Blame It On the Mistletoe

Closing the door to Leo’s office, Jed took a deep breath and made a decision. Stepping back into the Oval Office he opened his bottom drawer and extracted a small badly hand wrapped package. Smiling to himself he read the hand scrawled card one more time.

Once a year Charlie and the Secret Service allowed him to go shopping. This time they had closed down Pentagon City for an hour and left him to wander between the shops.

By the time they instructed him it was time to leave he had bought presents for the three most important people in his life (other than his daughters)--the silver frame that had reduced Leo to tears, a gold bracelet for Abbey and a token gift for CJ. Raiding Margaret’s secret stash of wrapping paper, Jed had wrapped CJ’s present himself and now he wanted to give it to her.

The walk to her office took him down unusually empty corridors. It was still early but most of the staff had already disappeared for the night to celebrate Christmas.

CJ’s light was still on, the blinds drawn, the string of fairy lights Carol had hung twinkling around the window.

Jed hovered outside the closed door, wondering if she would really want to see him.

The last time he had been in her office they had been getting somewhere when Toby had interrupted. It seemed wherever they went either Leo or Toby appeared and CJ‘s walls shot up. Tonight though, he knew both were otherwise occupied and she was alone.

The decision was taken out of his hands as the door opened and she walked right into him. His hand reached out and clasped around her arm.

“Mr President,” she gasped, flustered.

“Claudia Jean,” he said huskily.

“Were you coming to see me?” she asked, dropping files onto Carol’s desk.

He nodded and fingered the parcel behind his back. “Leo’s just got back and I figured he’d need a little time on his own.”

“How is he?”

“Drained,” Jed said, thoughtfully.

“And surprised by the recess,” CJ added, studying his face carefully. “It’s okay, I don’t want to know why.” And she didn’t. It was Christmas and all that mattered was that they were all able to enjoy the festivities, if only for a few days.

Jed followed her back into the office and carefully closed the door. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s not my place to tell you.” Jed leaned against the closed door and smiled, “Where are Batman, Robin and Alfred?”

CJ raised an eyebrow and stared at him. “Alfred?”

“Josh likes to save the day, or at least he tries.”

“Okay.” CJ didn’t have a clue what he was getting at, but maybe one day it would make sense.

“I have something for you,” Jed said softly. “An early Christmas present.”

CJ tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him in awe. “You bought me a gift?”

“Yeah.”

Watching the sparkle in her eyes and the grin lighting up her face, he suddenly wished he bought her a dozen gifts. All of which would have been inappropriate and raised too many questions he couldn’t answer.

“But I didn’t get you anything,” she whined.

“That’s not how it works. I saw this and thought of you.” Jed stepped closer and held out his hand. He hoped she wouldn’t notice the flushed tinge to his skin at the memories the present had invoked.

CJ glanced down at the rectangular gift and blushed. “Is it safe to open it here?”

“Very.”

CJ slid down onto the couch and turned over the tiny square of card. She grinned as she read the words and looked up at him, her eyes full of something other than compassion.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” Jed asked, sliding into the seat next to her.

CJ shook her head. “I forgave you a long time ago.”

“In which case I’ll take this back,” he whispered, covering her hands with his own and leaving them there.

Briefly he pondered entwining his fingers with her or kissing her knuckles, but something held him back.

It was CJ who broke the moment, tugging her gift back towards her. “Oh no, you don’t.”

Jed chuckled and dropped his hands to the couch, where they stayed, lightly brushing against her leg.

Tearing the paper CJ hastily opened the package. As the last few shreds of paper landed at her feet she turned the gift over in her hand. “From Here to Eternity?”

He shrugged, “You missed most of it last time. I thought you could watch it at your leisure.”

‘And maybe we could start where we left off,’ he didn’t add.

Her laughter was unexpected and a little borne of embarrassment. Still giggling at fond memories CJ leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. When she pulled back his eyes were deep blue and he was staring at her entranced.

CJ swallowed and pretended to study the video case. “So no popcorn?”

Jed gulped and tried to regain his train of thought. “No, but I can get you some.”

“It’s okay,” she muttered, standing and laying the video on the desk. “Thank you.”

“So what do you have planned for the day after tomorrow?”

Abbey had been bugging him for a week to check that his staff had plans. He hadn’t asked them in the knowledge they would make something up anyhow if they hadn’t. Now here he was half hoping CJ was free and they could spend part of the holidays together. The other half of him was sensible enough to see the complications.

CJ shrugged, “Toby is cooking lunch. Ginger went out today and bought every item on his long list.”

“Did you buy him a gift?” Jed asked, his jealousy barely concealed.

“For Hanukkah yes. He gets slightly grumpy if I give him a gift at Christmas.”

“And you, does he buy you a gift?”

“You’re awfully nosey all of a sudden,” CJ muttered, crossing the room and switching the muted television off.

“Just curious.”

“Yes, he does. Always practical gifts.” CJ stopped in the middle of the room and gazed up at the ceiling. “I’m going to kill Donna.”

Jed followed her gaze and smiled to himself. It was like taking candy from a baby. Whoever had tied the mistletoe to the ceiling tile, no doubt Donna, deserved a raise. Glancing back at CJ he took a step towards her.

“No wonder every guy through here today has been trying to get me through the door,” CJ groaned, reaching up to pull the sprig down.

Taking her unawares, Jed wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her towards him.

“Mr President,” she breathed, her lips parting to chide him.

One hand slid up her spine to touch the back of her neck. Taking advantage of her parted lips, Jed kissed her fully on the mouth, his tongue diving between her lips.

CJ pushed against his shoulders as she fought him, trying desperately to ignore the heat coursing through her body.

After a matter of seconds Jed stepped back, releasing her waist and licking his lips.

CJ gazed at him, her eyes full of confusion, her chest flushed and her breathing labored.

“Merry Christmas CJ,” Jed whispered, reaching for the door handle.

“Jed?” came a voice, ragged and quiet.

Turning back from the door Jed waited, his eyes bright.

“I have a gift for you,” CJ said, closing the distance between them. “I think it might be something you’d like.”

“Really?”

CJ nodded as her arms circled his neck and she lowered her face until she was inches from his. “Merry Christmas Mr. President.”

Jed closed his eyes and waited. He felt her soft lips brush his as her long fingers scraped up his back. He willingly opened his mouth as her tongue flicked across his teeth.

CJ controlled the kiss, alternating between gentle exploration and hungry plundering. His hands running the length of her back and across her ass led her to moan and push against him. Running her hand through his hair, CJ plunged her tongue once more into his mouth and growled as his tongue came to tangle with hers.

Finally they came up for breath, panting and eyes alight with feral passion.

“Whoa.”

“Damn you.”

“CJ?” he asked surprised.

“You did that on purpose,” she whined, flustered and unwilling to accept her part in the kiss.

“It was spontaneous,” he corrected.

“It was unfair,” she moaned. “We agreed not to do this.”

Jed held her fast against him as he looked into her eyes. “No, I agreed because it was what you wanted, or thought you wanted. I don’t believe that now, not after that kiss.”

“We can’t. It’s…”

“We need each other more than ever.”

Silence filled the air as they stared at each other.

“Abbey is, or was, my best friend,” CJ explained. “And your wife. You have her.”

Jed took her hand in his. “And I love her. I will to my dying breath. But I love you too.”

And he did. He felt the same way about CJ as he had when he he’d met Abbey. His ability to breath when she was in the room was seriously impaired. Would he ever leave Abbey if forced to choose? That was something he didn’t want to contemplate. Did he feel guilty about cheating on his wife? Yes, but it didn’t mean he could stop. CJ was his Achilles heel. Two strong women and he loved both of them.

“Right now, while we have this time, I want you in my life,” he pleaded. “I can’t forget what we had, and I don’t want too.”

“After everything, all that Abbey has sacrificed,” CJ retorted, her head spinning with his declarations.

“I still want you.”

“Sir.”

His eyebrows rose as he shook his head. “I’m not asking for anything other than you to consider it, to consider us.”

He stroked her cheek with one hand before glancing at the clock and sighing.

“I need to check on Leo.”

“Yeah,” she replied, glancing down at the desk. “I need to go home.”

As Jed reached the door he stopped. “I meant what I said. I need you. But I want you in my life as more than my Press Secretary.” He opened the door. “Merry Christmas CJ.”

At the sound of the door closing behind him, CJ turned and exhaled. The man who had kissed her and held her in his arms was not the weak man she had imagined in her dreams. He was still the man she was in love with months before. The man she still loved now. He had told her exactly how he felt about her, now she had to decide whether she wanted him enough to take a risk.

The End