"Hop in. I'll drop you guys off on my way." Gil stood in the open driver's side door of his Coronet, beckoning Dani and Malcolm.
The former waved him off politely while pointing in the opposite direction. "Brooklyn is this way," she joked. "You're going that way."
"And the funny thing about cars is," the Lieutenant made a grand circle gesture with his hands, "they can turn around."
The trio chuckled.
"Thank you," Dani smiled, "but I can take the train. It's not a problem."
Malcolm watched her covertly from the corner of his eye - an act he'd perfected over time. Once, he'd almost told her how he felt. After months of grappling with his feelings he had finally built up the courage to tell her the truth. Then, all hell had broken loose.
The smoke had only just started to settle from the three week manhunt for the Claremont escapees; this was their first case back. Malcolm wanted to tell her, he was desperate to. But so many things were suddenly holding him back. The moment of temporary courage had subsided and the reality of possible rejection had set in. Once he made that declaration, there was no going back.
Every day he delayed, it got worse: the need to be around her, the desire to have her, the ache in the pit of his stomach at the thought that she might find someone else in the meantime. Every day he woke up, told himself "Today's the day" and then lost his nerve. The cycle was miserable. The fact that this entire case had been based around the sexual encounters of a scorned lover had not helped matters.
"I'll go with you," his eyes were fixed on Dani as he spoke.
Gil smirked and nodded approvingly, before getting in his car.
Malcolm held up his hand in a wave and Gil drove away.
Dani turned to face him, a faux annoyed coloring her face, "I'm a cop, Bright. You don't have to chaperone me. I can make it home on my own."
"I know that," he replied matter-of-factly. "Maybe I feel safer having Detective Powell escort me to my residence."
She rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully, "You're an ass."
He couldn't help but smile as they started walking toward the station, "I can hop off at Canal. You'll transfer there anyway."
Dani stopped and stared at him, surprised.
It took two steps before he realized it and turned around, "What?"
"I'm just shocked you actually know the name of a station."
Malcolm rolled his eyes, "Yes, Dani. I know the train lines."
She continued walking, "There's just so much I don't know about you."
"You have no idea," he mumbled.
"Oh really?"
She wasn't supposed to hear that.
"Then tell me something else."
He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her, "What would you like to know?"
"Just like that? Anything I ask you'll answer?"
"Mmmhmm."
Dani thought for a moment, her lips curving up mischievously, "Do you really think that stuff you said yesterday in the conference room is true?"
"What stuff?"
She made a point to look away as she spoke, "About the brain and how it reacts to..." her voice trailed off, embarrassed.
"Sex?" he finished.
Even with only the street lights for help, he could see the slight flush of her light bronze skin. Malcolm took a breath, attempting to keep his own responses in check. "What's not to believe? There have been numerous studies that prove it. The brain, for all it's higher functions, can be a pretty primitive place. And sex is one of the most primitive things about us."
"But do you really think that an emotional connection with someone actually changes the physical pleasure of the act though? Like, an orgasm is an orgasm. It's biology. Whether it's someone I care about giving it to me or me giving it to myself it's the same effect."
Despite his best efforts, Malcolm couldn't stop the image of Dani pleasuring herself from invading his mind. His cock twitched at the fantasy at work and he took another covert breath to try and calm himself.
"I absolutely think there's a difference in pleasure when it's given by someone else versus yourself. The brain can tell the difference between you performing that act versus someone you feel a connection with and that can affect the physical feelings of pleasure. If someone you're attracted to touches you in particular places, not even the typical erogenous zones, that has a physical effect on you, does it not?"
Dani cleared her throat nervously. At least he wasn't the only one.
"I mean, yeah. But doesn't your body respond to touch in those places the same way regardless? Consent implied."
"Does it?"
She tilted her head, "What do you mean?"
He held out his hand, "May I?"
Dani's eyes squinted, deciding whether or not she trusted this train of thought, "Okay…" And raised her hand, placing it in his. Malcolm clasped her hand almost classically, as though he were about to kiss the top of it.
"There," the profiler swallowed a lump in his throat and then attempted to make a point that contradicted everything his body was telling him in this moment. "See. Nothing."
Liar.
He inched his hand toward her torso and paused, again asking permission. She nodded. Malcolm's hand found the curve of Dani's waist and rested gently. It took everything he had to keep the fingers steady. They were shaking like maracas and his tremor had nothing to do with it.
"Anything?" he asked, secretly hopeful.
Her eyes fell, and she shook her head, making sure not to look him in the eye. Malcolm pulled back.
"Touch is different when it's someone you're attracted to. Someone you trust." Without thinking he rubbed the fingers of his hand together, as if to try and remember the feel of her waist.
They took a left at the end of the block, nearing the station.
"Right, but sometimes sex can be 'just sex'. It doesn't always have to be romantic," Dani argued.
"That's absolutely true. Biologically, the outcome is relatively equal. However, regardless of romantic intention, the act itself is still incredibly intimate."
"Is it though? Is it really anything more than pleasure, if it's about your body and not your mind?"
"I think so. As a woman, you-," Malcolm cut off his own response. His eyes shifted toward her slowly.
Dani stopped again and raised her eyebrows, challenging him to finish his sentence, "As a woman I…"
Taking a breath, Malcolm turned to face her confidently, "As a woman," he gestured toward her with his hand, "you're literally granting another person permission to be inside your body. Romantic or not that act is," he paused for a moment, trying to find the correct word, "profound."
Dani blinked twice, her lips pressed together, then continued her protest, "Only if you chose to let it be," she air quoted, "profound".
Malcolm met her stare, "If it's done correctly, there really shouldn't be a choice." Dani's eyes widened. The profiler realized his lack of filter too late and dropped his gaze instantly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Dani chuckled under her breath, "Hmm."
His head popped up, intrigued, "What?"
"This conversation is making you nervous."
"No, it's not."
She crossed her arms and grinned devilishly, "You keep shifting your stance."
A huffed laugh burst from Malcolm without warning, "Are you profiling me, Detective Powell?"
"Maybe." As she tried to suppress her smile, Dani's tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek. A new image played behind his eyes, one that entailed all the things she might do with said tongue. He shook his head ever so slightly to try to banish the thought and she caught him.
"You're telling the truth," she noted slyly. "You're not nervous. You're-"
Before she could finish, he abruptly turned and traipsed toward the station entrance, rushing down the stairs without ever looking back to see if she had followed. She had, of course. And naturally didn't intend to let her point slide.
Once they entered the platform the profiler strode quickly to the opposite end. Dani sauntered toward him, a scrunched smile tucked in the corner of her lips. It happened to be one of his favorite things. She somehow managed to look both sexy and adorable in unison. What he wouldn't do to those lips…
When she reached him he waited for her comment. Instead, she merely crossed her arms and slowly tracked her eyes down to his groin and back up, then crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows accusingly. "So-"
"Careful," he interrupted.
Dani's head jerked back slightly, "What?"
"You sure you want to go toe to toe with an actual profiler? I read people for a living."
"I've got nothing to hide," she challenged.
Malcolm took a step toward her, as passengers for the train began to fill the platform. "We both know that's not true." He continued to close the distance between them as he spoke, "You busted me. Okay. Fine. But let's talk about you. Let's talk about how your skin flushed at my mere mention of the word 'sex'. How about the fact that your pupils have been dilated for the entirety of this conversation? Or maybe we should discuss how your heart is pounding so hard I can see your pulse in the side of your neck." She attempted to retreat and hit the tiled column behind her. Malcolm took one final step forward, leaving only inches between them.
When he stopped, his eyes were transfixed on hers. Her breaths were shallow and rapid; it felt like he could see every secret thought she'd ever had. Dani licked her lips nervously and Malcolm's gaze immediately fell to them before he swallowed and reversed.
The train arrived and the evening rush crowd scurried to exit and enter before the doors closed. Dani got on first and Malcolm followed. They crossed to the opposite side of the car, standing beside one another, but keeping a slight distance. As the train moved out of the station, Dani held onto the pole for stability; Malcolm did the same a few inches above her hand.
Neither of them looked at one another. Neither of them knew how to proceed. It felt like a line had been crossed - both of them calling out one another for being massively turned on. The entire conversation had been new territory for them, for their friendship. They'd never progressed past the occasional cryptic flirty comment, then all the sudden they were discussing their philosophical thoughts on sex.
Malcolm tried to subdue his body's response to Dani, to seeing her breaths accelerate when he mentioned her pulse, to the way she wet her lips… as though she were preparing for them to be touched. He risked a quick glance in her direction. At least that was the intention. Her head was bowed just slightly, a few curls falling forward to partially shield her face. Her eyes were closed and she was taking slow deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. She was struggling to control herself too.
Suddenly every nerve ending in his body was on high alert. The thought that she might feel even a fraction of what he was feeling was almost too much to process. His left hand was practically vibrating and Malcolm gripped the pole harder, trying to conceal the tremors. The sign on the wall outside the car read Spring St.; Canal was next. He only had to make it one more stop.
In an effort to distract his brain, Malcolm looked around, attempting to profile the passengers. How old were they? What was their profession? Greatest fears? Personality tics.
In the middle of his distraction, something brushed his hand: Dani's thumb. Confident it had been an accident, Malcolm ignored the sensation, despite the jolt of electricity that had shot up his arm. When it happened a second time, his heart nearly stopped. Slowly, with a feather-light touch that somehow left a flame in its wake, Dani's thumb ran along the underside of his pinky. Then it curved over the nail, coming to rest between his pinky and ring finger. Malcolm squeezed his fingers together, clasping her single digit in his, and immediately froze, terrified he had misread the situation and it had all been incidental contact.
The train came to a halt and Dani pulled her hand free. Malcolm's fell heavily to his side, his suspicions confirmed. As the masses shuffled on and off, the two of them exited the train, while he mentally prepared an explanation for his actions. A few steps onto the platform, he was aimlessly walking in the direction of the exit, Dani keeping pace next to him silently. Neither of them had made eye contact since Malcolm's comments.
As they approached the stairs, the point at which they would separate, he racked his brain for something to say, anything to prevent this from becoming a problem in the future. Nothing. Dani's head was still lowered. He hated that he couldn't see her face, that he couldn't read her expression in this moment. By the time he'd reached the stairs, he'd resigned himself to no explanation. He dejectedly raised a foot toward the first step, when Dani's hand grabbed his. Malcolm's head whipped around in shock. She was looking up at him through a wayward curl with the most seductive set of bedroom eyes he had ever seen. In an instant his mouth went dry and his entire body was humming again. For a moment time froze. They stood there, staring at each other, the gravity of this decision heavy between them.
The trance broke and neither of them said a word, as Dani guided him in the direction of the next train. They reached the platform just as it arrived. This car was even more crowded than the first. Their hands separated, as they found a place to stand in the back. More and more people piled on, while the intercom warned others to stand clear of the doors. The left side of Malcolm's body leaned against the jutting wall behind him; Dani stood in front of him, the hand that had held his, now gripping the rail above her head.
The car moved, the mass of people swaying with it. Malcolm's mind raced faster than the train itself. They still hadn't spoken; hell they had only made eye contact for a few all-too-brief seconds. The back of her head, despite the gorgeous curls, offered little for him to read. She was only inches away, but it felt like a chasm. He needed to see her face, to figure out exactly what she expected, before he allowed himself to envision it any further. The train stopped. Only a few people exited, but a substantial amount got on. The car was officially packed and Dani was painfully close to him now. A mixture of leather and coconut assailed his senses, causing every part of him to react.
The train lurched forward and Dani stumbled back into him. Malcolm's hand jumped to her waist to steady her, while he tried to ignore the fact that she was completely flush against him. If she was unsure how he felt before, there would be no confusion now. She never corrected her stance, however. Instead, Dani arched her back ever so slightly, deliberately pressing into him.
A huff of air left Malcolm, strong enough to move Dani's hair and his pants instantly tightened. Encouraged by his response, she pressed harder, angling her hips just enough to covertly grind against him in the crowd of people. He slowly closed his eyes, willing himself to stay quiet. In lieu of sound, he squeezed her waist, digging his fingers into her shirt and the skin beneath.
For the remaining three stops, this delightful torture continued. Dani never relented. She continued to rub against him until he was sure he wouldn't be able to walk off the train. His pulse thumped in his ears and Dani's breaths were even faster than before.
When they finally reached the stop, she grabbed the hand that held her waist and pulled him forward. The two squeezed through the busy platform and practically ran up the stairs, much to Malcolm's discomfort. Then they walked briskly toward Dani's apartment. Once again, silence filled the space between them. This time it wasn't awkward, though; it was full of an electric charge, one that sparked every time they looked at one another, one that only continued to build the closer they got to her place.
Dani's keys were out and ready the second they reached her building door. The wait for the elevator was excruciating, but nothing compared to the ride itself. The enclosed space meant the charge had nowhere to go. A hunger had settled in the pit of Malcolm's stomach, one that refused to be ignored. As they slowly ascended, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and every part of him shook: desire demanding to be heard, to be heeded. It took every ounce of control he had not to jump her right there. As though she could feel his gaze, Dani's eyes slowly lifted to meet his. The look on his face must've made his thoughts quite clear. While her chocolate brown eyes stared deeply into his, Dani subconsciously bit her lip. Malcolm took a step toward her and the elevator dinged, cutting him off. By the time the doors actually opened, Dani had grabbed his hand again and practically ran the short distance to her door.
Malcolm's heart was pounding, every part of him dying to touch her. He attempted to calm himself as Dani opened her door, but once the key turned it all went right out the window. As soon as it shut behind them, Dani spun around and his hands immediately cupped the sides of her face. Their lips met almost forcefully, but the release of the action was euphoric. The charge between them sparked again, only this time it caught fire. In seconds it was a blaze that could not be contained. He was on fire, and she was an oasis in the dessert. He brushed his tongue against her lips and they quickly opened. Then she wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss. The taste of her mouth made his head spin; it was a sweet nectar and an addicting one at that.
Both of them gasped for air any time their lips parted, the need for one another overpowering the need to breathe. Malcolm could've spent the rest of his life tasting her lips and died a happy man. However, when Dani slid her hands up his chest and removed his jacket, he stopped. He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. He wanted her, needed her in the way that one needed water or oxygen - it was necessary for his survival. When he saw the same flame that had practically consumed him, reflected in her eyes...
That was all he needed.
In two strides, Malcolm pushed Dani back against the wall. She returned his aggression only to give herself enough room to shed her jacket. Once it fell to the ground, her arms were back around his neck, fisting his hair as their kiss intensified. Malcolm explored her body, his hands following every curve and swell. When he reached the hem of her shirt, his fingers crept under it, finding the hidden skin of her stomach for the first time, touching a part of her he'd never seen before. Dani's breath hitched at the contact and her tongue ran along his enticingly.
Malcolm pressed against her and she wrapped her leg up and around his hip, allowing for the friction he'd been craving. He moaned at the contact, removing his lips from hers only to explore her neck and shoulder. A soft coo exited her lips, spurring him on. Then, she pushed him backward. For a split second he thought she'd changed her mind. When she grabbed his tie, and pulled him seductively toward the hallway, he let out a sigh of relief. Dani turned and walked backward toward her room, reeling him in with the silk around his neck, pulling him closer and closer to her. By the time they reached her doorway, Dani's lips were back on his. She bit his bottom one playfully and his cock jumped at the action. He growled and grabbed her neck pulling her to him. Kisses were no longer enough. He needed more of her.
Dani seemed to be on the same page. She ripped his tie off and immediately went to work on the buttons of his shirt, pausing only when he pulled her own up and over her head. While she worked, Malcolm kissed every inch of skin he could reach, running his tongue over her collarbone. As soon as the buttons were open, he shrugged the shirt off. Dani took a brief second to enjoy the view, before her hands went to his belt. He did the same, stepping out of his pants, while peeling off her jeans. Malcolm took the opportunity to admire her from his position. Then kissed his way back up her leg and torso.
They gradually made their way toward the bed, Dani removing her bra in the process. Her nipples tightened in the exposed air and he immediately leaned forward, desperate to taste them. She held up her hand, pausing his advance, then knelt in front of him. The sight of her dropping to her knees almost buckled his own. Her fingers teased the band of boxer briefs, and she kissed the angled muscle by his hips. Again his cock lurched, begging for attention. Dani looked up at him and grinned devilishly, then pulled the boxers down. To say he was rock hard was a painful understatement. Dani eyed him approvingly before running her tongue along the bottom, base to tip. Again Malcolm moaned, watching her every move with a fiery intensity. When she reached the tip, she wrapped her lips around him and glided down torturously slowly, taking all of him into her mouth. Next she tightened her grip and pulled back. That single act alone almost did him in.
Malcolm pulled her up to him and kissed her again. Nothing about this kiss, however, was sweet or tender. It was a declaration of his intent to completely ravage her, to make her feel things she'd never felt before, and to dare her not to scream his name in the process. Dani quickly removed her underwear, tossing them across the floor, as he pushed her backward until she fell onto the bed. Again Malcolm kissed his way up her body, making sure to tease her inner thigh. He deliberately ran his tongue up her center, flicking her pleasure point numerous times. The smell of her arousal was intoxicating. The fact that she was more than ready for him made his cock throb .
Dani's hand grabbed the back of his head and arched her back. It was over all too quickly, and he continued moving northward, finally reaching the swell of her breasts. He planted butterfly kisses all around them before taking her nipple into his mouth. Again her breath hitched as he sucked and flicked it with his tongue. By the time he reached her mouth again, both of them were panting. She bucked her hips against him, begging. The last thing he wanted to do was make her wait. Their eyes met and never broke contact, as he reached down between them and positioned himself. He slid the tip of his cock across her clit in the process, then pushed forward, sheathing himself completely.
Malcolm couldn't control the sound that escaped him; it was some combination of a pleasured sigh and a carnal growl. Dani gasped and dug her nails into his back still staring into his eyes. He paused before moving, taking just a moment to revel in the feeling of being inside her. The heat. The way she gripped him so tightly. The absolute euphoria that came with knowing she wanted him too.
It is different, he thought.
"Malcolm," Dani begged.
It was the first word either of them had said aloud in well over an hour. His name. On her lips. In a wanton plea. Without a doubt it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard in his entire life.
At her appeal, Malcolm began to move. He rolled his hips, pulling almost completely out before pushing back in. Dani met his movements with her own, wrapping her legs around him and working in unison. Each time he thrust forward, Malcolm pushed a little harder. The need to be closer to her, to reach places no one else had, was insatiable. No matter how deep he got, he couldn't manage to get enough of her. He kept pushing, harder, deeper, desperately trying to quench that primal thirst.
Dani approved, begging and praising his actions in equal measure. Her hands continued to dig into his back, encouraging. Malcolm lifted her right leg over his shoulder and pistoned forcefully into her.
The new position caused Dani to cry out to him, "Yes. Please. Don't stop."
She was close.
The affirmation that she was about to orgasm, because of him, flipped a switch in Malcolm. Biological instinct took over for coherent thought and self control. There were only two things that mattered in the world: earning Dani's climax and reaching his own, buried deep within her.
He continued to rut into her, using the position to reach deeper places than he had before. Dani's hands left his back and were clasping the sheets above her head. Both of them were breathing heavily, sweat dripping, as she met his thrusts with full force. Malcolm felt her tighten around him.
"Fuck, Dani," he whispered, repeating her name frequently as though it were a prayer.
She was very close now. And he wasn't far behind.
She continued to squeeze him, begging over and over, "Please."
He never took his gaze off her. He wanted to see her face when the moment hit. She must have known, because as her orgasm came, Dani opened her eyes. They closed and reopened slowly as each wave of pleasure washed over her. He watched her in awe while she clenched and unclenched around him, coaxing his own release. When Dani came down from the high, she slowly returned to work. Grinding her hips into him. Malcolm felt the familiar tingle in his groin and he sped up, thrusting frantically into her. He lowered his head to find her breast and Dani's hands pulled it back up.
"No. Look at me," she demanded, eyes boring into his, while she rolled her hips with fervor.
The request undid him. He thrust forward one last time, and lost himself within her, never breaking eye contact. Dani watched him through a euphoric haze as he finished, each of them panting wildly.
Malcolm wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, her leg still over his shoulder, staring into each other's souls. But eventually, time proceeded to have meaning again. Before the spell was completely broken, he leaned down and kissed her one more time. Dani held onto it as long as he did, reluctantly agreeing to move her leg when he rolled onto his back beside her.
They laid next to one another in silence. Malcolm curled one arm behind his head, the other rested between them; Dani's rested haphazardly on her stomach. It wasn't the kind of silence that required filling. It was safe, comfortable. A thousand scenarios ran through Malcolm's head, as he waited to hear her thoughts on the evening's events. Eventually, she turned her head in his direction and he followed suit. Her expression wasn't an easy read, not that that was a shock. Dani was always a challenge.
After a few moments, she rolled onto her side and timidly scooted closer, awaiting approval. Malcolm grinned, and opened his arm so she could nestle into him. He wrapped the arm around her and she draped a leg over his. Dani snuggled her head into his chest and closed her eyes.
Malcolm felt her cheeks move against his chest. She was smiling.
"What?" He asked, leaning his head to the side, attempting to see her face.
Her reply was a sleepy whisper, "Profound."
Malcolm huffed a quiet laugh, leaned into her curls, and yawned.
Within minutes, they were both fast asleep.