I Can't Claim Innocence

Disclaimer: I might've had sticky fumblings with them in the backseats of cars, but they are not mine.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Nil.

Pairing: Nothing you can prove.

Feedback: Whatever floats your boat.

Summary: Pulling me towards her, she'll feel my breath against her shoulder, and she'll realize just how out of hand this is getting.

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"Later," Eric replied to Calleigh, who was headed out of the break room.

He could still see her blonde hair flowing through the doorframe when Valera spoke.

Matter-of-factly, "I'd so make out with her."

Until that point, Eric had forgotten she was in the room. She was seated in the corner, drinking her cup of coffee. He turned to that corner, quickly.

Smiling, "What'd you say?"

"Delko, you heard me fine."

"I, uh," he looks at the door, wondering how he could've read her so wrong, "didn't know that you're--"

Shaking her head, emphatically, "I'm not."

Huh. "Okay, you're not. But you have feelings--"

"Nope."

He walks towards Valera, and takes a seat across from her at the table. A few minutes pass by; neither one of them speak. Eric wants to speak, but doesn't have the words. Valera has the words, but doesn't want to speak. Eric's a big boy; if he has a question he can ask her. She's an open book to the right reader.

She doesn't have much patience, for certain things.

"She's a good person."

Eric, seemingly having forgotten that she's there, "I know."

"I don't think you do."

Palms flat on the table, showing all his cards, "So tell me."

"She," blushing, not used to being scrutinized, "just seems like a genuinely nice person. I don't really think about it too much."

"But you said you'd make out with her?"

"Well," shaking some hair from her face, "she's pretty, too."

"So that's why you want to make out with her?"

"I said I would make out with her, I never said I wanted to."

Chuckling, "Valera--"

"Let's try this again. Okay?"

He crosses his arms, "You've got my undivided attention."

"That's scary--"

Leaning across the table, "Just finish. Please."

"We could be talking outside, the workday behind us. I could kiss her. Right then. Her lips would be soft, I'm sure. She takes good care of herself; wouldn't stop with just exercise. It would be a gentle kiss. She might be apprehensive at first, but she knows what's going on. She would suck on my bottom lip, and everything else will fall away--"

Eric gets up from his chair, walks over to the other side of the table, and sits down, to the left of Valera.

Their knees touching, "You should--"

Turns towards him, with a whiff of lavender, "Let me finish."

No response, but he moves closer. He likes the smell of the lavender, he tells himself.

Eyes closed, "Her hands would be on my waist, and mine in her hair. Maybe she'll gasp if I shove her against the side of the building. I might forget to breathe when her hand, running up the front of my shirt, finds my lace-clad nipple. She'll squeeze softly enough to be gentle but hard enough to make me firmly cup her ass."

Silence.

"You all right?"

Her eyes reopen, slowly, "I'm good."

"You have quite an imagination."

She shoves him with her shoulder, and smiles.

"I'm not done."

"Really?"

"Where was I? I'd kiss her again, making my way down to her collarbone. I'd take her pulse with my tongue; it's humming. She would run her hands over my breasts again, to make sure I didn't forget that she'd been there before, and then around to my back. Searing fingertips memorizing my ribs, her hands will stop at my hips. Pulling me towards her, she'll feel my breath against her shoulder, and she'll realize just how out of hand this is getting. I would start straightening out my clothes, and then I see something gleam from the corner of my eye. She's holding up the keys to a Hummer; I'm pulling her behind me as we make our way to a more private location."

Unbelievably, "A Hummer? Honestly--"

"The Hummer's been in the lot all day, inside it will be stifling. We don't notice, having created our own humid climate quite a few minutes ago. We stumble into the vehicle, not caring how we land. I'm straddling her thighs and she's freeing the buttons on my shirt from their respective buttonholes. I would run my hands underneath her shirt, and into her bra. There's no under wire so it's easy. Her breasts fit into my hands perfectly; they're firm and between lay a trail of sweat; I put it there. She'll tremble in my hands."

Eric, with sweat on his brow, "That is hot. You have no idea …"

"I have some idea, Eric."

Responding to the quizzical look on his face, "That look you have in your eye is usually reserved for behind closed doors, and is not intended for minors."

"So," his voice lowers, "she was trembling?"

"Yeah. So anyway," she leans closer to Eric.

He raises his eyebrows.

"She'll get my shirt off, finally. I pull her upright for a moment to help her discard her own blouse. Her bra won't be unclasped before my mouth is on her breast, teeth teasing a nipple. She'll hiss; the emitted sound makes me quiver. I might not be able to stop. I'll tear at her pants like they are on fire, ripping three belt loops. I'll get them just past her calves when she pulls me against her; I forget about my own pants. We would grind against each other, the leather seats squeaking in response. The friction is quite …"

Whispering against her ear, "Quite what?"

"Eric? Surprise, surprise."

Looking up, they both see Horatio standing in the doorway. He looks a little confused as to why they are practically sharing a seat.

Fake coughing to muffle embarrassment, "We're just talking. You need something?"

He can tell H is trying not to smirk because of the lines near his eyes.

"You did a good job today," looks at Valera, "you too, Valera."

Her head shoots up, the conversation with Eric forgotten, "Thank you, sir."

"You up for a drink," looking at his watch, "in about an hour?"

Horatio looks somewhat wistfully behind him, down the hallway, "No, thank you. I have plans. Another time."

"Valera? What do you say?"

"Sure. Let me grab my stuff; I'll meet you out front."

They both stand up and walk towards the exit. As Eric leaves he gets a pat on the back from Horatio, but Valera doesn't make it out of the door when Horatio stops her.

"Valera."

"Sir?"

"You and I," he pauses briefly when Calleigh walks up to them, wearing a look similar to the one Eric had earlier.

"We have something in common."

Smiling at Calleigh before turning back to Horatio, "What's that?"

Tilting his head, "We both agree that Calleigh is," he looks at Calleigh, and suddenly it's spelled out for Valera, "a genuinely nice person."

"We do, sir."

She watches Horatio and Calleigh walk off, wondering how she missed that. As long as they're happy, she doesn't care. Her thoughts are interrupted when her phone rings. Looking at the display, 'Eric'.

She starts walking towards the front doors, and thinks, "Eric, huh? I so want to make out with him."