As Caitlin drove home, she considered her options for the evening; she could open a bottle of wine, relax with some pasta and watch a movie or, she could open a bottle of vodka, order pizza, lock her text messaging feature on her phone until she sobered up, and watch racy HBO shows. She turned on her wipers as the mist was quickly turning into rain. The decision hadn't been made by the time she reached home so she mulled the vodka vs. wine and pizza vs. pasta while she parked on the street outside her apartment building. She got out and was about to cross the street when a black Mercedes pulled up beside her. The passenger window lowered.

"Caitlin we need to talk." Caitlin dropped her head back, looking at the sky. She leaned down to look Wells in the eye.

"Do we need to do it now?" She threw up her hands in exasperation when he didn't answer. She shook her head with irritation and opened the door, sliding onto the leather seat. She shut the door and he closed the window.

"Seat belt."

The car pulled away from the curb and a silver SUV at the end of the block sat with its engine running. Ronnie Raymond pondered what he'd just seen. Something about the way Wells and Caitlin had behaved caught his attention. Wells was firm but rarely cross with his employees; especially the women. Caitlin was serious and dedicated to her job and seeing her reaction to his criticism that evening was surprising. When Wells had walked into her office she'd blinked and looked away quickly. The CEO of STAR labs had been unusually brusque with her. He'd displayed impatience and displeasure with her work, something that had clearly surprised her. She'd looked hurt as well and he'd wanted to catch her to chat about it.

Ronnie had followed her on a whim and hadn't been surprised when Wells had picked her up. He'd been too far away to hear their exchange but Caitlin hadn't been particularly enthusiastic about joining him. He told himself that when Caitlin was his, he'd always hold the door for her. For now he could be patient.

"Where are we going?" Caitlin asked when he turned onto the highway.

"Just getting a little privacy," Wells replied. His voice held tension and a small amount of anger. "Hartley brought you up in conversation today." Caitlin turned to look at him.

"Me? What could Harley want to know about me?"

"He told me today that he's noticed you acting differently," he said. "He guessed you're getting laid."

"How could he possibly know?" she asked. "You and I don't talk at the office unless necessary, we don't text or call, and when we do see each other we act professionally."

"I know. He wasn't suspecting me, he was just gossiping about another employee. If I'd denied anything or changed the subject he'd have been suspicious so I told him he was probably right." He told her about his effort to have Hartley catching him staring at her, letting him believe his suggestion had made Wells curious and throwing Ronnie in as a suggestion.

"Why does he even care?"

"He doesn't, he just likes to think he can guess what's going on in other people's lives. I steered him away from the topic by giving him what he really wanted."

"What?"

"Personal, private information that no one else at the lab knows." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He likes thinking I trust him more than anyone else. I thought it had worked but now he'll want to know if I'm right about you and Ronnie."

"Why Ronnie? And why does he think I'm having sex at all?" She pressed her fingers to her head. "He never cared about my personal life when I wasn't getting any."

"You have changed," Wells said, not taking his eyes off the road; his jaw was clenched. "Since the night I went to your apartment, you've been more feminine and sexy."

"I should've known that would happen," she rubbed her forehead gingerly. "I guess I have you to thank for the increase in male attention I've had the last few weeks." She thumped the back of her head against the headrest. "I thought it was my new lipstick." She heard Wells chuckle beside her. Then he laughed and squeezed her knee, affectionately.

"You could thank me," he said, innocently. "If you wanted to."

"I still think the lipstick had something to do with it as well. She turned her head and looked out her window for a mile or so. She turned her gaze to the road ahead when Wells turned on his windshield wipers. She kept her gaze forward when she gently placed her hand on his thigh. She saw him smile widely in her peripheral vision. Emboldened by his pleasure, she slid her fingertips to the inside of his leg. He shifted automatically and widened his knees. Her fingers found their goal and she was unsurprised to find him already stiffening in his pants.

Deftly lowering the zipper on Wells' trousers, Caitlin spread the opening wide and reached inside. Encountering the cotton boxer shorts he wore made her smile. A simple slip of the button that held the fly closed and his hot, smooth flesh was in her hand. The broad, warm head was slightly damp and running the pad of her index finger over the slit produced a drop of fluid and a quiet intake of breath.

"Oh Caitlin," he sighed. "You have the gentlest touch." He breathed in and out slowly, trying to keep his focus on the road. He only had a few miles before the next exit. "It must be your extensive use of pipettes." He heard Caitlin stifle a chuckle.

"I've always been fascinated by how your erection can be so hard and so soft at the same time." She squeezed him gently. The firmness of the engorged organ covered in smooth, soft skin begged to be touched and rubbed. "I really do like it, you know," she said. "Your penis, that is."

"I guessed that's what you were talking about," Wells said, quickly while Caitlin laughed. She unbuckled her seatbelt and he held his breath. She leaned over and closed her lips around him. He stroked her hair and tried to focus on the road. While her mouth moved on him he made it to the exit and drove them to a spot near the river which gave them a view and the privacy of trees. Caitlin sat up as he put the car in park. "Recline your seat," he ordered, unfastening his own seatbelt. He removed his jacket and hopped over the console between them, coming down on top of her.

"I never did this as a teenager," she whispered when his lips were on her neck.

"Backseats are overrated." With Caitlin reclined on the flattened seat, Wells held his weight on his hands while she unbuckled his belt frantically. He kissed her, long and deep; she was so lovely, and young, and sweet. She deserved better than fogged up windows by the river. He boosted her up the seat a little and braced his feet on the floor.

Caitlin grasped Wells' erection in her hand while he pushed up her skirt and impatiently pulled her panties down her hips and legs. She lost her shoes trying to get her underwear all the way off and settled for them remaining around one ankle while he worked his pants down his hips. When he finally pushed his hips between her thighs she welcomed him with enveloping warmth and moisture. She gave a harsh cry when he entered her to the hilt on his first thrust. He thought he might have hurt her but she squirmed impatiently so he started moving. Holding the top of her seat he used it to pull himself into her while pushing with his feet.

Caitlin moaned and lifted her knees, wrapping her legs around his waist and clinging to his shoulders while he rode her hard and fast. She came quickly with sharp, internal pulls at him and he didn't try to hold back his own noises when he climaxed so hard he felt light-headed. He panted against her neck, burrowing his face in her silky hair. He caught his breath and sat up. They clumsily rearranged themselves as the rain began to pour, obscuring their view. He handed her some tissues from the glove box and turned away, moving back to the driver's seat. She had pulled up her panties by then and smoothed her skirt down.

"We can't keep doing this," she said when they were back on the road. "Not if people might get suspicious."

"I know it's a double standard," he said, shaking his head. "It isn't fair Caitlin. You've worked harder than most since you've been here and no one would ever doubt your intelligence until the day someone whispers that you're sleeping with the CEO."

"And suddenly every one forgets how hard I work and remembers every mistake. They'll suddenly say to each other, 'I always wondered why he hired her'."

"You're an amazing woman, Caitlin." He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. "You're too young to be interested in me." He saw the sadness in her face.

"You're an amazing man, Harrison Wells," she leaned over and kissed him, holding his face in both her hands. "You're too smart to be interested in me."

They drove home in silence and he pulled up in front of her apartment with the windshield wipers slapping rain away. She declined his offer to walk her in, telling him they'd taken too many chances already.

"See you Monday," he said, stroking his hand over the hair that fell on her shoulder.

"I had a really nice time." She got out in the pouring rain and Wells felt his gut clench painfully. He should be holding his jacket over her head to keep her dry, but to ensure their secret he just sat and watched her. She didn't duck or run, the let the rain soak her hair and face. She strolled, casually across the road and stepped lightly onto the curb and up to her door.

Wells knew Ronnie had seen them; Ronnie needed to see them. Their brief affair would ultimately lead to the relationship between Ronnie Raymond and Caitlin Snow. Their love would need to be at its deepest and most passionate when the particle accelerator was activated. She was a rare treasure who would inspire the most selfless act a man could make. He had to love her so much that he would get as close to the site of the explosion as possible because it mean the best chance for Caitlin's survival.

Wells would comfort Caitlin; they'd continue to lean on each other as friends and she'd pretend she'd never been to his house; she'd let Cisco get lost instead. She'd still look at him, bound as he appeared in his wheelchair, like he could move mountains.