fic post
This maybe the first but sure as heck hope it's not the last. Feedback is love as is chocolate and sex, but I'll make do with just comments for now ;) ;)
Title: A Sweet Surprise
Author: Donna
Category: Drama/Romance
Characters: CJ, Leo
Pairing: CJ/Leo, CJ/Abbey (implied)
Rating: PG
Summary: “Who looks after you CJ?”
Author’s Note: This is #1 (the first oh yeah...) in the ‘Different Light’ series. Many thanks to
mcgarrygirl78
for her continued encouragement, feedback and inspiration.
“Dammit CJ, you look like hell.”
“Thanks.” She says to nobody in particular, grudgingly moving her eyes towards the voice. When she sees the face there is nothing else to do expect run to it.
His hug is as warm and solid as his smile.
“Leo. So good to see you. It really is.” She moves away one hand from his shoulder to point him to the couch. “Please.”
“Thanks.” He scans the room as he sits.
“Miss it?” She asks while removing her shoes and sliding her knees up to her chest.
“Sometimes. But sleep is better.” He half jokes trying to convince himself he is not distracted by the proximity of CJ’s feet.
“Oh sorry. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. You sure you don’t want me to move so you can sprawl over the whole thing?”
He should not have said that. Now all he can do is picture her endless limbs and sexy smile spread on the couch.
“I’m fine really. But thank you.” Was it her imagination, or was Leo blushing slightly. She dismisses her question with a sigh.
“So talk to me Mr McGarry. I didn’t know the campaign was down this way.”
“I hopped off the trail for a bit. Annabeth and Governor Santos insisted. Besides, I had a date to keep.”
Her tired eyes dazzle with interest. “Oh?”
“Don’t buy a new dress yet.” He chuckles. “I was playing chess with the President seeing as someone not too far away from me is yet to play a game with him.”
“Oh. Is he mad at me?”
“No no. But…”
She sits up quickly. “What?”
“Forget it. I don’t why I even…”
“Leo…it’s late and I’m cranky enough already. Just tell me.”
“Whenever your name came up in conversation tonight, Abbey’s eyes looked like they were spitting fire.”
Shit! CJ’s brain screams. She is barely able to keep eye contact.
“I know I don’t need to tell you this, but if it gets out that there is a rift between the Chief of Staff and the First Lady, well… the press will…”
“You don’t have to worry about a rift Leo. Trust me.” She stifles a shiver as her hand moves over Abigail’s last kiss.
“She can’t get her way, huh?” He briefly turns away when her fingers push down hard into her breast bone.
“Something like that.” CJ laughs lazily. It halts abruptly at the sound of his question.
“Who looks after you CJ?”
Their eyes collide in surprise at the enquiry. They seem brighter than she remembers.
“Oh, several heavies, a decent wage and coffee. Lots of coffee.” She answers, feebly breaking the contact.
“CJ…Drop the smarts.”
“There is somebody.” She relents with a smile. “At least I would like to think…It’s complicated.”
He gives his shin a mental kick when he watches her lips curl into her mouth. They both ignore the sound of a phone somewhere in the room.
“Sorry. That was too personal.”
“No. Thank you. It’s nice to be asked about something other than the daily grind.”
“Well I hope it works out. I really do. Least of all because you work too damn hard and need a life.”
He stands up and surprises her with a sudden smile. She cannot help but mirror his expression.
“What?” She asks her head cocked to one side in confusion. His eyes are dazzling.
“Do you like cheesecake?”
“Are you kidding? Absolutely!”
“How long will it take you to finish up?”
She stands back into her shoes. “Looking at the mess here, at least an hour. But for cheesecake and you, give me two minutes.”
***********
“You are a genius Leopold.” She gasps dipping her fork in and scooping another generous portion into her mouth. “This is unspeakably good.”
When she throws her hair back exposing her throat and a grateful sigh he has to grip hard into the table.
A muffled ring tone threatens to interrupt her but CJ continues to eat. The ringing stops before she finishes the mouthful.
“Shouldn’t you have answered that?” He asks thickly, still distracted by her obvious enjoyment. If she reacted this way to impromptu dessert, he couldn’t help but wonder what on earth she was like during sex.
“Nuhuh. That was my cell, not my pager. It can wait.”
“That is good cheesecake then.” He grins, pushing his empty plate away.
“Oh yes.” CJ beams. “And the company almost beats it.”
“Almost?” He says raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah. Please bear in mind that if almost anyone else was sitting opposite me now I would have ran off with my plate for some private time and left them with the cheque.”
His laughter makes her put her fork down.
“You are something else Claudia Jean.”
She feels her cheeks flush as her lips bloom into another smile.
“Well… I don’t know about that but…” The sound of more ringing cuts her compliment and an unexpected notion short. “Sorry, I guess I should probably check that.”
He nods understandingly taking polite interest in the sugar bowl as she reaches into her purse. She flips the phone open only to shut it almost immediately at the sight of a bright green A on the display. She drops the phone deep into the bag. Her heart is hammering with guilt and a realisation that fills her with equal amounts of panic and joy. She shakes her head in an attempt to dismiss the thought but does not succeed.
As CJ looks over to him again she knows she can blame the first missed call on being out of the room and the second on bad reception, but blaming the third on cheesecake is a step too far that even she does not believe.