Tim clicks the end button on the phone, dropping it back onto the kitchen island. His jeans hanging loosely from his hips, he grabs Melissa by the hand, walking towards his bedroom, "You know what I said about slowing down?"
"Something about how you were going to slow down, the next time" Melissa follows him, her eyes heavy-lidded with want and desire.
"Yeah, that. I'm gonna do it this time." He tugs her past the living room, and down the hallway, walking silently into his bedroom, and pulling her after him. As soon as she steps into his bedroom, he reaches for her, tugging her tank top off of her, and tossing it towards a hamper, half full of dirty clothes. Her white bra with a red ribbon trimming it, is next, and then Tim is shoving her jeans and panties, matching her bra, down her long legs, "You matched again."
"I always match. I told you that," Melissa shivers, goose bumps breaking on across her creamy skin as she reaches for his shirt, tugging it off. She does not bother with tossing it towards the hamper, and it falls crumpled atop her jeans. In the day, with the early afternoon light filtering golden in through the curtains, she has time to look at him, her fingers tracing over a couple scars, a bruise that is blooming on his muscled arm, combing through the hair on his equally muscled chest, before curling around the dog tags on his neck. Her fingers trace over the piece of metal, before she curls her fingers around them, and looks up at him through a tangle of dark hair and long lashes.
"I can take it off", he had barely moved, his jeans clinging to his hips, his calloused palms resting on the small of her waist, long fingers spanning her back, as she had slide her hands over him, running over a sore bruise with a feather light touch. He knew the history those tags would represent to Melissa, knew the pain and anguish they would represent, and he is possessed by an urge to spare her that, to shield Melissa from her feelings.
Her dark hair falls further across her face as she shakes her head no, rising up on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek, an innocent kiss, considering she is naked, and he is nearly so, in the quiet of his bedroom, "No, they're still a part of you, they always will be. You can't take them off and not be a Ranger."
The look in her eyes, accepting of what he was, and is, mixed with the pain of a grief only partially buried, arrows to the places in Tim's heart and mind that he keeps tightly closed, locked away. He says nothing for long moments, merely looking at her, not trusting himself to say the wrong thing, some smart ass remark. Finally he nods at her words, and turns, walking towards the bed, ignoring the jeans that hang on his hips, his fingers curled around her waist and tugging her after him.
The comforter has been kicked to the foot of the bed, and Tim shoves the sheet down as well, before turning, and curling his arm around Melissa's waist, bringing her to him. He leans his forehead against hers, pausing for a moment, letting the warmth from her naked body pressed against his seep into him, before he moves, leaning her backwards, guiding her to the bed with one arm around her waist, the other hand rising to pull her hair up from her back, letting it spill over the pillow she lands on.
Remembering his words from earlier in the night, Melissa follows his lead, her fingers sliding through his hair as soon as she lands on the bed, noticing the red and gold glimmers as sunlight sifts through his hair. From his hair her fingers run down his face, tracing over his eyebrows, across his cheekbones, and down his jaw line, coasting to his shoulders. Tim studies her with a serious expression, close to the one he wears when working, and his calloused fingers gently skate over her cheek bones, rubbing with the barest of touches across the freckles that are lightly spattered across her cheekbones, and the top of her nose.
From her face his gaze drifts down to her shoulders, where more freckles dot her porcelain smooth skin, his fingers following them, and he makes good on his fantasy, counting each one, his hands tracing down her arms, a smile curving his mouth when she flinches as his fingers run across the inside of her elbows, "Ticklish?"
"It shows?" Melissa grins, she had been doing her own studying, taking in the way his eyes crinkled when he was concentrating on her freckles, the curve of his lips, the muscles that filled his shoulders out, that gave his biceps bulk, that corded down to his wrists, and his hands. The same hands that were skilled with any type of gun, that probably knew more ways to kill a man than she could come up with, that had been shaped, along with all of Tim, into a lethal weapon of war, were delicate as they ran over each freckle in turn, and it sent chills up her spine.
"Yeah, that flinch kinda gave it away." Just a touch of the smart ass in him shows as he picks one arm up, turning her wrist over, and examining the tattoo inked there, those delicate little daises linked by a dark green vine. His lips brush against the tattoo, pressing gently into the thin skin of her wrist, feeling her heart racing against his lips, and a small smile tilts the corner of his lips, when he feels her heart race harder, hammering against his lips. Lifting his head, he turns her hand back over, studying her hand, the palm crisscrossed by lines, her fingers, not quite long enough to span an octave on a piano, tipped with short nailed that are painted a light shade of pink.
He studies her other hand, noticing the callous on one finger, where she rests a pen when she writes, his fingers tracing back up her arm, stopping to tickle the inside of her elbow, grinning when she squeaks in protest, squirming on the bed. His lips follow her arm, pressing kisses until he is dropping kisses over the freckles on her shoulders, and then her collarbone, and the tender spot in the middle, where her pulse visibly throbs to his sharp gaze, "Wear sunscreen when you go out. You're gonna burn."
"I do", she shivers, squirming slightly on the bed, his path of kisses, small and almost delicate against her skin, had left a path of fire in their wake, that warms her at the same time it strokes the fires of her want. That golden heat was pooling in her again, sending chills down her spine at the same time it made her restless, made her shift her legs on the bed.
Tim says nothing, his lips busy following his fingers, slipping over the curves of her breasts, cupping one in each hand, grinning in masculine satisfaction as the soft curves just slightly over flow his hands, his lips pressing kisses into the tender flesh, before finally closing over one taut nipple. He sucks gently, until her back bows off the bed; daringly he rakes his teeth gently against her tender skin, and is rewarded with a whimper. Shifting his weight, he moves to her other breast, giving it the same tender treatment, before his teeth once more sink into her skin, with just enough of an edge to have Melissa sucking in a breath. As his lips leave her nipple, he brushes the underside of her breasts with kisses, moving down her stomach, chuckling with laughter when she giggles, pushing his head away as he nips at her navel.
"Stop it… that tickles", she giggles, trying to squirm away from him, only to be pinned to the bed by one strong hand, pressing down on her shoulder, and her laughter dies in her throat as his fingers leave her shoulder, slide down her arm, and curl around her own fingers.
Slowly Tim's warm mouth traces over her hip bone, over the tattoo there, and then down one thigh, taking a few bites of her skin that has her giggling again, and he repeats the process back up her other thigh, until Melissa is shrieking and laughing, trying to get out from under his hands. Even as she is giggling, he sucks the tender skin between her hip and navel into mouth, until a mark dominates the skin, turning red, and then deepening towards purple. Out of respect for her, for the work she puts into her job, and unwilling to turn her into a toy; there were not marks on her skin, but his drive to mark her, to leave a visible reminder of himself, is strong enough that he gives in, but leaves it in a spot hidden from view.
Melissa rises up onto one elbow as Tim's lips press a gentler kiss into the mark, looking up at her with a smirk, his dark steel blue eyes gleaming with wickedness, "Oops?"
"Payback's a bitch, just remember that deputy marshal", she grins, leaning back onto the pillows, her eyes drifting shut, only to fly open as he drops a kiss high on the inside of her thigh, his shoulders moving between them. One hand slips to his hair, the other clenching around his fingers, her hips arching in anticipation. Every move, every brush of his fingers against her skin, every gentle kiss, every nip of his teeth, had set her on fire, and her legs shift impatiently on the bed, her toes curling and uncurling in the sheets.
The hand in his hair tightens as he moves, dropping kisses on her other thigh, pulling just enough to give him chills, and his teeth sink into the skin of her thigh, biting his way up higher, pushing her legs apart further, until one slim thigh rests on his shoulder. Watching her, seeing her reactions, when she would flinch, when she would whimper, when her back would arch or her fingers curl against the sheets, has his blood roaring. With the training of a sniper, he has learned her body, counted her freckles, and now, with her thigh draped over his back, her foot resting on his back, he is growing impatient. Pulse thundering, he leans down, dropping a sucking kiss just below her belly button, lifting his dark blue gaze, hooded and hot, up to her face.
Melissa tugs on his hair again, digging the pink-painted nails of her free hand into his shoulder, and pulling, her legs lifting to curl around his waist when he finally moves, sliding up her body. The friction of his body against hers, has them both moaning, her legs wrapping around his waist, and pulling him to her, her fingers roaming restlessly over his back. His lips meet hers, and he sucks on her lower lip, nipping at it gently, before sliding his tongue into her mouth, hers meeting his and rubbing in a seductive rhythm. Lost in the kiss, his hips grind against her, rubbing his erection against her wet folds, and Melissa moans, her fingers tightening on his shoulders, raking down his skin, one hand grasping his dog tags, and curling around them.
"Wait… wait.." Tim gasps for breath, pulling away from Melissa. In a haze of want, he reaches for the drawer on his nightstand, snatching a condom from the drawer, and tearing the packet open. For a moment he pulls away from Melissa, taking the time to slide the condom down his length, his fingers reaching for her, parting the wet folds and sliding within them. Tim groans, she's already slick, already ready for him, and his hands curl around hers, lifting her arms towards the headboard, until she is stretched out beneath him, her back arched, her legs tightening around his waist.
What had started out as slow, taking his time, had burned out of control again, and for a moment, Tim hovers, looking down at Melissa, who stares back up at him. The curtains in his bedroom let light in that cascades over them, turning Tim golden and red, making Melissa's eyes blaze bright blue, and Tim is torn between what he wants, the promise of sweet pleasure in Melissa, and the almost hypnotic moment spinning around them. Melissa finally moves, her head arching back, revealing the length of her neck, leaving herself vulnerable, and Tim cannot resist dropping a kiss along the length of her throat, working his way down to her collarbone, and the tender spot at the base of her throat. As he lips graze that spot, finally he moves, sliding into her with one slow sure thrust, letting go of her hands, and burying his in her hair, one sliding down to her neck, and then back up through her hair.
Once more, Tim is caught up in pushing Melissa to the crest of her orgasm, and over it, setting a heavy, intense, rhythm, listening for the catch in her breath, the whimper that draws out into a moan. Her fingers moving restlessly over his back leave trails of fire on his skin, the scratch of her nails bring an edge to his pleasure, and his hands tighten in her hair, bringing her head back, until he can look into her eyes. Her bright blue gaze is hazy, half-lidded, lost in pleasure, and he stops, buried inside of her, but not moving.
Melissa whimpers in protest, her fingers shifting on his shoulders, raking down his back again, her accent heavier now, "Why… why didja stop?"
That accent rolls down his spine like honey, and Tim shudders, gritting his teeth against the urge to move once more, "Not until you look at me. Look at me. At. Me."
His tone turned commanding, authoritative, and Melissa lifted her gaze to his, her eyes slightly wide, her legs shifting against his waist restlessly. Only when her gaze is locked on his darker one does he move again, the rhythm harder now, speeding up, and Melissa is suddenly right on the edge, her eyes drifting shut once more. Tim does not, cannot stop now, but he cradles her head in his palms, shaking his head no at her, "No. Look at me. I want you to look at me."
Her eyes lift again, a blush darkening her cheeks. Despite her arousal, despite her need for him, her need for that sweet, jarring release that will send her world spinning, she blushes, more vulnerable with him now that she has ever been in her life. At her blush, he grins, dropping a kiss on her nose, his lips drifting down her lips for a second, before he lifts his head, looking back into her gaze. Staring at him, her cheeks blushing now with arousal, Melissa's teeth dig into her lip, and she shifts on the bed, her body milking his, sending chills down Tim's spine.
A few more thrusts, and Melissa's world starts to spin, her body tightening around Tim's, and he shifts, leaning on one elbow, and cradling her cheek in his palm, dropping his head until they are nearly nose to nose, "C'mon… look at me. Look at me…. Melissa…"
She moans, arching up into his thrust when he buries himself in her one final time, her fingers digging into his spine, his gaze locked onto his when everything grows too bright, lightening shooting down her spine, her toes curling, and legs tightening around his waist. His arms are shaking from the effort to keep himself from dropping into his face into her shoulder, his hips grinding against her own, as he explodes, everything growing bright around him, the world feeling like it has shifted off its axis, her gaze the only thing seeming to keep him grounded.
Only when the last of the fire passes from him does he move, pushing his face into her shoulder, burying his face in her dark hair and panting, "Wow…"
Melissa nods, shuddering with an aftershock, her legs still tightly curled around his waist, her fingers now lazily sliding up and down his back. Tim lifts his head, planting tiny, gentle kisses over her face, and then down her throat, before slowly pushing away from her, shivering as he slides from her body. Shakily he walks towards the bathroom, tossing the condom in the trash, and then just as shakily he walks back to the bed.
He pauses halfway across the bedroom, Melissa has rolled to her side, and the sunlight pours over her, giving her creamy skin a glow, weaving highlights of fire through her dark hair, making her pale skin seem to glow, and he stops, awed by the woman relaxing in his bed, wondering how she got there for a moment. Through her lashes, Melissa sees him walk back to the bed, and lifts one hand, reaching for him, tugging him to the bed, and then propping her head up on his chest, her fingers toying with his dog tag as he settles onto the bed. One of his calloused hands sifts through her hair, the only runs up and down her back, running over her smooth skin.
"My toes are tingling again, "she grins against his chest, moving just enough to look up at him.
"Must be doing something wrong," he smirks down at her, all arrogant pride and relaxed against the bed, shifting more of her onto his chest, wanting to feel her warm, smooth skin against his, and heaving a sigh of contentment when she moves, draping her body further over his.
"Why do you say that?" Melissa blinks up at him, lifting her head until she can look at him, frowning in confusion.
"My whole body tingles. And you, just your toes. Guess I have to work harder next time", he smirks at her, leaning up to drop a kiss on her nose. The warmth, the post-sex bliss, the feel of her warm body against his all work against him, and Tim yawns, wrapping his arms around her, and snuggling further into the bed.
"Still haven't gotten the memo on next time", floating as high in paradise as Melissa thought she would ever get, she cannot resist sassing him a little bit, giggling as she does it.
"I thought you packing a bag, and sleeping in my bed was the memo? Or did you put those lacy panties on yesterday for just you?" he still smirks, his eyes falling shut while he tangles her legs with his.
"You never said I was coming over for sex. I said something about being hungry, and you told me to pack a bag. Sex was never brought up" she manages to keep her tone innocent sounding, but she is giggling before she finishes, burying her face in his chest as she laughs.
"HmmMmmm… because after lunch we were just gonna hold hands and watch a movie," he chuckles at her tone, breaking out into a laugh when Melissa snorts, "You snort when you laugh?"
"I do not. I have no idea what you're talking about", she giggles harder, burying her face in his muscled chest, her face blazing with embarrassment.
"I'm going to remember this," Tim grins, relaxing into the bed again, his laughter fading into a yawn.
"That's what I was afraid of", her laughter trails off into a yawn of her own, and she presses her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Slow, steady, calm, much like the man, and she falls asleep listening to it thump against her ear.
Tim falls asleep running his fingers through her hair, combing through it gently, and his eyes opened to mere slits, watching the light sparkle red and gold in her hair as it moves. Draping one arm around her waist, and one over her back, holding her to him, he slips into sleep.