Eames woke slowly, stretching and opening her eyes. Frowning, she looked around the unfamiliar room. She had fallen asleep on the couch last night. How had she ended up here, in the bedroom? She looked at the clock on the bedside table. 5:27. She sat up, looking around the room in the semi-dark for her clothes. Damn…where the hell could they be? Oh, wait…she knew where they were. She went to the closet and pulled out a shirt, slipping into it and buttoning it. She was not going to walk around his apartment with nothing on.
She went into the living room, where she found her clothes neatly folded on the easy chair. That was not where she'd left them, but she wasn't going to complain. At least they wouldn't be wrinkled beyond help. She looked over at the couch, surprised to see her partner sleeping there. She'd assumed he was already up. Sometimes, she just could not figure him out. She sat on the edge of the couch beside him and gently caressed his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at her sleepily. He studied her and said quietly, "You look good in my shirt."
She smiled. "Why are you on the couch?"
"Because I put you in the bed."
"And you came back out here to sleep on the couch?"
"I don't want to assume anything, Eames. You brought us here; you set the pace."
"Idiot." She kissed him and went into the kitchen to make coffee.
He came up behind her as she measured coffee into the basket, placing his hands lightly on her waist and resting his cheek against the side of her head. "Why am I an idiot?"
"Because you don't make love to a woman and then sleep on the couch."
He kissed the top of her head. "I have no idea where your boundaries are."
"Are you always like this with a woman?"
"No. Just with you."
"You need to relax, Goren. I am not so fickle that I'll change my mind at the drop of a hat. I stepped into this; I am not going to step away. Are you?"
"No."
She slipped the basket into place and turned on the coffee pot. "Good answer." She turned to look at him, reaching out to finger his shirt. "You buttoned wrong."
He looked down, then shrugged. "You want to shower first?"
"You ever run out of hot water?"
"I don't think so."
"My brothers were notorious for using all the hot water before my sister and I could shower. I think I'll go first."
"There's an overnight bag by the front door," he said. "I ran over to your place and got you some clothes. I figured someone might notice if you showed up to work wearing my clothes."
She studied him carefully. She knew he was a thoughtful guy, but this went a step beyond that. "Thanks, Bobby," she said. She gently reached up and pulled his head toward her, kissing him softly.
After her shower, she returned to the kitchen, where he handed her a cup of coffee, kissed her cheek and headed back toward the bedroom. "Goren," she called. He turned back to look at her. "For future reference, I won't kick you out of your bed."
He grinned. "I'll remember that."
-------------------------------------------------------
Barek was in the squad room when they got there and Logan arrived about ten minutes later. After watching Goren and Eames for a few minutes, they walked over to their desks. Logan leaned forward, placing his hands on Eames' desk. He looked from Eames to Goren. "You look like you feel better, Goren."
"I'm fine, Logan."
"I told you it'd work out. How about lunch today?"
Barek grinned. "Logan's treat."
For once, the lanky cop didn't object. Goren just grinned and Eames said, "Sounds good to me. I think you should decide where, Carolyn."
Logan groaned. "Oh, man, Eames, don't do that to me. Last time she chose where I had heartburn for a week."
"I warned you," Barek said.
Goren smiled. "Always listen to your partner, Logan."
"Yeah, yeah…see you at lunch." He headed back to his desk.