A/N: The usual disclaimer applies; I own nothing.
Chapter 4
"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Jane; I enjoyed that very much," said Maura, before reaching across the table and squeezing Jane's fingers. The two women smiled at each other for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. "Did you have a plan for the rest of the evening, or are we just going to play it by ear?"
Jane was pleased with the way their first date was going—very pleased. And there was still more to come. Much more—she hoped.
"I have another surprise for you. Do you want to go sit on the couch while I get it?" Jane stood up, reluctantly letting go of Maura's hand.
"Ooh, I like surprises," Maura's eyes sparkled as her smile grew wider. She stood too, and started clearing the plates before Jane stopped her.
"No, you planned the menu and set the table for your own surprise date—I'll do the dishes later. Just go sit, okay?" Jane gestured toward the couch and Maura acquiesced. After disappearing to her bedroom for a brief moment, she sat next to Maura on the couch and handed her a photo album.
Maura looked at Jane questioningly. "Is this what I think it is?" She opened the album to the first page, revealing photos of a chubby baby girl with a mass of dark hair. "Your baby pictures? Jane, I've been begging for months to see these!"
"I know," said Jane, "and you'd better not tell any of the guys at work about this. I can't have my reputation as a badass tarnished."
Maura hardly heard what Jane said; she was already busily poring over the pictures. "Oh, Jane, no wonder you hate pink! Did your mother ever dress you in any other color?"
Jane groaned, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. "I know, right? I'm pretty sure there are a couple of awful yellow outfits coming up . . . she didn't let me pick out my own clothes until I was about nine so pretty much everything before that was horribly girly."
"But you were adorable, Jane, really." Maura continued to ooh and aah over the album for nearly an hour, asking questions about each picture and listening to Jane's stories about her childhood. The conversation between them was easy and lighthearted, but Jane didn't forget that this was still a date. Every time Maura's hand touched hers, each time she felt Maura's hair brush her shoulder—she wanted more. She wondered if Maura felt the same, but couldn't bring herself to make a move.
Luckily, Maura did it for her.
"You know, Jane, if I had known that you had planned this date for me, I wouldn't have made you wear that skirt," remarked Maura, as she watched Jane cross her legs and then unconsciously yank on the offending article of clothing after placing the photo album on the coffee table.
"What?" Jane blinked rapidly as she turned toward Maura, mouth dropped open in surprise. "You are always trying to get me to wear skirts and heels! You said they would make my legs look fabulous!"
"Oh, they do make your legs look fabulous, there's no question about that. I do very much enjoy looking at your legs, and—" Maura leaned closer, and gently ran her fingers across Jane's left leg, resting her hand on her knee while lightly caressing her thigh with her thumb, "touching them is even better."
Instantly, Jane forgot about the skirt and nearly everything else as she tried not to moan out loud at Maura's touch. Finally, was her only coherent thought. She closed her eyes involuntarily, holding her breath. Maura's fingers were warm and soft on her knee, and the sensation sent shivers through her entire body.
"Jane," said Maura softly, bringing her out of her reverie.
Jane opened her eyes and smiled lazily. "Hmm?"
"All I meant was, I know men like to see women in dresses. But I think you're sexy in the clothes you are most comfortable in—your work clothes, jeans, t-shirts . . ." Maura's voice trailed off as she felt Jane's eyes boring into her, dark with desire.
"Really?" Jane's voice caught, so she cleared her throat and then asked, shyly, "You think I'm sexy?"
Maura nodded, and reached out to touch Jane's cheek. "Very sexy," she whispered.
Jane dipped her head; the two women were so close their foreheads were almost touching. The heat between them was intense; Jane felt every nerve she had tingling. She asked, "Why didn't you ever say anything?" Her hand tangled in Maura's hair, drawing the strands of liquid gold through her fingers.
When Maura responded, Jane felt the words on her cheek and another wave of shivers passed through her and her pulse pounded. "For the same reason you never said anything, I would imagine."
"Because you were terrified?" Quipped Jane, a smile playing across her lips.
"Just a little," Maura murmured, before dipping her head and placing her lips to Jane's neck.
Running her hand up Maura's arm and then pulling her close, Jane's smile was replaced with a look of pure ecstasy as Maura sucked gently. "Oh, Maura . . . god, that feels so good," she groaned, as Maura's lips trailed up her neck to her jaw. Her breathing labored, she asked, "Are you still terrified?"
Maura pulled back then, and immediately Jane took her face in her hands, pushing her hair behind her ears and then caressing her cheeks. "A little," she whispered, "but I don't care."
"Me neither," growled Jane, and then, finally, their lips met. Their mouths moved against each other slowly, sweetly, gently.
Then the surprise registered.
I'm kissing my best friend. I'm kissing Maura. And it's extraordinary.
Jane heard herself moan faintly, and she opened her mouth to let Maura's tongue slip inside, hot and soft and strong. She felt herself sinking into the feeling, the feeling that she couldn't describe if her life depended on it.
Jane felt like she was drowning—drowning in the incredible softness that was Maura Isles. This was undoubtedly the most sensual kiss she had every shared with another human being. Maura seemed to approach the task methodically, like she did everything else—bent on exploring everything Jane's mouth and lips had to offer.
And Jane let her. She let Maura take the lead, let her run her tongue along the inside of her top lip, let her bite gently on her bottom lip, and then let her suck her entire tongue into her own mouth before finally letting it go with a breathy wet pop.
"Oh, Jane, I . . ." Maura ran the back of her hand across her mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed by her eagerness, but Jane quelled any hesitation by immediately grabbing her wrist and pulling it away from her mouth before kissing her again. She let her hands roam too, while she assaulted Maura's mouth; her hands grazed the sides of Maura's breasts, causing a moan to escape from both women, and then she gripped Maura's hips and in a surprisingly fluid movement pulled the doctor into her lap.
The want and need that Jane felt as Maura once again buried her face in her neck, taking soft skin between her teeth and sucking—sucking so hard she felt the most exquisite pain she'd ever felt in her life—was so strong she felt it might explode out of her chest. "Maura," she moaned, "you're amazing . . . I feel—I can't believe this is happening . . ."
Maura interrupted before Jane could finish. "I know, Jane, me too," she panted, before placing such soft kisses along her collarbone that Jane squirmed with desire. Jane pulled Maura's body closer, as close as she possibly could, stroking her back and her hair, running her fingernails up and down her arms until the sensations overwhelmed Maura and she stilled her mouth, resting her head against Jane's shoulder, inhaling the scent of the perfume she herself had picked out.
The initial frenzy calmed, the two women just held each other as their breathing evened out and slowed.
"Jane, can I ask you a question?" Maura spoke quietly, raising her head slightly away from Jane's shoulder.
"Of course, sweetie," replied Jane huskily.
"Oh," sighed Maura, her hands gripping Jane's neck a little tighter, "Your voice, Jane. You have no idea what it does to me. And I love it when you call me 'sweetie.'"
"And I love calling you 'sweetie,' sweetie," cooed Jane. "But what's your question?"
Maura's voice was small and quiet when she responded. "Do you think I'm sexy too?"
Jane laughed softly. "Did that little make-out session not answer that question for you? Yes, of course I think you're sexy. Some days all I can think about is how sexy you are, sashaying around in your cute little dresses and showing off your cleavage."
"I do not show off my cleavage," insisted Maura, while hiding her smirk by tilting her head into Jane's neck again.
"Oh yes you do, and you know it. Not that I mind or anything," said Jane in a low voice, and she moved her hand to once again graze the side of Maura's breast. "You have lovely cleavage, sweetie," she murmured softly.
"Tell me, Jane."
"Tell you what—more about your cleavage?"
"No, and stop saying 'cleavage.' Say 'breasts.'"
"Okay, you have lovely breasts," smirked Jane, "is that what you wanted me to say?"
Maura squirmed in Jane's arms and they both shifted so that they could look at each other. Resting their heads on the back of the couch, they let their legs tangle together and Maura once again reached up to stroke Jane's cheek. "Tell me what you thought . . . about me." Lowering her voice to a whisper, Maura continued, "what you thought about doing . . . with me."
Jane swallowed, and then smiled. "I thought a lot about this, actually. Just, this, sitting and holding each other, talking, touching." Jane's fingers found their way into Maura's soft curls again. "So many times I've had to stop myself from staring at you, or from touching you. I mostly just thought about being able to touch you whenever I felt like it. I thought about going to sleep with you, waking up with you—just being with you, without being afraid or ashamed, or feeling creepy for having a crush on my best friend."
Maura smiled, and then smirked. "Who knew you were such a romantic, Jane Rizzoli," she teased. "And a cuddler, too!" she exclaimed softly, running her hand along Jane's side to her hip, pulling her just a bit closer and staring into her eyes.
Jane looked slightly embarrassed, but she smiled anyway. "Well, don't tell anyone, or I might just have to mention the things you just did with your tongue . . ."
"Jane!" Maura blushed, and laughed. Then, her voice was soft again. "I've thought about all of those things too—and some other things as well."
Jane raised her eyebrows. "Oh yeah? Care to share, Dr. Isles?"
Maura sat up, and once again straddled Jane's lap, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. She tugged at the bottom of Jane's blouse. "Lift up your arms," she whispered firmly. When Jane complied, she pulled the shirt off, threw it over the arm of the couch and then just sat back and looked.
"You have the most perfect torso I've ever seen," Maura said, simply, "and I might have thought about just looking at it, at one time or another."
"You can touch me, too, Maura," husked Jane, the desire evident in her voice. Maura first ran the backs of her fingers lightly down Jane's chest until she reached the hollow between her breasts. Then she used both hands—palms, fingers—to explore Jane's abdomen, kneading her thumbs into skin and muscle. Just using her hands wasn't enough though—gripping Jane's hips, she began to blaze another trail of kisses and nips until her face was buried between soft breasts and Jane was writhing beneath her.
Maura was reaching around to unhook Jane's bra—and Jane was arching her back to let Maura do it—when Jane's phone buzzed on the counter. "I have to see who that is," groaned the detective, "I'm on call tonight."
Maura climbed awkwardly out of Jane's lap. When she reached the counter and checked the phone, Jane groaned again.
"Hey, Frost," she said brusquely, mouthing the word 'sorry' to Maura, who looked at her and sighed.
Jane listened for several moments, chewing her lip. "Text me the address, and I'll be there as soon as I can."
Frost said something else, causing Jane to glance at Maura, who was still sitting on the couch. "Maura? I—" Jane paused for the briefest of moments. "I don't know where Maura is tonight, but I'll call her and tell her to meet us at the scene." Jane's eyes flickered away from Maura's, and she ran her free hand through her hair. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Frost." Jane hung up the phone.
Suddenly realizing that she was standing in the kitchen wearing only her bra, Jane self-consciously crossed her arms in front of her stomach after she put the phone back on the counter.
"We've got a case—looks like a pretty straightforward suicide but I guess we have to work tonight." She sighed, still avoiding Maura's eyes. "I'll go change, okay?"
Maura nodded, her eyes suddenly sad. "Um, Jane? Don't wear one of your low cut t-shirts," Maura called out, causing Jane to turn around abruptly.
"Okay . . . why?"
Maura looked embarrassed, and she put her hand over her chest. "I might have . . . I was a little overzealous, earlier." She blushed, and Jane looked down at her own chest to see a number of bite marks on her skin.
Jane laughed. "Yeah, I guess you were," she said, running her fingers over the marks. "So worth it, Maura. So very worth it," she repeated with a grin, disappearing down the hall.
When she returned a few moments later, Jane took one look at Maura, who was standing by the door with her purse on her arm, and knew something was wrong.
Maura had a particular look on her face, and it took Jane only a split second to realize what it was—it was the look Maura got when she was trying to figure out how to lie.
"Maura, what's wrong?" Jane crossed the room quickly. "Are you mad about what I said to Frost? I'm not embarrassed about our date or anything, I just figured we should talk about things before I outed us to everyone . . . please don't be upset."
"No, that's not it. I just—" Maura paused, wrinkling her brow with concern. "I came over here tonight to help you get ready for a date, and somehow that turned into . . . this," she sputtered, uncharacteristically inarticulate. She looked flustered for a few seconds, but then abruptly set her jaw and changed her tone.
"It's just happening so fast, Jane. A relationship between co-workers can be very complicated, and I think we should slow down a little. We need to think about this and not just go rushing into anything."
Instantly, Jane felt a stab of panic. Panic which turned to fear of rejection and pain—pain that had to be covered up. She had bared enough of her soul to Maura today. She couldn't plead with Maura to give her a chance—not when they had a crime scene to get to, and not when Maura was standing there looking so—so resolute. So she did her best to look unconcerned. Nonchalant.
"Sure, Maura. I guess I shouldn't have let things go so far tonight. I just wanted to give it a shot." Jane shrugged, swallowing the lump she felt in her throat. "I hope you had a good time, anyway."
Maura squeezed Jane's arm. "I had a lovely time. And I'm not saying we shouldn't—but let's just see how things go, okay?"
"Yeah, we don't have to decide anything right now." Jane picked up her keys and made a move toward the door. "C'mon, we've got to get going, Frost's waiting. We should probably take separate cars?"
"Yes, it looks like it's going to be a late night," said Maura. "A late night indeed."