Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Reid carried the unconscious woman to the sofa. He noticed the ottoman laden with scrunched up tissues along with a bottle of scotch and a glass. "What the…" he said as he set Linda down.

"Linda," he called out to the woman, tapping her face gently with his hand. "Linda," he said again, "talk to me." Linda opened her eyes and again he noted the confusion. "Linda, what's wrong?"

"It's you," she said as she sat up. "Is it really you?" She reached her hands up and cupped his face, then she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Of course it's me. Linda what's wrong?"

"I thought you were badly wounded or…or dead," she said as she continued to touch him, willing herself to believe he was real.

"W…Why would you think that?"

Linda relayed what she had heard on the news broadcast. "I saw Morgan get out of the ambulance and I remembered how he'd stayed with you at the house and at the hospital so I was sure it was you who was hurt. I tried calling but your phone just rang and rang which made me even more sure I was right."

"I'm sorry, my battery was dead. I usually charge it at night but Friday night I was uh…here. It was an ATF agent named Ken Bryer that was hurt when a bomb they didn't know was there detonated. He lost his right leg. Morgan was with him at the time but he only sustained some bumps and bruises, that's why he was in the ambulance. Speaking of legs, how's your ankle?"

"I guess it's okay. I uh…well you can see what I did." She hung her head. "I guess that dulled the pain somewhat. I couldn't think about my ankle. All I could think about was you." She reached up to touch his face again then leaned up planting her lips on his.

Reid responded immediately, pulling her close, his lips parting with hers as the kiss deepened. He could hear her moan of pleasure as their tongues danced. Hands began to move over each other as first his jacket and tie, then his vest followed by her blouse and finally his shirt hit the floor. Lips, tongues and teeth joined their hands in the exploration of each other's bodies, like a savage hunger that could not be quelled. His lips teased her breast while her fingernails raked over his back. He felt his belt unbuckle and his glock flew over the back of the couch while Linda feverishly fumbled with the zipper on his pants. She pulled them down, freeing the throbbing bulge within. Her hands slid into his boxers gently stroking his manhood eliciting moans of ecstasy from him as his breathing quickened. He ripped at her jeans, his need to be one with her almost unbearable.

When they could stand it no longer they joined as one, their lovemaking gentle at first became more heated and frantic as their passions surged with each caress, stroke and thrust of their bodies until their fervor erupted like a volcano, the heat flowing through their bodies like hot molten lava until, at last, they were spent.

Linda and Spencer lay in Linda's bed wrapped in each other's arms. The day had given way to twilight and eventually night. In the aftermath of their energetic lovemaking, the lover's bodies glistened with perspiration in the moonlight that filtered into the room.

"You're definitely not dead and neither is your battery," Linda mumbled as her hands slid over his chest.

"I've never felt more alive!"

"Me either."

"How's your ankle? I didn't hurt you did I?" Reid said with concern.

"What ankle?" Linda laughed.

He kissed the top of her still wet hair, "I'll take that as a no."

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"Anyway, I saw his car in the parking lot at the Japanese restaurant on Saturday morning so they must have gone back to Kimura's in her car. Then he came to work yesterday in the same clothes he'd worn on Friday." Garcia began to giggle. "To top it all off, Emily told me that his cell wasn't charged, the battery died and his story kept changing as to why he hadn't charged it. Emily said he was getting really flustered," she told Shirley on Sunday evening.

"That's great, I knew she had the hots for him. Well who could blame her? They're both such great people they deserve each other. So, that was Friday night, let's see," she ran her fingers over the grid. "Beth won the pool. We'll have to get together. Maybe she'll buy a round with her winnings."

"That's the least she could do. We did help her win it. Let me know if Dr. Kimura mentions the date," Garcia told her. "Lord knows Reid won't give us any details."

"I will, thanks for the update."

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"It's a good thing you already had some Alfredo sauce made up," Reid said as he popped the chicken fettuccini Alfredo in the oven. "Little Japanese girl cooks Italian, who knew?"

Linda threw the remainder of a stalk of celery she was chopping for the salad at him from her perch at the dining room table. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent cook."

"Yeah yeah, well I seem to be doing all the cooking in this relationship," he said as he dodged a radish.

"That's not what you thought an hour ago," she winked.

"I'm pretty sure that's not good manners," he picked up the radish. "I'd eat just about anything right now anyway, even my own cooking. I'm starved. Someone seems to have worn me out," he sighed.

"Oh you poor thing," Linda said with mock sympathy. "Just wait until this ankle is healed and I'll do something guaranteed to satisfy your hunger."

"You already did that," he said waggling his eyebrows as he leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. A mushroom whizzed by him and landed in the sink. "You really have to work on curbing this violent streak of yours. Is any of that salad getting into the bowl because I want to eat it?"

Linda tossed the vegetables together with wooden salad forks, "Let's eat."

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Linda winced as she sat down on the couch after enjoying the fettuccini with garlic bread and a glass of chardonnay. "You're in pain aren't you?" Reid said, noticing her grimace.

"Just a little," she held up her thumb and index finger close together.

"Here," Reid handed her the Tylenol, "I'll get you some water." He turned for the kitchen returning momentarily with the water. He watched her down the medication and returned the empty glass to the kitchen. "I'm sorry," he said upon his return. "I should have been more careful. I should have had more control and not let what happened happen. I knew you were injured. It's my fault."

"If I recall correctly, it was me who all but jumped you," Linda admitted. "It's okay, the meds will kick in shortly."

"Is there anything I can do? Should I get ice? Would it help if I massaged it or something?" He recalled the massage he'd had in the hospital. It had been wonderful until he'd…

"A massage," Linda sighed. "I haven't had one in like forever. I used to go to the day spa all the time but now I never seem to find the time." She rolled on her stomach. "There's lotion in the bathroom."

Reid retrieved the lotion and slathered it on his hands before placing them on Linda's back. She'd undone the silk kimono she'd worn and dropped it to her waist. He began to rub his hands over her back, gently kneading the tissue. "Tell me if I hurt you." Her back was so beautiful, the skin so soft.

Hurt her! My God, she thought, as those magic fingers on her skin made her tingle like she never had before. She closed her eyes. "Hmm," she mumbled at his caresses. She could feel the movement of each finger like he was a master musician playing a symphony.

His hands moved from her shoulders, down her back, caressing and kneading the tissues as he went, to where her kimono rested at her waist. He closed his eyes and let his fingers work, not realizing he had brushed the kimono aside and his hands now caressed her soft round buttocks.

Linda moaned his name and turned, reaching out for him, like he had done that night in the hospital, the kimono slipping away altogether, revealing her nakedness. "Linda, we can't," he said with all the strength he could muster. "I don't want to hurt you. I hurt you before even though you said I didn't."

"Please Spencer, haven't you ever done something you wanted and even though you knew it was going to hurt you in the end, you did it anyway because it felt so damn good at the time?"