Chapter 4

"What am I doing?" she heard him ask quietly. She grinned and lifted her head.

"Dancing?" she asked innocently, knowing that he hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"Um, yeah, I know. Not the dancing…"

Quickly, Scarlett saw a dozen emotions flit across his features. She lifted her hand and rubbed her knuckles across his cheekbone.

"Spence, calm down. It's okay," she watched as he took a deep breath.

She shook her head, dropped her hands and led him from the dance floor to a hall near the back exit lights, where it was relatively quiet. Waiting for him to collect his thoughts, she leaned her back against the wall and stood closer so they could speak more privately. She watched as his gaze swept the room twice before settling back on her.

Reid crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you hitting on me?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Scarlett almost laughed at the look on his face. Scared. She'd scared him. Penny had warned her. Clearing her throat, she moved from the wall to grasp his hands and pull him out of the defensive posture. "Actually, yes but apparently very poorly, I'd guess if you have to ask that question…"

His brows furrowed again. "Did Morgan put you up to this?"

Now she looked shocked. "Would Derek do that to you?" she asked indignantly. If he would, she was going to put a serious beat down on her brother.

Reid saw the anger light into her eyes. "No… yes, No," he looked around the corner to where the others were sitting. They were each engrossed in whatever conversation was going on at the table. He sighed and seemed to relax a little. "No," he clarified, looking back down at Scarlett. "He wouldn't. But I don't understand. You don't understand. I don't get hit on…"

Scarlett pursed her lips, contemplating that. "Okay, so then let's just say, I am trying to get to know you better, with a bit of flirting…" she eased back a little.

"That doesn't happen either…" Tension creased his forehead.

Sighing, she stretched up and touched a finger to the lines embedded there. "Spencer, you are going to give yourself an aneurysm."

He shook his head. "It's not possible for a person to cause…" he stopped when she dropped her finger to his lips.

"Okay. Let's try this," she smiled, removing her finger. "We'll ask each other five questions. No over-thinking the answers. You ask me one; I'll ask you one… alright?"

"Questions? Why?"

"Consider it part of the 'getting to know each other better' portion of the night," she smiled. "That's your one…" she teased.

"Hey! Wait…"

"Nope, my turn… What's your most favorite memory?" she asked, shooting for something safe to ask.

She leaned a shoulder against a doorjamb along the exit way, while he processed the question, waiting to see if he'd play along.

He slid his hands into his pockets and leaned to the wall opposite her. "My mother reading to me…" he answered softly.

Scarlett relaxed a bit. "See that wasn't so painful… now it's your turn. Ask me anything."

Reid's lips pressed together in a thin line. "Why did you come here?"

"Hmm," she tapped her chin. "Clarify. Here, the bar? Here, the BAU?"

"BAU…" he added.

"The usual reasons… Professionally? I want to further my career, I want to help people and I want to make a difference… Personally? I listened to Derek talk so much about his job and his friends that I felt compelled to come here. I promised myself the first chance I got I was going to take it. I wanted to be a part of those stories."

She waited a beat for him to digest that information. "My turn…" she reached over and took his hand. The heat from the contact gave her a quick thrill.

He watched as she traced small circles along his knuckles. She saw his eyes squint as if observing something foreign.

"Do you mind when I touch you?" she asked.

He looked up quickly into her eyes. "No."

A brief smile touched her lips. "Your turn," she told him without releasing his hand.

"Um, yeah… okay," he stammered and watched her fingers trip lightly over the back of his hand. Blowing out a quick breath, he caught her fingers and lifted their joined hands. "Why?"

Now Scarlett looked confused. "Why what?"

Spencer indicated their hands with a glance. "Why do you keep touching me?"

"Well, because I like the feel of your skin next to mine and I like making you a little jumpy." She shrugged. "I don't know if that sounds strange, but it's the best I got," she answered, giving his hand a squeeze. "I like to touch you."

She stepped closer to him, placing her feet between his, resting their hands between them.

"Do you believe me?" she asked her next question, watching his eyes as she did.

"Yes. I don't understand it, but I believe you," he answered. He raised her hand higher as if he were examining it. He turned her palm up, opening her fingers and traced along the sensitive skin there and over her wrist. Her pulse thrummed.

Scarlett sucked in a quick breath as a chill ran up her arm. "Spence…" she all but whispered out his name. She saw the smile curve his lips.

"Do you mind when I touch you?" he turned her question back on her.

"Touché, farm boy…" Laughing, she rolled her eyes and nudged him back a step. "No, I don't mind…"

He laughed softly. "Good. I think I like that it makes you a little jumpy, too."

Brushing a piece of her hair behind her shoulder, he eased his hand lightly along the skin of her neck. Gentle fingers followed the length of that strand down to where the halter had left the sensitive skin of her back exposed to his touch. His other arm moved around to hold her at the lower back.

Scarlett didn't speak… she barely moved, afraid to break the connection. She allowed his explorations, enjoying the hesitant touches. She felt his breath against her hair and turned her face up to his.

Reid took in every nuance that crossed her countenance in the time that followed and committed it all to memory. If this was a fluke, some chance of fate that had her standing here flirting with him, then he wanted to remember it down to the details.

There was a brief dimple that sat to the left of her mouth which he knew would deepen when she smiled. His gaze shifted as the tip of her tongue darted across her lips. Mesmerized by that small action, he moved forward slightly, not realizing that he had pulled Scarlett in closer yet. He felt her hands at the lapels of his jacket, but didn't stop his perusal. He studied the touch of freckles that crossed her nose and tiny lines that marred the top of the bridge, as if she had the habit of wrinkling it often. He took notice of the little flecks of gold near to the pupils of her green eyes. Thick lashes lowered, interrupting his inspection and felt slightly annoyed at the loss. When she raised them to resume the contact, he detected a hint of humor.

"Do I pass the examination, Dr. Reid?" she teased and he saw the wrinkle in her nose as her eyes lit in mischief. Idly, it crossed his mind that he could probably read volumes just out of her expressive face.

"Yes," he answered returning the banter, only slightly embarrassed to have been caught studying her so closely. "and that was your fourth question," he teased her back.

Dimples, as in plural, he noted as she laughed.

"Okay, so make sure your last one counts…" she told him.

Reid considered her words as a challenge. He took a few moments to consider how to word his question, because he had the feeling that would be subject to scrutiny, and smiled.

Scarlett was half afraid of the smug look that crossed his face, like if she'd just been outmaneuvered and about to hear check and mate.

"May I kiss you?" he asked softly. He watched those eyes flare in surprise.

"Oh…" was all she said, but he felt her grip on the jacket tighten slightly. He leaned back against the wall fitting her snugly into the vee of his long legs.

"You're surprising me, Dr. Reid," she said breathlessly.

"I'm surprising myself," he responded. "And you didn't answer. Rules were not to over-think, remember?"

"I seem to recall," she countered. "Yes, farm boy, you may kiss me…"

She watched his grin widen. "As you wish…" and he leaned closer to her upturned face.

Her heart tripped a beat as his hands lifted to her face and his thumbs lightly brushed along the side of her jaw. She felt his breath caress her face as her eyes drifted closed. She felt the slightest pressure of his lips to hers. There was a hesitation, and she thought that briefest touch would be it, when suddenly he was back, lightly teasing at her lips…

A sigh escape her throat and she felt him grin. Tentatively, she touched the tip of her tongue to his kiss and retreated, afraid to push too hard. He moved his hand to the back of her head and pulled her in tighter. She felt his tongue lick at her bottom lip suggestively.

Opening to deepen the kiss, Scarlett angled her small frame tightly against his long lean one. His fingers tightened into her hair at the back of her neck as he swept his tongue into her mouth.

Spencer felt heat flash through his blood. A coherent thought couldn't reach his fuzzy brain. All he could think of was that she tasted like cinnamon, cherry lip gloss and somewhat of the Guinness he knew she'd been sipping on all night. And that she was actively kissing him back. The feel of her mouth, her body pressed intimately against his was more than he could process. As if on their own accord, his hands traveled down to her backside pulling her in closer yet.

Scarlett gasped as the proof of his arousal pressed into her belly. She pulled her head back slightly to drag in some air, as he shook his head.

"No," she heard him breathe and he pulled her back into the kiss.