.
He lifted off of her to shuck his shoes, boxers and jeans off, and then he lay on top of her and slid a hand up her still stocking-clad legs, over her thighs and around to her bottom, pulling her closer to him.
They kissed madly, her hands mussing up his hair. He left her mouth to trail kisses down to her chest where he paid some more attention to her breasts. She couldn't help smiling in appreciation and pleasure. Then his mouth went lower and licked across her abdomen.
"Jess," he said into her lower stomach.
"Mmmm?" She looked down to meet his eyes.
"Were these knickers expensive?" he asked, his tongue darting out to lick along the edge of said knickers.
"Oh, God," she said at the sight of his tongue on her skin. "No, not really."
"Are you particularly attached to them?"
"No."
"Good." He grinned. Then with a sharp tug at the seams on either side, he tore her knickers off.
Jess' jaw dropped. "You just tore my knickers off! I didn't think that was possible."
"You'd be surprised what they teach you in military school," he said seriously. Then he winked and licked a stripe directly over her centre.
Jess squeezed her eyes shut and called out something that was probably his name, but she couldn't have sworn to it.
Her hands rooted themselves in his hair as he licked and suckled and teased. When he added one finger and then another and crooked them, she cried out and came so hard, her knees tingled and she lost her breath.
She came back to earth when she heard him whispering and pressing soft kisses next to her ear.
"Do you have any idea how bloody lovely you are?" he said, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Do you know what I want to do to you?"
"That wasn't it?" she asked weakly turning her head and kissing his mouth, then pulling back to lick her lips, tasting herself.
"Not hardly," he said smiling back and settling on top of her once again. "But first..."
And then he slid into her. They let out equal sounds that were a combination of a groan and a sigh. Jess pulled her legs up, so that the silk of the stockings rubbed against his thighs and side.
He thrust into her with more force and she met his drive with a roll of her hips. Sweat ran down the side of his face and she lapped it up. He turned his head to kiss her, messy open-mouthed kisses that soon became nothing more than their lips touching as their bodies rocked faster and harder together.
Then his pelvis ground against her clit and Jess' orgasm washed over and through her body, surprising her and making her fingers dig into his shoulders.
Becker groaned as her legs tightened against his hips and with erratic and jerking thrusts he came, emptying himself into her.
They lay in a heap on her couch, his head resting in the juncture of her neck and shoulder, while she gently ran her hands over his head and neck.
He pulled up a little and chastely kissed her mouth.
"Hi," she said smiling.
"Hi, yourself," he said kissing her nose. "Stay here."
"Like I'm capable of movement," she said.
They both grunted as he pulled out of her and she watched him leave the room. She stretched and fought the urge to do a wiggle of satisfaction.
Becker came back, gloriously naked, and holding a damp flannel.
"Such a gentleman," she said.
"But, of course," he said running the flannel over her gently. Then he crawled onto the couch and she cuddled close to him.
"You're still wearing your shoes," he said after a few minutes of sated silence.
"Mmm," she said nuzzling his chest. "Shall I take them off?"
"Oh, I don't think so," he said smoothing his hand over her hips down to tease the skin shown by her suspenders. "I did say I had things I wanted to do to you."
Jess lifted her head. "So you said. I don't suppose you'll let me in on what said things are?"
"Possibly," he said with a shrug.
"Hmm." She placed her hands on his chest and pulled herself up to sit astride his body. His hands curved around her waist and glided up her ribs to gently massage her breasts. She sighed. "May I abuse your body in the meantime for my own pleasure until you feel like sharing?"
"Oh, yes," he said shifting beneath her. "Please do."
Jess smiled.
Fandom: Primeval
Ship: Jess Parker/Hilary Becker
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 4,322
Warning: sex and language
Disclaimer: They are not mine. And the title of the fic comes from the song Girl, put your records on by Corinne Bailey Rae.
Spoilers: Season five.
A/N: Umm, yeah. I'll just be sitting over here, looking for my shame. I'd also like to mention that I don't actually know anything about burlesque. I have probably taken some extreme liberties. Beta'd by the amazing
fringedweller who thinks this should be subtitled 'Jess Parker, you minx.'Summary: Becker calls Jess' bluff. He really should know better.
“See you later, Jess!” Abby called from the living room. “You sure you don’t need a hand?”
“I’m sure,” Jess called back from her seated position on the floor of the bathroom. “I’ve almost got this thing put together. Have fun! Take pictures!”
“You got it! See you!”
Jess heard the door close and continued to struggle with the shelving unit she’d picked up from Ikea to put over the toilet. It wasn’t actually all that difficult, just unwieldy.
She’d finally gotten joist G matched up with shelf B when there was a knock at the door.
She frowned. Abby or Connor must have forgotten something. If it was anyone else, she’d have had to buzz them in.
Delicately putting the shelves down, she went to get the door, her bright green flip-flops slapping the floor. Seeing as it was Saturday and her only plans included a bit of light carpentry, she was wearing an old pair of jeans that were worn around the back pockets and a navy blue tank top.
She opened the door with a, “Forget something-oh! Hi!” Jess smiled at the sight of Becker standing on the other side.
“Hi,” he said looking very laidback in his jeans and leather jacket. “Shouldn’t you ask who it is before opening the door?”
“I thought you were Connor or Abby,” she said.
“I was just dropping off one of the smaller EMDs for Abby to take on their trip,” he said shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Abby wanted an EMD?” she asked. “Why?”
Becker shrugged. “She said something about not tempting fate and better safe than sorry.”
“Fair enough,” Jess said shaking her head.
“They told me to come up because you needed help with something?” he said nodding at her flat.
“Oh! Well, yes, of course come in,” she said stepping to the side. As he brushed past her she caught the scent of his aftershave that she knew he only wore when he wasn’t planning on being downwind of any predators. It smelled delicious.
“I don’t actually need help,” she said walking back towards her bathroom. “I’m just putting up a shelving unit over the toilet. I’ve got it together. Mostly.”
Once in the loo, Becker looked at what she’d done so far and nodded. “Were you thinking you’d be able to actually lift it up and over the toilet, though?”
Jess made a face. “I hoped I would?”
He smirked. “Move over. I’ve done this before.”
“Oh, I can only imagine,” she said hopping onto the counter next to the sink watching him take off his jacket and half-heartedly throw it next to her. She picked it up and folded it neatly, then set it back down. “Are you a joiner in your spare time?”
“Not recently,” he said picking up where she’d left off, and deftly putting the parts together. “But, I had a summer job when I was a teen working with a mate and his dad helping to do some renovations on a house. It was a good learning experience. Lots of splinters and smashed thumbs.”
“Ouch,” she said watching the way the muscles under his t-shirt flexed and shifted. “Is that how you got the scar on your forehead?”
He looked up at her and smiled a little. “No. That was at Sandhurst.”
“Really? What happened?”
“Well,” he said looking back down and taking the mallet she offered to hammer in the small nails, “it was during one of the training exercises. One of the other cadets wasn’t very coordinated and when he swung his rifle around, it swung right into my forehead. Needed seven stitches in the end.”
“But I bet you finished your training exercise,” she said crossing her legs.
“Of course.”
“Blood streaming all over your face.”
“In the rain and mud.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Hey, it made a man out of me.”
“Oh, no doubt about that.”
He peered up at her and she just grinned unrepentantly. Becker just chuckled and went back to the shelves.
“What about you?” he asked. “Ever have one?”
“What? A traumatic experience at military school?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes. “No, not that I recall.”
He glared up at her. “I meant a summer job.”
“Oh, yes, actually,” she said blinking. “One summer during uni, I worked at a shop.”
“Let me guess, clothes?” he said setting the shelves upright and testing their sturdiness.
“Amongst other things,” Jess said slowly, wondering if she was really going to tell him what the other things had been.
“And shoes?” he offered standing up and eyeing the space over the toilet.
“Amongst other things,” she said feeling a spark of mischief spread through her.
“Jewellery?” He lifted the unit and started to put it into place.
“Amongst other things.” Jess was grinning and really rather enjoying herself. She hopped off the counter and helped him to manoeuvred the shelves into place, her bare arm brushing against his.
“Hats?” he said through gritted teeth as they worked the shelves into place.
“Amongst other things.”
“Christ, Jess,” he said shooting her an amused look as they stood back to look at the shelves and judge their suitability. “What else do women wear?”
She grinned. “It was something of a specialty shop.”
“What kind of specialty shop?” he asked slowly. He was looking at her fully now and she decided to put him out of his misery.
“Well, the front part was simply clothing, mostly vintage,” she said stepping forward to press her hand on the shelves and nodding at them. “The back section sold burlesque clothing.”
She smiled in satisfaction at the shelves and turned to tell Becker thank you, but bit her lip when she saw the, well, flummoxed expression on his face.
“Bur-burlesque?” he said. “As in, stripping?”
“That’s a fairly common misconception,” Jess said matter-of-factly. “While it does include some ‘stripping’, it’s more about the tease and the fun, rather than just taking your kit off.”
She smiled a little and looked back at the shelves. “My roommate at uni worked there and they were short-staffed one summer, so I pitched in. She used to tell me that it was the fact that she could get people smiling and cheering with just the suggestion of nudity that was the most fun.”
Jess looked back at him. “Plus, she was a dance major and was brilliant at choreography. A lot of burlesque is dancing and routines. Entertainment.” She paused and stepped towards him. “And you look like I’ve just hit you with a blast from an EMD, are you all right?”
Becker blinked. “Yeah, yeah. Just... Well, I never thought of you as the burlesque type.”
“Well, I never performed or anything,” Jess said. “But I love clothes and they needed someone to, well, model stuff from time to time. It was fun.”
“Model?” If Jess wasn’t mistaken, his eyes had just glazed over.
“Yeah, model. Try stuff on. Show people how it fit together.” She paused. “And how it came off.”
He stared at her and the bathroom suddenly felt very, very small.
“How it came off?” he repeated.
“Un huh. Only to the women,” she added quickly. “Never to, well, men. It wasn’t that kind of shop.”
He swallowed hard and Jess was mesmerized by the movement of his throat, and wondered if he’d taste as good as she thought he might.
“I... I’m not sure I... Are you having me on?” he finally asked, his brow furrowing.
Jess’ jaw dropped. “Well, I’m hardly lying, thank you very much. Is it really that hard to believe? That I might have worn something sexy and fun and frilly?”
“Well, that’s not hard to believe,” Becker with a smirk. “But the rest? I don’t know, Jess. I think I’m going to have to call your bluff here.”
“Hmmph,” Jess said feeling not a little offended. She turned to look at the shelves, and then whirled around. “Thank you for putting up my shelves, Captain.”
“Jess,” he said, smirk disappearing. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just can’t really see you--”
“Oh, I know,” she said. “And I wasn’t kicking you out. I was merely thanking you for your assistance. Now, please go into the living room and have a seat. I’ll be with you momentarily.”
She turned as elegantly as she could in flip flops and walked out of the bathroom towards her bedroom.
“Jess,” Becker said standing just outside the bathroom looking far too sexy for his (and her) own good. “What are you doing?”
“Something that I probably should have done ages ago,” she said over her shoulder. “Now, go and sit down, Captain. I can make it an order...?”
He held up his hands in surrender and headed out to the living room.
Jess took a deep breath and steeled herself. Oh, yes, she thought as she went to her closet and pulled out a small forest green suitcase. I’m doing this.
When she was ready, she paused just outside the living room, and stared at the back of his head. He was seated on the edge of her large white sofa and appeared to be leafing through one of Abby’s National Geographics.
It’s not too late to call this off, she thought nervously. Laugh it off or something? You really don’t think this is the best way to get him to notice you? If he hasn’t made a move by this point, why put yourself through the agony of him possibly laughing in your face?
No, she answered herself. This is not just about him making a move or me making a move. It’s about feeling comfortable in my own skin and doing something fun. Remember? This is about fun. Darn it.
Jess squared her shoulders and walked into the living room, her patent leather, blue and white sling-back, peep-toe pumps clicking steadily beneath her.
Becker looked up and she was gratified to see the magazine slip a little in his hands.
“Jess--” he breathed out.
“You called my bluff,” she said with a smile. “I take that kind of thing very seriously.”
His eyes followed her as she walked to stand a few feet in front of him. Her deep purple silk robe fell to just below her knees, showing off her sheer black stockings. Jess put her hands on her hips.
“Now, the ensemble I’ve got on is traditionally used in actual burlesque shows, but can also be used at home,” she said, her voice clear and precise. She faltered slightly and mock whispered, “I had to memorise the sales pitch, I hope you don’t mind.”
It took him a moment, but eventually Becker cleared his throat and said “I don’t mind in the slightest.”
“Great!” Jess smiled and her hands went to the belt of her robe. She loosened the bow and said, “Now, remember, the first rule of burlesque is to have fun. The second is to tease.”
She shrugged her left shoulder and her robe slipped off, revealing an expanse of bare skin from her throat to her elbow. Becker’s eyes widened and the magazine slipped completely from his hands.
Jess laughed a little and there must have been something in her expression that made him relax a little, because he laughed a little himself.
“Now, if you’re ready, I’ll show you the ensemble?” she asked, amazed at how easy it was to fall back into the role of salesperson.
“By all means,” he said sounding dazed.
With a little twirl of the end of the robe’s belt, she undid it completely and let the robe fall off her body. She stood there in her dark blue and black lace corset and mini-petticoat.
“Jesus Christ, Jess,” Becker breathed, his eyes slowly raking over her body. “I will never doubt your word again, so help me, God.”
She grinned and fought the urge to look down at herself. “I told you I wasn’t lying.”
“I believe you,” he said not blinking. “I really, really do.”
She smoothed her hands over her sides and said, “Well, on with the pitch. I’m wearing a traditional burlesque outfit which includes stockings, suspenders, sweetheart knickers, petticoat and corset.”
“The point of the outfit is, of course, to be easily removable,” she said turning to the side and showing off her profile. Her hands went to the top of the lacy petticoat. “This comes off with just a release of the snap.”
Jess released the snap and let the petticoat fall to the floor, revealing her black suspenders and knickers.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he said, smoothing his hands over his knees.
“Yes, I can see the headlines now,” Jess said with a grin. “SAS man falls over dead while watching woman remove clothing. Buck up, soldier. You can take it.”
“I’m not sure I can,” he said meeting her eyes. “Jess-- You look fucking fantastic.”
She bit her lip and felt her cheeks flush. “Thank you,” she said softly. They held each other’s eyes for a few moments, before she arched an eyebrow. “Do you want to see the rest of the pitch?”
“There’s more?” he asked, his eyebrows rising as well as his voice.
"Just a few more interesting features," she said her hands playing with some of the little ruffles on the corset. "For example, these are easily taken off."
She plucked at a row of lace ruffle and peeled it off slowly. Jess dropped the lace on the floor. She repeated the move on another row.
"Jesus," he said under his breath.
"Now, I called this" -she indicated her mid-section- "a corset earlier, when it's actually a waist cincher fitted underneath a strapless bra."
Becker blinked. "That sounds painful."
"Well, it can be," Jess admitted. "Which is why you should get properly fitted for one."
He smirked. "I should?"
Jess smirked right back. "You'd be surprised. Would you like to touch it?"
His smirk fell right off his face. "What?"
"It's part of the pitch," Jess said, her earlier uncertainty creeping up on her and tapping her shoulder. "Would you like to feel the material and the structure?"
"Yes," he said hoarsely. "Yes, I would very much like to touch you. It. Both."
A happy smile spread across Jess' face. She took a step forward and held out her hand. Becker took a deep breath and put his hand in hers. She grasped it with both hands and placed his hand on her side.
"You can feel the boning here," she said unevenly, not having counted on his hands being quite so large and bloody warm. "And the material is softer than it appears, isn't it?"
"Yeah," he said his hand curling around her waist and sliding up her side. "Very soft."
Jess turned so that he was faced with her back. He sucked in a breath and she wondered if it was due to the bit of her lower back that was exposed thanks to the sweetheart cut of her knickers.
"The cincher has eye-hooks in the front to help ease putting it on," she said wondering if she was pushing her luck. "But, this one has actual lacing in the back to cinch it tighter, if you wish to."
She felt his hand run up the length of the lacing and shivered. Taking a chance, she asked, "Would you like to try tightening it?"
His hand stopped and she thought she heard him groan. "What?" he asked.
"You can tighten it, if you want," she said looking over her shoulder at him. He was staring at the lacing but looked up to meet her eyes. She reached behind her and indicated the loose bow at the bottom of the cincher. "Just pull, like you'd tighten your bootlaces."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," she said honestly, referring to far more than the offer to tighten her laces.
He cocked his head to the side and then nodded. He took the two loose ends of the lacing in his hands and tugged gently.
Jess pursed her lips. "I think you can do better than that, Captain."
A look of determination came over his face and she quickly sucked in a breath right before he tugged properly on the laces. The cincher pulled in at least an inch at her waist. Jess slowly let the breath out.
"Holy fuck, Jess," he said, his hands caressing her waist and ribs. "Did I hurt you?"
"No, no," she said turning around. "I knew you could do it."
He shook his head. "You have no idea how amazing you look. I had no idea. Jess..."
"It comes off, too," she said. His head snapped up to look at her. She nodded. "It's actually my favourite aspect of the whole thing. You just press in on the eye hooks and it comes off. The bra stays in place."
He let a finger trail up the tiny eye hooks on the front and then over the top of the bra. He never let his finger actually touch her flesh, just the material, but she shuddered and felt warm all over.
"Show me," he said softly.
"You can help, if you'd like?" she said. He nodded and she took his hands in hers and placed them flat on her ribs. Her hands rested on top of his. "Now, we'll just press them towards each other. On three. One. Two. Three."
She guided his hands and pushed them in and down. The cincher came undone and Jess let it fall to the floor, her pale, flat stomach revealed in the process.
"Oh, God, Jess," he said sounding out of breath and turned on and just on this side of desperate. "Do you know how much I want you? How much I've wanted you for months now?"
"Really?" she asked, taken aback. "Months?"
"Months," he confirmed with a nod as he looked up into her eyes.
"Since when?" she asked still focussed on the fact that he liked her. Had been liking her for some time. "The bomb at Ethan's?"
He nodded. "That was a pretty big indicator. But the clincher was probably when Lester told me that you told an Admiral, to his face, that you liked your coffee frothy, thanks very much." He shook his head. "I know I've said it before, but bloody hell, Jess, you're brilliant."
"Oh," she breathed out. "So, you don't feel like laughing in my face with me all" –she gestured to her lingerie- "like this."
"Laughing is definitely not the urge I've currently experiencing," he said with a perfectly straight face. "In fact, the urge I'm feeling came on me the second you opened the door wearing those flip flops."
Jess blinked and felt a mixture of disbelief and arousal. "You mean-- I didn't have-- You wanted-- Ugh. You'd better be bloody good at this."
And then her hands were framing his face and she was kissing him.
It took him only a fraction of a second to catch on and then he was kissing her back, his hands grasping her now naked waist and pulling her onto his lap. She happily straddled him, licking into his mouth and running her hands through his hair.
His hands held her hips steady as he ground up against her. In a move that surprised her, he lifted them up slightly and turned so that she fell onto the couch on her back. She scooted up slightly, straining upwards to keep her mouth to his.
He groaned as their kisses became wicked and dirty. His hands came up to cup her breasts over her bra and she tugged at his t-shirt, pulling it up and off. Her hands smoothed over the planes of his chest, gliding over muscle and stopping to tease his nipples.
"Jess," he said into her mouth and she just nipped at his lower lip, before sucking on it.
She could feel him trying to unhook her bra and giggled when he cursed.
"Such a boy," she said reaching around to unhook it herself. He spared a moment for a short glare as he threw the bra across the room before he lowered his head and encased her nipple in the wet, warmth of his mouth.
The feeling was so welcome and so very good, her back arch clear off the sofa and she hooked her leg around his hip, grinding up against the bulge in his jeans.
He switched to her other nipple and Jess writhed beneath him, stretching to reach the fly of his jeans. She unzipped him and reached her hand in to palm his cock.
They both moaned at the feel of her hand on him, and Jess relished how hard and heavy felt in her hand.
He lifted off of her to shuck his shoes, boxers and jeans off, and then he lay on top of her and slid a hand up her still stocking-clad legs, over her thighs and around to her bottom, pulling her closer to him.
They kissed madly, her hands mussing up his hair. He left her mouth to trail kisses down to her chest where he paid some more attention to her breasts. She couldn't help smiling in appreciation and pleasure. Then his mouth went lower and licked across her abdomen.
"Jess," he said into her lower stomach.
"Mmmm?" She looked down to meet his eyes.
"Were these knickers expensive?" he asked, his tongue darting out to lick along the edge of said knickers.
"Oh, God," she said at the sight of his tongue on her skin. "No, not really."
"Are you particularly attached to them?"
"No."
"Good." He grinned. Then with a sharp tug at the seams on either side, he tore her knickers off.
Jess' jaw dropped. "You just tore my knickers off! I didn't think that was possible."
"You'd be surprised what they teach you in military school," he said seriously. Then he winked and licked a stripe directly over her centre.
Jess squeezed her eyes shut and called out something that was probably his name, but she couldn't have sworn to it.
Her hands rooted themselves in his hair as he licked and suckled and teased. When he added one finger and then another and crooked them, she cried out and came so hard, her knees tingled and she lost her breath.
She came back to earth when she heard him whispering and pressing soft kisses next to her ear.
"Do you have any idea how bloody lovely you are?" he said, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Do you know what I want to do to you?"
"That wasn't it?" she asked weakly turning her head and kissing his mouth, then pulling back to lick her lips, tasting herself.
"Not hardly," he said smiling back and settling on top of her once again. "But first..."
And then he slid into her. They let out equal sounds that were a combination of a groan and a sigh. Jess pulled her legs up, so that the silk of the stockings rubbed against his thighs and side.
He thrust into her with more force and she met his drive with a roll of her hips. Sweat ran down the side of his face and she lapped it up. He turned his head to kiss her, messy open-mouthed kisses that soon became nothing more than their lips touching as their bodies rocked faster and harder together.
Then his pelvis ground against her clit and Jess' orgasm washed over and through her body, surprising her and making her fingers dig into his shoulders.
Becker groaned as her legs tightened against his hips and with erratic and jerking thrusts he came, emptying himself into her.
They lay in a heap on her couch, his head resting in the juncture of her neck and shoulder, while she gently ran her hands over his head and neck.
He pulled up a little and chastely kissed her mouth.
"Hi," she said smiling.
"Hi, yourself," he said kissing her nose. "Stay here."
"Like I'm capable of movement," she said.
They both grunted as he pulled out of her and she watched him leave the room. She stretched and fought the urge to do a wiggle of satisfaction.
Becker came back, gloriously naked, and holding a damp flannel.
"Such a gentleman," she said.
"But, of course," he said running the flannel over her gently. Then he crawled onto the couch and she cuddled close to him.
"You're still wearing your shoes," he said after a few minutes of sated silence.
"Mmm," she said nuzzling his chest. "Shall I take them off?"
"Oh, I don't think so," he said smoothing his hand over her hips down to tease the skin shown by her suspenders. "I did say I had things I wanted to do to you."
Jess lifted her head. "So you said. I don't suppose you'll let me in on what said things are?"
"Possibly," he said with a shrug.
"Hmm." She placed her hands on his chest and pulled herself up to sit astride his body. His hands curved around her waist and glided up her ribs to gently massage her breasts. She sighed. "May I abuse your body in the meantime for my own pleasure until you feel like sharing?"
"Oh, yes," he said shifting beneath her. "Please do."
Jess smiled.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-08-19 07:39 am (UTC)