A/N Both Wolfmusic28 and CarolinaGirl put this seed into my head. It was an interesting concept to me while discussing the idea for a one shot, but I realized a story like this would have to be multi chaptered. This will only be five chapters max. The first chapter begins during the Lady Killer episode and at the end of the Blur Club scene.
Hope you guys enjoy!
This Morning
Carter looked at John's sleeping form on the bed in front of her before she scurried off quietly to the bathroom to retrieve her clothes where she'd left them. She slipped one leg after the other into her thong and pulled it up. She quickly fastened the clasps of her bra and hurriedly put her dress back on. With her shoes in her hand, she glanced over at John one last time making sure he was still asleep and left the quiet of his loft. Closing the door softly behind her she got onto the elevator and waited impatiently to get to the lobby.
As it descended, she silently contemplated their actions of the previous night and the consequences that she knew would follow in the very near future. But she had to get home; she had to leave this building as quickly as possible.
As she stepped out onto the street the early morning air hit her in the face and she could smell his scent, strong, and all over her. The memories of the night prior would not go away easily she knew.
The thoughts stayed with her on the ride home as she sat in the back of a cab, thinking that she could only run so far and for so long.
Last Night
With her overnight bag in his left hand, Reese stood to the side and let her exit the elevator before him. He was quiet as she did and their feet hit the carpeting in the corridor together. Carter gazed at his profile, his face a cool mask and she was unsure of what was going on in his head right now. He took his keys out of his pocket and opened the heavy door.
She walked inside after him, rubbing her arms at the chill inside the wide open space and looked around. This wasn't a safe house she thought. She'd been to a few that Finch owned. The ones she'd seen didn't seem lived in or occupied. They had furniture, yes, but they seemed filled with collectibles, artifacts, treasured gems and fortunate finds. This, this was someone's home.
John's home.
He'd taken her back to his place.
She'd never been here, never been inside his space despite the various times he'd been to hers. He'd even come inside a few times, but he'd never invited her here. She looked at him again, and instead of the cool mask earlier, he looked nervous, maybe even a bit worried.
"You know this wasn't necessary, John. I could've stayed home."
"We can't take the chance that Ian could have followed you there." He answered. "It wasn't safe. And since it was Finch and I who put you in danger, we need to make sure that you'll be okay."
She still thought he was being unreasonable, but it was almost 3am, she was tired and she didn't have the strength or will to argue with him tonight, especially when he was hell bent on being overprotective.
But something else felt off. He'd been acting strangely all night. She saw the way he looked at her when she got to the safe house earlier, the way his gaze lingered over her before they left. He seemed overly concerned when he thought she wasn't armed, but he should have known better. When they bumped into each other on the street when she left the club, he seemed very worried, almost in a panic. Even as he took her home and waited as she packed some clothes in an overnight bag, the look had remained. She hadn't seen that look on his face since she'd been shot by her CI almost two years ago.
"The bathroom's over there." He said pointing to her left, there's food in the kitchen if you want something to eat."
"I think I'll be fine. I'm not hungry."
Her eyes moved over to the huge bed against the wall and his eyes followed as well.
"You can have the bed and I'll sleep…..up there, in the tree house." He said pointing to the section beyond the stairs. He took off his jacket walking toward the walk in closet and hung it up. "Do you want something to drink at least? Some red wine maybe?"
He asked with an awkward half smile. He was probably feeling as weird as she was right now. She couldn't help but smile back. The last few months between them had been weird. So many things had happened; Elias, her demotion and now he was working with Shaw.
And apparently there was something between him and Zoe Morgan. Her assumption about them had been confirmed tonight, not only by Zoe's cutting glances but by her glowing announcement of the pink taser John had apparently bought for her.
Everything seemed to have changed between them. She missed their closeness. The one they didn't speak about but knew was there. She missed the ease of talking to him and being open. But it'd been lost somewhere in between Rikers and Beecher's death. She wondered if they'd ever get that back. She wondered how they ever could.
She shook her head and picked up her bag. "No. I think I've had enough to drink tonight. I think I'll just go get ready for bed. Excuse me." She said, passing him and headed for the bathroom.
She stripped out of her dress, peeling it from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. She undid the hook of her bra at the back and rested it on the vanity. The mirror on the wall in front of her was massive and she stared at herself for a long time thinking over the events of the last few hours recalling how in the first few minutes of leaving the club she was scared, just a little of Ian and what he might do to her.
It was out of character for her. She was a detective after all, but even though she knew they were in fact setting a trap for a possible serial killer and she knew she was the bait, it didn't stop her from feeling a slight bit of panic as she heard his footsteps in the back of her. She felt relief when she collided with Reese, grateful that it had been him that had held onto her arm instead of some stranger who might try to take her life. She'd even shaken a little and maybe that's why she didn't argue with him too much when he suggested she shouldn't spend the night at home. Taylor was at her mother's and he didn't want her to be alone.
Maybe right now the security of John's presence was what she needed.
She heard a knock on the bathroom door and instinctively said 'come in' instead of 'wait', forgetting for a second that she wasn't home. The door swung open and Reese entered, filling the frame of the door appearing larger than life. He held two towels in his hand, anticipating that she would need them.
He stopped in his tracks staring at her, and while she initially raised her hands to cover her breasts she was drawn into his eyes as they settled on her.
"I….."
Whatever he meant to say was lost on his lips and neither of them could speak. He looked at her the way he did when they'd met after he got out of Rikers. They were back on the bridge and all of a sudden those unresolved feelings from them came to the surface. His eyes were filled with need, with want; she could feel it permeating from him, touching her from across the room.
She knew she should hide, tell him to leave, but her hands moved slowly down to her waist, then to her sides and he could see her now. His eyes moved over her, slowly, hungrily and she saw him swallow, gripping the towels tighter in his hand.
"Come here." He said, his voice low and raspy. "Come to me."
She looked at him for a minute, feeling unsure what to do, but at the same time unable to look away. She found herself moving, closer and closer to him, her high heels sounding on the tile floor. Closer and closer she got until she was in his arms. The towels were thrown to the floor and his hands moved to her waist as he drew her panties down and off roughly. He picked her up as he kissed at her mouth, tasting it with his tongue, moving his hands all over her bare back and hips.
She loved the feel of his lips. They were ruthless, demanding and she grabbed at his face, his hair, grasping for every inch of him she could reach. He was bruising her, marking her with his mouth, putting every bit of passion and desire behind his kisses.
She put her arms around his neck grinding over him, feeling the stiffness of his erection pulsing against her. Her fingers bore into his shoulders as his mouth moved over her neck and he pressed her into the tiled wall. She ran her hands up and down his chest, touching him through his shirt. Her hands moved over his shoulders and neck, trying to pull him closer. Her desire was growing by the second and she could feel herself getting wet, ready for him. He lifted her higher still and she cried out as he took one of her nipples into his mouth. She held on tightly as his mouth moved over them both, his tongue rolling them under its wetness. She was quivering with want, so quickly, so suddenly and she needed him now.
"John….."
Reese felt her nails on his scalp, her shoe heels digging into his back and her nipples were like sweet nectar in his mouth coming to life under his tongue. Her skin was soft in his hands, soft and smooth and he loved the feel of her against him.
She fumbled with the belt at his waist, unbuckling it, and unzipped his pants. She freed him from his underwear, taking him in her hands. She stroked at him, running her fingers over his shaft until he felt an uncontrollable surge of pleasure run through him. He couldn't wait any longer. The smell of her perfume, the image of her in the dress earlier and now her bare skin before his eyes had driven him mad.
He lifted her up and over him, sliding himself deep inside her. She was wet and felt warm on him. He let out a loud groan as she settled on top, twisting her heels on the backs of his thighs. He lifted her over and over to meet his thrusts, and she held onto him, squeezing him each time. She took him further and further in, deeper and deeper still.
She kissed him, and he loved it as she groaned into his mouth. Her tongue moved over his over and over.
"Joss….Joss….."
He was in deep but it didn't feel like it was enough.
He felt as if he was pouring himself into her, all his frustration over Rikers, the separation after and the months of distance between them. It seemed he was trying to close the gap that had threatened to push them further apart. Nothing else but being inside her could soothe him now. Nothing else but being with her could make it all better.
She looked into his eyes as his thrusts came faster, biting her lip, taking him in, but she wouldn't look away even as she began to whimper. She started to tremble on top of him, her thighs moved erratically and his name repeatedly left her mouth. Then she came, gripping his back tightly and the moans from her mouth were deep and long.
Soon he joined her, pushing into her fast, deep, and with one last long stroke he emptied himself inside her, pushing her into the wall. His chest was heaving as he held onto her, his face buried in her neck.
Her arms remained around him and he gathered her close and took her to the bed where he carefully put her down.
Carter felt her back collide with the soft fabric of the sheets on the bed and Reese leaned over her. He was still fully dressed and she still had on her panties. His hair was askew as he looked down at her, a thin film of sweat was on his brow, but his gaze on her was soft.
He looked positively contemplative in the soft light of the apartment. And that was something she didn't want right now. She didn't want either of them to think or worry whether this was the right thing to do. At least not yet. There would be time for that later when they came to their senses. Right now she just wanted to drown in him and forget everything else.
She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, moving her lips along his. He parted her legs as he put his thigh in between them. He felt so big as he loomed over her. The muscles in his back felt strong and hard and she suddenly wanted to touch and see his bare flesh.
She unbuttoned his shirt; her hands moved it over his shoulders.
"Take this off." She told him and he got up stripping out of his undershirt and finally his pants and underwear. She kissed at the scars on his chest, running her hands over the ridges and lines that marred his skin. She pressed him onto his back moving her hands softly over his chest, his shoulders, and his arms.
Before he seemed so big and strong, now he seemed so small and vulnerable under the touch of her hands. She teased him with her mouth, running it over his stomach, his nipples, then when she went to kiss his lips, she moved just out of his reach. She laughed at him as she did it again and again, and she ended up on her back as he pinned her down taking the kisses she would not give.
"So you want to play, huh?" He asked and though his voice was deep with desire, his eyes were lit up with laughter. She could feel him start to move between her legs, felt his cock press into her thigh.
He kissed her neck, her collar bone, over and over his mouth moved against her. He kissed her senseless till she was quivering underneath him, till she was ready to take him into her body again. She moved to put her hands around him, but he raised her arms over her head and she couldn't move.
She couldn't see straight now. The laughter had died in her throat long ago. Now she was hungry for him again. Now she was the one who would have to wait.
"John….."
She moaned a little as he ran his tongue along the entrance of her mouth slowly. His palm grazed the outside of her breast as his hand travelled lower, settling between her legs and he gradually pushed himself in at a controlled pace. She tried to move underneath him, but he wouldn't budge. She could feel him pulsing inside and she wrapped her legs around his back trying to pull him in further.
"John, don't tease me."
His kiss was hard, quick and her mouth felt bruised when he broke away.
"So it's okay for you to tease, but not me? You don't play fair, Joss."
She was about to call his name again when he started to move inside her. And when he did, he took her breath away. He was forceful, but slow, drawing her knees up, stretching her out all around him. She felt filled up, warm and on the brink of surrendering all control.
It seemed it was what he wanted. He wanted her to yield to him. After so many weeks of I'm okay and I'm fine, he wanted to see what was deep inside. He wanted her to let him in. And for that moment she did.
She let herself relax under him and when she did, he gradually quickened his pace. He pulled from her over and over. He pulled out everything she could not, would not tell him. Every bite, every kiss on her body, every movement within in pulled her closer.
She felt raw with him inside her, raw and exposed and she felt like she had an insight to him as well.
They were both desperate she thought, grasping at each other, holding on to each other, pushing each other and taking what they both needed.
He gave her release again and when she came it was hard. His groan as he collapsed against her was deep and she felt entirely spent.
She was drowned in his kisses afterwards. He couldn't stop touching her, holding her and it was overwhelming really. She couldn't describe it. Neither of them were sentimental, both of them were guarded, but as she lay in his arms, she contemplated telling him how she really felt. But she held back, she still held back.
"You wanted to do this the moment I walked into the safe house tonight." She said grinning. She lay with her back to his chest, and her fingers moved over his arms that were wrapped around her.
"The dress may have had a little something to do with it." He said as his hands moved over her stomach, then lower to her thighs. "Or it could have been those shoes, or your perfume, or the smile on your face." His hands were moving to sensitive places and each of his words were accentuated with a kiss to her neck and shoulders. She was finding it hard to concentrate.
"Well we all looked good tonight." She said softly when his finger traced her bottom lip.
"You're the only one I saw." He said kissing her neck.
"Liar." She said putting a hand over his and felt him stiffen in the back of her. She felt him take a deep inward breath and he turned her around to face him.
"You're the only one I saw, Joss." She was afraid to see the truth in his words, no matter how sincere he sounded at the moment.
His declaration had the potential to lead to a dialogue she wasn't quite ready to have, so she silenced him with her mouth and snuggled closer to him. It was almost morning and she wanted to sleep a little.
They both needed some rest.
This Morning
She had fallen asleep in his arms. That's what Reese remembered as he opened his eyes in the morning light of day. She'd fallen asleep and the sound of her steady, even breathing is what sent him into slumber not long after.
She wasn't beside him now and he sat up in bed looking around the room. He called out her name, but there was no answer. He got up and went to the kitchen, then the bathroom and he faced the harsh realization that she'd fled while he slept.
He couldn't explain the feeling that suddenly hit him in the chest or the disappointment that she wasn't there. He wasn't sure which was worse, thinking that she regretted last night or knowing that she didn't want to see him afterwards.
He showered and got dressed and headed for the door fully intending to go straight to Carter's apartment. His phone rang and he picked up as he got into the elevator, tapping his ear piece.
"You gonna be here soon?"
"Sorry Shaw, but you and Harold will have to make it without me at least until tonight."
"You're not coming in?"
"I need to stay with Carter until her date tonight. It's still not safe for her to be alone."
"You do realize she's a cop, she can handle herself. Besides if Murphy wanted to try something, he would've done it last night or wait until later when she's in his apartment."
What she was saying was true. He knew it, but he needed to look into Joss' eyes. He needed to see her face when he asked why she left. The library was the last place he wanted to be right now.
"I'll contact you when we're ready to head out tonight." He disconnected the call as he walked out the lobby and into the street.
The apartment was quiet when she got home. It always seemed that way when Taylor wasn't there. This morning she was thankful that he wasn't, she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts and prepare herself for the confrontation with John that she knew was coming.
She walked into her bedroom, unzipping her dress, thinking it was the second time in a matter of hours that she was taking it off. She stared at it on the bed, noting the creases in the leather. She remembered John's eyes on her when he came into the bathroom. His words when he told her to come to him were so hypnotic and the memory of his hands on her when he pulled her panties off roughly sent shivers through her.
She slipped out of her shoes and put them in the box she kept them in before stacking it up with the others. As she walked she felt a slight soreness to her limbs that she hadn't felt for a while. It was the type of sweet discomfort you felt after you spent a night in your lover's arms, being stroked and caressed and being absolutely completely physically taken.
She could still feel his arms around her, his mouth on her thighs. She could still hear his voice whisper her name in her ear. She could still smell him, and looking down at her legs, she saw faint traces of his fluids still on her, dried now, but a clear reminder of him.
This was not what she planned or had seen coming. But now she needed to figure out where they'd go from here because there was no going back. There were too many things to consider now, Elias, HR, Zoe and now this date with Ian later. This was not the right time for an entanglement between her and John. If there ever would be one.
She took out her earring in her left ear, but when she reached for the other, it wasn't there. She probably left it at John's she thought. Of course she did, along with her overnight bag too. She sighed and put her hair up before getting into the shower. The hot water felt good, it was just what she needed, she thought and her muscles felt a little better when she finally got out.
As she sat down in her living room sipping coffee and watching the local morning show, she wondered how long it'd be before she heard from him. Would he call her a coward for running away? Would he be angry?
She knew John, she knew how he'd react in most any situation, but this was unchartered territory. They had never been here and she had no idea what to expect this time. She'd been home a little over an hour when her doorbell rang and she didn't have to guess who it was. She didn't know why she thought he'd wait a few hours to come and find her, but she knew it was him without even looking through the peephole.
When she opened the door, she didn't know what to make of his expression. He didn't seem upset or even angry. His face was somewhat unreadable.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
"Sure." She answered letting him in and indicated that he should sit. She followed him and sat next to him on the couch. His long legs were spread out in front of him and he took up a large amount of space beside her.
"I think we need to talk."
