First, I apolgozie for the long wait. The new year hasn't been very kind to me and by eight days in I was already looking forward to next year. I hadn't been writing much, and it took me far too long to finish this chapter. However, it is nearly 5,000 words long and is ten pages in Microsoft Word so hopefully this nice long chapter makes up for the terribly long wait.

Now, thank you all very, very much for your reviews and kind words. Thank you to those that have added my story to their alert list or to their favorites. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and as I always ask, please let me know what you think!

Note: There are adult themes at the end of the chapter. Nothing too descriptive, but this story is Rated M.

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with CSI: NY.

Chapter 7

The days seemed to melt into another as both Elise and Don recovered. It had been two weeks since the incident, and Elise hadn't told me much more than she already did. Of course Don wouldn't tell me anything and I had come to the conclusion that it was probably best that I didn't know everything. Thankfully, those hellish hours were put behind us and Elise had seemingly turned a new leaf. She'd been staying in and going into work. She finally took over her position in the family company and it seemed like she had actually grown up.

The June air was already heating up, but it was bound to be hotter in the coming summer months. I was walking down the street, stuffed grocery bag in hand, on my way home. I had promised Don a nice dinner for him and a few of his friends he was going to officially introduce me to. I offered to cook seeing as I thought it would be nice to have an intimate gathering at my apartment instead of in one of the many busy restaurants in the city. I suggested we have dinner at my place seeing as his apartment, though nice, was rather small. Plus, I was more familiar with my kitchen and was less likely to screw anything up there even though I was making a simple dinner of steak, potatoes, and salad.

Once I was home, I sat the grocery bag on the counter and started putting things away. I was just putting the steaks I had bought in the fridge when my cell phone started ringing. Closing the fridge, I quickly made my way into the living room and to the coffee table where I had tossed my purse. I quickly found my phone and flipped it open, pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked moving back into the kitchen to put the last of the groceries away.

"Hey," came Don's voice and a smile instantly lit up my face.

"Hey," I said back with a quiet laugh.

"So, you still planning on making dinner tonight?" he asked and I nodded despite him not being able to see me.

"I am," I said. "Is someone not coming?"

"No, they're still coming," he said. "I was just calling to see if you wanted me to come over and give you a hand."

"I would love a little help," I said as I leaned against the counter. "Plus, I haven't seen you in the flesh in nearly a week. As much as I love talking with you on the phone, I miss seeing that smile of yours."

"Aren't you the one with the photographic memory?" he asked with a chuckle and I laughed again.

"Yes, but nothing compares to seeing it in person," I said.

"I could say the same about you, Lin," he said and I smiled. He had recently taken to calling me Lin, and despite the fact that I loved hearing him say my name I didn't mind the new nickname.

"Then why don't you?" I teased and I heard his deep laugh on the other end of the phone making my smile widen.

"All right," he said before he took a deep breath. "I miss your smile, your eyes, that button nose of yours, that crazy red hair-," I scoffed cutting him off and he laughed.

"I do not have a button nose and my hair is not crazy," I said, still smiling.

"It is when you wake up in the morning," he said and I blushed. We had gone no further than we had that night we returned to my apartment from the club, but when he was recovering from his wound I had spent a few nights with him. I'd done so to be there in case he needed anything and to help him seeing as he couldn't move around without his crutches for a while. However, if I was honest with myself I also stayed with him because no matter how hard I tried not to I was already lost to the blue eyed detective. I fell hard and very fast, but I knew I could trust him.

"Shut it you," I said with a smile and I heard him laugh.

"I'll be there in about thirty minutes," he said. "I just finished up with my YMCA kids and I want to hit the shower before I come over."

"Okay, I'll see you then," I said.

"See you then, Lin," he said before he hung up. We'd taken to saying either talk to you soon or see you soon when hanging up the phone or parting company. I really wasn't sure why, but I'd been avoiding saying 'good-bye' to him. I put my phone down on the counter and went over to the apartment door. I locked it before I jogged back to the kitchen taking the white plastic bag containing the small box that I had nervously bought at the drug store before I went upstairs. I too needed a shower and to freshen myself up. Putting the bag in my nightstand drawer I started to gather my clothes. I glanced in the mirror above my dresser and laughed.

I had been wondering why the cashier and a few others at the market and drug store looked at me strangely. I had some black paint smeared on my left cheek, and it must have gotten there when I was working this morning. Laughing at myself again I shook my head and headed into the bathroom. I needed to start looking in the mirror before I left my apartment.

I stood in the bathroom wrapped in my robe and towel drying my hair as a resounding loud knock sounded on my apartment door. Cursing quietly, I realized that it had to have been Don and that I had taken too long in the shower. The knock sounded again and I quickly rushed from the bathroom and down the stairs, towel still in hand, and I made sure my thick dark green cotton robe was secured tightly around me. I checked the peep hole and sure enough Don stood on the other side, but he looked worried instead of impatient. I unlocked the door and opened it, giving him a small smile and his worried face melted to one of relieved.

"Sorry, I took a little longer in the shower then I intended," I said softly as I looked at him and it seemed that he realized then that I was standing there dressed only in my knee length robe. He grinned, flashing the dimple on his right cheek before he closed the small distance between us and put his hands on my upper waist.

"This look works for you," he said and I laughed as I felt a blush race up my neck and my cheeks.

"Really?" I asked with a smile as I put my hands on his elbows. He only nodded before he ducked his head down and kissed me. The butterflies in my stomach erupted and my heart pounded heavily as I raised my arms, dropping my towel, and wrapped my arms around his neck. My hands found his short hair as he deepened the kiss and I gently bit his lower lip. When I felt his right hand leave my back and slide to the front of my robe, I pulled back, breathless and flushed, before I licked my lips and looked up at him. "I should get dressed," I breathed and he sighed heavily. It wasn't a sigh out of frustration; it was more like a regretful sigh.

"Probably, Hawkes and Messer will be here in about an hour and a half," he said before he cleared his throat. It was obvious that Don wasn't used to going as slow as we had been, but to my surprise he didn't seem to mind. I figured he liked me as much as I liked him if he was willing to go slow for me. "While you get dressed is there anything I can do?" he asked, and I noticed that neither of us had moved out of the others arms.

"Would you mind washing the vegetables that are in the crisper in the fridge?" I asked stepping away from him and picking up my towel. He chuckled and shook his head as I tucked my damp hair behind my ears. "Thanks," I said with a small smile before I tilted my head slightly and kissed his cheek. He reached for me but I giggled and moved away from him, shaking my head at his dimpled grin before I turned and went upstairs with my heart pounding.

Twenty minutes later I was dressed in my jeans, a simple black t-shirt, and my blow dried hair up in a ponytail. I had brushed on a little powder and mascara to make myself look a little more awake before I went down the smooth wooden stairs and I smiled when I saw Don actually fixing the fresh salad with the lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, red onions, and cherry tomatoes I bought. "Hey," I said walking around the island kitchen and smiling as he was chopping up the lettuce. "You didn't have actually make the salad," I said before I snuck a washed tomato and popped it in my mouth. He smiled and shrugged as he continued his work.

"I thought you could use a little more help than me just cleaning them," he said and then I realized I hadn't told him I was making a salad with the vegetables.

"Wait, how did you know I was making a salad with those?" I asked and he grinned as he turned his blue eyes to my green.

"What else would you make with this stuff?" he asked and I opened my mouth to retort, but I had no answer so I laughed and gently put my hand on his forearm while he chuckled with me.

"Touché," I said before I kissed his cheek and stole another tomato, which only made him laugh a little harder. I went over to the double wall oven setting the lower oven to pre-heat to cook the potatoes. The top oven I would use to broil the steaks. "So, you haven't told me anything about your friends that I'll be meeting," I said going to the fridge to get the potatoes.

"Danny Messer and Sheldon Hawkes," he said as I turned with the bag of potatoes in hand and moved over to the sink next to him. "They work in the lab. Danny was the one you sort of met in the hospital. You haven't met Sheldon yet." I nodded as I washed the potatoes and we fell in a comfortable silence both setting to work. Don finished the salad and I put the potatoes in the oven when it was ready.

"So, they're the brains and you're the muscle?" I asked as he put some saran wrap over the glass salad bowl, smiling.

"Something like that," he said. I laughed as he shrugged. "Hawkes is a doctor, used to be an ME, but became a CSI; and Danny's a detective but he does the science stuff." I nodded.

"Have you told them a lot about me?" I asked taking the bowl from him and tucking it in the fridge while he started to clean up his mess. I turned back around and looked at him curiously while he washed the knives and cutting board off and stuck them in the dishwasher.

"Danny knows more about you," he admitted as he closed the dishwasher door and turned around, leaning back against the counter. "I sort of had a drunken confession and he was there."

"A drunken confession?" I asked with a laugh and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I got a little carried away with the beers while I was out with Danny and a few of the guys, and my mouth ran away on me," he said. "I don't drink that much, but it'd been a rough day and I know alcohol is the last thing you turn to but . . .," he trailed off with a shrug and I smiled before I walked over to him and put my hands on his sides.

"Well you do know that if you have a rough day, and it doesn't matter the time, you can call and talk to me," I said softly. He smiled before he leaned down and kissed me, however, it was more of a brush of the lips but a kiss all the same.

"I'll take you up on that," he whispered and I made to close the distance between us and kiss him again but a knock sounded at the door halting me just centimeters from his lips. "I'm going to guess that's Danny and Sheldon," he said with a smirk while I laughed and lowered my head to rest against his shoulders.

"You're probably right," I said as I pulled away from him. "We should go let them in." He nodded before he took my hand and we walked to the door. He let go of my hand and gestured for me to open the door and I walked to the door and smiled at the two faces on the other side. Danny I knew to be the light brown haired man with glasses so I assumed the African American man with him was Sheldon. "Hi," I said through my smile and they both smiled back in return. "Come on in." I opened the door a little more and stepped back. They came in and greeted Don before I closed the door and we moved into the open living room.

"Damn, if all of us had this much space, we'd never leave our places," Danny said as he looked around.

"Danny Messer, Sheldon Hawkes," Don said pointing to each man, "this is Elina."

"Nice to meet you Elina," Sheldon said and I smiled at him.

"Likewise," I said softly. "Would either of you like something to drink? I have lemonade, water, and orange soda. Sorry I don't have anything stronger but I'm not much of a drinker." Sheldon smiled and shook his head.

"Lemonade's fine," he said and I looked at Danny.

"I'll have the same," he said.

"Great," I said. "Make yourselves at home and you can turn on the television if you'd like." I was nervous for some reason and I looked at Don. "Did you want some lemonade too?" I asked and he nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back." I quickly walked back to the kitchen and I knew I was making myself seem like a complete idiot. I heard them talking quietly and glanced at them as I poured the lemonade. Don had led them over to the sofa and arm chairs and had they all sat down. I put the four glasses on a tray and carried them into the living room hoping I wouldn't embarrass myself too bad.

"Great dinner, Elina," Sheldon said with a smile as we finished eating and I started to clear off the table with their help. I smiled at him as I put a couple empty plates in the sink. Miraculously, I hadn't embarrassed myself too much but they'd told me some interesting stories about Don and their jobs.

"Thank you," I said quietly and with a smile.

"Yeah, who knew an heiress could cook?" Danny asked and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he put the salad bowl on the counter next to the sink. Danny looked guilty before he cleared his throat and looked at Don nervously and then back at me. "Sorry," he said quickly, "I didn't mean anything by that."

"I didn't take it personally," I said shaking my head.

"I was just trying to make a joke," Danny said and I smiled with a shrug.

"My family is who they are and I may live comfortably, but it's not only thanks to my family's money. My talent as an artist and the interest people have in my work is the main reason why I am able to live comfortably," I said. "I won't lie and say that when I started out I didn't live off the money I had in my trust because I did and that money paid for my education, but I earned everything that came afterwards."

"She's not the typical heiress," Don said with a grin and I smiled as I looked from Danny to Don, who was leaning on the raised bar of the island.

"No, my sister on the hand was until recently," I said. "She's taken to her position in the company and is actually doing more than I ever thought she would."

"How is your sister? Is she doing all right?" Sheldon asked and I looked at him and nodded.

"She's fine," I said. "Sometimes she calls me in the middle of the night after she wakes up from a nightmare, but we talk it out and she calms down. She's a lot tougher than most give her credit for, even me." Sheldon smiled at me and I returned it before Danny spoke.

"Where's the bathroom, Elina?" Danny asked and I looked at him.

"Upstairs, it's the door on the left," I said and he nodded before he went upstairs. "So, Sheldon, Don told me that you're a doctor and you were an ME," I said, bringing up their work for the first time that night. He nodded and moved to stand next to Don while I washed the dishes. I had already told them that I'd wash the dishes and stick them in the dishwasher, so I didn't mind that they weren't helping. "What made you become a CSI?"

"I wanted to help figure out how those people ended up on my table," he said, "to help give more closure to the families."

"I couldn't imagine doing what you guys do," I said softly and shaking my head. "It takes a special person to not only put their lives on the line to save others but to put small pieces of a puzzle together to figure out who did what and why is something I don't think I could even fathom doing." Don and Sheldon smiled at me. We continued chatting until I was finished with the dishes and we all wondered what could be taking Danny so long.

"What happened to Messer?" Don asked once were settled in the living room and I shook my head from my spot on the sofa next to him.

"Well, he couldn't have gotten lost," Sheldon said. "It's a loft." Don grinned at him and the man simply smiled and shrugged. I laughed quietly and stood.

"I'll go find him," I said before I padded over to the stairs and went up. I didn't have far to look because I spotted him just ahead looking through a few of my finished canvases resting against the wall in my makeshift studio. I walked over, tucking my hands in my front pockets stopping a few feet away from him. "If you were interested in seeing my work, all you had to do was ask," I said making him jump and look at me as he laughed quietly and pushed up his glasses. I walked over to him as he pointed at the resting canvases and smiled.

"Not what I was expecting," he said and I smiled as I looked at what he was pointing to. It was the cottage scene that took me seemingly forever to finish. I was going to be packaging the five canvases to take the gallery the following day, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked and he grinned.

"Good," he said and I laughed softly. "You're also not what I was expecting." I smiled and blushed a bit.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked again and he chuckled.

"Definitely good," he said. "Flack was right about you." I smiled even though I didn't know what Don was right about. I assumed it was good though since he was still smiling. "If you didn't already know, he's crazy about you." I felt myself blush a little more before I smiled and gestured him to come with me. I moved over to the other side of the room and bent over before I pulled piece of cloth off a piece of canvas I had set to the side.

"I'm crazy about him too," I said softly as I stood and looked at Danny as he smirked and looked at the painting. "I was thinking of giving this to him, silly I know, but I thought he might like it." The painting was of Don in his Kevlar vest and a determined look on his face. It was how I remembered him when he came into the squad room to tell me they were going in for Elise. I had painted him like he was going into the building, gun drawn but down. I don't know why I painted that image of Don, but it had just came to me when I sat down to paint.

"I'm not one for art, Elina, but I think he'll like it," he said before he looked at me and then at the painting. "Although, I think you made him a little buffer then he really is. His arms aren't that big," Danny said with a frown and I laughed quietly before I covered it again and grabbed his forearm.

"Come on, they're waiting for us downstairs," I said and Danny laughed as he let me pull him along.

It was nearly midnight when Don and I found ourselves alone again and settled on my sofa. The TV was on some random movie we found, but neither one of us were really paying attention to it because we were focused on each other. "I like your friends," I said and Don smiled as he rested his head on the back of the sofa looking at me. I had turned to face him and my legs were stretched out over his lap and his hands were resting comfortably on my legs. "I think Danny was on the fence about me though."

"He was," Don admitted and I wasn't surprised. "Only because the last relationship I was in didn't end well and with everything going on he wants to make sure I'll be okay."

"Are you okay?" I asked resting my head on the back of the couch and he raised his right hand and ran the back of his fingers along my cheek before he brought his hand back down to my thigh.

"More than okay," he said softly and I smiled. I raised my head and leaned forward, kissing him gently. He raised his head and pressed his lips a little more firmly to mine and never breaking out kiss I shifted so I was straddling his lap. His hands were on my hips and mine were cradling his head in my hands while our lips battled. I ran my right hand down his neck and rested it on his chest. Slowly I pulled my lips from his and looked down at him breathlessly. Don opened his eyes and looked up at me, his breathing just as heavy as mine. I ran my thumb along his right cheek and sighed quietly. I was tired of fighting what I was feeling.

"Come on," I whispered as I climbed from the sofa and held out my hand to him. He took my hand in his and I helped him from the sofa. I led him to the stairs before I led him upstairs and into my bedroom.

"Lin?" he questioned when I turned around to look at him and bit my lip. I let go of his hand and pulled the binding from my hair, sending the red waves down around my head before I tossed the black tie onto my dresser and stepped closer to him. I just had to look at him for him to know what I was suggesting and he raised his hand to my hair, pushing it from my face but lacing his fingers in it. "You sure?"

"I am," I said quietly and he leaned down slightly and kissed me. My heart pounding and the adrenaline pumping through my body had me feeling his kiss from my lips all the way to my toes and my mind when somewhere else all together. I found it often did that when Don's lips were anywhere near mine. I turned my lips from his and breathed heavily against him while he moved his lips down my jaw and to my neck as he pushed my hair away from my neck. I felt drunk but oddly enough I liked it. I heard a soft moan and I realized it came from me when Don chuckled against my skin and lifted his head to look down at me. I knew my face matched my hair, but I smiled as I looked at him. "Sorry," I said but he shook his head.

"If you weren't making a sound, then I'd worry," he said with a grin and I laughed quietly before I stepped out of his arms and walked backwards towards the bed. Being bold for what felt like the first time in my life I crossed my arms in front of me and grasped the hem of my fitted t-shirt before I pulled the black fabric from my body leaving me standing in my jeans and black lace bra. When his eyes finally left my chest and moved to my face I smiled through my blush.

"That's a surprise," he said deeply and I bit my lip as he closed the distance between us and reached out, grabbing the waist of my jeans. He undid the button and pulled down the zipper all the while my breathing became rougher and heavier as my green eyes held his blue. I felt his finger skim the top of the matching panties I had put on while I got dressed and my breath hitched a bit. "These are too," he said and I cleared my throat.

"You didn't think I owned anything lacy?" I asked my voice barely audible despite my best effort to get my throat to work. He grinned before he leaned down and pecked my lips with a quick kiss.

"Oh I thought you might, I just wasn't expecting black and lacy," he said and I felt his hands push my jeans from my hips. "I thought you were more nice then naughty." I smiled at that while he continued to grin.

"Yeah, well," I cleared my throat again as his heat and scent overwhelmed me, "it's fun to be naughty every once in a while and it's been a long while since I've been naughty." Don chuckled and my mind was swirling as his fingers continued to run along my skin and the top of my panties.

"Really?" he asked deeply and I nodded as my eyes fluttered.

"I thought you'd like it when I picked it up the other day." He raised an eyebrow and it was my turn to grin.

"So, this is new?" he asked

"Very new," I whispered and as much as I didn't want to have his hands leave me, I stepped back a bit and stepped out of my jeans before I pulled my socks off so I stood only in my bra and panties. Kicking my clothes aside I found myself once again in Don's arms. I looked up at him surprised while he leaned down to kiss me only he stopped short and I opened my eyes when I didn't feel his lips on mine.

"As much as I like it, I think I like what's underneath it even more," he said and my face heated before he fiercely claimed my lips with his and I lost myself in him completely.