A/N - Did I say my mind wandered toward the gutter in Chapter 2? I meant Chapter 3. Yes, definitely Chapter 3. So mind the rating, kids. And happy reading. ;)

Chapter 3

The post wedding celebration had been in full swing for over two hours and showed no signs of abating any time soon. That was fine by Sam. She was enjoying herself more than she really should, mostly because Jack was more attentive than she could ever remember. In fact, he was acting far more like her date than her commanding officer, fetching her food and drink, placing his hand possessively on the small of her back, and giving her small smiles every time she caught his eye. Each time he did so, a sharp pang of desire shot through her.

It was for that reason, when the opportunity came to dance slowly with him, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. He hesitated for only a moment before he returned her embrace and buried his face in a spot just below her ear, swaying with her slowly to the music.

Somewhere, in the far reaches of her rational mind, she knew that she was playing with fire. But the longer she moved with him, the less she cared. His hands ignited her skin where they touched her bare back, and every time he exhaled, the feeling of his warm breath just under her ear sent chills down her spine. She wanted him so desperately it hurt.

Just as she was beginning to think she couldn't take this slow torture any longer, she realized that it was no longer his breath she felt on her neck, but his lips. She stiffened ever so slightly, then let a soft sigh and tilted her head to one side to give him better access. For a split second, she was in ecstasy, as Jack kissed the sensitive skin all the way down to her clavicle.

Without warning, he pulled away from her. She looked up at him, confused, and found his eyes burning with desire and doubt.

"Jesus, Carter, I...I don't know what came over me." He stared at her with a furrowed brow for just a moment longer, then turned on his heel and stalked off without another word.

Sam stood in the middle of the revelers, dumbfounded. But before she had time to dwell on what had just happened, the tall stranger from the previous night approached her.

"A beautiful woman should never be left alone at a party." Sam turned to look at him, and he put his hand on her shoulder. "I see now that you are indeed unattached." With that, he rubbed his thumb over her skin.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, still distracted by Jack's sudden departure.

He held up his thumb to her face, and she saw that some of the sparkling oil had rubbed off on his hand. "You are marked as yet unclaimed. And if he is not man enough to...keep you entertained," he said, gesturing in the direction Jack had walked, "then, please, allow me."

Sam studied the man carefully. She was't entirely sure what he meant by being unclaimed, but she really didn't like the way that sounded. However, it was clear he wanted her. She had to admit that she was tempted to take him up on his offer. He was good looking, and it had been so long since she'd enjoyed the company of an attractive man.

She sighed and shook her head. Regardless of his sudden lack of interest, Jack was still the only one she wanted. "I'm sorry," she told the man, "but I'm not available."

He looked at her for several seconds before responding. "As you wish," he said finally. He bowed slightly and walked away.

Sam looked around the crowded space. Everywhere, people were laughing and talking, dancing and drinking. At that moment, Skaara surprised her by grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into a throng of dancers. Within a matter of minutes, she was laughing with the rest of them, the awkward situation with Jack momentarily forgotten.

Suddenly, she was thrust forward by the movement of the crowd and was certain she was going to fall. Much to her relief, she felt a pair of strong hands grasp her upper arms, steadying her and holding her upright against his chest. She chuckled at her own clumsiness and looked up to thank her savior, only to realize she was staring straight into the eyes of her commanding officer.

For several minutes, it felt as though they were in a bubble, the music and movement of the people around them fading, then forgotten. He continued to stare at her, deep desire reflected in his eyes. Sam continued to look at him, unmoving. She became acutely aware that she could feel the hard planes of his chest under her palms and smell his scent above all others in the crowded room. A frisson of electricity seemed to pass between them, and Sam felt her breath hitch as he finally broke his gaze to look at her lips, then back at her eyes. He parted his lips, and leaned in, and Sam felt a pang of longing in her core, as she prepared to meet him halfway. Much to her surprise, though, he passed her lips and went straight to her ear. "We should get some air."

She nodded, too stunned to speak, and tried not to look disappointed. He grabbed her hand and turned to make his way out of the crowded room, toward the exit. It was slow going. Many people were still dancing, and several tried to stop them to offer food or drink or simply to greet them. Jack, though, waived them off and pushed forward, his hand still grasping Sam's tightly as he maneuvered through the throng.

Sam trailed behind, following blindly and chastising herself the whole way. She couldn't believe she thought he was going to kiss her. Perhaps he had seen her exchange with the handsome stranger. He probably just assumed she was drunk and was trying to keep her from embarrassing herself. Her cheeks flamed red. She wondered if he realized what she had been thinking before he had started pulling her out of the pyramid.

Finally, they made it outside. Still Jack didn't stop. There were fewer people out here, but it quickly became clear that he was looking for somewhere even less public. Oh god, she thought. Was he going to dress her down?

He followed a trail leading toward the oasis. Here they were far from the party, and as he led her further down the trail, the sounds of the revelers faded into the night, replaced by the quieter noises of nocturnal insects and running water. Finally, he stopped and pulled her behind a small monolith. He looked down at her with an intensity that actually scared her a little, and closing her eyes, she prepared for the worst. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes again, only to find him staring at her with the same longing she had seen when she initially fell into him during the celebration.

Oh my, was her last coherent thought. Then his palms were on her face and he brought his lips down on hers, hard. Immediately, she opened to him, allowing him to explore her mouth with his tongue. She met him thrust for thrust, running her hands around his shoulders and up through his hair. She held him to her, and he slowly backed her up against the flat face of the monolith. He moved his lips from her mouth to her neck, where he kissed and sucked the sensitive skin, sending chills down her spine. Using his hips, he pinned her against the stone. She groaned when she felt the unmistakable evidence of his desire pressing into her abdomen, her own desire pooling warm and wet between her thighs.

Without warning, he pulled back just far enough to cup her cheek. They were both breathing hard. "Are you sure you want this?" he whispered.

"God, yes. For so long," she replied, breathless, and pulled his head down to hers.

He kissed her, then pulled back once again. "You aren't drunk, are you?"

"No, sir," she smiled coyly.

"Alien virus?"

She let out a small laugh. "Not this time."

He gave her a half grin, then his lips were back on hers, his hands making their way from her hips to her chest, pushing her linen dress aside to free her breasts. She moaned as he palmed her soft skin and ran the pads of his thumbs over her erect nipples.

Sam moved her lips to his neck, kissing and sucking his salty skin. Her hands ran down his chest to his crotch, where she grasped and stroked his hard length through the thin linen cloth of his pants.

"Want you," she whispered in his ear.

He groaned. "Tent. Now." Oh, but she had reduced him to single syllable sentences.

"No." She shook her head. God, she couldn't remember ever being so turned on. "Too far."

She stroked him again, and he was lost. "Here?"

"Yes. Please, Jack," she pleaded again, and the sound shot straight to his groin.

It was all the invitation he needed. He held her against the monolith and raised her dress to her waist, letting his fingers run over the surprisingly bare skin at the apex of her thighs. She gasped when he caressed her and quickly pushed his pants down. He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, touching him now in the most intimate way possible.

She shifted against him, and he was suddenly pushing through her slick folds, sheathing himself slowly inside of her. Now they both moaned, and the moment she enveloped him completely he began moving with a slow and steady rhythm.

His lips traveled from her face, to her neck and her breasts, as they continued to move against each other. Sam was overwhelmed with sensation - the way he tasted, his scent, the soft, deep sound he made every time he moved within her, the feel of his heavily muscled arms, wrapped around her and holding her steady.

But more than the intense physical sensations he was eliciting, she felt an emotional connection, stronger than anything she had ever experienced before. After years of repressed longing and love, everything that existed between them was now exposed and finally culminating on this night under the starry Abydonian sky. For the first time, she was ready to give herself to him completely, body and soul.

Sam soon felt the tension in her core building rapidly, each movement Jack made bringing her closer to the edge. Suddenly, she tightened around him, and sensing that she was close, he began thrusting harder and faster. "Oh god, Jack!" she cried, her fingers digging into his back. And then she was completely consumed by the waves of pleasure radiating throughout her body.

At the same time, Jack's movements became erratic and with just a few more thrusts, he was moaning her name over and over as his release overwhelmed him. He continued thrusting against her for several more seconds until he was completely spent. Finally, he stilled and rested his forehead against hers.

They were both still trying to catch their breath when he spoke. "I'm so sorry, Sam."

"What?" She pulled back to examine his face. Was he serious? It had been, well, much longer than she cared to admit since a man had taken her so high. Did he think she didn't enjoy it? Oh god, was he having regrets? She furrowed her brow. "For what?"

He rested his forehead against hers again and sighed. "This wasn't exactly how I imagined our first time together."

So that was it. Okay, so it might not have been the most romantic coupling, but it had been damn hot. She was still wrapped around him, leveraged between his body and the stone, for crying out loud. She smiled, and in her most seductive voice said, "Oh? And how did you imagine it?"

He gave her a soft half-smile. "Well, there was a bed for one…and a lot more foreplay."

She grinned from ear to ear. "Six years of foreplay not enough for you?"

At that he actually leaned back and laughed out loud. He kissed her again, gently this time, letting his lips linger on hers. Slowly, he set her on the ground. Once they had straightened their clothes, he held his hand out to her. "Come on," he said with a sly smile.

She placed her hand in his without hesitation. "Where are we going?"

"To find a bed. I'm not done with you yet, Major, and I intend to spend the rest of the night working on foreplay alone."

They made their way from the oasis quickly and stealthily, though Jack refused to let go of Sam's hand until they were inside their tent. Once there, they quickly divested one another of their clothing. As Jack gently lowered Sam back onto the feather mattress, she noticed someone had lit the lanterns, as well as the candle heating the oil.

For the remainder of the night, they made good use of said oil as they explored each other's bodies thoroughly. It quickly became apparent that they moved in bed the same way they did in the field, communicating without words and instinctively knowing what the other needed. As they touched and tasted, kissed and stroked, what few remaining inhibitions they had left disappeared completely. But it was not only the physical barriers that were removed, but the emotional ones as well, with long repressed feelings finally exposed through whispered truths.

By the time they made love again, they knew they were done hiding behind the strictures of military regulation. What they had was worth fighting for, and even though neither Sam nor Jack had exactly figured out how they were going to accomplish it, they understood that they would ultimately find a way to be together. For now, it was enough.

As the gray light of dawn began seeping through the edges of the tent, Jack held Sam tightly to him, her head tucked under his. Sam listened to the steady thudding of his heartbeat and smiled into his chest. "They'll probably be here any minute."

Jack sighed. "I know, damn it. If I could figure out a way to hang a sock on the tent flap, I'd do it."

She chuckled. "But then, of course, they'd know." She moved back a little to look at his face. "Are we telling them?"

"Do you want to?"

She snuggled back into his chest. "Eventually. But maybe we should just keep this to ourselves, at least for a little while."

"Alright." He kissed the top of her head. "But in that case, we'd better get dressed. I don't think they're going to buy 'conservation of body heat' as an excuse for being wrapped around each other this time, especially since we're naked."

Reluctantly, they rose and got dressed. Not long after, they heard Daniel calling from outside the tent. "Hello? Jack, Sam, are you up?"

Jack raised the tent flap and walked out into the daylight, with Sam close behind. Daniel studied him carefully for a moment. "Have fun last night?" he asked them both with a slight smile.

If Sam didn't know better, she would have sworn Daniel knew something. She shot a quick look at Jack, who just shrugged. "It was good party."

They began walking toward the main tent. "We were unable to locate you during the latter part of the evening," Teal'c said, looking straight ahead, with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Um, I got a little tired after a while and decided to head back to the tent," Sam replied. "Colonel O'Neill accompanied me."

"I see." Teal'c said. Sam thought she saw the faintest trace of a grin on the Jaffa's face.

As they continued to make their way across the camp, everyone who passed smiled at them, and several offered Jack and Sam their congratulations. After the last such exchange, Jack stopped suddenly and whirled around to face Daniel.

"Okay, what's this all about, Daniel? Why does everyone keep congratulating us?"

The archeologist began laughing. Even Teal'c could not repress a smile.

"What!" Jack yelled, which caused him to laugh even harder.

Daniel took a moment to get himself under control, as Jack just glared at him. "I'm sorry, Jack." He took a breath and turned to Sam. "You know that oil the women used on you and Ka'tar?"

Sam spun around and looked carefully at Jack. "Oh my god," she whispered, a flush crawling up her neck.

"What?" he said again.

"The oil," Daniel began, still grinning, "is traditionally used to ensure that no one other than the groom touches the bride - and to verify that the marriage has been consummated." When Jack just stared at him, Daniel continued. "Sam already had some on her skin during the ceremony yesterday, and I'm betting it's the same oil that was in your tent, um, last night."

Suddenly, realization dawned. Jack held out his arms and stared down at his chest. All over his body, his skin was sparkling in the morning sun. "Oh no."

At that, Daniel burst out laughing again, and even Teal'c was having trouble maintaining his normally stoic demeanor. Sam just buried her head in her hands.

"Skaara's going to have the shortest marriage in Abydonian history," Jack growled as he began stalking off.

Daniel was still laughing. "Why's that, Jack?"

"Because I'm going to kill him."

The End

A/N - Hope you enjoyed. Thanks once again to my beta, Midknight Rider. And don't forget to let me know what you think!