I am so sorry it's taken so long to update, but good news... midterms are over, and I'm pretty sure I passed! We can all dream, can't we?! Updates should be coming more regularly now. Hopefully. And again, reviews would be wonderful.
CI is not mine. I'm still not making anything. Seriously. If anyone wants to buy me dinner... or send me money for food that doesn't come from a cafeteria... that'd be awesome.
Both detectives stepped away from each other as the doors closed, panting heavily. Alex desperately tried to smooth her hair from its disheveled state as Bobby silently chanted his new mantra: "Mike Logan."
Damn elevators. Should've picked a hotel with one of those glass elevators. More reason to keep this up for longer. I don't think she's gonna buy the idea that the security guy watching the cameras is our killer. Hmmm… maybe there will be people in the hall?? Don't get your hopes up Goren… and don't let anything else get up while you're at it. Seriously. Control yourself.
"Bobby. Bobby. Earth to Bobby. Bobby… ugh. GOREN!"
"What? Yeah. Oh… sorry Alex. I was just- just thinking."
"I was just going to point out that the doors have opened and at some point we're going to need to get out of the elevator. But if you're thinking I guess we can wait," Alex said sarcastically, but not without playful humor in her eyes.
Thinking Bobby? Well if you knew what I was thinking, that oversized head of yours just may explode. Mainly from shock. There are very few things that can boggle the mind of the great Robert Goren, but I know for a fact that this would definitely be one of them.
"Oh… sorry Alex," Bobby mumbled, suddenly embarrassed as he stepped back and raised his hand indicating that she should lead the way.
Bobby followed Alex down the hall, trying very hard to keep his eyes above her waistline and failing miserably. Entering the room, Alex stopped and stared for a few seconds, jaw going slightly slack as she surveyed the room.
"These- these hotel rooms look different when they're not part of a crime scene," Bobby stated quietly as he walked in behind Alex and noted her slightly stunned stare.
"The department splurged. Bobby this is a suite. I can't believe they put up the money for a four star hotel, much less a suite. This has got to be costing a fortune."
"I'm sure they understood. It has to be nice or we wouldn't fit the profile."
Of course, she doesn't need to know that I was the one that upgraded us to a suite. Or that I paid for the upgrade. But it was necessary. It's got a bigger couch for me to sleep on. And she deserves it after all this is doing to her. She deserves it anyway. And I don't NEED a new Armani suit. Just… as long as she's happy.
"I guess so," Alex said skeptically as she walked into the plush suite, checking to make sure that the bellboy had brought her bags up before collapsing onto the bed. "Okay Bobby, the night is young. It's only eight. What've you got planned?"
"Well- we… we need to spend as much time out as we can. So… late dinner?"
"Sounds good to me, I'm starving," Alex grinned as she rolled to lie on her stomach, propping herself up with her elbows and balancing her head on her fists. "So where are you taking me… Mr. Thomas?"
"Well Mrs. Thomas," Bobby grinned devilishly as he looked up at Alex, "I was thinking somewhere nice. All the better to make fools of ourselves."
"Oh Bobby, you really do know how to show a girl a good time," Alex said in a mock girlish voice as she fluttered her eyelashes and sat up. "But first, I am in desperate need of a shower." A very cold shower.
Of course she wants to bathe. To wash me off of her. I'm so sorry Alex. I'm so… so sorry.
"Go for it," Bobby said, looking slightly deflated. "I just need to give Ross a call, tell him how tonight went and let him know what we're doing."
"Good. And tell him I'm keeping a close eye on you while you're at it. Always good to 'keep him in the loop'," Alex snarked as she grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
Bobby sat down on the couch as his eyes followed Alex to the bathroom, and let out a long sigh as she closed the door. He missed her presence in the room, but at least with her in the shower he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his eyes directed at her face and not… well… elsewhere. Unfortunately, even though his eyes were now under control, the idea of Alex in a shower just set his imagination free.
Alex. Naked. In the shower. Less than 10 feet away, Alex was naked. And in the shower. And all soapy. And clean. And naked. And beautiful. And wet. And naked. Bobby could again, for what seemed like the millionth time that night, feel his blood begin to redirect itself and a familiar straining materialized in the pit of his stomach. Oh God, I've got to get out of here. Fresh air. That's what I need.
Bobby quickly stood up and changed out of his jeans and shirt, picking out one of his favorite suits. She never really said anything, but Bobby knew Alex glanced his way when he wore that suit more often than at any other time. That could have either meant that she thought he looked like an idiot, or she liked it, and Bobby was willing to hazard a guess that Alex would have told him if he looked like an idiot. That left only the hopeful thought that she liked how he looked in it. Well Alex, your favorite is my favorite, Bobby thought as he grabbed his wallet and cell phone, dialing Ross' number as he softly closed the door to their suite and headed downstairs to the lobby. Fresh air. That's what I need. Just some fresh air. And a sedative.
Alex let the water roll over her as she rinsed the soap off of her body following the lines of water as they ran down her skin, leaving tiny beads in their wake. She tried for a cold shower, but as good of an idea as it sounded to shock the lust from her body, Alex just didn't like being cold. And so she gave in. Now the walls of the shower and the mirrors on the walls were fogged up, and steam clouded her vision. It didn't matter. She wasn't paying any attention to her current surroundings- the recent past was much more intriguing.
The steaming water pummeled her skin, but all she could feel were Bobby's hands on her face and his fingers on her lips and his breath on her neck. Scenes from the airport baggage claim, the backseat of the cab, the extravagant lobby, the heated seconds in the elevator all replayed in her mind as the soft smell of lavender teased her nose and the water washed away the final remnants of soap suds. Unfortunately for Alex, her libido was not washed down the drain along with the soap but seemed to be increasing if that was still possible. Reliving her moments with Bobby in the comfort of a private shower, Alex allowed herself to be drawn into a world of "what ifs?" Remembering the scent of his shampoo and the taste of his skin, a familiar throbbing heat began to increase between her legs as she stood beneath the pulsating heat of the water.
God, Alex. This has GOT to stop. He is your partner. Your partner! He respects you and treats you as an equal. At least I think he does. And it certainly won't continue if he knows you're thinking about him in the shower. I worked too hard to get to where I am just to throw it all away because I'm incapable of thinking about my partner without my temperature increasing drastically and my breath coming in short quick gasps. This is bad. Okay. Shower time is done. We certainly don't need to be increasing the heat in this room.
Turning the knob until the water finally cut out, Alex stood for a moment and allowed tiny rivulets of water to run off of her skin to pool on the shower floor. Pushing the door open, she stepped out onto the plush rug and grabbed one of the oversized towels, patting her skin dry and quickly applying generous amounts of lotion to the freshly cleaned skin. If Bobby was going to be touching her, she was going to have some nice feeling skin. Wiping a space on the mirror with her hand, she squinted into her reflection to obtain some semblance of her face. "Fine," she muttered as she switched on the fan to begin sucking out the humidity from the room, watching the tiny clouds hovering around her swirl into the duct to be replaced by clear, dry air. As the humidity disappeared, the mirror cleared up and Alex's figure slowly appeared on the cool glass. Studying herself carefully, Alex swept her eyes from the feet of the image on the wall up to the delicate jaw line and bright eyes.
She looked good and she knew it. Sure, she had her problem spots that she worked tirelessly to eradicate. The constant struggle to keep her stomach flat and her hips trim and the dreaded "cafeteria lady arm" at bay was difficult, but she knew she was winning the battle. And of course, the tiny, almost invisible silver threads on her sides showed the marks of a wound that would never heal, a child taken from her. No, not taken… given by her. The fading pink blotches around her wrists and along her hairline- indicators of her time spent hanging by her wrists in a basement, just waiting for her turn behind the curtain. Bumpy white marks on her knees, remnants of a childhood spent running in the backyard and chasing down her brothers. This is what she was. This is who she is. And it sure as hell better be an indicator of what I will be. I plan on looking good for a looooong time.
Lifting her eyes from her body, she studied her face. Her eyes followed the lines of her cheek, tracing the contours of delicate bone and smooth skin. Her brow furrowed slightly as she took note of the tiny creases that started at the edges of her eyes to create almost unnoticeable fans. Her eyes trailed down slightly to her mouth, identifying the thin lines that started on both sides of her nose and made their path down to find the edges of her lips. Smile lines. Ironic. Someone with so much pain in their life shouldn't have lines that were supposed to commemorate years of happiness. Not that there weren't happy times, but lately… lately those lighthearted times when she laughed on a regular basis and spent more time planning her future- her family's future- than she did pulling late nights reading case files… they were overshadowed by the past few years and all that they entailed. Not that she didn't like her life, well… her job. Her job was her life, and she'd be kidding herself if she tried to argue differently. That's the problem. And there may be no solution… but there are definitely ways of dealing with the symptoms. Like dating guys that I know are married. Or… remembering this week on future occasions when I'm feeling particularly resentful of departmental rules. Good plan Eames.
Alex sighed heavily as she wrapped a towel around her head to absorb the water that was beginning to roll down her back, leaving trails of goose bumps in their wake. Taking one last look in the mirror, she turned away to the vanity and pulled out her Mac war paint. Time for round two. Ding ding ding.
"Bobby, did you talk to… Ross?" she trailed off as she entered the main room from the bathroom, looking around to find- well, no Bobby. Tilting her head to put her earring on, she made her way through the rest of the room to make sure he really wasn't there.
It's not like he's hard to miss… but where the hell did he go? You better not have stood me up Goren. I don't have time to hunt you down, and doing it in these heels would just earn me bonus points. Which oh, believe me, will be put to good use. Can anyone say margarita???
Moving back to the bathroom, she rummaged through her bag and finally extracting a tube of lipstick which she proceeded to carefully apply. Snapping the cap back on, she heard a quiet knocking on the outer door.
What the- I swear, if my dad finds me here to interrogate me about my mental health I'm going to kill someone. Well I won't, but I'll consider thinking some nasty thoughts about that simply wonderful psychiatrist who suggested that more family involvement would help in the "healing process."
Alex carefully opened the door and stepped back to examine whoever was behind it.
"Oh…"
"Good evening Mrs. Thomas," Bobby said as he flashed her his biggest grin and pulled his hand out from behind his back to reveal a large bouquet of white tulips.
Bobby gawked openmouthed as he attempted to discretely scan Alex from head to toe, trying desperately to regain muscle control in his face so that he looked less like a fish. She was wearing a black satin dress that hit her at mid-thigh, low-cut in the front but not enough to remove any of the mystery hidden beneath the silk. It clung in all the right places, and Alex… well she had lots of the right places.
"I can't believe you remembered. Well I mean, of all people you would… but I mean- thank you Bobby," Alex stumbled over her words as she blushed furiously and studied her toes. Suddenly remembering that he was still standing in the hallway, she stood back and attempted to recover. "I'll just put these in water and we can get going."
Bobby handed his offering over and watched Alex as she meticulously cut the stems diagonally and placed them in a cup provided by the hotel, all the while stealing glances at Bobby as she worked.
Nicely done, Goren. She noticed the suit.
"Did you talk to Ross?" Alex asked as she dried her hands on a towel and placed the flowers on the counter. Grabbing her purse, she moved toward the door that Bobby held open for her, all the while relishing in the fact that she was only about seven inches shorter than him.
"Yeah, I called him while I was…" Bobby trailed off as reached his hand out to place it on the small of her back only to realize that he had made contact with soft, warm skin. He had been so busy attempting to maintain eye contact and look only at her face, he had completely neglected to notice that her dress was backless. Very backless. The halter didn't only reveal her upper back and shoulders, but the material wrapped around her torso to create a V shape, the point of which was located just above where the curve of her hips began.
Alex shivered from the feel of his warm palm on her skin, enjoying the sensation of his large hand covering the lower portion of her back almost completely.
Neither one of them seemed to notice that Bobby had completely failed to finish his sentence.