"Shit, that stings." Greg winced pulling his head away from Morgan's hands as she cleaned a cut on his forehead with antiseptic alcohol.
"Hold still. I'm almost done," she said. She stood in front of Greg as he sat in the back of the Denali with the first aid kit opened beside him. He had been dumpster diving for evidence and got a gash on his head when the edge of a cut piece of glass met skin. He still pulled back when Morgan leaned forward with the soaked cotton ball. She groaned at his stubbornness.
"Here," she said, placing his hands on either side of her hips as she leaned in again, hoping that it would help steady him. He became very still as she finished cleaning and dressing the wound.
"There. All done. That wasn't so bad, was-" The movement of his hands from her hips to her waist caught her off guard. She looked down at him realizing, in the position she was standing, her breasts were right in his sightline. His hands moved to graze her lower back as he looked up at her speechless form. He gently pulled her down until they were eye to eye, noses almost touching.
"Thank you," he whispered, staring into her eyes, desire burning in his own.
"You're a terrible patient." The sweet breath from her words lingered on his mouth.
"That's because patience has never been one of my strengths," he countered, brushing his lips against hers. She fell into the kiss, deepening it. He pulled her with him, lips locked, as he lowered his back onto the floorboard. He had begun running his hands up her spine when her phone rang. They paused, frozen in position, until she relented and pushed herself up, answering her phone.
"Morgan Brody," she said into the receiver as she walked away from the car, leaving Greg sitting on the edge of the Denali's trunk with his feet on the asphalt. He watched her pace back and forth as she talked, tucking her hair behind her ears. He smiled replaying what had just happened again in his head. He had finally kissed her and, damn, if it didn't feel good.
"That was Russell. We need to get back to the lab. Family meeting regarding the case," she said approaching the car. Greg stood up and brush off his jeans before bringing down the back door.
"Let's go." He turned to walk to the driver's side, keys swinging on his finger, when she grabbed his wrist. He stopped and looked at her.
"Greg, about earlier. What was that?" she asked, her eyes searching his. He moved closer to her, allowing only a small space to separate them.
"What do you want it to be?" He took her hand that was holding his and interlocked their fingers, his eyes holding her contemplating stare. She sighed and turned away, letting go of his hand.
"I don't know. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Let's go." She moved away from him heading towards the passenger door.
"Morgan, wait!" He ran ahead of her leaning on the car door, blocking her escape. "What do you mean maybe this isn't a good idea? Do you want to take this farther?"
"Greg, we work together. This isn't going to end well, and then we will be stuck awkwardly trying to avoid each other until one of us decides to transfer."
"What makes you think this won't end well?"
"Have you ever had a relationship that did?" He took a step away from the vehicle, pondering her question. She seized the opportunity to open the car door and slide in, shutting him out for the time being. He stood outside her door a moment longer before getting into the driver's seat and starting the car. They drove in silence back to the station, Morgan watching the city and Greg's reflection from glass in the passenger window.
Although they stood on opposite sides of Russell's office, Morgan could feel the heat from Greg's glare as she watched her supervisor, trying her best to concentrate on the case. She breathed a sigh of relief when Russell dismissed them, grateful for the chance for some space. She started walking down the hall when she felt him beside her.
"We need to talk." She looked at him as he motioned to a nearby room. They walked into the shadowy room and Greg shut the door behind them. Morgan found a switch and flipped on a dim red light. They were in the darkroom, dusty from disuse.
He faced her, running his fingers through his hair. "This is torture. It's going to continue to be torture for me if something doesn't happen. I know you felt something when I kissed you. I know this attraction is mutual, but unlike you, I can't ignore it anymore." He closed in on her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I'll transfer if you want. It's the only way I'll be able to get you out of my mind."
He kissed her forehead, pausing for a moment. Then he turned to leave.
"Greg, wait." She put her arms around him, resting her body against his back. "I don't want you to go." The vibration of her soft voice on his neck send a shiver down him. Greg turned, enveloping Morgan in a hug. He whispered in her ear.
"Morgan, what do you want?" At that moment, she wanted him, all of him. She brought her hands to the nape of his neck and pulled him down, eye level with her.
"This," she breathed as she kissed him. She pulled back to gauge his reaction. He kissed her back, hungrily and with force. She took a step backward, her backside meeting the end of a table. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her and sat her on the edge of it. He slid her jacket off, tracing her collar bone with his thumb. His lips made their way down her neck as she wrapped her legs around him pulling him closer. Suddenly, a bright light fell upon them as someone opened the door.
"Oh, sorry," a guy from the swing shift created a shadow in the doorway. "Sanders? Is that you?"
"Get out," Greg yelled, resting his head on Morgan's shoulder. When the door shut, he looked up at her smiling. "I should take you out on a real date without any interruptions before we take this further."
"Agreed," she said, returning the smile.
Morgan stood in front of the mirror, pulling back her hair while turning her head before letting it fall around her shoulders again. She was busy perfecting her reflection when the doorbell rang, making her jump. Greg had somehow arranged for both of them to have night off, setting up a time for their first date. She had known him for years now and hell, had even kissed him, but she still felt nervous. She opened the door. He stood in front of her in a handsome black suit with a bouquet of roses in hand. But it was his expression when he saw her that made her heart beat a little faster.
His mouth dropped as he took her in. She wore a little red dress that outlined all her assets with her blonde hair falling in waves around her face. It was an angelic view.
He licked his lips before he spoke. "Wow! I hope this date lives up to that outfit, because you look phenomenal." She took the flowers from him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"If you planned it, I'm sure it will exceed all my expectations." She shut the door and grabbed his hand leading him to his car.
The hostess sat them at cozy table next to a large panel window that showcased all of Vegas' bright lights from a bird's eye view.
"God, Greg, this view is beautiful," she remarked as he stood behind her pushing in her chair.
"I told you. Nothing beats Vegas at night." He inched his seat closer to hers as he sat down. The ambiance of the restaurant was high class and very romantic. The waiter brought them a bottle of wine as they searched the menu.
"Well, if all your first dates are like this, I have no idea why you were single," she flirted, sipping on her glass of merlot. He ran his hand over her other hand that laid on the table.
"You are the only girl I have ever met that deserved a first date like this," he said. They placed their orders and spend the rest of the dinner chatting about aspects of their personal lives they so rarely got the chance to share on the job. The evening passed quickly, as if time stood still, and before Morgan knew it, Greg was standing on her porch saying goodnight. He leaned in to kiss her goodbye, but she put her finger to his mouth, stopping him.
"I'm not ready to say goodbye yet," she told him as she guided him into her apartment. Once inside, she kissed him as they began to undress each other, leaving a trail of clothes from the door to the bedroom.
Greg woke up the next morning to the sight of Morgan's bare back, her smooth skin illuminated by the glow of the morning sun filtering in through the shades. He ran his lips up her spine and down her shoulder, stirring her from slumber.
"Morning gorgeous." His husky voice filled her ear. She turned and smiled at him as he kissed her. "I could get used to waking up like this." He put his arms around her and pulled her close.
"I want you to know that you are the only guy I have ever met that deserved to end a first date like that," she said. He buried his face into the crevice of her neck, taking in her scent.
"So worth the wait," he mumbled into her skin. "And the best part: no interruptions." She laughed as she closed her eyes, feeling safe and comfortable in his embrace.
The first three months of their whirlwind romance seemed to fly by until that day in the locker room. Morgan stood in front of her locker gathering her things to go home.
"Looks like the coast is clear," she heard him whisper in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She turned smiling and gave him a kiss.
"You are especially cheerful tonight. You hoping to get lucky?" she teased.
"Always," he responded. "But actually, I have some great news. I got offered a job promotion."
"What? Greg, that's great. What is it?"
"Well, that's the thing. It's a position for an assistant lab director, but it's in San Fransisco. The pay is great and I'll get to see my family more often." She pulled back, studying him, letting his words sink in.
"What about us, Greg?"
"I thought we could try long distance for a while. Just for a few months and then maybe we can talk about setting up something more permanent for our future." He saw her face fall, hurting his heart. "Morgan," he continued softly. "We've only been together a couple of months. I didn't think it would be fair to ask you to uproot your whole life just because I got a job offer. We can make this work though. Plus, you'll get to meet my parents. My mom is dying to meet you." Her expression remained somber and tears begin brimming her eyes.
"I knew this was a bad idea. I knew one of us would get hurt," she said walking past him out of the locker room.
"Morgan!" He followed her into the parking lot. She ignored him, tears now streaming down her face, as she got in her car and started the engine. He opened the passenger side and hopped in right before she could drive away. She gripped the steering wheel and kept her eyes focused on the road as she headed out onto the street. "Morgan," he repeated. "I never meant to hurt you. I want to be with you still. We can make this work."
She stopped at a red light and turned to him. "I wasn't talking about me when I said someone would get hurt. Greg, I have-"
"Morgan, look out!" Greg grabbed the steering wheel to try to veer the car out of the way of an oncoming truck that crossed the median. The impact made everything appear in slow motion. The shaking of the car as it was being hit. The rain of glass that poured upon them. The crunching sound of metal bending, glass shattering. Then all faded to black.
