Part 3
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Natalie deliberately didn't look up when Evangeline Williamson came walking past her desk to go see John. She knew the lawyer was only walking past her to make a point as she could have easily reached John's office from the other hallway. It took everything in Natalie to not react, especially when she still felt sore from last night.

But everything she had wasn't quite enough to keep her sitting at her desk. Natalie stood up, conscious of every twinge from her night of passion with John. Every bruise and every hickey. She picked up the pile of files that were to go to the archives and like Evangeline she took an unneeded detour.

With her pulse pounding, Natalie's steps slowed as she reached John's office. Moving slowly so she wouldn't be noticed and could see through the blinds. Her breath caught as she saw John take the other woman into his arms. With a gasp Natalie rushed past and out of sight.

An hour later Natalie was back at her desk trying to bury herself in her work and wondering if perhaps she had made a mistake in letting Bo and Rex convince her to take this job. Maybe she should have just finished her last quarter full-time and gone back to work at Rodi's? As she warred with herself about quitting and standing her ground her telephone rang. With a sigh she saw that it was an internal call from John's extension.

"Natalie Vega. Be right there." Steeling herself, Natalie went to see what John wanted.

"What do you need?" Natalie just bit back a "Sir."

Sensing the coldness in her voice, John's eyes narrowed.

"I saw you lurking outside my office when Evangeline was here."

"I was on my way to the archives."

"And walking past my office is out of your way. I thought we cleared the air already."

"Sure we did. Did you need anything else, Lieutenant?" Natalie schooled her face into impassivity.

"This isn't going to work." John stood up and put his hands on his hips.

"What isn't going to work."

"We have to work together."

"If that's all you wanted to say I'm going to get back to work." Natalie spun around and started towards the door.

"Wait!"

"Did you need something else, Sir?" Natalie turned around, a smirk tilting her mouth.

"We obviously need to talk."

"So talk." Natalie shrugged.

"Not here." John walked around the desk and grabbed her by the arm and walked her to the stairs.

"Let go." Natalie pulled out of his grasp.

"Are you going to come along peaceably?"

"Am I under arrest or something?"

"No." John, one hand on his hip, ran his other hand through his hair and let out a breath. "Will you come downstairs and talk with me?"

"Fine." Natalie led the way to the evidence rooms, the only rooms in the basement. She paused to sign in the log book and waited while he did the same. Then she waited while he took out his key card and let them into the secure area.

"What is it you wanted to say?" Natalie said as the door slammed shut behind them. Her back was to him. She could hear his breathing in the empty hallway.

"I don't want to lose our friendship over this. We need to get past this."

Natalie spun around and pinned him with a glare. "Need?" She sneered?

John grimaced, but before he could speak, he heard the lock mechanism begin to release behind him. He grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her into the closest evidence locker.

He waited until he heard the footsteps pass them and another locker shut before he spoke.

"You mean a lot to me, Natalie. Last night was a mistake. I thought we agreed on that."

"We did. Each time before we made love again. This morning too, come to that."

"Sex. We had sex. I knew…" John sighed and paced around the little space, his hands on his hips again. "I'm sorry you're upset. It's the last thing I wanted."

"You don't know what you want."

"What's that supposed to mean?" John stopped pacing and looked at her.

"Why was last night a mistake?"

"You know why."

"No. I don't. Tell me."

"Because I'm with Evangeline."

"Why?"

Natalie's simple question seemed to flummox the astute cop. Natalie smiled as John's stance took on an obvious air of defensiveness.

"John, tell me. Why are you with Evangeline when you obviously want me? When you don't love her."

"How do you know what's between us?" John triumphantly shot back to her.

"Besides the fact that she parades your entire relationship before all of Llanview? Because I know you. A lot better than she does. And just as intimately." Natalie's last words were full of suggestiveness.

"What goes on between Evangeline and I is none of your business."

"I beg to differ. Especially after last night." Natalie walked up to John cornering him against the door. She could feel the heat pouring off him and could practically hear the wheels of his mind creaking as he sought an out to this confrontation. Natalie made up her mind there and then to stop giving him easy outs. She had done so last night and again this morning. No more. It was about time she fought for what she wanted.

"Natalie, you know I care about you."

"I do know that you care about me. I also know that you want me. Badly." Just like last night Natalie put her hand over him and looked him in the eyes. "Almost as much as I want you. Right now. Right here."

"Natalie." John's voice was a shaky plea.

"I love it when you say my name like that." Natalie slid the zipper of his dress pants down.

He grabbed her wrist.

They stared into each other's eyes. Time ticked past.

Natalie licked her lips and slid her other hand inside his pants to stroke his pulsing arousal. Both of them were panting as Natalie undid the button of his pants with her fingers and pulled his hard on out. With stunning speed John grabbed her other wrist, pulled her flush against him and bent down to ravage her mouth.

As his lips slid down her throat he let go of her hands and she slid her fingers into his hair. He slid his hands up her skirt, she heard his muttered oath as he hastily traced the tops of her stockings over the front of her thigh before he pulled her panties down and plunged his fingers into her wet core.

With a gasp Natalie pulled at his hair and began panting his name.

With a growl John lifted her up, Natalie clamped her thighs around his hips as he plunged into her. Their mouths met, swallowing up their cries as he leveraged her hips up and down around him.

All too soon they were meeting in climax.

Natalie hung onto him as she tried to gather her wits. Wits she knew she would need to face John's expected guilt-motivated resistance. And fear, she realized now. In the moment before he grabbed her other hand and began his ravishment she saw the fear flare fully in his blue eyes. Not a little reticence, not just guilt because of Caitlin and Las Vegas. He was afraid of her. Now that she knew what she was up against she could devise ways to counter it.

John held her heat and weight against him as he leaned, panting and sweating against the door. In his mind he was repeating "wait, wait, wait." He just wanted to feel her against him, smell her, taste her. Just a bit longer, before he had to push her away again. Unconsciously, his fingers tightened and dug into her hips.

Natalie relished his passionate hold on her as she felt him soften and slide out of her. She buried her nose in his neck and breathed in his aroused scent.

As their skin cooled and their breath came back to normal, she suddenly felt cold. It wasn't the stuffy room. It was John.

"Here we go," she said to herself as she straightened her legs.

With a saucy look at him she reached down and pulled her panties back up her legs. She let him see the lacy tops of her stockings before reaching back down to straighten the black leather boots encasing her calves.

She stood up and flipped her hair. She smiled at him, standing against the door, his pants and underwear around his ankles.

"As far as mistakes go, that was a good one."

"Natalie." He tried to scowl, but felt too vulnerable in his undressed state to pull it off. He put his hand out and pushed her back so he could bend down and straighten himself out. He tried not to start at her sexy legs as he unbent back to standing and zipped himself back up. He tried not to stare at the cleavage peeking out at him from the top of her black wine colored shirt.

Natalie debated saying something witty or asking him again why he was with Evangeline, but decided to say nothing. She wasn't going to fill in the silence or direct his thoughts. She could tell he was wishing she would, but she just watched him. She didn't even bother to point out that if he wanted to escape he was blocking the door.

"Natalie, I…"

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Lieutenant McBain? Are you in there? There's been an accident."

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