Thanks so much for the feedback on my previous stories. Review this one for me, please, and let me know if I should add to it! :)
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Maura looked at all of the boxes. Jane was going to think she was having some kind of crisis. And, yes, Maura admitted to herself, when she was worried or stressed she would often go a little crazy with her online shopping. This, though, was different. Maura felt a nervous spiral twisting in her stomach. This was absolutely different. Right. Yes. She wasn't stressed or worried or unsure about anything. Nope. Not at all. Her eyes scanned the stacks of boxes again. Right?
"Hey, Maur," Jane called as she opened the front door. "I got your text. What did you want to show me?" Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the boxes. "Oh no. What's wrong?"
The caramel-haired medical examiner tried for a non-awkward smile. She tossed her hair a little as she lifted her chin and said, "Nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?"
Jane gestured to the piles and stacks of packages and padded envelopes. "Um, hello?"
"No, no, no, Jane, this is different." Maura smiled big – a genuine non-awkward smile that showed off her dimple. "This is for you!"
"What?" Jane said, lifting one eyebrow and grinning. She took off her suit jacket and tossed it over the back of the couch. "You're stressing out over me?"
"Yes!" Maura answered too quickly, then she shook her head. "I mean, no. I mean…" The doctor flushed, her neck going pink and blotchy. "Yes, this is for you. No, I'm not stressing out over you." Her neck got about seven times more blotchy.
"Why are you acting so weird?" Jane asked. She picked up a box and shook it. No rattles, just the sound of fabric sliding around.
"I'm not acting weird," Maura countered, her voice going an octave higher.
"Dr. Isles," Jane said, putting the box down and walking over to Maura, "You are acting exceptionally weird."
"OK, fine. Yes. Weird. Sorry." Maura said, looking down at her shiny red peekaboo heels. "But I've done something that you might…. Well, hopefully that you'll like, even if you…"
Jane put both hands on Maura's upper arms. She squeezed gently until Maura looked up at her. Maura thought that if it weren't a scientific impossibility she could very well drown in the deep darkness of Jane's eyes.
"Out with it, Maura. What have you done?" Jane's eyes were sparkling, joking.
Maura wrested free of Jane's light grip and went into the kitchen. She pulled an envelope out of the desk drawer and handed it to Jane.
Jane's expression changed from joking to curious. Her brow knitted, lips pursed, she took the envelope and slid a long finger slowly along its side to open it.
For some reason, Maura felt her jaw grow slack when she watched Jane do this. And then she glanced at the stacks of boxes. Not freaking out. She wasn't freaking out. Why would she be freaking out? This wasn't a thing to freak out over, not really.
Jane pulled two tickets and several sheets of paper from the envelope. She glanced over them and then looked at Maura, confused.
"Golden Coast Spa and Resort?"
"We're going on vacation!" Maura said, clapping her hands together. "I already talked to Cavanaugh and he's giving you the next two weeks off. Pike is coming in to take over my workload. It's all arranged."
Jane blinked a couple of times as the news sunk in. She looked back down at the paperwork and then up at Maura. Jane held one of the pages up to the light and squinted.
"Sharpie over all the total cost numbers? Really? You know I can see right through this, right?" Jane took a deep breath and put the paper and the rest of the envelope's contents on the kitchen counter. "I can't do this with you, Maura. I can't afford it. These reservations are for two weeks! This vacation costs as much as half my annual salary. I can't pay my half. No way." Jane's voice was low, her eyes looking everywhere except for Maura's eyes. It was embarrassing, even though she didn't like to admit it. She could keep up with Maura professionally, and even though she liked to give the medical examiner a hard time she could keep pace intellectually, too. Most of the time. But when it came to money, Maura definitely had the upper hand.
"I didn't do it so you could split the costs with me, Jane," Maura said. "I made the reservations so that we could run away… go away… have a nice vacation together." She stumbled over her words, and felt her cheeks burn. "It's a gift. As much to me as it is to you."
"I can't accept this kind of gift, Maur. You know that." Jane ran her hands through her raven curls. "It's too much."
"No!" Maura nearly shouted, taking a couple of steps toward her best friend. "How could it be too much? After everything we've been through? God, Jane, we need a break. When was the last time you took a vacation? Never? I never have."
"But this is nuts, Maura," Jane countered. "I mean, yes, I'd love to… go somewhere with you," she felt her cheeks redden though she wasn't exactly sure why. "But it won't be fun if I'm worrying about money the whole time."
"That's why I paid for everything," Maura countered, starting to feel exasperated. "So you wouldn't have to worry about money the whole time."
Jane allowed herself a slight smile. "So, what? You're my sugar daddy now?"
Maura matched her tentative smile. "Technically, to be your sugar daddy, I'd have to be trading things like expensive vacations for sexual favors."
Jane laughed, "But—"
"But I'm not your type. I know, I know." Maura caught a bitter lilt to her voice and wasn't ready to deconstruct what exactly that meant. "Come here," she said, taking Jane's hand and pulling her back into the living room. She thrust an open box at Jane. "Look what I got for you."
Jane reached into the box and pulled out a mask and snorkel. Maura thrust another box at her, and Jane dropped the mask and snorkel on the couch so she could take the next box. She reached inside and pulled out a huge floppy hat. Jane's expression made Maura laugh despite herself.
"OK, maybe that one's mine." Maura took the hat and tossed it aside. She handed Jane yet another box. Jane pulled out a volleyball.
Maura gave her a shy smile. "For the sports on the beach."
Now it was Jane's turn to laugh despite herself. "Yes, Maura. For 'the sports.'" She bounced the volleyball on her wrist a couple of times and then let it fall to her feet.
"So you're going to go with me, right?" Maura asked, taking a step closer to Jane. Her breath caught in her throat. "You're not going to make me go alone, are you?"
Jane looked down into Maura's sparkling hazel eyes. Her heart started to speed up in her chest. She looked away. "Of course, I'll go with you," she said in a husky near-whisper. "Of course I will."
"Oh, yay, Jane!" Maura jumped up and down and clapped. She grabbed a padded envelope. "Then you're going to need this."
Jane took the envelope and reached in, feeling something smooth and silky. She pulled out two swaths of silky material.
"Swimsuit!" Maura said with glee.
Jane held up the pieces of black fabric. They shimmered in the overhead light. "You're kidding, right?" She held the swimsuit up against her. "This barely covers anything, Maura."
"It's actually very practical," Maura said, scrutinizing Jane as Jane half-heartedly held the swimsuit up to her tall frame. "It's perfect for swimming, sure, but it's made with special tensile fabric to withstand sports. It also wicks away moisture so you can wear it in the sauna, if you're too shy to go in with," she cleared her throat and tried to ignore her warm face, "with nothing on."
"Who says I'm shy?" Jane showed off her dimples. "Just because I don't like to wear girly swimsuits doesn't mean I'm shy, Maura."
"This is not a girly swimsuit. It's a non-showy color. And it's very practical."
"You said that already," Jane said, twirling the swimsuit bottoms on one finger. "Did you also get yourself a very practical swimsuit in a non-showy color so that you can wear it in the sauna if you're feeling shy?" Jane took a step closer to Maura, teasing her by swatting at her arms with the swimsuit bottoms.
"Mine is red," Maura said matter-of-factly. "And you know I'm not shy."
"Do I?" Jane raised her eyebrows. "I don't recall ever being in a sauna with you, Dr. Isles."
Jane knows.
Jane knows.
Jane knows.
Jane knows.
Jane knows!
The words were going off like a fire alarm in Maura's head. She thought she was being subtle. They could go on this trip together, relax, talk about things other than work or dead people. Then maybe they'd have a drink or two, they'd stay up all night in their shared room, maybe choosing to sleep in one of the big California Kings together, just because it wouldn't be that weird seeing as how they'd be tired and they'd had "just friends" sleepovers before… but this time, Maura thought – hoped – this time maybe Jane would recognize the long looks Maura gives her. Maybe Jane would be less distracted by work and more able to see that when Maura reached out to touch her arm or shoulder there was more there than just a "Hey, pal, how ya' doin'?" touch.
Maura had a whole, preposterous plan worked out. But right now Jane was acting weird. Her teasing was different, the sparkle in her eye was… more deviant.
Jane knows.
She knows.
Oh my God.
Jane knows.
What do I do now?!
"Maybe I should go try this on," Jane said, acting like Maura's huge silence and flushed cheeks weren't strange at all.
Maura nodded. "Sure," she managed to stammer out. "I hope I got the right size."
Jane sauntered from the room, throwing a look at Maura over her shoulder. Maura's heart sped up. Her meticulous plans of a slow burn seduction were falling to pieces. What exactly was happening here?
Maura went to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine when Jane called out from the bathroom, "Hey, Maura? Could you come here for a second?"
What else could she do? Maura followed Jane's lustrous voice. The bathroom door was shut so she knocked. Jane opened it, but only enough so that her head stuck out.
"Get in here," Jane said, reaching out and grabbing Maura's hand. She pulled her into the bathroom and shut the door.
Jane's clothes were all over the floor, because of course, but Maura uncharacteristically stepped all over them. Jane had pulled Maura into the center of the huge bathroom so that she could see Jane in the huge floor to ceiling mirror that lined one wall. Maura stood behind Jane, staring into the mirror. Her breath hitched in her throat.
Holy mother of God.
Jane in a black bikini.
There were no studies or statistics to prepare Maura for what she felt at this moment. It was just heat and hunger and monkey brain instinct. She wished her skirt had pockets so she could jam her hands into them. She was afraid of what her hands might do otherwise.
"This doesn't seem very practical, Maura," Jane said. Her voice was accusing, but light. Her smile was full of dimples as she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. The top of the bikini was strapless, harkening back to the 80s. Except it wasn't a shapeless tube that squashed her breasts like those horrible 80s monstrosities, this top fit in all the right places. Like it had been sprayed on.
The bottoms, too, seemed to just become one with her body. They hugged her ass, giving it the perfect upside down heart shape. Maura bit her bottom lip, saw herself in the mirror biting her lip, and stopped.
"I don't know, Jane," she said, taking a step closer to the detective, trying to be cool and failing miserably. "It fits pretty well. Does it move when you move? Have you tried, I don't know. Jumping around?"
"Have I tried jumping around-" Jane whipped her head around to stare at Maura as she started to laugh. "No, Maura. I haven't tried jumping around."
"Maybe you should," Maura said, taking one more step closer and just barely laying a hand at the small of Jane's back. "Give it a good test run before we leave." Maura's heart was beating wildly. What was she doing?
Jane's body stilled at Maura's touch. She looked in the mirror and could see Maura standing behind her – so close – and just barely off to the side. Jane could see half of Maura's face in the mirror, the other half obscured by her own body.
"I'm worried that the elastic is too loose," Maura said in a near whisper, running a finger along the stretchy bottom of the strapless top, pretending that she wasn't caressing Jane's back.
Jane sucked in her breath and Maura smiled. There was no going back now, she knew that. So what if her slow burn seduction plans were ruined. Jane seemed to know what Maura's intentions were. So why not test out that theory? Why not have a little fact-finding mission right here, right now?
"See how easily it stretches?" Maura said in her straightforward doctor voice. She had both her hands on Jane's back now, the tips of her fingers sliding under the elastic and heading to Jane's sides. Maura stopped her hands just before they were about to hit the swell of Jane's breasts. "I'm afraid this top might be too big."
Maura's hands were on Jane, but her head was peeking around Jane's shoulder, eyeing her in the mirror. Jane swallowed and sucked her bottom lip. "It doesn't feel too big," she said, her voice about three octaves lower than it had been five minutes before. "But maybe you should keep checking. I wouldn't want you to have wasted your money on something that isn't going to work."
Maura nodded, a shot of electricity running through her as she was sure she was interpreting Jane's reply correctly. Jane had just told her to keep going. And keep going she would.
Maura's long fingers stayed under the sides of the swimsuit top and slowly, so slowly, began to creep up and around the front of the suit. Jane's eyes closed as Maura's hands cupped her breasts under the top.
"See?" Maura whispered. "Look at all this extra room. I think I need to send this back." She squeezed Jane's breasts ever so lightly, and Jane sucked in a breath. Hearing the effect she was having on her best friend, Maura swallowed hard. She felt like she was on fire. At any moment her clothes were going to burn off of her, leaving her standing in a pile of Chanel ash.
Maura rested her lips against Jane's bare shoulder and peeked her eyes around the taller woman so she could see Jane's face in the mirror. Jane was staring back at her, her eyes blazing, her lips pink and damp. Maura could feel Jane's heart pounding. She squeezed her breasts again, this time less gently.
"Oh for God's sake, you're going to make me go crazy, Maura," Jane said, whirling around. She barely got Maura's name out before her lips were on the doctor's. They kissed hard, years of pent up confusion and lust flowing out of each of them in a bruising, all-consuming kiss. Jane broke away for a second to yank the swimsuit top off and fling it to the side, then her mouth was back on Maura's. They were moaning and sighing and Maura was making these little frustrated noises like she was trying to figure out how to press herself into Jane on an atomic level.
Jane had taken Maura by surprise with the kiss, though, and had the upper hand now. She was also taller and had the advantage of size. As they kissed wildly, tongues battling, lips growing deliciously bruised, Jane moved her hands to Maura's upper arms and pushed her up against the bathroom counter. With one light movement – a shared action between them, actually – Jane helped Maura lift herself onto the counter, their lips never breaking contact or slowing down the pace of the hungry, frenetic kiss.
Jane pulled at Maura's silk shirt, desperate to feel the doctor's skin against her own. It had been too many years of wanting and not having. Too many mornings of waking up, panting, after dreams she thought could never come true. Jane couldn't stand waiting one more second to have Maura's skin pressed up against her. Not one.
Maura, through her groans and whines, helped Jane's hands as, together, they ripped off Maura's shirt, buttons flying in every direction. So many frantic fingers were pulling at Maura's demi-cup bra, Maura gave up on trying to unlatch it. Jane grabbed the flimsy silk and in one swift yank ripped it from Maura's body. Maura laughed into Jane's mouth, which drove Jane even wilder. She wrapped her arms around Maura's searing, naked back and pressed herself into her honey-haired best friend. Their straining nipples crashed into each other, creating an intoxicating friction between their burning, sweating breasts.
"Jane," Maura gasped into Jane's mouth. "Jane, I thought it was just me." Jane swallowed Maura's words, never slowly the pace of her kissing.
"Jane," Maura tried again, feeling dizzy and buzzy and nearly levitational. They kissed more, harder, even as Maura tried to talk. "I'm the one," she managed to get out, even as her tongue pounding again and again into Jane's mouth. "I'm the one seducing you here."
Jane growled, smiling through her kisses. She roughly pushed Maura's skirt up her thighs, grabbed the doctor's ass and pulled her closer so that Maura had to spread her legs and wrap them around Jane's waist.
"Stop," Jane said, moving her fiery mouth up the side of Maura's cheek and to her ear, "talking." She bit Maura's ear lobe and Maura thought she might die then and there of cardiac arrest.
Jane's lips moved from Maura's ear to the side of her chin, down her neck and to her collarbone. Maura's head fell backward, her hair cascading down her back. Her breasts were heaving as her heart threatened to leap from her chest. The room was spinning, but she didn't care. She squeezed her legs tighter around Jane, feeling that her wetness had soaked through her panties.
Jane was aware of this damp warmth, as well. She could feel Maura's slick heat pressed up against her belly button. She didn't know how to process what she was feeling – it was like all of her emotions were slamming into her at once. Something she did know, though, was that there was no way Maura could return this swimsuit now. The bottoms were drowning in her own arousal. They were hers to keep.
Jane's mouth left a searing trail from Maura's collarbone to the top and then the side swell of her breast. Maura couldn't help but thrust her chest into Jane's face. She needed Jane's mouth on her nipple. Needed it more than oxygen and sunlight. Why was Jane sucking and licking the side of her breast like that. Maura needed to feel that burning tongue on her nipple, she had to have it.
"Jane!" Maura cried out. "Oh my God, you've activated this primal area of my brain, I don't think I can take—" Jane reached a hand up and placed a finger gently over Maura's lips. She looked up at the beautiful doctor and smiled.
"No talking, Dr. Isles."
Dr. Isles swiftly stuck her tongue out and hooked it around Jane's finger, drawing it into her mouth. She sucked it in and out until Jane moaned despite herself. With her finger in Maura's mouth and her other hand firmly grasping Maura's ass, Jane had only her mouth to please the doctor. But that was enough. She slid her lips from the tantalizing swell of Maura's bosom, to her taut, straining nipple. Jane engulfed the nipple with her mouth, sucking hard and fierce, making Maura cry out. Jane took her hand away from Maura's mouth and used it to grab the other side of Maura's ass. With one movement, she managed to lift the doctor from the bathroom counter, never taking her mouth from Maura's nipple. Maura's back was arched, her head dipped way back, and she was throwing off their center of gravity. Somewhere in her brain she knew this, but she was powerless to stop it. She clamped her legs even tighter around Jane's waist, as Jane carried her from the bathroom.
Their balance was terribly off, though, and Jane was unwilling to take her mouth from the doctor's magnificent breast. So she fell to her knees and laid Maura down in the hallway, right on the sparkling bamboo floor.
Jane tore at Maura's skirt and underpants, somehow managing to get them off without tearing them. And Maura reached for Jane's swimsuit bottoms. In about two milliseconds they were both naked and staring at each other. It was the first time in a long time their mouths weren't on each other.
"Sweet Jesus you're even more beautiful than I could have dared to dream," Jane breathed, staring at the milky white curves and shining curls spread out beneath her.
"You're beautiful, Jane," Maura countered. "The perfect swell of your breasts, the way your musculature enhances your bone structure. I've gone days thinking I might burst if I couldn't touch you. Just part of you. To prove that you're real."
A tear slid down the side of Maura's face and she tried to laugh it away, swiping at it with a deft doctor's hand.
Jane's face melted as she saw her best friend lose herself to emotion. "Oh, Maura," she said, feeling a surprising lump in her own throat. "Oh, Maura, Maura, Maura. Why did we take this long?" Jane lowered herself onto the doctor, careful to keep some of her weight on her elbow because of the hard floor. She flipped her long black curls over to one side so that she could rub her cheek along Maura's cheek and kiss away the wetness left over from the tear.
Maura wrapped her arms around Jane, holding her tightly. But then, before the moment softened too much, she slid her hands around to Jane's arms and pushed her up just a bit. Jane gave Maura a confused look, but Maura just smiled. She let her hands run gently across Jane's collarbones and down to the swell of her breasts. Maura ran her thumbs lightly over Jane's nipples and Jane gasped. Maura chuckled as she cupped Jane's breasts and squeezed.
"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this, Jane," Maura said. Her voice was sultry, a near whisper. Her hips pressed up into Jane, acting on their own. Maura felt the hunger growing inside her again. She felt the frenzy building. She couldn't take it slow. Not now. Her hands began to grapple at Jane's breasts, squeezing, tugging. Maura lifted her upper body so she could take a nipple in her mouth. The sensation of sucking Jane's tight nipple was enough to nearly make Maura orgasm right then and there. Maura's groans grew in pitch as her sucking took on a feverish capacity. Jane, too, was groaning, her head lolled to the side.
Maura reached down to where Jane had her pinned, their trimmed curls pressed against each other in a tangle of dampness. Maura slipped her hand in between them, rubbing both of their swollen clits at the same time, the back of her hand rubbing up against herself while her palm cupped Jane. Two of Maura's fingers slid into Jane almost of their own volition, and Jane cried out, a husky howl that raised goosebumps all over Maura's body.
Jane reached down and under Maura's thigh, and somehow, without disengaging Maura's hand, managed to slide her own fingers into Maura, pumping quickly, almost roughly.
It only took seconds before the two of them were gasping and whimpering and crying out into the night. They road the waves with each other, bucking and rocking and bouncing and, finally, laughing from the wonder and surprise of it all.
Jane collapsed onto Maura and then moved to the side, so that half her body was on the floor next to Maura and the other half of her body was draped over Maura. As far as Jane was concerned, she was never letting go.
Maura held onto to Jane as well, congratulating herself on a seduction well done, even if someone had tried to take over. Typical Jane. That made Maura laugh.
"What?" Jane asked in a throaty and hoarse post-orgasm voice. "Do I want to know what's happening in that mind of yours?"
"It's only filled with thoughts of you, Jane," Maura said, nuzzling Jane's hair. "Thoughts of how you tried to steal my seductive thunder away from me."
"Really?" Jane asked with a snort. "I did nothing of the sort, Dr. Isles. You were the one who was all, 'Hey, let's run away together. Hey, jump around in this swimsuit. Hey, let me stick my hands in your top."
Maura laughed again, that chuckle that could charm anyone.
"God, I love to make you laugh," Jane whispered, feeling a tingle growing inside her.
"You do?" Maura asked, loving to hear what Jane thought of her.
"More than anything," Jane answered.
"So you're definitely going on vacation with me, then," Maura said.
"I'm not sure I ever want to leave this floor," Jane grinned.
Maura lifted up her arm. The only thing still on her body, besides Jane half-draped over her, was her watch. "Well, if you're going on vacation with me, we're going to have to get off this floor. The plane leaves in two hours."
"We're leaving tonight!" Jane lifted her head in surprise.
Maura looked into Jane's shining dark eyes. She let her eyes wander over the raven-haired beauty's cheekbones, the dimple in her cheeks and chin. She ran a hand lightly over Jane's breast and felt Jane shudder in response.
"Maybe we could catch a flight in the morning, instead," Maura whispered, lifting her eyes back to Jane's.
Jane nodded, trailing a hand through Maura's hair. "I like that idea, Dr. Isles. There's just so much we still have to do before we leave."
"So much," Maura agreed, meeting Jane's lips with her own. "I mean, I haven't even tried on my new swimsuit, yet."
"Oh, God," Jane murmured into Maura's mouth. "Go get it. Now."
Maura smiled, grabbing Jane, flipping her, and pinning her to the hallway floor.
"So bossy, Detective," she said, tossing her hair. Then she leapt off, and ran naked into the living room, searching for just the right box.