We got back home from the case around 11pm. We departed without much conversation; we were all a little shook up.

Instead of driving home, I took a different turn away from the airstrip and drove straight to the apartment complex that I knew he lived in. I read the small board out the front for his name before I pressed the button. He sounded tired when he spoke, "Who is it?"

"Emily." I almost whispered; it felt weird to talk at a normal volume when it was dark out with minimal life. A second later I heard the buzz, allowing me entry. I went inside and to the elevator, taking it to the third floor and found him standing in his apartment doorway, waiting for me. I had never actually been here; I just knew it was where he lived. He went inside, motioning for me to come in too and I followed. I waited for him to close and lock the door behind me before I spoke. "I know that you think that all I want is sex and that you don't want to be just a booty call, but tonight I really need it. Please?"

He gave me a sympathetic look, "Do you deal with difficult cases by having meaningless sex?" I didn't reply, which was enough of an answer. "Let me make you something to eat and get you a drink, and then I can help you out." He tilted his head, waiting for agreement.

I nodded and followed him into the small kitchen. I sat at the counter island as he began to remove ingredients from his fridge and pantry. "I don't want to talk about it," I said, breaking the silence. He looked at me questioningly, so I continued, "I know that you want to ask about the case and make sure that I am okay, but I don't want to talk about it. At least not tonight."

He nodded and slid a glass of scotch over to me, four ice cubes floating in it. "I'll wait for you to want to talk about it."

I ate most of the small meal he had prepared for me, but not all of it. Working a case that brutal usually left me unable to eat too much for a few days. I had two more glasses of scotch before he looked into my eyes and cut me off. "I'm sorry for coming here tonight. Did I wake you?"

"No, and don't apologise," He pulled me up from the stool and kissed me gently, one hand holding mine and the other snaking around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I sighed into it and returned it eagerly, deepening it. His hand let go of mine and went up to tangle in my hair. He pulled it gently, bit my lip, and I let him lead me to his bedroom. He was quite neat for a middle-aged bachelor. I suppose, he was British, or Welsh as he preferred.

He laid me back onto the bed and then disappeared for half a second. He held his cuffs up with raised eyebrows, asking permission. I nodded quickly and he cuffed both of my hands to the bed. Before I had a chance to even look back at him, his lips were on mine, kissing, sucking, biting. I whined when he pulled away, and then sighed when his lips met my pulse point. He travelled down my body slowly, taking his time to undress me and kiss each part of skin that became exposed as he went. I arched into him before he even got to between my legs.

He watched me with every stroke of his tongue to try and find the perfect spot, and it didn't take him long to have me writhing beneath him. I felt my eyes rolling back as I closed them, letting the euphoria overtake my senses, almost screaming.

He barely gave me time to come down before he entered me, roughly, but soft enough that it didn't hurt. I pulled on the cuffs hard, responding to his force. "Are you okay?" He whispered in my ear before tugging on my lobe and kissing down my neck.

I nodded quickly and lifted my hips to encourage him to go.

I woke in the late morning, around 10. It was Saturday so I knew he had the day off, as did I. I felt his arm over my waist and his chest pressed to my back. I knew he was still asleep by the sound of his breathing. I closed my eyes again and rolled over carefully, snuggling into him as close as I could. I felt his lips press to my hair in his sleep and I smiled slightly. It was nice to have this again.

It must have been an hour before I gave up on trying to go back to sleep. I kissed his cheek lightly as I sat up, moving away gently to not disturb him. I threw on one of his shirts and left the room quietly. Most British people I knew kept their bath towels in a linen closet instead of in the bathroom itself. I searched for the closet, finding it quickly and getting a towel out.

I had a quick shower and then went to the kitchen to make up some coffee. I waited for it to finish brewing before pouring out two mugs and taking them back down the hall to his room. I set them on his nightstand before sitting beside him and kissed him lightly to wake him up. "Hey," He smiled lazily as he woke, "I could get used to waking up to you."

I looked down, "Thank you for last night. For understanding that I needed it. I'm going to go." I went to stand but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back down, although closer to him now. He kissed me. "Mick—"

"Where do you have to go?" He cut me off.

"Home. I need to repack my go-bag and do laundry and…" I stopped as he kissed me again, more seductive this time, "…housework."

He kissed me a third time, "Let me take you out for breakfast," I went to decline but he spoke again before I could, "Not just sex, Emily. Let me in."

I looked down again before I sighed and shook my head, "Fine. Breakfast. Get up." I figured I owed it to him.

He didn't take long to shower and dress, and then he guided me out of the apartment with his hand on the small of my back. His light touch sent a shiver down my spine when I first felt his fingers touch me.

I let him lead me to his car and he drove for a short while before pulling up to a cute little coffee shop. We decided to sit at a table outside and ordered coffee before looking at menus.

Once I had decided what I wanted, I found myself watching him. "What?" He asked once he noticed my eyes on him.

"I don't want to tell my team yet. If we're going to do this, then they can't know until I'm ready for them to know. You can't tell them either."

He smiled a wide grin, "So we're doing this! Any other conditions?"

"If it works out and I do tell my team, we have to stay strictly professional at work, especially if our paths cross in the field.
I don't ever want you to meet my mother. It's not you, it is absolutely her."

He was still smiling, nodding, "I can keep it from your team until you're ready, but I would like to be able to tell mine; we're pretty open about stuff.
Professionalism is a given.
If things do work out and we're here for the long-run, could we revisit the mother issue? Is she your only family?" I nodded in response, "Well once we know what's happening between us, can we discuss it again?"

I sighed, "Okay, yeah." Our meals were brought out then and we slipped into light conversation as we ate.

When we finished eating, he asked if I could take a walk to a park around the corner with him too. I was going to decline, but he said that he wasn't done seeing me today yet; that he wanted to spend some more time with me. I gave in and ordered us two more coffees – to go this time – and followed him out of the coffee shop.
"My god you're gorgeous." He complimented, brushing my hair behind my ear. We were sitting on a bench in the park now. There weren't many people here and it seemed like a nice park. I turned my head and met his eyes, smiling. I leant forwards and placed my free hand on his cheek as I kissed him. It was probably the first kiss I had actually initiated while sober. He seemed to think the same thing as he spoke again, "Progress."
I rolled my eyes and sipped my coffee again, looking back to the man throwing a ball for two dogs.

The next night, he called me at about seven and asked if he could come see me. It felt odd to me, seeing anyone that wasn't a part of my team this often. If I was going to do this, then I suppose I would have to adjust.

I told him I would cook us dinner, and he arrived only a half hour later. When he walked into the kitchen, I poured out two glasses of wine and passed him one with a small smile, "Hi."

"Hi," He replied before kissing me. "I'm leaving for a case in Seattle first thing in the morning, so I wanted to see you before I left." I couldn't stop the small smile from forming on my lips. It was nice to be wanted again. "I'm glad we're on the same page." He smiled back.

I turned back to the stove quickly, "I'm making pasta; it's almost done." I wasn't expecting his arms to wrap around my waist. He pulled me back slightly to press my body against his and he moved my hair away from my neck gently before kissing it. I sighed and closed my eyes, putting the wooden spoon down on the countertop.

"How long until it's done?"

"About five minutes." I breathed.

"I can work with that," He spun me around quickly and pressed his lips to mine hard. I felt my legs weaken slightly and his hands moved from my waist down to the back of my thighs. He lifted me and sat me on the countertop to his right. His hands sat on my thighs on either side of him as he continued to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around him, my hands tangling in the hair near the nape of his neck. I felt his hands slowly move up my thighs and to the button and zip on my jeans.

"Now who's the booty call?" I asked quietly between breaths.

"Shut up." He pushed me back to lay down as he yanked my jeans down, taking my underwear with them. He slipped one finger in first to make sure I was sufficiently aroused. He then added two more fingers and held one of my hands with his free one. He watched me as he moved his fingers, finding my spot. It was obvious by the way my body reacted when he hit it.

I squeezed his hand tightly and put my other hand over my mouth as I came, squeezing my eyes shut. I felt him pulling my underwear and pants back up my legs and then I heard the zip as the waistband tightened. I sat up slowly with his assistance and took a second to catch my breath, "What are you doing?"

"I was just getting you started." He smirked before slipping his fingers into his mouth casually. My mouth dropped open as I watched him, and his smirk grew. That was incredibly hot. He turned and went to the basin across the room, washing his hands. He returned and finished the pasta I had been cooking.

After we ate, we only stayed downstairs for one more glass of wine before we went up to the bedroom.

I woke to his alarm this morning. He turned it off quickly and looked at me. "Sorry." He apologised for waking me.

"That's okay," I took his hand and pulled him to me, kissing him, "But I'm going back to sleep."

He chuckled and kissed my temple before getting up. He went into the bathroom and I heard the water start. I was verging on sleep again when he came back in to get his things from the nightstand. I felt his lips press to my temple again, "I'll see you when I get back, love. Stay safe." He whispered quietly, obviously thinking I was asleep.

I opened my eyes once I knew he had left the room and rolled over, pulling his pillow to my chest to hug. I could smell his cologne on it and I fell asleep with my face half buried in it.