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C.J. looked at Matt like she meant business and she so clearly did, because she knew by the sheepish look on his own face he had been up to something. Okay, forget for a moment the fact that some unknown individual had taken a couple of shots at her and Maureen and focus on what Matt had been hiding from her.

"C.J. I'm a little bit more concerned right now about the fact that someone came after you and Maureen," he started.

She folded her arms while she silently willed her heart to stop racing, to slow down to a more normal beat because then her breathing would calm down as well. Not that she could blame her body for its reaction because after all, not too long ago she had been lying on the sand ducking gunfire.

"The person's long gone Houston," she said, "Besides maybe he or she mistook the two of us for other people."

Matt didn't think that was hardly likely but reasoned that she had opted for that explanation not because she was naïve but because he had kept her in the dark on the fact that someone had made threats against the wedding party. C.J. studied his face carefully that of her best friend and tried to get beneath that poker expression of his that he showed her now. She just shot him a look and then focused her attention elsewhere.

"Maureen…."

Her friend looked at her, reluctantly.

"What C.J.?"

"You have anything to add to Houston's non-response to my question about why we were just shot at a moment ago?"

Maureen bit her lip and looked back at Matt and that's when C.J. knew she had them both where she wanted them. Well actually she had wanted to be somewhere else more private with him before they had been dodging bullets but the situation had drastically changed.

"I…," Maureen started, flipping her hair back, "I don't know where to start actually…What about you Matt?"

C.J. sighed; hands still folded looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Let me guess here," she said, "Maureen you asked or even hired Houston for his investigative skills for some reason…and you Houston, you took her up on it. Am I getting close here?"

Both of them met her question with silence so she knew she had at least gotten warmer.

"Okay so is Houston really supposed to be substituting as an usher or…is he undercover to help him in this investigation?"

Matt sighed.

"C.J…okay I'm partly here to help Maureen with some threats that she received from some unknown person against her and her wedding party."

C.J. digested that and thought okay, maybe that fit in with the recent attempt made to just rub them both out.

"So you mean…that we might have been the actual targets of that gunman?"

Matt nodded, hating the thought that the person he had been after had a lethal streak interwoven into his or her plot against the wedding. She just shook her head at him taking a step backward.

"Why didn't you just tell me Houston," she said, "Why don't you trust me enough with something so important, something that impacts my safety not to mention others and probably yours?"

Matt's heart felt heavier when she looked at him like that, weariness because yeah this had happened before between the two of them and sadness as well. He knew that his failure to tell her what was going on had really upset her. And that hadn't been the only thing, because he knew she was wondering why he had really wanted to share a suite with her, to protect her from some unmasked enemy or so they could spend time getting frisky in between an overcrowded event calendar. He sighed inwardly dealing with one issue at a time.

"I didn't want to…it doesn't matter now," he said, "Because you're right, I should have told you and there's no worthy excuse for why I didn't."

She sighed.

"No there isn't," she said, "You know if we're going to have this relationship we've been heading into, you're going to need to trust me and stop treating me like I'm fragile because seriously I can kick your butt any day of the week."

Matt blinked, because yeah, her being a brown belt in martial arts meant that she could do just that but watching her look at them as if daring to take her up on it just reminded her how sexy she looked, her hair hanging down and her eyes sparkling right now with reproach but in the right circumstances…no he had to stick to the subject at hand and that was her pique at him for hiding the truth about one of the reasons he had gone with her to the chalet this weekend. Only one of several different reasons of course, not even the main one really.

"Because if you think you're getting lucky with me, you'd better think otherwise if you're going to treat me like I needed to be protected from everyone including myself."

Maureen just watched the two of them, saying nothing but Matt sighed wanting to embrace her again and just head back to the suite. But she eyed him carefully, still not moving.

"Houston, if you think I'm going to jump in the sack just because of some life affirming thing…"

"C.J…"

She saw him looking at Maureen.

"Okay fine…but now that I know someone's out to kill us, we've got no time to waste in trying to find this person and expose him before he or she carries through with their threats to commit harm or mayhem to this wedding."

Maureen just nodded following along but Matt blinked his eyes at C.J.

"You mean…right now?"

She nodded firmly, all business now dressed in that casual dress which fit her body so perfectly. The night was lovely and now still and quiet, the only sound besides them, waves crashing gently on the shore. The moon and the stars, breathtakingly beautiful, showcasing a night meant for other things than investigative work. He tugged on his collar.

"But C.J…it's getting late and you're probably very tired…"

She pointed her finger at him.

"Oh no you don't…you do not get to ply me with sweet talk, get me up to the suite and then later on sneak out and do your detective work."

He looked offended.

"C.J. I wouldn't think of dong any such thing."

Besides she left a whole bunch of details out about what would be happening inside the suite because despite her current pique at him, he was a hopeful man. Still, his odds of getting her out of the spare bedroom and into his own had dropped considerably in the past 20 minutes. But nothing left to do but nod.

"Okay, so I might but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do some comparison of notes on any probable suspects who might wish to harm anyone."

She looked at him carefully and then nodded.

"Okay…there's a 24 hour coffee spot in the main building," she said, "We'll go there and discuss it."

Maureen shook her head.

"My husband just texted me," she said, "Party over…"

Matt considered the news, his mind working quickly.

"Maureen did he say whether or not all the male guests were there?"

Okay, C.J. thought, now they were getting somewhere. Matt clearly believed that the possibility existed that one of the guests or even wedding party members could be the suspect. Maureen nodded and then looked up a moment later.

"All but three stayed for the entire party…you left, Franco the organist took off because he has to try out the organ here in the morning…and Jack."

The mention of that last name caught C.J.'s attention, could it be that Jack might have been responsible? No wait, it couldn't be him because he had always liked Maureen, it was just C.J. he had a problem with it seemed. Not that there wasn't a reason for that, she thought. Still she watched as Matt inventoried the names in his own mind.

"I guess we can tentatively rule them out…for now…this is going to be quite tough…"

No kidding, C.J. thought, hundreds were attending the wedding and then a chalet like this had people coming in and out working seasonal jobs not to mention the ways into the chalet by road, helicopter or even she thought looking out towards the darkness where the ocean lay, by boat.

"I'd better head back to Rick," Maureen said, "He's extremely upset by what happened."

"I can imagine," C.J. said, "Okay well Houston and I can take it from here. We'll start investigating immediately."

She and Maureen started walking back towards the stairs with Matt shaking his head as he followed. He had some wine chilling and some strawberries…oh never mind.

C.J. ordered some tea from the perky vendor and walked to a table where Matt followed her with some Decaff, and she watched him sit down across from her in his slightly tussled outfit, she thought he looked…well better to get her mind back on what they were supposed to be doing which was to solve the latest case involving the threats and now mysterious gunman.

"Okay Houston, what have you uncovered so far?"

She had flipped back her hair probably unaware that she had done it and that had caught his attention.

"Mmmmm….what C.J.?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Houston…focus…the wedding is less than 48 hours away and we have to stop anyone who's trying to ruin it."

"C.J. I'm not sure the wedding's the target…it could be any one individual involved or attending it…it could be you."

She frowned.

"I don't think so," she said, "Any one of my enemies could strike back at me in L.A. Why travel all the way here to do it?"

Matt didn't even want to think about that right now. That anything could happen to her. The few times in his life that his heart had stopped had been when something bad had happened to her. Whether it was getting kidnapped, shot or even her heart broken…

"I think we can nearly rule out the bachelor party…"

His brows perked up.

"What do you mean, nearly?"

She sighed.

"Well the bachelorette party cut out early and any one of those guests…well if they hurried, they could get down to the beach and take a shot at us."

"C.J…I'm not sure who would be responsible," he said, "It could be any other guest here posing as a stranger to the people who have been targeted."

She detected the note of concern in his voice and reached across the table to take his hand.

"I'm okay really Houston, after all I've been shot at before, at least this guy missed."

He looked down at his coffee.

"I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he didn't."

She sighed.

"You know what we do is dangerous," she said, "How do you think I feel when it's you in danger or getting shot. I remember when I received that phone call that you had died on the operating table."

He squeezed her hand in response.

"I'm here C.J…we both are and we're in a better place."

She nodded because now they were together, moving beyond their friendship phase. Both exhilarating and a bit frightening at the same time, including when danger encroached on their lives because losing him even now…No don't think about it just focus on the job that they had been asked to do. And they couldn't let emotions not even hormones she thought with a smile stop them from taking the methodical approach. To carry out the protocol of carrying out an investigation, one careful step at a time.

"Maybe it's someone on the groom's side," she said, "I mean how much do we really know about Rick not to mention that Maureen seems a bit less than excited for her own wedding."

Matt scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah and he makes all those trips out of the country to do those pro bono surgeries…an arrangement that could be a perfect setup for a smuggling operation."

C.J. didn't like the sound of where this discussion might be heading but they had to consider all options.

"I hope that's not what's happening…Maureen's waited so long to find the guy she wanted to marry…"

Matt sipped his coffee.

"She's a very nice lady," he said, "I'm happy for her even though it didn't work out between us."

C.J. smiled.

"She sure raved about you…well your bedside manner anyway…after some tequila of course."

Matt tilted his head but didn't really look embarrassed.

"Oh she did…well I aim to please."

She chuckled at the well worn line, shaking her head.

"I don't know what I'm getting myself in shacking up with you here."

His brows waggled.

"Oh I think you do…"

She smiled sipping her tea.

"Maybe…this is such a big step for us…at least for me."

His face softened and he stroked her hand with his own, casually.

"I think for both of us but life's the venue you use to take chances…"

She furrowed her brow.

"And that's what I am to you then?"

He thought about what it felt like to wrap her up in his embrace, while feeling her own arms around him and kiss, forgetting the bustle of the world around them. Her fingers stroking his skin and the way she looked at him with those hazel eyes of hers that never missed anything.

"No…you have always been my best friend," he said, "The most important person in my life…and my problem is that sometimes I'm just too thick headed to realize what's in front of me."

Her mouth threatened to curve into a smile.

"Okay…so you realize that now… about five minutes after your broken engagement?"

He shot her a look.

"C.J. it's been a bit longer than that and no, this isn't me coming after you on the rebound from breaking up with Elizabeth …it's just that when I'm with you…it's where I went to be and when I'm not…"

She nodded.

"Okay Houston but what does that mean for us…you feel like that right now and that's great but what about next week?"

He looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean…you think that this is some passing thing for me? Yeah…I know there's been quite a few of those…many maybe but this…you're not one of them."

She smiled.

"Relax Houston…I get it I really do…it's just that I don't have the best track record with men…Carl was the best but look what loving me did to him?"

Sorrow mostly put to rest still laced her voice sometimes when she talked about him.

"I'm sure if he were able to, he'd say he had no regrets."

She seemed to consider that but moved forward.

"Okay…Robert…the murderous fraud and then Frank…the two-timing smooth talking…never mind about him and then…"

No she wasn't going to mention her first love, Jack at all. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"C.J…it's not like I haven't had my share of disastrous relationships…remember Erin?"

Difficult to forget the blonde nurse, seeing as she had pinned C.J. next to the Jacuzzi with a blade to her throat, simply because her delusional mind had told her that she and Matt were involved with each other.

"Touché...okay I'll stop it there but this just feels so wonderful… and a bit scary."

He nodded.

"You think the fact that most of L.A. considers me a player makes it any less like that for me?"

Well she guessed not when he put it that way but, god when he looked at her like that she just wanted to rip his clothing off and have her way with him…but she looked around the coffee spot including at the bored looking vendor playing with a handheld game and parked that thought.

"C.J…"

She smiled.

"Oh nothing…what were we talking about?"

"About how wonderful it feels to be spending time with each other…even with bullets flying."

She shrugged.

"Just another day at the office…except the spending time together part…"

He stood up and stretched.

"I think we've done enough for tonight…at least here."

She looked up at him.

"Houston…if you think…"

He winked at her.

"Wouldn't dream of it darling…we have an early morning tomorrow…"

He looked at his watch.

"Actually today…and you've been through a lot…when the adrenalin ebbs you're going to feel really tired."

She yawned getting up.

"I guess I'm already there."

They left the coffee spot and headed back to their bungalow suite. He unlocked the door and they stepped inside, relieved to be greeted by the site that left them. Matt didn't know what he expected that someone might trash the suite looking for something that had been on quite a few of the scripts on cases that he had worked on with C.J. in the field.

But not everything had been scripted, as he gathered her in his arms, his hands rubbing her back where he felt tension still and she relaxed, closing her eyes.

"Oh that feels nice…"

It felt nicer still when he brushed his mouth over hers kissing her, his mustache stroking the areas not covered by his amazing technique. Whether it was through lots of practice or some innate skill, the man definitely knew how to plant one. He pulled away stroking her mouth with his fingers.

"How'd you like that?"

She just looked at him as if he were daft.

"How do you think?"

She placed her hands on his chest and kissed him back, more deeply than he had done with her and she started working her hands underneath his shirt towards his taut skin without thinking about it, stroking him as he sighed.

"C.J…"

"Yes?"

"That…feels…"

"Nice?"

He nodded silently, as she tugged his shirt up and off of him without any real resistance on her part.

"Better…much so," she said.

Then she kissed him again while he moved to help her liberate herself of that attractive dress with the not so cooperative zipper. Where was the damn thing anyway?

"Houston…it buttons in the front…"

Oh, so it did, and they were damn tiny, what was it with her and her wearing clothes adorned with so many tiny buttons…which could definitely try a man's patience getting through them all.

"Need help?"

He just looked at her, reading the humor in her eyes.

"I think I can handle this just fine…let's see…"

His hands shook a little as they deftly worked through the buttons….and she closed her eyes, biting her lip because when his nimble fingers brushed her skin beneath…it sent shivers through her body. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her, and clearly liking what he saw very much. She reached up to stroke his face. Matt saw what she wore and decided that royal blue just had to be added to his list of favorite colors…

Then they heard a knock at the door and they froze listening, and both looking at it.

"Houston…"

"Shhh, if we don't answer," he said, "Whoever it is will think we're sleeping."

She snorted.

"Somehow I don't think that's what is on your mind cowboy."

"True…"

The knocking didn't stop but increased in volume and a voice followed it.

"Matt, I need to talk to you…"

The two of them looked at each other.

"Jack…."

Matt listened to her and saw the expression on her face.

"What…"

She sighed, pulling her dress back up and frantically trying to match the buttons up just right…damn why was buttoning them up harder than undoing them?

"We need to talk about what just happened…"

C.J. sighed, giving up on her dress and trying to find herself a robe. She looked at Matt.

"You are going to the door like that?"

He grabbed his shirt and too quickly covered himself up with it. He walked to the door and opened it, and Jack walked right in casting looks at both of them.

"Sorry I interrupted…but I heard about the shooting on the beach."

"No one was hit Jack," Matt said, "but the shooter fled the scene and got away."

Jack shook his head.

"Damn…why would something like that happen at a peaceful place like this right before a wedding?"

Matt studied his old friend.

"Actually maybe you can shed light on that."

"How…?"

Jack followed Matt towards the living area where they all sat down.

"I'm going to ask you some questions Jack and I hope you'll give me some answers."

C.J. watched Jack react silently to Matt's words and didn't think much would be learned until Matt learned enough to ask him the right questions.