A/N: Hi again. So, I'm a horrible updater, I know. Even worse, I promise to update on a certain date, and then don't. Sorry guys. I really meant to update this over the weekend, but life interfered. I'll try to not promise updates and then not come through (maybe, I shouldn't be promising that either… sigh… it's a circle of non-kept promises…)

Anyways, on a happier note: Happy Valentines Day! I hope everyone had a good day regardless of whether you had a special someone to share it with or not.

Ok, on with the show…

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 2:

Hotch sat quietly alone in a booth seat of a restaurant he'd never before been too, La Vita e Bella. That's because La Vita e Bella or, translated into English, Life is Beautiful, was the type of restaurant you took a lover to. And at the moment he was fresh out of those.

He had to wonder why Sean and his girlfriend, Janine, had asked him to meet them there. He also wondered why they were having this dinner tonight when they'd already made plans to go to the movies two days from now.

But, really, he didn't mind. Lately, he enjoyed spending time with his brother and he had to believe that was entirely Janine's doing. She had a calming, stabilizing effect on Sean and he was happy to say that his brother's life was definitely on the up and up route. No, he wasn't going to become a star prosecutor like he had been, but he was going to be opening his own restaurant on the weekend.

Hotch was truly happy for his brother and he was glad that he'd found someone who made him so happy. He would definitely remind his brother every chance he got to hold onto her because he knew what it was like to have someone perfect for you and then lose them.

Of course, in his case it had been almost impossible for them to stay together. Still, he had to wonder if the reasons for them not staying together were truly legitimate or had he just been too scared to let yet another person in.

Either way, he missed JJ like hell, especially since she wasn't a member of the BAU any longer.

What was that saying, oh yeah: absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Well his heart was near bursting with how much he cared for her.

As if just thinking about her had conjured her up from memory, he'd felt a pair of eyes on him, and when he looked up he found JJ sitting across the room at a table. She shot him a confused smile and he couldn't help smiling back, it was instinct after not seeing her for so long.

But she wasn't alone. A man, who clearly wasn't Will—build was all wrong—was sitting across from her. A single rose lying across the table was evidence that his former media liaison was on a date.

Since when had she broken things off with Will and why hadn't he been informed?

It was a testament to his famed control that he didn't get up and demand from the striking blonde as to what the hell she thought she was doing with another man that wasn't him? Because, that's exactly what he felt like doing, as his blood boiled under his skin. But clearly he'd refrained; JJ wasn't his, and he had no right or claim to her whatsoever.

Instead, he shot her a quizzical look, hoping to convey wonder at who the man was, but nothing more.

When she returned his look with a sheepish one of her own, combined with the almost imperceptible shrug of her shoulders he knew that this date meant nothing. The relief he felt was acute and he didn't have to wonder at why he was feeling it. He cared for JJ deeply, plain and simple.

Since the day Hailey had died, his relationship with his then media liaison had changed. It was no longer boss and employee first, friends second; their friendship had become forefront. And then, later on, the definition of their relationship changed again after one night of JJ staying late to make him dinner. It had been the first time that he'd almost kissed her and definitely hadn't been the last.

They'd found themselves in a few other situations that called for them to be in close conditions; and on a few occasions they'd gotten as close as mere millimetres away from a sweet kiss only to be interrupted time and time again.

He had to admit, as he looked back on JJ's last few months as a member of his team, that the tension between the two had been building; it had been thick enough to cut with a knife. And that knife had come down hard the night his car had decided not to work and JJ'd driven him home.

That night had been spectacular. He always remembered it as a happy one, choosing not to remember his stupidity that had ruined everything. It was the only time he'd allowed himself freedom from the constraints he put on himself, the ones that gave him his stoic reputation. It was a tribute to JJ that she was the one who'd helped him pull down those walls at least for that brief hour.

%%

The car ride to his apartment building had been long and full of that same tension that had made a permanent home around the pair.

He opened his apartment door and was a little surprised when JJ followed him inside. Well, he'd been taken aback when JJ'd insisted on walking him up. She'd said, "I just want to make sure you're safe." She smiled after that, indicating she was slightly joking.

"Thanks for the ride," he said gratefully, hoping his tone signified the end to their night.

It wasn't right for them to be alone together, especially not alone together in his apartment. There was only so much control a man could inflict on himself.

Looking at JJ standing there, back to his closed door, watching him; she looked totally kissable, he could feel his precarious hold on that control slipping.

"JJ?" he questioned, perplexed when she didn't speak or move.

She let out a sigh, stepping away from the door, a wry smile on her face. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say, 'You're welcome, Hotch. It was no problem, Hotch. Have a good night, Hotch. See you at work, Hotch.'"

Her tone grew more frustrated with each sentence and he suddenly knew what she was getting at even before she spoke her next few words.

"JJ…" he warned.

She stepped towards him, closing the distance between them; she placed a finger across his lips effectively shushing him, leaving it there as she spoke.

"When all I really want to say is, 'I'm not going anywhere, Aaron. I want to be with you, Aaron. I know you want to be with me, too, Aaron. Stop fighting us, Aaron.'"

JJ dropped the finger from his lips, seemingly having finished what she'd wanted to say. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for his response.

What could he say? That yes, she was right, he wanted her so badly it hurt. That it was taking every ounce of his strength for him not to reach for her and never let go. That he'd never in his life had wanted to lose a fight so badly. He wanted to say all those things!

So, what did he do?

One minute he was standing there in front of her, arms at his sides, looking at her desperately. And then, the next, much to JJ's pleasant surprise, he was reaching for her.

He wanted her and he was weak. The tentative rope of control he'd possessed a moment ago snapped under the heavy weight of that crystal clear, blue eyed gaze and displeased pout on JJ's lips. He so wanted to please her.

Hotch pulled her flush against his body; crashing his lips over top of hers. He kissed her over and over again, hungrily, like he couldn't get enough. His hands, too, were relentless, running along the curves of her body. He couldn't get enough of her.

Somehow, he'd pulled them into his bedroom, where he briefly pulled away from her luscious body, just long enough to pull off her blazer and top. The sight of her pale, smooth skin was nearly his undoing and he had to wonder how he'd feel when he touched that bare skin.

His hands eagerly reached for her, wanting to encircle her body in his grasp, to run his hands along her curves, but she swatted them away. He shot her a confused look. She responded with a grin just before her own hands made quick work of his tie and shirt. He kept his hands away just long enough for her to slip it off his shoulders.

When JJ had pulled off the rest of his clothes and pushed him back onto the bed, he was already so completely intoxicated by her skin and touch that there was definitely no stopping them now.

JJ gave him a brief look of complete need before she climbed overtop him to straddle his body. She was so lost in the moment that he let her have his way with him; she took hold of his hands and held them above his head while she peppered his body with feather-light, teasing kisses.

"JJ," he murmured, as her kisses followed the light dusting of hair that trailed downwards. When she moved back up, he growled in frustration and decided that it was his turn. He flipped her over, so that she was under him, and now completely at his mercy.

He mimicked her teasing technique, until finally JJ let out her own frustrations in the form of loud yell, "Aaron, now!"

By the time he took her he was so lost in the heat of desire that he didn't know which way was up or down.

It had been the greatest sensation of his life. The greatest night of his life.

%%

He didn't like to remember the rest of that night. Because that's when he'd messed everything up.

Damn ethics and morals to hell. He could have had her every night since then. But no… he had to be a rule follower.

He snuck another glance at the woman he so wanted. She seemed lost in thought, not at all paying attention to her date. And he wondered what she was thinking about.

He wondered if it was along the same lines of what he was thinking. She was single; it didn't take a profiler to figure out that the date she was currently on was a disastrous one. The things that had been keeping them apart—Will, the FBI—were no longer a factor. They could be together if they wanted to be.

Hotch glanced at JJ again. He somehow needed to get her alone. Sean and Janine—

His train of thought was cut off when he spotted Janine in the distance. She'd seen him too and was shooting him her trademark, infectious smile; it was real hard not to smile back at the five foot eleven woman.

"Aaron!" Janine exclaimed when she'd reached his table. "It's so good to see you."

He hugged Janine back when the woman put her arms around him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and it felt only natural to reciprocate. Janine was just one of those touchy-feely types of people. Except in her case you didn't get uncomfortable.

"It's good to see you too," Hotch answered, pulling back just in time to see JJ rushing away from her table.

He followed her with his eyes seeing she was making her way towards the washrooms. The way she hurried, though, let him know that something was up.

"Earth to Aaron," Janine was saying.

He glanced her way to see she was sitting and he was looking at her from up above. That was wrong; she wasn't that much shorter than him, why was he seeing her from above?

"Aren't you going to sit down?" she added.

Oh, he was still standing.

Slowly, he took his seat. And then he realized something else. Where was Sean?

He must have voiced his question because Janine was answering, "Oh he's trying to find a spot, it's packed tonight!"

Hotch nodded.

"You know, Janine, I'm just going to use the washroom, be right back," he said, rather abruptly; before she could reply, he was up and out of his seat.

Hopefully, he hadn't missed her. He really wanted to speak with her.

Just as he turned the corner he bumped right into someone. Recovering quickly, he cursed himself for running into JJ.

"Sorry about…" She was saying, just before she realized who'd nearly barrelled her over.

He said the first thing that came to mind, "You aren't planning on ditching that poor man, are you?"

He meant it as a joke, but when he saw her face fall, he knew he was an idiot.

"Shouldn't you be with your date, are you ditching her?" JJ replied tartly.

When she started to walk away in a huff, he knew he needed to act fast.

"JJ, wait!"

Well that's it for now. I'll try… to update soon… :)

Thanks for the awesome response: JJandHotch4ever96; tbird1965; Cikun; Berlian (I agree; We definitely need more); gibbsluvr; canny-bairin; Tokala (I hope you're feeling better. Your review and prompts wer awesomeness.); spk; Hotch Fan (To be fair to Bruce, it's an awesome show :) Thanks for the review); kdzl; DannyMessersGirl; Everleigh; and Floating Amoeba.