Gabby's POV

Matt takes me hand helping me out of Kelly's car as we just arrived to the hall where the gala was being held." Thank you." I whisper as I stand up straight letting go of his hand to fix my dress.

"You look really nice tonight Gabby." Kelly tells me as he moves to place his arm around Shay's shoulder who stood next to me.

"Thank you." I smile softly looking up to meet his face." You clean up nice yourself."

"Don't we all." He chuckles clapping Matt's shoulder, before walking away towards the large stairs that lead to the main doors.

"See you two inside." Shay calls over her shoulder with a small grin." You can find me near the bar."

"Oh I can use a drink." I chuckle back." Order me one I'll be there in a few." I say before looking back over to Matt who is watching me intently and hasn't spoken a word since we left the apartment." Are you ok?" I ask squinting my eyes.

"Um hum." He hums nodding his head and the corner of his mouth twitches slightly into a smile.

"Good." I whisper back my eyes locked on his." Shall we get inside, its a bit chilly out here." I rub my arms before looping my arms around his arm.

Matt pulled his own arm tighter to his body, thus bringing me closer as we start walking. He never took his eyes off me and after only a few steps he stops us from moving forward ." Gabby." My name rolls off his tongue nervous, yet anxious.

"Yes." I take a step forward turning my body to stand in front of him. Just as his mouth opened to speak...

"Good evening Lt." Hermann steps up to us with his wife on his arm." Nice to see you too Gabby." He turns his head to smile at me." This is my wife Cindy."

"It's nice to put a face to a name." I smile to her as she reaches out to hug me." Oh." I chuckle still getting used to how close 51 is which includes their extended family.

"I've heard alot about you as well." Cindy pulls back from our embrace then looks over to her husband." She's more beautiful then you described."

"Aww." I look down awkwardly with a small grin tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Yes she is." Hermann nodded to his wife before looking back to Matt and myself." Let's head inside."

"Yeah." Matt finally muttered a word."Let's get you warm." He looked down at me with the same look from earlier in the night, which instantly warmed my core and made my heart race. And it helped having my body so close to his as my arms were still looped around his one arm. This was going to be a long night.

Casey's POV

My body shivered every time Gabby's body brushed against mine as we walked arm in arm towards the table with all too familiar faces. My grin grew wider with every step as I watched men from other tables eyeing Gabby, and I couldn't feel more honored having her on my arm." Hey guys." Gabby calls out to the table where our 51 family sat with their spouses or dates, and they all replied with a hey or just a waive in response.

Chief sat with Donna, Hermann takes a seat next to him now after he just helped Cindy in her seat. Next seat over was Mouch and Trudy, then Cruz and Otis obviously dateless and eyeing Gabby like she was candy. I clear my throat as both men meet my face before turning every which direction to avoid my glare.

"I'm going over to the bar want a beer?" Gabby spoke up now oblivious to what just happened with Cruz and Otis.

"Yeah, that will be great." I smile at her as she unlocks her arms from mine instantly missing her warmth.

I walk around the table plopping myself down with a huff in the empty chair next to Kelly." Painful to watch." He chuckles in my ear just before I jab my elbow in his side." Again, taking your frustration out on the wrong person."

"Shut it Kelly." I mummble back taking a sip of water from the glass on the table, avoiding the glances from the table at our commotion as my eyes wandered the room to the sight I was searching for, Gabby.

Gabby's POV

Shay and I return to the table drinks filling our hands just as the room was silenced by the CFD Fire Commissioner speaking to the room. I sipped at my wine during the speech finding it rather boring, or maybe I was just distracted by this electricity radiating off of Matt as we sat close our hands on our own laps but inches apart. Matt faced away from me watching the speaker, but my eyes were fixiated on our hands. I watched as his hand ever so slightly inched closer to me like he felt the pull as well.

"Glad that's over?" I hear him say as I look up seeing him grinning at me.

"Kind of." I smile sheepishly unsure of what embarressed me more being bored by the speech or being caught by Matt as I stared at his hand." He was kind of boring." I whisper into Matt's ear causing him to chuckle, but his body stiffens as well so I move slightly away.

Matt eyes me for a second then asks." Would you care to dance?"

I look around the room noticing others getting up from their chairs heading to the dance floor, just as I realise there was music playing." Sure." I look back at him finding him already standing holding his hand out for me." Where you asking or telling me." I tease placing my hand in his as I stood.

"Oh I can be persuasive." He teases as he pulls at the collar of his jacket with his free hand.

"Oh cocky much?" I chuckle back as Matt guided me to the dance floor. He stopped in the middle of the floor turning to face me as more couples continued to fill the floor around us." But the question is can you dance?" I challenge with a raised brow.

"Oh I got moves." He looks me dead in the eye as he slowly lifted my arms around his neck bringing us inches apart." Care to find out?"

"More then you know." I whisper with a deeper meaning. My breath hitches now as Matt loops his arms around my waist which now brings my body flush to his.

We start swaying ever so softly to the slow music playing . I'm at a loss for words as our eyes stay focused on each other, and I sware I can see his soul through those blue orbs, with nothing but pure goodness and desire for me. Any fear of not being ready just vanished.

Matt's hands rested at the small of my back and were trembling ever so slightly when they would gently glde up my mid back then falling lower every time he moved back down to their resting point. My fingers travelled up the nape of his neck letting his soft hair glide through them, as my arms still rested on his shoulders and his arms wrapped tighter around my waist our bodies so close I could feel his heart beating now.

That is when Matt cleared his throat and took a step back away from me. I stood shocked for a minute before glancing around us noticing the music stopped and people were moving back to their tables. I was to flustered, even possibly too turned on to go sit back down." Excuse me." I whisper to Matt who just stayed there speechless.

I walked as calmly as possible through the grand ball room, just anxious to get some fresh air. My eyes meet Shay's for a brief second and I'm pretty sure she was smirking in understanding my departure of the room.

Once I step out the side door off the ball room into a dimly lit alley I place my hands on my knees taking a few deep breaths until I hear the door open behind me, so I stand upright quickly turning around." Gabby?" Matt let's go of the door letting it close behind him." Are you ok?"

" I'm fine." I say taking a deep breath." Just needed some air, got hot inside." I pause for a moment searching his eyes." You should go back inside I'll be right in."

"No I'm fine here." Matt says stuffing his hands in his pockets." I'm not leaving you out here alone."

We stood in silence for a few seconds a few feet away from each other but side to side." The hell with it." I mutter as my frustrations got the better of me and I bridge the gap between us placing my lips firmly on Matt's. I wait a few seconds there not moving just leaving my lips pressed to his, hoping for a response but got nothing.

Just as I pulled my lips a fraction of an inch from his I felt his hand cup the back of my neck pulling my lips to his but now moving them ever so softly. Our lips moved in rythem like we had done this for years, and our tongues made their presence known as the kiss quickly deepened to the point we were gasping for air as we parted." Let's get out of here." Matt whispers in my ear as he nibbles on my neck

"What about everyone inside?" I say breathless as he presses me up against the wall of the building causing me to moan out his name.

"I don't care." Matt moves his lips back to mine placing light kisses ." This is the last place I want to be right now."

I deepen the kiss he places on my lips after he spoke before I whisper back." Let's get out of here then." And with that Matt places one more kiss to my lips before taking my hand and we rush out of the alley in search of a cab.