- 26 -

Piper fumbled with the keys to their apartment and it took her at least four tries before she finally succeeded in opening the door. The fact that Alex had her hands all over the blonde surely didn't help her focus. They closed the door with a thump as the detective pinned Piper against it, kissing her relentlessly and unbuttoning her white shirt. Or rather a shirt that used to be white. Now, after a whole day of working with Polly and Nicky, the piece of clothing was rather multicolored.

After another few seconds, Alex finally managed to drop the garment onto the floor and her hands landed on Piper's bra-covered breasts immediately, evoking a deep sexy moan from the blonde. Alex just smiled into the kiss, never stopping exploring her girlfriend's mouth. God, how she loved that woman. Normally, she would get bored with a person withing few weeks but Piper was different. Everything about Piper was different. And now, almost a year into their relationship, Alex's feelings towards the girl were only growing stronger each day. She desired her more every day. She was sure that sometime in the future she will simply end up turned to ashes from all the burning fire within her every time Piper had her hands on her. She chuckled to herself upon that thought.

"I know. I smell. I need a shower." Piper giggled when she heard Alex laugh a little but her comment only made the brunette crack up some more. "What?" The younger girl looked straight in Alex's eye.

"You don't smell." Alex kissed the tip of her nose. "Ms vanilla. You smell tasty, in fact." She nuzzled her neck before kissing Piper right behind her ear. "I, on the other hand, could use some water if I don't want to erupt in flames in a nanosecond." She kissed the blonde passionately. "You're making me so hot, Pipes." Alex moaned as she felt Piper starting to unbutton the shirt which was a part of her uniform.

"I'm making you hot? Are you kidding, baby?" Piper gave Alex the once over. "Have you seen yourself in this outfit?" She shook her head and chuckled. "You're making me confused." She whispered as she kissed down Alex's neck, still unbuttoning her shirt slowly.

"Confused?" The brunette arched her eyebrow. Piper kissed her lightly on her sternum.

"Mhmmm..." She murmured as she looked up at the detective. "I'm not sure whether I want you out of these clothes as fast as I can or should I leave them on as long as I can." She grinned. "God, they do things to me."

"I thought I did things to you." Alex made a mock-offended face but the chuckle that followed sold her away.

Piper stood up to her full hight again and kissed the brunette with so much passion that it took Alex's breath away and made her pulse quicken. Suddenly, she was in no mood for mocking her girlfriend anymore.

"You do things to me, Al." Piper breathed into her ear. "But the uniform stays..." She bit her earlobe delicately. "...for now." She smiled to herself when she heard her girlfriend moan. She started to walk Alex slowly to their bed, kissing her all the time and loosing her own bra on the way. Soon, they both giggled when they landed rather unceremoniously on the bed.

"So classy." Alex chuckled as her hands continued to roam over the newly exposed skin. Her touch sent millions of electric currents run down Piper's spine. It worked such wonders every damn time.

"Shut up, smartass." Piper straddled the brunette's hips and held her hands above her head, making it impossible for Alex to move almost at all. She kissed down her creamy neck and slowly dragged her fingernails down Alex's arms until she could cup her full breasts. The blonde was crazy about them and loved each square millimeter of them. Hell, she could spend the rest of her lifetime just worshiping them and be totally cool with it. Being completely focused on that part of Alex's body made her unaware of what her gorgeous girlfriend was about to do. Before she knew what was happening, the brunette flipped them over. She did it with ease, evoking a string of giggles out of Piper. The blonde could feel the strong muscles flexing under Alex's shirt and it made her shiver. She loved the fact that Alex was so strong. So soft and feminine but full of power whenever she wanted to use it.

The detective did not waste any more time and sucked one of Piper's nipples into her mouth, grazing it lightly with her teeth, preventing her from uttering a single word. All that left Piper's lips were moans and deep breaths. Alex knew how sensitive Piper's breasts could be when she was aroused and she was pretty sure that if she got to caress them, her girlfriend would turn to mush in her hands, allowing her to do whatever she wants. And all she wanted right now was to fuck her woman senseless. After all the teasing and all the kissing and all the fumbling, Alex could hardly control herself. She unbuttoned her pants and slid them down Piper's long legs. When she came back to the eye-level with the blonde, she looked at her intently as she slid her dexterous fingers between her soft folds. She marveled at how wet Piper had become. Goddamn waterfall down there.

"Oh Al..." Piper's voice quavered as her eyes fluttered closed. The sensations in her body were making her crazy. Alex hadn't even touched her properly and she was ready to burst. Every fiber of her being wanted to melt into the wonderful woman above her. When she felt Alex circle two of her fingers delicately around her opening, Piper couldn't hold back a long moan that left her lips. Her thighs shoot slightly in anticipation.

All the time Alex was observing her keenly, too afraid to even blink. She wanted to see it all in Piper's face. Every sensation and every feeling. She loved that woman so much it hurt. She finally slid her fingers inside her dripping core and they both moaned in unison. Alex loved how Piper's body seemed to never want to let go of her. The muscles trying to keep her in as long as it was possible. The brunette started to pump in and out, slowly at first but when she felt Piper relax a bit, she upped her game and soon her movements became much more confident and gained both in speed and strength.

And just as Piper had anticipated, soon enough her body was screaming for release. She could feel the familiar coil in the bottom of her belly start to spread its heat all over her body. Her thighs trembled as she gripped the sheets with such force that she thought she would tear it apart. The next thing she knew, her back was arching from the bed, her arms gripped the sheet even harder and all the tension in her body snapped, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut tight and a long moan leave her dry throat. She felt her whole body going rigid for a few long seconds, the heavenly sensations spreading all over her. Alex never stopped pumping her fingers throughout her orgasm and now when it was slowly tempering off, Piper realized that her girlfriend was not about to stop. Oh God, she's at it again. She loved when Alex got into such mood.

"Pipes, look at me. I want to see you." The brunette whispered hotly into her ear and Piper complied, not without a struggle. The green from Alex's eyes disappeared completely and it made the blonde shiver even more. Her girlfriend looked like a starving predator ready to pounce. The hunger in her sight was palpable... but there was something more there, too. Love, adoration, devotion. And suddenly Piper felt her eyes get moist because of all the feelings that were running not only in her body but her heart as well.

The fresh tears brimming in Piper's eyes made Alex slow down a bit as her eyebrow furrowed in worry. "What is it, baby?" She asked quietly but before she managed to stop completely, Piper kissed her passionately, silencing her. With trembling hands she unbuttoned Alex's pants and slid her fingers into the scorching heat of her girlfriend's core, making the brunette moan deep in her throat and resume the pumping motion of her hand. Soon, they had to break their kiss when their lungs started to scream for air. They continued do stare into each other's eyes, their lips millimeters away, breathing each other's air, their hands working on each other's most sensitive parts, bringing each other higher and higher until their bodies couldn't handle it anymore.

They came together, their eyes never leaving each other, and Alex thought she had never seen anything so beautiful before. Piper's face was pure bliss and happiness and the sight took Alex's breath away.

It took them both a while to come back from their shared high and when they did finally calm down, they just lied there next to each other, still staring into each other's eyes. No words were uttered, the silence engulfed them and neither of them seemed to mind it one bit. It was Piper who cracked a smile first, her eyes shining and so, so baby blue like a clear sky in the middle of a hot summer day. Alex just kissed her lips tenderly and smiled as well. Her own eyes were slowly growing heavy and she was fighting to keep them open. And Piper, of course, noticed that immediately.

"Let's just take a little nap." The blonde whispered quietly as she tug some of Alex's hair behind her ear.

"Let's just..." Alex whispered back as she finally allowed her eyes to shut close. Her grip on Piper's waist got a little stronger and she nuzzled her head into the crook of Piper's neck and kissed the skin there lightly. She was in her own little heaven.

XxXxX

Their little nap turned out to be a way over one hour long slumber but neither of them minded that. They needed a little rest after their lovemaking. Now, after finally taking a shower, they were sitting by their kitchen table munching on some tortillas prepared quickly by Alex. It still amazed Piper how her girlfriend was able to create a delicious meal having almost nothing in the fridge.

"I was thinking..." Alex started as she swallowed some of her OJ. "Have you and Polly thought about hiring someone?"

The question surprised the blonde. She didn't think Alex would like to talk about the business right now but she figured now was good as any time, actually.

"Yeah, we have thought about it. We really need some helping hands now. The orders are getting bigger and bigger and soon we won't be able to prepare them on our own. Thank God, Nicky was there to help us today but she won't be able to do that everyday." Piper chuckled. "I think she wouldn't like that, either."

"Can you blame her? Up until today, I don't think she has worked a single day in her life and you guys didn't make it easy on her." Alex laughed.

"Well, we did tell her it wouldn't be easy and she didn't seem to mind... until she actually had to help us."

"Listen... I was thinking..." Alex started again tentatively. "There's this governmental program."

This raised Piper's curiosity. "What program?"

"The local authorities can help you hire someone and partly pay their salary."

"Awesome." Piper grinned. "So where's the catch?" She asked still smiling and it made Alex chuckle again.

"Well... this someone must be an ex-con." Alex finally admitted.

"I figured that much."

"It's OK if you don't want to try it." The brunette quickly explained. She didn't want the younger woman to feel like she must help ex-prisoners just because Alex was doing that. Not everyone could get along with people like that and the detective understood that some people might be even scared of ex-cons.

"Actually, what the hell, why not?" Piper surprised her with her answer. "It might take a while to convince Polly, though." She smiled up at Alex. "Yet, the promise of making such an employee cheap for us, as a starting company, might help in persuading her."

Alex hugged the blonde. "Great. I'll get some of the information pamphlets from the station. You and Polly can read more about it before you make the final decision."

They continued to eat in comfortable silence until it was Piper's turn to struck a conversation again.

"I was wondering..." She started rather quietly and she looked as if she had been thinking about something intensely for a while now. It made Alex turn all of her attention to her girlfriend and it made Piper only more nervous.

"What is it, babe?" Alex brushed her fingertips along Piper's forearm reassuringly in hope to give the younger girl the courage to continue. She grew a little worried herself, to be honest.

"Do you think you could take a few days off after my exhibition?" This surprised Alex a bit but she also felt relief washing down her body. For a second there, she though that Piper might have been in some trouble.

"I think that could be arranged. I haven't had a little holiday for ages. I can talk to Caputo about it today." The brunette smiled brightly and it made all the tension evaporate from Piper's features. Her face was now enlightened with a beautiful smile as well, excitement clearly simmering in her blue eyes. "What's on our mind, Pipes? Planning a little trip or something?" Alex asked playfully.

"To Prague." This made Alex choke on her OJ and it took her a while to calm down all the coughing.

"Czech Republic? You're kidding, right?" The brunette chuckled, still not fully believing what she had just heard.

"Why not? I've been dying to go there for years now..." Piper stated. "Everyone goes to Paris or Madrid or London or Lisbon... I'd like to go to Prague. What's weird about it?" The blonde's defense mode was obviously on and the look on her face, the big puppy eyes and slightly quivering lower lip, made Alex chuckle some more but she stopped immediately when she realized that yes, indeed, Piper was serious, and she was about to get angry, or worse – sad, that Alex didn't want to go with her.

She turned on her seat to face the blonde and took her hands in her own. She run her thumbs up and down the palms of her hands in hopes for calming her girlfriend down and, thank God, it seemed to do the trick. "Piper Elizabeth Chapman, of course I'll go with you." She grinned when she saw Piper's eyes go wide with surprise.

"Really?" The blonde's face almost split in halves with a big smile which only made Alex's heart do a little somersault.

"Really, really." She chuckled freely now.

"Good." Piper kissed her lightly on the lips. "Because I've already booked the tickets." She confessed and it was Alex's turn to laugh in surprise this time.

"Confident much?" The brunette asked mockingly.

"You scared me for a second, you moron." Piper chuckled at her girlfriend. Deep down inside she could feel a wonderful joy spreading all over her body. Finally. Holiday. With Alex. Could life get any better? She grinned at the brunette as she continued to slowly munch on her tortilla. Completely relaxed now.

XxXxX

The next morning Alex was in a hurry to get to the station earlier than normal. She and Stella had to attend a briefing at 8:30 and before that she wanted to get those information pamphlets that she had promised Piper. She wasn't sure whether she would have the time to do that after the meeting because she knew that they had to go and talk to several witnesses in the case they had been working now.

The brunette entered the small office and opened one of the drawers in her desk, then another... then yet another and she huffed in annoyance. Where the hell were those damn pamphlets? Just as she was about to turn around and search in their file cabinet, Stella came into the room with to cups of steaming coffee.

"What's on fire?" She asked when she noticed that Alex had been looking for something rather frantically.

"Have you seen somewhere the pamphlets about the jobs that the government fixes for ex-cons? I could swear I had them in my desk but they're fucking gone." Alex stated angrily without stopping her search.

"Oh, those. Bennet has them. He took them the other day when you were not here. Said he wanted to read more about it since his mother was thinking of using the program in her company." Stella stated calmly. She sat down on her run-down chair and put her feet on the desk. "Mmmm... There's nothing better than morning coffee." She moaned after taking a sip of the dark liquid. "Well... Maybe morning sex would be better, actually. But I'll take what I can." She chuckled finally, making Alex laugh with her.

"Is he at work already?" Alex asked, already on her way to the door.

"Sure. In his office. I've just left him his coffee, too. Figured he could use it since he can't really count on morning sex as well." The shorter girl laughed. "I wonder why I keep bringing coffee to you, though." She grinned at Alex.

"'Cause you know I don't act like a human being without me coffee." Alex winked at her and left the office in search of John.

She found him in his office, just as Stella had said he would be. He was sitting by his desk, a coffee cup in one hand and some report in the other. Alex knocked on the door frame to announce her presence and the man lift his head from the paper he had been reading intently.

"Vause, come in." He grinned at her. "What brings you to my humble abode?" His choice of words made the brunette laugh.

"Hey, Johnny boy. Stella told me you've got my pamphlets about the jobs for ex-cons."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was planning to give them back yesterday evening but your office was already closed." He put the report on the desk and turned to search for the papers for Alex. Only then did the brunette notice the bandage on his left hand.

"What happened to your hand?" Alex asked, surprise and concern painting her features.

John looked down at his hand and chuckled. "A dog bit me."

"What?" Alex's eyes went wide and then she laughed. "What did you do to the poor thing?"

"Poor thing? Damn, that was a fucking killing machine. I thought dogs hate only postmen. Apparently, some of them are not so fond of cops either." He laughed. "Don't worry about it. It's no biggy." He dismissed the wound. "Here are your pamphlets. Thanks again." He smiled at her, passing the papers with the healthy hand.