A/N: Okay, I apologize for lying. This should've been finished and uploaded days ago. Spring break ended up being a lot crazier than I expected, and I ended up getting hit with writer's block. This chapter did not want to be written at first, and then finally, I somehow managed to break past that block, and well… This chapter ended up turning out better than I thought it would. At least in my opinion. Please leave a review?

Chapter 4.

The next few days had dragged on, and Emily had managed to avoid Aaron. The weekend came and went, and Emily mostly stayed in her bedroom, not really wanting to socialize with anyone. Her and Vivian had made up, but Emily just didn't feel up to talking with anyone besides her.

Late Friday night, Vivian had blocked Emily's path from exiting the bathroom. She stood there in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest as she eyed the brunette. "Em, you gotta talk to me."

Emily tried to avoid her eyes but failed as Vivian pleaded quietly.

"I'm sorry. Really. I just want you to be careful."

Emily snorted, unable to resist rolling her eyes in a playful manner. "You sound like my father." They both broke off in light chuckles, Emily letting a tiny smile slip onto her face.

"I know you're sorry. And I understand, I do." She sucked in a breath and shook her head, "It just sucks. This sucks." She dropped her eyes to the ground, "I'm trying to be careful. Really. The last thing I want is to get hurt or to end up in tabloids." Biting her lip, Emily leaned her head against the door frame. "I don't know, Viv. He's sweet, and it really pissed me off, that he would just react like that."

"Maybe he's a private person?" Vivian suggested quietly, listening to her friend. "Or maybe he just really wanted to keep you away from the press. You know what happened last time."

Emily nodded, her soft raven curls bouncing around her head. "I guess."

"If you really like him, and you promise he hasn't done anything bad, I say go for it. Make up with him." She shrugged, "After all, he did save you, what? Like, three times? Give him another chance."

Emily blushed a soft scarlet and nodded, wetting her lips. "Maybe I will."

"And Em? I really am sorry."

"Thanks, Viv. I know." Reaching for her friend, Emily let a full smile take place on her face. She hugged Vivian and nodded. "Thank you."

The next time Emily saw Aaron was a Thursday, exactly a week from the bonfire. She couldn't deny that she was a little crestfallen when he didn't show to their Law class, and pushing her thoughts away, she tried to focus on the professor as he discussed how criminal law came to be a large portion of what shaped government laws today. He dragged on, Emily's eyes straying from the board in the center of the lecture hall, and darting quickly around the auditorium again, hoping she'd catch sight of him.

Nada.

With a low breath, she steered her attention back to the professor. She was only half paying attention, too anxious and worried to concentrate. He had switched topics, and was concluding the lecture with the knowledge that there would be an exam next Thursday, and that the essay they should have been working on, was due on top of that.

Sighing, Emily let her thoughts wander as she began to pack up her desk. Her movements were slow, obviously deep in thought. She barely heard the stampede of the class rush ahead of her and out the door. She heard a quiet cough come from behind her. Sampson.

Thinking Ryan didn't want to be seen with her… Now that hurt.

But what hurt even more, she thought as she made her way towards the door, was what if he had dropped the class because of her? What if he just didn't want to see her.

She had overreacted a bit, hadn't she?

Her hand reached for the handle on the large wooden door, about to pull it open when it opened suddenly, hitting her in the temple. Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked rapidly as her hand flew to the now swelling egg above her left eye. "Ow, shit." She winced as her fingers brushed against it.

"Oh my god, shit. I'm so sorry-"

She stood frozen. She knew that voice.

Still holding her face gingerly, her eyes flicked up immediately to the culprit's face.

She hated the way her chest tightened and her breath hitched in her throat at the first sight of him. Mentally kicking herself, she rolled her upper lip into her mouth and bit down with her teeth. "Ryan." Her voice was breathy, giving more away than she had wanted to. She tried desperately to straighten herself up, make herself appear taller in front of him.

"Emily," warm hazel eyes swept over her face and he shook his head, "I'm so sorry." He cautiously reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "May I-?" He watched her nod slowly, and he eyed her carefully before reaching his other hand up and removing her hand. He cupped her cheek gently, his dark eyes searching her chocolatey doe-shaped ones for any signs of a concussion. His fingers brushed gently against her temple and he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

She inhaled shakily and her eyes slowly found his. "So," she whispered, her voice betraying her. "Will I live, Doctor?"

He watched as the corners of her mouth tipped upwards in a sort of smile. It was small, but it was there. His heart hammered against his rib cage and he cleared his throat, a small smile of his own now tugging at his lips as he concluded that she did not have any symptoms of any head trauma. "Survival rates tend to be pretty high." The tip of his tongue swept over his top lip and he nodded, smirking a bit. "Are you okay?" He realized where his hand was and he dropped it to his side.

"I think so." She nodded once more and inhaled quietly.

He picked up her bag that she had dropped by her feet, and he held the door open for her. He saw her hesitate for a brief moment, and could see her getting ready to protest him carrying her bag, but as soon as the thought had shown on her features, it disappeared. They both walked out.

They got halfway down the steps before he stopped, causing her to stop suddenly to avoid crashing into him. She arched an eyebrow in his direction, silently questioning his decision to stop.

He stared down at her and offered her a small smile. "Would you like lunch?" His chest tightened as he caught a flicker of shock on her face. She was about to decline when he spoke once more. "My treat?" Still nothing. He took in a soft breath and nudged her, "You need to eat, and it's the least I could do. Please let me take you to lunch so I can apologize for whacking you with the door?" His bottom lip jutted out in a mock pout and his eyes grew sad. "I feel like a terrible person, Em." He felt bad about lying to her, making her angry with him at the bonfire, and now he had just hit her with a large, heavy wooden door. Wow, this list was really growing.

"You're not that terrible, you know?" She grinned cheekily at her, making his breath hitch in his throat.

"Emily Prentiss," he swallowed, a very light blush taking to his cheeks as he stared into those dark, beautiful eyes. "Was that almost a compliment?"

She choked back a laugh and hid her smile, "Almost." It was her turn to blush this time. "Now don't go getting a big head," she smirked up at him.

"No promises." He took in a breath and nudged her gently, "So, lunch?" Her smile widened and she couldn't say no. Rolling her eyes, she nodded, accepting his invitation. She didn't care who paid, but lunch sounded pretty good, actually. Especially with him. She couldn't believe how fast she had been able to forgive him for jumping down the boy's throat. For her sake, she added.

"Great!" He grasped her fingers in his and led her forward, down the rest of the stairs, making sure she didn't trip like she had that first day. He chuckled quietly, remembering the moment quite well. It was no secret to him that the girl was accident-prone.

"My car?" She eyed him curiously and he nodded. Her car was just around the corner in the parking garage. He nodded and she led him toward the garage, stumbling just a bit. She didn't want to admit it, but she did feel a bit dizzy.

As they reached her car, he tried to hide the shock that touched his face when he saw a white jeep wrangler. He watched as she nearly walked into the back of it and he bit his lower lip before clearing his throat. "Um, maybe I should drive…" He stared down at her with a small smirk and watched her eyebrow quirk up as she contemplated this. With little to no protest, she handed the keys to his outstretched hand.

"Just… go easy with him. He needs a bit of work done."

"Him?" Aaron raised an eyebrow of his own as he made his way to the passenger side. He took careful note of the car, making sure it was safe to drive. What did she mean by 'needed work done'? The car looked okay. Yeah, it wasn't shiny like he thought it would be, or a nice red sports car, but then again… He really couldn't peg Emily down for the type of girl to flaunt money and status by driving an expensive car. He briefly remembered her telling him she wanted to be normal, maybe this was one of the ways she felt normal. He opened the door for her and helped her up. She relaxed against the back of the seat. He placed her and his own bag in the back seat and then took one more look at her before going to the driver's seat.

"Yeah," she smiled softly, "his name is Toby."

"You named your car?" He eyed her carefully, unable to hide the smile on his lips before putting Toby in reverse and pulling out of the parking spot.

"You didn't?" she asked incredulously, almost challenging him, a grin taking shape on her own face. She winked at him playfully.

"I haven't… no." He turned his attention to the road as they left campus and headed downtown. "So… if your car-"

"Toby." She corrected him, glancing sideways at him.

"Okay, Toby." He tried to hold back a small chuckle, "So if Toby needs work done… why don't you just get it done?"

Emily released a small giggle. "Uh, well, my father has tried many times to get the agents to take him in for maintenance and to get the brakes fixed, but I always catch them. He even tried to steal him once and fix it himself," she shook her head, obviously remembering a memory, "didn't know what he was doing."

Aaron laughed with her and nodded. He stopped at a red light and turned to face her for a brief moment. "Why don't you let him bring Toby in?"

Wetting her lips, Emily took in a soft breath. Never had anybody been so interested in her. Not just her life, but in her. She pondered this for a moment before speaking softly, "I'm planning to take him in. When I can afford to pay a mechanic, I will."

"But your father-?"

Emily shook her head, "Is the president, yes. And my mother is the ambassador of France. However, Toby is my responsibility. I saved up for him myself. I don't-" Her eyes flicked down at her hands in her lap. She lowered her voice, "I don't like people doing things for me just because of who my parents are." She swallowed nervously and stared out the window. Never had she admitted that. Her mother hated that she always refused to let her do things. But Emily needed to learn how to be independent. She wanted to be independent. She hated relying on people for things like money. She would create her own path.

Aaron stole a glance at her before turning his attention back to the road. The light had turned green and he stepped on the gas as he spoke in a soft, warm voice, "Emily Prentiss, you are not like most girls."

She let out an unhumorous laugh and turned her head, "You have no idea."

They had now made the short commute a little ways downtown. He shot her a look and raised an eyebrow. "What would you like?" There were plenty of restaurants or bars in the surrounding area that she could choose from. He thought it best if he let her choose. He looked sideways at her. Taking in the bump above her left temple, he sighed quietly.

She felt his eyes on her and she hid behind her hair. "I guess I could go for some pizza?" she suggested, having never had it yet.

He nodded, a grin spreading over his features. "Pizza it is." He wet his lips, looking down the street. If he remembered correctly, there was a really good pizza diner around the block on York Street. He switched on the right blinker and steered around the corner. Sure enough, La Vero Pizza was on the left side of the street. Parking the car, he dug through his wallet and found some loose change for the parking meter. Grasping two quarters, Aaron made his way to the passenger side and opened the door for the brunette. She nodded her thanks and watched as he fed it to the machine. They crossed the street at a brisk walk.

Emily had reached the door to the restaurant before he did, and she held it open for him, grinning cheekily at him. He raised an eyebrow and let out a small chuckle as she said quietly, "Don't worry, I won't hit you like you did to me." He shook his head and walked in the open door. She followed close behind.

Within two minutes, they were seated across from the large window in the small diner. Emily inhaled softly as she tucked herself into the booth, watching as he took the seat across from her. She glanced around the diner, taking it all in. It wasn't much, she smiled, but it was exactly what she had wanted. She didn't want him to try to impress her with expensive boujee restaurants. This was perfect. The waiter approached their table and handed the couple menus, his eyes never leaving the brunette female's. He smiled brightly, "See anything you like?"

She lifted her head and smiled politely, not quite catching his flirting glance. "I'll have a beer, please." She eyed Aaron and he nodded the same. The young man ignored him, still only paying attention to Emily.

A beer. Aaron smiled to himself. A girl after his own heart. She just kept surprising him.

"Of course. And what would you like to eat?" He winked this time, and Aaron caught himself before a growl could tear from his throat. He did not like this waiter at all. They ordered a cheese pizza with bacon, and finally, after what felt like forever, the waiter named Tristan left with another wink, and a "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you." Aaron grit his jaw as he stared after the guy, rolling his eyes internally. Jackass.

"This okay?" Emily could tell something had bothered Aaron. His hands were in tight fists, and she could see the vein in his temple twitch.

Quickly scolding his features, he nodded, breaking into a small smile. He was the one eating lunch with her. Tristan wasn't. This thought made his smile grow a little. "Yeah, this is great, actually." Her hand was resting on the table and he placed his on top of hers. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, reveling in the softness of her pale creamy skin. "How's your head?"

Without taking her eyes off of his hand, Emily shrugged. "'S'okay." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and her eyes immediately flicked up to his dark ones. He read her so easily, and his upper lip quirked upwards. "I'm fine. Really." He still looked unconvinced. "Okay, it hurts a little." A small smirk tugged at her lips and she shook her head, not able to look away from his face. "But I'm fine, Ryan. Really. Like you said," she let out a tiny laugh, playfully mocking his tone from earlier, "Survival rates tend to be pretty high."

"As long as you're sure…"

She snorted, "What? Wouldn't want the secret service to kick your ass for giving the First Daughter a concussion on the first date-" Before she even knew what she was saying, the words had come out. She shut her mouth tightly, trying to read his expression for anything. Shit. She swallowed hard, removing her hand from underneath his grasp as the blood began to race in her ears. "I mean, well-" She swallowed hard, her dark orbs as wide as saucers as she grew flustered. "I- I didn't, Um..." Jesus christ, why were words failing her now!

She felt her hand being pulled back to the table and she let out a small squeak. "Emily." She tried desperately to avoid his gaze, but the way her name sounded on his lips made her look. She just couldn't resist him. "Emily, it's alright." He stared down at her, and to her surprise, he was smiling a small smile. He pulled her hand back into his and began to rub her knuckles once more. He gave her hand a tiny squeeze, "A date?" He eyed her carefully and raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" She drew in a small breath, trying to ignore the tingle in her hand at the feel of his skin brushing against hers. She finally found her voice and words, and strung them together, "I mean, what is this?" She was sitting straight in the seat, her back rigid as she waited on bated breath. She couldn't read him now and that bothered her.

Before Aaron could even answer her, Tristan the waiter had made his return with their drinks. He ignored the couple holding hands, not paying any attention to the fact that he seemed to have interrupted anything important. "Here's your beer, m'lady." He placed it right in front of her, and then without saying anything to the larger male, he placed the other beer in the middle of the table before leaving.

Emily choked back a small laugh before suddenly remembering they were discussing something very important. Her eyes landed on his again and she inhaled quietly, not sure what to say, and not knowing what to expect. She was afraid of his response, afraid of getting rejected, afraid that she had misread all of the signs and signals. But also, she was afraid of letting go, losing control, and letting herself trust him.

"Emily, if you want this to be a date, I don't have an issue with that." He closed his eyes for a moment. The next time he opened them again, he smiled down at her. "I like you, I really do. But I want you to be okay with this…" His thumb trailed up her hand and he now stroked the skin on her wrist. "Are you-" He swallowed, trying to read her features. "Are you okay with this?"

Emily gasped quietly, her spine still rigid against the seat. "Wow. Heavy…" She tried her best to joke to lighten the mood. She stared down at her smaller hand in his and took in a small breath, "Why do I have to decide?" She brought her face up and searched him, taking in his chiseled masculine features. She felt a warmth in the pit of her stomach and nodded slowly. "Yes." She tilted her head to the side just a bit and ran her free hand through her hair. "Yes, I want this."

He saw her visibly relax against the back of the seat as she came out with her admission. "Well, I'm glad then." He grinned widely, not holding anything back as he stared at her. She was his now. A sense of pride swirled deep inside him as he brushed his fingers across her temple. "I am sorry." He saw confusion in her eyes and he nodded once, "About the door."

"Ryan, it's alright." she snorted quietly, "It happens. I'm a class act klutz." She shrugged, her eyes light with happiness. "Besides, it really doesn't hurt too much anymore."

She inhaled quietly, released his hand and took a sip from her beer. She narrowed her eyes suddenly, something dawning on her. Why had he shown up at the end of class? She turned to him and squared her shoulders, a small frown replacing the smile. "Why weren't you-"

"In class?"

"Yes." She chewed on her bottom lip, her brows furrowing.

Shit. This was the moment he hadn't prepared much for, as he hadn't expected to see her. He decided to go with the partial truth. At least that was better than nothing, right? He still had a job to do. He vowed to the FBI and the President of The United States that he would do his duty and protect her, no matter what. He pushed his feelings aside for just a moment and nodded. "My boss wanted me to work a bit extra today. He called me in, saying we had small work emergency." Despite feeling terrible he couldn't tell her the whole truth, he flashed a dimple in her direction.

In reality, Aaron had to follow a lead on a threat that was received in Washington D.C. He had been ordered to track down a possible suspect in Hartford, making sure nothing came out of it, and keeping Emily safe. He had been gone the entire weekend and had just gotten back earlier that morning, having taken care of the suspect, now behind bars. He was 52 years old, and everything had gone rather well; as well as it could have for someone holding multiple weapons in his home, and threatening the First Family. That was until he decided to assault one of the agents in charge of the investigation.

Emily eyed him curiously and tilted her head. "What is it that you do for work?"

He swallowed, his chest tightening. Another lie.

Dammit.

He met her curious eyes and tipped his head, remembering his cover story. Although he was really 25, he had to pretend to be her age, a 21 year old college "I'm a legal apprentice. So I work for a firm."

She nodded, taking in this information. "I can see it." Her tongue brushed along her lip and she smiled. He relaxed a bit. "So you're working on becoming a lawyer?"

"That's the plan." He stared down at her with such intensity that her stomach did a flip. "What is it you want to do in life?"

"I-" She shrugged, not quite knowing what to say. She thought about it many times, but she never voiced her dreams, for fear of her parents shutting them down, telling her that they expected her to follow in their path of politics. Her mother always saw Emily becoming a politician, a senator.

Aaron saw her bite her lip and twist a silver ring around her finger. He waited. "You can tell me." He whispered, his voice soft with concern. His foot bumped her ankle underneath the table and she jumped a bit.

"Well, my parents…" she drew in a breath, "want me to follow in their footsteps. Become a senator, or hell, maybe even ambassador, myself."

"You don't want that." He guessed, letting out a breath as she shook her head. "What do you want to do?" His voice was so soft, so gentle. His hazel eyes showed how much he cared about the woman in front of him.

"You know, nobody has ever asked me that…" She shook her head once more, her smile and eyes both now held a trace of sadness in them. He reached out and placed a finger underneath her chin. Her chest tightened at the sudden contact and she swallowed, forcing down the lump in her throat. "I love my criminal law classes. So I think I might want to do something with that-" She stopped, mid shrug. "I don't know quite yet, which is… really bad." She let out a quiet laugh. "But I really hate politics."

"I see." He brushed a finger down her jaw and gave her a sad smile. The sadness reflecting in his own eyes. He nodded, "You do not need to follow in their footsteps. Make your own decisions. You're strong, intelligent, beautiful-" He shook his head before eyeing her carefully, making sure she understood. "Whatever you decide to do, you're going to accomplish great things, Em."

"You think so?" She couldn't help the smile that threatened to take over her features.

"I know so." He finished with a smile, pulling his hand back just as their pizza had come. He heard her whispered thanks and he nodded before eyeing Tristan. If he tried anything… Ooh, Aaron would definitely put him in a choke hold.

To his relief, Tristan didn't say anything this time. He came, dropped the pizza in the center of the table, and left. He returned a second later with napkins, placing one down in front of Emily and then the rest of the stack on the table, before leaving once more. Aaron eyed her and then stared at the napkin in front of her. She grabbed for a slice of pizza, not noticing his glance, as she was too focused on the food in hand. She couldn't think of a time where she had had pizza.

He, too, grabbed a slice of his own and raised it to his mouth. He paused, staring amusedly as he saw her grab her fork and knife. "Uh, Em?" He smirked at her, watching as she took in how he was holding the pizza. She blushed a soft scarlet and set the utensils down beside her plate. Well, this was awkward…

"You're in New Haven, Em. Time to eat pizza like one." Instead of embarrassment, she felt a smile take shape on her lips, as light laughter bubbled in her throat. She nodded and picked up the slice of pizza as he had, and took a bite, pulling away quickly as it burned her mouth. She glared at the slice, still in hand, hearing Aaron fail to stifle his own laughter. He threw his head back with a loud chuckle.

"'S'not funny" she grumbled, setting the slice back on her plate. She stared him down but in the end, couldn't hold down a glare long enough. "You're impossible, Ryan Hughes." She shook her head and crossed her arms over chest, muttering about the stupid pizza.

"Okay, okay, fine." He threw his arms up in defeat and nodded, "Are you okay, though?" She nodded and watched him take another bite.

"How are you eating it? It's hot!"

"I guess I'm just used to it…" He shrugged, "Have you ever had pizza?" He took her silence as his answer, "Okay. Wow. First s'mores, now pizza… Guess I'm a bad example for you." His lip quirked up and hers mirrored his. "Emily Prentiss, prepare to be a changed woman." She picked up the slice again and cautiously bit into it, this time marveling at the pleasure the taste brought her. "Worth it?"

She nodded happily, taking another bite. "Definitely." She said behind a mouthful. They both broke into laughter and she blushed again. He was really good at making her happy. Once she finished chewing, she reached for the napkin and picked it up. She took one look at it, seeing writing, her eyes went wide. "You've gotta be kidding me."

He met her eyes and he raised an eyebrow. He had a suspicion that there was something written on the other side. "Oh, what's it say?" He had been waiting to see the other side of the napkin, having suspected that none other than Tristan, had written something on it.

"It's a number. And it says 'I get off at 4.'" She stared down at it and looked around the small restaurant.

"Idiot."

"But who-?" She continued to glance around.

"Emily, did you really not notice the way Tristan was looking at you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she looked at him confused. "Who's Tristan?"

"The waiter…" He let out a soft chuckle, "You really didn't notice him checking you out this entire time?"

"Uhh… no?" She followed the direction his finger was pointing in. Sure enough, there on the other side of the restaurant stood the waiter, wearing a proud grin as he caught the brunette staring at him. Thinking she was checking him out, he puffed out his chest and winked. Emily almost threw up. "Pompous jerk." Her voice was soft and Aaron nearly burst into laughter at catching the eye roll she threw him. She turned back to Aaron and nodded, biting her lip, contemplating something.

He could practically hear the cogs turning in her brain. "What are you thinking?"

Offering him a cheeky grin, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh nothing… Can I borrow your phone?"

He stared at her, unsure whether or not he should give in. He did, and handed over his phone, making sure it wasn't his work phone. "Okay…?"

She accepted it, the grin still plastered to her face as she quickly sent a text to the number scribbled on the napkin. Once she was done, she admired her work, and handed the phone back to him with an evil smirk. He was almost afraid to look.

'Stop checking out my girlfriend or you will never live to drool over another girl again.'

His hand shot to his mouth as he stared at her incredulously. "Emily!" He shook his head, rereading the threat once more. "You really don't hold back, do you?" He smiled proudly. The use of the word 'girlfriend' hadn't gone unnoticed to him, and he couldn't wipe the smug look off his face as he turned back to look at Tristan. He watched as the male cockily pulled out his own phone, glanced at the table with a large grin, then read the message. The grin was no longer there. It had been replaced with fear and a bit of anger. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and retreated into the back room.

"Message received." Emily smirked once more and reached for a second slice of pizza.

The two finished the pizza and waited for Tristan to return with the check. To their surprise, it was a female that came to their table. She was blonde and petite, and resembled a mouse. She eyed them knowingly and leaned in, lowering her voice. "About time somebody put that imbecile in his place." All three of them laughed. "Anyways, thanks. Come back anytime." She nodded and dropped the bill on their table, along with a to-go pizza box for the remains.

The dark haired couple walked out of the diner, Aaron's hand resting on her lower back, guiding her as they crossed the street. "Well, that was interesting." He grinned down at her and pressed his lips to her temple, the same spot where he had hit it with the door. She raised her head, her dark eyes meeting his, and she nodded.

They had made it to her car and she stood beside it, her back now resting against the door. The pizza box lay on top of the roof. He stood in front of her, chest to chest. "Thank you," she whispered, close enough to feel his breath on her cheek. He squeezed her fingers and nodded in response, his eyes catching on something near the left rear wheel. A tracker bug. He swallowed hard, releasing her fingers and placing a hand on either side of her, boxing her in against the car. Surely it hadn't been there earlier, had it? He would've noticed it when he was checking out the car in the first place, right?

Somebody was after her. Somebody knew that this was her car, and they were going to be watching her. He had to get it off her car without her knowing. Doing the only thing he could think of, he grit his jaw, trying hard to mask his features. He slowly leaned in, sealing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. His tongue easily slipped into her mouth and she let him, letting out a soft squeak at the sudden change of intensity. With one hand, he cupped the back of her head, holding her to him. He had to play this right, distract her long enough… With his other hand, he reached down, brushed his fingers down her arm, and slowly reached further down-

DAMMIT!

She pulled back suddenly, gasping for air. Her eyes reflected dark desire, and she smiled widely up at him. "Wow." His hand immediately trailed back up her arm and it rested on the car, locking her against it again. Her arms encircled him, and she pulled him a bit closer to her. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, still hell bent on getting the bug off the car, but also wanting to kiss her senseless. He took in her appearance. Her hair was out of place, her lipstick smudged just a bit, and her breathing was still a bit ragged. She was beautiful.

"Emily…" He eyed her carefully and dropped his arms to his sides, taking a step back from her. "Come on, let's get you home." It hurt him to pull away, and it hurt him, knowing that he shouldn't be kissing her, but goddamn. He wanted to so badly. He took another step back from her, grabbed the pizza box from the roof, and opened her door for her. She climbed in, the smile still evident on her plump lips. As soon as he shut the door, he walked behind her car, pulled the tracker bug off the car, stared at it before throwing it to the ground and squashing it underneath his foot. He heard it crack, and he made his way to the opposite side of the car.

He silently promised he wouldn't let whomever was watching Emily, near her. Starting now, he didn't want to let her out of his sight, but knew he would have to. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. He just hoped he could keep that promise.

A/N: Wow, okay. This ended up turning into one of my favorite chapters. Again, so sorry this took forever to write and upload. Please leave a review? I'd love to hear your comments, suggestions, etc. Thanks!

-Emmy.