Chapter 30: Meet me in the desert
"Ready?"
She nodded the head and got on Jim's bike, putting the helmet on the head. The bags were in the trunk. He started the engine and accelerated a little to warm the motor. He felt her arms pressing his waist. He liked this feeling. He loved this woman, way more than he thought he could have loved someone. She had this skill to even make arguments sexy.
The other day, they disagreed on the way to fix the table in the yard. The famous table where they kissed three years ago. No need to tell how this argument was symbolic then. She wanted to disassemble the table and then turned it down to repair when he was more into crawling under it to repair it from the ground. They argued so loud, Luca got out of the house and asked them what was going on.
"Mister know it all wants to crawl underneath the table to fix it. Watch me laugh when everything is crumbling over him!"
"Chris, you don't get. Nothing is gonna fall, it's just a screw to replace."
"The same screw that holds the whole table together. But you're right, all we need today is to end to the ER… Gonna walk a little, you annoy me… To remain very polite…"
She took her jacket and left the yard in a hurry. He could swear he saw her roll her eyes.
"You really pissed her off…"
"She'll get over it!" He answered with a rough tone. He was pissed too. He knew this house, he had been living here for more than three years. He knew how to fix things there... Except when Chris was the one to know how to fix the wall, and the leaks and the roof… So ok, she might have right earlier… But she didn't need to yell at him like this.
When he came back, he had disassemble the table and turned it over. She looked at him, not saying a word and walked into the house. She could be such strong-headed sometimes… He kept fixing the table. She didn't join him. Night came and they were still at odds.
"Time to talk, no?"
"You're finally admitting I was right?"
He clutched his fist. A little pissed, but also excited because right now, seated on the bed, putting her socks and knickers in orders in the chest of drawers, she was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.
"Yes…" He mumbled through his lips. "But only this time…"
"And the others. Get used to it, Long Beach." She winked at him and focused again on folding the laundry.
He came closer. He needed to smell her perfume. He kissed her in the neck. She turned and her mouth met his. She let his tongue met hers and enjoyed the taste of Jim Street for the next minutes. She separated from him all of a sudden.
"Luca could hear us?"
"No, he's gone looking for pizza and beer and also new screws. We have a t least one hour alone in this big house…"
"Wouldn't be sad no to enjoy the place then…"
She got rid of her clothes as fast as he did. Their bodies needed to share a moment. They were hot. They were needy for such a moment. The argument from this afternoon, one of the first ones they had since they were togather had generated so much heat, they needed to release it.
He stroked her body, she shivered. She let her hands run over on every part of his body, even the most intimate ones. Time for being shy was over now. He bit his lower lip as she reached a very tactical, sensible place.
"I see you're more than ready, Mr. Street. "
"You're not bad either." He answered as he skimmer her hardened nipples. She bit his lips to show him she was more than ready to share an emotional and sweaty moment with him. She pulled him up to the bed and sat astride upon him. She wanted to take the lead today. He didn't blame her, he liked when she was the one in charge. Her bossy side made him want her even more. She felt it between her legs. She clutched her hands with his, moaning when he took possession of her body. She moved, following the vibes he was giving her. Imposing the rhythm at some moments so she could feel even more all the sensations he was giving her.
She lost count of time, of space, living only for the moment she was sharing with Jim. She could feel he was in the same place than her, his ecstatic smile didn't delude her. She must have worn the same on her face. He got up suddenly and switched the roles. She was surprised, happily surprised. She kissed her hard, with strength. Like a savage. She loved this. She tied her legs behind his back to feel him better, to let him know she was with him at all level. He took the lead this time. She let her hands discover over and over again his body while his were running over her breasts and chest.
They separated when they were out of strength, sweaty and breathless. He brushed her hair with his fingers, while her head lay over his chest. Her fingers brushing his torso.
"You're the first woman I've met who makes arguments very interesting."
She stood up, putting her elbow where he had been operated on. He winced in pain.
"Oh sorry, I didn't want to…" He put his finger over her mouth, before kissing her.
"It's Ok. Remind me I'm alive. And lucky."
She cuddled tighter against him. "Can't wait for the next fight then…"
"The later possible anyway…" He answered doing this thing with his nose that made crazy.
She bit her lower lip. She was happy. Never thought it could happen one day. Seeing the sparkles in Jim's eyes she was not the only one.
[…]
"Lost in your minds, Long Street?" Chris's soft voice brought him to reality.
"Just thinking about which spot we could go first?"
"Surprise me…"
He let out a smile before getting down his visor and leaving the parking lot. He knew exactly where to bring her. He drove for maybe three hours. They got out of Los Angeles quite easily – a little miracle!- and arrived in the middle of the mountains. Towns became smaller and soon disappeared. They were in the middle of the desert. Around them, only emptiness and the incredible greatness of nature. And just the two of them. He parked his bike at the end of a road, under trees. It was already really hot at this time of the day.
"Where have you taken me?"
"Just follow me!" She ran to walk by his side and grabbed his hand. "To what do I owe this from you?" he asked, teasing her, just to her blush.
"Oh shut up, Street and tell me where we are."
He pressed her hand in his and brought her on a little path. He seemed to know the place, he walked surely on the stony lane. Chris remained careful not to slip, and pressed Jim's hand harder when she thought she was not sure of where she was putting her feet. After 30 minutes of walk, they stopped.
"Welcome to my safe spot…"
She stopped and enjoyed the landscape. They were at the top of a cliff. Around them, there were only thousands kilometers of emptiness. Hills, mountains, dry vegetation and the sky. With its multiple colors. He turned to her to ask what she was thinking of the place but restrained himself to do so as soon as he saw the smile on her face. He kept looking at her. She was beautiful. She could say anything she wanted, she was the most beautiful woman in the world and no one could tell him otherwise.
She turned to him a moment later. "What?" She asked, surprised to notice he was watching her.
"No. Nothing. Just you're beautiful, Christina Alonso. Hope you know this."
She blushed. She was not used to get such a compliment. "Stop it, I'm not, I'm just a random girl and…"
He stood right in front of her. "Never, ever say this, Chris. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL."
She fidgeted her hands, like she always did when she was stressed or ill-at-ease. "No, no, really. I'm not… Women like Molly Hicks or Annie Kay can relate… I'm nothing but plain..."
He took her chin with his fingers and made her look at him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Chris. You are beautiful. The most beautiful woman I've ever met to be honest. Beautiful from the outside with your big brown eyes and hair. This body I'm fond of, every nook and cranny of it. And beautiful from the inside. You're a fighter, a softie, a generous woman, my best friend, the only person in the world I trust entirely… Never doubt how beautiful you are, Christina Alonso…" He paused for a minute. "Oh I swear I'll argue you about this and among other things for the rest of your life!"
She put on her tip toes and dropped a soft, simple kiss on his lips, just before cuddling her head against his chest and put her hands around his waist. She was happy. She knew they would have to confront the reality later because at SWAT their relationship was forbidden. But she loved this man. More than she had ever loved someone before. He embraced her too. Time stopped in this magical place for both of them.
[…]
They ate their sandwiches before leaving Keys view. Enjoying again the sun reflecting all over the desert. The canyon was so deep. Chris loved to see the river running over it, like a tiny ribbon. Street explained to her about the place. How it was the highest point of Joshua Tree Park, how you can see the Coachella valley, the Salton Sea, the San Gorgonion Mountain and even the San Andreas Fault from here. He was passionate and she liked to see him like this.
"What about a ride in the desert? Knows some trails which are really great…"
She cut him, she was excited to discover his favorite spot. Felt like a privilege to be here together, to act like the true couple they had become. Because they were a couple. Even if they agreed to take things slowly and to look where everything would lead them, it had become more and more obvious each day, things really worked. At every level. Physical of course. But also mentally and emotionally. They were radiant.
"Where are we going?" She asked him, all smiling.
"Follow me!"
They got back to the bike and drove for twenty minutes. He parked in front of a welcoming center. "Time to buy some protein bars and fulfill the thermos with fresh water. A long walk is waiting for us."
She remained in the shop, strolling in the alleys, looking at the maps. The place seems gorgeous. Almost eight kilometers of walking. And the promise of total silence and no people around. Street really brought her at the perfect place.
"Ready? No need of map, I took mine with us this morning."
"You thought about everything." She told him, grinning.
"I need to think of everything if I want to keep the prize of boyfriend of the year!" He replied proudly.
"Don't flatter yourself too much, Jim."
They left the shop soon after, and followed the marked path. They walked side by side for at least one hour without talking, just enjoying the beauty of the landscape. Gorgeous views of an expanse of rocks, a snowcapped peak which was insane in the middle of the spring, cacti everywhere, and of course, lots of Joshua trees. Chris was captivated by these trees. They seemed like nothing else. From another era. Jim showed him a lot of geological oddness. He told her about their formation. How they got here millions years ago.
"You're a stone lover, then? Who could have known this?"
He felt embarrassed for a few seconds before confessing. "One of my foster home was not so bad… And the foster father was a passionate about stones, he often brought us for hikes in the desert and talked for hours about the geological story of these stones. And I was hooked."
"Kind of cute…"
"But I'm cute." He came closer and embraced her before kissing her. No need to check if someone they knew was around, they were alone in the middle of the nature. She answered the kiss, deepening it, so happy to have nothing to worry about. Just two lovers on vacation.
"Chris, I've a crazy idea…"
She frowned, kind of scared by what happened next. "What about taking a pic of the two of us there… You know like any other happy couple will do… Because it is what we are, right?"
"Maybe we can take more than once?"
"The desert tells a different story every time one ventures on it."
"Quite poetic, Street."
"Just quoting Robert Fulton Jr. One more proof I read."
He smirked. She burst into laughing. This old running joke was still working on her, as if it was the first time she heard to it. And he took his phone out of his pocket to immortalize which was one of the best day of his life.