Title: Pursuing Lindsay
Author: Calie
Summary: Takes place at a NY police dept. fundraiser that allt he CSI's attend. Since they aren't in their work environtment Danny takes this opportunity to pursue Lindsay.
"Am I the only one that doesn't get a dance?"
Clothing brushed Lindsay's bare back but it wasn't that feeling which made her catch her breath. It was the soft male voice in her ear that caused her excitement.
When she turned to face him, a warm welcoming smiled graced her face; Danny knew she wasn't going to tell him no. He hadn't seen her come in but as she approached their group to say hello, he couldn't help but stare.
She had known he was standing close to her but she wasn't prepared for the small proximity between the two of them when she did turn around and found herself forced to tilt her head back to look up into his face. He wasn't really smiling or even being serious. It was more of a smirk and something else that made her nervous. Why he had to be so close and look so wonderful in his suit she had no idea. "Well you never asked."
As the current song come to a close, he held out his hand and said "I guess I timed it perfectly then." Her eyes looked to his hand and then she placed her own in his. When Lindsay looked back up at him he smiled and led her to the dance floor.
Even though the fund raiser had been going on for two hours, there were still a lot of people on the dance floor. The free food and alcohol could have been a contributing factor. Lindsay wouldn't admit it to anyone but even she'd found herself drinking three glasses of wine which had left her with a light feeling. When they took there places, Danny placed his other arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She should have been worried about how excited it made her to be so close to him but all she could do was be grateful for the excuse. "You know I was actually starting to wonder if you did want to dance with me. We hadn't talked much since I got here."
It was true; he hadn't talked much to her. When she'd first arrived he'd said hello and he had told her how nice she looked, which was the truth. She looked nicer then anyone else there. For the rest of the night they hadn't talked, part of the reason was because she had been dancing with other men. A couple he didn't know, most just friends. Then the majority of the time she had spent mingling around the room. "I thought I'd let you talk and dance with all the other losers, that way I wouldn't have any interruptions."
Lindsay was doing her best to try to figure out if he was being serious or just joking with her but she failed. Perhaps it was just a little bit of both. One thing she was sure of was that he was flirting with her. He had always been obvious about flirting with her. Of course Lindsay also suspected that she wasn't the only person he'd probably ever flirted with in the office. So in good fun she tried to respond in kind. She raised and eyebrow and smirked "Really? … Interruptions to what exactly?"
It was always like that between the two of them - back and forth, back and forth. A little bit here and there and then they both would jump away. Danny had her alone now and away from suspecting eyes. On the job, close proximity to her would have brought on suspicion. But here, when he could say he was dancing with her as a friend, no one would know what was said and it wouldn't matter that he had her pressed up against him. "Now that would be telling. I can't give away all my secrets can I?"
Lord she wished he'd stop this flirtation because she couldn't bring herself to. "Secrets to what exactly..?"
Danny shook his head, "Uh, uh, you're not going to figure out my secrets Miss CSI." Then he lowered his head so that he could whisper in her ear. "Maybe you'll find out later though."
Lindsay couldn't tell whether his words where the truth or not and at this point she was too scared to even respond to what he said and remained silent.
Danny wasn't going to let her back away from him that easily but he opted for a topic that might be a bit more straight forward. "I know I told you already Lindsay but you do look really nice tonight." She looked back up at him and gave him that warm smile that he was used to and loved.
"Thank you, you do too." In fact he looked more than nice. He always looked more than nice.
Somebody help him because he had no idea what to say. Whatever it was it had to be right. Luckily she opened up the opportunity for him.
"How come you haven't been dancing? I saw you with a couple of people from the lab but that's it. You can't tell me Danny Messer couldn't convince any girl in here to dance with him?" Lindsay did her best to make it sound like a joke but it was really a poor attempt at trying to see if he really had been waiting to dance with her.
"Of course I could." He smiled playfully. "But I told you I was waiting to dance with you. I'm lucky though, at least I don't have to convince you. I have the excuse that we work together."
"Waiting for me..." Lindsay rolled her eyes and looked away uncomfortable. It was her own fault for getting herself into the uncomfortable situation in the first place. "Right…"
There was something more serious in her tone then there had been before and suddenly she wasn't looking at him. He cocked his head to look into her face. "Hey." When she did turn her head to face him he realized he had been correct in his assumption. In fact she almost looked hurt. "I'm serious."
She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't joking. It was the same face he used when he was working, serious and intense, and it almost made her catch her breath to see it. It made her a little more comfortable and scared all at the same time. Then she realized he was still staring at her and his face seemed a little closer. When the hand resting on her lower back that was covered by her dress slid up just enough so that now it was resting on her bare back, her body tensed. His hand put enough pressure on her back that she found herself pulled closer to him. He couldn't be doing what she thought he was, he wouldn't do it, especially not here - Danny Messer could not be about to kiss her. All she could really keep thinking was that she wished everyone in the room would disappear. Without even thinking she placed her hand on his chest and replied softly, "Danny, there are hundreds of people in here..."
At first he made no reaction then suddenly he smirked, "You're right there are."
All she could do was shake her head. "Lord you can be infuriating." Then he lowered his head and when his cheek rubbed against her own she knew he hadn't done it on mistake.
"You have no idea."
After that dance he never left her side. They didn't dance again but he stayed with her. He got her drinks pulled out her chair and she swore if there was a door to open he would have opened it. They mingled with their friends and coworkers but not once did he leave her side and Lindsay found she didn't mind one bit.
"Hey kids." Flack came up on the side of Lindsey and Danny who where currently sitting alone. "The party is kind of winding down, some of us are getting out of here and heading to a bar a couple of blocks away, do you want to join us? Nobody drove so we figured we might as well keep drinking."
Danny was more than happy to go, but it would have been so much better if Lindsay went as well. He turned to her he smiled, "Can you keep partying or are you scared? Or do they just not party this late in Montana?" Her eyes narrowed at him but it didn't faze him in the least.
"Don't assume." When she turned to Flack she smiled again. "Sure."
"Great." He flashed them both a smiled. "Let's go."
Danny was the first to stand up and when he held his hand out to her she looked up and met his eyes questioningly. That sexy smile still adorned his face and she couldn't help but smile back and take his hand. When she stood up he released her hand and placed his on the small of her back and led her around the groups of people. "You're being very gentlemanly tonight Danny, should I be suspecting something?"
"Why, do you think I'd have some bad intentions towards you?" She stepped closer to his side to avoid a man walking and managed to move his hand slightly to wrap around her waist.
"No," She didn't believe that for a moment, but how honest his intentions where she wasn't sure. "But you do like to flirt."
He couldn't help but smile and waited till they were closer to their group before he responded. "You don't have to worry about me flirting with you anymore Lindsey, but you might want to be concerned as to what comes next."
When she turned to him he would have seen the shock on her face if it wasn't for the fact he had released her waist and already started to engage Mac in conversation. Now she found himself glaring at him. He'd said nothing that she didn't want to hear but it drove her crazy that he could do this to her. Just shock her and turn her into putty in his hands with only a few words. What he meant by it she wasn't sure but she would swear he was trying to seduce her.
"Ready?"
The voice wasn't Danny, and Lindsay found herself somewhat relieved. She really needed a break from him. Everything he was saying and doing was overwhelming her. She smiled at Stella and nodded. "Sure."
He hadn't planned on letting her go like that but Danny also had a sneaking suspicion she'd walked with Stella for a reason. If Danny hadn't already suspected she felt the same way he did, he would have felt a little defeated. So maybe he had been coming on a little strong but if she was that uncomfortable with it she could have walked away from him at anytime. So he walked in silence with another group of guys, the whole time watching her walking ahead with Stella. Not once did she look back but he didn't let it frustrate him. Stella was bound to get wrapped up in Mac again so it wouldn't be long before Lindsay was on her own. Upon reaching the bar Mac stepped ahead of everyone and opened the door. Flack then stepped to the front and led them to the back of the bar allowing Danny to find himself right behind Stella. When they did find an empty space Danny stepped behind Lindsey and placed a hand on her hip. She jumped and turned. "Sorry, would you like anything."
It wasn't that he scared her, it was the intimate touch that surprised her. She had half expected it to be him and relief washed over her when she saw that it was. "Oh I'll get it Danny, that's okay."
"You said it yourself; I've been a gentleman all night. Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't buy you a drink?" When she smiled at him any worries he had been having began to melt away.
"Okay." As Danny walked away, Lindsay tried to listen and participate in the current conversation but all she could think about was Danny. She was confused about his sudden actions towards her. She knew she liked him but the fact that they worked together constantly had forced her to hold those feelings at bay. It surprised her that Danny would allow himself to act like this. He had always been very committed to his work and she had never felt like he would do anything that would affect it - including an interoffice relationship. That is if he was even trying to pursue a relationship with her. Before she could worry herself over that aspect he had returned.
"Here you are."
Lindsay turned around and took the drink from him with a thank you. They remained facing each other in silence while Lindsey sipped her drink. What she wanted to do was ask him what the hell was going on. The man really was infuriating. It wasn't fair that he could say all these things to make her uncomfortable and speechless. Nothing he'd said to her tonight gave her any hint as to what he really wanted, everything was hidden behind jokes and teasing. "Danny, you said you were serious earlier remember?"
He nodded. "Yea I remember." Mac suddenly moved away from the groups and nudged his way through the crowd and behind Lindsey. "Watch out." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him to allow Mac room to squeeze through.
The nervous feeling she received in her stomach made her catch her breath. Without thinking she looked behind her and saw Mac excusing himself and walking towards the bar. Danny's hand fell away but neither one of them had moved back to their original positions. When she had turned back to him she took a second to collect her thoughts. "So what comes after flirting Messer...?"
Was she supposed to ask him? No. She was just supposed to wait and find out. How she was supposed to find out he hadn't been to sure. But she wasn't supposed to put him on the spot. Hoping for an answer to be in the bar somewhere Danny looked around. Stella was gone he noticed and Flack had made busy with talking with some girl that Danny didn't know but he recognized her from the lab. If Mac and Stella could stray off so could he. "Wanna go for a walk?"
No she couldn't. She couldn't go anywhere with him alone. He'd have her putty in his hands again. She couldn't help herself though, she wanted to know what he was going to do and she wanted him to do it. "Sure."
Danny quickly let Flack know they were leaving. "Hey Flack." When the man looked over at him he continued, "Lindsay's going home, so I'm just going to head out and catch a cab with her to make sure she gets home okay." Needless to say Flack wasn't all that worried about their exit. He waved to them and turned back to the woman.
Walking side by side was impossible in the crowded bar so Danny settled for grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd. They were in a rather nice part of town with expensive hotels, restaurants, and stores littering the street. Danny was pretty confident they could walk down the street and not worry about being bothered.
"Lord," Lindsay exclaimed when they exited the bar. "It's so crowded in there." They just stood there in silence while Danny looked up and down the street. "So where are we going?"
"Well that hotel at the other end has a nice bar." He pointed to the other end of the street from where they had originally come from. The bar was in fact very large and dim which made it much easier for him to be with her in a somewhat private place.
"Sure." They walked side by side in silence for a moment, the only sound being the loud clacking of her high heeled shoes. "Next time we walk this far let me know, I'll wear better shoes."
"I could carry you." He joked as grabbed her hand to gently pull her into crossing the street with him.
"That is quite unnecessary." But she smiled at him regardless. Then the silence began again until Danny broke it.
"Right here." Danny allowed Lindsay to walk in front of him up the large steps but opening the door for her wasn't necessary. A hotel worker was already there waiting.
"Oh this is lovely." Upon entering the hotel she stopped and looked around. No time in the near future would she be able to afford a hotel like this.
Danny only nodded. He'd been there a couple of times and even took an old girlfriend there for their anniversary. It was large, luxurious, and expensive. The good thing was they were ensured some privacy. "Over here." He placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to the right.
Her surprise didn't end with her entrance to the hotel. It only increased when they entered through the frosted glass doors of the bar. It was dark, only lighted but a few dim lights hanging from the ceiling, candles on tables, and the light from the bar. There were tables and chairs and couches along the wall. "Danny this is lovely. But we didn't have to come all the way out here."
He shrugged again and looked around for a place to seat, preferably somewhere in the back, private, and dark. "I thought you'd like it. Come on."
When he took her hand she anxiously allowed him to pull her through the bar. There were quite a few empty tables but he stopped at none of them. When he did stop they were practically in the back.
"I'll get us something to drink, alright?"
"Danny you don't have to-" but she was cut off when two of his fingers covered her lips. It physically wasn't enough to stop her from talking but the intimate gesture stopped her from speaking.
"Take a seat Lindsay." She nodded silently and he smiled.
While he was gone a million things ran through her head. What he was going to say, what she was going to say, what he might do, how she would react, and some thoughts even strayed to a bedroom. All Lindsey could do was tell herself that she'd just wait and see what he had to say. When Danny did come back he was empty handed. She opened her mouth to ask what happened then she spotted a waitress trailing behind him with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She couldn't help but laugh when the waitress placed them on the table. "Danny a whole bottle... Are you trying to get me drunk?"
He took a seat on the couch next to her and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Trust me, I wouldn't need to get you drunk."
Immediately she opened her mouth to reprimand him but he had turned back to the waitress and was tasting the small glass of wine she had poured. When he nodded she filled up the other glass and placed the wine back on the table. When the waitress walked away she turned back to him. "This is really nice." Then she looked him curiously, "So, is this what you do after flirting."
He smirked at her. "Hmm, some of it."
"Well then answer my question; you said you weren't flirting with me anymore. So what do I have to be concerned about now?" One of his hands came out of nowhere and threaded through her hair. There was no question about what was next. He was going to kiss her. When his did mouth did finally touch hers she gasped. His lips sucked hers gently then his tongue slid against her lips.
A tiny moan came from her when she opened her mouth to him. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, Danny wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Kissing her was okay, but it was wrong that he wanted push her down onto the sofa just then. He wasn't supposed to want her yet.
His hand must have closed in her hair because she could feel the strands tug gently. Lindsay desperately tried to pull herself closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
She looked wonderful in the dress but Danny wished for a normal shirt at that moment so he could slide his hands up her back. The only access to this dress was from the bottom which he had a feeling would be totally inappropriate or from the zipper which would reveal way too much to the public for Danny's taste. If anyone got to see what was under her dress it was going to be him. Instead he settled for sliding his hand up her side and just brushing the side of her breast.
She hadn't thought she would want him so much or that she'd want to get so close to him. It took everything in her not to throw a leg over his lap and straddle him. She had to stop because either she would attack him or she would drive herself crazy trying to control herself. Gently she put her hands on his shoulders and pulled back. When she opened her eyes and saw his face she shuddered. Looking at him only made her want him more.
"What's wrong?" He released her hair and brushed the loose strands form her face.
She didn't speak while he brushed her hair away. All she wanted to do was concentrate on the feeling of his hands. When he stopped and rested his arms on the seat behind her she spoke. "Nothing, it's just kind of public I guess."
"Well we could have gone somewhere more private but I think it would have led a little farther than we were prepared for." She smiled and turned back to grab her glass of wine. While Lindsay sipped her wine she well aware of him openly staring at her. Feeling a little bolder she turned to him and decided to call him on it. "You're staring at me." He didn't say anything but simply smiled at her then turned back to his wine. They were still so close to one another, his arm was draped over the back of the couch behind her and her body hadn't moved from its position of facing him. The arm that rested on the sofa moved and his hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her to him.
When her lips made contact with his again she released a whimper and grasped the lapels of his suit jacket in her fists. If kissing her meant he'd have to hear those wonderful tempting noises he didn't know how he'd ever stop. His other hand moved from his lap and rested on the side of her silk clad thigh.
Lindsay was aware of every movement and touch from Danny. His fingers clenched and unclenched in her hair, his leg pressed against her own, his breath on her face, his other hand resting on her thigh, and the feel of his thumb caressing her leg through her dress. His hand on the back of her head moved away and rested on her shoulder. Kissing him was wonderful and intense, but when his hands and fingers moved over her body she found she could hardly concentrate. His hand slid down her neck to her shoulder, pushing the spaghetti strap off her shoulder. Lord have mercy on her he was going to drive her over the edge. "Danny." She mumbled against his lips but she was pretty sure he understood her.
He only pulled away slightly so that he could speak. "What?"
"Don't you think we should slow down?" His lips touched her again but this time it wasn't her lips. He started at her jaw and made his way slowly to her ear.
"Why?" He brushed his lips gently against the smooth skin of her neck and pressed soft kisses to her warm skin.
"Because we…." His hand had left her shoulder and his fingers trailed underneath the neck of her dress and gently brushed the tops of her breasts. Because Danny was so close to her and that hand was on the side of the back of the couch she knew no one could see. Yet it still made her nervous. "Danny." His fingers made another path back up to her shoulder and she could swear his fingers had dipped slightly lower.
He knew she said his name in an attempt to get him to slow down again but it was the shaky whisper of her voice that drove him crazy. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to make her say his name like that again or if he was really lucky one day for her to scream it.
"We work together Danny. You can't just fool around with me then go back to being just co-workers like nothing happened."
Reluctantly he pulled away and rested his arm on the couch again for support so that he could lean forward. His other hand still remained on her leg. "You think I'm going to try and seduce you then go back to work and forget it ever happened."
"No, I-" His hand gripped her thigh suddenly and he interrupted her.
"Why would you think I would do that to you?" Her eyes softened and she even looked a little hurt.
His words had seemed almost angry and his look was no longer the one from only moments ago.
"No Danny." Not only was she hurt by the change in his attitude but she felt slightly guilty for saying what she had. "I-" She stopped for a moment and tried to figure out how to approach this with him now. If Lindsey were to reassure Danny about something seven hours ago it would have been as a friend. Now it was totally different. It was hard to readjust to this change in their relationship. "I just don't want to rush into anything until I know what is exactly going on."
He noticed in his silence that her strap was still hanging off her shoulder. It was just a small detail but it drove him crazy seeing her bare shoulder. "I'm not going to try to go back to being just co-workers or act like nothing happened." He slid her strap back up her arm and turned a little towards the table to his glass of wine.
His words should have been comforting but it was his attitude that made her wary. For a few moments she just watched him and sipped her own wine. He quickly downed his own and poured another glass. Something was bothering him still she could tell. "What is it Danny?" He didn't say anything and just refilled her glass which was nearing empty. "Look you can't just kiss me like that and now not talk to me."
Danny wasn't sure what it was that was bothering him. Part of it was that he knew she had been right. They had jumped right into it which wasn't a good idea when you worked with someone. It also still bothered him that she hadn't been sure about his intentions. Then he found himself thinking about what he really did want from Lindsay. Danny had known he'd wanted her for a while now and would pursue her, he just hadn't thought about after that. So now he was trying to figure that out. It was true that he didn't want to just ignore what happened tonight but he'd never actually thought of dating Lindsay and being in a relationship with her if it came to that. A clink of glass drew his attention and he looked over to see her tapping away at the stem of her wine glass. He knew he was making her nervous. Even though he wasn't sure what to say yet he grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through it.
"Danny if that isn't what you want then what do you want?" The intimate touch eased her worries a little but it still didn't tell her what was wrong.
He wanted her he knew that. He couldn't work with her everyday and just forget about it. Danny released her hand and turned to look at her. He brought his hands up to her face and brought his lips to hers for a gentle kiss then brought his hands down to rest on her shoulders as he brought his lips to her ear. "I want you. I want to kiss you right now. I want to be able to take you out again, I want to be able to reach out and touch you when I want to. Do you know how much I want you Lindsay? I want to know how you feel against me without your clothes on and be able to run my hands over your body. I want to know what it feels like to be inside of you and what it sounds like to hear you scream my name."
He wasn't supposed to talk to her like that because all she wanted to do then was let him have her. "But that's not all you want right?"
She sounded more like a scared little girl when she asked him that question. He could understand her not wanting to be used. "No, its not… I didn't notice you because of how you looked Lindsay, although you look great." She laughed softly and he smiled. "I even like you when your elbow deep in decomp. There's something about the way you just dig right in."
She'd had enough of reassurances for the moment, now all she wanted was for him to kiss her again. "So, are you going to kiss me then?"
Danny could never deny a request from her like that.