Oh God, was she!
Alarm bells were sounding. She could practically hear Luke Skywalker telling her he 'had a bad feeling about this', but she just couldn't move away from him.
He was chuckling even as his lips were capturing hers. His hands moved to either side of the bed beside her while she wrapped herself around him with fervor this time. This time there was an understanding. There were boundaries.
Somehow in the middle of a blizzard, Penelope Garcia had won the lottery. She knew that with certainty when she tugged the t-shirt over Luke Alvez head and tossed it over his shoulder. Her hand skirted along his tight bicep, something she'd been wanting to do for years. He was silky soft under her fingertips, just like she'd imagined.
His stubble-covered chin scrapped against her clavicle as he trailed kisses down the side of her neck. And both sensations at once was almost more than she could take. Her stomach flopped, she actually felt it turn over when his lips found her pulse point and he began to suck on it.
Then his hands came up and cupped her hips, holding them as he moved closer into her. She could feel his chest expand with each ragged breath he drew in. His fingers began a soft, seeking adventure up her sides, drawing her t-shirt along as they went.
She was completely lost in him as Luke yanked her shirt over her head. She hated the feel of the cold air as it hit her skin, as well as the sudden insecurity that plagued her mind as he leaned back to take her in. Her instinct was to cross her arms over her chest, but she fought it as he eyed her scrupulously.
Before it had a chance to overwhelm her, he was back against her, pulling her in and surrounding her. His kiss was reassuring and maybe even more passionate than before. His hands were on her breasts, cupping them in his palms as his thumbs moved over her nipples, bringing them to hard peaks.
Then, he was urging her backwards. And she complied, letting the hard planes of his body guide her to the middle of the bed.
She glided a single red-tipped finger through the splattering of dark, curly hair in the center of his chest. Watching as it traced the trail, bumping over the peaks and valleys all way down to where it disappeared into the waistband of his sweats.
His eyes followed her nail as he sucked in a breath and shivered above her.
The next moment he was at her breasts. He covered every inch of them with his tongue, his lips and even his teeth, paying special attention to the stiff pink apex in the center. He was tasting her, teasing her. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that." he confessed, sheepishly when he returned to her lips for a kiss. Luke Alvez was definitely 'breast man'.
"Eres increíblemente hermosa," he whispered against her jaw as he nipped and licked his way over to her ear.
She gasped as she tried to make a mental note to ask him what that meant later. Right now, she couldn't have formed the words to ask him to translate.
He was still murmuring things against her skin in Spanish when he moved back down her body and shed them both of their remaining clothing without any more preamble.
Apparently, he was feeling like he'd waited long enough and she wasn't disagreeing with him. This had been a slow burn, simmering since the day he walked into the BAU.
There were both completely bare now. His body felt so solid and hard yet somehow velvety soft and yielding. She clutched at his shoulder, letting him take the lead. Just this time, she thought to herself and let her head fall back against the pillow as he nipped at her skin in all the right places.
His hands were propped on either side of her head and somehow through the daze he was creating she noticed the condom he had cupped in his palm.
The sight somehow seemed to make everything so very real. Her breath caught in her chest. He must have seen something on her face because he pulled back and looked down at her with a gentle, reassuring smile.
"We can stop this right here, Chica. You just say the word." He told her as he brushed her lips with his once again.
She buried her fingers in his soft, black curls and pulled him back to her, letting him know that changing her mind was the furthest thing on her mind. She was way past that now, too lost in him to backtrack now.
She let her fingers run down his side, across his waist and over to his length. He grunted and jerked into her hand when she grasped him and squeezed.
He kissed her again, this time dragging his tongue across the roof of her mouth, tasting her deeply. When he left her lips this time, his mouth was no longer exploring. It was deliberate and determined to drive her out of her mind.
The rest was a blur of groans, teases, first touches, sweat covered body parts and mind-numbing pleasure. She didn't think she'd ever been with someone so in-tune with her. He played her body like a master with his instrument and from the way he was reacting, he was right there with her, matching her stroke for stroke, moan for moan.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so thoroughly and excruciatingly exhausted as she floated back down to reality.
"Remind why we haven't been doing that since the day you walked into the BAU," she murmured as she buried her head into the crook of his shoulder.
"You didn't like me." He answered, chest still heaving, even as he was pulling her into his side.
"That's not true. I never disliked you." She insisted.
He chuckled. "You were not very nice to me."
"That doesn't mean I didn't like you."
"So what? You were hazing me?"
"I didn't want you there." she admitted. "You were taking Derek's place and I needed a minute to get used to that. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel unwelcome." Her chest tightened at the thought that she'd hurt his feelings.
He took a deep breath and blew it out quickly. "Nah, I'm a glutton for punishment. It just made me want you more."
She leaned up so she could see his face, "All this time?" she asked, stunned and more than a little flattered by his admission.
His eyes met hers and held them for a long moment. "Yeah, Pen, since the moment I met you." His finger shakily traced her lips as he smiled at her. "From the second you pursed your pretty red lips and called me Newbie."
She could feel the fire building in her cheeks so she put her head back on his shoulder to keep him from seeing the blush.
A glance upward told her she wasn't hiding anything from him because there she was reflected back down at him. She had nowhere to hide and she wasn't sure she liked that feeling at all.
Luke reached out and took her hand. Gripping it tightly, he rested their joined hands in the center of his chest. "It's okay, Penny. I've got you."
It was a direct hit at the base of the walls she'd built around herself to keep from getting hurt. She knew she was in trouble. She was under attack and she was losing the war. The only thing that troubled her was the reason behind the assault. She still just didn't get it. What had caused her to become his target? Why was he making it so hard to keep him at a distance?
They were silent, quietly enjoying the sound of each other breathing for so long she thought she'd probably drifted off.
The next thing she knew he was out of bed, floating around the room in what was quickly becoming nothing but firelight as he switched off lamps and added logs to the flames. He slipped into the bathroom for a moment and returned with a glass of water which she took gratefully. She drank deeply before handing it back to him and watching his Adam's apple bob as he did the same.
Then he was beside her again with a brochure in his hands.
"What are you doing?"
He glanced at her and his eyes were hooded, sleepy, and sexy. She sighed internally as he put his arm around her, drew her in and kissed her like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Making breakfast plans and checking out what we're going to be doing tomorrow."
"What if tomorrow we're going to be catching a serial killer?" she asked, thinking about how disappointed she'd be if that was in fact what the day brought.
He glanced up from the paper and gave her a funny look. "I guess it will be the first time in my life I'd rather be doing something besides working."
She swallow the weight of those words and smiled, deciding it was time for a little levity. "That is because you have never before been signed up for a couples massage and herbal wrap. Or maybe a mud bath is more to your taste."
"I have never done any of the things listed here so it will all be an adventure." He told her with an eager grin.
And suddenly she got it. She understood. She was a convenient partner. Now that was something she could work with because thinking he was really just that into her, personally, was making her brain throb. It was more than she could compute.
If enjoying the experience of this place was what he wanted from her, she could do that. She could be the stand-in girlfriend in this scenario and she certainly had no problems with him being her stand-in boyfriend. He was right this was perfect. As long as it stayed right here in the Truly, Madly, Deeply Spa, it would be perfect. She was determined not to think about what it would be like to be around him everyday after this. She would deal with that later. Right now, she wanted this, wanted him. If a weekend was all she could get, she would willing pay the painful price for it.
They filled out the menu for breakfast in bed and signed up for nearly every activity offered only avoiding those that felt a touch too intimate or inappropriate like a two-hour private session 'to teach you how to tackle intimacy issues.'
Luke ran his hand across her hip and gave her that lop-sided smile. "I don't think we have any problems with that."
She pulled him in for a kiss. "I think we're okay."
He raised his eyebrow at her. "Just okay?"
She nodded. "You'll do."
"Man, you are tough on a guy's ego," he joked.
She laughed. "I didn't know yours was so fragile. Maybe we do need that session."
"I think I could better spend that two hours showing you I am way better than okay," he offered.
"Deal," she agreed, hardly able to hide her enthusiasm for that option. He was continuing to make it really difficult for her to 'play it cool'.
"The retreat culminates in a ceremony where couples consciously let go of their past difficulties and begin the process of healing. Before you leave with personalized feedback and a tailored game plan to maintain the health of your relationship, you'll indulge in a romantic farewell dinner date. Surrounded in such a dreamy atmosphere, you can't help but fall in love all over again." She read first to herself, then out loud. "This is a spa for couples in trouble? Are we in trouble?"
"It looks like it." He agreed, sheepishly. Then he looked back at her. "I didn't make it snow or decide to get lost here, I swear."
She couldn't help but laugh again. Her cheeks were beginning to tire from smiling so often. "You mean you weren't planning this all along?" she teased. "If we were in trouble you could have just talked to me. You didn't have to go through all this to get me here."
His white teeth gleamed in the light of the crackling fire as he laughed with her. "I wish I had known that. That blizzard is going to cost me a fortune."
"How did you manage that?" she asked mirthfully.
He barely missed a beat before he slyly replied. "Rossi knows a guy."
The easy camaraderie was something she hadn't experienced with many men. Kevin was probably the only other man she'd ever felt so comfortable with. Maybe this would be good for them. She didn't know how well they clicked until today. It was a revelation, though not a surprising one. They had spent enough time together away from work for her to suspect they melded well.
He went to the door and slid the brochure under it before returning to her. Then he pulled her up off the bed and folded the blankets for her to climb under. Once they were snuggled under the weight of a couple of blankets and a quilt, he had her back at his side.
She'd already grabbed his shirt and thrown it on to fight off the chill in the air, despite the fire. Now she was comfortably warm and perfectly comfortable.
Music droned from the radio, the volume still low, yet within the silence it seemed to fill the space nicely.
David Gates was singing about forgetting past hurts and finally finding love again and she snuggled closer into his side. "I love this song." she whispered into the night.
"I liked the play and the movie," he agreed with a tired sigh.
She sat up with a jolt like a spring had been released then felt stupid for her reaction. The look on his face was saying 'what the hell' before his lips could form the words. "I've never met anyone that's even heard of the movie, much less the play."
He chuckled. "'I am descent. I also happen to be naked.'" he quoted. "The Goodbye Girl. My Abuelita loves Neil Simon. She wanted to be an actress. That's why she came here. I remember working and saving for a month to buy us tickets to an off-off-off Broadway production of it. "
"That is so sweet. Again, how do I not know these things already?" She wanted to know as she settled back into his side.
"I like to talk about myself as much as you do," he explained.
"I talk about myself all the time," she argued.
He laughed. "Just last month, you spent a week riding the bus because that horrible thing you drive was in the shop. I drive right past your place, so does J.J.. Either of us could have picked you up. But you didn't say a word until the day you were picking that death trap up from the garage."
"Stop it. Ester is a fine car. She is not a death trap. She's perfectly safe."
"It isn't. When we get back you should let me go with you to trade that thing in." He told her.
She leaned back, unable to help herself. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard him being so misogynistic. "Because I need a big strong man along to talk to the scary salesman?" she asked, with raised eyebrows.
He looked at her for a moment before saying. "No, it's because, you think that thing is safe. Which means you don't know the first thing about cars. And who names their car?"
"I do. What do you call your truck?"
"Um, usually just truck, occasionally, on cold mornings, piece of shit, and more than once I might have implied that it was having sex with someone's mother."
Penelope laughed out loud.
He reached for her, pulling her back into his side and kissed her lazily, languidly and again it felt like they had been do that for years. It was just so natural and yet thrilling all at the same time. She rested her hand in the center of his bare chest and let out a contented sigh.
She fell asleep thinking about a wooden bridge and hoping it was secured under a heavy layer of snow and ice.
I've been a really good girl. Please let this last for more than just one night.