Emily settled into the passenger seat, her hand trembling slightly as she buckled her seat belt.
Out here, away from the music and their team, the reality of the kiss they'd shared and what they were about to do settled in.
Emily felt like her nerves were being stretched tight, her feelings raw and exposed. This was either going to be just what they needed or a colossal mistake. Either way, once that line was crossed nothing would ever be the same again.
Hotch slid behind the wheel, their eyes meeting as he leaned over to buckle his own seat belt. He saw the hesitation and touch of nervousness in Emily's eyes, felt the tension radiating off of her and smiled softly.
He rested his right hand gently on her knee, maintaining constant contact as he guided the car back to his townhouse.
The idea that confident, sure-of-herself Emily Prentiss was nervous amused Hotch. He'd never known her to be hesitant; she was more likely to follow her gut and charge in, guns blazing and damn the consequences.
He wasn't sure he was interested in examining what exactly her hesitation meant. He simply wanted to allow them this opportunity to finally explore what they'd both been fighting for so long. They could worry about the "what now?" later.
Aaron Hotchner was not an impulsive man. Every action, every choice, every word was weighed heavily. Too much was left to chance when you didn't think before you spoke or acted. Too much potential for everything he'd sacrificed for to fall apart if he acted on impulse. Foyet had taught him that. He'd lost so much and could have lost everything to Foyet and his inability to control his temper and impulses.
Now, more than ever, every move, every word was weighed and considered. Hotch knew that his team, Emily, thought that this was sudden and spontaneous. But Hotch had been thinking about this, considering what Emily Prentiss was coming to mean to him, for years.
He'd had every intention of going to her on the dance floor tonight. The fact that she'd come to him, had made the first moves, simply confirmed what he'd suspected from the day he'd met her.
Aaron had been very taken with Ambassador Prentiss' eighteen year old daughter. Emily had been fearless even then, full of spit and vinegar and ready to leave behind her privilege and take on the world.
Hotch had noticed how Emily had always been a little more cautious around him, both when they'd first met and again later when she'd joined his team.
Then he and Haley had fallen apart and Emily had been there, still just out of reach but a constant source of support and comfort.
He hadn't been surprised that hers was the first face he'd seen when he'd woken up in the hospital, abdomen on fire and head foggy.
And then again, after Haley. Only she had been coming closer, saying it was for Jack.
But Hotch knew – he'd always known – and he'd found little ways to show her. Whether he'd been too subtle or she'd put up walls, afraid to let hope creep in, he didn't know.
All he did know was that for a world-class profiler, Emily seemed pretty clueless.
Not that he was any better. He had faced his worst nightmare and while he'd lost Haley in the process, he'd still managed to stay strong and unwavering til the end. Once those deep brown eyes met his, however, his body reacted and he couldn't think past his need for more of her. It was well past time to do something about it.
He glanced over at her, squeezed her knee gently to get her attention. She raised her head to meet his eyes and smiled sheepishly.
"Where'd you go?" he asked quietly, pulling into a parking spot.
She looked down at his hand on her knee, could feel the warmth of it through her jeans. She ran a finger over his knuckles, the contact making her burn again.
Her thoughts had wandered, the part of her brain that was all logic (the part she, admittedly, often ignored) screaming to slow down and reconsider. Pointing out that while she'd had a wild and tumultuous past, Hotch had not. At least not to her knowledge. Besides, that voice continued, she knew this would be different than so many – most if not all in fact – of those other encounters had been.
She was playing with fire and, she realized, couldn't stop herself.
Emily looked up slowly, tearing her eyes away from his hand on her knee. Her eyes met his and she smiled embarrassedly.
"Nowhere in particular." She blushed, still absent-mindedly running her fingers over his knuckles. His hand tightened on her knee, his eyes burning into hers.
Hotch turned slightly in his seat, cupped Emily's cheek with his left hand. He leaned in, kissing her, gently at first, just enough to bring her back. Just enough to make her burn again. She leaned into him, kissing him back harder.
Emily shifted in her seat, working his tie loose and unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt, baring his neck to her.
She nibbled her way along his jaw and down his neck, smirking against it when he groaned.
She turned more in her seat as his hands tangled in her hair, drawing her lips back to his, kissing her deeply. He held her to him, his hands twisting her hair until it was almost painful.
She moaned against his mouth, opening up to him. She all but melted when his tongue darted between her teeth, thoroughly plundering and exploring.
Emily leaned further into Hotch, turning in her seat, catching the gearshift with her hip.
"Mmmm ow!" she exclaimed, regretfully breaking their contact. She chuckled, rubbing her side. "I may be a bit too old for making out in the car."
Hotch smirked at her, takin in the flush of her cheeks and the sparkle of her big brown eyes.
"I do have a townhouse here, you know."
Hotch unlocked the door and gestured for Emily to enter first. She'd been here before, but never like this; it was surreal.
She closed the door as he reset the alarm. She knew now it was more out of habit – his monster was gone- but didn't say anything.
She had just finished sliding the dead bolt into place when she felt him press into her back, pinning her between the door and himself.
He pushed her hair aside, baring her neck to his lips, teeth and tongue. Her skin was smooth and soft, warm. He felt her pulse quicken beneath his lips, smiled against her neck when she moaned, melted back into him.
He kissed just behind her ear and her knees went weak. Hotch caught her, his hands holding her hips firmly, keeping her in place.
His hands slid under her shirt, caressing her soft skin as she pushed back against him, trying to turn in his embrace to face him.
He murmured "no" in her ear, his right hand sliding up her stomach to cup her breast over her bra as his left hand moved to unbutton her pants and slide inside.
Without thought, Emily widened her stance, gasping when his fingers made contact with her skin. The gasp gave way to a low moan when he slid his finger over her, teasing the sensitive skin.
Her head fell forward, her forehead pressed to the door as her breathing sped up.
Hotch brought his lips back to her neck, two fingers sliding into her. She pressed back into him, moaning again, and his self-control snapped.
This wasn't exactly how he'd planned to do this – he'd intended to take his time and savor every moment – but the throaty moans and the feel of her, already so hot and wet, drove him right over the edge.
He pulled away enough to move his pants and boxers out of the way, chuckling when Emily whimpered at the loss of contact.
Her whimper turned into a gasp when he roughly pushed her pants and thong down enough to give him access to her.
His hands found their way back to the smooth skin of her stomach as he pressed his hips into her. He hesitated for a split second, sliding into her when she cried "God, Hotch, c'mon!"
Hotch gripped Emily's hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh, and unable to hold back, plunged into her. She hissed as she felt herself stretch to accommodate him.
She braced her hands on the door frame, angling her hips back toward him. He kept his firm hold on her hips, pumping into her rough and fast. He snaked his left hand around her hip to tease her clit, pushing her over the edge quickly, his own release following just seconds after.
He collapsed into her back, pressing her into the door. Her legs were weak and she was glad for the added support as they panted, gasping for air and grasping for control.
"I'm sorry." He murmured into her ear, sending a shiver through her. "That wasn't exactly how I'd planned this."
Emily chuckled quietly, shaking her head slightly. "Years, Hotch. It's been years since I've had sex that didn't require batteries." She grinned when she felt a quiet laugh rumble through his chest.
She wriggled her clothes back into place and turned to face him. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly. "It was perfect. You are perfect – and human. It's ok." She kissed him again. "I realize that may come as a shock to you –"she teased, squeaking when he pulled her close and kissed her, hard.
He turned her away from the door, leading her into the townhouse and down the hall, never breaking the kiss.
"Still" he said, kissing her neck, "I can do better." A shiver ran through her body and she moaned.
"I don't know, "she gasped as he kissed that spot behind her ear again. "Prove it."
