Not Now Captain, My Captain (Bran)

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

The entire Bronson Family drove up to see Jo. It was wonderful seeing her old friends Thai and Dakota again, and it had been some time since she'd seen their four children. Thai and Kota had both worked in her store back in Vegas when they were all in high school together. Just seeing the pair brought back fond memories of them all and the way things used to be. Kota had been notorious for eating her lotions back in the day and it soon became evident the apple hadn't fallen far from that tree when Jo caught their second youngest son eating some of the lotion. Then again he was three and three year olds tended to eat most things anyway. It was lucky for Jo that the family was able to come on such short notice. Thai was a stay at home mother and she home schooled her older two who were in Kindergarten and second grade. The younger two were only three and one so they just needed to be watched, and Kota was recently home from Afghanistan so he was able to take a little time and he chose to do it there in Scriptor Bay for Jo. She was surprised Kota had joined the Air Force after high school considering how anti military he had been. She supposed military camp had changed him after all, but it was all for the better. He was still the same goofball she had always known him to be, but far more disciplined. And as expected, he was an amazing father. His children looked up to him in a way she had never seen children do. The Bronson kids were wild but sweet and Jo had been sad that she had to leave them at all.

Jo and Brandon had no problems escaping on Brandon's fishing boat, and slowly they sailed out of the darkness and into the light. Jo could feel the difference in the air, as though she was breathing for the first time in months. The air out there was lighter, saltier, cooler.. it felt good in her lungs and the breeze did great things for her hair. It gave her wonderful ideas for a new ocean inspired line of beauty products which she would definitely be playing with while on their little trip, but before she could do anything new she had almost two months of bills and orders to catch up on. Her Vegas store had done a decent job of keeping things going, but there was a lot still lacking. She set to work immediately.

It had been three days and she had hardly left her computer, finding she ran into problem after problem. The tins she used for her teas weren't going to be manufactured by the company she used anymore and she needed to completely redesign the tins and labels, then she found the price of the sandalwood she used doubled in price so she would need to find a new vendor for that as well. Then there were the bills and ordering and she was just so completely far behind. When she wasn't on the computer she was yelling at people on the phone, sometimes in the middle of the night since she had to work with vendors in China for many of the products she had sent in. She took breaks to eat and sleep and occasionally she got so fed up she would go sit on the deck with Brandon for a bit, but those moments were often short lived. She had too much to do to spend any significant amount of time with her boyfriend. It was all just so much worse than she had ever expected it to be.

Jo's stomach rumbled but she was right in the middle of calculating the sales for last month so she could figure out how much she owed for taxes so she couldn't break to go eat or she would lose her train of thought. Fortunately for her Brandon happened to come into the room just at that moment. She didn't even notice the sour look on his face when she looked up briefly at him. "Hey, baby." She greeted as sweetly as she could, though it was clear how frazzled she was. She had been working practically around the clock when this was all supposed to be a vacation, but Jo had told Brandon that she had too much to do to spend all her time with him and she was sure he understood. "Are there any leftovers from last night?" She asked not looking up at him again, her nose practically pressed to the screen of her laptop. "I'm starvi..." Her brows suddenly furrowed as she looked at the screen and then flipped to the book in front of her. "No.. no that's not right.. fuck!" She groaned rubbing her eyes and rubbing her eyes before giving Brandon a pleading look. "Would you mind grabbing me something? I don't care what it is, but I need to finish this." she looked back at the screen, defeated as she looked back up through the document to see where she had fucked up, or if it had even been her or maybe someone at the store fucking up. Either way it looked like she had a long night ahead of herself. At least she wasn't shifting anymore! She could get twice as much done now! Not that that was exactly a good thing...

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon was excited to sail away with Jo into the sunset, heading for California’s sunny shores. He wanted to spend time with his girlfriend, just the two of them soaking up the sun while they meandered leisurely down the shore. The fish would be plentiful down the coast and business would probably be decent, at least enough to make a living on for a few weeks. He didn’t like leaving Melanie behind, especially not at the house where they could find her if they wanted to, but she had insisted. Kevin had his own sister to worry about and someone needed to take care of Jo’s cat while they were away. Mel was only too happy to take on the job since she adored cats—funny, since they had birds’ wings. Reluctantly he agreed to let her stay behind as long as Kevin was with her to protect her. Things were still weird between him and his sister’s boyfriend, but not quite as weird as they had been before the camps. It was a shame because he could have used Kevin and Melanie’s help on the boat, but he’d do alright. With an uneasy mind and a promise to get an update every other night from Melanie, he boarded his boat and prepared to enjoy the sunshine again. After all this time without it, he was looking forward to the heat on his skin. Lying out on the deck with Jo, drinking beer and waiting for the fish to bite…it sounded amazing. There would be no one around for miles to see if they just stripped naked, too.

His dreams were quickly shattered once they got under way. He figured if she went one whole day of working, they’d have the rest of the time to themselves…okay, maybe two…by the third day he was getting pissed. What could she possibly have to do that was taking so much of her time?! Granted, he knew she would be working on this trip, but she hardly took time to eat, nevertheless do anything else! Most of the time he was out on deck by himself, casting the nets and pulling in his catch, tossing it into the box below deck to ice it. When he wasn’t catching fish, he was doing maintenance on the boat. All of the sunshine had him feeling strong again and he had more energy than he’d had in months. By the third day, everything was practically as good as new and Jo still wasn’t done. He’d been looking forward to finally sleeping with her curled in his arms all night as a human being, but she hardly even slept. They didn’t even have sex! Six weeks of separation and all she could do was sit on that damn computer and talk on her phone. He wished he hadn’t gotten her the gadgets that gave her internet and phone access. The spurts of time she did spend with him weren’t enough and he walked into the cabin late in the afternoon on the third day with a scowl on his face. He was going to confront her about this.

Her eyes met his for a brief second when he walked in the room and how quickly she looked back at the computer screen irked him. “Hey baby.” Though her voice was sweet, her face didn’t register that she was really paying attention to what she said. He didn’t return the greeting, shuffling toward the refrigerator for some much needed food. His empty stomach only put him in a worse mood. “Are there any leftovers from last night?” Leftovers from the meal he made? The leftovers he wanted to eat right now? His irritated eyes panned to his girlfriend. “I’m starvi…No…no that’s not right…fuck!” He didn’t even feel that bad that she was so frustrated. Maybe she would give up and spend more time with him. She looked at him with those big eyes, pleading with them and he just glared back. “Would you mind grabbing me something? I don’t care what it is, but I need to finish this.” The easiest thing to do would be to give her the leftovers from last night and make himself a fish sandwich. He nodded and tried to swallow his frustration as he pulled the leftovers from the fridge and put them in the microwave, grabbing a couple crab cake patties from the freezer and popping them in at the same time. They were store bought, but they were good and he had some tasty buns to pair them with. He’d picked them up when they were in Scriptor Bay. With some tartar sauce on them, maybe they would help him get out of this foul mood.

By the time he turned back around with her food and his ready, she was back to staring at her computer screen. The best first approach was to be nice. He had to suck it up and sweet talk her away from the death grip of her laptop. Carrying their food over, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, playfully kissing his way into her neck with a smile. He probably smelled like Coppertone and salt, which made her smell even better with the flowery scent of her shampoo. If he could get laid right now, he could forgive the way she’d been ignoring him. “Get off the computer.” The command was spoken in a mock growl, sounding more like a petulant child talking through his teeth. He placed their food on the table and blew a raspberry into her neck, trying to make her laugh and backing away with a wide grin before she could take a swing at him. “Come on, you’ve been working nonstop for the past three days. Take a break with me.” Brandon took a seat beside her on the bench, taking a healthy bite out of his crab cake sandwich. How could she deny him when he was sweet?

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Brandon nodded and Jo offered a weak smile of gratitude. She was lucky to have him there, and though she couldn't really pay attention to him at the moment, she was pleased with his presence. It made the task at hand seem a little less tedious knowing her lover was nearby. Jo felt genuinely bad for neglecting Brandon. She knew this was supposed to be a vacation of sorts, but she had no idea how behind she had gotten. She knew another day or two of heavy working would put her right back on schedule, and then she could spend all the time she had with Brandon even though their vacation would be half over. That still left half the time to do silly fun things together, and it wasn't as though they had stopped at any really fun ports yet anyway. Besides, Brandon had work to do too, so it wasn't so bad that she spent most of her time on the computer, or so she told herself.

When Brandon brought their food over her stomach gave a violent, hungry lurch. She would have eaten anything at that point! His gentle lips caressing her cheek only made the meal before them that much better. He always smelled of the ocean and sunscreen mixed with fish, which surprisingly didn't disgust her. Quite the opposite; it turned her on a little. It was just so... Brandon. Though her eyes were still on the screen, her head tilted to the side to allow his roaming lips access to her neck, grinning at the way he adored her. “Get off the computer.” He growled softly and her heart panged with guilt at his tone. She would love nothing more than to get off this damn computer, but she just couldn't. Not for long, anyway. She knew he was feeling a little neglected, and truth be told she was too but her business were everything. She had been building it for over a decade and as much as she cared about Brandon, she knew she had to put Sunshine's first.

"Bran.." She whined softly, her tone pleading for understanding, but his response was to blow a raspberry into the soft fold of her neck, making her laugh and wiggle in her seat. "Brandon!" She scolded, her voice high and full of humor. "Come on, you’ve been working nonstop for the past three days. Take a break with me.” She looked at him with sad eyes though there was a small smile on her face. "I know I have, but I'm just so far behind. I know I'm the boss but I have deadlines to meet. People are counting on me to get paid and if I fall too far behind I risk losing one of my stores, and the one that will go under is the Scriptor Bay location, which mean's I'd have to go back to Nevada." Jo took a bite of the fish from last night, shutting her eyes and savoring it. Brandon was a half decent cook, and there was nothing like fresh fish. "I loved Las Vegas but I love being here with you more. Trust me, I would much rather be sunbathing on deck with you. Naked.." She smiled at him and reached over, touching his scruffy face. "And I have every intention of doing that when I've caught up, but.. I have to finish this stuff." She took another bite of her food and gave a sweet smile. "How about when I finish this payroll crap we go up on deck and hang out for a half hour! I'll be all yours I promise, no interruptions! And.. uhh.. I'll cook tonight! How about that?" she tried to do the math in her head, figuring out if she would have time for that. If she stayed up late she would.. Or maybe if she got up after Brandon went to bed.. that might be a better option. She knew he didn't like going to bed alone. She would just need to force herself to not fall asleep while laying next to him.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

When Jo gave him the puppy dog eyes, Brandon knew his strategy hadn’t worked—she wasn’t going to get off the computer. He braced himself for disappointment. “I know I have, but I’m just so far behind. I know I’m the boss but I have deadlines to meet. People are counting on me to get paid and if I fall too far behind I risk losing one of my stores, and the one that will go under is the Scriptor Bay location, which means I’d have to go back to Nevada.” Sighing heavily, he sat back away from her some, looking up at the ceiling of the cabin. Okay, maybe one of the locations was at risk for going under, but was it going to do it overnight? No! She could balance out the mess more, she didn’t have to work nonstop as she was. “I loved Las Vegas, but I love being here with you more. Trust me, I would much rather be sunbathing on the deck with you. Naked…” Even though there was a sour taste in his mouth, he couldn’t help the halfhearted smirk that came to his lips at the thought. They wouldn’t be sunbathing for long if they were both naked. It would end up being sunfucking. Brandon just couldn’t help himself around his adorable girlfriend. Her hand came to his face and he gave her a disappointed look, trying not to be as bitter about being neglected as he was. “And I have every intention of doing that when I’ve caught up, but…I have to finish this stuff.” It was hard not to roll his eyes. Of course she did…

“How about when I finish this payroll crap we go up on deck and hang out for a half hour! I’ll be all yours I promise, no interruptions! And…uhh…I’ll cook tonight! How about that?” How long would it take her to cook? Thirty minutes? Barely another thirty to eat and clean up…a whole hour and a half with his girlfriend today. Whoopie…With a heavy sigh he shook his head and got to his feet. He wasn’t even hungry anymore. His frustration and bitterness were clear on his face as he ran his hand over his scruffy face, his other hand rested on his hip as he tried not to explode. “And how long is that payroll going to take you? The rest of the day? Haven’t you been working on it all day already? I get that you have a business to run, Jo. My business has suffered too, believe me. But I’m not up all night fretting about it and working twenty-four seven! I knew you were going to work, but Jesus Jo, this is ridiculous!” The more he talked the more the fire was burning in his belly. He was pissed, though! All he wanted was to spend time with his girlfriend and she was wasting their vacation with work!

Running a hand through his short hair, he turned away and tried desperately to cool himself off. “I don’t know; why can’t you space it out more? Make some more time for me? I know that sounds selfish, but you don’t even stop to sleep. I’ve never spent a whole night with you, not once! Is it so much to ask that I at least get you at the end of the day?” He didn’t think it was such a ridiculous request. Normal working hours would still save her business if she stayed as glued as she was to that computer during those hours! He wouldn’t even care if she got up at the crack of dawn to start working, but he wanted several consecutive hours of just time for the two of them! Wasn’t this an escape from Scriptor Bay, after all?

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Jo had truly thought she was being at least somewhat generous. Yes, she could have given him more time, and she would have debated with him, but he seemed more annoyed with her offer than anything else. She frowned suddenly watching him sigh and get to his feet. What was he doing? Was he leaving? She looked up at him nervously, biting her lower lip as he pushed his hand onto his hip, the other wiping down his face. “And how long is that payroll going to take you? The rest of the day?" If he didn't shut his mouth it would! She guessed to finish it completely would take the whole day, but the part she was doing now would probably only need another half hour. "Haven’t you been working on it all day already? I get that you have a business to run, Jo. My business has suffered too, believe me. But I’m not up all night fretting about it and working twenty-four seven!" Now it was Jo's turn to look genuinely upset. He couldn't compare their businesses! It was apples and oranges! "I knew you were going to work, but Jesus Jo, this is ridiculous! I don’t know; why can’t you space it out more? Make some more time for me? I know that sounds selfish, but you don’t even stop to sleep. I’ve never spent a whole night with you, not once! Is it so much to ask that I at least get you at the end of the day?”

Jo couldn't believe the audacity Brandon had attacking her like this when she was already flustered over her business. Things that would have kept her after work a couple hours, or working overtime on the weekend had been completely neglected which only made them all worse when catching up. She had nearly two months worth of e-mail to sort through and that had only been the beginning!

"Okay, first of all? Your business isn't like mine, Brandon. You can literally pick up and move anywhere, any time and your business wouldn't suffer. The men you staff get paid in cash at the end of the day depending on what you catch. All you do is catch fish and sell them. I own a company that sells actual products that I make." She reminded, her tone bordering on condescending. "I would have thought if anyone could understand why I need to work so much and so hard, it would be you but clearly I was wrong. And for the record? Yeah, you're being really fucking selfish, Brandon. You come down here and attack me when I'm up to my ears in work about how I'm not spending enough fucking time with you, not once asking Hey, do you need any help? What can I do?." She pushed her own food away, not feeling like eating now herself. "There are a hundred ways you could have worded that better. You didn't need to give me shit, Bran. I have enough shit to deal with without getting it from you too and frankly? I'm fucking tired of people needing shit from me." She snarled feeling herself on the verge of a breakdown. "You think I want to be sitting down here glued to the computer? Because I don't, but unlike you I have to deal with this crap pronto or I risk losing more money than I already have." She looked away from him, her voice lowering as she grumbled, "Maybe you should take a page out of my book and go work harder." It was an unnecessary comment, one she knew would probably get backlash, but she wasn't in the mood for him, or anyone hounding her and it was bad enough she was going to have to fight with the tin company from China AGAIN that night.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“Okay, first of all? Your business isn’t like mine, Brandon. You can literally pick up and move anywhere, any time and your business wouldn’t suffer. The men you staff get paid in cash at the end of the day depending on what you catch. All you do is catch fish and sell them. I own a company that sells actual products that I make.” Brandon didn’t like Jo’s tone at all. That’s all he did, huh? She couldn’t hack his job for one day. Not only was it backbreaking work, but it was much more complicated. He had boat maintenance to be concerned about and regular buyers, not to mention pandering for new ones. There was training newbies like Kevin and supervising your men, making sure that each man was given an equal share of work to do. He could move any time? Sure, but that meant lobbying for new business and competing with other fishermen in the area. She had a screwed up vision of what he did for a living. “I would have thought if anyone could understand why I need to work so much and so hard, it would be you but clearly I was wrong.” His eyes were an intense, dark blaze. “According to you, it doesn’t sound like I work very much at all, so how could I understand?” he spat, his tone venomous. She hardly seemed to notice. “And for the record? Yeah, you’re being really fucking selfish, Brandon. You come down here and attack me when I’m up to my ears in work about how I’m not spending enough fucking time with you, not once asking, Hey, do you need any help? What can I do?” Had he not been trying to take care of her the past several days? He cooked for her, cleaned up for her, urged her to come to bed and sleep! “I didn’t think you’d want me messing up your work! You make it sound like you would actually accept my help!” he retaliated, knowing damn well there was an eighty-five percent chance Jo would have told him there was nothing he could do to help. That was the kind of person she was and he respected that, which made him more defensive against her making him sound like an uncaring, selfish bastard.

“There are a hundred ways you could have worded that better. You didn’t need to give me shit, Bran. I have enough shit to deal with without getting it from you too and frankly? I’m fucking tired of people needing shit from me.” That stung. All Brandon wanted and needed was some time and attention from his girlfriend and she didn’t feel the same. His jaw clenched as did his fists, though he would never raise a hand to her. Were she not his girlfriend and not a woman, if he didn’t care about her, he’d punch her in the face. “You think I want to be sitting down here glued to the computer? Because I don’t, but unlike you I have to deal with this crap pronto or I risk losing more money than I already have. Maybe you should take a page out of my book and go work harder.” He stepped toward her, his eyes furious and his mouth a thin, hard line. “My business is a cake walk compared to yours? All I have to do is pick up and leave and I can be just as successful in any port I go to? That’s not how it works, Jo. I have contacts and buyers just like you do, or at least I used to. Being off the grid for two months out of the blue can put a damper on a business relationship. Now I have to fight my competitors for buyers that I’ve now lost. Some will probably come back, but with others, disappearing for two months without a word is inexcusable. Not only that, but the men I generally rely on probably don’t trust that I won’t disappear like that again, so now I’ll probably be training a bunch of new guys. Maybe it’s not as complex or high class as your job, but it’s what I know and it’s what I’m good at. But I’m not worried about my business right now. You know why? Because I’m trying to worry about you! We spent six weeks locked up and unable to touch each other, and all I want to do now is hold you and keep you close, but how can I do that if you’re working all the time?” His voice was louder than it had ever gotten with her and he was showing just how hot-headed he could be. He didn’t like it. This was supposed to be a vacation, damn it!

“You know what?” he yelled, still angry and it sounded in his voice. He crossed his arms over his torso and yanked his shirt over his head in a quick sweep. Throwing his shirt on the ground, he looked back at Jo as he tugged on the buckles of his harness. “I’m not going to fight with you! Every time you argue, I’m taking off another article of clothing!” His harness clattered to the wooden floor of the cabin and he kicked it away to show he was serious. How could she fight with him if he was stripping? There was no way to take a stripping man seriously. He wasn’t going to let their tempers ruin this vacation for them and neither was he going to let her work get in the way.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Brandon took a threatening step towards Jo and she narrowed her eyes up at him. Was she supposed to be intimidated? Brandon didn't scare her. “My business is a cake walk compared to yours? All I have to do is pick up and leave and I can be just as successful in any port I go to?" She snorted at him, grumbling "Pretty much." before he continued his rant. "That’s not how it works, Jo. I have contacts and buyers just like you do, or at least I used to. Being off the grid for two months out of the blue can put a damper on a business relationship. Now I have to...." Jo felt no empathy for him. She had too much work to do to care about Brandon's problems especially since he had no interest in her own, so she tried to tune him out, looking away with an annoyed look on her face. She didn't have time to do this with him! Hell, she hardly had time to pee it seemed. Yes, she could always take her sweet time getting things back in order, but she risked a lot by doing that. If she didn't get her shipments in to the Vegas store then she would be screwed because they would have no merchandise to sell. As it was they had been out of their most popular items for over a week now and there was no order to replenish them yet! It would take minimum a week to get more products in and stocked, which meant more money lost, and here Brandon was bitching about some customers he lost when he could easily find new ones. He already made some new ones! Sure there was some leg work but he was obviously not doing that bad if he had been able to sell some damn fish already! At least that's how Jo saw it.

"Maybe it’s not as complex or high class as your job, but it’s what I know and it’s what I’m good at. But I’m not worried about my business right now. You know why? Because I’m trying to worry about you!" Her? "Me?" She all but snarled in confusion. What the hell was he worried about? He wasn't about to lose his damn company! Then again neither was Jo, but she was certainly losing plenty of business and pissing some people off. She looked up at him, still sour faced. "We spent six weeks locked up and unable to touch each other, and all I want to do now is hold you and keep you close, but how can I do that if you’re working all the time?” How could he say something so nice in such a harsh voice? It completely ruined the sentiment behind those words and made Jo feel like he didn't want to hold her to comfort her, but to get in her fucking pants. Was that all he wanted? A fuck? Because right now she wasn't interested in getting dick, she was interested in getting things back to normal. She was making things the same as they were before that whole camp business. She was occupying her mind so she wouldn't have to think of the torture she endured at the hands of the cruel doctor, torture she still hadn't gone into detail about with Brandon out of fear of his reaction. "You could sit and keep me company." She grumbled, looking away from him and back at the computer. God he was beign such a jerk!

“You know what?” he yelled making Jo roll her eyes and sigh. Now what? What else did he have to say about it all? "What?" She asked in a snotty voice, peaking up for a second and then taking a double glance when she noticed he was pulling his shirt over his head. The hell was he doing? “I’m not going to fight with you!" She rolled her eyes as he undid his harness. For someone who wasn't going to fight with her, he was doing a fine job of sounding like a prick and yelling still. "Every time you argue, I’m taking off another article of clothing!” The harness clattered on the floor and she watched him kick it away, his sexy eagles wings fanning out behind him. They always took Jo's breath away and she wondered if this was his attempt at fighting dirty.

No. She wasn't going to fall for it! She couldn't be distracted right now! Plus he was being a prick and she didn't want to play his dumb game, not when he was being this way. "Whatever, Brandon. You can stand there naked all fucking night if that's what you want to do. It's not going to make my work go away or forgive the fact that you're acting like a complete asshole to me." She looked back at her computer, but deep down her heart throbbed and her eyes grew moist. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to walk away and take the rest of the day off, but what would the consequences be? She supposed in the end it would just make her lose a couple hundred dollars which wasn't that big a deal when it came to her sanity, but she would stick with the work on principle now considering the argument they were having. He was being selfish, and she knew she was too but her selfishness was related to her business, her baby, while his was related to his fucking groin. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking up at him, focusing her eyes on the spreadsheet in front of her, knowing that he would succeed if she looked up again and Jo couldn't lose this battle, or any.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon could see Jo looking at him and he thought for a moment the fighting would stop. Yes, she looked irritated still, maybe even a little disgusted, but he thought maybe she would give up. “Whatever, Brandon. You can stand there naked all fucking night if that’s what you want to do. It’s not going to make my work go away or forgive the fact that you’re acting like a complete asshole to me.” With that, he started to undo his pants. He was acting like an asshole? Maybe, but he wasn’t the only one. Brandon was a good fucking boyfriend! All he wanted to do was care for her, but she couldn’t even appreciate that. As she continued to ignore him, he pushed his jeans down, which left him in his boxers. If he kept doing something goofy like taking his clothes off, how could she continue fighting? He grabbed his crab cakes off the table and made for the captain’s cabin without another word. Though he was livid and no longer hungry at the moment, he knew his stomach was going to growl once he calmed down, and he was planning on being up in the cabin for a while to cool off and steer the ship. The nets weren’t cast and he wanted to get to California sooner now. Being holed up together like this obviously wasn’t doing them any good when she was working her life away. She was going to end up in an early grave if she kept at it.

In the cabin, he was still bitter. He tried playing music that would get his anger out, and while it helped, the thought of Jo calling him an asshole left a bad taste in his mouth. Was he really so wrong for wanting her all to himself? After six weeks of not being able to touch her, what was so wrong with wanting to hold her? It wasn’t even that he wanted sex! Of course he did, but that wasn’t all he wanted! He would have been fine with just cuddling with her, comforting her, talking about anything. Sitting out on the deck the past couple nights, he wanted to lay back on the deck with her and watch the night sky. There were very few things more beautiful than the night sky on the ocean where there were no lights to detract from the sheer number of stars. It hurt that she seemed to want to be working more than spending time with him. He’d left his sister in Scriptor Bay to do this with her, knowing what risk that posed for Melanie, and Jo couldn’t even spend nights with him. Brandon felt it was completely fair that he was angry and hurt right now and for two hours all he did was watch the sea and brood.

Finally he caved and ate his crab cakes, unable to deny his stomach any longer. Part of him wanted to busy himself with cleaning the deck or something, but he was too proud to go back downstairs and look at Jo. It didn’t matter that he was only in his boxers; fuck it, thug life. What mattered was the fear that if he looked at her, he’d want to fight and apologize at the same time. Eventually, however, he decided he wasn’t going to let her win by locking himself in the cabin. He thudded down the stairs and didn’t even look at her as he walked onto the deck. Problem solved. He just needed to avert his gaze in order to win this battle. Outside, he moved to the nets and laid them out while he took a seat. He was going to comb through them for any breaks and make necessary repairs. At least it would keep him busy.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Jo could clearly hear him undoing his pants, and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she refused to look up at him. Why did he need to be so damn difficult? She didn't want to fight with Brandon! She was fighting with everyone else it seemed, he was supposed to be the only good thing and he just wasn't. She turned her eyes slightly to his hand grabbing his crab cakes and saw him move away out of her peripheral vision. As Brandon walked away, Jo looked up after him, watching his sexy covered ass move up towards the cabin, his wings rustling gently as he moved. She felt an intense sense of anger and depression. She wanted to be with him, wanted her work to be over but it just couldn't be and she didn't like how he was treating her at the moment. Intent on not giving in and being the stubborn pain in the ass she was, she stayed at the computer out of spite and allowed Brandon to sit and sulk in his underwear up in the cabin by himself.

It didn't take long for Jo to fall under her computer spell again. She slowly ticked away on the keys, figuring out the problems she had come across before and fixing them. Time seemed to slip away from her again as she worked. The only thing giving away at the time passing was the burning in her eyes from staring at the screen for so long. She tried not to think about Brandon during that time, but every so often he slipped into her mind, making her heart throb. She was growing less and less angry with him as the time passed. He just wanted to spend time with her, she didn't like how he had approached the subject, though. Diplomacy wasn't exactly his strong point.

When the cabin door opened Jo felt a nervous jolt in the pit of her stomach. She looked up over the top of her laptop at the sexy winged man coming down the stairs. Was it time for round two? Would he apologize? Should she? She felt incredibly disappointed as he walked past her without so much as throwing her a glance, heading out the door to the deck. She felt that urge to cry again, hating the injustice of this moment. She was the victim, why did she feel like she was the villain? Was she? Maybe they both were victims and villains.. Jo bit her lip and looked back at the computer but she suddenly couldn't concentrate. Could she forget about her pride for five minutes?

Jo finally made up her mind. She saved all of her work and made some notes as to what she was doing. She would still need to call China in a few hours, but that was the only thing she really had to do tonight since she had spent the whole day working so far. Could she do more? Yes. There was plenty she could do but she needed to make things right with Brandon regardless of who was at fault. She shut the laptop and got up, her eyes taking a minute to adjust to the room. She stretched her arms up over her head and then arched her back, cracking her spine before she made her way to the deck.

It didn't take long for Jo to find her boyfriend. It looked like he was just playing the the nets. Afraid to touch him she simply moved beside him, kneeling down silently and watching. The sky was a deep shade of pink and purple and it really was magnificent there on the boat. It was dusk as she had never seen it before. "Do you need a hand?" She asked in a soft voice, obviously testing the waters. If he was still pissed off then she would just shut herself in for the rest of the night. Or maybe she would go do something else.. Maybe she would cook supper like she had promised before. Her head turned slightly to look at the side of beautiful, youthful face. He still looked a little thin and he was definitely in need of a shave, but it didn't subtract from his looks at all. He was still one of the most handsome men she'd had the pleasure of knowing.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon’s fingers wove through the nets, inspecting with quick and thorough fingers. He’d done this so many times in the past few days, he was certain there were no threads left to retie, which gave him time to let his mind wander. Jo was just through that door, but she seemed so far away at the moment. Maybe that’s what had been bothering him so much over the last few days—she was near, but so far away. He’d vowed he wouldn’t let her go far when they left the camps, and yet she’d found a way to separate them by thousands of miles, it seemed. He realized that the real question was…why did he care? Why did it bother him so much, why was he so insistent on having her close to him and making sure she was okay? True, they had been separated for six weeks in the camps with was enough to traumatize anyone, but it had been truly devastating for him to see her and not be able to touch her, hold her, or comfort her when she was so alone. It terrified him to think that her ex, Kit, would be the one to comfort her and he felt sick at the thought of losing her like that. The only other woman he’d ever felt so protective of, so deeply for, was his sister. So perhaps that was the answer to his question…perhaps that had been the answer all along. He knew he loved his sister and that’s why he was so fiercely protective of her and worried about her so much. If he was feeling the same way for Jo, perhaps slightly more so, then that could only mean one emotion was making him feel that way. The revelation made his brow furrow and his heart jump.

Breaking through the silence of his thoughts came the creaking of the cabin door opening and his black eyes lifted to the figure walking out of it. When he looked at her and saw the nervous sort of look on her face, the pink and purple hues of the sky making her skin seem pinker in return, he knew that his conclusion was right. Strange how it took a fight with her to make him realize how he felt. She was coming toward him and his pride made his eyes turn back down to the net, still sulky though there was a sick feeling of guilt in his stomach. He shouldn’t have spoken so harshly to her; he knew better than that. He also felt a little foolish sitting there in only his underwear, but he tried to play it off as though it were normal. She came closer and he swallowed hard, feeling strangely nervous with her presence now that he truly comprehended how he felt for her. Without a sound she kneeled next to him as his fingers continued to comb through the black nylon stands. “Do you need a hand?” Her soft words made him crack. He couldn’t be mad at her anymore. She was the most stubborn person he knew besides himself and he knew how much it took her to come out and offer a hand with his work. He felt guilty for not having caved first. When he finally looked up at her, his fingers stopping their busy work, he truly appreciated how beautiful she was. Even with the thinner face and the dark bags under her eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. Physically he’d seen more beautiful women, but Jo was the whole package for him. That fight she had and threw back in his face made her passionate and lively and she was so strong and even brave…how could he not admire her.

He pushed the net away and simply held his arms out, gesturing for her to come over and get in his embrace. When she did, he held her tightly, sighing into her hair as her face buried in his neck. His hand swept over the short, dark locks and he kissed the side of her head before burying his nose in her hair. She was curled up between his legs, sprawled a little so she could have her arms around him, but it wasn’t necessarily an awkward position. Keeping her tight against him, he just held her in silence for a long moment as he looked out at the ocean. He needed to explain himself. “I’m sorry I got so angry. I could have been more…diplomatic about all of that. And I should have offered to help. If there’s anything I can do to make it go faster or smoother, I’ll do whatever you want me too. I don’t have much else to do now, so I want to help you. I just…I’ve missed you so much. I never thought I could be so devastated by losing anyone besides my dad and my sister. But now…I’m terrified of losing you. I honestly don’t know what I’d do. I don’t know when that happened or how, but…I think I’m in love with you, Jo.” He nudged her back just enough to look down at her and sweep a hand over her cheek and into her hair, gazing into those big, brown eyes. “I’ve never been in love before…but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.” She didn’t have to say it back; he’d be ecstatic, but it was more about him getting that off his chest. He just needed her to know why he reacted the way he did.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Brandon stopped what he was doing and looked at her, his eyes making her heart melt. There was something hidden in that gaze of his, some secret adoration and she could barely breath. She watched him push the net away and open his arms, making her smile gently. No words needed to be spoken; they had both been wrong and Jo willingly moved to snuggle into his embrace. It was easy to curl up again his strong, naked frame, her fingers grazing past his soft downy feathers as she got comfortable there against him. Jo sighed, nuzzling her face against her boyfriend, right beneath his chin, glad that their fight was over. Jo shut her eyes and relished in the affection he bathed her in, his fingers combing through her dark shoulder length hair, his lips pressing to her temple.. it was heaven and she was glad she'd pulled herself away for this moment.

“I’m sorry I got so angry." The words startled her, not expecting him to really say anything, especially apologize. "I could have been more…diplomatic about all of that. And I should have offered to help. If there’s anything I can do to make it go faster or smoother, I’ll do whatever you want me too. I don’t have much else to do now, so I want to help you." Her fingers curled gently in his hair, listening silently as he spoke, her heart melting. It was nice to hear all of this. "I just…I’ve missed you so much. I never thought I could be so devastated by losing anyone besides my dad and my sister. But now…I’m terrified of losing you. I honestly don’t know what I’d do." She wanted to frown and smile at the same time. It was sweet he cared so much, but honestly he shouldn't worry about losing her! She had no intentions of going anywhere! "I don’t know when that happened or how, but…I think I’m in love with you, Jo.” He nudged her back, but she was pulling away a little, her brows high as she looked up at him, surprised. His hand swept over her cheek and she searched his eyes for some sort of hidden meaning. Love? He loved her? “I’ve never been in love before…but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

Jo was a little shocked and she swallowed hard, staring at him unsure of what to say. Did she love him too? Of course she did, but she was terrified of loving another man. She had loved Gabe and he could never commit to her despite him loving her in return. She'd loved Kit and.. well, she still loved Kit and would probably always love Kit, but that was an entirely different story. She had thought she loved others, but none of those men had come close to measuring up to Brandon. He had a temper but he obviously cared about her. What happened if he decided he didn't want to be with her anymore? It was her curse. She had no problem getting guys to fall for her, it was sticking with her that was the hard part.

She looked almost sad as she looked back into his intense, puppy dog eyes. He was truly handsome, and Jo had been lucky to snag another cutie. "I'm not going anywhere, Brandon." She told him gently, her fingers coming up to cup his cheek lightly, her thumb brushing past his sharp, stubbled skin. "I want to be with you, and.. well, I love you too, but.. this love stuff brings us to a different level and.." She didn't know what she was even trying to tell him. She shrugged her shoulders and looked down, staring at his chest instead of his face. "Are you even ready for that? Is that what you want? Because I don't want to rush you and I don't want you to run away. I've had too many guys with commitment issues and I don't want to play that game anymore, so.. are you sure you want to cross this whole lovey dovey threshold with me?" She bit her lower lip, tensing slightly as she looked up at him once more. It was a truly loaded question. He had no choice but to say yes unless he wanted to devastate her, but Jo prepared herself. He could say no.. she would be okay and she would move on. Or maybe he wanted to wait longer.. she could wait, couldn't she? It wasn't like she was planning on popping out babies or anything any time soon. Though a baby would be nice.. and they would make such cute babies.. Jo forced herself not to think of that, searching his eyes for an answer.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“I’m not going anywhere, Brandon.” The man inwardly sighed, relieved he hadn’t scared her off with his arguing. As her hand reached up to cup his cheek, he leaned into it a little, just staring back in those big brown eyes. They had been what attracted him the most about her that night he’d destroyed her tea stand. “I want to be with you, and…well, I love you too, but…this love stuff brings us to a different level and…” He thought his heart stopped when she told him she loved him too. He’d heard it said that you felt like the wind was knocked out of you when someone said those words to you, but he’d never believed it…until now. So what was with the hesitation? She pulled those eyes away from his and he watched her look down at his chest. “Are you even ready for that? Is that what you want? Because I don’t want to rush you and I don’t want you to run away. I’ve had too many guys with commitment issues and I don’t want to play that game anymore, so…are you sure you want to cross this whole lovey dovey threshold with me?” Was he ready? That was a ridiculous question. He cupped her cheek, bowing his head down a little so he could meet her hesitant eyes sooner, a smile on his lips. “Yes.” It was a simple answer, one he didn’t even have to think about. “I’m ready, Jo. I’m not going to run away. As far as I can tell, those other guys we unfathomably stupid to let you slip through their fingers. Sure, you’re stubborn as a mule and hot-tempered, but that just adds spice to the whole sweet package that’s you.” He couldn’t help but grin wide, still holding her face with one hand while the other rested on her back and kept her close. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re sweet and kind and generous but still so fiery at the same time. I love that about you. I love you.” The words should have felt strange, foreign and thick on his tongue, but instead they slid off like he had been saying them to her for years.

He leaned in and kissed her finally, completely forgetting that they’d just been in a fight not too long ago. What wouldn’t he give to stay in the moment forever, just freeze frame this instant of sheer happiness? Brandon knew that people fell out of love and went their separate ways. For them the passion wore off or someone was too scared to just let go and embrace another person entirely. Sometimes people just changed. But in that moment Brandon could have honestly said he couldn’t imagine not loving Jo. It was strange to think that. Had he always loved her then? Maybe not as much as he did now, but had he loved her, to some extent, from the moment he met her? It was a question he would probably never answer. All he knew was that he loved her now and he loved the way her lips felt against his. He ran his fingers through her shoulder length hair, curled by the salty ocean breeze and simply adored that he finally had a woman who he truly, truly loved. The kiss was deep and long, but sweet too.

When he pulled away, his forehead rested against hers and he opened his eyes halfway and watched her lips. There was nothing about her that he didn’t love, even that infuriating stubbornness in her. Even better than knowing he loved her was knowing that she loved him in return. When he pulled his forehead from hers, he did so to look down into her face, running his fingers through her hair again as he studied every lovely inch of that face. He smiled a little more, feeling as light as the feathers on his back as he gazed into her eyes. “So, are we going to do anymore work tonight?” he asked, grinning wider to show he was going to be good-humored about it. He’d genuinely meant it when he offered his help, and if she wanted to put him to work tonight or tomorrow, it was up to her. As long as they weren’t mad at each other and he could be near her, he would be happy.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Brandon pulled her face up, leaning his down at the same time and catching her eye. “Yes.” It was said so sincerely, without a hint of hesitation that it made Jo's breath catch in her throat. Yes? Really? What if he changed his mind? How could he be so sure? “I’m ready, Jo. I’m not going to run away." She bit her lower lip watching him intensely, her heart pounding. She wanted it; she wanted someone to be ready but Brandon was inexperienced. He said he'd never loved anyone before.. "As far as I can tell, those other guys we unfathomably stupid to let you slip through their fingers. Sure, you’re stubborn as a mule and hot-tempered, but that just adds spice to the whole sweet package that’s you.” His smile made tears well in her eyes. He really thought all that? “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re sweet and kind and generous but still so fiery at the same time. I love that about you. I love you.” He'd taken her breath away and she suddenly felt even more guilty for holing herself away in the cabin working. Yes, she needed to get a lot of that stuff done, but dammit he was important, too! So important..

She was moving to kiss him the same time he moved in towards her, whimpering into his mouth as their lips mashed together. She gripped his hair, kissing him hard and deep and showing him how deeply his words had affected her. Whether he was trying to get laid or not, he was definitely going to tonight! Her body moved closer into his, curling up against him as she kissed him deeply, adoring him with her entire body. There was no question in her mind if she loved this man or not; he'd been the best thing to happen to her in a long, long time.

He pulled away leaving her breathless, his sticky, salty forehead still pressed to hers. She loved the way he smelled; sunkissed and salty. It only added to his appeal. His fingers tangled in her windblown hair and she got lost in his eyes, biting her lower lip as he looked at her. “So, are we going to do anymore work tonight?” he asked, and she could tell his tone was playful. "Depends on what you mean by work.." She replied coyly, her hands sliding away from his hair and down his shoulders to run across his chest, pressing her palms into the firm flesh. "If you mean sitting at a computer, then no.. no I think One night off won't kill me, but if you mean physical labor then I'm pretty certain we've got a night of work ahead of us.." Her hands slid lower down his body, across his stomach and down his hips to his hard thighs. She squeezed them gently, pushing her body up to meet his once more as her lips found his in a tender kiss. "I love you." She whispered against them, kissing him again as her lips trailed down his stubbled chin. "I want you.." Her mouth moved up his cheek, nuzzling up to his ear as she flicked her tongue against his lobe; "I need you." She whispered as her face dove into his neck, nipping at the soft flesh with renewed passion. "Make love to me." She pleaded in a throaty voice, knowing nothing was more important than sharing this moment with him.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“Depends on what you mean by work…” Brandon grinned wider at Jo’s coy tone, watching as her hand slipped down his chest. “If you mean sitting at a computer, then no…no I think one night off won’t kill me, but if you mean physical labor then I’m pretty certain we’ve got a night of work ahead of us…” His heart jumped a little at the way her hands were moving over him and he watched her mouth as it got closer. “Ooo, sounds like fun,” he teased, feeling himself stirring at the way her hands pressed into his thighs. When her lips found his, his eyes sank shut, enjoying the soft feel of her lips on his. God, he loved how it felt to kiss her. “I love you.” He loved that even more and his kiss was passionate when her lips came back to his. They didn’t stay against his long, though, and they trailed down his chin, which made him sigh. “I want you…” He groaned softly, his hands trailing over her back as her nose nuzzled against his face and back to his ear. The feel of her tongue on his earlobe made his boxers tighten and he realized it was his words that got her all worked up. If all he needed to say were three little words to get her to act like this, he’d say them every night. Actually, he planned to do that anyway. “I need you.” He needed her too. Her teeth were nipping at his neck and he did the same to her shoulder, kissing it gently before his teeth pinched the soft skin. There would never be a time when he wouldn’t need her; he was sure of that.

“Make love to me.” With a smirk, his face dove into her neck, kissing hard and sucking gently while his tongue slipped out and sampled the fragrant skin. One hand pushed the hair from that side of her face, moving up to take her earlobe between his teeth. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “As you wish.” His lips traced the line of her jaw until they came to her lips and he kissed her deeply, both hands dipping beneath her shirt to her waist. He moved her down to the deck, his tongue gliding along hers. When he pulled back, it wasn’t far and it was only to whisper against her lips, “I love you.” One hand moved higher as the other moved lower and he was fully prepared to show Jo how much he truly did love her.

-------------------------END THREAD-------------------------