Breaking the Rules: Chapter One
The words from his Sargent echoed, "I need you and Janko to go undercover – as a couple."
The two of them were up for the challenge of this assignment; however, the reality of what this meant between Jamie and his partner was beginning to seep into his mind, as he stood near the open locker. The undercover assignment with Eddie Janko was an opportunity to make detective at some point, but he also knew the feelings between them were about to spill over during this operation.
They wanted to be together, that was evident.
But risking their jobs, ones they had worked hard for and loved, didn't seem to be a move either one of them was willing to take. If one of them were to get promoted in or out of the precinct, then maybe that would give them the push they needed to take a step forward.
For now, their priority seemed to rest on their work partnership and friendship.
Starting tonight, though, they were supposed to go out there as an undercover couple and put on a show. The problem wasn't the 'show' itself, but what happened when the curtain closed and the lights went down and it was done?
They were supposed to go back to being partners, friends?
Jamie knew the answer was simple – yes, that was what they were expected to do.
Shutting the locker with a little unexpected force, he took a breath and stepped out into the hallway, where he knew she'd be waiting.
Their eyes quickly met the moment he stepped into her view, both knowing the night was about to get a bit sticky between them. And when she pulled herself away from the wall, he smiled at her with ease. Eddie's blond locks draped past her shoulders, slightly curled, and the silk material of her top hung loosely around her upper body, with the black dress pants fitting her just right, which left him to appreciate the vision she was trying to sell for that night.
She was about to lure this man in by her appearance, something Jamie felt a bit uneasy about.
With a smile, Eddie took in the way Jamie looked as well.
"You ready?" Jamie asked, taking in a deep breath as he checked her over without drawing attention.
She nodded in agreement, barely able to mutter a word in return. Tonight, it wasn't going to be easy, considering the way they both felt about the other, and knowing they weren't about to risk the job and let those feelings get in the way.
They had to keep a level head – they were there to con a con in a matter of speaking.
After walking into the restaurant and being seated, Eddie and Jamie ordered a drink from the waitress, right before noticing that their targets weren't too far from their table. Jamie nodded in Eddie's direction, both watching the couple from the corner of their eye and stealing a few unintended glances toward each other as well.
"I don't like this…"
Eddie turned her attention from the couple back at Jamie, who suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "You don't like what exactly?"
"Using you as bait."
This was the very reason why getting involved with your partner wasn't a good idea. Feelings got in the way of doing your job and doing it well. Normally, he had her back and she had his, regardless of the situation they were walking into.
Sometimes, though, Jamie had an issue with her being used as a target.
He didn't like it.
He didn't trust that something wouldn't go wrong.
"I thought we both agreed—"
Jamie stole a glance back at the couple, just to ensure they were still in view and hadn't snuck out the back. The couple appeared to be scanning the room, probably looking for their next likely target. Jamie then turned away, taking a moment to lean into the table and finish the conversation with Eddie, if that was even possible. "We did…sort of."
They'd committed to keeping things between them professional; although, it wasn't easy when neither seemed to be able to forget about the kiss or the way they had laid out their feelings for the other. Going back wasn't possible, but they sure weren't moving forward, either.
Eddie felt his stare in that moment, almost as if it was burning right through her.
The couple they were watching got up for a dance, which allowed Jamie to request Eddie to do the same with him. As they stood in unison, and once her fingers touched his, the electricity was felt between the two of them, allowing for the next step to come easily.
Eddie's eyes shifted to Jamie's backside as he led her onto the dance floor, in ear-shot of the couple.
A part of her was nervous about being with him out on the dance floor again.
They both knew what they had wasn't platonic.
Jamie's right hand slid around Eddie's waist, their eyes locking with each other as this motion drew her near him. Something they had secretly been wanting again since their last dance. Her left hand rested on his shoulder, and he took her other hand and pressed it close to his chest. "They are watching us," Eddie whispered into Jamie's ear, leaning in a bit closer.
Jamie felt the knot in the pit of his stomach, not from the words spoken but just her closeness.
She felt it, too.
"He is watching you," Jamie whispered back to Eddie.
Eddie knew the plan – this couple wasn't devoted to each other, they were a duo that was out to dup couples. They dangled the possibility of get rich schemes to those they thought were easy and trusting targets, and then they broke the trust between the devoted couple, allowing the man to swoop in and get a wad of cash from the woman before moving onto the next couple to deceive.
She knew that the man used his seductive smile, allowing the trusting woman to doubt her partner.
Jamie felt Eddie's body pull away from his just slightly, breaking the connection between them for a moment as the song ended. Even though there was a second of silence in between songs, he knew the couple was still watching to see if they were trusting, loyal, and whether they seemed devoted to one another.
Time to shift the plan into the next gear.
Jamie leaned forward, knowing that sparks were going to fly and nervousness was about to set in, just as he pulled Eddie to him by placing his hand on her hips, and then brushing his lips against hers. The kiss was intended to be short. However, once their lips touched, they found it difficult to pull away.
Maybe because it had been weeks since it had happened.
Maybe because they didn't want it to end.
Either way, Eddie immediately felt like they'd taken it a little too far.
They were partners, not lovers.
But then again, they were playing roles of a couple that was just that.
The two separated from each other, and as she led him to the bar, his eyes were on every move she made. The heat between them was apparent, and he hoped that the couple picked up on it as well. This was their job for the night – draw this couple in, and then see if they could get noticed.
It seemed to be working.
After standing near the bar and ordering a few more drinks, Jamie turned around to find the targeted man directly behind Eddie. A step in the right direction. However, Jamie didn't like the way his eyes were checking Eddie out. The man looked her up and down like a piece of meat, and just as he was about to say something, Eddie placed her hand against Jamie's chest, stopping him.
When the woman joined her husband, she set her eyes on Jamie.
This wasn't lost on Eddie, either.
The woman leaned toward Jamie to grab her drink from the bar, and then slipped a card in his jacket.
"Excuse us," she spoke softly, before throwing a fake smile in Eddie's direction.
The couple quickly excused themselves, and before Eddie and Jamie had returned to their own table, the couple was nowhere to be seen. The restaurant was starting to fill with couples and families, but it was as if their couple just disappeared into thin air.
Jamie pulled out the card left in his pocket.
"What does it say?" Eddie asked while she stood close to him, continuing to scan the room.
"Phone number, and a little incentive."
Eddie glanced down at the card, smiled in Jamie's direction, knowing that the first phase of this operation had gone as planned. Maybe not smoothly for the two of them, but they had accomplished what they needed that night.
They slowly reached the door of her apartment later that night, and as she fumbled for her keys and opened the door a crack to step in the doorway, Jamie rested against the frame as she turned back to him. They both had a few drinks that night, and while they weren't exactly drunk, they were a bit tipsy.
Eddie took a step toward Jamie, pressed her lips to his cheek and whispered, "Good night."
It didn't take long for an innocent peck on the cheek to turn more heated.
As soon as her lips left his cheek, their eyes quickly locked on each other, leaving them frozen for a moment. He didn't want her to pull away, not this time. All this pretending was getting to him, and he didn't know what kind of fall out would happen if they threw caution to the wind and broke all the rules.
This wasn't something they were supposed to act on.
Against better judgement, though, Jamie removed one hand from his jean pocket and rested it against her waist. He drew her near in that moment, pressing her body against his and his lips to hers, allowing their kiss to linger until they could barely take another breath.
Once they pulled back, Eddie's forehead rested against Jamie's, keeping their connection.
"Jamie…" she whispered, pressing her hand against his chest, without really pulling back.
He knew what she was about to say – they knew this wasn't right, not if they wanted to continue working together. The risks of getting involved on the job were too high. A wrong moved could get one of them or someone else killed.
It had to stop.
Whatever this was had to stop.
And even though the whisper of his name seemed as though she was about to pull back, it was the placement of her hands that told him a different story. He felt her hands slip between his jacket and pull him with her into the apartment. Their bodies parted, allowing the door to close behind them, and as it did she stepped backward against the nearest wall.
They thought they had gone past the point of no return already, the moment their feelings were out.
This…this was truly the point of no return, if they went any further.
Jamie couldn't take his eyes off where she stood – while he'd always let her call the shots on where they were headed and at what speed, he'd found himself wanting her so badly, in more than just a physical sense, that he wasn't about to turn away.
Eddie's breathing was unsteady as he took the last step in her direction, so much so that she wondered if he'd noticed the few gasps she'd taken from his proximity. The lights were still off, but that didn't seem to bother either of them in that moment.
"Spoil me for life," Jamie whispered against her mouth, just seconds before his lips crashed onto hers.
...