House Rule #1

Notes: Hello! This is the first of 3 summer stories I am working on! This first chapter is a little short, but I think it 'called out' to have the chapter end where I left it.

Just a few notes: This is an AU – no blackout and includes two happy couples. Sergeant Major Miles Matheson, Lejeune has decided to use his month-long leave sneak away with his new fiancé. The two decided to use Bass' cabin for July, in the isolated, cell phone service free Washington Island, Wisconsin. And, to no-one's surprise Major General Bass Monroe, Quantico also has plans for a vacation at his cabin...

Walking out onto the deck of the log cabin Angela took a sip of the steaming coffee that had been waiting for her and breathed in the cool, fresh forest air. Looking around noticed only a few birds chirping and the mid-morning rays of sunlight that broke through the trees that surrounding the cabin. Figuring he would return when his run was done, she settled into the wooden Adirondack chair painted fire engine red and focused on the peace and quiet while she polished off her coffee. Twenty minutes later she heard the panting breaths of the sexiest man she had ever known stalking through the house toward where she sat on the porch. Without looking up she admonished, "You let me sleep in. I would have run with you."

Smiling Miles bent and kissed the crown of her head before responding, "You looked so peaceful and beautiful all cuddled up in the blankets – I just couldn't bring myself to wake you. Besides, I wasn't in the mood to get my ass kicked by a girl." Miles took the seat on the opposite side of the small table and gulped down half the bottle of water before he stopped to smile at Angela again. "I am so glad you finally said 'yes'!"

Choking out a small laugh Angela replied, "I don't remember you asking before last night when we watched that incredible sunset and I would have both remembered and said 'yes'!"

Taking her hand in his, Miles kissed her knuckles before adding, "Actually, I've been asking you for years; every time you slept in my arms I would ask, and every time I stood and watched your plane fly away after a visit I would ask… last night was just the first time I was brave enough to ask while you could hear me."

Angela stood and settled herself onto his lap before leaning in for a long kiss. Miles wrapped her into his arms and nipped at her bottom lip. Grinning as he heard her moan and settle into his kiss, Miles moved his lips to the column of her neck and sucked on her pulse point, while his fingers strummed her nipple like the strings on his beloved guitar. Curious, Angela asked, "So you said you asked my father for permission… does that mean you also spoke with my brother?"

Setting her aside like he had been doused with ice water, Miles shuttered before responding, "Thankfully, my soon to be ex-best friend Major General Bass Monroe has been far too busy with his assignment at Quantico and some college intern that his secretary says occupies all his time, so I have not yet had the pleasure of giving a man I have been friends with since I was 5-years-old a reason to kill me."

Swatting at his shoulder Angela laughed, "Please he will be fine with us! You are his best friend and I am his beloved little sister, who would he trust more than you?"

Grudgingly Miles replied, "It's not so much a matter of trust, as it is a matter of him still thinking of you as the 12 year old little girl that cooed and fawned over my daughter Charlotte when she was born. You've got to remember you are marrying an old man… with a 21-year-old daughter."

Grinning she stroked his muscular chest and responded, "No, I am marrying a sexy as hell; totally built, well-endowed hunk that promised me he was ready and excited to be a father to our children."

Rolling his eyes, but appeased by the 'well-endowed hunk' Angela had included in her description, Miles playfully asked, "When did we say we were having these children?"

With a look of shock, she said, "You promised me right away!"

Thrilled that she had missed his trap, Miles pronounced, "Well then woman, you better get naked so we can get to work on that project of ours." To Miles' delight, Angela stood and untied the sash of her robe before letting it drop to the floor. Seeing her standing completely naked before him, Miles looked his fill before standing and pulling off his sweat soaked shirt and then pushing down his workout shorts.

Shaking her head Angela responded, "No way, you shower first buddy!" When he only laughed at her words she took off running toward the bedroom.

As they climbed up the weather honed stone steps to, what he believed was his perfect cottage in the woods, Bass laughed at Charlotte and tried to explain, "I have never brought a woman here…"

Giggling she tried to deadpan, "I feel special, but you just lied."

Startled Bass stopped and turned to look back at her, "What?" he asked.

Patting his chest Charlotte explained, "I have been here dozens of times – with my father; with you and my father; even with Angela and Cynthia."

Shaking his head Bass responded, "That is not what I meant and you know it. You coming up here with Miles for vacation was… father / daughter time, and the last time I was here for one of those visits was when you were 14. I meant really women, like ones I sleep with."

Realizing his mistake, Bass sputtered but was unable to say anything before Charlotte said, "Oh, I'm a real woman alright and if you are not careful you won't be 'sleeping' with me either." Her pout and air quotes when she had said the word sleeping made him mentally kick himself.

Leaning forward, Bass kissed her cheek, "I love you and this last year we have been dating has shown me that you are likely more woman than I can handle and certainly a better woman than I deserve."

Reasonably placated by his nuzzling of her neck and his words, Charlotte pushed him back. Throwing back her shoulders and jutting out her hip, Charlotte asked, "So you like my new vintage bikini?"

Bass let his eyes slide up and down the length of her and smiled. He long golden locks were pulled back and tied off with a cherry red bow; the bikini was baby blue with white banding and thick red stitching with little clumps of cherries all over it – both the bottom, which had that high waist granny style (although he was smart enough to know not to call them granny panties); and the top covered far more than anything he would usually see at the beach, but – not surprisingly – she made demure look amazing. "Ah, yes definitely! This is definitely a more is better situation, because leaving so much to my imagination has led me to doing some real intense thinking during the drive up here."

Charlotte batted his shoulder and Bass turned to continue up the steps before saying, "And, that bikini would look even better on my floor."

Pushing him forward, both Charlotte and Bass laughed, as she prompted him to resume explaining the house rules. Bass slipped the key into the lock and reached to turn the handle, before he turned his head back and said, "Ok, so house rule #1…". He paused hearing laughter coming from inside and then stood in shock as he watched his naked best friend chase his naked sister from the deck toward the bedrooms. Then yelling continued, "HOUSE RULE #1: YOU NEED TO WEAR MORE CLOTHES!"

Startled Miles and Angela stopped dead in their tracks, before she jumped behind him and he grabbed a pillow to offer some protection.

Confused and unable to see past his broad shoulders, Charlotte tossed her bikini top over his shoulder and said, "But I thought you just said that this would look even better on your floor?"