Andy POV
"Are you coming?"
I can still hear those words in my head, can still remember every vivid detail of the moment.
Her sultry voice.
Her silk blouse falling to the floor.
The brief flash of lace and skin before she disappeared into her bedroom.
How my mouth went dry.
How anxiety and arousal battled for control, causing my feet to start moving even as I broke out into a cold sweat.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it happening like this.
Honestly, I had a hard time imagining it would ever happen at all.
But especially not on a Sunday afternoon, with her stripping down as she walked down the hall, tossing back a casual invitation to me as if we've been doing this all along.
But I liked her comfort level, as well as her boldness.
And maybe I struggled with my confidence as I rounded the corner into her room just as she slid her skirt from her hips.
And maybe I seemed like a preteen boy - for just a moment - as I stood and stared at her exquisite form.
And maybe I had the brief waking nightmare that I was nowhere near good enough for the beautiful woman in front of me.
But then she crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of me.
"I don't want to get too far ahead of you," she said with a sweetly shy smile. "But I was trying to make a point."
"I think you made it. I'm not sure what it is, but you definitely made it," I said, making no sense at all as my focus was completely on her, and my fingers itched to touch her, but I was still waiting for permission.
She laughed at my contradictory statement, and then wrapped her arms around me, pressing her perfect body against mine as she said, "I want to do this. I want you. And I don't want to wait anymore."
And then she kissed me.
Not our first kiss, but absolutely the most passionate one to date, and maybe it's because when I put my arms around her, I was just feeling soft skin, or maybe it's because she reached between us, working to unbutton my shirt while we continued the enthusiastic meeting of lips, or maybe it's because it only took a moment for her to get my shirt off and then untuck my t-shirt, which she quickly pulled up, breaking off the phenomenal kiss just long enough to get my shirt over my head, and then we started up again as she pressed her lace-clad breasts against my chest.
Most likely, it was all of that.
I couldn't stop running my hands over her, up into her hair and then venturing down over her previously untouched-by-me backside. God knows I've stared at it enough times that I should've been able to guess how amazing it would feel, but my imagination didn't do it justice.
Perfect doesn't do it justice either. Doesn't do her justice.
She went to work on my belt buckle, and then the button and zipper on my pants, and I had a split second of renewed insecurity as she let my pants fall to the floor because as incredible as she looks, I'm just an old guy in boxers and black socks.
But then she looked up at me, smiling as she took my hand and tugged me towards the bed, so I guess she didn't see anything wrong with the way I look. Or at least she's not too disappointed, anyway.
I did a little stutter step as we went, managing to pull off each sock with the opposite foot, and then I hesitated, watching her as she pulled the covers back, pushing them out of the way before getting onto the bed. She scooted over, giving me plenty of room, but I had to take another moment just to look at her.
Black underwear, silk and lace, and matching bra, contrasted against pale, smooth skin. I let my eyes travel over her body, and when I got up to her face, she was watching me, her eyes impossibly green, and a little half-smile on her face that actually looks somewhat unsure.
As if she doesn't realize the extent of her beauty.
And suddenly, that realization had me changing gears, and I found my own confidence - something I used to have before I fell in love with the previously-thought unattainable Sharon Raydor.
"We have all afternoon, right?" I said as I got onto the bed next to her.
"Yes."
"Good."
As unfamiliar as I was with her body prior to that afternoon, by the time the day was over, I knew every inch. Intimately.
We spent the entire afternoon in bed, talking and laughing and touching and making love.
That was three weeks ago.
I'm not sure my feet have touched the ground since, because we've spent the majority of our off-time together, since that afternoon. I've spent more nights in her bed than my own.
I honestly can't remember a time when I was ever this happy.
"Lieutenant, do you want to explain to me how the suspect ended up with a bloody nose?"
Okay, so maybe I'm not happy at this very moment, but in general…
"He ran," I said with a shrug.
I'm currently in Sharon's office, where she directed me after Tao and I returned with our suspect in tow. And yes, he has a bloody nose. But I didn't do it, and I don't like that she immediately assumed I did.
"Andy," she said on a sigh. "I'm not in charge of you anymore, when it comes to things like this. I have to report it to Chief Taylor, and then he gets to decide…"
"Captain," I interrupted formally. "Don't you even want to ask if I did it? Because Mike was there, too, but I don't see you pulling him in here."
She opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again, glancing over to the window and the murder room beyond to where Tao was at his desk.
"When's the last time I got into trouble?" I pushed.
She turned to me again and raised an eyebrow, no doubt ticking off in her head the number of times I've done not-so-smart things, and then I could tell that she was fighting not to smile.
"You mean here, or at home?" she asked quietly, and the entire mood in the room changed because I'm remembering this morning, when she admonished me for tugging her down onto the bed with me, after she was dressed and her hair was fixed. She had an early meeting, so I was still in my pajama pants, watching her as she checked her look one last time before getting ready to leave the bedroom, and that's when I pounced.
"Andy," she said in surprise as I swiftly moved over top of her. And I'm not going to say that Sharon Raydor squealed, but…yeah, okay. She squealed. "You're in so much trouble."
But she was laughing as she said it, and I spent a few enjoyable minutes kissing her senseless, and I loved how she sounded so breathless when she said, "If I don't leave in the next ten minutes, I'm going to be late."
"Is that a challenge?" I asked, my lips feasting on her neck while my fingers reached for the hem of her skirt, pulling it up so that my hand could slide underneath.
"No," she said, still laughing, and not making any attempt to slow my assault at all. "I'm saying…"
She didn't finish that thought because I covered her mouth with mine, the urgency slamming into me that I had to have her, right then and there. Something about her suits, maybe, I don't know.
No, I think it's just her.
Anyway, it took me slightly longer than ten minutes, and it took her several minutes after that to put herself back together, so she was late for her meeting.
I smirked at her as we stood staring at each other, because I know she's remembering this morning, too, but then I forced myself back into work mode, because I am still a little annoyed about her assumption.
"Mike's out there writing up his incident report right now," I told her. "We had the suspect handcuffed, and when Mike was putting him in the back of the car, he got away from him and took off running. Mike had to tackle him, and without his hands to break his fall, he went face first into the pavement."
"And you got him medical attention?"
"He demanded it. And even if he hadn't, I would've called for it anyway. His nose was still gushing when we got here."
"Great," she said under her breath.
And I know what she's thinking.
"Wright," I acknowledged with a roll of my eyes.
We haven't seen him since the Stroh investigation. He's wisely made himself scarce, staying out of Major Crimes, but I guess he'll be back today.
"Yes," she said with a nod. "Okay, if you will, go check on the status of the suspect, make sure the paramedics don't think he requires a visit to the ER, and then call me when his lawyer arrives."
"Yes, ma'am," I replied, turning to head for the door.
"Andy," she said, her soft tone causing me to stop in my tracks and turn back around. She took a step closer to me, and said, "You're right. I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions."
She's forgiven, of course, but I made the most of the moment because it's not often that she's wrong.
Besides, why would I be in a hurry to leave her office when she looks so good, and she smells so enticing, and when she turns her head just so, I can see a hint of the marks I left on her neck this morning?
"I should've talked to both of you, and gotten the full story," she continued.
"I don't mind being pulled into your office alone," I stated, smiling at her and letting her off the hook. But she wasn't ready to let herself off, I guess, because she said, "No, really. That wasn't fair of me. You know, I think it's just that I'm worried about that first time I have to hand you over to Taylor. I don't like not being in control of what happens to you."
I'm not worried about Taylor, but I think it's sweet that she is. It made me want to pull her into my arms.
"Well, how about I just promise to stay out of trouble, and then you won't have to worry about me at all," I offered.
She tilted her head downwards, I think trying to hide the smile, but then she looked up at me and teased, "Here? Or at home?"
And just her voice is an aphrodisiac, and even though I was irritated with her when she first called me in here, now I just want to sweep everything off her desk and have my way with her.
"Let's stick with here," I answered, my voice rough, giving away my arousal. "At home, all bets are off."
I held her gaze for an extra moment, and then I forced myself to turn around and leave.
Working together is tough.
But not in the way people might think.
Every once in a while, we get on each other's nerves with little things like what just happened, but most of the time, the hard part is not being able to touch her.
Seeing her all day without being able to kiss her.
Although I suppose we do make up for it, when we get home at night.
"Did you tell her it was me, or do I need to go talk to her?" Tao asked once I was back in the murder room.
"I gave her the rundown."
"Hey, your guy's on his way to the hospital," Julio said as he entered the room, apparently having come back from checking on our suspect.
"For what, a broken nose? Come on," I scoffed.
"They couldn't get it to stop bleeding. "
"Oh, jeez," Tao muttered, sitting back in his chair and tossing his pen onto the desk.
"Don't sweat it, Mike," I said. "They'll fix him up and then bring him back here, and he can answer our questions about those two little girls. Trust me, no one's gonna be crying about his little side trip to the ER."
As it turns out, I was wrong.
The docs at the hospital couldn't fix him up.
"He bled out," Sharon explained a few hours later, after taking the call. She was at the front of the murder room where we were all discussing our strategy for getting a confession out of him, once he got back, but then she was informed that he wasn't coming back.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked, looking over at Mike with concern. "The guy just did a header on the pavement."
"He was a hemophiliac," she said. "It's unusual that something like a broken nose would be fatal, even with the condition, but…I don't know. Time elapsed between injury and treatment, maybe. Or his was a more severe type."
"Or maybe Lieutenant Tao did more than just tackle him."
That last statement was made by none other than Captain Wright. I've been dreading his presence all day, but now it's even worse, because a suspect dying while in our custody in not good.
"Captain Wright," Sharon greeted through clenched teeth. "I had a feeling you'd be coming around."
"Oh, so you were thinking about me?" he asked her, flashing her a smile as he checked her out. And I mean, he blatantly looked her up and down, so much so that I had to grab onto my desk to keep myself from going over to get in his face.
I suppose Sharon is used to dealing with guys like him, though, because she didn't bat an eye.
"Not at all," she answered. "But cases like this require IA presence, so I assumed someone from your office would be coming up. And lucky us, it's you."
He took her sarcasm for sincerity, smiling even broader as he asked, "Can we have a moment in your office, please?"
Then he gestured for her to lead the way, and damn if he didn't watch her walk, leaving enough space between them to have an unobstructed view.
"It's days like these that make me glad she's the captain," my partner said. "Because if I had to deal with an asshole like him, I'd probably get myself fired."
"It's every day I'm glad she's the captain," Amy said.
"Ha ha," Provenza grumbled.
"No offense, but me, too, sir," Julio spoke up.
"Want me to weigh in?" I asked, causing Provenza to wave his hand at us in disgust.
"I don't want you to say a word, Flynn," he retorted. "Just make sure you and Tao have your stories straight."
"There's no story," I said. "Just facts. We cuffed him. He ran. Mike tackled him to stop him from getting away. That's it. Right, Mike?"
He shrugged and nodded, still a little vapor-locked over learning the guy's dead.
"Did he say anything about having hemo…hema…what was it again?" Provenza asked, looking to Tao.
"Hemophilia," Mike answered. "And no, he didn't. He said he needed to get checked out, but that's it. Right, Andy?"
"That's right. So there's no way we could've known this would happen," I reasoned. "Besides, who cares if the world has one less scumbag? He killed two kids."
"It's talk like that, Lieutenant Flynn, that gives a lawsuit legs," Wright stated loudly as he came back into the room.
"Lawsuit?" Mike asked.
"The widow was at the hospital, claiming police brutality. You think she's not going to file? It's just a matter of time. And Anthony Marquez was not a convicted child killer. He was just your suspect, am I right?"
"He's guilty as hell," I mumbled.
"Let's hope so," Sharon said as she reclaimed her place at the front of the room. "Andy, Mike - you two need to give Captain Wright your statements. Everyone else, we need to regroup and see what we can do to confirm that Marquez is our killer."
Wright looked at me and then pointed to the conference room next to Sharon's office, so I begrudgingly got up and followed him into the room.
"So how are things going?" he asked casually as we sat down. "With you and Sharon, I mean."
And I know it's only been a few hours since I promised Sharon no trouble at work, but oh my God, I want to hit this little prick.
"Aren't we in here to conduct an official IA interview?" I countered.
"I'm just keeping it friendly," he said with an innocent shrug. "I don't want you to be nervous about being under the gun, you know? We're just a couple of cops, having a conversation."
"Ask your damn questions and let me get back to work," I ground out.
"Does that mean you and Sharon are having trouble?" he asked with a grin, intentionally using her first name again. "Well, not surprising. I mean, I've only been here three weeks, but even I can tell she's way above your pay grade."
I stood up abruptly and said, "If you aren't ready to talk about the Marquez arrest, then come find me when you are."
"Sharon is a touchy subject. Got it."
I started walking towards the door, but then he said firmly, "Lieutenant, you do not walk out on an interview without serious repercussions, do you understand me?"
I absolutely hate this guy.
With fists clenched, I sat back down in my chair and took a deep breath.
He's purposely trying to push my buttons, I reminded myself. So don't let him.
"Walk me through it, from the first moment of interaction," he said, having suddenly switched gears, acting like he should have been all along.
So I gave him the play-by-play, all the way through until I left Marquez in the interrogation room with a medic.
"Great, thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be in touch if I need anything further. Please send in Lieutenant Tao."
I stared at him for a moment, confused by his sharp turnaround, and then I got up to leave.
"Oh, and Sharon was telling me that you're in AA," he said when my hand was on the door knob. "You might want to think about a meeting tonight. Sometimes situations like what happened today can sneak up on you, and I'd hate to see you fall off the wagon."
I left without looking back, slamming the door closed behind me, and instead of going back to my desk, or calling for Tao, I headed for the men's room.
I need a minute to calm down.
God, that arrogant asshole certainly knew exactly what to say to get me going. I mean, I know Sharon didn't say anything about AA. It's in my file. But that, and the way he keeps calling her Sharon, and then the whole above my paygrade thing…I want to put my fist right through his smug little face.
I turned on the faucet and splashed some water on my face as I worked to get my temper under control.
"Andy?" Sharon called out, knocking on the door.
I grabbed a paper towel and then opened the door as I swiped it over my face.
"What's going on?" she asked with concern.
"I can't deal with that guy."
And I can't deal with the fact that I'm pretty sure he's got the hots for my girlfriend, I added silently.
I'm not sure Sharon would appreciate my jealousy, so for now, I'll stick with his unprofessionalism.
"You gave him your statement?"
"Yeah, but he was more concerned about the status of our relationship. He shouldn't be asking about that. It's none of his business. It's not anybody's business."
"You're right," she said calmly. "But it's something more that's under your skin."
"That guy," I grumbled. "He's just…he's…I don't like him."
She surprised me by breaking into a smile.
"Well, I don't like him either, Andy, but I don't go around slamming doors."
"He called you Sharon," I added, although my temper is fading now that she's smiling at me. And her hand is on my arm, her classic calming technique.
"Because he knew it would bother you," she reasoned. "Certainly not because I offered for him to drop the formality."
"And he suggested I go to a meeting tonight. He mentioned AA."
"He did?" she asked, dropping her hand, because now it seems like she's ticked.
"It's not a secret," I conceded. "But I just didn't like the way he said it. Like it was something I should be ashamed of."
"It's not. It's something to be proud of," she countered.
I nodded, because I know she's right, and the other things rolling around in my head all stem from my jealousy - the way he watched her walk, and how he said she's too good for me - so I'm going to keep that stuff to myself.
"You ready to get back to work?" she asked. "Because Julio and Amy went out to talk to our witness again, and I need someone to go with Lieutenant Provenza to talk to the super at Marquez's building. Mike's going to be busy with Wright for a little while. The lawsuit threat is real, and we need to get ahead of it."
"I'm on it," I said quickly. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let him get to me."
"You can make it up to me later," she suggested coyly.
What I wouldn't give to take her in my arms right about now.
To kiss her.
To tell her that I love her.
The first two will have to wait for tonight.
But the third thing…I'm not sure when I'll get up the nerve to do that.
I mean, I most definitely love her, but saying it aloud, running the risk of not hearing it in return...it's daunting enough to make me keep it to myself.
For now, anyway.
But just knowing that in another hour or so, we'll be heading for home, where we'll either cook dinner together or order something in, and then maybe talk about the case while we sit on the couch, her feet in my lap, and then later, she'll take me by the hand and lead me off to bed…all of that is part of what makes me the happiest I've ever been.
So will I make it up to her, the inconvenience of having to deal with my juvenile display of temper?
"Count on it," I promised.
TBC...