Alex wrenched her hand from Erin's the moment she closed the living room door behind them. "I should really hate you right now, Erin."

"But you don't. This anger that's coursing through your veins is the righteous anger of someone who feels that she's been deliberately kept out of a loop in which she should have been included. Because she feels like she wasn't trusted enough with the secret of my life. Am I anywhere near close?"

The woman had hit her mark quite succinctly, and Alex blushed as the wind was taken out of her sails. "Even after all these years, you can still read me so well, Erin. I would say that it's almost as if we're still lovers, but we both know that's not true."

As Alex continued to gaze at Erin, she saw how the older woman blinked rapidly, as if she was close to crying. As if she needed to put space between them, Erin made her way over to the sofa, sinking down on it and wrapping her arms around her waist as she took several deep breaths. "What happened between us was beautiful, Alexandra. I hope that you remember it that way, because I do. Even though there was such bitter acrimony between us, I still tried to hold on to the beauty of those few, fleeting, moments."

"It was gorgeous, yes," she whispered as she made her way over to the window, staring out at the darkening sky. Catching movement from the corner of her eye, she gasped a little when she saw three familiar, naked, bodies run down to the lake. "That doesn't seem too smart."

"What?"

"The guys decided to go skinny dipping in the lake."

"Oh, they always end up naked in the lake at some point, it seems. Last year, Aaron even joined them, though Penelope and I stole their clothes and locked them out."

"You didn't!" she exclaimed, turning her head to look at Erin in shock.

"I did." A wicked grin curved her lips upwards as she stood, her hips swaying as she sashayed over to Alex. "It was delicious, really, to think of them standing outside the house, unable to cover their nakedness with anything more than their hands, even as JJ and Penelope led me upstairs to fuck me."

"Carnality never suited you," Alex shot back, unable to stop the flood of images that broke into her brain, of Erin writhing beneath the lips and hands of her colleagues. Erin chuckled deeply as she shook her head, stepping closer to Alex and leaning her face in so that she could stare at her. "What?"

"You know that's not true. You loved it when I moaned and arched beneath your hands and mouth. I remember how your tongue used to snake out and tickle me below my breasts, and how you never gave me relief until I was begging you for it. But will you still make me beg, Alexandra?"

The purr in Erin's voice sent shivers down Alex's spine, though she fought to ignore the feeling, pulling away from Erin a little, wanting to get away from that sweet temptation the woman was offering. "I don't think that I can, Erin. I'm married."

"That, my dear, is a load of bullshit, and you know it."'

Alex frowned, wanting to bite back with some witty response, only to have her words cut off when Erin buried one hand deep in her thick hair, pulling her in close for a heated kiss. Though she fought it for a moment, Alex felt the familiar longing desire sweep over her body and she melted against Erin, letting her deepen the kiss as her free hand began to fumble with the buttons on her blouse. "Um, but it's lovely bullshit, Erin."

"Hush, the time for talking is at an end. Now is our time to feel and heal." Erin gave her a tender smile as she took hold of Alex's hand, squeezing sharply. "I want to take you upstairs, to our room. Dave won't interrupt us, he'll find another bed to sleep in for the night. But I want you to want this. I don't want to force you into something. I just want you back in my life. Please?"

Alex shuddered a little as the cool air of the living room lapped at her skin. There was a tiny hint of sadness creeping into Erin's eyes, and for some reason her heart ached at the sight. Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned in and kissed Erin once more, letting nostalgia wash over her as long buried memories of her lips, her body, rose from the depths of her mind. "Yes," she whispered as she leaned her head against Erin's, staring deeply into her grey eyes.

"Thank you." Alex nodded as she gave three quick squeezes to Erin's hand. It seemed that Erin had not forgotten that signal, since her smile widened into a grin as she let out a soft breath. "Come along, Alexandra."

They made their way upstairs without further words, and Alex found herself feeling like everything was finally going right with this weekend. She hadn't expected to have this sweet moment of reconciliation, and a tight feeling began to spread in her chest. Alex knew that she was about to burst into tears, and she wondered if Erin would be just in tune to her vacillating emotions as she had been in the past.

"Oh, Alex, please, don't cry," Erin whispered as tugged them into what was obviously the master bedroom. She tried to nod without spilling tears, but found it a losing battle. Erin turned to face her once more, reaching out to run her hands tenderly up and down Alex's arms. "Now is a time for rejoicing."

"Yes," she breathed out as Erin began to undress her. It didn't take long for her clothes to end up in a heap on the floor, and Erin's eyes raked up and down her body. "Are you going to remain clothed?"

"You have two good hands, don't you?" she saucily asked, arching an eyebrow up in challenge. Alex swallowed deeply as she nodded, her hands trembling as she reached up and traced her fingers along the neckline of the older woman's blouse. Suddenly, for all her nudity, she began to feel very warm, and was certain that a bright flush was spreading across her chest and up her neck.

"I haven't had this pleasure in years," she murmured, needing to assert control over the situation, but feeling like she had already lost that to Erin. The woman gave her a knowing smirk as she inched a tiny bit closer to her. Alex swallowed thickly as her hands trembled a little before coming to rest on the buttons of Erin's blouse. "Are your nipples still so sensitive to touch?"

It was a deliberate goading, and she finally smiled when she saw Erin give her a shaky nod, her own flush becoming more pronounced as Alex slowly undid all the buttons, making certain to brush the backs of her hands against Erin's all too sensitive skin. They looked up at each other, and Alex suddenly knew that the time for talking was at an end. That same mystical feeling dropped over her like a familiar blanket as she took in the desire and longing that filled Erin's eyes.

As the other woman shrugged off her blouse, Alex reached up and caressed her cheek, needing to prove to herself that she was really there, really in this moment with her. The longer they stared at each other, the more overwhelmed by emotions she became. Unbidden tears began to fill her eyes, and Erin followed suit, the clear drops rolling down her cheeks to wet Alex's fingers. "We're supposed to fuck, not cry," Erin said with a shallow laugh, nuzzling her cheek against Alex's hand.

She hummed in agreement before leaning in and capturing Erin's lips in a deep kiss, leading her over to the bed and pulling them down upon it. It was easy to tug off Erin's skirt, and she let out a little purr of pleasure when she saw that the older woman had foregone wearing panties. "Oh, Erin, Erin, Erin. Always prepared for anything, huh?"

"On these weekends? Yes. You'll soon see, Lexie, there are things that happen here that you wouldn't begin to imagine. There is something so lovely about giving yourself over to the heady feeling of so many bodies touching you and bringing you pleasure at once." A high pitched gasp broke from her lips when Alex gently pinched her inner thigh. "Oh, all right, I'll stop talking now."

"Good," she replied with a cheeky grin on her lips as she fitted herself between Erin's legs. A slight tremor swept over Erin's body as her eyes closed. "You were always so impatient, darling."

"Because I knew what pleasure you could give," she breathed out as she lifted her hips a little, begging her to continue her more pleasurable pursuits. "Please, Lexie."

"Yes, darling." Alex smiled as she brought her lips down to Erin's vulva, pressing soft little kisses there, teasing Erin. A sweet little cry broke from the woman's lips, and Alex grinned as she lifted her hips up in supplication. Knowing that she couldn't leave Erin hanging, not in so tender a moment, Alex began to softly lick and suck at her labia, knowing exactly what would bring her to the highest level of pleasure. Erin began to whine as her hips shifted, trying to get ever closer to Alex, even as her long fingers became tangled in Alex's hair, digging an almost painful rhythm.

Soon, almost too soon for Alex's liking, Erin began to orgasm, and she held tightly onto her hips as her back arched impossibly high, that familiar, keening, whine tumbling from her lips. It was almost enough to get Alex off as well, and as Erin relaxed back onto the bed, she slithered up to rest her body alongside Erin's, drawing patterns on her stomach with her fingers. "I'd forgotten how good you tasted," she said through heavy breaths, resting her head on Erin's chest and listening to the pounding of her heart.

"I'd forgotten how good you are at oral sex. Lexie…" Erin's voice broke off, and Alex could hear the tears that clogged her throat. Turning on her side a little, Alex draped her arm over Erin's waist, holding her close. "Will you be here when I wake up?"

"If Dave doesn't kick me out, yes."

"Good." Erin puckered her lips, and Alex indulged her with a tender kiss before resting her forehead against Erin's. "Let's sleep now, since we won't get much of that in the hours to come." Alex nodded and snuggled in close, wrapping her limbs around Erin like she had once, long ago. The familiarity of it all settled her soul in a way she hadn't realized she had missed, and she went to sleep with a smile on her lips.