Chapter Ten

She felt that kiss all the way to her soul, and unlike before, she didn't hold back. Woody finally had to break the kiss, pulling away and looking in her eyes. "Jordan," he whispered softly, letting his hand gently stroke her face. "Is this really what you want?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

He tugged her away from the door, over to his couch, and sat down with her, still keeping her in his arms. "You want more than friendship between the two of us." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"And it has nothing to do with a baby."

She shook her head. "Not a thing."

"Why?"

"Because…I realized that a baby wasn't really the issue. I need…want…a relationship with someone I can be completely open with...allow myself to be vulnerable with…love. Completely. And I want that person to be you."

"So the quest for a baby was secondary?"

She nodded.

"And you currently don't want to become pregnant?"

"No. Not now. Maybe one day."

"Good. Because…if you ever did become pregnant by me, I wouldn't be the kind of dad that let you raise the child by yourself…with a hands off attitude. And I'm not ready to become a father."

She nodded. "That's fine…I don't want a baby right now…I just want you."

Woody smiled down at her, gently tucking her curls behind her ears. "Glad to hear that…because I don't know if you're going to like what I'm going to say next…."

Jordan stiffened, "But you just said you wanted …."

"I do. I honestly, really do, sweetheart. But we've both been through a lot. Separately and together. Let's give this thing some time. See each other….build the relationship…date, although I know you hate that word, and then…become lovers."

" You're right…I don't like it, but I understand."

"So you'll do this for me?"

She nodded. She'd do it for him.

And she did. That night, she did stay at Woody's apartment. It was late by the time they finished talking and he didn't want her driving home by herself. He held her until she fell asleep in his arms on the couch and then put her in his bed. Then he returned to the couch.

The months that followed were interesting…they worked together…more closely than ever. The looks that he would give her across a crime scene or the office would make a blush come to Jordan's cheeks. Nigel accused them of the obvious. "Since when did you take to shagging detectives?" he asked her.

"I'm not….I mean... we haven't…."

Nigel gave her look that said he clearly didn't believe her. "Yeah, and I'm the bloody king of England."

"Nice to meet you, your majesty, but you're way off kilter," she had retorted before leaving him alone in the lab.

It was clear to Jordan exactly what Woody was doing. They were getting to know each other better, but in the process he was wooing her. Woody was playing for keeps this time, and he wanted to be in control. And she let him…at least on this end of their relationship. On the job, she was clearly her own woman.

Later, she would remember the night when their relationship hit the Rubicon…the place when she knew they wouldn't turn back…she had worked nights all week and he had worked days. Her last night on the graveyard shift, she had pulled a double. Dead tired, she finally curled up on the couch in her office to look over some files while she waited on the morning staff to come in the morgue…and drifted right to sleep. She had woken to him gently rubbing her back and leaning over to kiss her cheek. "Morning, sleepyhead," he had teased.

She had been startled she had slept so long…and offered no resistance as he pulled her into his arms for a good morning kiss…trying not to pay attention to Nigel's and Bug's laughter from the hallway. "Good morning to you, too," she told him. He had helped her with her coat and walked her out to her car. "Busy tonight?" he asked.

Yawning, she shook her head. "Nope. Not a thing on the agenda."

"Then go home, sleep the afternoon away, and I'll be by at seven with dinner and a movie."

He had brought Chinese and a DVD she hadn't seen before…curled up on her couch they began to watch the latest Tom Hanks movie, settling into a familiar position….Him lying on the couch on his side and her cuddled up next to him, his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Many times they had fallen asleep together like this, either at her apartment or his, passing the night away, just holding each other.

But tonight, that didn't happen.

She wasn't sure when Woody had decided that he would like their relationship to move to the next stage, but when the movie was over, he had turned the TV off with the remote and shift his weight so she was lying on her back. He gently brushed the curls out of her face, and then trailed the back of his hand down to her chin, lifting it slightly so their lips would meet.

They had kissed. Many times. But tonight was different. Woody's lips had always held a sweet softness that set Jordan's heart racing. But tonight…tonight was different. There was an underlying passion this time. She wound her arms around his neck, and ran her fingers through his hair, feeling his kisses deepen. His hands skated down her sides to her hips, pulling her to him…When his mouth finally left her lips to trail down her neck and across her collarbone, she caught her breath and bit her lip.

"Woody," she said, softly… "What are you doing?"

His amused laughter answered her question first… "What do you think?"

"Are you sure? I mean now?"

He dropped a quick kiss to her lips and looked her in the eyes. "Yes. Unless you feel like you need to wait…"

The quick shake of her head made his grin kick up more at the corners of his mouth. He rose from her couch then and held out his hand…just like he had done so many times in the past at her father's bar…when he wanted her to dance…And just as she had then, she took it and allowed him to lead the next steps.

It was with soft laughter and fumbling hands they helped each other undress in her bedroom. She chuckled at the trouble he had with her bra clasp. He grinned when he discovered she was just a bit ticklish in certain spots. When he finally backed her over to the bed and followed her down, he paused just a minute to smooth her hair back and look in her eyes… "I love you, Jordan," he quietly admitted.

She stilled under him, holding his gaze with her own… "I love you, too…." He kissed her again then…deeper than before.

Her touch had been the softest he had ever known…trailing down his chest and over his waist, then up and over his back, pulling him closer. He responded by sliding down her body, softly kissing his way to her navel and then back up to her lips, sliding his thigh between her legs…

He took his time, making sure she was with him every step of the way, not holding back anything, noting each soft moan or sigh she gave. When he finally felt the clinching of her body around him, he smiled to himself, but soon was following her right over that edge, collapsing in her arms at the end.

For long moments, they both just lay there….not saying anything, making the minutes and the feelings last just as long as they could. Finally, it was Jordan who broke the silence. "Was it worth waiting for?"

His response was a long kiss. "Hmmmm. I think so."

"You think so?"

Woody looked down at her and grinned. "Sorry…bad choice of words. Definitely. Definitely worth the wait." He rolled over on his back and took her with him. "So now what Jordan? We've built a relationship….it's solid…..I love you, you love me…what's next?"

"I think you were right to begin with…we just need to give it time…"

"Are you about ready?" Woody called out to Jordan from the living room of her townhouse.

"Yeah…just need to put her presents in the gift bag and I'll be right out."

Woody smiled to himself. Jordan had been right. The time that they gave their relationship had been good and rewarding. He thought that he knew her well, but had come to find out he didn't know half the complexities that made up her character. In return, his deeper understanding of her had softened her rough edges even more…making her more of a woman than he knew what to do with sometimes.

She had explained to him why she had wanted a baby. How taking care of Joy had not only made her life feel complete, she felt like she was redeeming her soul and her past from everything she had done. "When I picked her up from that bassinet basket and got her to stop crying at the crime scene…all the time I took care of her….I felt like I was somehow making right all the wrongs I had done in my life. She was more than my 'just and noble cause,' she was my key to redemption."

He had nodded and pulled her closer after her confession, but had worried that Jordan felt that she was so flawed that she would never get over that emotion. "Sweetheart, you've done a great deal of good in your life…you've helped victims' families in more ways than anyone else I know…you take care of your friends….you love me." She had smiled through somewhat teary eyes and thanked him. He had worked hard to make sure she knew how much he loved her each day…that she was special just because she was Jordan… Something he was increasingly sure no one else had ever done.

The efforts were sometimes monumental on his part, but the rewards were extremely compelling. Their relationship was as solid as their love for each other. And while no commitment had been spoken between them yet, unbeknownst to Jordan, Woody had put a down payment on a diamond solitaire at a local jewelry store.

"I'm ready," she finally announced, coming from her bedroom. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, she looked the part….of an "aunt" getting ready to go to see her niece. Joy had come back into Jordan's life. The child's aunt and uncle had returned to the states when his tour of duty was over in Germany and had asked Jordan to play an active role in Joy's life again. A role that Jordan assumed with great gusto…and indulgence. Woody shook his head. He had never seen anyone agonize so long in the toy store over whether to by an educational toy or one that was just plain fun. In the end, she had bought both. And three outfits.

"You're going to spoil her, you know that, don't you?" he asked her as they were leaving.

"That's my job…I'm her aunt…I can spoil her and give her back."

"Just remember, Jordan Marie….payback is hell. When you finally have a baby, someone will do the same thing to you."

"Yeah, well…that's probably several years off and I'll worry about that then."

Woody grinned and started the car. Just let her keep thinking that….