I really hadn't planned another chapter. Honestly! Wayne got his say and I thought that would be it. But those freaking story bunnies will NOT be denied. But this IS it!
This one should tie it all up.
Thanks to all those who have been reviewing this story and my others. The story bunnies are trying to take the credit, but since they can't type, I will!
DISCLAIMER: MINE MINE ALL MINE!!......No? Ok, but you can't blame a girl for trying.
*************************************************************************************************
Now What? The question drummed in Grace Van Pelt's brain all night. She could barely sleep. Wayne Rigsby has kissed her. He kissed her in front of her co workers. He kissed her in front of her boss. He kissed her at work. He kissed her senseless. He was really good at kissing her. Granted he was hypnotized at the time, so maybe he wasn't responsible for what he did.
Imagine what he could do if he were conscious of his actions. Grace's whole body flushed and her lips tingled at the very idea. Memories of that moment kept her awake and tossing. The memories of his strong arm around her, the feel of his large body against hers; this was the stuff of fantasies for any woman.
She tried to tell her self she was awake because she was worried how everyone would act at work on Monday. She tried to tell herself that she was concerned for a fellow worker's embarrassment should he remember.
She knew she was lying. She was awake because the memory of how right that felt, how life changing that kiss was would keep her awake for many nights. It was a heady thing to have a man desire you. It was even headier when you realized how much you could desire him right back.
What if he remembered? Wayne had been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out for months. She knew that. For all his good looks, he wasn't a player. He was sweet. He would probably be horrified at what he had done.
Grace tried not to focus on what she had done. She kissed him back. She was pretty woman. Guys had grabbed and tried to kiss her before. Generally they sported a bruise or two for their troubles. This time, she kissed him back. If you had told her what he was going to do, she might have been prepared. But the second his lips met her, instinct took over. He felt great. He kissed just the way she liked, not too aggressive, but with enough intention to really know what he wanted.
CRAP!! She was a trained agent and she lost all sense of who and where she was at that moment. She was only lucky that the whole team decided not to make an issue of it. They weren't stupid. They could see that she kissed him back.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now what? Wayne didn't even pretend to sleep. He had kissed Grace Van Pelt, the woman who had occupied his thoughts and his heart. He had kissed her while under hypnosis at work in front of the whole team. They all thought it was such an aberration that no one even told him about it. Not even Cho, who should have delighted in tormenting him about it.
He hadn't even remembered at first. But now that he knew, he couldn't undo the knowledge. That cat was out of the bag and sitting on his chest purring loudly. He had to deal with it.
Wayne liked puzzles. It was one of the things that made him a good detective. He didn't get things in a flash like Jane, but if you let him methodically put together even part of the pieces, he could solve the whole. It was a technique that had stood him well as an arson specialist. You followed the clues, the fire always led you.
His memories of this day were like a puzzle. The parts he remembered were pretty embarrassing, but he understood he was not in control of most of them. The piece that didn't fit was Grace.
He knew why he kissed her. Hell, kissing Grace had been at the top of his to-do list for months now. She was beautiful, yeah, but she was more than that. She was smart, sharp, and yet gentle hearted.
Wayne owned a mirror. He knew that the face he shaved every morning was handsome. He was tall, kept himself in good shape and knew how to treat a lady. Getting women should not be a problem. Hell, when he was in uniform, they would hand him phone numbers. But the idea of treating women like Kleenex never appealed to him. He dated occasionally, but once Grace started in their unit, other women lacked the same attraction. He tried, but they weren't Grace. It was that simple for him.
What he didn't understand is why she said nothing. He didn't think he was such a bad kisser. It couldn't have been too bad because she kissed him back. She wrapped her arm around him tilted her head and gave as good as she got. She was a very willing participant, even if for that brief moment. Even if she allowed for his hypnosis, if she didn't want to be kissed, she was trained in how to take down a man. Grace could have pulled away, shoved him, or slapped him. She kissed him back.
Now what indeed? When he was investigating arsons, he would prove a theory. He would find the suspected elements and re create the burn in a controlled environment. This puzzle begged to be proved.
The knock on the door startled Grace. It was 11:43 at night. She had tried to go to bed early so she could get some perspective on the day's events after a night's sleep. Grace had been tossing for almost 2 hours. No one knocked on her door at most hours. She worked odd times and was rarely home. She barely knew her neighbors. She pulled a pair of yoga pants on and grabbed her off duty. No sense in being unprepared.
"Who is there?"
"Grace? It's me, Rigsby, Wayne I mean. Can you open the door?"
CRAP! It was like she had conjured him up. Well he had heard her voice, and knew she as awake. After a quick peek through the hole in the door, she unlocked it and opened it.
Clearly he hadn't been sleeping either. He had on a faded tight FDNY t-shirt and jeans both of which showed what was keeping her up at night. In casual, tight clothes, she could see his strong physique even better. But it was his hair, usually carefully tousled and moussed into place that was the dead give away. It was all over. He had a slight shadow where the days beard had begun to take over. His fists clenched and unclenched in a nervous manner, but that only served to make his muscles flex.
Wayne had decided on a course of action on his way over. But one look at Grace in a tiny blue tank and tight pants threw him off course. She looked as if she were ready for bed. Her glowing red hair had pulled a little out of its braid, trailing curls over her shoulder. It was the stuff of his fantasies come to life. But he had to do this. It was now or he would never have the nerve again. She kissed him back. It was the mantra that had sustained him.
"Look, I am sorry to bother you at this hour, but I figure we gotta talk about today."
"Ooookaaay, what exactly did you want to discuss? It couldn't wait till Monday?"
She hadn't really invited him in, but there he was, all large and strong and gorgeous inside her door. She hoped she would be able to bluff her way through whatever he wanted and get him out. The memory of how casual and good he looked was definitely keeping her up all night.
"Grace, I remember"
Those three words struck her to her core. He remembered. Did he remember it all? She peeped up at him through her eyelashes. His warm sweet eyes had darkened and were staring at her lips. Just his gaze made them tingle in memory. He remembered it all.
"I kissed you at work in front of everyone. I know that was embarrassing for you. I grabbed you and just kissed you. I am sorry that you will have to deal with the awkwardness from everyone else"
Ok then. He just wanted to apologize. Maybe she could still salvage this night. He only remembered his part.
"But I won't apologize for wanting to kiss you. I know Jane told me to do what I most wanted to do in the world. Kissing you was it. I am not sorry for that. I could never be sorry for wanting to kiss you. I am sorry that you didn't have any warning and I just grabbed you where and when I kissed you. But I also remember you kissed back."
There it was. The elephant in the room with the lips made itself known. It wasn't the kiss. It was her. She kissed him back. While she was trying to think of a way to save face here, she could feel the flush creeping up her neck to her cheeks.
At the sight of that blush, Wayne eyes got even darker. His theory was beginning to be proved. Time to really test the burn.
"You could have done anything at that moment, but you kissed me back. So I gotta think it wasn't the worse thing to happen to you. I also think you might have thought about kissing me a time or two. There's only one way to be sure"
At that he took the two steps that separated them and tugged on her arm again. His hand slid up to cradle her head and he pulled her in tighter by her waist. He did this all slowly and carefully, allowing her time to pull away. Instead she looked up into his eyes and savored the moment. It felt as inevitable as the tide. His eyes searched hers for any sign of upset or anger. What he saw was a slight smile curve her lips as Grace's eyes fluttered closed. She leaned into his warm strength and tilted her head.
It was a moment to be cherished. He drank it in with all of his senses and closed the distance between their mouths. His first touch was just a gentle slide of his lips upon hers. Back and forth his lips brushed hers with ever increasing pressure. He did that several times until she slid her arms up and wound them around his neck and waist, pulling him closer. That was all he needed. This burn was tested and confirmed. Wayne tightened his arm around her and began a slow thorough assault on all her senses
It was sweet and wild. Finally, the need for oxygen pulled them apart, but only minimally. Grace could feel the bare skin of his arm around her waist where the cami had ridden up. It was as strong and hot as her wild imagining would have allowed. He was in full control of his faculties and would control this kiss. She gloried in that control.
He pulled his head a little back from hers and smiled. It was pure male pride.
Leaning in he whispered in her ear. "You kissed me back".
*****************************************************************************************************************
Yeah, I know you want more of what happens here, but my bunnies and I are too modest yet….
Now, Reviews MIGHT make us bolder in other stories….
