Bliss

It was late at night when Syd arrived home from San Juan. She had spent at least six hours in operations trying to retrieve the damn Rambaldi artifact from a group of thieves and she was tired as hell right now, craving a hot bath.

But, on top of everything, seeing Vaughn interact with Lauren as the perfectly married couple had torn her apart. She had been choking on the tears since then and, obviously, they started to run down her face as she unpacked her suitcase. She was so concentrated on that task that she barely missed the flashing of her answering machine. She had an incoming message. Sydney turned, her attention caught by the flashing red light, and pressed the button to listen the message.

"Hi, this is Jack Bauer, the guy from the coffee shop. I hope I'm not intruding or that you weren't joking about getting your number because... well, I did. And I'd really like to see you again - happier this time. You have such a beautiful smile and I'd like to see you again. My number is 555-2310 and feel free to call me when you get this. Good-bye, Sydney."

She smiled, smitten by the joyful tone of his voice. It had been a while since she heard such flirtatious talk from a man who wasn't from a mission or Vaughn.

Vaughn. She had stopped crying, but the thought of him made her heart stop beating for a second. Yeah, it was definitely time for her to try something else with someone new. And for that Jack seemed perfect and willing. Why not give it a try?

She got the phone and felt a tiny shiver along her spine as she heard the other side of the line ringing.

"Jack Bauer."

"So, I guess someone has done his job pretty well."

"I'm sorry?"

"This is Sydney Bristow, I just got your message."

"Oh, hi, the pretty lady from the coffee shop. How are you Sydney?"

"I'm fine, sorry for taking a while to return your call, but I was out of the city."

"Oh, I see. Let me guess, a secret mission in an exotic place somewhere?"

"Oh, yeah, not only do I save the world., but I do it with class."

He laughed out loud at that. By the background sounds she could tell he was out on the street.

"Is it a bad time?"

"Not, not at all, I'm waiting for my daughter to meet me for dinner."

"Oh, right. Kim, isn't it? How's she?"

"She's fine. Great, actually, although I fear deep inside she's gonna tell me she's marrying her boyfriend."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's hard for us, men, to see our baby girl marrying another guy. No one will ever be good enough for them."

"Tell me about it," She chuckled lightly, thinking of her own father.

"So, Sydney..." Jack changed the subject "since you returned my call, would it be too presumptuous of me to ask you out?"

"Oh, damn," she said, a smile obvious in her voice.

"What?"

"You just ruined it! I was going to ask you out."

"No problem, we could start again."

"Ok. Jack, are you free tomorrow night?"

"If I wasn't, I'd cancel it for you."

"Ok, that was a good one," she admitted, still smiling. "I'd love to have dinner with you, what do you say... pick me up at seven?"

"Sounds great. Any place in mind?"

"Just surprise me."

He was silent for a moment, smiling. He could picture her perfectly, smiling on the other end of the phone, her dimples showing and a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Ok. So, tomorrow at seven I'll see you again."

"I'm looking forward to that."

"Yeah, me too."

"Good-bye, Sydney."

"Good-bye, Jack."

Sydney hung up the phone with a giddy sensation she hadn't felt in a really long time. So, she had a date with a handsome, older man. Now she was happy for having something to look forward to.

* * * * *

Her phone rang again while she was in a debrief with Weiss and Marshall.

"Hello?"

"Your address."

"How did you get this number?" Syd asked, turning her back to the guys and blushing lightly.

"That wasn't hard. I've got your home number, after all."

"Indeed."

"Could you send a text message to this number with your address?"

"Sure, just give me a few minutes, I'm pretty busy right now."

"Sorry to bother you."

"No, it's not a bother at all. It was nice hearing your voice. You have a nice voice, by the way."

Jack chuckled a bit

"Thanks."

"So, I'll be sending it in a while. See you tonight, Jack."

"Ok, see you."

Sydney hung up the phone and stared at it with a little grin.

"I thought Jack Bristow was in Rome until next Thursday," said Weiss, calling Syd's attention back to the guys.

"No, it's just.... it's nothing important, but that wasn't dad."

She left the room without another word of explanation.

* * * * *

At 07:05 the doorbell of Syd's house rang, while she finished the last touch of lipstick. She took a good look at herself before rushing to the door, trying not to look like an anxious teenager or too giddy. Why did she feel like that at all?

"Hey," said a smiling Jack when she opened the door. He looked even better than the other day, wearing a blue shirt that was almost the exact color of his eyes, and a pair of black pants. He sure looked handsome.

"Hi. Why don't you come in while I finish getting ready?" she invited him. Jack nodded and within a few seconds he was inside her house, taking a quick look at his surroundings. Apart from a few things, the living room was tidy and organized, pretty things and comfy furniture. Jack felt comfortable from the start, there, at Syd's place.

"You look gorgeous," he said when she returned from the bedroom with a light jacket in her hands. Jack wondered how someone could look that gorgeous in a pair of jeans, tight and molding her figure, as he noticed. She was also wearing a beautiful green top with a revealing V neck; revealing enough for him to get a glimpse of the curve of her breasts.

"Thanks," she said shyly, putting on her jacket. Jack moved closer to her to help her put it on, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle on her collar.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly, staring into his eyes.

"There is a small restaurant that I love, it's very cozy and they have great sea food. Do you like it?"

"Yeah."

"I bet you're gonna love the food there."

Syd smiled, feeling giddy once again. It was one of those moments where one felt as if it was a dream - a bit numb, a bit overwhelmed, a bit of everything. Jack still had his hands on the collar of her jacket, smoothing it slightly. Until the back of his hands moved unannounced to her hair, removing her bangs off her eyes.

She took the opportunity to pull him in for a kiss, as passionate as the first one they had shared when they met. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, opening his mouth to hers hurriedly. He had never understood why she was so hurried, so desperate, why she would kiss him as if he would run or leave her. But he simply let it go, kissing her along, following her pace.

The pace led them against the wall, although Syd was a bit unsure how she ended up with her back pressed against there, the coldness of it contrasting with the hotness of Jack's body, pressing against every inch of her. He now had his hands on her waist, one of them moving slowly and sensuously up her arm until he reached her neck, the area right behind her head, turning it slowly so he would have more control of the kiss. Jack parted to kiss her neck, wet and slow kisses, a flick of his tongue tracing long and hot dashes along her flesh. She could hear herself humming low and the scent of him intoxicating her, his stubble scratching her skin.

But Syd wouldn't just stay there, waiting, as he kissed her. She wanted to touch him, to feel the muscles of his arms and chest and tried to untangle her fingers from his hair, since her other hand was kind of stuck between their bodies.

"Jack..." she whispered, pushing him slightly away from her.

"Hmm?" he hummed, still busy kissing her neck and jaw.

"Let's move to the couch."

He didn't stop kissing her, slowly pulling her to the other side of the room, biting slowly at her lower lip, until they fell on the couch, she atop him. Syd started giggling at the situation.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!"

"That's ok, you're not that heavy," he said, with a wink. Jack pulled her hand between his and caressed her palm, with the tip of his finger. It was rough and it tickled her lightly.

"How late can we be for dinner?"

"As much as you want to."

"Good," she said, climbing onto his lap, straddling his thighs and getting comfortable with his heat against her body again. Jack's face was slightly flushed and he had his eyes locked on hers, watching her lips, the way she ran her tongue along to wet them, the knowing smile that started to curve her lips. She surely knew how beautiful and sexy she is. And Sydney definitely knew how to play with that, how to seduce a man to make him do whatever she wanted him to.

And with Jack Bauer it wasn't different. Before he knew it, he was sitting under her, eager to touch her and unable to stop kissing her. Syd ran her tongue along his lower lip, pulling back to watch his reaction and clearly having fun with it. He looked at her in awe, his fingers started to caress her cheekbone, tracing them, tracing the lines of her delicate face.

"You have such a beautiful face, Sydney, so delicate..."

She chuckled. With one of her hands, she started to toy with the buttons of his shirt, opening them slowly, while the other hand held his own and placed it on her hip, pressing it against her flesh.

"I like your hands. You have big and rough hands, I can tell you use them a lot."

He laughed. Her statement could be interpreted in so many different ways.

"Yeah."

Jack kneaded her hip, now grabbing her with both his hands, sliding them under her blouse to feel her skin, caressing her belly. The sensation made her hiss, a delightful shiver running up her spine as he did that. Jack noticed her reaction and moved further, caressing her body with the tip of his fingers, across her back, until he reached the clasp of her bra, opening it smoothly and slipping the straps down her arms, throwing the garment away from them, without even removing her top.

"I'm impressed," Syd smiled.

"Well, I'm good at that."

"Yeah? What other tricks can you do?" Syd teased him.

He skimmed his fingertips quickly over her belly again, before holding both her breasts in his hands, applying light pressure, just enough to make her close her eyes in delight. That felt so good, it had been so long since anyone touched her like that, so long she was almost afraid she might have forgotten how it felt.

Why her mind was full of these weird thoughts, she didn't know, but all was swept way when he lightly pinched her nipples. Syd yelped, holding onto his forearms as if she might lose balance, leaning slightly against him.

All that time Jack was watching her, a tiny smile growing with her reactions, the blissful expression on her face, her eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Once again he skimmed his fingertips over her skin, pulling her top off with them, undressing her. And for the first time that night she seemed embarrassed in front of him.

"You're gorgeous, did you know that?" Jack pulled her closer to him, kissing her chest, covering her breasts with both his palms. He feather-kissed her neck, her shoulder, going down her chest until he reached her breast, biting her lightly. Syd pushed herself further against him, leaning into his mouth. A rush of arousal ran straight to her core when his tongue made the first contact with her nipple, it felt electric. Syd tightened her grip on his arm, sliding further onto his lap.

Jack spent a while longer kissing, lapping and worshiping her breasts, before going down on her body, kissing her stomach, lifting her slightly. The roughness of his stubble against her belly was sending a new wave of excitement all over her and she groaned, feeling as if she was melting in his hands.

"Yes..." she hissed. Jack pulled away to look at her face, his hands still working their way all over her body and stopping at the hem of her pants. She seemed totally unaware of what he was doing, her eyes still closed and head slightly tilted to the side.

Jack opened the button and zipper of her pants, making her open her eyes and stare at him. He had the look of the one who's having the best time of his life, by watching her reactions. His hand sneaked under the hem of her pants, passing the skin right bellow her belly to touch her between the legs. Sydney practically jumped when she felt his finger touching her clit, easily slipping around her folders and spreading the wetness. It felt rough; rough fingers rubbing her carelessly and aimlessly, testing her.

"You're so wet," he whispered into her ear.

"That feels so good," she whispered back, rising slightly and spreading her legs farther to give him better access. Syd wrapped her arms around his neck, grasping a handful of his hair.

By the way she was reacting, he could tell she was enjoying his foreplay. Jack teased her clit a bit more, circling it and then pressing the pad of his finger against her, before adding another one and pushing them into her opening, making her gasp. He could feel her juices coating his fingers quickly.

"Tell me how you like it," his voice sounded husky and deep into her ears.

"Like that... yeah... harder..."

Jack pushed her fingers deeper inside her, rubbing her harder as he did so. Syd's breathing became labored, the sound of it mixed with tiny moans that were escaping her mouth, even when she bit her lip, trying to keep silent. Her hands slipped down his neck, moving to the hem of his shirt, tugging at it, unconsciously opening the buttons of his dress shirt.

"Oh, gosh!" she yelped, as he hit a special spot that sent her teetering at the edge. By now she was already buckling against his hand.

He pulled her against him for a kiss, a long and deep one, as he slowed the movements, pulling his fingers away from her. Syd moaned, frustrated.

"Take off those pants," he whispered, his lips brushing against her mouth.

Syd opened her eyes, blinking, the fog in her mind making it hard to think, but she slowly stood up, staring at him as he watched her back, undressing. She threw her pants to the other side of the room and stood only in her thong. She bent slightly, but instead of removing her last garment, she pulled him up to her, wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing him again. The scratching of his stubble against her face would surely leave her swollen tomorrow, but she didn't care about it right now. The feel of it, combined with Jack's hands grabbing firmly at her ass from under her thong, felt amazing.

She finished opening the buttons of his shirt and pulled it down his shoulders, scratching his skin with her fingernails. Syd pulled away slightly, looking down at him, at his chest, as her hands skimmed over his hairs carelessly, pinching lightly at his nipples. Jack moaned against her neck, rubbing his chin against her. Syd's hand slid to the buttons of his pants, brushing against the bulge of his erection in his pants, smiling a bit when she heard the groan he let out.

Jack pulled her for another kiss, he was already getting addicted to kissing her, to the way she seemed to take control of it when they kissed, leading him. She was also walking slowly backwards, pulling Jack to her bedroom, blindly. They eventually bumped against the closed door of her room. With her right hand Sydney tried to reach the knob, still concentrated on kissing Jack, when the door opened and they both fell to the ground.

"Ow!" she said, giggling under him. Jack laughed with her, at the situation. But he took the opportunity to slide up her body, supporting his weight on her so she would feel his erection. Syd's giggles were infatuating.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He took her breath away by the way he looked into her eyes and caressed her cheeks, asking that. He smoothed a few strands of hair that were covering her eyes and smiled. But, as if he was reading her mind, he once again started kissing her chest.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a nice and comfortable bed here, why don't we use it?"

He chuckled against her breast, gathering her in his arms. In one quick fast move he placed her on the bed, on the middle of it. Syd let out a squeal of surprise.

Jack was enthralled by her reactions, by all the things she did and said since he first met her. He supported his weight on his knees, pulling her closer to him, to the edge of the bed, by her legs. Syd looked at him surprised.

"You're something, did you know that?" he said, between her legs, caressing her thighs.

"No, but thanks," she said, chuckling. Her chuckles died when he kissed her leg, near the knee, going down her thigh. She was breathing hard, her legs moving restlessly and she was grasping the sheets of her bed.

Jack stopped again and pulled her underwear off in a fast move, throwing it away. He looked back at her, watching her, enjoying the sight of her naked in front of him and, when their eyes met, she seemed to tense up.

"Is anything wrong?"

"No, everything's fine, don't worry," she said. But the truth was, in fact, that kind of stare made her feel slightly embarrassed. Jack was looking at her with hunger in his eyes, a mix of lust and affection, sometimes the lust getting the very best of him and making him look powerful in a very arousing way. She wasn't really used to that, but Jack's hands grabbing her firmly and roughly were the best aphrodisiac she had ever experienced.

He continued his task, kissing his way to between her legs and, as he got closer, a thrill in Syd's stomach was increasing by second. The scratching of his stubble made it all the better, as if the friction had made her more sensitive to his touch. When his lips finally touched her folds, she practically jumped, letting out a loud moan, tugging at the sheets of her bed. Jack slid his tongue all over her folds, in a similar way his fingers had done a while ago, stopping at her clit, teasing it. Syd was more than oversensitive by now and the sensations were making her feel as if she was gravitating to the ceiling and coming back to her body by now. Her orgasm started to rise inside her when he lapped at a different spot, pulling her clit between his lips and sucking at it. She felt it washing her body so powerfully that she wasn't able to control the buckling against him anymore and just let it go, moaning and babbling nonsense.

She opened her eyes, electricity still running all over her, making her toes and limbs tingle. Jack was by her side, watching her and caressing her legs aimlessly.

Syd turned to him, a lazy smile playing on her face. He was highly amused now, almost laughing. She laid on her side and pulled him for another kiss, tasting herself on his mouth. They kissed for a long minute, but he started to fumble with the button of his pants. He parted the kiss to stand up and remove the annoying cloth. Syd watched him undress, wondering when the hell he had the time to take off the shoes and socks, but she decided she wouldn't worry about that. Not as he stood completely naked and hard in her room, looking at her predatorily, kneeling on the bed and crawling in her direction. Jack quickly pulled her to him, pressing their naked bodies together and groaning in pleasure.

It seemed they had the same idea at the same time, but Syd was the one who said it.

"Wait, we have to..."

"I know, I don't think I have any condom, do you...?"

"I guess so, let me check," she said, fumbling into the drawer of her bedside table. After a few seconds she found a condom Weiss has given her when she moved in, he had made a lame joke about it and she'd pretended to be offended, but she ended up accepting the condom, after all. Now it seemed a wise and useful idea. She handed it to him and watched as Jack put it on fast, skillfully. She was amazed by his ability with his hands the whole night, it wouldn't be different right now. When he was done, he moved back to her, lying atop her again, between her opened legs, his erection pressing against her opening. He was looking at her, as if waiting for her agreement to push into her, but she smiled wickedly and pulled him, so he was lying on the bed and she was sitting atop him, straddling him. Syd held his cock, her other hand caressing his balls, anticipating the moment. She rose and then leaned against him again, taking him into her. Jack held tightly her hips, as she looked for balance on his shoulders, holding him firmly. They both moaned when he was completely into her.

"You feel so fucking good..." he whispered. Syd started to move and closed her eyes, as if to concentrate. She opened them again when Jack's hands started to travel around her body, grabbing her ass firmly, going up her back, sliding down her chest and holding both her breasts firmly, squeezing her lightly and tightening the grip as she looked down at him, highly aroused and flushed. She was panting, her cheeks red, her eyes unfocused and the expression of pure lust on her face. Syd pulled Jack up by his arms so he could sit and wrap his arms around her and kiss her again. She kissed him with urgency, unsteadily, trying to concentrate on the kiss and on the task of moving in pace with him, the friction and roughness of his stubble in contrast with the smooth scratching of his cock, burning and stretching her inside. She cried out into his mouth, stopping the kiss, unable to concentrate on anything else but the feeling of him inside her.

Jack was watching her reactions, pleased that he was able to make her feel that aroused. Pleased with the way her face contorted in the sweet agony of the one who's about to come. But he wasn't ready yet, he didn't want to end it just yet. Jack pushed her so she was lying on her back and he was atop her again, startling her. She opened her eyes, confused.

"You know, the longer you wait the better your orgasm will be," he said, holding both her hands and pulling her arms above her head, holding her firmly. Jack started to push into her harder, rougher, the way he had noticed she liked it. He was doing it in unsteady movements, each thrust seemed to hit a different spot inside her and making her moan louder.

He was getting close to coming himself, she felt so tight and hot around him, the unconscious clenching of her inner walls hugging his cock in a delicious way that was driving him crazy. He'd missed a few thrusts. Syd wrapped her legs around him and pressed him deeper into her, making it harder for him to move. She, although he didn't understand how, managed to get rid of his grip and turned them again so she was on top, slamming herself against him, whimpering low, pulling his hand to put it on her breasts again.

"Come to me, pretty girl" he said, his voice rippling all over her body.

Jack felt her clenching around him even tighter and watched as she came, moving faster and rougher against him. The sight of it made him lose it and he came right after, groaning her name. He laid on top of her, before rolling to his side and out of her.

* * * * *

Sydney was lying on her back, one arm over her stomach, her breathing starting to become regular again, when he returned from the bathroom. They shared a satisfied smile before Jack laid again on the bed, by her side, looking at her.

"I guess we missed dinner," he said.

She laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so. But we might have lost a few pounds as well."

"That's true," she said, laughing too.

Jack looked at her, both lying on their sides and Syd's bangs were covering her eyes, in a slight mess.

"Just so you know, I'm not that kind of girl."

"What kind of girl?"

"The one that jumps into bed before the first date," she said, laughing. He laughed along with her, reaching out his hand to caress her face.

"I never thought you were. You're too sweet for that."

She lowered her eyes, staring at an undefined blank spot at the wall. Right now she was feeling very weird, unsure of what to do or say next. She felt a weird sadness inside her, something she wasn't really sure where it came from. Actually, she did, but she wouldn't dare to think about it right now, not while she was in bed with another man. Another man like Jack Bauer.

He noticed something weird about her, a shadow in her eyes.

"I guess I should..." he started.

"Will you spend the night with me, Jack?," she asked, caressing his face. Her fingers traced the lines of his lips carefully, as if she was drawing it, painting it with delicacy. He held her hand with his own, kissing her palm.

"Sure."

"I'm not as sweet as you think, you know.."

"No. You're even sweeter."

Jack pulled her close for a kiss, grabbing a handful of her hair, scratching her scalp. He parted from her lips and kissed her jaw, the way to her neck, breathing in her scent, pulling her closer to him.

* * * * *

She hadn't even realized that she has fallen asleep. When Syd opened her eyes, the sun's rays were lightening the bedroom, a weak light entering through the blinders shined on Jack, who was lying on his stomach, in all his naked glory. She took a moment to look at him, his tanned and smooth back, the freckles on his shoulders. Sydney couldn't resist and bent to plant a kiss on his shoulder, tracing an imaginary line from there to the small of his back with her fingers. Jack was sound asleep, his hair messy and his face buried into the fluffy pillow.

Syd moved closer, continuing her exploration of his body, noticing the small scars and features on his skin. The hairs of his legs, the shape of his butt. She wondered why he had so many scars, they looked a lot like scars from torture sessions, similar to the ones she had, but for some reason she believed he went through a harsher kind of torture. Syd caressed his hair, scratching his scalp, the short blond strands feeling smooth and soft between her fingers.

Jack moved slightly, turning his face to meet her. He opened his eyes and blinked, focusing and smiling when he saw her.

"Good morning, pretty girl."

"Good morning. Did you have a nice sleep?"

Syd slid on the bed so she was down lying again, on her back, facing him.

"Yeah, I kinda forgot where I was." He said, supporting the weight of his body on his forearm, pulling the other one around her, over her belly, and holding her hand in his, playing with her fingers.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, accepting his hand and taking him into her embrace, absently caressing his hair.

"A bit."

Jack looked so lazy and comfortable on her bed that it made her smile. Her hand moved from his hair to his face, fingers caressing the roughness of his, even thicker, stubble when she decided she had to kiss him again. She had spent part of the morning thinking, about him, about herself, about several other things. She had been thinking how the night would have happened if they'd just gone out for dinner and shared a good-night kiss before saying good-bye. For some reason she still believed she would have slept with him anyway.

Jack bit her lower lip softly, going down her chin, her neck, scratching her again. he started teasing her nipples, pulling out his hand to hold her breasts, kneading them, when she started to speak.

"Jack, no... stop it."

"Hmm?" he looked at her, confused.

"Sorry. I have to go to work." Syd explained, apologetically.

"Oh, right. Ok. I'll get dressed, then."

She felt somewhat guilty when he started to gather his clothes in a hurry. She wasn't, at the end, late or hurried to go to work.

"No, you don't have to rush out like that. I'm just saying that, as much as I'd like to laze around here a little while with you, I have to work. Go take a shower, take your time."

He stopped what he was doing and sat on the bed, looking at her, serious.

"Sydney, just so you know, you don't have to pretend anything. It's ok if you want me to go, I'm not gonna be hurt by that, we're two grown-ups and past that."

"I know. I want you to stay. Really." She emphasized, her face brightening with a smile. Jack's normal reaction was to smile with hers, but he kept a straight and serious face.

"Ok," he said, kissing her forehead and standing up, finishing gathering his clothes. Syd smiled, looking at his naked form walking around her room.

"You know, I might get used to you, walking around naked in my house."

Jack chuckled. He bent in her direction, whispering in a seductive, deep tone "And I might wait until you get dressed just to have the pleasure of undressing you slowly again."

That line itself made her feel butterflies in her stomach, let alone the idea of him doing it again. he stared at her with a hungry look before going to the bathroom and closing the door.
Syd smiled, jumping off the bed and dressing in her robe, gladly heading to the kitchen. She might even consider going late to work so he would could keep his promise of undressing her again. Not that she would deny him this tiny pleasure, obviously not.

* * * * *

THE END