The Temptation of Goren: A Criminal Intent Fan Fiction.

I own only one character: Maria Eames.

Characters:

As in CI, with the addition of Maria Eames (aka Me!), related to Detective Eames (niece). I'm actually 18, but for the purpose of literary licence (and American law), in this story I am 22.

Senior Detective Bobby Goren tapped his pencil slowly and methodically on his neat, orderly desk as his partner, Detective Alexandria Eames rushed into the office, throwing her coat around her shoulders and stuffing what appeared to be a letter in her mouth. Goren cocked his head to one side and studied his partner.

'What's the rush?' he asked simply, leaning languidly back in his chair. Eames spat out the letter and thrust it across to him.

'I am so late! I was supposed to pick up my niece Maria from Boston Airport today and she landed twenty minutes ago!' Eames groaned, grabbing her bag and snatching back the letter. Goren tipped his head to the opposite side.

'Your niece?'

'She's Australian, 22, was a junior detective with Brisbane Homicide before being transferred to Sydney. She's taken a posting here as the new junior detective on the major case squad.'

'I wasn't planning on retiring any time soon,' Goren replied dryly. Eames rolled her eyes at Goren.

'For your information, Maria is a highly intelligent girl. She completed her university degree in Microbiology in high school and was made detective in her first four months with Brisbane Homicide. She speaks Spanish and French and according to her mother, no one has ever beaten her at chess,' Eames said proudly. Goren had the decency to look impressed.

'So when do I get to meet this wonder-kid?'

'Soon, I think,' Eames replied, before shooting out of the door. Goren sat back and chewed on his pencil, before returning to the book he had been reading.

The following day, Goren arrived at his desk at his usual time and set up camp like he usually did. Dragging a manilla folder across his desk to the centre and flipped it open. The major case he was working on didn't require much brain power to figure out, but somehow, to Goren, things just didn't seem to gel properly. Each of the homicides was a kind of riddle, all of which Goren had solved, but somehow, he felt there was a connection between them. It was odd, even for Goren's superior detective skills.

A loud laugh broke into the silence of Goren's thoughts, causing him to jerk his head up past where his right hand had been rubbing his forehead. Above the neat piles of paperwork, Goren could make out the top of Eames' head, as well as D.A Carver's head, along with a mass of copper curls that he didn't recognise.

Trying in vain to spot the mystery visitor from around the mountains of paper, Goren stood up. The floor was empty, and Carver was reading a file with a smile on his face. Goren left his office and strolled unhurriedly over to the D.A.

'Carver, what's that?' he asked bluntly upon arrival. Carver smiled and handed him the folder.

'That kid is absolutely amazing, Bobby. You know those homicides that you were working on? Well, Eames' niece found the files last night at home and solved the case in fifteen minutes. Take a look.'

Goren flipped through the files. Straight away, from Eames' niece's notes, he spotted the connection; each riddle had come from a certain book of brain-teasers that had limited release, due to bad sales. Tracking the sales of the book hadn't been a problem and the murders were eventually traced back to the author's wife, who had been bitter over her husband's suicide over his book's flop. Goren snapped the file shut and handed it back to Carver.

'She really is a whiz-kid, isn't she?' he mused.

'She's really funny, too. She was in here earlier with Eames, had me cracking a rib.'

'Yeah, I saw the top of her head. Hilarious.'

Carver shrugged and filed the report.

'Look, you gotta meet her. She's a pretty amazing kid. She's only twenty-two, but you wouldn't believe it to hear her talk. Did her pH.D on Dengue Fever. Fascinating the way she spits on about it. You and her would be great mates.'

Later that night, Goren trudged along the dirty sidewalk that led to his apartment. The filthy street lamps cast a yellow glow on the dark street as Goren's hulking figure made it's way homeward.

A sharp noise caught his infallible ear and he cocked his head swiftly to the left to look point blanc down to his right. A dank alleyway stretched before him, unlit by the municipal lamps. From the darkness, Goren pieced together the image of two people in a struggle. He stepped quickly down the alley, ascertaining that a mugging was happening. He began to run, pulling out his gun from inside his trench coat and pointing it in front of him.
'Hey!' he shouted at the struggle. The assailant looked up, startled to see Goren's heroic figure illuminated by the street-glow, the wind blowing the tail of his coat out like a cape.

'Back off!' Goren shouted. The mugger dropped the victim's bag and took off up the alley. Goren dropped his gun to his side, catching his breath from the athletic overture. The victim slumped against the dumpster. Goren rushed over, sheathing his weapon. He made a quick deduction that he was dealing with a woman, a young woman, so he bent down and draped her arm around his neck and carried her out into the open street.

In the light, Goren noticed that the woman had familiar long, curly copper hair, smooth, tanned skin and blue eyes. He also noticed that she was incredibly short, only 5'4" to his 6'4". She was also suffering from shock.

'Oh thank you, thank you so much,' she sobbed into his jacket, speaking in a strange accent. Goren, overcome by the show of emotion, swallowed and hugged her politely.

'There, there, it's all over now,' he said softly. The young woman looked up at him in gratitude, which quickly changed to recognition.

'Detective Robert Goren?' the woman asked disbelievingly. Goren was struck dumb for a moment.

'How did you know my name?' he asked, aghast. The woman smiled warmly.

'Eamesy told me all about you in her letters. Let me introduce myself,' she said, extending a hand. Goren took it gingerly.

'I'm Junior Detective Maria Lillian Eames, niece of Detective Alexandria Eames.'

'I still don't know how you recognised me,' Goren said as they headed back down the street. Maria shifted her bag on her shoulder.

'She described you well, Detective. 6'4", brown eyes, fair skin, curly yet slightly wavy hair highlighted with grey... you fit the profile.'

'You can stop calling me Detective. Everyone calls me Bobby.'

'Eamesy doesn't. She always calls you Goren in her letters.'

'Oh well. Goren or Bobby. Take your pick. But what I don't understand is what you were doing in the alley in the first place. Surely Eames would have told you that it just isn't safe these days in dark alleys? Or are the alleys in Brisbane a lot safer?' Goren joked. Maria laughed.

'No, Goren, the alleys in Brisbane are worse. In Brisbane, you are more likely to get murdered than mugged. I was on my way back to Eamesy's place from the newsagency when I got dragged off the street and into the alley and that... that... fiend,' Maria spat with vehemence, causing Goren to suppress a surge of appreciation for the spirited woman's extended vocabulary, 'began to hit me and demand my bag.'

'What did you tell him?' Goren chuckled.

'I told him to shove it up his rhetorical end,' Maria said promptly, causing Goren to break into uncontrolled laughter such that he had never experienced. He wasn't really laughing at her, moreover he was laughing at her actions in the face of danger. Maria just smiled and shook her head. Goren wiped his eyes and shrugged deeper into his coat.

'Oh dear, that was amusing,' he chortled boyishly. Maria flashed him a grin, causing Goren's face to flush, much to his embarrassment. Maria flicked her long hair back over her shoulders.

'Would you like me to walk you home?' Goren offered politely, holding his arm out in a gentlemanly fashion. Maria cocked her head to one side, smiling sweetly.

'Why Robert, that's very sweet of you,' she said softly, taking his arm. Goren grinned.

'Please, call me Bobby,' he said, as they turned the corner onto Eames' street.

The following day at work, Goren was surprised to see Eames and Maria come in together, chattering away and laughing at a private joke. Goren was surprised to feel that he wanted in on the joke. Maria was wearing a pair of dark denim jeans, broken-in runners and a white blouse, which Goren found to be extremely sexy on her. Her hair was swept up into a high pony-tail and she was wearing large hoop earrings with green centrepieces.

She spotted him from across the room and waved delightedly. Goren grinned slightly and gave a small, half-wave in his usual style, trying to down-play the racing of his heart. He looked down at his case files. She's twenty-two, Goren reminded himself. She's young enough to be your daughter...

'Hey, how's it going?' came the familiar voice. Goren looked up to see Eames and Maria standing in front of his desk. Goren smiled quickly.

'Hey again,' he replied briefly yet smoothly. Eames looked puzzled.

'You two have met?' Eames said, looking from Maria to Goren. Goren waved his hand.

'We met last night, actually. She was getting mugged and I was going home,' Goren said simply. Maria looked guilty as Eames gave her a furious look, but dropped the subject.

'Well, I'll leave you two to get better acquainted, while I drop these files into Carver,' Eames said as she swept off. Goren's eyes followed her out of the room, before scanning back to Maria. He leant back in his chair. Maria leaned on his desk. Goren was secretly pleased with the way she was looking at him. It was the same calculating look he gave people when he was summing them up.

Unbeknown to him, Maria was taking in far more. She studied his languid, elegant self-assurance; his muscular frame heavily set. Her eyes trawled the silvery waves of his hair, the curve of his determined jaw and his bright and intelligent eyes. She even noticed the soft lines that had begun to sculpt themselves into his gently sloping forehead. All in all, she found him very sexy, much to her own surprise. He was just her type.

Goren tilted his head and grinned.

'What are you lookin' at?' he said playfully. Maria smiled at him.

'Nothing, just summing you up like a lab experiment,' she said mysteriously. Standing up, Maria pirouetted and walked back to Eames' office. Goren watched her leave, his pencil sneaking back to his mouth as his eyes fixed on her swaying hips. He let the pencil rest on his lower lip, enjoying the image for as long as it lasted. Sitting upright, Goren dragged his notebook over to the centre of his desk and traced her name absent-mindedly in it. Over and over again.

Maria stopped off at Goren's desk after work, as he was packing his briefcase with incredible neatness. She watched him for a moment before breaking his concentration.

'Hey there, you,' she said softly, but Goren didn't look up.

'I knew you were there, Maria,' Goren said, his back to her. Maria smiled at his hunched figure.

'What did you want?'

'I wanted to thank you for what you did for me last night in the alley-way. Do you dance?'

'Eames tell you that?'

'No, but you have the feet for it.'

'Yes, I do dance, actually. Why?'

'Well, there's a ballroom dancing class that Eames signed me up for before I got here. Said it would help me make friends. I was wondering if you could show me a few steps before I go, then maybe come with me?' Maria said nervously. Goren turned around, highly aware of the stilted nature of her request, leading him to deduce that she had feelings for him. He smiled at her in a charming way.
'What are you doing tonight?' he asked. Maria shrugged.

'Nothing, why?'

'When is the class?'

'Thursday night. Two nights from now.'

'If you wanted to, we can grab some Chinese, then you could come back to my place for a quick lesson,' Goren said thoughtfully, tapping his pencil against his lips. Maria watched him like a hawk, desperately fighting the desire to be the pencil...

'Maria?' Goren said, snapping her out of her day-dream.

'Yeah? Yeah. Sure, that sounds like a good idea,' Maria said, composing herself. Goren grinned.

'Then I'll see you around seven?' he asked. Maria smiled.

'You bet,' she said, escaping Goren's attention by scampering out of the room. Goren chuckled to himself. She was cute and very smart, but she was so naive.

Bobby opened the door for Maria as she stumbled over the mat at the door into his meagre living room. As he went into the kitchen to get her a glass of wine, she looked around and whistled softly.

'I guess being a detective doesn't pay as much as it used to,' she said as he re-entered the room, carrying to full glasses. He handed her one and clinked it against his own.

'Not when you're on your own,' he admitted, draining the glass in a swift gulp. Maria took a sip of the rich wine and set it down on his coffee table. Goren began shifting the furniture out of the way, clearing an area to dance in. Maria gave him a hand, which halved the time. Goren dusted off his hands and looked at her.

'So what dance did you really want to learn?' he asked. Maria's eyes lit up.

'Do you know how to tango?' she asked excitedly. Goren laughed and nodded, stepping swiftly over to the stereo and pulling out some old Spanish music records.

'Wait!' Maria called, bounding over as she rummaged in her bag before retrieving a battered CD. Handing it to him triumphantly, she grinned up at him. Goren raised an eyebrow at her.

'Put on track thirteen,' she instructed. Goren looked at her.

'Who is Guy Sebastian?' he asked. Maria's mouth dropped open.

'He is only the most influential Australian R'n'B artist today!' she said, as if Goren was asking her who Albert Einstein was. Goren shook his head and loaded the CD. Taking his place with her in the centre of the room, the song's first bluesy bars blasting out of the speakers as Goren swung into action. To his surprise, Maria moved like water; following his every move, responding to his every touch.

'You got me with your oh oh,' Guy's honeyed voice rocked out as Goren kept up the pace. He was quite impressed with the song, At the dramatic finish, Goren dipped Maria right back and she fell onto his couch, laughing as he toppled after her and landed on top over her. As they both stopped laughing, Goren became increasingly aware of the close proximity of their bodies. He could feel every line of her body pressed against his. He eased his weight off her a little, but the scent she was wearing was intoxicating; filling his senses, dragging his head lower.

Maria reached up with a free hand and traced his jaw-line softly with one finger. Goren couldn't take it anymore. He leant down and let his lips caress hers softly; his tongue gently finding entry into her mouth and exploring its sweetness. Maria pulled him closer, enjoying the feeling of this enigmatic man's passion. As he came up for air, Maria lessened her grip on his collar. Goren panicked. He leapt up and helped her to her feet.

'I'm... I'm so sorry,' he said quickly. Maria looked at her feet.

'It's my fault. I'm sorry I came on to you,' she murmured. Goren looked at her, horrified.

'No! I shouldn't have kissed you. It's my fault,' he said, falling silent quickly.
Maria looked up at him. Goren looked down at her. The gap between them closed fast as they fell back into each other's arms, relishing the sensations they caused in each other. Sweeping her up into his arms, Bobby Goren carried her into his bedroom and shut the door. The last notes of Guy Sebastian's 'Beautiful Life' trilled out of the speakers, leaving the empty living room silent.

Maria lay in bed next to Goren, twirling a curl of chest hair around her index finger as he lay there, propped up against the wall and pillows, her head on his chest. He stroked her hair, images of their night of passion running through his head. He sighed happily, closing his eyes and enjoying the pressure of Maria's head against his body. He really couldn't imagine a time when he had been happier.

Maria began humming under her breath. Goren sat up properly and looked down at her.

'What are you singing?' he asked. Maria smiled at him sleepily.

'It's track two off that album, called Kryptonite,' she mumbled, burrowing her head against him again. Goren cocked his head inquisitively.

'You plan to tell me how it goes?' he asked. Maria rolled over and sighed.

'The words are: From the very second, baby I already knew, I'd end up head over heels in love with you. Turns out, I'm right, yeah,' Maria crooned. Goren nodded.

'I believe you,' he whispered. Maria looked at him.

'You know more about me than you are letting on, don't you?'

'You could say that.'

'Then tell me.'

'You were a virgin before tonight.'

'I don't want to know how you knew that.'

'Really? I would have thought that a person who had so much experience kissing then so little experience in the bedroom that I had to do most of the work would have been dying to know.'

'Oh, shut up,' Maria groaned. Goren chuckled deeply and continued.

'You also own a cat that you left in Australia.'

'Explain.'

'You had black cat fur on your polar fleece jacket yesterday. Eames is allergic to cats, so it's easy to tell that you had a cat in Australia but you didn't bring it with you.'

'Anything else?'

'You were raised as an only child, by your mother.'

'Okay, how did you work that one out?'

'Because,' Goren said, rolling her onto her back and covering her body with his, 'You are just like me. Sharp thinker, gentle, shy yet sophisticated and utterly delectable.'

Maria laughed and held his face in her hands.

'You are a very smart man, Robert Goren,' she said. Goren smiled.

'One would hope so, Maria Eames.'

'Then you should be able to deduce one more thing.'

'What's that?'

'That I'm head over heels in love with you.'

Goren grinned and gently kissed her.

'That I could have told you before you told me your name,' he said. Maria just smiled.