Disclaimer: I don't own Boomtown.
26. Navigation –Month Nineteen
"Dare I ask what you're doing now?" She wasn't surprised to find David sitting on the couch when she got home. She was surprised to see him in his jeans with her suitcase on the floor next to him even if they did have a four-day weekend.
"Waiting for you. Get changed."
That left a lot of room for interpretation. "Changed for what?"
He stood up and grabbed the bag. "I thought you wanted to go see the redwoods?"
She blinked at him as he came around the couch. "What?"
"I got us a cabin. Do you still want to go?"
She felt her face split into a huge smile and she jumped at him. He grunted in surprise as she wrapped her arms around him and he dropped her bag as he opted to wrap his arms around her instead. Breaking away she kissed his face all over in excitement. She couldn't believe he had planned a trip to the place she wanted to go the most. "Really?"
He hummed in answer as he backed her into the door. "Really." Her fingers grazed down his chest as he pinned her against the wood. "I take it you're happy?" She thought that went without saying, she was vibrating with excitement over the idea of it.
He grabbed at her jacket and pushed it off her shoulders as she fumbled with the fastening on his pants. She found she thoroughly enjoyed having David all over her. He was incredibly attentive in bed. Actually, she had found he was incredibly attentive all the time. He was good at remembering details and he proved it over and over again when they were alone together. From her favorite food to her favorite places to be touched, he remembered.
The last few weeks had been amazing. He hadn't been lying when he said he was going to keep her in bed that first weekend. They had rarely left the mattress other than to eat or clean up, and they hadn't left the house at all. When she'd told him she was hungry he had simply grabbed his cell phone up off the dresser and ordered food to be delivered.
After two days of being loved to within an inch of her life she was amazed she made it into work on Monday, hell, she was amazed she could walk. After nearly two years without having a partner she was more than a little sensitive. When ghost boy first noticed she was tender he had run her a bath and plopped her in the warm water. He had followed after her with a rather smug smile on his face. She knew he was remembering their conversation on the elevator and she nearly hit him. Then she decided she felt to good to be mad and simply relaxed back into his chest.
Since then they hadn't spent a night apart, in any sense. The two times she'd gone to her own condo after work he'd followed her once he realized she wasn't going to show up at his house, which had somehow become their base of operations. Most of her clothes were over there now and he wasn't protesting. The second week after they'd slept together she'd found more than half his closet and three of his dresser drawers emptied for her. The man had even gotten clever and offered up a silent bribe; he'd installed a shoe rack in the walk in for her. That had tickled her pink. She'd never had a shoe rack before, she just kept all her shoes as contained as possible in one of those large plastic tubs you could get at any large home store chain. She was starting to wonder how long it would be before he verbally asked, or tried to con her, to move in and give up her condo. She was already trying to decide what her answer was going to be and was leaning toward moving in pretty heavily. It would just make things easier, although she wasn't entire clear on what she was going to do with all her furniture.
"Wall or couch?" He nipped at her neck as he asked, reaching for the bottom of her skirt.
Arching her neck she decided to let herself indulge in a bit of a fantasy. She figured she had the luxury of indulgence with him right now. "Couch."
The second he moved away she kissed him hard and stepped past him. Reaching the couch she stopped in front of the armrest and bent over. McNorris was behind her in an instant and running his hands over her hips, tickling her with the fabric of her skirt. "Aren't you naughty today?" He asked with an amused, lust-filled rumble.
She looked over her shoulder at him and arched her back invitingly. Three weeks of sleeping together was enough for her to trust that he wasn't about to push her farther than she could go. Letting him get behind her and pin her in place was a huge leap of faith for her, but this was one of her favorite positions. At least it had been and there was something very exciting about being taken with all her clothes on. It just felt so naughty. Besides, McNorris seemed to get into it fast enough. Grabbing the hem of her skirt he shoved it up over her hips and ran his hand over the bare skin between her tights and her panties.
"Do you want to play?" He hooked his thumbs around the sides of the silk as he asked.
"No." She knew exactly what to say to get him moving at the pace she wanted. She'd learned more than a little bit about what the man liked to do in between the sheets. She hadn't been wrong that first morning when she thought he liked assert his dominance in the bedroom. He wasn't shy about putting her in the position he wanted her in when he wanted her in it. Not that he didn't back off if she asked him to, but that had only happened twice, and both times he had brushed her embarrassment over freaking out away without blinking an eye. He never mentioned her shying away from certain things either. She suspected he might be testing to see exactly where her boundaries were and what caused those barriers to shoot up. But pushing that aside she had also noticed that a little dirty talk when a long way in getting him excited. It was fascinating to her just how little it did take, at the right moment, to have him pawing at her with frantic, groping hands. "I want to fuck."
The effect of her words was immediate. He tore the panties off her and loosened his pants enough to slip out of them. Spreading her legs when she felt him behind her she was unprepared for him to grab her and lift her higher over the armrest of the sofa. When he set her down her toes were barely brushing the ground and her ass was sticking in the air. She shoved her hands out to slow her forward momentum and he thrust into her while she was off balance. Letting out a cry she felt him slip all the way inside her with a single push. Clutching at the cushions she pressed into him as much as she could as he moved.
"David!" She was panting his name as he bottomed out inside of her. "Yes!"
Her cries got louder and he started moving faster. "Scream, Darcy." His hands tightened on her hips and she heard the hitch in his breathing. He wasn't going to be able to make it much longer. "You know I like to hear that. Come."
Reaching under her he rubbed her clit as he spoke and she lost it. Crying his name out loudly she jerked and he held her close as he thrust into her one last time. A strangled groan escaped him as he let go with her. He listed forward and her hips were pressed between his pelvis and the arm of her couch. Gasping in air she felt wetness trickling down her thigh. David started rubbing her neck and she licked her lips as her head rested on the couch cushion, spinning pleasantly. That had been so good and he was still buried inside of her causing small shivers of pleasure to cascade down her spine every time he sucked in air.
A lazy, satisfied smile crept over her. "You okay back there?"
He huffed out a laugh and ran his hand from her shoulders to her bunched up skirt as he straightened. Tugging the fabric down her hips after he slid out of her, he reached down and helped her up, spinning her around as he did. When she was facing him he set her on the arm of the couch and kissed her affectionately. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him against her, liking him close after they had sex. He caught her sides and rubbed her over her blouse. "We're never going to make it to the cabin at this rate." He commented even as he tucked her hair behind her ears and nibbled at her jaw.
That's right. They were going to see the redwoods. Kissing him one more time she shoved him back gently. "I'll be ready in five minutes."
Raising an eyebrow he lifted his arm and looked at his watch. Grinning at the challenge she dashed to their room. Getting out of her work clothes she went into the bathroom and cleaned herself off quickly. When she was done she found her favorite pair of jeans, a fitted t-shirt, and a jacket. Grabbing her sneakers out of the closet she slipped them on over a pair of her thicker socks and went out into the living room. She figured it might be colder up north than here in L.A. and was trying to dress accordingly, it was still spring after all, if they went up in the mountains there might still be snow. McNorris glanced as his watch again and smiled. "Four and a half. Impressive time, baby doll."
"Do I need to bring anything?" She asked to be sure he had packed all her essentials.
"I got everything you might need in your suitcase."
Snatching her purse and keys back up she followed him out the door. Locking up as he went to load the car she practically skipped to the passenger side of his Cadillac and jumped in. When he got in beside her his lip was curled up at the corner. Before he could put the car in gear she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm very excited about this."
"I could tell." Turning his head around so he could see out of the rear window he backed out of her driveway and headed toward the interstate. "We're taking the train. It's faster and they have a shuttle to the park once you get there."
She studied him with interest; impressed he had this planned out so well. "Thank you."
He shrugged as he merged onto the busy freeway, keeping his eyes on the traffic. "It's only a cabin."
"For planning everything." She kissed his cheek again. His forethought had made this an easy and carefree trip for her already. There was no stress or worry about where she was going to stay or how she was going to get there. "This is really nice."
He glanced over at her as if no one had ever thanked him for anything before. "You're welcome." He reached over and she twined her fingers with his. "Have you been to San Francisco? We could stop there for a couple of hours on the way back if you want to see it."
"I've been there. It's a fun city. I liked the trolleys."
"Tourist." He accused. Apparently after spending this much time here she shouldn't behave in such a manner.
She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever, Mr. Massachusetts."
"That's better than Wisconsin."
Her eyes sparkled at him. At least their easy banter and camaraderie hadn't vanished now that they were sharing a bed. "You wound me. You can pretend you're California born all you want but you can't fool me. You're an implant just like me."
"But only you know that because I blend in so well." He squeezed her hand with good humor as he pulled into the parking lot outside the train station. "Unlike you. You still stick out. Seriously, Darcy, you need to tan more."
She poked at him as he fell back on his favorite point of mockery. He loved to point out that her skin was paler than most people here, but she supposed he usually felt so alone being an albino that she let him tease without reprimand. She didn't mind that she was a shade or two under golden bronze; she was still tanner than she had been before she moved here.
Unbuckling her seatbelt she got out of the car and slung her purse over her shoulder as she headed toward the trunk. David was already getting his suitcase out and she grabbed hers before he could. When he made a move to take it she spun away and started toward the entrance with a sassy swing of her hips. He was close behind her and she heard his car chirp as he locked it. He picked up their tickets at the office, which he had reserved, and they walked toward their terminal. As they went he pointed toward some vending machines. "They serve dinner on the train but not until eight. If you want a snack you should get one now."
She thought she would do that since it was only five now and her stomach was grumbling at her. "Do you want anything?" She set her suitcase down next to him as he chucked his in a chair.
"Water, please."
"Anything to eat?" She eyed the machines as she dug her small change purse out of her bag. "I spy gummy bears."
He was surprised that she mentioned his favorite candy and she smirked as she made her way toward the treats. Three minutes later and she sat next to him with the brightly colored candies, two drinks, and a bag of chips for herself. "Exactly how much do you watch me?" He asked as he opened the bag of tiny bears.
She shrugged. "I'm a profiler. I was trained to be observant. I know a lot of things about the people I'm around and I'm with you more than anyone else." He accepted that and they munched on their treats as they waited for their train. She broke the silence when she was nearly done with her snack "Is there anywhere you want to go?"
"What do you mean?" He asked as he contemplated two different colored bears. She wondered what his favorite flavor was and if he was trying to save them for last or go after them first.
"I've wanted to see the redwoods since I was ten. I saw them on TV. It's one of those places you promise yourself you'll see before you die. Don't you have one of those?"
"I always wanted to go to Hawaii."
Five years in L.A. and a short plane hop to the islands and he'd never been? This man really needed to use some of his vacation time. She figured she could make that happen. "Let's go."
He laughed quietly. "That's more than a weekend trip, even if it is a long weekend."
"So? I have vacation time. I'm sure you do." She bumped his shoulder amicably. "Let's go be beach bums and watch the surfers. I've never been to a luau either. I bet that's a ton of fun."
"You want to go to Hawaii for an extended period of time?"
She raised an eyebrow as she crumpled up her chip bag and tucked it into her back jeans pocket. She would toss it in the trash when they got up. "Because so many people would say no to that?"
"With me?"
She met his eyes in surprise. "Well, yeah. Why would I have asked otherwise?"
He shook his head slightly. "I don't know." He returned his attention to the gummy bears.
Frowning, she leaned into him and hooked her elbow with his. "David?" He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why are you upset? We don't have to go if you don't want to. I thought it would be fun, but if you don't think so that's okay. I won't get mad if you don't want to go with me."
"I still don't understand you."
That threw her. "What? Why?"
"I'm amazed you're even talking to me after the fight we had and now you want to go on a long trip with me?"
She searched her recent memory. She couldn't recall a fight, friendly arguments sure, but no fights. "What fight?"
He shot her a disbelieving look. "The one where we got married."
"Oh." Was he still wound up about that? She was confused. "You're the one that wanted to stay together and try to make this work. Did you change your mind?" She thought she sounded sad. On second thought, she was sad. She loosened her arm from around his feeling dejected. She thought they were doing really well. She got along with him as well as she had Jason. Her feelings had gone from the general affection she had for him as a friend to something more than that. There was no point in pretending, she loved him and she knew it even if she had never said it.
"No." His answer was immediate and he leaned in to kiss her temple. "I didn't change my mind." He rested his forehead on hers. "I'm surprised you did."
"You're not the worst person I could have accidentally gotten married to." He sighed and she caught his hand when he started to pull away. "David, I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to be honest. I never wanted to get married again after… everything happened. I'm gun shy to the point of panic but I'm not stupid. We were heading toward being more than friends before we ever went to Vegas. The whole situation upsets me in a lot of ways. Other than not knowing about this it wasn't how I would have gotten married. We never went on a honeymoon, my family wasn't there, none of the friends I've made here were either, and neither of us have rings. Plus, we'd never been out on a date and ended up tying the knot in what I can only assume was a place that was neither classy or clean, not that I can remember. To top that off you were so afraid I was going to blow a gasket you didn't tell me, which by the way, you are still in the doghouse for. I don't like this agreement we have either."
"Why?"
It had only taken her two weeks to regret having put a time limit on this. She was glad she had the annulment papers, but this agreement was making her edgy. She didn't feel like it was doing anything positive for either of them at all. "We're married. We're supposed to be partners and I feel like we're in some sort of sick bet. Half the time I'm afraid you're going to decide this isn't worth it and leave. The other half of the time I'm worried you're afraid I'm going to bolt on you. I'm getting sick to my stomach thinking about it. So could we forget this whole six-month thing and just try to exist? I think that would make me feel a lot better about everything."
"I'd like that." He said softly.
"Good." She leaned toward him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Are we okay?"
"Yes."
"Anything you want to talk about while we're on the subject?"
"I'd like you to move in with me." Ah, there it was. She knew he would ask this sooner rather than later. "I don't like having to go home and get ready for work and I don't like you having to do it either. We're spending all our time together and most of your things are at the house. You've taken over my bathroom completely. We're already living together, let's make it less complicated and have one house."
She chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds. She did want to say yes to that but there was one thing preventing her from putting up a 'for sale' sign in her yard. "If I do that everyone is going to find out that we're married." How that hadn't slipped out yet was beyond her. It didn't even seem like anyone they knew was aware they were dating, although she'd gotten a suspicious look or two from Ray. Still, she didn't think he knew, he'd been too busy with some sort of family matter to bother stalking David recently.
"So?"
"That's going to rock the boat. The elections for DA are coming up soon. Is that really what you want? I'm not exactly the most loved individual in your circle of power with the way I run my mouth at meetings. It'll only take one of your supporters to turn on you because of me to loose."
He was quiet before a second before throwing her for a total head over heels loop. "I'm not sure I want to be the DA."
Shock hit her hard, so hard she was pleased she was already sitting down. For a brief moment she was convinced a shape shifter had killed him and taken his place. "What?" She sat up straight so they were on eye level. "That's what you've been after since you moved to L.A."
He sighed. "I'm starting to think this place may not be what's right for me. Since I moved here I've had an affair, been divorced, become an alcoholic, thought I killed a man on accident, gone to rehab, had to choose between my family and the right thing to do, and nearly screwed up what we have, which is the only good thing that's happened to me since I moved here. Hell, you're about the only good thing that's ever happened to me."
She stroked his cheek briefly, searching his eyes. "Do you know what you want to do?"
"Not yet." He admitted. "I'm only thinking right now. I don't have any sort of plan." He shrugged. "I have a good job here. I might not love it but it pays and I get to spend part of my workday with you. Besides, you're settled here now."
That might be true but she didn't want him miserable. He was much more pleasant when he was happy. "When you figure it out will you let me know? I want you to be happy."
His eyes softened. "You'll be the first one."
"Okay." Their train pulled in and was announced over the PA system.
David kissed her cheek. "Come on. Let's get some seats. We don't want to miss our ride. You'll never get to see the redwoods and then you'll explode." She grinned at him and grabbed at her bag. This time, he got to it first.