Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Her eyes snapped open, and she slowly turned, finding herself in bed, his arm draped over her stomach, holding her to him. A moment passed, as she took her time sitting up, gathering her thoughts, trying to remember what happened the night before. Glancing down at him, she found that he slept peacefully, and then it hit her like a bullet piercing the night.

They stood, stumbling over the coffee table, never breaking the kiss, as they began to shed clothing. With each article dropped, their desire grew, propelling them further and further towards the point of no return. As the bedroom door banged against the far wall, they tumbled into bed, giving into the carnal urges they'd tried to deny from the moment they met.

She looked around, before spotting her cell on the nightstand. Slowly, carefully, she reached over him-

He grabbed her wrist, his green eyes snapping open. She turned to him, seeing the surprise in those green depths. "I just... want my cellphone." She replied. He took a deep breath, releasing her wrist and sitting up. He handed it to her, breath stilling as their fingers brushed. "I'm sorry, I normally don't-"

"- do something like this." They stopped, realizing they'd spoken at the same time. She chuckled softly, nervous. After several moments of tense silence, he pushed the blankets aside, getting up.

"I'm gonna... take a quick shower. Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen." She nodded, surprise in her eyes as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. Once he was gone, she got out of bed and rummaged around for a shirt. Unsure of where her top had gone, she managed to find a button-down in one of his drawers and pulled it on. It hit mid-thigh, leaving her long legs exposed. Once she was covered, she headed into the living room, finding their clothing, as well as the rest of the pieces to the puzzle that was the night before. They hadn't been drunk, but apparently, their desire had been enough for her to barely remember the night before.

She started a fresh pot of coffee, and as she waited for it to finish, she wandered over to the desk in the living room. The bathroom door shut and she went to the laptop, opening it up and turning it on. While she waited for it to warm up, she allowed herself to rummage through the desk, finding the accordion folder of his novel's first draft. She couldn't resist leafing through the pages, becoming lost in the words, unaware that someone had pulled Skype up on the other side. But it wasn't long until she heard a familiar voice. "Tommy! What's- Ziva?"

Her head snapped up, eyes widening in shock to find herself staring at Erica Jane Barrett, more commonly known as E. J. by her family, halfway across the world. "A... Agent Barrett, what... what are you doing-"

"I was calling my cousin. What are you doing here, Officer David?" E. J. replied.

"Everything all-" Ziva turned, to find Thom standing in the living room, just out of his shower, hair still wet, a towel over his shoulders, and one wrapped around his waist. Her dark eyes skimmed quickly over his toned abs, and she felt her mouth watering and her pulse beginning to speed up. He was even more gorgeous than she thought when they first met. Obviously, he worked out; enough to make every woman swoon if caught shirtless. He glanced from Ziva to the computer and back before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. "Um... Ziva, E. J., what are you-"

"I was calling you. I don't know what Officer David was doing, or why she's wearing your shirt, but-" E. J. glanced from the Israeli to her cousin and back. She watched him use the towel around his neck to dry his hair. She took in Ziva's disheveled appearance, her wild hair and the bites on her neck, the scratches on her cousin's chest- and quickly put two and two together. "Oh my God!" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as everything finally clicked, and she shook her head, closing her eyes. "You... you slept with my baby cousin, David? Are you insane?"

Before the other woman could respond, he was leaning around her, talking to the agent. "E. J., it's sweet that you care, but I'm not eight anymore. You can't tell me what to do- I know that you care and that you're just trying to protect me, but I don't need it."

"I... I am going to go get dressed." Quickly, she slipped out of the chair, grabbing her discarded clothing as she rushed back to the bedroom. Once she was gone, he turned back to his cousin. He huffed in annoyance.

"Look, Tommy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like I did, it's just..." E. J. sighed. He waited, giving her time. A moment passed, before she puffed her cheeks out and continued. "Officer David... she has a reputation at NCIS."

"Reputation?" He raised his eyebrows. "Agent DiNozzo has a reputation, E. J., you know that, and yet you're dating the guy anyway. But Officer David-"

"She's Mossad, Tommy. They can't be trusted."

"Says who, E. J.?" He countered, narrowing his emerald eyes. She sighed. "And why should it matter? I'm not NCIS. I don't work for any federal agency in the States. I'm a writer, who owns a bookstore in Paris, France! What does it matter to me if she's a Mossad Officer or an NCIS Agent? It doesn't. Under all that, she's just a woman, E. J. Just like you. That's what I see, not the Officer."

"You just met her-"

"And I've learned more about her in the last twenty-four hours than you've learned about that idiot Agent DiNozzo in four years!" He sighed, seeing the hurt flash over her face. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I just... it's my life, E. J. Let me live it. Please." She gave him a small smile, a sad smile.

"I love you, Tommy."

"Love you, too." Once they'd signed off, he straightened and turned, to find Ziva standing in the hallway entrance. She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly moved past her, heading back to the bedroom to get dressed.