Mature Content

Rio

It was perfect. Just how he imagined it would feel. He was ashamed at how many times he had thought about her in this way before he actually got to do it. Like a sickness there is no other cure for. His mouth grazed down the side of her face until it found solace in the crook of her neck. He heard a small moan escape her mouth into his ear, sending warm tingles down his spine in the perfect agony of wanting more, but not wanting to rush it. Rio watched his caramel hand float down her pale arm until him fingers were intertwined with hers. Beth let her head fall back as he kissed up the side of her neck and was back to her face. He looked into her wide blue eyes. The eyes that had captivated him for months. He tried to figure her out every time he dared looked at them for longer than a few moments. Who was this woman? He had never touched her and she had his attention more than any woman who had ever put her mouth on any part of his body.

He wanted to know what made her tick. What drew her to him? Was it because he was dangerous and exciting? Or was it real? His other hand made its was up to sit on her neck so his thumb could touch her bottom lip. Perfection. She stood in front of him silently begging for what he now knew they had both been waiting for, but he couldn't do it yet. This woman infuriated him, confused him, and impressed him with every turn she took. She managed to get herself out of every situation she got herself into, especially with him. And that didn't happen. He had let her slide so many times, she could have been covered in vegetable oil. He probably could have just slept with her months ago and got it out of his system, but she's not one of those women. She's not the one you get to pick up at the bar and take home. She's not one to let herself slip into some stranger's arms without a second thought. She's one you have to earn. He wanted to earn her.

Rio felt the softest hand begin to glide up his back under his shirt. Beth appeared to be tired of waiting for him to make a move. He gave her that half cocked grin and she smiled not so innocently back at him and bit her bottom lip. His erection jumped in his pants as he saw her teeth push into her soft lip. He leaned in toward her when his phone beeped. He groaned and clenched his jaw in annoyance. She just smiled up at him and he moved in again. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Rio's eyes shot open from his perfect dream. He lazily touched the stop button on his alarm and laid back staring at the ceiling. He shook his head in disbelief at how far gone he was getting over a damn suburban housewife. Then he looked under the cover at yet another morning boner, "Third time this week." He said to himself. Beth had haunted his dreams more than a few times the last few weeks and he had been keeping his distance from her hoping it would dissipate, but it was only worse. He found himself fighting the urge to show up at her house for a late night visit. He literally had nothing to discuss with her. He just wanted to get under her skin so she would get pissy with him and they could bicker for ten minutes and he would leave. That's the point he had gotten to with her. Just waiting for the next moment so he didn't appear too obvious to those around him. He should hate her. He shouldn't be giving her a second thought after what she did to him. Anybody else would be in a body bag, but his dumb ass gets out of jail and hands her a gun. She proved herself to him, but no he had to go on pretending to be disgusted at the very thought of her so his men wouldn't think he was going nuts. Rio didn't get affected this way by women. This is what he did to them. It was a whole new territory to be the one wondering about a person and what you possibly meant to them.

It turned him on that she stood up to him in the most drastic way anyone could. Test him like she did. Try to ruin his livelihood because he kicked her out of the club. He laughed to himself because he knew that was over simplifying. She was scared he would come for her and if she only knew how many times he argued with himself over it. It's what he would have done had it been anybody else. He knew what drove Beth. What made her do the things she does. He told her a dozen times to her face that he didn't a shit about her family, her kids, her dog, or her cheating husband, but he did. When he looked at her, he saw the years she put into that family just for Dean to yank the rug out from under her. She felt like she had nothing but wasted time on her hands. All her effort and hard work of trying to keep her family whole had gone down the drain because of a young piece of ass. Rio didn't understand how Dean had a real woman at home at his beckon call was able to fuck a blonde bimbo on his desk at work. It made him crazy. Her face, her hair, her thighs, her inner bad ass made him weak.

He found himself clenching his jaw again as he thought about her. So, he tossed the covers off and headed off to get ready for the day because he knew he would most likely run into her today.
***

Beth

Beth, Ruby, and Annie all stared out the car window as Cisco drove them to the warehouse like a carpool mom. They were used to it at this point. Beth had started making Cisco muffins in the morning for the ride. Something told her he didn't get home cooked meals a lot being on Rio's schedule. Her mind wondered as she tuned Annie out as she talked to Ruby. Her forehead laid against the window wondering if he would deem her worthy of his presence today.

She hated this part. If someone had told her she would have regretted turning him in because she couldn't stand the thought of Rio not looking at her, she would have laughed in their face. Beth hated how distant he had made himself from her now. Not that she blamed him. She did turn him into the police. What did she expect? At the same time, these days Beth never knew what to expect. She had never expected to rob a grocery store. She had never expected that grocery store to be a front for money laundering. She never expected to come home to Rio and his boys in her kitchen. She never expected to smuggle counterfeit money over the Canadian border. She never expected to voluntarily go back to that warehouse for another piece of the take. And she sure a fuck never expected to feel heartbroken when a gang banger couldn't look her in the eye anymore.

Beth would never share this information out loud with Ruby and Annie, but she had secretly liked that she had become the one that Rio talked to. That he somewhat confided in and did business with for the three of them. Strangely enough she felt respected by him and that made her feel good. Dean hadn't respected her properly in ANY way is so long, she got a secret thrill out of being the one he looked at when he was talking. She got lost in that face. The hard angles. The lips that revealed the most amazing smile when prompted. He had a side that she hadn't seen but knew existed. Rio didn't do what did for nothing. He has people he loves and provides for. He just kept it hidden. Nobody went to the lengths he did for nothing. He didn't kill people for the sake of it. He protected his own. She respected that. It's what she did to him. She just needed him to see her like that again. Not as a rat or a burden. But someone he understood and respected.

Beth's thoughts were lost when the car stopped in front of the warehouse. Her breath hitched in her throat with anticipation that this would be the day she would seem for just a moment. Or that he would look at her like he did before.

Beth and Rio

The girls really had no idea what they had been doing the last couple of weeks. They were given orders to move stuff around so that's what they did. It was obvious it wasn't business as usual and Beth knew it was why everyone had a snarl on their face when they passed her. But no one had jumped her ass yet, so Rio must be on her side one way or another. Cisco was the only one that gave her a sympathetic smile from time to time. Baking usually won people over, but she knew that wouldn't be the case with Rio.

As she was going through some file boxes that needed to be moved, she heard that familiar voice. That grumbling mumbled speech of his. She looked up and saw him talking to Cisco and Carlos. He was deep in conversation with them about God knows what and she watched his hands move as he spoke. The sleeves of his black button down were rolled up to his elbows and she could see his toned forearms as he moved and she sighed deeply at how far gone she was.

Rio sensed her eyes on him as he addressed Carlos and Cisco. He could feel her begging him just to give her a look as she worked on organizing the files. He presence felt heavy on him as he tried to work his day around her. She was mere feet away and he ignored her.
Beth huffed quietly as she realized she wasn't going to get what she wanted from him today. He wouldn't even cut his eyes at her and it no longer hurt her feelings. She was pissed. If she was such dirt under his feet why did her keep her here? Then she heard her name. She looked up and saw Cisco pointing to her. It seemed like he was explaining her task to Rio or maybe what files she was working on. Rio caught her eye for a second before he looked back to Cisco. Rio walked off and Cisco headed for Beth.

"You done with this box, Beth?" He asked as he went to pick it up.

"Yes, why?" She questioned looking up at him.

"Boss wants to look at it." He replied.

Beth arched her eyebrow, "After I've reorganized it from the mess he left it in?"

Cisco shrugged knowing it didn't matter why. Rio said jump, so he says how hi.

"She felt it rising in her chest, all the things she probably didn't need to say, but she felt like she was going to anyway. She grabbed the box from Cisco, "I'll take it." and walked off with purpose before he could protest.

Beth walked with vigor up the steps to the office above the warehouse where Rio would be and barged in.

Rio looked up from his computer and clenched his jaw when he saw it was Beth. He arched his eyebrow and closed the laptop he was studying and sat comfortably back in his seat. His stare was tense on hers as he waited. She was disheveled from working her hair was haphazardly clipped back leaving wavy tendrils falling around her face. It was how he imagined she would look after they had spent hours together.

"I asked Cisco to bring that to me. Not you." He said folding his hands across his lap.

Beth studied him for a moment before letting the box fall on his desk a little harder than necessary, "I was told to get these reorganized from where you had messed them up. I was told you were done with them, but now that I'm almost done getting them back in order, you need them."

"He let his head fall to the side and pursed his lips, "Yes, I do."

"For what?" She pushed, "We're shutdown. Why do you need to go through files for a non-operating business."

His jaw ticked from left to right as he grinded his teeth. Slowly he stood and leaned on the desk and looked through Beth, "Because it's none of you Goddamn business, yeah?"

She leaned on the desk to meet his gaze, "I think it's to make more work for me because you're pouting."

"Does that piss you off?" He asked calmly keeping his gaze cold.

"Yes, as a matter of fact!" She snapped back in his face.

His cool demeanor was almost scary to her at this moment.

"Elizabeth, I'd love nothing more than to piss you off right now."

NOTES: I've been reading some stories between these two and another writer said that there just wasn't enough stories about Beth and Rio. I agree! These guys have crazy chemistry on the show and it needs to be explored. Any feedback is welcome. I hope you enjoyed!