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A/n hey all, we are up to "Pleasure is my Business." Please enjoy and thank you all for your support.
Reid tried not to let JJ's eyes distract him as he dealt the second poker hand of the evening. They'd gathered in the conference room at Quantico to blow off a little steam and so far, it was going well for Reid. He ignored Morgan's grin and Emily's cool, dark eyes. Hotch had declined and claimed he had too much paperwork to play poker. Rossi simply sat back and watched Reid deal out the next hand with an amused expression.
"Ante up," Reid said without squeaking which always pleased him.
His teammates made their bets with their agreed upon currency of choice, a huge bag of M and M candies, from Garcia's stash in her office. Garcia didn't play but said she'd join them to cheer for Morgan.
"Take him down, Chocolate Thunder," Garcia encouraged her best friend and secret crush.
"No problem, baby girl." Morgan rumbled in response.
"You think so," Reid argued and glared at Garcia who smirked at him.
"Your head is not in the game, pretty boy."
"Less chatter, more playing," Rossi demanded.
Everyone but Morgan discarded cards and took replacements for their hand. "Cocky," JJ observed.
"Confident," Morgan argued.
"Annoying, both of you," Rossi put in. "Let's bet."
They bet and soon, only JJ, Morgan and Reid were in the game. "Show me," Morgan said to JJ. "I know you're bluffing.
"Full house, twos and Queens." JJ showed her cards, "What did you say about bluffing?"
"Oh," Emily said. "Very nice, JJ."
"Doesn't beat my boat," Morgan presented his eights and aces, the dead man's hand.
Reid pursed his lips, an expression of confusion and irritation on his face, then he smiled and laid down a Royal Flush in hearts. "Sorry," he said and clearly didn't mean it. "Once again, it's nice doing business with you."
Morgan narrowed his eyes. "That's two in a row. Why do I try?"
"More," Reid asked innocently.
"Nope, that's enough for me," Rossi said. "I'm going home to double and a cigar."
"Come on, baby girl," Morgan tugged Garcia to her feet. "Let me buy you a slice of pie at Captain Jack's."
"I think I'll go home and crash," Emily said. "See you later."
Reid had collected the cards and was making them fly through his hands. "How about another game, JJ?"
"I don't think so. I'm in the mood for a nice long soak in the tub and bed."
Reid's eyebrows went up. "Want company?"
"Nope, you should've thought about that before you used your talents to win and don't bother denying it. I know you too, well, Spencer Reid."
She left him sitting alone and after a few minutes of thought, he got to his feet and decided that one night alone wouldn't kill him.
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Two weeks had passed since JJ's return to the team and the revelation of their relationship. Reid loved that she had returned to work, but there was something missing, and he couldn't decide what it was. On this morning, a gray and dull March day, he looked out the window at the rainy skies and sipped from a mug of fresh coffee while thinking about their last case and a privileged debutante turned high priced call-girl. She'd affected Hotch in a way that Reid had never seen. Reid sighed and went to his chess board. He was three moves into a new game when his phone beeped.
"Hey," he said happily when JJ's number showed on the caller ID. "Business or pleasure."
"Hm, well it is raining, it's a boring Sunday afternoon and we don't have plans. How did that happen?"
"I'm not sure," Reid said. "I guess we've been trying too hard to play normal after letting the big secret out of the bag, so to speak."
"I hope that doesn't mean we're turning into those people that always work and never spend any time on their relationship."
"I don't think that's possible because we see each other almost every day." Reid pointed out as he made another move in his game.
"You sound distracted. Am I not interesting?"
He grimaced and mentally kicked himself for trying to play and talk at the same time. "Sorry, I'm sitting at my chessboard."
"Would you prefer I leave you two alone," she asked, and he heard the irritation in her voice.
"No! You have my full attention."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Hm, let's test that theory," she purred as his traitor eyes moved back to the board. "Emily told me about your interview with the real-estate madam."
Reid's hand jerked away from the board and he knocked three pieces to the floor. He nearly swore, then he said, as calmly as possible. "Oh."
"Yes. Emily said you had the madam's complete attention, especially when the conversation turned to the possibility that the unsub had been forced to perform certain sex acts against her will. I believe she asked you, "What do you have in mind, honey?"
He swallowed hard and remembered that question and the smirk on the madam's face. "It was a necessary inquiry."
"Her question or your question?"
"Mine!" Damn it, he'd squeaked, and JJ would take full advantage.
"Suppose I asked you the same question, babe. What do you have in mind?"
He bit his lip and his mind began to spin out of control because he realized that they weren't talking about the case anymore. "Um, why don't you come over here and I'll show you."
"No," JJ said and laughed in a way that made Reid's palms sweat. "I'm entirely comfortable right where I am."
"Jennifer!"
"You sound stressed, babe. What can I do to help you relax?"
"If you won't come to me then I'll go to you," Reid suggested in vain.
"I don't think so, babe. Think of it as retaliation for beating me twice at poker last week and for lying to me about your case in Las Vegas."
"I said I was sorry and the case was months ago."
"No good enough, Spence. Not nearly good enough. I believe in revenge served cold."
"I'll give you a foot massage," He suggested desperately because his control slipped greasily through his gut.
"Hm, that's a start," she said. "Why don't you explain to me in detail how you'll complete that task."
Reid swallowed again and began to talk.
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JJ hurried out into the rain. Despite her assertion that she would not see Spence that day, he'd played her game better than she realized and had made her so hot, she couldn't concentrate on simple chores. She'd run to his favorite Indian restaurant and pick up the take out she ordered and then they'd continue the game in person.
Reid, on the other hand, reclined on his sofa, trying to remember how to move. The immense satisfaction of turning the phone sex tables on JJ while achieving his own base pleasure made him smile like a cat after a can of tuna. He decided to take a long nap and then go back to his rudely interrupted game of chess.
Thirty minutes later, someone knocked impatiently at his door and woke him from a very pleasant dream of JJ and more exploits having to do with chocolate sauce and handcuffs. He recognized the knock and smirked. He'd succeeded in getting JJ to his place and now he'd see what she brought as a peace offering.
"Can I help you?" Reid said pleasantly as he opened the door. "Oh, it's you, Jennifer. I thought you were too busy for a visit."
JJ's eyes darkened with irritation and normally, Reid would back away, instead, he leaned against the doorjamb and smirked at her. "Sorry, babe, but I was taking a nap."
"You want to have this conversation in the hallway," she said through her gritted teeth.
He finally noticed that she carried a bag from "Indian Sunset," and his stomach overrode his desire to tease her. "Come in."
"Thank you," she said with exaggerated politeness.
"Should I beware blond FBI agents bearing gifts?" He asked, flippantly.
"Yes!"
He helped her set up the food and the fragrant odors of his favorite dishes made him inhale deeply. "You know what I like. Thank you." He tried to kiss her, but she ducked away. "Later," she said and made him grin.
"You are not funny, Spence."
"You're the one that tried to torture me needlessly, Jen. What did you expect me to do?"
She stopped in the act of plating up his favorite chicken curry. "Honestly, I'm not sure what I expected. You've become so confident and I forgot you're not the same person you were a year ago."
"Is that a problem?"
"No," she reached out and tugged him back as he turned away from her. "I love that you have more confidence. I love you and I want you to be happy in your skin."
"I want that for you too," he said and kissed her.
"Good, because you're stuck with me."
"I'm glad," he said and reached for food.
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Later, after dinner and some after meal fun on the couch and then in Reid's bed, he stroked her face as she curled into him. "Jennifer."
"Oh, I know that tone. What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure. I was looking out at the rain before you called and feeling like I missed something extremely important. Now that you're here, I think I know what it is?"
She sat up and her eyes watched him carefully. "You're scaring me."
"I'm sorry, but I wanted to ask you a huge favor."
"What," she asked as she played with her gimmel ring.
"I want us to move in together. I don't want to sleep alone anymore."
She studied him quietly as he watched her with what she labeled his puppy dog look. He never failed to extract anything from her when looking at her with such an expression. "It's not fair when you look at me like that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
JJ sighed and curled up to his chest so she didn't have to look him in the eyes. "Babe, are you sure you want to take such a big step?"
"Yes."
"I admit that I thought about it. I missed you when I was in Pennsylvania. I think I drove my mother crazy talking about you and how wonderful you are."
"Jennifer!"
She sat up again and put her hands to his face. "You are wonderful, Spencer Reid. I love you because you're always there for me. You support me in whatever I need or want for my life. You let me be me. You don't try to change me or demand that I'm something I'm not. I'll love you forever because you let me be Jennifer Jareau, FBI agent, friend, daughter, lover, and imperfect human being."
Reid's eyes began to shine with emotion. "Well said, Jennifer. You are all of that and more to me. That's why I want to take the next step with you. I know you said you don't want to marry and have kids, and if all you want is me, then I'm fine with that."
JJ blew out a breath. "It's true that I'm not ready to get married but being with you makes me feel that anything is possible, even a baby genius someday."
"Jennifer, statistics show that genii have the same chance of producing gifted offspring as any so-called normal human. However, I believe that environment plays a part as well. If a child has gifted parents they more likely to supplement the education of a child at home. I had some of that before my dad left, but mostly I was an autodidact and spent the majority of my time begging the teachers for extra work or in the library."
She nodded and lay her head on his shoulder. "Do you hope that your child won't inherit your mind?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "If he or she were born with my level of intelligence, I would do everything to ensure that child doesn't grow up as I did."
"Agreed," JJ said. "I'd never let that happen, babe."
"I know you wouldn't," Reid said. "So, what do you think about my suggestion that we cohabitate?"
JJ giggled and reached for his right hand. "Yes, Spencer Reid, I will cohabitate with you."
Reid kissed her and for a while didn't think about their new dynamic. It was enough just to be together."