Title: Somewhere, Something Incredible
Series: Abstinence Plus
Follows: When you need Someone
Spoilers: Post Ep for The Leadership Breakfast
Rating: R
Disclaimer: CJ and Jed aren’t mine, I always put them back when I’ve finished.
Somewhere, Something Incredible
She was livid at Toby and quite frankly she had every right to be. Once again he had been played by a woman and for once he was willing to admit it. Of course she wasn’t sure if Ann was trying to get back at him or her. Their short-lived affair had pretty much been ended when he chose to go to CJ’s graduation rather than accompany Ann to some dinner.
The president was equally as livid.
Of course Toby would make it up to her, the President, well there wasn’t a chance in hell Toby would apologize. And then there was her relationship with him to contend with. It had over a month since she kissed him and there had been nothing since, that wasn’t quite true, he had complimented her on the red dress she wore to the Congressional Christmas party and the deep blue trouser suit she wore to the staff party. In as far as a reference to that night he had been strangely silent, even going so far as to not look at her. The fact that Abbey had been around much more of late, and Josh’s problems had made the senior staff rather introverted lately would explain that.
CJ sat in her office waiting for Toby to come and offer to buy her a drink, he wouldn’t openly say the words but his gestures were aimed at smoothing things over. She was mulling over the days events and when it went wrong, the minute Toby ordered her to do it would be a good place to start. She was therefore not startled when there was a knock at the door and called out come in. His voice brought her to stand.
‘Mr President, I thought you’d gone up.’
He closed the door behind him and sat down on the couch, ‘Has he apologized?’
She was seconds away from explaining the curiosity that was Toby when she realised it was only a conversation opener. ‘He will in his own way. Are you mad at him?’
The President shook his head, ‘A little pissed. More so at the way he’s treated you than anything else.’
She looked at him in horror, ‘With all due respect Sir I can fight my own battles. Please say you didn’t tell him that.’
‘Nah, I disappeared. I would imagine he and Leo are having an interesting talk right about now though. I’m well away of your capabilities, Claudia.’
When he said her name like that she shivered, it was too intimate for her boss, for a friend.
‘Are you still mad at me?’ He asked matter of factly.
CJ turned to face him, ‘What am I supposed to be mad about?’
‘My failed attempt to seduce you.’ That earned him a blush, which started at the base of her throat and finished at her ears.
‘Ahh.’
‘Ahh?’
CJ tried to compose herself, smoothing down her outfit and gripping her hands tightly. ‘This isn’t the place sir.’
He nodded, ‘Do you even want to have this conversation?’
The phrase never in a million years sat on the tip of her tongue but the words didn’t come out.
‘It needs to be dealt with, otherwise it’s a distraction that will hang there for the next five years.’
‘I’m a distraction to you?’ He sounded so young, so taken by surprise.
CJ looked down and muttered in reply. His body was in her personal space in seconds waiting for her to repeat herself.
‘I said yes.’
‘Come up to the residence, we’ll have a drink, play chess,’ he was eager to have her around even if it was only to talk.
‘I can’t play chess.’
He grinned for the first time since entering her office, ‘Strip poker then.’
She was inches from hitting him when she remembered who he was and faced him, composing her face in the you will die painfully look.
‘I was teasing. After you.’ He stepped back to allow her to go through the door first, following close behind his hand at her back. The agents engulfed them as they walked silently through the corridors and rode the elevator up to the residence. Once there the agents scattered and the President lead her into the small sitting room.
‘Drink?’
She nodded and he returned with two glasses of brandy. The glasses sat on the coffee table as he removed his jacket and loosen his tie, kicking his shoes off to one side.
CJ slid her jacket off and removed her shoes. He watched her in amusement and she glared in response.
‘You want to go first?’ he asked taking a large sip of his drink.
‘Not really. Protocol dictates you go first.’
He sighed and ran through words in his head, wishing this was one speech he could get Toby to write. As he saw it he had one major problem, he had a monumental crush on his Press Secretary and in trying not to act upon it he had made a pass and she had run from him. A month on she was avoiding him and right now he wanted to pin her on the sofa and finish off what he started, except there was a little matter of reciprocation and sexual harassment to contend with. He shook his head and tried to figure a way of smoothing things over.
She chose that moment to pull her blouse down and straighten her shell.
Jed rose suddenly and crossed the room, trying to hide the intense reaction he was having to her.
CJ watched him with a smile; she was after all the mistress of playing games.
‘You want me to go get Sam? Thirty minutes he can have a first draft,’ she laughed.
He turned sharply and her eyes fell to his trousers, the blush that came was twice as red as before.
‘Back to strip poker, are we?’
Jed grinned, she looked as embarrassed as he felt and in that there was hope they could salvage something.
‘You are the reason the men in this building swagger Claudia.’ He watched closely as her eyes lit up and she smiled.
‘So how was your day?’ he asked.
‘Pretty much down hill all the way, my best friend gets taken in by a Republican, I have to save the day, and I’m alone with a guy for the first time in ages and we can’t make conversation.’
‘Are you planning to sue me for sexual harassment?’
CJ looked up at him in surprise, ‘Is that what you’ve been thinking?’ He shrugged. ‘Hell I kissed you.’
‘So I should sue you?’ He commented.
‘It’s only sexual harassment if I have some hold over you.’
He began to shuffle back towards her, ‘I can’t even describe the hold you have over me,’ he whispered.
‘You know this is a really big mistake right?’ CJ said softly.
‘And you’ve been thinking about it for the last month. Wondering what it’s like to run your fingers across my chest, imagining what it would be like to make love, pretending you don’t want it.’
His knuckles ran down her cheek and she stood, bending down until she was inches from his face.
It suddenly seemed important that he would respect her later, ‘That’s only the tip of the iceberg.’
His hand found it’s way to the base of her spine as he pulled her towards him; the other stroked her cheek as he eased himself forward to kiss her. It was gentle and sensual, as he tried to remember every sensation of kissing her. When he pulled back she was watching him full of surprise.
‘This is too slow for you?’
She shook her head and allowed her fingertips to lightly explore his chest through his shirt.
His hand covered her as he pressed her fingers to his chest skimming the erect nipples.
CJ moved with new confidence stroking him and teasing the buds.
Jed moved his hand to her shoulder and dragged it down towards her breasts pausing to ask permission with his eyes. He found it and began to rub gently across the satin, cupping her gently as he played with the nipples.
Her eyes widened at the gentle touch.
Jed stopped his exploration and stilled her hands on his shirt buttons.
‘Claudia,’ he whispered, ‘we can stop this now; you don’t have to do this. It’s just I can’t promise I’ll be able to later.’
She silenced him with a kiss and allowed her hands to move across his shirt buttons, exposing the dark curls there. His eyes closed as her lips found their way to his chest and continued towards his stomach.
His hand pushed her hair away from her face as his fingers twirled the tendrils around.
CJ was hovering around his navel, nipping softly at his skin when there was a knock at the door. She stilled and looked up, her face a mixture of emotion.
Jed sighed and opened his eyes,
‘Yeah.’
‘Mr President Leo is on his way up,’ came the reply.
‘Damn,’ he muttered under his breath, his hands already rebuttoning his shirt. ‘Send him in.’
CJ stood and quickly adjusted her clothing, keeping her back to the President.
Jed watched her, his heart heavy, the moment already lost.
‘CJ.’
She turned, her eyes downcast, ‘Mr President?’
He crossed to her and reached for her hand, ‘I’m sorry. Next time there won’t be any interruptions.’
She looked up suddenly, ‘Sir.’
Leo knocked on the door and waited.
‘Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known,’ He quoted
. ‘Please give me another chance to know it?’ His eyes were pleading and in that second she knew she could refuse him very little.CJ nodded and walked towards the door, pulling it open.
‘Leo. Goodnight Mr President.’
‘Night CJ.’
Leo watched them both curious, aware of an underlying tension in the room but seeing nothing unusual in their behaviour. He waited for the President to turn back to him and relayed the details of his meeting.
CJ returned to her office and discovered Toby waiting. She took a deep breath before accepting the drink he offered, wishing she lived in a different universe where life was much simpler.
The End