Chapter 12 - "Stop talking and take off your pants."
Day 210
Linden paced back and forth, glancing down at the time on her cell phone. She had been waiting at Holder's apartment for forty-five minutes and she was getting impatient. She thought about grabbing a beer from the fridge, but knew that wasn't a good idea. She was about to grab her keys and forget about meeting up with Holder when she heard the door open. He walked in, dropping a pile of papers and folders on the kitchen counter.
"Where were you?" She asked. "I've been waiting for almost an hour."
"I know, I'm sorry. Cliff dumped a bunch of old paperwork on me before I left. Had to fill out some things before he'd let me go."
"Stop talking and take off your pants."
"Woah. Bossy much?"
"Are you complaining?"
"Hell no."
She watched as he unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants down. She laughed as he attempted to kick the pants from around his ankles, but instead ended up tripping. He stumbled forward, eventually able to catch himself before he actually fell to the ground.
"Graceful," she commented.
"Get over here," he growled.
"Come get me," she teased.
As she broke out in a run, he kicked his pants free and practically lunged for her. She squealed as his body came into contact with hers. He plowed into her, pushing her body down onto the couch.
"You are wearing far too many clothes," he said in between placing wet, sloppy kisses against her neck.
"Couldn't agree more," she said.
She rolled and flipped them so she was on top of him. Straddling his hips, she sat up and pulled her shirt over her head. She threw it on the floor, not caring where it landed. His hands roamed her body, sending shivers from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. She reached for the hem of his boxers, trying to push them down while their mouths were occupied with each other.
"What's your hurry, Linden?" He asked.
"I have to pick Jack up in twenty minutes, which means I need to leave in less than ten minutes or I'm going to be late. We have to make this fast."
"Damn, Linden, I'm speedy, but I ain't that speedy."
"Just skip the foreplay," she said, reaching for his boxers once more.
"Yeah, cause that's sexy."
She snapped the waistband of his boxers back into place, annoyed. She wanted to just have sex and go pick up her son. He was making things way too difficult.
"Why are you complaining? If you hadn't stuck around after work to do paperwork, this wouldn't be a problem."
"Oh so having to have lightning sex is my fault now?"
"No, but it is your fault that I got all hot and bothered in that meeting."
"How's that?"
"You kept…staring at me in that meeting."
"Couldn't help it. You wore that v-neck sweater I like."
"You were staring at me like you were undressing me with your eyes."
"I was."
"We were at work."
"So? Wasn't like I took you right there on the conference table, Linden. Although I did think about it."
She rolled her eyes. "You can't do that. Not at work."
"Why, Linden?" He said teasingly. "Because it turns you on?"
"Because it's beginning to effect our work."
"Come on, Linden. We were in a pointless budget meeting. Wasn't like we had a case or something. I was just having a little fun."
"Well it can't happen again."
"You're no fun, Linden."
She heard her cell phone begin to beep.
"And that's my alarm. Gotta leave to pick up Jack."
"Can't you be five minutes late, Linden?"
"Thought you didn't want to have lightning sex?"
"I can adapt."
She leaned over him and kissed him.
"I have to go."
She climbed off of him and picked up her shirt from the floor. As she slipped it over her head, he sat up.
"Why don't you bring Little Man back here after you pick him up? I'll cook you both dinner."
"I already have dinner ready."
"Frozen dinners don't count, Linden."
"I have to go, Holder."
"Come on, why not come back here with Little Man? Three of us can have some dinner, Jack and I can practice some wrestling, then maybe you and I can do some wrestling of our own."
She scoffed as she picked up her cell phone from the coffee table. "You really think we're going to have sex with my son here?"
"Damn, Linden, I was just kidding. Lighten up. I haven't seen Little Man in a while. It'll be good to spend some time with him."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Holder."
She headed for the door. She had to admit, the idea of going back to his apartment was appealing. It would be easy to pretend they were something more than they were. The three of them sitting down having dinner together would have been nice, but she knew she couldn't let that happen.
"Why don't you want Jack coming over here?"
"Let it go, Holder."
Although she wasn't facing him, she heard him stand up. He took a few steps towards her and started fumbling with putting his pants back on.
"No. Tell me."
She turned around as he pulled his pants up around his hips.
"Look, Jack isn't a kid. If we start playing house, he'll figure out something's up. He'll know we're more than just partners."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"Yes. He'll expect things. He's already attached to you. What would happen if he found out that you and I were sleeping together, but then found out that what we're doing is nothing more than sex?"
"Is that what you think?"
"What?"
"Is that what you think, Linden? That this is nothing more than sex."
"That's what we decided it would be."
"Maybe three months ago. Things haven't changed for you?"
"What would have changed?"
"Damn, Linden," he muttered.
She saw the change in his face. He was hurt and she was the cause. Part of her wanted to go over to him and wrap her arms around him, but she needed her distance. If she came into physical contact with him, she would cave. She would become a puddle of water at his feet and that couldn't happen.
"Holder…"
"I know things have changed. You can pretend all you want that we're just partners who have mind-blowing sex, but that ain't true and you know it."
She took a deep breath. "I knew this wasn't a good idea. We should never have started this."
"Is that really what you think?"
She wanted to say no. She wanted to say that things had changed. She had started falling for him long before they started having sex. But she couldn't admit that. Because she knew that admitting that would be worse than lying to him. No relationship had ever worked for her. Even when she thought things felt so right, she always found some way to ruin them. She knew things wouldn't be different with him. She was bound to ruin what they had. The best thing would be to stop being intimate if she wanted to keep his as her partner and best friend.
"Yes," she finally answered. She turned around and wiped a tear from her eye. Without another word, she walked out the front door.
Author's Note: I couldn't write a love story without a little angst. It's my favorite part! Hope you liked this one!
