--
Alex heard the knock and practically leapt off the bed. Without looking at him, she pulled her shirt down and left the room. She felt herself moving down the hall but her mind was foggy. She realized her hands were shaking and she was sweating. She stopped before she reached the door and leaned her butt against the wall. She bent over at the waist and rubbed her hands against her face while she tried to catch her breath. There was another knock.
"Mrs. Goren? Hello?" It was nurse Wendy.
Crap. Eames opened the door.
"Hi Wendy", fake smile, "how nice to see you." Actually, I wish you were anywhere but here.. "Please come in." Please leave and never return.
"How's your husband today?"
"Actually, Wendy, he's…" she was going to correct her but she heard herself saying something completely opposite, "he's doing great. That husband of mine is doin' better every day."
--
Bobby watched Alex spring from the bed at lightening speed. As she bolted out of the room, he threw his head against his pillow. Damn. Damn, damn, damn!
He could hear Alex in the hallway, hesitating before she answered the door. He knew what she was doing. They were both in a state of high arousal. He knew there was no way he could be answering the door at that moment. His cock was so hard, and he was so worked up that he couldn't think straight.
"Hi Wendy, how nice to see you." Yeah right. We're thrilled you're here.
"How's your husband today?" Bobby smiled.
"Actually Wendy, he's…", NO! don't tell her I'm not your husband! I don't want to hear those words! "…he's doing great. That husband of mine is doing better every day." Yes! Thank you, Eames!
--
Then, Alex and Wendy were standing there.
"Hear something funny, sweetheart?" He didn't realize he was still smiling when they walked in.
"Oh, sorry, daydreaming I guess… Hi Wendy."
"Hi Mr. Goren. Your wife was just telling me that you're doing great! I'm so happy to hear that."
"Yeah, thanks." He spoke to Wendy but he wasn't looking at her. He knew he should have said more to the nurse, but he was distracted by Alex. He could see her nipples were still erect. All he could think about was how they just felt in his hands.
Wendy picked up on the fact that Bobby wasn't paying one bit of attention to her. She also noticed that he didn't have a shirt on. She wondered if she just interrupted something. She felt herself blush a little.
"Let's have a look-see." She peeled the bandage back and examined the wound.
"Excellent."
"Hear that, honey? I'm excellent." He smirked at Eames.
"Oh great, just give his ego another boost." Eames snarked.
They all laughed while Wendy took his temperature then checked his blood pressure. She got a worried look on her face as she checked his pulse. You're pulse rate is too high.
"Too high for what?" Bobby asked, but Alex knew what was coming next.
"To high for laying in bed." Wendy said as she held two fingers against his neck.
"Well, Wendy," oh, no Goren, you're not… "is it too high for someone who was, say, excited? Goren, I swear to God… stop! Eames was glaring at him while her face turned beet red.
"Well, I guess not, but I mean you're just laying in bed so I don't see - " Alex was certain she saw see the light bulb pop on above the nurses head. Immediately Alex put her head down, she couldn't look at the woman. She was hoping for a magic hole to suddenly appear in the floor that could swallow her up. No such luck.
"Oh. Oh! I see! I'm so sorry I interrupted your little 'afternoon delight'!" OhMyGod, she did NOT just say that! Eames was beyond mortified.
"Well, what can I say? I have a very beautiful wife and I love her very much… and she just can't keep her hands off me. I tried to tell her that I need my rest but sometimes she won't take no for an answer. " Oh My God! HE did not just say THAT!!
"Bobby! THAT. IS. NOT. TRUE!"
"What's not true, honey? That you're beautiful? That I love you very much? Those things are most definitely true." He paused. "Isn't it true that you can't keep your hands off of me, dear? Cause I sure don't ever want to keep my hands off of you!" He was having so much fun watching her squirm.
He looked back at the nurse, "We're still newlyweds, you know." He raised his eyes conspiratorially at her.
"Bobby. THAT. IS. ENOUGH!"
Nurse Wendy tried to diffuse the situation. "It's alright, Mrs. Goren. I know a con-artist when I see one. I know you wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize his recovery."
"Well, Wendy, what - ah - wouldn't jeopardize my recovery?"
At this point Alex wanted to run right over and strangle the man.
"Well, to be frank, as long as you're not in pain, nothing is off limits. But generally right now, I think it's in your best interest to not exert yourself. At least until you have your stitches out. Until then, just do what feels most comfortable for you."
She looked at Alex then back at Bobby. Alex was examining her fingers, while Bobby looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Nurse Wendy decided that she had had enough of these two for the day.
"I do have some good news. I think you're doing so well, I'll be able to give you a clean bill of health sooner than anticipated."
Bobby's eyes opened wide. "Oh, yeah? Really?"
"Yes, your wound is almost completely healed. It may pain you still from time to time, but that will be normal. We don't have to worry about infections any longer. The next time I come back, I'll remove the stitches and we'll see how you feel at that point."
"That'd be great. Huh, E- honey?"
"Better than you can imagine."
"I guess I'll let you get back to, uh, you know… I can let myself out." Wendy smiled at Bobby.
Bobby smiled back.
"Take care of yourself and I'll see you again in two days." She started to leave the room then stopped and turned back, "maybe next time I should call first?" She winked at Bobby and Bobby chuckled. Alex was still looking down but was moving toward the door.
"Trust me, that won't be necessary." Did you get that hint, asshole?!
Nurse Wendy laughed out loud. "Uh, oh, someone's in the doghouse!" Alex gave her another fake smile then she led Wendy to the door.
"Bye Mrs. Goren!"
"Good bye Wendy." Her words dripped with impatience.
--
"Bobby Goren. You can be such an ass."
That's all she said to him for the rest of the afternoon. At lunch time she unceremoniously brought him his sandwich then left the room again.
"Alex, please." He tried to talk to her when she came back into the room to get his plate and to bring him to the bathroom.
She ignored him.
--
Luckily for Bobby, the quiet afternoon was interrupted by a visit from Lewis. The minute Alex saw Lewis she decided she needed to get out for a while. She went to do laundry and then to the grocery store. Lewis was thoroughly disappointed at her disappearance. He picked up on the fact that she looked pissed. He waited for her to leave then pounced on Bobby.
"What the hell did you do to her, man?"
"I didn't do anything." Bobby tried to look wounded by his friends words.
"Well, clearly you pissed her off, dude. So, what was it… something you did or something you said?"
"Both, I think."
What do you mean, 'you think'?"
"Before we go any further, can you help me to the couch?"
Lewis helped Bobby get up and then settled him on the couch. Lewis went to the kitchen, grabbed a beer, then fell into the recliner.
"Okay, go on… how did you so royally piss off the beautiful detective Eames?"
"Well, I did something, then right away I said something, and I don't know which one got her this mad. Or, maybe both things."
Lewis looked confused so Bobby proceeded to tell him about the nurses visit and what went on before it. Lewis' eyes were wide as Bobby told him what Alex said on the stretcher. Then his jaw dropped when Bobby told him how he showed Alex what his reply would be to her question.
But when he heard the conversation that Bobby had with the nurse, Lewis closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he slowly opened his eyes and looked at his friend.
"That's it, bro."
"You think?"
"Bobby, I love you man. But you crossed the line. You embarrassed her. She was probably already embarrassed enough thinking that you were just…you know… holding her…ta-ta's."
"Lewis. Ta-ta's? How old are you?!" Bobby knew how serious this was but he couldn't help but laugh at Lewis.
"Oh, Bobby, you know what I mean." Bobby was trying to stop laughing.
"Okay, okay. You're right, Lewis. That's the part that got her mad. At least I think that's the only part."
Lewis sat there for a minute as silence took over the room.
"Lucky bastard." He was trying to look mad but his smile was slipping out.
Bobby chuckled for a second but then his face became serious.
"I know I am, Lewis. She's the best. And for some reason, she seems to like me."
"Don't screw this up, Bobby. She is one awesome girl. Do not let her get away." He shook his head at Bobby, his face was stern.
"I'm doin' the best I can, Lewis. But you know me, this is hard . I've never had these feelings before. I've never wanted anyone to get close to me, and I've certainly never had anyone in my life that I didn't want to let go." He sounded scared.
"Well, Bobby. All I know that this girl is the best thing that you can ever hope for and for some reason she seems to be crazy about you. Apologize to her. Talk to her. Let her know that she's the most important person in your life. You have to do anything you can to let her know that you know you fucked up."
Bobby nodded his head.
For the rest of the visit, Lewis told Bobby about his visit to Bobby's mom. They caught up on their regular topics; Lewis' family, cars, Lewis' love life. Lewis had Bobby laughing about a date he had been on when Alex came back. She had a grocery bag in each hand while she was carrying the laundry basket. The sight of her struggling with the his clothes and his food made Bobby feel like a huge piece of shit. Guilt swarmed him.
"Hey Lewis." She made a point to only look at Lewis. This wasn't lost on either men.
Lewis jumped up and helped her with the grocery bags. He put them in the kitchen.
"Detective Alex, I haven't had the chance to tell you how amazingly beautiful you look today."
Alex knew what he was doing. She knew these two talked about her while she was gone and that really got her going.
"A bit over the top, don't you think, Lewis?"
Lewis looked shocked at her anger; that it was now directed at him.
"Did Bobby tell you how much he pissed me off so now you're trying to smooth the way for him?" She wasn't pulling any punches. Lewis was scared.
"Detective Alex. You know I worship you. I would never just pay you lip service."
"Lewis…" she still wasn't looking at Bobby. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
"Lewis, while I always appreciate your compliments, right now I am truly not in the mood for any more bullshit. I think I've had my fill for the day."
She went to the bedroom and closed the door.
It took Lewis a several seconds to break his gaze. He was still staring at Bobby's locked bedroom door. Finally he turned and looked at Bobby.
"Oh man, you're fucked."
"Gee, thanks Lewis. That certainly makes me feel a lot better."
"No seriously man, you are so screwed over if you don't fix this right now."
With that, Lewis got up. He put his beer bottle in the kitchen sink and came back to the living room.
"I'm outta here. Good luck. Call me when the coast is clear."
"Chicken."
"Damn right. She's scary when she's pissed."
"Tell me something I don't already know."
--
Bobby could only sit there and wait. After about an hour he heard her open the door. Alex did not go to see him, instead she went to the kitchen.
He heard her take out a pot and set it on the stove. Then he heard cabinet doors open and close. He could smell garlic sautéing in oil. Then cans being opened. She's making a sauce. Didn't know Eames had it in her. She finally appeared in the doorway and leaned against it's frame. Her hands were folded and she had one of her feet crossed over the other. She didn't say a word, she just stared at him. Her jaw was set, he knew she was still pissed. He had no idea how to start. He felt like anything he said would be wrong. He decided to go big.
"I am the luckiest man in the world to have you here with me."
She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to convey her surprise in his tactic.
"That's it? That's all you have to say for yourself?"
"No, I have a lot more to say, but I wanted to make sure you knew that first off. You know, in case I don't get to say everything else."
"What, you mean you think I might storm out of here and not let you finish?"
"Possibly. I mean look at you. You're still so mad at me."
"Do you think I have a right to be, Bobby?"
"Yes." He couldn't say the word fast enough. He knew any hesitation on his part would have been read as a 'no' by her.
"And what is it that you think I'm so mad at?"
Here's the tricky part. The phrase 'between a rock and a hard place' flew into Goren's mind.
As she waited for him to gain the courage to speak, she moved over to the coffee table and sat down on it. She leaned her right arm across her knees, placed her left elbow on top of her right hand, and then rested her chin in her left hand.
She was a little to close for Bobby's liking at the moment. Another phrase came to his mind, 'striking distance'.
"I think…you're mad because… be-because of what I s-said to the nurse."
Her started tapping her foot. What the fuck does that mean? Am I onto to something or did I make it worse?
"And?"
Yes! That part was right! But there's more? Shit. Then Bobby got afraid that she was mad about him feeling her up. He got very serious.
"Eames. Alex. D-did I… are you mad at me for before that? You know, when I touched you and kissed you?"
Her foot stopped tapping. Uh, oh.
"Bobby." Her voice was much softer than it had been. "First of all, no. I'm not mad you for touching me. Not at all. Second of all, I think I actually kissed you." She closed her eyes as she remembered what it was like to have her tongue in his mouth.
"Eames, I'm sorry, then I think I need some help here. I'm not good at things like this. I never had conversations like this with girlfriends."
"Never? How is that possible?" Eames asked ignoring the girlfriend implication.
"Well, I never stick around long enough to get to this point. I mean, I would somehow always piss them off, but instead of talking about it I'd just take off."
"Wow."
"So that's why I really don't get it. I'm not trying to minimize your feelings, Eames. I don't want you to think that the reason I'm questioning what got you so mad is because I don't think I did anything wrong. I know I did something, I get that. But can you please tell me what it was so I know to never do it again?"
"Okay. Bobby, that 'moment' we had before the nurse came in…that was…incredible…don't you think?"
Goren nodded his head, he didn't want to interrupt her. She continued.
"Then, Wendy came in and you started joking with her about it. It made me think it was no big deal to you… That I was just another girl that you were feeling up, just another girl kissing you in your bed."
"Eames, you can't think that."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't think, Bobby!" She yelled at him. She was pissed again.
"No, no! Eames, that's not what I meant." He wanted nothing more than to jump up but he had to just lay there. He released his breath loudly and closed his eyes. Sharing his feelings was so painful for him. More painful than the hole in his stomach. But he knew he had to do this for her. He opened his eyes before continuing. "What I mean is… Eames… you could never, ever be just another girl to me. Touching you…and kissing you…Eames…that was, well, it was perfect. As I told you on the stretcher, that was something I have spent endless hours thinking about doing. Then to have you there… here," he motioned with his hands toward her sitting next to him, "well, I know I am the luckiest person in the world to have you here with me."
She moved her hands behind her to the table and leaned back a little while she lifted her legs and tucked her feet under his legs.
"See? You were able to say it without me stormin' out." Alex replied with her usual snark. He was thrilled to see her joke, but he also knew that that was her way to avoid dealing with everything that he just said.
"Eames, I'm serious."
"I know you are, Bobby. And I'm sorry I got mad and then ignored you. I have to get better at communicating, too, I guess."
"Are we okay now?"
"Yeah, I think we got this one covered." She grinned at him as she stood up.
"You good here for a little while? I'm thinkin' of going for a run."
"Absolutely. Go and relax."
Alex went in and check on the marinara. She gave it a stir and turned the heat down so it could simmer while she went out. Then she changed into some running clothes.
"Do you need anything?"
"Go. I'm fine." They smiled at each other and she left.
--
Alex returned from her run and checked the sauce. She got another pot, filled it with water, and put it on the stove to get it boiling.
"You need anything before I shower?"
"Nope. I'm great."
"Are you afraid to ask me to do stuff for you? I'm not mad anymore, you know."
He chuckled. "No, no really. I'm good. That sauce smells great though. I'm looking forward to trying it."
"Well, I'm an Irish girl making a marinara, it can't be all that good."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be great."
She took off for the shower.
--
"Dinner was delicious, Eames. That marinara was excellent!"
"You don't think the ravioli was overdone?"
"No, it was great. And the salad dressing was homemade?"
"Yup, Eames family recipe."
"Nice, I'm impressed!"
They chatted as Eames set up for their movie time. She was already dreading it because it was Bobby's first night of three movie picks in a row. They were both ready for bed; him in his shorts and her in a brown tank top and a pair of white shorts that had NYPD emblazoned in dark blue letters across her butt. She put on the shorts as a sort of retaliation to his winning the bet last night. If he was going to drive her crazy with his movies, why can't she drive him crazy with her shorts?
"Okay. That's just not fair Eames."
She looked at him with mock questioning look. She knew exactly what he was referring to.
"You can't walk around me with those shorts on and expect me to not look your ass."
"Who said I was expecting that?" This time with a look of innocence.
"You are a cruel and evil woman. And just for that, here is my first choice." He looked at her with a smug grin.
"Nightmare on Elm Street? Oh, c'mon, Bobby. Have some pity on me."
"Nope. I won. My choice."
"I could knock that smug little grin right off your face right about now."
"Aw, Eames. You should be nice to me, you might need to snuggle during the scary parts." He knew she was getting mad at him and it was making him laugh.
"I'll be fine over here, don't you worry about me. Just watch your stupid movie."
Apparently, when it comes to scary movies Eames is all talk. With in 5 minutes she started inching closer and closer to him. By the time the first victim met their death, she was curled up around his waist and he had his arms wrapped around her shoulders.
He watched the very violent, scary movie with a grin on his face the whole time.
--
Bobby stares at his clock. 3:04 a.m. Shit.
No matter how he tried, he could not fall asleep. The more he laid there, the more frustrated he was getting. He wanted to get up and walk around, but he didn't want to wake up Eames. He looked over at her.
She was sleeping so soundly. They had watched the whole movie, but then watched a little of a funny movie (Arthur) just so Eames could relax after being so scared. She had stayed curled up next to him for the second movie as well, but moved to her side of the bed once it was time to go to sleep. However, over the past few hours he had noticed that she was inching her way closer. She sure does toss and turn a lot. Between the two of us this bed looks like a war zone every morning. Bobby grinned at the thought.
Then, his mind went racing again. This time it was flooded with the memories of holding her breasts. He was picturing her face and the sounds she made as he moved his hand under her shirt. He let his imagination wander, what would have happened if that damn nurse hadn't shown up? Christ, she felt so good, she looked so good…she tasted so damn good.
He focused on her. She was laying on her back. She had her left arm, the arm closest to him, up over her head. Her left leg, that was tucked under her right calf, was almost touching his leg. Her knee was right there. So close to his thigh. He turned on his side and contact was made. He stared at her knee and his thigh for a few minutes, just taking in how it felt. Trying to pretend it was so normal. He would hold onto this feeling so he could replay it over and over once she was gone. Once she was gone… the thought of that made him feel as if he was kicked in the stomach. Maybe she won't go. Don't I wish.
He looked at the sheet and blanket that she had pulled up so they were just covering her breasts. Do I dare? Can I get away with this again? He could feel his heart rate pick up and excitement tear through his body. With a full adrenaline rush urging him on, he gently took hold of the covers. As he dragged them down he watched her face for any sign that she was waking up. He was fully prepared to open his hand, pull it away and close his eyes at any second. But he didn't have to. She didn't move. Thank God she's a heavy sleeper, he thought as a grin crept across his mouth.
Once he had the covers pulled down to her hips he was ready to go. He opened his hand wide and held it over her stomach. He didn't let it touch her at first. He just held it here, trying to feel her body heat. Then he moved his hand keeping it just above her tank top and moved towards her neck.
Then, he used the tips of his fingers to touch her on the right side of her neck. He imagined what it tasted like. He couldn't wait to find out. He let his fingers rest there for a while feeling her muscles move as she swallowed. When he was ready, he moved his fingers along the line of her neck down to her collar bone. From the collar bone, he drew a line down her chest until he found her breast. He made a few circles around her breast and was amazed to see her nipple become erect. Oh God, I would give anything to be able to have her in my mouth right now. By now, his cock was on fire for her. His whole body was aching. Why am I doing this to myself?! It dawned on him; because I love her.
He forced himself to break away from her breast and continued down her belly. He was cursing the tank top. He wanted more than anything to feel her skin. His need to touch her and feel her overwhelmed him. He never wanted to stop.
Do I slide my hand under her shirt? Even just a little? He warred with himself for several minutes. And once again, his desire won out. He used his thumb to raise the hem up a little and that allowed the rest of his hand to breach the barrier of material and find the soft skin he was searching for. He sighed heavily and fluttered his eyes closed.
Then he laid there. Completely still. He quieted his own breathing so he could take in hers. His hand felt her belly rise and fall with each breath. His ears heard her gentle intake of breath, a short pause, followed by a soft exhale. Over and over. He became entranced. And that is how he finally fell asleep.
--
I'm cold. Eames woke up. Dawn was just breaking. And she was cold. She reached down to pull up her covers and found Bobby's hand on her belly. Under my shirt and on my belly?! What the hell?!
She looked at him and she could swear that he was smiling. Will ya look at that?
She smiled herself. She pulled the covers up, left his hand there, and went back to sleep.
--
a/n: I was ready to post this on Wed, but wanted to add to this chapter. I hope this isn't dragging on. I haven't been feeling well this week, so I haven't been inspired. Maybe it's just me... are you all still happy out there? I will say, I have 1/2 of the next chapter written, and well, let's just say I'm enjoying writing that one!