~~~~~~~
It was bad enough they were having a disagreement, but what made it worse was the fact that the Squid's best friend was there to witness it.
They were sitting at the dining room table enjoying an after dinner brandy with their coffee and dessert. Carlo was working on his second piece of apple pie and telling Spencer how much he enjoyed it. "When are you gonna' come home with me, SugarPlum? You know, I'd treat you right."
JC smirked. Carlo was always saying things like that to her. Spencer laughed at the marine and then proceeded to tell him that the special pear shaped apples came from a little mom and pop grocery store she had discovered not far from Dupont Circle.
"How far off Dupont, was it?" JC asked, well aware his wife had wandered into areas where he didn't want her shopping.
"Mmmm, not too far." Spencer was purposely evasive. She should have known her husband would be unhappy about this and she could have kicked herself for not thinking before she spoke. It was a subject that had come up before and one that always sparked fireworks between them. Spencer felt fairly comfortable shopping in downtown DC although she did occasionally wander slightly from the mainstream shopping areas.
"You know I don't want you shopping in those places by yourself, sweetheart. It's too dangerous." His voice was clearly disapproving. "Aren't there any other places where you can get these specialty fruits you like? Maybe in Georgetown?"
"JC! It's not as bad as you make it sound. And besides, I like the owners and I like shopping there." She pursed her lips and in an exasperated voice, continued. "I swear, you'd keep me locked in this house if you had your way."
He didn't think she was far from the truth. "I probably *would* keep you locked in this house if I thought it was the *only* way to keep you safe."
"JC, you will *not* treat me like a helpless child. I took care of myself very well before you happened into my life and I will continue to do so." Spencer was already indignant and well on her way to being very angry. "I will shop where and when I want to and that's the *end* of the discussion."
"You will not!" The strong tones of his commanding voice were clear. "If you have to go into downtown Washington, someone needs to go with you."
"And who would that someone be?"
"I don't want you anywhere near there but if that's not a feasible option," he grumbled, "I suppose I could live with your going there if you're accompanied by a security detail surrounding you - all six men fully armed," he added.
"And a SeAL team doing advance recon," Carlo added with a smirk, "and another SeAL team for back-up." He was grinning broadly.
JC smiled. He thought that was a reasonable suggestion.
Spencer glared at both of them. "Aye-aye, Sir," she responded with a great deal of sarcasm. Carlo grinned at her. He knew this wasn't over.
"JC, when will you remember that I am not one of your officers? Do not expect me to jump or kowtow or... I am *not* one of your subordinates. Nor am I some sailor you see on the street who sees you approach and mumbles - Oh gee, here comes an officer. I'd better salute before he blisters my butt."
JC folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. Carlo started laughing and he couldn't stop. He was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes and he knew *no one* had talked to JC like that since he was a midshipman.
"You're not helping the situation, Carlo," she said sternly.
"Don't worry, SweetCheeks. You let me know when you want to go shopping and I'll go with you. You'll be safe with me."
"The hell she will, jarhead!" JC yelled at his good friend - his heavily muscled - Afro-American friend. "You two will stick out like a damn sore thumb!"
Carlo laughed. "Yeah, I guess we will... especially, if I bring a couple of armed squads with us!" making his friend chuckle at his remarks; Spencer glared at him.
Later that evening, Spencer remained angry about JC's bossy manner. He was still upset that she had shopped in an unsafe area and he began to worry that she shopped in other unsafe places. He brought the last of the dirty dishes into the kitchen where she was loading the dishwasher.
Standing behind her, he put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head. "We are not going to bed until this is resolved, Spence," he said softly. "We are not going to bed angry with each other and I want your word that you won't shop in an unsafe area again. I want to make love to you, baby, and I want to hold you in my arms all night."
She turned in his arms. "And you can't do that when you're angry with me, can you?" She moved out of his arms... very upset... with him and with herself. She kept her voice low. "I don't want... you're not going to spank... I'll sleep in the guestroom, tonight. I'm too angry to..."
"No, you're not," he said sternly and pulled her back into his arms. "You're sleeping in our bed - *nowhere* else." He looked into her unhappy eyes, took a deep breath and spoke softly again. "I want to make love to you, dolcezza. If we're angry with each other, it's not lovemaking. I want to make love to you," he murmured, tipping her chin up further. "Are you really angry with me or just unhappy about the circumstances?"
"They're one and the same. You... want to control where I go and that makes me angry. And *you're* angry with me. I need to..."
He was suddenly exasperated and his voice got louder. "You're sleeping in our bed and that's..."
"That's an order?!?" Spencer was flabbergasted.
Before she could move out of his arms again, he lifted her high onto his chest and carried her into the bedroom. "You're sleeping in our bed and that's all there is to it. End... spank... of... spank... discussion..." Spank
He left her briefly to turn off all the lights and secure the house and when he returned, she hadn't moved. She was still lying on the bed - in the same position - where he left her.
Spencer was hurting. She and JC had not been this unhappy with each other in a long time and it made her ache a little. She had never loved anyone before he came into her life and she had never fully trusted anyone but him. They had disagreed on any number of things in the past - and generally something they had laughed or teased each other about later. This disagreement had taken on a different tone and it left her unsure and unsettled.
JC stripped down to a T-shirt and shorts, sat on the side of the bed and reaching for her, pulled her onto his lap with her back against his shoulder. He moved her feet closer to him, slipped her shoes off and proceeded to massage her feet. Neither one spoke.
He took his time rubbing her insteps and her soles and then gently rubbed and squeezed each individual toe. When he let go of her feet, he lifted her higher in his arms and held her close to his chest where he stroked her hair with one hand and her back with the other. It took a moment for him to realize she was quietly crying. His heart ached. He knew he had caused those tears and wished he could have called his words back. He tilted her face up and dried them with his lips, kissing each wet spot, but her tears continued to flow.
"Baby, baby," he choked on his words. "Don't cry. Please don't cry."
She lifted her tear stained face to look at him and her fingers lightly brushed his face. "I can't stand that..." she hiccuped. "That you're... that you're so angry with me." Her tears continued to flow.
His arms pulled her into a tighter embrace and he rocked her gently. "Sweetheart, I'm not angry. I love you. I just want you safe." He brushed her hair back and kissed her tear-stained face again. "Ti amo," he whispered. "Ti voglio bene. I love you so."
0600 Hours
When Spencer woke, she was lying on JC's chest. One hand rested near the side of his neck, the other stretched up over his head. Her face was buried under his chin and she could feel his pulse on her cheek. His arms were around her back, one hand resting on her butt. She was warm and comfortable and she wanted to stay that way.
Remembering the events of the previous evening, she was devastated all over again that they had been so angry with each other over... apples! She wanted to buy the specialty apples for him and didn't think about wandering off the main streets to get them. He had been concerned about her safety and typically, in her opinion, over-reacted. Regardless, it was not worth fighting over. She wouldn't go there alone again.
She rubbed her face against his skin and squeezed the back of his neck. She knew he was awake. "Do you still love me... as much, squidlet?"
"I never stopped, cara mia," he said softly.
"Sure?"
"I'm sure," he replied huskily and turned her over onto her back to show her how much he loved her.
JC thought there was nothing like a little slow sweet lovin' to get their day off to the right start. Holding her in his embrace, he nuzzled and kissed all her sweet parts and when he gently spread her thighs and knelt between them, she lifted her hips so he could more easily enter her. Turning onto his back, his palm warmed her bottom while they joined. Their union was sweet and tender - his hips meeting hers in the way of lovers - their release a brief moment of joy in their lives.
~~~~~~~~~
When he came back from lunch and opened the door to his private office, the first thing he saw was his sassy imp sitting in his chair with her feet on top of his desk. He grinned at her as he dropped his briefcase and cover on one of the leather chairs.
"Have you no respect?" she barked at him. "Stand at attention, sailor!"
"Yes, ma'am."
She lifted her legs off the desk, her skirt falling away, giving him an ample glimpse of her thighs. She put her hands behind her back, pursed her lips and walked around him.
"At ease, sailor. That is, if your memory is long enough to remember how to stand that way."
The high ranking naval officer grinned as he moved his body into the correct position. Spencer stood behind him and fingered his palm.
He squeezed her hand.
"Admiral!"
He turned and caught her in a tight embrace, kissing her thoroughly. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered. "Any punishment you deem necessary..."
"I needed you," she said softly. "I was hoping you had a few minutes to..."
"You still hurting, mia bella?"
"A little."
"Bambina, mia adore," he murmured, holding her close to him. "I'll try my best to get home early tonight."
"In time for supper?" She cupped his cheek and ran her thumb over his lips.
"How about we eat out?" He kissed her thumb and then kissed her mouth. "Wear something sexy," he whispered huskily. "Just for me."
~~~~~~~~~
JC thought about kissing her when Spencer leaned toward him and opened her mouth as he offered her the last shrimp from their appetizer platter.
"You have an awful lot of clothes on, my love," Spencer remarked softly as she slipped her hand onto his thigh.
He smiled at her as he quickly but gently covered her hand with his... just in case her hand had planned to slip a little closer to his crotch. Oh yeah! Been there - done that, he remembered vividly... and in this restaurant.
"We're in a restaurant, sweetheart. Do you think I should be wearing any less?"
She ignored his question. "I'll bet your wearing underwear, too, aren't you?"
"Uh-huh," he responded, nodding as he sipped his wine and looked at her with a questioning gaze. And then inhaling sharply, he almost choked on his wine. "You're not?"
She smiled wickedly at him as she shook her head. "Not a stitch."
She laughed softly as she reached up to cup his chin and run a quick thumb across his lips - lips that were slightly parted as he continued to stare at her for a few seconds. "Want to feel?" she teased and pulled his hand onto her thigh. She slipped it across her lower lap and let it linger there for a few seconds.
He swallowed hard; his voice took a dive. His stomach turned upside down and he began to feel warm - all over. The telltale bulge in his trousers began to throb.
You'd think after the hundreds of times he had made love to her and had seen her naked, he'd just smile at her silliness, eat his dinner and take her home to bed. He couldn't get over his reaction to the visual she gave him.
"The hell with dinner; they can pack it up for us. I'd rather have you!"
She teased him all the way home. At first, she held one of his hands; he was able to deal with that. Then she started to lightly finger his palm; he felt shivers shoot up his arm. "If you keep doing that, bambina, I'm going to have to pull over to the side of the road and love you properly," he warned.
Spencer smiled, wondering what that would be like. She knew a not-so-gentle spanking was implied if he actually drove onto the shoulder. She seemed to give heed to his warning and stopped playing with his hand. Sighing, she pulled his arm around her shoulder and snuggled into him. JC calmed considerably, focusing his attention on the road. He gave her shoulder a tight squeeze but knowing it was not in her nature to be so quiet, was suspicious she was up to something. Sure enough, it was too good to last. The naughty scamp pulled his hand to her mouth and began licking between his fingers. Just when he couldn't take any more and was going to tell her how hard he was going to spank her for this, she moved his hand to her breast.
He automatically caressed her nipples - his fingers alternating with his palm - his hand teasing her. She seemed content to snuggle closer to him and she leaned slightly against him as his hand moved over both breasts, fondling her.
Just a couple of short miles from home, she spread her thighs and moved his hand to her crotch. She pushed the heel of his hand against her vulva back and forth and then just held it there while she took a shaky breath. She wasn't the only one breathing hard. JC's arousal more than matched hers. When he finally pulled into their driveway, she pried his hand away from her and slipped it under the skirt of her dress - pulling it toward her spread legs - teasing his hand with her wet and silky softness.
He was completely undone. He pulled his hand away from her to turn off the engine, pulled the emergency brake and pushed her down against the front seat. Following her down, he buried his face between her thighs and indulged his mouth. When she arched her back and grabbed his shoulders, he continued stroking her until she collapsed.
JC was in pain; his erection was killing him. He scooped her up in his arms, swiftly walking from the car to the house and in the door. Kicking it shut behind him, he set her on her feet as soon as he made it to the bedroom, landing several rapid firm swats as he did. He tossed his jacket at the same time he slipped out of his loafers. When he pulled his shirt out of his trousers, Spencer slipped out of her shoes and laid a hand on his chest. Her face was flushed. His face was flushed as well. "Just a minute, sailor."
She turned her back on him and lifted her hair off her neck. JC reached for the zipper on her floor-length turtleneck dress. When he unzipped it, she let it drop to the floor in a puddle and turned around to judge his reaction. She was completely naked, two pale pink marks - one on each cheek - where his hand had landed. His arm froze in space as he looked at her. He hadn't expected her to be *completely* naked... he thought she might have something on.
"That's... that's all you had on tonight? That and your shoes?" He gulped air and Spencer smiled, closing the space between them.
When he reached out to hold her, she skipped away, laughing.
"Hurry up, squid. I'll be in the shower."
He hurried, pulling down his boxers and tripping over his pants as he tried to get out of them as quickly as possible. In one swift motion, he yanked his shirt and T-shirt over his head and stepped into the bathroom just as Spencer stepped into the shower. She giggled when he caught her in his embrace - he still had his socks on.
"Come here, squidlet. Let me love *you* now." She hugged him to her, capturing his lips and then slid down his body to take his stiff shaft into her mouth. He leaned against the shower wall with his hands in her hair - smiling at the imp - enjoying her loving - still so wild about her - always yearning for her smile, her laughter, her touch, her loving.
When he knew he was close, he lifted her and impaled her gently. "Let me love you, bambina. I need to be inside you now."
Later... when he rubbed the towel over her wet body, he murmured how he was going to spank her, how she would tingle.... how she would beg for more... how she would yearn for more of his loving.