A/N: This was the hardest chapter ever for me to write, but with the help of the fabulous mel60 who beta'd this for me I got through it.
Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
xxxxx
"You ever seen anything like this, Messer?" Flack asked Danny, pointing to their latest victim. There was nothing unusual about a young male, found stabbed to death inside a bookstore. The fact that the body was suspended to the back wall of the store with a book glued into each of his hands and pockets was what had everyone curious.
"This is definitely up there on the list of crazy crime scenes," Danny said, taking in the body for the first time. "This city is never at a shortage of strange and unusual, that's for sure. Especially lately." He leaned in to get a closer look. The back of the victim, from shoes to hair, was covered in some sort of glue.
"Monroe already photographed the scene and is looking into the glue," he said, pointing to Lindsay outside the glass storefront, talking on her cell phone. Danny followed Flack's finger and couldn't help from smiling at the sight of her. Even from where he was standing he could see she had that look on her face – the look she got whenever she was determined to figure something out. Her pursed lips and wide eyes were telltale signs. He'd become familiar with that look while working cases with her, but had also seen it outside of work. He'd made the mistake the other night of telling her that he didn't have an erogenous zone outside of the obvious areas. Lindsay did not believe him. She got that look on her face and he knew he was in trouble. An hour later she had explored every inch of his body with her lips and been proven right when a kiss to the back of his knee had elicited a groan from him.
Danny's stare and smile were not missed by Flack who never thought he'd see the day when Danny was totally smitten, but it had arrived thanks to one Lindsay Monroe. He was happy for the pair – happy that they were happy. He also liked to take credit for getting them together, seeing that he was the one to properly motivate Danny to go after Lindsay the night of the Governor's Ball. "Are you glad you listened to me or what?"
"What are you talking about?" Danny turned his attention back to Don.
"I told you to start fresh with Lindsay and it worked. You guys are like teenagers in love."
"Woah, slow down there, Flack. We didn't get together because of you. You're no Dr. Ruth so don't quit your day job. And who said anything about love?"
The truth was, he did love Lindsay. He'd come to that conclusion pretty quickly. Lindsay was perfect. Sure she was flawed, but that was part of her perfection. He liked doing everything with her – from working to talking over coffee in the morning to doing dishes. And what was that saying about the ideal woman being a lady in the street but a freak in the bed? Or was that a song? Either way, that was Lindsay. He'd never met a woman before that he could imagine himself being with for the rest of his life. That idea filled him with pure elation, but it also scared him. First, love and marriage were never in his game plan. All his other relationships were casual and more physical than anything else. Love was never even a remote thought. But Lindsay had elicited these feelings from him that came so strongly and quickly that he wasn't sure how to react. Second, what if Lindsay didn't feel the same way? It would destroy him. If he admitted his feelings and she didn't share them then that would probably mean the end for them. There was no way he was going to let that happen. That's why he had yet to let her know how he felt. He needed to get everything sorted out in his mind before doing or saying anything. "What kind of wacko would do something like this?" Danny nodded towards the body hoping to distract Flack from the topic.
Flack smiled at Danny's discomfort with the conversation. Love had sucker-punched the boy so hard that Danny didn't even know what hit him. Flack wasn't surprised. This was a man who once told him that Valentines Day was a fabricated holiday and an excuse for girls to get their guys to spend money on them. This was a man who saw diamonds as simply an alatrope of carbon instead of a romantic gift. It was also the man who ran the other way as soon as a girl even whispered anything that sounded like 'getting serious' or 'moving in'. He'd figure it out soon enough, Flack thought. "And what was he or she trying to say by doing this? The books in his hands and pockets are all Allan Edgar Poe novels. That's gotta mean something."
"It's going to be interesting getting him down."
"I'm already on it," Lindsay said as she walked into the room, carrying a black case in each hand. "Turns out the adhesive is basically an industrial version of crazy glue. You need to be a manufacturer to get your hands on it. This is definitely not something you can pick up at any hardware store."
"OK, well that's a start," Danny said. "We find out where that glue came from and maybe we find out who stuck it to our victim."
"Not your best work, Messer," Flack laughed, referring to Danny's pun.
Lindsay also laughed. That was her Danny. He was good for at least one wisecrack per case. She could also count on him to brighten her day no matter what – whether it was a joke, or something small like a bringing her coffee or an unexpected gift in her locker. Last week he had left her a photo of them in Central Park. She was on his lap and he had stretched out his arm to take it. It came out crooked but she loved it anyway – she had a silly grin on her face and Danny was kissing her cheek. She had taped it to the inside of her locker – it made her smile every morning.
"These heaters will melt the glue so that we can get the body down," Lindsay said as she put down the cases she'd been holding. "It'll take a while to melt, but as much as we'd like to we can't just tear this guy off the wall – especially if we want keep things by the book." She wasn't sure when it had happened, but Danny's fondness for witty one-liners had rubbed off on her.
"Oh man, enough you two!" Flack exclaimed. "I'm going to go talk to the owner." He walked towards the front of the store shaking his head at the CSIs. He didn't know two people meant to be together more than Danny and Lindsay.
"There's some kind of trace on the vic's hands. I'll handle that. Do you want to take the books?" Lindsay asked.
"Sure," Danny replied as his cell phone rang. Danny frowned when he saw Louie's name on his caller ID. Things had been rocky between him and Louie lately. After recovering from the beat down he'd gotten from the Tanglewood Boys a year ago, Louie had promised that he would make a break from that lifestyle. Almost dying and costing Danny his job was the wake-up call Louie needed. Danny had supported him in every way he could - helped him find a legitimate job, loaned him some money, let him crash at his apartment while he found a new place to live. But Danny was afraid his brother was slipping back into that dangerous world. Louie had called him a couple of times late at night; sounding drunk, saying times were tough and asking for money. When they did get together Louie was jumpy and Danny feared he was doing drugs again. Louie had denied everything when Danny had confronted him and they had not left each other on good terms.
Danny knew how easily it was to get pulled into the danger that followed the Tanglewood Boys. When Louie promised to straighten his life out Danny had offered his help with the contingencies that Louie be serious and that it would only be offered once. If Louie messed up he would not get a second chance – he was out of Danny's life for good. Realizing that he might have to make good on that threat was difficult for Danny. Deciding he couldn't deal with his brother right now he put the phone back in his pocket.
Lindsay noticed Danny's disconcerted expression and wondered who had called. "Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, it was just, uh, Hawkes. I'll catch up with him later." Danny hadn't shared his concerns about Louie with Lindsay. If Louie was in fact hanging around the Tanglewood Boys again, Danny wanted him and Lindsay to have no part of it. It didn't matter who you were – the Tanglewood Boys would do whatever they felt necessary to send their message. Danny would never forget the time he and Louie were playing basketball the summer after his freshman year in college. The Tanglewood Boys stormed the court, ferreting out a teenage boy who they proceeded to beat the pulp out of. They left the boy hanging by his shirt on the wire fence. Turns out he was just the neighbor of a Tanglewood Boy, Johnny, who owed the boss some money. Apparently the boss did not appreciate that Johnny had given his neighbor a few bucks to get a new basketball instead of handing over all of his money to him. There were two things Danny knew about the Tanglewood Boys – they were dangerous and the less you know and the farther away you are from them, the better. "I'll start on those books."
xxxx
Danny and Lindsay had wrapped up their case by late afternoon and Lindsay had been hopeful that she'd be able to leave on time. Mac, though, had asked for her help on a high-profile case and that's how she found herself walking through the lab at midnight. She passed by the office and saw Danny sitting at his desk.
She stood outside the doorway and observed him. He was so handsome and perfect. Looking at him did odd things to her. Beyond the normal arousal he elicited from her, it made her think about being with him forever and think about family. Forever. That's what she wanted her and Danny to be. And that could only mean one thing - she was in love with Danny Messer. She never let people in easily before. Witnessing the death of her friends had done that to her. It made her realize that people she cared about could be taken away in a heartbeat. Every relationship she'd been in had been casual. Each guy was not someone she could get serious about, really care about, so it was safe. It was easy to let go when that time came. But Danny had barreled his way into every part of her – her mind, body, heart. She remembered asking him out on an official date four months ago and feeling like she was handing her heart over to him. Whether or not he knew it and whether or not it was intentional, he had taken complete possession of it.
As much being able to say she loved someone for the first time made her happy it was also unsettling. The fact that they'd been together for just four months made her feelings scary and intense, as if somehow they weren't real. Love was not a word she used lightly, and she knew Danny was the same way. She knew that he was happy, that he cared for her, but she wondered if Danny loved her. The idea that he might made her giddy. The idea that he might not made her stomach drop. She would be devastated if he didn't. And how could she stay with him after that? She couldn't even imaging being without him. That's probably why she'd never said the words out loud to him – she'd rather stay in blissful ignorance than learn that he didn't feel the same way.
She watched Danny lean back in his chair and rub his hands over his face. Lindsay thought he'd seemed a little distracted all day, and figured it was about work. They had been pretty busy lately – New York City was offering a lot more death than normal. At times likes this they just needed distance from not only each other, but everybody. She knew when not to press him but she wanted to make sure he was okay.
"Hey," she said, walking into the office.
He looked up when Lindsay entered, surprised to see her there so late. "Hey. What are you still doing here?" he asked. He was exhausted but perked up at seeing Lindsay. She carried a contagious energy with her wherever she went. And she was so beautiful. He would never be too tired to appreciate that.
"Mac wanted his case, the lady in the Statue of Liberty, wrapped up quickly so he pulled me into some lab work. What about you? Tough day?"
Danny had been trying to finish up some loose ends on cases from the previous week, but he was having trouble concentrating. Something was going on with Louie and he was torn between helping him and staying away.
"Just busy, behind on a lot of things." He leaned forward to grab Lindsay's wrist before she sat down, pulling her onto his lap. Lindsay's eyes widened as she plopped down on his lap. Louie had him feeling a little depressed, but Danny had an idea on how to feel better.
"Danny, what are you doing?" Lindsay asked as he started to nuzzle her neck.
"Nothing." One hand was massaging her hip and the other roaming her body.
"Stop Danny. We're at work." She fruitlessly swatted at his hands.
"It's past midnight. There's barely anyone here." He slid his hand down her thigh and continued to caress her neck.
"So what are you proposing?" A sense of excitement was building in her stomach. It was always like this when Danny touched her, but being in a public place added a layer of exhilaration that had her interest piqued.
He pressed her into him so that she could feel his hard arousal. "Do I need to spell it out?"
Giving into her own arousal Lindsay pulled him into a kiss. The fact that someone could walk by or see them had her heart racing with fear and thrill at the same time. Danny felt his mind empty of Louie and work, as his senses filled with everything Lindsay. He needed her. Right now. Frustrated with the clothes between them Danny started to stand up to remove them.
"Wait," Lindsay said.
Danny disappointingly lowered himself back onto his chair. "Backing out, Montana? That's too bad."
"No, I am not backing out Messer. I just have a better idea." She licked her lips and Danny's eyes filled with surprise and passion. Lindsay had that look in her eyes again. He loved that look. He loved the woman giving him that look.
"What's that?"
With a quick glance to the door, Lindsay slid off his lap and knelt between his legs. She looked up at Danny. Over the past four months he had shown her pure joy, total pleasure and true love. She wanted him to know that but couldn't say the words. Maybe she could at least return the pleasure and somehow he'd see everything that came with it, everything else she was feeling.
"Damn, Lindsay," Danny muttered when she started to unbuckle his belt. He thought he might have been able to talk Lindsay into a quickie and would have been willing to move to the locker room. But she was full of surprises and her brazenness just added to his arousal as well as his love for her.
Lindsay touched the heavy bulge tentatively and lightly over his jeans. She slowly lowered his zipper and cradled him in her palm. Her hand was full of his hot, hard length and Lindsay forgot about her surroundings and her mind went blank except for giving Danny pleasure. She leaned forward to touch him with the tip of her tongue.
Danny sucked in his breath, his fingers tightening in her hair. "God Lindsay. That feels so good."
Lindsay leaned closer, tasting more of him, stroking him. Her teeth, tongue and lips staking their claim on him. Ripples of pleasure ran through Danny's body and every one of his muscles tensed as Lindsay quickened the pace of her ministrations. It didn't take long for Danny to feel his control slipping, his hips lifting off the chair. When Danny finally reached his release with a quiet groan Lindsay took him into her mouth even deeper until his grip on her hair loosened and he relaxed back into his chair.
Danny zipped his pants and pulled Lindsay up onto his lap, tucking her head under his chin, circling his arms around her. They sat like that in compatible silence. Not having to make small talk was nice, and one of his favorite things about being with Lindsay, Danny thought. He felt the urge to tell Lindsay how much he loved her but couldn't say the words just yet. He held her tighter, hoping instead that she could feel those words through his embrace.