Chapter 4

Alex was in the kitchen cleaning up the omelets she had made them for dinner. She could hear Bobby pacing the floor, thinking through their strategy for dealing with Nicole. He would have a hard time sleeping tonight, but she really was worried that he must get some rest to deal with Nicole. She always seemed to slip through their fingers. And this time, she had Gavin Haynes to protect her. She dried her hands on the cup towel and set the coffee maker up for lots of coffee in the morning, and remembering her promise to the Captain, she set an earlier start time so they could get up and get going.

She walked into the living room. "Bobby? What's on your mind?" She tried to keep her tone nonchalant, as if he wasn't worrying the whole situation to death. She was pleased when he sat next to her on the couch. She surreptitiously checked her carpet for wear patterns from his pacing.

"Thanks for dinner Alex. I really do feel better. Who would have thought that an omelet could serve as comfort food?" His mood had lifted greatly. A little wine, a little food, things were looking up Alex thought.

"Well that is what Kay Scarpetta always served the Lt. on late night dinners to discuss cases."

"Kay Scarpetta?"

"Yeah, you know. The coroner turned wunderkind crime solver? I know, it is probably too pedestrian for you. You don't read such proletarian literature, Goren? I thought you read everything." Alex was pleased to see how they had moved into a teasing conversation instead of the heavy ones they had been having throughout the day.

"No, I've read a few. I just wouldn't have made a food selection based on one of those books." He was smiling at her now. Things were definitely looking up.

"Well, I've got some in the bookshelf over there. Help yourself to them if you want to expand your mind. It's not Smithsonian after all, but still there must be something useful in there. Otherwise I have been wasting my time," she teased.

"I wouldn't say that, the omelet was a good idea. It can't be a total loss."

She smiled at him, so happy that he seemed to be letting the troubles of the world fall off of his shoulders. "Bobby, I'm so glad you seem to feel better. I can't bear to see you beating yourself up like today."

He sighed and leaned his head back against the sofa. "It was a bad day certainly. But then you rode in on your white horse, and brought me back to myself," he turned his head to face her. "I need you Alex. You ground me."

Tears came to Alex's eyes. She reached her hand over to his graying curls and touched them gently. "I need you too Bobby." He surprised her by taking her hand and bringing her palm to his lips, brushing her skin with a kiss.

Alex caught her breath.

Bobby released her hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"No Bobby. Don't apologize. I didn't expect it, but it was not unwanted."

They sat there on the sofa, looking into each other's eyes, unsure what to do now. She moved her hand over to his head, tracing the lines on his forehead, down his cheeks and to his lips. "Bobby, I…" Words failed her.

He took her tiny hand and placed it comfortably in his large one, tracing the lines on her hand with his forefinger. She watched mesmerized as his finger continued its journey past her wrist onto her forearm, past her elbow and up her muscled biceps. Once he reached her collar bone, she could only track it by touch, feeling him tracing the line of her collar bone to her neck, swallowing when he ran his finger across her throat, breathing heavily as his fingers arrived at her lips. Just that one finger, exploring her body that way, barely touching her skin, had her more aroused than she could remember.

She took his finger into her mouth, gently sucking on it, exploring his finger with her tongue, the way that finger had just explored her. He pulled his finger from her, placing both hands on either side of her face, looking deep into her eyes. Slowly, confidently, he brought his face to hers, his forehead resting on her forehead. "Alex?"

"Yes, Bobby?" Her heart was beating fast and her breathing was shallow. She brought her hands up to his face, holding his face as he was holding hers.

"I love you. It's that simple, and that complicated."

Alex reached across the small space that still separated them, pulling his lips to hers. "I love you too, Bobby."