Charlie murmured sleepily, absently swatting away whatever was tickling her neck.
Joey grinned and gently blew onto Charlie's neck again.
"The bugs are big in this bed," Charlie said, her eyes still closed. "They're persistent too," she muttered when the warm breath on her neck was replaced by lips.
"Do you want me to stop?" Joey mumbled against her neck, making Charlie wriggle at the sensation that caused. "Because this little bug can stop and go back to sleep if you'd prefer."
In reply, Charlie rolled over to face her. She smiled at her girlfriend's sleep mussed hair. "Looks like you stuck your finger in the bug zapper," she chuckled. She moved closer and pressed her lips to Joey's. "You're still gorgeous though."
"You're not so bad yourself, my frightfully haired love." Charlie's hand immediately went to her hair. "I'm kidding Charlie, unlike mine, yours is still a picture of neatness."
"I like the scruffy look on you."
"Can't say I enjoy getting it into some semblance of respectability when it does this though." Joey rested her hand on Charlie's hip. "How are you this morning?"
"Tired, but that's nothing compared to how Georgie must be feeling." Charlie sighed heavily. "I wish I could spend the day at the hospital with her, but I need to be at the station."
"Isn't Robertson taking charge of the investigation?"
"Yeah, but I still need to be at the station."
"I'd spend the day at the hospital, but I promised Alf I'd keep an eye on the club so he could be with Georgie and Martha," Joey told her. "But at least they won't be alone and I'm sure Irene and Roo will also be there for them."
Charlie nodded. "And knowing Georgie, it's probably best if we don't overcrowd her by all being there at once." Charlie was still somewhat surprised by the turn of events with Roo and Georgie, but it also made her happy that Roo was finally ready to give Georgie a chance and with them being on friendlier terms, it could only be a good thing where Martha's recovery was concerned. "But I don't want you overdoing things either as it wasn't that long ago you were under doctors orders to take things easy."
"Romeo is going to be working with me, so I won't be doing it all alone and if it eases your worry, then I'll promise to take regular breaks. I just wanted to help out in any way I could."
"And I'm sure Alf appreciates being able to spend the time with Martha." As Charlie moved in for another kiss, the alarm started squawking.
"Oops, forgot to turn that thing off," Joey said.
Reaching over, Charlie slammed her hand down on it, sighing in relief at the sudden silence. "Why can't they make those things sound nicer," she complained.
"That might defeat the purpose, if it makes you feel better instead of waking you up so you're forced to stop that awful noise."
"Good point." She smiled wistfully at Joey. "I wish I could stay here all day, snuggled up with you."
"So do I, but we're needed elsewhere."
"When all this is over though, I want us to have a weekend where we do nothing except be together without the hassles of the outside world."
"Sounds like bliss." Joey leant over and kissed her soundly.
"You've just made it so much harder to leave your side," Charlie grumbled when they finally came up for air.
"Hey Charlie," Ruby bellowed from the other side of their bedroom door. "That Robertson guy is here."
"Thanks Ruby," Charlie called back, just as her words sunk in. "Shit, I don't want him to see me like this." She flew from the bed, grabbed up her uniform before pausing and going back to the bed. "I love you."
"I love you too." Sharing another kiss, Charlie then headed to the bathroom to make herself presentable.
"Who needs an alarm when Robertson is around," chuckled Joey.
Having gotten herself presentable as quickly as possible, Charlie walked into the kitchen, where Robertson was busy talking her poor sister's ear off.
"Thank god you're here," Ruby blurted out in relief when she saw her sister. "I mean, I'm running late for school, so now that you're here, bye everyone."
Robertson watched on in amusement as Ruby rushed from the house. "She is aware that it is Saturday today, isn't she?"
Charlie's lips twitched. She couldn't blame Ruby for wanting to be elsewhere, she'd felt the same around Robertson at times.
"Or is it just my sparkling personality she couldn't handle?"
He always seemed well aware of how he made people react around him, Charlie thought, yet he made no real effort to change his attitude.
"Who knows why teenage girls say what they do," she replied. "Have you got something to tell me that couldn't wait until we're both at the office?"
"Graves and I are going to take another look at the crash site so we won't be in until later in the morning, but I thought you'd like to know that the Drugs Squad aren't getting any further with Braxton because he's now pleading guilty to all charges, including the additional drug trafficking charges they've since linked to shipments he authorised through CBJ Industries and now he's refusing to speak to them at all."
"Shit."
"It's no surprise he's unwilling to cough up his boss, but he'd been cooperating to a degree, only now, he's completely tight lipped, except to say that he alone was in charge of it all and set up CBJ like that, just to make it seem like there was someone else above him."
"Has anyone contacted Brax since he was arrested, aside from his lawyer?" Charlie asked.
"Not since he's been on remand, but word could have gotten to him through another prisoner."
"You think that's what happened?"
Robertson nodded. "He was happy to deal and give up the arsonist, but now he's not interested in dealing at all and is basically giving up without a fight and that has me suspicious. I may not know the man that well, but from what I've gathered about him, he doesn't seem the type of man to just give up, so I think there has to be a very good reason for him to want to spend the next 20+ years in jail without putting up a fight."
"Whoever this guy he works for is, he's got Brax scared and that has me scared," Charlie said. "Brax has always been a cocky son of a bitch, especially when it comes to getting away with things and in the past, it was next to impossible to get people to come forward against him, because they were too scared, so for Brax to be someone else's lackey, I can only assume that this other guy must be extremely dangerous."
Robertson nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, without Braxton's help, there's nothing to lead us to this other person's identity. The Drugs Squad aren't shutting up shop just yet, but with Braxton pleading guilty to all charges, they're going to have a hard time justifying continuing on with the investigation unless they turn up real evidence of someone higher up. As it is, they have no idea of where to even start looking. Is he a local or does he run the business from the city and Braxton was just his lackey on this end."
"I don't know of any local who would have that much sway over Brax and I'm really hoping with him in jail, that it really is the end of it on our part, because we have enough to worry about with the accident."
"I stopped by the diner on the way here and the accident is the main topic of conversation."
"Martha's liked and respected by a lot of people, so this was always going to anger the community."
"That could work to our advantage, especially if our driver is a local. He or she isn't going to be able to go anywhere in town without hearing about it and just maybe, it will prod his or her conscience enough to make them come forward."
"God I hope so. Georgie has enough to worry about without that bastard getting away with it."
"Good morning Det. Robertson," Joey said in greeting as she joined them in the kitchen.
"Please, call me Robert."
"Robert, can I get you a coffee or some breakfast?"
"No thank you, I've already eaten and I should be going now. It was nice to see you again." He turned to Charlie. "I'll see you at the station later. Good day ladies," he said as he left.
"Charlie, do you want some breakfast before you leave?" Joey asked her once they were alone.
She was about to say no when her stomach protested.
"I'll take that as a yes," Joey said with a chuckle. She grabbed a couple of bowls and the cereal while Charlie put on the kettle.
Charlie leant back into Joey's arms when she stepped behind her. "Are you trying to distract me?"
"Robertson did that earlier," she replied as she bit down gently on Charlie's ear lobe.
"God Joey," moaned Charlie.
"You're tastier than cereal," she whispered.
"If I'm late, I'm late," Charlie muttered as she spun around and crushed her lips to Joey's. She pushed her back until Joey was forced to sit on the table.
Wrapping her legs around Charlie, Joey pulled her closer, their lips never parting as their hands worked on each other's buttons.
Any thought of work or the state of her uniform shirt as it was tossed carelessly to the floor was gone as their bra-clad breasts pressed against each other, the kiss deepening until they were both breathless. "Oh god," Joey groaned as she lay back on the table, her girlfriend's lips kissing a trail from her mouth downward, stopping at each nipple to gently tug on it through the lacy bra, before continuing on her downward path. By the time she reached her goal, Charlie had already tugged down Joey's pants and knickers and was now kneeling on the floor between her legs.
"Fuck," Joey cried out when Charlie's tongue flicked playfully over her clit. Spurred on by the sounds of desire coming from her girlfriend, Charlie plunged two fingers inside the silky warmth and thrust in time to the flick of her tongue. She quickly had Joey panting and groaning. "Harder," Joey begged and Charlie granted her request, her lips closing around Joey's clit. "Fuck yeah," Joey screamed as her orgasm crashed through her. Charlie didn't relent as Joey bucked against her, her lips, tongue and fingers bringing Joey three more times. "Charlie!" Joey screamed one final time, before she was left lying spent on the kitchen table, her chest still heaving as Charlie got to her feet and leant over her.
"Breakfast was lovely, my dear," chirped Charlie as she kissed her. "But I'm going to have to get something more to eat at the station now, because I really do have to go."
"Sure you don't want some release in return before you leave?"
"I got enough just by giving." She kissed her again, their tongues duelling as her passion threatened to get the better of her again. "You are dangerous," she whispered as she forced herself to move away. "And I love you for it." Resisting further temptation, she picked up her discarded shirt, pleased to see it was still in passable order. "I'll see you later."
"Bye." Joey made no move to get up, her body still blissfully tired from the early morning workout as she remained completely unaware to their love for each other having been witnessed through the window by another, who continued to admire the mostly naked woman lying on the table through binoculars.