For your patience and your wonderful words of encouragement.
I hope you like it, there is one more to go I think… or two:)
(and JoJo, you're on to me)

Love,
Jellicos

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The Games People Play

I feel like someone just dumped a bucket of ice water on my head, then pointed and laughed. Did she say what I think she said?

Stopping dead in my tracks, holding on to the front door for dear life, I venture a glance at my colleague. She's turned to face me, her right hand propped up on her hip, head cocked slightly to her side and that mischievous smirk firmly in place. Oh yeah, she said exactly what I think she said.

She has that look too, the one that says she has me exactly where she wants me, that smug look that only she can make into an art of seduction. Oh no, I don't think so Willows.

I know I must look like a goldfish that by some fluke of nature just sprung legs and lungs and is now desperately trying to figure out how not to gape and actually move those odd limbs she grew. It takes me all of five seconds to get myself together. She's not getting away with this.

"Oh no, this is a quid pro quo kind of game Catherine. If I answer your question you'll have to answer one of mine." I tell her and feel my adrenaline rise as her eyes widen slightly. She did not expect that and I have to admit that I love throwing her off her game. It lasts but a second and a half before her trademark cool is back and she does that cock of her head that makes her hair fall over her shoulder. God she's gorgeous.

"Deal." She says before walking away from me. I'm about to object before I realise we're in the parking lot outside the police station and she's making her way towards our car.

Thinking is not my strong point around her.

Tossing the keys up in the air, I snatch them back into my left hand before making my way over to her. I don't know what's going on or were she's going with this. I know eventually I'll have to bring up the fight we had and kill the mood, but right now I'm enjoying her flirting a little too much to even consider changing the subject. Because right now even I can tell she's flirting with me.

Her expectant look as I make myself comfortable in the drivers' seat reminds me I have yet to answer her question.

"The answer to your question is yes by the way." I say as casually as I possibly can, leaving enough room for her to wonder if that means anything at all.

"Really?" She says and I feel myself smile at the smug tone of her voice.

"Yeah, I had this really freaky dream involving you, Greg and a goat in a hat that…" I start telling her before she cuts me off.

"Oh shut up." She chuckles, that soft throaty sound that makes me shiver. I don't tell her that the dream ended without Greg, the goat… and clothes.

"My turn." I say, wondering why my voice suddenly grew a little more serious with those two words.

"Shoot." She says and I feel her eyes on my face.

"Did you mean what you said in your office?" The words slip out before I can stop them. I'd wanted to ask her something flirty, something light that would bring out that cute chuckle again. And when she sighs at my words I really wish I had.

"No, I didn't." Her voice is so quiet I have to turn my head slightly to make sure I didn't miss anything. "Well, that's not entirely true." She's squirming and I feel my insides turn to stone. "I meant the part about not checking with me first, but I took it too far and I'm sorry." A honk of a horn behind us makes me realise I've been watching her and not what I'm doing, so I tear my attention back to the road and I stay silent for a moment while trying to grasp what just happened.

Catherine Willows just apologised to me.

"I'm sorry too." I hear a tiny voice say and I realise it escaped from my lips. Since my mind decided to go ahead without me, I quickly sum up my wits to make it good. "I was way out of line and as for not checking with you…" How do I say this? "I just thought, after the thing yesterday…"

"Let's just forget it, okay?" She says and I'm tempted to accept, there is just one more thing I have to clear up.

"I wasn't flirting with her." Ok, that sounded much less stupid in my head.

"I know." What? She does? But…

"But you said…" I try.

"Just forget it, okay?" Her words are more urgent as she cuts me off and I can't shake the feeling that there is something she's not telling me.

"I just want to clear this up, the way you…" Damn it! Can she let me finish one sentence?

"God! Don't you ever just drop things? For Christ sake Sidle!" She explodes, her palm hitting the dashboard with a little too much force. Why is she being so defensive? She can't be that embarrassed about her behaviour, can she? I mean sure, she acted completely irrationally and… Then it dawns on me, like when the little light bulbs light up above the heads of cartoon characters.

"You were jealous." It's out of my mouth before I even think it and from the look on her face I can tell she's shocked.

"I… what?" She averts her eyes and that's when I know I'm right. "That's ridiculous." She scoffs, but refuses to look at me as her hand moving up to scratch her neck, hiding her face.

I don't speak, the suddenly so palpable reason for her recent behaviour is making it somewhat difficult for me to form coherent thoughts. She was jealous? Of me and what's-her-face? Oh my…

"I… may have been a little…" She's fumbling with her words.

"Green eyed monster?" I offer, not able to hide the wide smile on my face. I really shouldn't tease her, but as my mind catches up to realise what this means, I can't help myself.

"Affected." She stresses her word but I see the slight tug on the corner of her lips that she's so desperately trying to hide. This is insane.

"This is insane." Ok, I should stop just saying things that come to my mind without some form of editing in between.

"Excuse me?" She's confused; no wonder. We've reached the parking lot outside of headquarters and I kill the engine to be able to face her when I say this, less she takes it the wrong way.

"It's insane." I repeat myself as I turn in my seat, her eyes suspiciously locking with mine. "You were jealous? You're Catherine Willows!" It's so completely absurd and she doesn't get it, she's just looking at me like I've just announced that I'm retiring to become a door to door laundry detergent salesman.

"You lost me." Well, obviously.

"Ok, here." I lean across the dashboard to the little mirror hanging from the roof, turning it so I'm sure it will reflect her face.

"What? I've got something on my face?" She asks, furrowing her brow at her reflection.

"Oh, don't give me that. You know you're gorgeous, everyone with eyes knows that." I roll my eyes at her.

"This…" She looks back at me as I speak and I stress my point by placing my index finger on her chin, forcing her eyes back on her own reflection. "…is one reason why jealousy from you is so insane. Another one is in here…" I move my finger to tap her gently on her forehead. "But most of them are in here…" I move my finger down to her chest, slightly above her left breast. "Don't you get it?" I stop speaking as she turns to face me.

I never imagined how the sight of a few salty water droplets falling down her cheek would make my heart stop.

"Catherine, I…" But she abruptly stops any other words from escaping my lips by blocking them with her own. Caught so completely off guard, my body reveals my shock with its limpness as my mind manages to register the soft brush of her lips to mine. I don't know when my eyes closed, but I think they are, even if my mind can still picture her in front of me.

Before I can will my stunned body to react, she pulls back again and all I can hear is my mind shouting at me to get her back where she was.

"Thank you." I hear her whisper; it's so soft and fragile that my eyes flutter open at the sound. She's still sitting close, her eyes searching my face for some sort of confirmation. This is when my body decides to kick in and without another thought I've leaned in again and her lips are back where they belong, gently nibbling, tentatively searching. I just need to feel her, taste her, to remember the texture of her mouth.

Our kiss is soft, delicate, like we're both tasting a glass of fine wine, familiarising ourselves with the taste, savouring the feeling. Dizziness never felt so good. And it's when her hand snakes around my neck and up the base to my hair that I know I have to stop this before I lose what's left of my self-control.

I curse my stupid logic the second I open my eyes to the sight of her. Her eyes still closed and her lips slightly parted she looks incredible, breathtaking, "perfect." I don't realise that I've spoken out loud until she opens her eyes and smiles at me.

"I'll say." She breathes and I feel my cheeks burn a little. There isn't a thing in this world sexier than a confident Catherine.

"What now?" Okay, didn't I just have the internal monologue about my mind and mouth working together to edit what comes out and what should be left to silent pondering?

"We go back to work." She says casually as she straightens up and grabs her purse. I'm still sitting there, not quite sure what the hell just happened. Work? She's just going to walk away and get to work as if we hadn't just shared this amazing kiss?

She must have noticed because she turns just before exiting the car and looks at me.

"The New Years Eve party starts at seven and you are wearing a dress." She states as she slides her legs out of the car and stands up on the asphalt. "Pick me up at six thirty." She adds that sexy half smile and then she's gone.

The New Years party? The annual staff New Years Eve Party? In a dress? Do I even own a dress? I'll need to go shopping then. The entire team is going to be there. Is this a date?

Oh god…

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